PACHEK Policy and Procedure

PACHEK Policy and Procedure

I. MEMBERSHIP

Membership in PACHEK is open to all homeschooling families; not enrolled in the public school system, who wish to participate, provided they complete all parts of the membership process/application and agree to abide by our policies and Constitution. All applications should be completed online through the PACHEK website or submitted to the secretary for processing.

Application Process:
1. Complete membership application form
2. Complete Statement of Faith form
3. Complete Release of Liability
4. Pay annual dues ($50)
5. May be subject to a background check

Membership is approved on a yearly basis provided all parts of the application are complete and up to date, including paying dues. Membership runs on an annual cycle, from July to June of the following year.

Membership in PACHEK includes, but is not limited to the following services:

• consultation about curriculum, state requirements, best practice, etc. by experienced home school parents

• access to website including discussion forum, calendar, family directory, etc.

• access to Facebook group

• educational group field trips

• fellowship events for parents, teens, children, and families

• regular general meetings that address relevant homeschool issues

• opportunity to participate in our co-operative learning program (see Co-op policy for more information)

• information on conferences and homeschooling events nearby

Membership in PACHEK does not exclude a family from joining another home educator group, provided they stay in good standing with PACHEK. 

 

Modesty Policy
One of the blessings in PACHEK being a diverse homeschool group is that we have a spirit of unity without uniformity. We want to encourage diversity while also encouraging respect for others. One way we do this is by emphasizing modest apparel at PACHEK-sponsored functions. When attending any of our events we ask that you be conscious about what you wear, taking care that it is not a stumbling block to others.  In other words, please keep private parts private.

Behavior and Discipline:
Parents are responsible for their children at all PACHEK events.   When being supervised, your child may be corrected by another parent.  All adults are expected to correct a child’s behavior in gentleness and love.  A non-parent adult should attempt to redirect or correct a child's behavior up to two times. If the inappropriate behavior continues, the child should be taken to his/her parent for correction.  

Children are not allowed to smoke at any PACHEK event.  Vaping is never allowed inside of a location where a PACHEK event is being held by adults or children.

Discipline Guide (to be reviewed with the children):
*please don't talk while an adult is talking   
*please raise your hand to speak
*please don't hit another, no rough play       
*please use kind words
*please be respectful to your friends and teachers   
*please keep your hands to yourself
*please respect the property of any building/location where our group is meeting or conducting a field trip.

Understand that the other parents will be, at times, correcting your child. This will be done in love and with patience. If you have any issue with this situation, please talk to anyone in leadership.

**If a student is causing a continual disruption, refusing to follow directions given, or causing damage to property he or she may be asked to leave the event. If this problem persists for multiple events, this student may be asked to sit out PACHEK events for a determined amount of time.  

Grievances
If a conflict or situation arises in which a family feels a wrong has been committed, it is expected that the family will follow the steps outlined in Matthew Chapter 18 with the goal of restoring relationships, in keeping with the PACHEK Statement of Faith and Release of Liability.  If the offense cannot be resolved through the first two steps in this Scripture then these concerns should be brought to the Steering Committee.

 

Matthew 18:15-17, 21-22 (NKJV)
“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.  If he hears you, you have gained your brother.  But if he will not hear you, take with you one or two more, that by ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established’ and if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.  But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.  

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?  Up to seven times?"  Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven."

Conflict Resolution:

We expect all families to act in a Christian manner, showing respect and extending grace in every situation. Should a conflict arise with another parent, he/she is expected to follow the PACHEK policy, as stated and signed on the Release of Liability. If a parent has attempted to fix the problem but is unsuccessful, he/she should approach a Steering Committee member for assistance (if not co-op related). If the issue relates to co-op, he/she should approach a Co-op Committee member for assistance.  If it cannot be resolved, the committee member will refer the situation to the Co-op Director, who, if needed, will refer to the PACHEK Steering Committee for a final decision.

 

SICKNESS GUIDELINES for All Events, Activities, and Co-op Classes
No child or parent should attend a PACHEK event or activity if any of the following is true:
*Fever of 100-degrees or greater within previous 24 hours    
*Active coughing
*Any undiagnosed or communicable rash 24 hours    
*Diarrhea within previous 24 hours
*Non-food related vomiting within previous 24 hours     
*Runny nose of any color

Due to the close classroom environment of co-op, if anyone (parent OR child) has any of the above, the whole family is asked to stay home from co-op for that week.

Please talk to your child about good hygiene. Teach children to cough into a shirt sleeve, NOT into hands.

We have a variety of tolerance levels for germs within our group. We LOVE all of you! However, we need to err on the side of caution to protect our children and make everyone feel comfortable in the group. If you feel sick, please stay home. 

We are not liable for any sickness that you or your family may incur while attending any PACHEK affiliated event.  

II. FIELD TRIPS

• You must be a PACHEK member to attend a field trip; any exceptions need to be approved by the coordinator in advance. Family members and therapists can go on trips with approval from the coordinator. They must be included in your sign-up on the website calendar for accurate numbers.

• ALL field trips will be paid by the deadline. Any payment sent after the deadline will be returned and your sign up cancelled. Check and cash payment deadlines will be noted on the Field Trip sign up. Check and cash payments must be received by deadline.

• Sign-ups will begin at an appropriate time before the field trip. There will be deadlines that correspond to the time we need to purchase tickets. Notifications will be sent out for sign ups and deadlines.

• All FREE field trips will require a $5 per family deposit. You will get this deposit back the day of the field trip. If you cancel less than 48 hours in advance, you forfeit the return of your deposit. All money that is not returned will be put into an account to help pay for future field trip deposits OR pay for PACHEK family events.

• If you give less than 48-hour notice for a ticketed event you will forfeit your ticket. You must let the Field Trip Coordinators know that you won't be attending; you may sell your tickets to another PACHEK family but must notify the Coordinator of the purchasing family’s name.

• If you sign up to attend a field trip but then don't attend or contact the Field Trip Coordinator, then your family will not be able to attend field trips for one semester after the second offense. It affects our ability to get special pricing when less than the booked number attends.

• All payments and deposits for field trips must be sent to the PACHEK field trips Paypal account, which is different from the PACHEK account. The PACHEK field trips account is [email protected]. Any payments sent to the other PACHEK account will not be counted towards your field trip account. You must send it to the [email protected] account or your sign up will not be completed and you will lose your spot on the trip.

We look forward to planning events for you and hope you all enjoy them!  For questions, concerns, and cancellations please contact the Field Trip Coordinator.

III. FINANCIAL POLICY
 PACHEK Annual Dues
PACHEK annual family dues are $50 per family and are expected to be paid on or before the first meeting of the school year. No refunds will be made.

Scholarships
Scholarships for annual dues are available by request and based on need. The total number of scholarships each year will be based on the yearly budget.  Scholarship distribution will be reviewed and decided upon by the Steering Committee.

If you are aware of a need please contact a member of the Steering Committee.

 

Financial Disputes
Any questions or concerns regarding the financial policy should be directed to the President of PACHEK and may require review by the Steering Committee at their scheduled meeting for resolution.

Financial Expenditures
All expenses for events that will be distributed from the PACHEK budget must be pre-approved by the coordinator designated by the Steering Committee.

Reimbursements
All requests for reimbursement for pre-approved expenses must be submitted via the PACHEK Reimbursement Request Form with applicable receipts attached to the President, Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer within two weeks. A check will be distributed to the member within two weeks. Reimbursements will not be issued without the receipts.

Deposits
All money received on behalf of PACHEK must be documented on the PACHEK CASH/CHECK Deposit Report and given to the President or Treasurer and deposited within two weeks of being received.

IV. COOPERATIVE CLASSES
Purpose:
PACHEK's co-op exists to provide educational experiences for our families' children through the cooperative efforts of parents who share the responsibility of teaching and supervising in a classroom setting.

Membership/Participation:
Our co-op is open to all families in good standing and current in membership with PACHEK and who also sign "I personally believe..." on the Statement of Faith; however, space may be limited. 

At least one parent (or other adult approved by committee) must participate for at least 2 of the 3 hours of co-op as a teacher, assistant, or serve in another capacity to be determined by the committee. Parent and children must participate in the entire day of classes.  Families are making a commitment when they register for co-op and should honor that.  Our teachers work hard planning and preparing for their classes and all students who are enrolled in co-op classes are expected to fully participate in them.  All students are required to enroll and attend the full 3 hours of our co-op module; participating in only part of co-op is not allowed.  Any exception to this rule must be made by appeal to the co-op committee and will be decided on a case-by-case basis.  

Visitors are welcome to come visit but must be pre-approved by the co-op director and must check-in with the director the day of their visit.  They are allowed to observe classes only and are limited to a one-time visit.  All visitors must agree to abide by the Policies and Procedures of PACHEK Co-op. 

 

Schedule:
PACHEK's Co-op currently offers a fall and spring semester each running for 8 consecutive weeks.  Semesters vary as to days and times.  Classes begin promptly at the scheduled time and families are expected to honor these times.  Out of consideration to the other teachers and participants of co-op, families are expected to arrive in time to attend the Opening Assembly. 

 

Fees:
To participate in co-op there is an additional, non-refundable family registration fee of $11 for each semester.  This fee goes toward general co-op supplies and toward a donation to our host facility. 

Student fees per class are determined by each teacher and will be posted with the syllabus for each class during student registration.

All fees are due one week before the first day of the semester. You may pay with cash or check in person or by mail or you may use your Paypal account to send your payment. Student fees are refundable if your family cancels their registration prior to the first day of class.

Limited scholarships are available for those experiencing financial hardship. Scholarship requests are handled on a case by case basis by the co-op committee.  To apply for one please contact a current member of the committee.

Waivers and Benefits:
Family fees are waived for co-op committee members.  Co-op committee members are able to register their families first for classes.  Teachers register next, followed by Steering Committee members, pre-registered general membership, and finally general membership that did not pre-register.  

Classes:
All classes are taught/led by a participating parent, with the exceptions of occasional classes offered by cadet teachers (high school students monitored by a parent) or an outside instructor approved by the committee.  All class topics must be approved by the co-op and steering committees.  Classes are based on the number of teachers willing to teach and the anticipated number of students.  All students and parents are expected to stay for all class sessions.  All classes will be supervised by at least 2 unrelated adults (teacher, assistant).

Registration:
Families register their children through the website class registration tool.  Registration is open on a first come, first served basis within the order stated in “Waivers and Benefits”.  Payment is expected at time of registration.  Once a class is full, a child must register for the other class(es) offered that hour (if this applies). 

Teachers:
Teachers are responsible for planning, preparing, and implementing age appropriate activities for their classes.  Teachers must submit a simple syllabus and a budget to the co-op committee.  When registration is completed, teachers will receive their class budget (# of registrants X cost of class) and are expected to remain within that budget for the semester.  No other monies will be paid out.  Teachers and assistants are responsible for supervising all students in his/her class. Children cannot be left unsupervised at any time.  Teachers and assistants are responsible for cleaning and returning their classroom to its original condition.

Assistants:
Assistants help children with activities, help the teacher gather and distribute supplies and materials, monitor behavior so the teacher can focus on the lesson, and go with children who need to leave the room (restroom, see a parent, etc.).  Assistants are expected to arrive in class on-time (and preferably a few minutes early) in order to help the teacher prepare the students and classroom for instruction as soon as class time starts. Assistants should take an active role in the classroom.  Cell phone use is not allowed during class, except for the purposes of taking attendance and pictures for the yearbook and/or presentation purposes. Assistants should also be familiar with the lessons taught. Assistants will be asked to teach if the teacher is absent and should be prepared to do so.  Assistants may be moved to help in another class should the need arise.

Two-Adult Rule:
One-on-one adult/child situations (where the child is with a non-parent adult) during co-op are not acceptable. Private conversations between an adult and child should always be done with at least 2 adults present.  All classrooms will maintain at least 2 adults at all times.  In the case of a Cadet Class (those taught by our junior and senior high school students), the cadet teacher(s) will be considered an “adult” for these occasions and all rules for such will apply. 

If a special circumstance or emergency arises where an adult must be left alone with children that are not their own, the adult must make sure that the room is well-lit, easily accessible and the door left open. The adult also must make sure that there is more than one child present and that every effort be made to contact the hall monitor and gain another adult as quickly as possible.

 

Bathroom Breaks: All children ages 5 and under, who need to leave the classroom in order to go to the bathroom, must be accompanied by an adult. If the child does not require assistance in the bathroom, the accompanying adult will stand in the doorway between the hallway and the bathroom, in order to be aware of the child, but still visible to the hall monitor. If the child needs personal assistance in the bathroom, that child needs to be taken to one of the individual bathrooms in the Nursery or Little Learners classrooms where the door can be left cracked for another adult to help monitor the assistance given. If unexpected assistance is needed for a child who has been taken to the larger bathrooms, the assisting adult will notify the hall monitor of the situation and the hall monitor will join the adult in the bathroom for the assistance to take place. Children over the age of 5 will be allowed to walk to the bathroom themselves. The assistant in their classroom will stand in the doorway of the classroom and the hallway to ensure a prompt journey to the bathroom and back. The hall monitor will also help to ensure that the child goes to and from the bathroom in a timely and respectful manner. 

Nursery / Little Learners / Preschool / Kindergarten:
Along with our classes for older grades, we also have younger classes for the littlest members of our co-op families to be cared for.  This is a very important part of co-op as it is vital for some of our parents to be able to teach other classes and participate with their older children.  Those who volunteer for the first hour of Nursery, Little Learners, and Preschool should know that they will need to arrive about 15 minutes early each week to allow the younger children to check in before Opening Assembly.  Promptness and consistency is vital to this part of our co-op.

Outdoor Play/PE Supervision:
All children and adults should stay in designated areas.  Children should be escorted across the parking lot.  Any child returning to the building for any reason should be escorted by an adult.  Supervising adults are to position themselves where they can see and interact with all children. They should not be using cell phones or socializing with other parents.  Supervising adults need to check the area for trash, left items, etc. before leaving.  All play equipment should be returned to the designated area.

Changing Classes After Registration is Closed:
Students can only make a change if there is space available in the other class(es).  Students may not make a change after the 2nd week.  All teachers involved must be in agreement.  There will be no refunds from the original class--that teacher has already incurred the class expenses.  Any class expenses for the class changed to must be paid immediately. 

Behavior and Discipline:
Parents are responsible for their children when not in class. Before and after Co-op all children must be with their parent.  When being supervised, your child may be corrected by another parent.  All adults are expected to correct a child’s behavior in gentleness and love.  A non-parent adult should attempt to redirect or correct a child's behavior up to two times. If the inappropriate behavior continues, the child should be taken to his/her parent for correction.  Children using cell phones and other devices (IPod, video games) during co-op will be asked to put them away. If there continues to be a problem, the child will be asked to take the device to his/her parent.

Discipline Guide (to be reviewed with the children):
*please don't talk while an adult is talking   
*please raise your hand to speak
*please don't hit another, no rough play       
*please use kind words
*please be respectful to your friends and teachers   
*please keep your hands to yourself
*please stay in your seat unless an adult gives permission to get up (during class)
*no gum chewing or drinks (except water) during class time 
*children are not to leave the ground during the school day
*children need to ask permission for bathroom breaks/seeing a parent, etc. from their teacher
*no cell phones are to be used during class
*children are asked not to handle church equipment, to include the instruments, copy machines, televisions and any other church property.

Class teachers/helpers will generally be responsible for 'first line' discipline (i.e. 'please sit down', 'Johnny, please don't jump', etc). However, it is the parent's responsibility to respond if their child has become a disruption beyond the 'first line' of discipline.  It may be necessary for a helper or teacher to confiscate items that distract the student or classmates.  Understand that the other parents will be, at times, correcting your child. This will be done in love and with patience. If you have any issue with this situation, please talk to anyone in leadership.

**If a parent is constantly being called out of class to deal with a student, and no evidence shows that the child is repentant of heart and has become a CONTINUAL disturbance to the teacher, then that child may be asked to “follow” their parent for the duration of the day. 

Fighting / Physical Altercations:
We expect all students to keep their hands to themselves and to respect other people by doing so. In the case of any kind of physical altercation between students, the Co-op committee should be notified immediately. The students who are involved will sit out of class for the remainder of the co-op day. After the day is over, the Co-op committee will review the situation and decide on the appropriate course of action. In any case, if students are involved in a physical altercation, all involved parties will be suspended from co-op for a minimum of 1 week of classes with the possibility of being expelled from that semester of co-op. The length of suspension or expulsion will be decided upon by the Co-op committee and approved by the Steering committee.

Weapons: 
Students are not allowed to have any type of weapons on their person or in their bags during co-op. This includes all knives, guns, pocket knives, etc whether toy or real.

1st infraction: Warning 
2nd: Must stay with parent for the remainder of the co-op day
3rd: Dismissal from the remainder of the co-op semester

*This rule does not apply to parents/adults in any way.*

Absences:
Families are expected to attend all 8 weeks of co-op. Families who have scheduled plans and know they will miss more than 2 days of co-op in the semester due to a previously scheduled event should not register for co-op, as this does not allow for anything unexpected, such as sickness or emergencies. If an unavoidable conflict arises, the family must notify the co-op committee as soon as possible and post on the 'Absences' thread on the co-op forum. Please avoid making appointments on co-op days to ensure consistency for the group and the learning environment of everyone.
In the case of an emergency that only involves the parent, the other children may come to co-op under the supervision of an approved adult. This adult must be listed on the approved substitute guardian list that must be filled out before the first day of classes each semester. Approved guardians may not be adults that are already involved in co-op. Substitute guardians will be required to fill all assistant roles that the original parent was assigned to for that day including classroom assistants, cleaning and aftercare duties, etc. Substitute guardians must also agree to abide by our Statement of Faith and sign our release of liability form when they arrive the day of their substitution. All requests for children to attend with a substitute guardian must be approved by the Co-op committee before 10am the day of co-op.

If the committee feels that a family has abused our absences policy without legitimate reason during a semester, that family could be asked to sit out the next semester’s co-op session or will not receive priority for registration.  A co-op is only successful when all parents are pulling their weight and doing their part.  Undue absences not only affect what your child learns in class but affect the teacher (who may be wasting money since they planned for your child to be there) and other parent assistants who are constantly having to cover for you. 

Facility/Building:
All children should be with a parent or supervising adult at ALL times.  NO child may be in the building or on the grounds (including play area, grass, parking lot) unsupervised.  Parents and children should stay in co-op designated areas.  Parents and children are responsible for any damage caused, as stated on the Release of Liability.  The building shall be cleaned and returned to its original state according to the cleaning policy.

Cleaning Requirements:
Cleaning Supplies:
Only PACHEK cleaning supplies should be used. These can be found in our cleaning caddies and will be easily accessible in the hallway in each area of the building for all those who are cleaning.  We may use the church vacucums.  

Nursery, LIttle Learners, Preschool, Kindergarten, Kitchen, and any other classrooms:

• Sanitize the following with disinfectant cleaner:
      * Large surfaces
      * Window sills
      * Small toys
       * Books
       * Soft surfaces

• Return all toys, books, puzzles, and any other supplies to their designated area.

• Vacuum the carpet.

• Gather up all trash, tie the bag up, and place it in the hallway outside the room door.  

•  All beds, changing tables, and chairs will be sanitized with disinfectant cleaner.  Crib sheets should be taken home by the designated nursery parent to be washed and brought back the next week.

• Floors will be swept and spills or accidents cleaned up and sanitized.

• Clean sinks, countertops, and table tops.

• Please mark the refrigerated items clearly and remove the items from the refrigerator at the end of each PACHEK event.  Any spills in the refrigerator will need to be cleaned.

•  The individual toilets, sinks, potty chairs, stools, and counter in the Nursery, Little Learners, Preschool, and downstairs classroom areas must be cleaned and sanitized.  Check to make sure the faucets are turned off and no water is running.

 As stated above, teachers and assistants are responsible for cleaning their rooms, including disinfecting surfaces, vacuuming or sweeping and cleaning up any spills, etc.  

Please remember to always leave your classroom/area in the same arrangement that it was found. 

 

V. DISCIPLINE

If any of these rules and regulations are violated, the Steering Committee will follow this discipline plan:

1st infraction:
Member will receive a verbal warning from a member of the co-op and/or steering committee clearly stating what the violation is and what is expected in the future. 

2nd infraction:
Member will receive a written warning from the entire co-op and/or steering committee clearly outlining the violation and citing Co-op Policy as to how it was violated. The letter will also state what is expected in the future.

3rd infraction:
Member will receive a written letter from the co-op and steering committees detailing all three violations, citing Co-op Policy and how it was violated each time. The member and their family will be removed from participating in co-op, with possible removal from PACHEK as a whole, depending upon severity. Final decisions of severity will be determined by Steering Committee.

 

For questions regarding the P & P or any other questions, please contact the Steering Committee.