Handbook

EAGLES Handbook

"But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31

Mission & Vision

The mission of EAGLES is to create a Christian community that supports and encourages homeschooling families by facilitating enrichment activities where each registered family is intentionally contributing to its success. Our goal is to establish the character of Christ in our homes, and to equip and preserve future generations to serve Him. We use the Bible as our standard of conduct and seek to represent Christ at all times. Membership is open to families who agree to abide by this authority.

EAGLES Statement of Faith

As a Christian institution, we believe that the EAGLES Homeschool Group LV (EAGLES) community deserves a transparent and clearly articulated response as explained by our conviction from God’s living Word, the Bible. The Statement of Faith is considered to be “non-denominational” and encompasses those truths which distinguish Christian believers from non-believers. There are many other precious truths taught in the Bible over which believers have differed in understanding. Therefore, this is not a statement of all that is important to believe, but of all that is essential to believe for Christian fellowship and unity. The heartbeat of this policy is grounded in the love and truth of Christian scripture. EAGLES strives for unity in being evangelistic in nature, collaborative in style, generous in spirit, exemplary in stewardship, and excellent in service. We believe:

The Holy Bible, defined exclusively as the Old and New Testaments and consisting of 66 books, is the only inspired and infallible Word of God, inerrant in the original autographs; it constitutes the divine and only rule of faith and practice; it is the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
The God of the Bible is the only true God and there are no other gods; the Biblical God is the Creator of the world; He is holy, just, righteous, and perfect; He is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient; He had no beginning and has no end; He is one spirit being, existing eternally as three persons - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19, I Corinthians 8:6)
The Jesus Christ of the Bible is God incarnate, which means God came to earth in the form of a man; He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin; He is, in the flesh, fully God and fully man, except without sin. (Luke 1:34-35; John 1:1-5, 14; I Corinthians 8:6; Hebrews 4:15)
All men were originally created in the image and likeness of God, but fell from perfection through disobedience, incurring both physical and spiritual death; all men are sinful in nature (born with a sin nature) and, therefore, under God’s condemnation (separated from God); man can only be reconciled to God through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:23)
Jesus Christ paid the penalty for sin by His death on a cross and His bodily resurrection from the dead. (Isaiah 64:6; John 3:16-17; Romans 6:23; I Corinthians 15:1-4)
Salvation is the free gift of God and not the result of our good works; it is provided through Jesus Christ to all those who repent and believe in Him, thus becoming children of God. (John 1:12; John 3:15-16; John 10:28; II Corinthians 5:8, 17, Ephesians 2:8-9; I John 5:13)

In addition, we believe that God created man and that He created them male and female. God instituted marriage between one biological male and one biological female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. For this reason, homosexuality, and all other sexual preferences, orientations and transgenderism are unnatural, sinful and unacceptable to God. (Gen.1:1; Gen.1:27; Gen.2:24; Deut.22:5; Rom.1:18-32; 1 Cor.6:9-11, 18-20)

Who We Serve

EAGLES is only open to families who are homeschooling at least one child who is age 5 or older as of September 1, 2024, as defined by Nevada state statute found here: NRS 388D.010-070.

Volunteers

Many hands make light work. Our leaders need our members' help to pull off many of our events. We ask that our members commit to helping with at least one event per year. Some events, such as helping with PE require a weekly commitment, others, such as Dances, Student Expo, Used Book Sale, are one-time commitments.

We know life can get very hectic. If you find yourself in a season where you cannot volunteer, that is okay. However, there is an additional $125.00 fee to opt-out of volunteering. This fee does not apply to Co-op class participation. If you and your family choose to take Co-op classes, you MUST help in some manner with the Co-op classes.

Background Checks

In order to protect our families and children, background checks are required for any adult who will volunteer in any capacity, regularly attend events where children will be present, or for ALL adults in a home that will host events. Background checks are good for a period of three years and will be done at no extra cost to our families.

Child Safety Policy

No one-on-one — No child is ever alone with an adult, with exception of family members such as parents, grandparents, extended family, or friends PREAPPROVED by a parent or legal guardian. This is for the protection of both the child and the adult.

Whenever possible, any communication between an adult and a child that is not their own should include another adult, preferably the child's parent or guardian.

This extends to electronic communications such as email, texting, and on-line communications. Any electronic communications between a child and an unrelated adult, should ALWAYS include a parent or legal guardian of the child.

Two-deep leadership — Generally speaking, the two-deep rule is in place for safety so there is always a minimum of two unrelated, background checked & approved adults in proximity to provide backup and oversight.

There should be two unrelated, background checked & approved adults on premises and either within eyesight or earshot or both at all EAGLES activities, with the recommendation being that, whenever possible, a minimum of two adults should be with every group of children. There should never be an adult alone with a child who is not his or her own child, grandchild, family member, or pre-approved family friend.

As bathrooms are the most-reported location for inappropriate incidents, restroom and bathhouse usage by youth should be closely monitored by an adult outside the restroom, aware of who is inside and tuned to what they can hear going on inside.

Communications

All information and events are posted on our forums and calendar. Posts should be EAGLES related: Prayer requests, community events that may be of interest to Eagles members, community service projects where EAGLES can bless others, and, of course, questions and encouragement about homeschooling are encouraged.
We have a Facebook group that is for informal communications.

Our membership directory MAY NOT BE USED to send unsolicited emails, texts, or other marketing. You may advertise your business in the Business Directory found on our website.
Members may NOT share the personal information of other Eagles members with other companies or organizations without express permission from the member.

Calendar

For organizational purposes, EAGLES observes an August 1- July 31 school year. The online calendar lists upcoming activities, allows for RSVPs, and sends automatic reminders to registrants.
All events must be approved by a board member before going on the calendar. Events held in a member's home must have a board member or an approved assistant present and ALL adults in the home must clear a background check.

Activities

Activities are meant to enhance, not overshadow, your homeschool experience. Your family may pick and choose in which events you would like to participate; there is no mandatory participation level.
Unless otherwise stated, Eagles events, activities, and co-op classes are for current EAGLES members and their children only.
Non-Eagles guests or family may not be invited to activities without the express permission of the coordinator of the activity.

Age-Groups

EAGLES activities are organized by age-groups:

Preschool, ages 0 - 4
Elementary, ages 5 - 10
Tween, ages 11 - 13
Teen, ages 14 - 18

Children may only participate in events for one age-group and will remain in the same age-group throughout the program year, August 1 - July 31. Your child must be the minimum age for a group as of November 30th of the program year and may NOT move up to the next age group until August of the following year if their birthday falls after November 30th. These policies help to ensure cohesiveness within the age-groups and allows leadership the ability to forecast their budgetary needs for each age-group.

Co-op Class Expectations

In order to register your children for classes, you must complete the Co-op Contract. Co-op Classes are NOT drop-off; a parent or guardian must be on campus the entire time their child is taking classes and be available to help.

Parents of students who are registered for classes MUST help or be available to help every hour ther child is taking classes. If you are not teaching you are REQUIRED to help in some other way. We will need classroom helpers, teacher substitutes, nursery helpers, set-up & clean-up crews, and more. You will have the opportunity to sign up for volunteer postions at the same time ou register your child for classes.

Do NOT schedule doctor, dentist, or work-related appointments during the time your child is taking classes. We always have absences at every hour that must be filled.
After registration closes, open volunteer spots will be assigned to parents.
The Volunteer Opt-out Fee does not excuse a parent from helping with co-op classes. The only opt-out for Co-op classes is to not take any classes.

Classes will have age ranges, if your child is the correct age for a class as of the first day of classes, the system will allow them to register. If space permits AND you have permission from the instructor your child may be placed in class for which they not the correct age. Final approval rests with the Co-op Director.

You will only be able register a child for ONE class per hour. If you are not able to register your child in a class for which they are the correct age, please check to see if they are already scheduled for a class at that time.

Your child is not required to take classes all three hours, but if your child is on campus, they must be in a class. We do not have space for children to "hang out" if they do not have a class.

We DO NOT maintain class waitlists.
If a class is full, please find another class for your child and monitor the class registration page for cancellations in your child's preferred class(es). If a spot opens up you may register your child.

Eagles Co-op Classes are open ONLY to the children of current Eagles members. We do not have the space to accommodate from children outside of Eagles.

Outside Events

You may post community events on our forum or Facebook group, but private events may NOT be posted. Only Eagles official or community homeschool events may go on our calendar, forums, or Facebook group. We will not be held liable for any public or community event that our members attend.

RSVPs & Event Etiquette

Many EAGLES events either have attendance caps and/or cost us money to host. Below is our RSVP & Event Etiquette Policy

Repeatedly registering for and then cancelling events may cause others to miss out on attending therefore, if we detect a pattern of this behavior, you will be subject to our RSVP Violation Procedure.
If you can no longer attend an event you registered for, please change your RSVP, and contact the coordinator immediately to make space for another family or allow us to adjust our expenditures.
Cancellations should be made no less than 24 hours before an event. Cancellations made less than 24 hours in advance:
- May be considered a no-show and be subject to our RSVP Violation Procedure.
- May be subject to an activity fee to cover the cost of supplies or food for your family.
Some events are time sensitive, for these events, arriving LATE will be subject to our RSVP Violation Procedure.
- Arriving late may result in not being able to participate in the event.
Children need to be picked up on time from drop-off events. Failing to do so will be subject to our RSVPs & Event Etiquette policy
We understand that emergencies do arise, however, it is unacceptable to no-show or arrive late (either for the beginning of an event or for pick up) without a call/text to notify the event coordinator.

RSVP & EVENT ETIQUETTE VIOLATION PROCEDURE:

1^st Violation — will result in a reminder of RSVP & Event Etiquette Policy
2^nd Violation — will result in your family being placed on the waiting list for the next activity in which you would like to participate. Therefore, if the activity fills up you will not be able to attend.
3^rd Violation — will result in your family's inability to attend any such activities for the remainder of the school year.

AFTER THE LAST DAY OF AN EVENT REGISTRATION, WE CANNOT OFFER REFUNDS FOR EVENTS IN WHICH YOU NO LONGER CAN PARTICIPATE.

Dress Code

Please dress appropriately. Immodest clothing such as short shorts, mini skirts, midriffs showing, and clothing items with provocative, offensive, drug, alcohol, or gang-related pictures or messages, items depicting or promoting acts of violence, death, dismemberment, disfigurement, or other vulgar items are not permitted.

Clothing normally intended to be worn as undergarments should not be visible or worn as outerwear. Undergarments must be covered at all times – whether in sitting, bending, or standing positions.

Failure to abide by these guidelines may result in being asked to leave the event/activity or if repetition in failing to abide by these rules, may result in more aggressive disciplinary actions. Leadership decisions will be final and students may be asked to change their clothing. See below for progressive discpline guidelines

Code of Conduct

As Christian home educators, we are a representative of both Christ and home education in the community. Please ensure your conduct reflects well on both. Member families will act in such a way that their words and actions promote the unity and encouragement of fellow EAGLES families. Member families will avoid acting or speaking in such a way that is considered disrespectful, offensive, immoral, intimidating, or rude.

Adult Conflict Resolution Policy:

Give yourself time to calm down.
Pray!
Be humble. Your attitude should be reflective of the Christian values on which this organization was established.
Be merciful: “Let love cover a multitude of sins.” Perhaps this incident can be resolved without confrontation by extending grace, forgiveness and being merciful.
Be a peacemaker: Does this situation require confrontation? If you feel this conflict can be resolved privately, go to that person. Or, if you prefer, a Leadership Board Member(s) will be available to serve as a mediator(s).

If the problem persists, both parties should then meet with multiple Leadership Board Members. If no resolution is reached, the conflict should be taken to a neutral mediator (agreed upon by both parties). This procedure is to be strictly followed. Any member approaching a Leadership Board Member with a conflict within the group will be asked if he/she has abided by the guidelines 1-5 above.

Any member of EAGLES that persists in violating this Code of Conduct are considered to be conducting themselves in a way that is contrary to the specific and primary purpose of the organization. Such members may have their membership revoked by the EAGLES Leadership Board in an attempt for correction and restoration.

Students and adults attending any EAGLES event are expected to:

clean up after themselves
use positive and respectful language in all interactions with adults and peers
not bear false witness against another child or adult in EAGLES or when reporting incidents
not gossip to or about other EAGLES families.
show respect to adults and/or leaders by listening to them, and following any rules & guidelines that have been given
refrain from physical assault, unwanted touching, name calling, bullying, or other harmful behavior
adhere to any specific guidelines given for a specific event or activity. (i.e. for Field Days, children cannot be dropped off).
ALL tobacco products, vapes, alcohol, marijuana, marijuana products, or illegal drugs (including prescription drugs that are not prescribed to the person taking them) are prohibited from ALL EAGLES events.

Students only:

refrain from public displays of affection (i.e. kissing, excessive contact)

Parents are responsible for the behavior and safety of their children at all EAGLES functions. There will be no tolerance for physical assault, unwanted touching, name calling, bullying, or other harmful behavior. Any member of EAGLES that persists in violating this Code of Conduct are considered to be conducting themselves in a way that is contrary to the specific and primary purpose of the organization. Such members may be subject to the progressive discipline as outlined below and may have their membership revoked by the EAGLES Leadership Board in an attempt for correction and restoration.

Behavior & Discpline Guidelines

Disregard for behavior guidelines may result in any of the following progressive discipline:

1^st Violation — Verbal warning to the offender
2^nd Violation — Leadership conference with family to resolve behavior issue
3^rd Violation — The student or adult may be requested to leave the activity and parents will be expected to accompany their child(ren) to events
4^th Violation — Family may have their membership in EAGLES revoked; no refunds of dues or others fees will be offered.

All discipline actions will be noted on the family account.

These are only guidelines, discretion and the severity of the offense will also guide our discpline decisions. EAGLES reserves the right to suspend or remove a student and/or family for serious or violent misconduct without proceeding through the progression identified above when circumstances and the good of EAGLES so require.

Room and Facilities Use

We will be utilizing the facilities of several churchs for our Co-op Classes and other events. Room reservations are required; rooms should be cleaned after use and left better than we found them. This same respect should carry over to any facility used for an activity, including other churches, parks, or homes.

Finances

We want to be good stewards. To be reimbursed for an expense: purchases must be approved by a leader, stay within the stated budget, and the original receipt submitted within 2 weeks of purchase date. Gift card purchases must include the gift card number and the name of the recipient, too. EAGLES does not reimburse for taxes. Documentation for our tax-exempt status is available.