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Planet Homeschool is open to students ages 10 and up. We are focused on providing a unique community and opportunities for older tweens and teens that is often hard to find. PHS has a staggered registration that is open to returning members first, then to new members with at least one child 12 and up and finally to new members with children 10 and up. We do not accept registrations for any children younger than 10 years old, but we would love to see you in the future!

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Planet Homeschool is primarily focused on serving students homeschooling through the teen years, but we are open to students ages 10 and up. We offer at least one or more classes per period to students as young as age 10, but we have stricter age limits on core high-school academic classes. Students will need to be the minimum age for the class by the time the class begins.

The decision on how many classes to sign your student up for is up to you. However, we recommend that parents of new Planet Homeschool students age 10 and 11 strongly consider only scheduling their child for a class or two per semester while they’re first getting settled in. Being around a large number of teenaged students can be an adjustment for younger students, especially those who haven’t spent very much time around teens, and in our experience, starting with a class or two is the best way to help most younger students acclimate gradually and make sure PHS is a good fit for them before their families make a larger commitment. Families registering new 10 and 11-year-olds also need to plan to have a parent on-site during their students’ first semester at PHS.

Registration at PHS opens first to current member families, then to new member families that have at least one student age 12, and finally to new members with children ages 10-11. Check our online calendar for exact registration dates.

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Registration for Planet Homeschool opens to current members first, then to new members with at least one student age 12, and finally to new members with children ages 10-11. Check our online calendar for exact registration dates or like Planet Homeschool on Facebook for registration reminders. We also post in the many local homeschool Facebook groups and on general homeschool boards like Homeschool Adventures.

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Unfortunately, we do not have the ability to maintain waiting lists for classes. Occasionally someone will drop a class and a spot will open. Because of our online registration system, we cannot actively monitor the registration status of each class nor can individual teachers. Any seats in a class that open up after a class is full will be filled on a first come first served basis.

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No, every classroom is scheduled for every period in the space that we rent. Our class list for the year is set during the spring before and we don’t have much wiggle room once the class list is complete. Stay tuned – popular classes are often run again. Sometimes a teacher might choose to add a spot or two if they decide they have the physical space and ability to handle a couple more students.

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You may arrange for a visit while we are in session by contacting us at PlanethomeschoolMN@gmail.com. A parent volunteer will show you around. However, the best time to visit is during the Planet Homeschool Open House in the spring. Visit our online calendar or our Facebook page for the exact date. We ask that you do NOT drop by unannounced.

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Planet Homeschool accepts students ages 10 and up. There are no exceptions made to this rule.

We offer at least one class per period to students 10 and up, but we have stricter age limits on core high-school academic classes. Please look at the description for each course for the age restrictions. PHS is focused on providing a unique community for older tweens and teens that is often hard to find, and our age policy reflects this mission.

Although we happily welcome all at PHS, consider that many of our older students are also academically advanced. Just as a 9-11 year old might not prefer being in classes with 4-8 year olds, many of our students ages 12 and up enjoy the older student environment that is unique to PHS.

Our teachers set the age ranges for their classes. Please note that many of our classes are open to a wide range of ages and are geared to work for kids at many different levels. Teachers may, at their discretion, broaden the age range to allow a class to run if it has not met minimum numbers, however, we will not accept students younger than 10 years of age.

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Instructors at Planet Homeschool are all independent contractors. Each teacher sets their own curriculum and expectations, sometimes dynamically based on the kids registered for a class. They also set their own refund policies. You may e-mail teachers directly with questions and concerns about individual classes. If you need help finding a teacher’s contact information you are welcome to email us!

Planethomeschoolmn@gmail.com

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We are a co-op, and as members we are all expected to volunteer our time, energies, and talents to the running of PHS.

Parent responsibilities:

• Complete registration promptly, including submitting payment for classes.
• Most parents volunteer 2-4 times each year as Parent Monitors during the day or with facilitating the set up and take down. Parents will be asked to submit their volunteer availability before registering for classes each semester, and a team of volunteers will assign shifts and let members know when they are scheduled to volunteer. You may bring younger siblings with you while you volunteer. If your family circumstances do not allow you to volunteer during the co-op day, please contact the Planet Homeschool leadership at Planethomeschoolmn@gmail.com to arrange for another volunteer option.
• Read all co-op communication, and support your kids in meeting their requirements.

Student responsibilities:

• Be kind and respectful of the Planet Homeschool community.
• Be respectful of our space at Faith United Methodist Church.
• All students taking classes first period are expected to help with classroom setup from 9:00-9:15AM.
• All students taking classes last period are expected to help with classroom take down from 3:05-3:20PM.

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That depends. If you are a brand new family to Planet Homeschool and you are enrolling a 10 or 11-year-old for the first time, a parent is expected to stay on-site during their student’s first semester at PHS. This time on-site will give you an opportunity to develop an understanding of what PHS looks like and help your family make connections and become invested in our community. Navigating homeschooling through the teen years can be challenging and you can learn a lot from the other parent members by staying at PHS while your student is in classes. 

Planet Homeschool is a drop-off co-op for returning members and for students age 12 and up, but parents of older students are also always welcome to stay. Even for students above 12, it can be helpful to have a parent stay on-site, especially when your child is new. If your child may be intimidated by group settings, it’s a good idea to stick around while they are settling in.

In some cases, PHS leadership or teachers also may require that parents stay on-site while their child is at PHS to help supervise their child, in order to help the co-op function more smoothly and safely for all.

Students ages 12 and up may have free periods or stay at PHS unsupervised for lunch. While there are always adult volunteers on-site keeping an eye on things, PHS students are NOT directly, continuously supervised by adults on-site during their free periods. Students are always welcome and encouraged to talk to the monitor or other adults on-site if problems arise. However, you should carefully consider your child’s maturity and readiness to be on-site during free periods without a parent nearby. Planet Homeschool is a volunteer-run learning co-op and NOT child care.

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Yes! Our students are welcome to pack a bag lunch and eat in the Fellowship Hall or outside (weather permitting). Lunch period is from 11:50-12:30. Please remind your student to help clean up Fellowship Hall near the end of the lunch period. We use that space as a classroom during the rest of the day. Food is ONLY allowed outside or in the Fellowship Hall during lunch.

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We have had quite a few students with allergies and food sensitivities attend PHS over the years without experiencing allergy-related problems, so it is definitely possible to make PHS work for students with dietary restrictions. However, families should be aware that PHS is not an allergen-free environment. Because PHS is a volunteer-run co-op intended primarily for students 12 and up, families and students need to be able to take responsibility for managing their food allergies while they're at PHS. Parents and/or students are responsible for asking teachers for potential accommodations in classes, such as avoiding allergens in class projects.

If a student is not developmentally ready to manage their allergy independently or are at very high risk of a severe reaction, parents should plan to stay on-site while the student attends classes, or they may want to wait to register until the student is older. For more information, please contact us at planethomeschoolmn@gmail.com.

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Students are responsible for respecting each other, our community, and our space at all times. Planet Homeschool is a public space, and students must conduct themselves accordingly, choosing behavior, language, and conversation topics that are appropriate for a public place.

Planet Homeschool is a diverse community that strives to be safe and welcoming to all. Sexist, homophobic, transphobic, racist, ethnic, ableist, ageist, or other slurs or harassment are unacceptable. If intolerant or harassing behavior persists in spite of warnings to stop, that behavior will be considered grounds for a student’s removal from the co-op.

Students are expected to stay in the PHS designated parts of the building (on the lower level) and use the west (lower) door only.

ALL students are expected to help with the set up and take down of classrooms and common areas.

ALL students who are on-site for first period are expected to help with set up of the classrooms for the day. Please arrive at 9:00AM to assist with set up.

ALL students who are on-site for last period are expected to help with take down. Please plan to stay until about 3:20 to help with clean up.

Students must keep track of their belongings during the day and make sure they take their things home when they leave. If you leave something behind, it will be difficult to retrieve before the next week of class.

PHS is its own janitor. We clean up after ourselves and work together to keep the spaces clean. Everyone is expected to help with set up and take down of classrooms and common spaces, rearranging furniture for the day, and ensuring that everything is put back in place for the church's weekend activities. The church depends on us leaving the space as clean as we found it.

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1. If you are a new member, use the "Join" button on the upper right-hand side of our website home page. Create an account on our website or log in if you already have an account. Make sure you save the user name and password you entered because you will need them to log in.
2. Upon completing the membership request, you will immediately see an automated message prompting you to pay your membership fee and submit signed copies of our Parent Agreement, Student Agreement, and a liability waiver. These forms can be emailed to planethomeschoolmn@gmail.com as screenshots or scanned PDFs or snail-mailed to Planet Homeschool Parent Liaison Carrie Pomeroy at 1687 Minnehaha Avenue West, St. Paul, MN 55104. You will also need to fill out a Volunteer Availability Form for the next semester before your membership is approved.

3. Next, pay the membership fee. If you are a new member, you will be able to pay your membership fee using the Paypal button found in the automated message that appears right after you submit your membership application. Please use that button or log in on the Planet Homeschool website using the user name and password you created to pay your fee via PayPal. Please do not begin this process on the PayPal website or your payment will not be recognized by the PHS accounting system. If you are an existing/current member, you will receive an invoice for the membership fee a few weeks before registration begins. Please check your spam/junk folder if you don't see the invoice for your membership fee in your main email account. 

4. After your membership fee and the necessary signed forms are received, your account will be unlocked and you can register for classes. Please be careful to check the age ranges for each class.
5. After registering for classes, you need to pay for each individual class either via the PayPal links listed on the PHS website or via check if your instructor does not accept PayPal payments. Please mail checks to:
   
                  Tiffany Skidmore
                  1780 Snelling Avenue North
                  Falcon Heights, MN 55113

Please do not pay instructors directly.  If you do so, the PHS accounting system will not recognize your payment.

You can find more information about registration and class payments here:

https://www.homeschool-life.com/1840/custom/29469

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Our $70 membership fee is considered non-refundable. The membership fee is used to pay rent, insurance, website fees, and other overhead costs. Paying our lease requires a minimum number of committed co-op families. If we suddenly lost a number of families and issued refunds for membership fees, we may be in a position where we cannot pay our lease. This is part of the nature of joining a co-op. We all have some level of assumed risk. So, please do not join and register unless you fully intend to be involved in the community.

Tuition and materials fees are paid directly to the class instructor. Instructors will issue refunds only for cancellations made at least one week prior to the first day of class. Please understand that Planet Homeschool teachers are planning and purchasing for classes long before classes start and that they may not be able to issue refunds once classes begin. Class refunds are given at the discretion of individual teachers but are not guaranteed.

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Once you are a member of Planet Homeschool, you will have have access to our online forums or like us on Facebook.

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We offer classes based on students suggestions and interest. During the spring semester, we hold a brainstorming session over the lunch period where students, parents, and teachers propose classes they would like to see offered. People may e-mail suggestions if they cannot make the meeting. Next, we have several rounds of voting to determine the most popular classes. We will work to find a balance of age ranges, subjects, teacher availability, and the classroom space for each semester.

If you are a teacher interested in teaching at PHS, January or February is a good time to propose classes to the Leadership Team for the following academic year. Please use our Class Proposal Form: https://forms.gle/at2VLiPyEz6tdM6g7

A tentative schedule of classes is available around the time of the spring PHS Open House. Most classes will need a minimum number of students to run.

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If you have any questions about Planet Homeschool please send us an email! PlanethomeschoolMN@gmail.com