GRACE Co-op Fall 2026 Term Dates & Deadlines
Membership and Co-op Registration: This is a 3 phase process. Each step must be completed before being able to move on to the next step. If you are a current member, please skip to Phase 2.
Phase 1: Membership (update profile and sign documents, pay membership fee, sign up for volunteer duty) If you are not participating in co-op, you are done after this step and do not need to proceed to steps 2 and 3.
Phase 2: Family Pre-Registration for Co-op (register for co-op participation and submit 2 class choices if you are required to teach)
Phase 3: Student Registration (register your child(ren) for classes)
Be thinking... about what class you want to teach. Remember, if you have participated in co-ops before, you will not be able to register your children for classes unless you have signed up to teach a class (unless you have a baby UNDER 1 years old or if this is your first term attending co-op.) Again this term, we are offering the Teacher Opt-Out Program that does come with a financial cost. Our goal and passion is to get all co-op parents excited about sharing something they are already good at or interested in learning.
* For questions regarding membership, please contact Sarah Sheppard at 352-860-1636.
*For questions regarding registration for classes, and anything pertaining to teaching or helping in a class, please call Donielle Wilburn at 352-697-5383.
*For questions regarding invoices and payments please call Sarah Sheppard at 352-860-1636.
*For questions regarding the annual required event planning/helping duty or the planning of that event, please contact Shana Mahler at 407-803-3729.
Planning and Registration Schedule:
July 1 - July 21st:
Phase 1: Membership - This week you will log into your account….
- It will make you do a forced update where you will review and sign all of the required documents. Each Signature and Date space must be filled in by you and your spouse if you are married. The forced update will not take effect until July 1st, so please wait until that date to log in and update your profile or you will end up having to do it twice. You must include your infants and toddlers on your member profile if they will be attending any events with you, including co-op.
- Pay your membership invoice online and any other outstanding invoices.
- Sign up for your annual event planning/helping duty under the events tab
Phase 2: Co-op Pre-Registration—You will log into your account and click on the family pre-registration link under the GRACE Co-op tab. If this is not visible, AND you have completed the steps 1-3 listed above, please reach out to Donielle at 352-697-5383. If you are exempt from teaching (new member, have a baby under 1) then click "exempt" on the registration form. As you know, if you are not exempt, you are required to teach a class in order for your children to participate in Co-op. To make sure everyone at co-op knows what is required of teachers, leaders and students, all co-op participants will have an online handbook they will need to view and certify they have read before submitting the Family Pre-registration form. If you are new and have questions about this, please don't hesitate to call or text Donielle Wilburn at 352-697-5383.
July 20th @ 6:00-8:00pm, Fall Co-op Kick Off Meeting @ Citrus Missionary Baptist Church in Inverness : We will be ramping up for our Fall term. This meeting is also for non-member homeschoolers to come learn about our group and get information on how to join. If you are planning on attending co-op and have not pre-registered by this date, it is mandatory that you attend the kick off so that we may help you brainstorm class ideas and pre-register for co-op.
July 21st: Family Pre-Registration Closes If you are a returning member and miss this deadline, you will have to pay the teacher opt out fee in order to attend the Fall 2026 term.
July 22nd - 25th: Admin Work Days, co-op team will be reviewing the classes and special request that were submitted to make the schedule.
Phase 3: Co-op Registration
July 26th : Class schedule posted to teachers only for review. Teachers review schedule for mistakes and notify us if anything needs fixed.
July 27th: Class Schedule Posted. Parents, this is the time to start going over the classes with your children to see what they want to take this term!
July 28th @ 10am: Priority Registration opens for students of Leaders and Teachers.
July 30th @ 10am: Registration opens for first-time attendees and those with infants under 1 year old.
July 31st @ 10am: Registration opens for those who are paying the opt-out fee.
August 1st @ 11:55pm: Registration closes for all students.
August 3rd @ 9pm: Rosters Finalized- Teachers will have an accurate count of students and be able to purchase class supplies/materials. Teachers: We typically have new members join our group after this date and we like to do our best to squeeze them into classes that are not at full capacity.
August 4th @ 9pm: We will be paying class fees on our website beginning on this date. You will receive an invoice via email with the total amount you owe and will need to pay before the deadline on August 11th. If you need a total earlier than this date, you simply go into your registrations and look at the class fees for the classes that you signed your children up for and add those together, plus add on to that total our $25 program fee. If you signed up for breakfast and coffee bar, those fees will be included on your online invoice.
August 11th : Helper Assignments Posted - Please reach out to the teacher you are helping (find contact info in member directory) and exchange email addresses and phone numbers to aid in communication throughout the term.
August 11th: All class fees will be due via online payment on our website. If class fees are not paid on this date, you will incur a $10 late fee. You will NOT be able to attend classes until all co-op class fees are paid. Unfortunately, there will be no refunds to any class fees.
August 18th: First day of Fall 2026 co-op classes!! Mandatory Welcome Meeting for all students @ 9am in the sanctuary.
August 18th: Back to School Blast after co-op! Check the calendar for details.
Schedule of Class Days: 12 Week Term
*August 18, 25
*September 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
*October 6**, 13, 20, 27
*November 3, 10, 17**
**Please note: If there are no class dates missed because of hurricanes, there will be no classes on October 6 and November 17. **
Schedule of Class Times:
9:15 - 9:25 Assembly (Prayer and Pledge)
9:30 - 12:30 Classes
12:30 - 12:45 Pack up & exit building - all co-op attendees must be out of building by 12:45 so we can get the building put back together
12:45 - 3pm Lunch/playgroup at Pavilion
August 18th will be our first day of co-op. On the first day of co-op we start off with a mandatory meeting: (FIRST day only) 9am Mandatory Meeting for all students and adults. We will be welcoming the kids to another co-op term and going over classroom rules with them. We will also give all the kids a breakfast snack at the end of our first day meeting! As we've done the last few terms, there will be the meeting for adults on your free period to meet new members and go over rules and updates, this is mandatory.
Reminders:
- All families will have to complete the Family Pre-registration by the deadline posted above, either providing a class to add to the schedule, or qualifying for a teaching exemption by that date. Any families not pre-registering by that date will not be able to register for Co-op Classes.
2. This ship only sails with all hands on deck, and we need YOU! All parents (1 per family) will be required to teach a class and help in a class. New teachers can find another NEW TEACHER buddy to co-teach with for one class period if they don't want to teach alone, and then will be assigned as a helper for another class period by the co-op schedulers. The primary parent is entitled to have one class period free of official duty. We will be available by phone, email, or during the Kick Off Meeting to help new or unsure teachers find a good class to teach/co-teach, or help you brainstorm. Many of us "veterans" started with apprehension and no experience, and most of us quickly grew to love teaching, and dreaming of what we can teach next term!
3. Program fee (formerly referred to as the Facility Fee) for this term is a flat rate of $25.00 per family. (See Fees and Costs)
4. You are required to be a paid member of our homeschool group if you wish to attend co-op classes.
5. See GRACE Co-op Handbook for all details.
Please let me know if you have any questions!
Donielle Wilburn
352-697-5383