FAQs

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A.R.K. (an acronym for Attaining Righteous Knowledge) is an unapologetically evangelical Christian homeschool co-op in the St. Cloud, FL area. ARK accepts families year round based on available space. We currently are waitlisting some grade levels. We are a Christian co-op that meets every other Monday (and the occasional fifth Monday of the month) from 8:45 to 12:40 in Saint Cloud, FL. Our school year runs from the end of August to end of April with a break from mid November to the beginning of January. As an unapologetically evangelical Christian group, we have an application process and each family must sign a statement of faith agreeing to follow and teach in those beliefs. This is for the protection of the faith and values of all families involved. We require active involvement in a church and will require a letter of reference from said church. We are a true co-op in that everyone pitches in to help with a class. We usually assign 2-3 teachers per class, never less than 2 for safety reasons, and also so that moms can share the workload. This requires 100% commitment and attendance from each family to make ARK a success. Our ages range from birth (nursery) through high school. Class offerings each year depend on who is in our co-op, what expertise or passion or education our parents have, who is willing to teach, and what the majority are desiring. We aim to stick to a rotating history and science cycle along with PE (elementary) and electives. We are lead by two Co-leaders and a 4-person steering committee. We do NOT direct your homeschool outside of ARK. We only seek to enrich it and encourage each other in the journey! Classes may vary slightly according to grade level. For instance our high school group has a different track than our 8th grade and younger. We offer field trips, usually monthly, that are optional. We collect dues to cover our costs. Current year dues are $160 per family per year. We require a background check by all adult members on campus. This is an additional cost to members. Moms and students (prek and up) will need to purchase ARK t-shirts that are required to be worn at all ARK meetings and on field trips.

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Yes! ARK is an unapoligetically evangellical Christian homeschool co-op. We expect all member families to agree and sign their agreement to our statement of faith. As the name, Attaining Righteous Knowledge reflects, our classes seek to grow our students in the knowledge of God and His kingdom, to grow them in a biblical worldview, and encourage them in Christlike character. It is our expectation that all members and their students honor the Lord and God's Word in their behavior, speech, and dress. If you do not desire a religious aspect to your child's education, ARK is not the best fit for your family.

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Our Statement of Faith is located on our application page and below:

All ARK members have read and signed in agreement with this statement of faith in its entirety.

Scripture- We believe the Bible (all 66 books) is inspired by God; and it teaches, rebukes, corrects, and trains us to walk with God. The Bible is both inerrant and complete in the original manuscripts, no one should delete from or add to scripture. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Deuteronomy 4:2, Revelation 22:18-19, 2 Peter 1:20-21)

God- We believe in the one true, eternal God, who is an intelligent, spiritual being. He is the creator and sustainer of all things, and the source of truth. He is triune (three-in-one): He is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; He is three distinct persons, but without division of nature, essence, or being. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 40:28; Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 28:19)

Jesus Christ- We believe Jesus Christ is God who became a man. He was a conceived by the Holy Spirit, was born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died on a cross to atone for sin, was resurrected from the grave, ascended to the right hand of God the Father, and will someday return to establish His kingdom forever. (Luke 1:26-28, 34-35; Philippians 2:5-11)

Holy Spirit- We believe the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He is the chief agent of conviction, regeneration, and sanctification. The Holy Spirit indwells every believer at the point of conversion, and equips and empowers believers to live Godly lives. (John 16:8; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 1:13-14)

Mankind- We believe Adam, the first man, was created in the image of God. He was innocent of sin and was given dominion over everything God created. (Genesis 1:26-28)

Sin- We believe when Adam disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, sin entered into the human race; consequently, all people are born sinners, separated from God and unable to live for His glory. (Romans 3:23; Romans 5:14-19; Corinthians 15:21-22)

Salvation- We believe salvation is given to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Salvation cannot be earned by good behavior or lifestyle; it is a gift from God that is received by grace, through faith in the life, death, and resurrection to his new life in Christ. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Baptism- We believe baptism by immersion is an act of obedience, symbolizing a believer's faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It serves as an outward testimony of a believers death to sin, burial of his old life, and resurrection to his new life in Christ. (Acts 2:38a, 41a; Acts 8:13a; Matthew 28:18-19)

Lord’s Supper- We believe the Lord’s Supper is an act of obedience that memorializes the death of Christ and anticipates His second coming. (Matthew 26:26-27; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

Church- We believe every Christian should be an active member of a local church, the body of Christ. It is through the local church that believers associate common faith in Jesus Christ, share in the fellowship of the Gospel, observe the two ordinances of Christ (baptism and the Lord’s Supper), commit to biblical teachings, exercise spiritual gifts, seek to evangelize the world, and make faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. (Acts 2:42; Matthew 28:18-20)

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Our member parents do. ARK is a true homeschool co-op in that every member family cooperates to plan, prepare, and facilitate classes for our children. We usually assign 2-3 teachers per class and allow teachers to break up the workload as they see fit. If/When you join, we will ask you where youd like to serve and place you as best as possible. But please note that requested areas can't be guaranteed.

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No. Because we are a true co-op, it would be counterproductive to the smooth operation of ARK to allow parents to be off campus on ARK class days. The exception to this is our ARK High School Program for grades 9-12.

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No. ARK's format does not allow ala carte choosing of classes. When you register your family, you are registering them to take all of the classes listed for their grade level. You child will stay with their grade level class for all class rotations on class days. 

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Our application process is as follows:

1. Look over our information online.
2. Interview with a member of leadership over the phone.
3. Schedule a day to visit ARK with your family and try it out to get a better understanding of what to expect and whether we would be a good fit for your family.
4. Follow up with a member of leadership to let them know of your decision to apply.
5. Fill out our online application including signing in agreement to our Belief Statement (Statement of Faith), Commitment Contract, Dress Code,  and Release of Liability.
6. Print out and have your church leader complete the Applicant Reference Form and mail it along with your nonrefundable deposit of $25 to the address on the form.
7. Await ARK's response to your application and Applicant Reference. You should hear back from us within 2 weeks. 
8. Recieve notice by your registered email address that your membership has been approved.
9. Pay your remaining annual dues to our treasurer as directed by leadership.

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ARK Co-Op is a ministry to homeschooling families and as such we seek to show hospitality to others. We invite potential new members to contact someone on our leadership committee to discuss their interest and schedule their visit to ARK. During the ARK day visit, visitors check in with our welcome committee and their leadership committee contact. The leadership contact will get them settled and their children into their respective class groups for the day. The visiting parent is then free to shadow their children in their respective classrooms during the ARK day in order to get a feel for whether the co-op will fit their family. A representative of leadership or an adult hall monitor will be on hand in the children’s wing for any questions or concerns that may arise. We ask that visitors not wander the property with exception to using the bathroom, seeking out leadership with a question or concern, or to move from one room to another in order to shadow their children.

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ARK knows that we are all sacrificing financially in order to honor the Lord in the education of our children. Therefore we try our best to keep costs as low as possible. Upon joining you can expect the following expenses:

• Annual dues of $160 per family.
• Background check fee under $15 per adult who will be onsite.
• Required purchase of one ARK shirt per student (prek and older) and parent who will be on campus.
• Purchase of textbooks and materials required by teachers for your childs' classes.
• Occasionally there will be a small fee associated with a class (IE $10 science fee for experiment supplies).
• The cost of field trips offered through ARK.

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We encourage students to bring a snack and water bottle to class each ARK day. The church facility asks that we only bring the following food items into the building: Goldfish crackers, raisins, animal crackers, and pretzels( NO pretzels in Nursery or PreK room). The only drink permited in the church is water with exception on milk/formula being allowed in the nursery. Children who have specialized diets that don't include the permitted ARK snacks may have their parent pick them up from class, take them outside the building to eat their non-permitted snack, and then return their child to class.

Many ARK families like to enjoy a picnic lunch on the portico after class. We welcome this. We just ask that you keep your lunch in your car until after ARK.

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We seek to choose curriculum that adheres to our statement of faith. Some of our past selections have included Masterbooks, Apologia, Answers in Genesis, and Memoria Press. 

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Well Child Policy

Parents must monitor their family’s health. If anyone in your household has displayed the following symptoms/illnesses in the past 48 hours, please keep that family member home from ARK:

• Vomiting
• Fever greater than 99 (axillary/armpit)
• Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
• Diarrhea
• Constant Coughing
• Chest Congestion/ Raspy Breathing
• Rash
• Head Lice
• Runny Nose (with continually thick discharge)
• If your child displays these symptoms during class, we will contact the parent immediately.
• If someone in your household has tested positive for COVID, we ask that you adhere to current CDC guidelines for quarantine. 
• If someone in your household is notified of a covid exposure we ask that you monitor for symptoms for a period of 5-10 days and keep them home from ARK if any covid symptoms occur. Please refer to CDC website for a current list.
• ARK leadership reserves the right to refuse entry if we feel a child doesn’t meet our well child guidelines.

In the Event of a COVID Positive Case Within Our ARK Family

• The family must contact someone in leadership as soon as possible.
• ARK leadership will communicate with Canoe Creek Christian Church as soon as we become aware so that proper cleaning methods can be followed.

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Absolutely! Because parents are required to stay on campus and assist in teaching classes, we must do everything we can to protect our children and families. All parents and teachers who will be on campus on an ARK day are required to have a background check. This is an additional fee to family dues payable to our treasurer.

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ARK families enter and exit the facility through one door so that we can keep an eye on who is entering and who may not belong. Additionally our policy is that ARK parents should never be alone with any child except their own to protect both the child and adult. It is our policy to always have a minimum of 2 teachers in every classroom at all times. Teachers will also lead younger classes between periods from one classroom to the next to ensure that everyone stays together.