Planet Homeschool Is a Homeschool Co-op

Planet Homeschool is a homeschool cooperative, not a school. All members of Planet Homeschool are expected to volunteer to help run our co-op.

Onsite Volunteers

All families who have students enrolled in in-person classes are expected to volunteer for Onsite Volunteer shifts during the co-op day.

Overview of Onsite Volunteer Responsibilities

• Wear an Onsite Volunteer lanyard badge so everyone can easily identify you. Know who your shift partner is, and connect with them to coordinate activities.

• Remind students of their responsibilities during setup, cleanup, and class transitions.

  • Students are expected to help setup and cleanup. Please allow our students opportunities to be involved, and direct/encourage them as needed.

  • Onsite Volunteers are responsible for:

    • Preliminary setup (8:45 AM–9 AM): distributing cleanup kits, setting up the entryway (name badges, signage, etc.), setting up the appropriate number of tables and chairs in each classroom, and welcoming students. A leadership member will unlock doors at 8:45am.

    • Cleanup prep (2:50 PM–3:05 PM): taking down signage, putting away name badges, wiping down tables, vacuuming/sweeping, putting away tables and chairs in the Fellowship Hall, and take out trash. 

    • Double-check classrooms to ensure all the work is done. Leadership will lock doors/turn off lights.

• Walk through Planet Homeschool’s indoor and outdoor spaces every 20 to 30 minutes, and monitor activities.

• Remind students of our Community Expectations if needed.

  • If any students are outside, then they must be within the eyesight of at least one adult co-op member/instructor.

• Offer assistance to members/instructors as needed.  Assistance includes redirecting someone to a member of our leadership team. We do not expect every volunteer to have all the answers.

• Report any concerns related to supplies, equipment, damage to Faith UMC property, health and safety issues (injuries or illnesses), or behavior directly to a core leadership member — never post to our co-op’s forums about behavior concerns.

• During lunch period, one Onsite Volunteer must be in the Fellowship Hall. One should also be outside if children are outside.

On-Site Volunteer Shift Times

The names of each week’s Onsite Volunteers can be found in the Onsite Volunteer Schedule Google Sheet linked to in the sidebar menu.

How many Onsite Volunteer shifts will I be assigned?

• Shifts are also assigned based on the number of students a family has enrolled and the number of classes they are taking.

  • A family with three students enrolled in four classes each will be assigned more shifts than a family with one student enrolled in one class.

• Shift assignments are also impacted by the total number of students enrolled for each class period.

  • If there are fewer students overall enrolled in classes for a given class period, those families may be assigned to more shifts than usual to ensure that all shifts are covered.

What should I do if I need to cancel or reschedule a shift I am scheduled to cover?

1. Post to our co-op’s Forum to request to trade your shift with another member.

   • Include the date and time of the shift you wish to trade.

   • List the dates and times of shifts you are available to accept.

2. After you arrange your trade, update the Onsite Volunteer Schedule Google Sheet (linked to in the sidebar menu).

3. If you swap shifts after the “Volunteer Team for Friday …” co-op’s Forum post is sent, please reply to that thread to inform everyone of the change. Please provide your replacement’s information. 

4.  If you are still unable to find a sub, please let our Volunteer Coordinator(s) know in advance.

What should I do if I’m going to be late for my scheduled shift?

1. Directly inform the current Onsite Volunteer team members about the delay.

   • The names, phone numbers, and email addresses of the week’s volunteer team are in our co-op’s Forum under the latest “Volunteer Team for Friday …” post to our co-op’s Forum.

     • It is a good idea to have the phone numbers of a few other members of Planet Homeschool on hand in case of an emergency.

2. Please do not reach out solely to PHS Lead Volunteers, as those volunteers may be unavailable at that moment; reaching out to someone you know is onsite at PHS is best.

What should I do if an emergency prevents me from volunteering for my shift at all?

• Follow the same procedures as above.

• If your emergency is dire, you may ask the first person you reach (which may not be the first person you message), to take responsibility for finding a replacement and letting your shift partner know.

What Should I Do If My Shift Partner Does Not Show Up?

• You may deputize any adult co-op member present to be your shift partner.  Ask a leadership member if you cannot find someone to help.

• Reach out to your co-volunteer to ask if they are okay. (They may simply be stuck in traffic, they may have forgotten, or they may be facing an emergency situation.)

  • The names, phone numbers, and email addresses of the week’s volunteer team are in our co-op’s Forum under the latest “Volunteer Team for Friday …” post to our co-op’s Forum.

Other Ways to Volunteer

There are many ways to contribute to our co-op:

• Become a Support Volunteer — These are co-op members who fulfill important specific roles at our co-op (these tasks typically benefit from a team effort).

• Join the Executive Volunteers — Our co-op is regularly seeking to bring in new leadership as other members prepare to transition out.

Below is a small sampling of tasks that need doing. If you have a particular skill or a new idea about what needs to get done, please don’t hesitate to contact the Lead Volunteers to let them know you’re interested in volunteering to do it!

• Printing & Laminating
• Website Maintenance
• Managing membership signups and renewals
• Monitoring and assisting with class registrations
• Data entry for classes
• Planning the open house
• Planning our semiannual get-togethers
• Hosting social opportunities
• Welcoming Committee
• Fundraising