Our Policies

PALS Policies

Membership and Registration
1. Commitment: Membership is open to homeschooling families who are committed to supporting our program and abiding by our policies.
2. Age Requirements: Children registering for classes must be between 4-18 years old on the first day of classes.
3. Age Exemptions: Students seeking age exemptions must be within one year of the minimum age for that class. Age exemptions will be entered manually one hour after general registration has opened.
4. Class Registrations: All class registrations will be finalized the Friday after the second week of classes.
5. Class Cancellations: At the end of the registration period, classes with insufficient enrollment (3-4 or fewer students) may be cancelled. Any students being moved from a cancelled class will have priority placement on waitlists.
6. Class Withdrawals or Changes: Class fees for any classes dropped after the registration period will remain as teachers determine their class fee total after registration is over.
7. Class Waitlists: The order of the waitlist is determined by the timestamps on the website.
8. Orientation: All families must complete an orientation before they are allowed to attend classes; this can be done in person or digitally.
9. Accounts: If a family does not attend for one semester, their account will be archived on the website. Their account will be removed after a second semester.
Membership Waitlist
1. Procedure: Families who are interested in joining will be put on a waitlist. The order of the waitlist will depend on when all valid clearances are turned in and whether they are a new or returning family.
2. New Family re: Waitlist: Families who have never attended PALS and families who have previously attended PALS but have taken 2 or more semesters off are considered new families.
3. Returning Family re: Waitlist: Families that have previously attended PALS and have taken one semester off are placed at the top of the semester waitlist.
Fees and Financial Matters
1. Community Share Fee: All families pay a fee of $135 per family per term to secure their registrations. This fee is due on or before the first day of classes. This fee is nonrefundable and covers operating costs such as rent, insurance, and other overhead.
2. Class Fees: Class fees will be set by the teacher and should reflect the material cost of the class. No adjustments to the class fee will be made after registration.
3. Scholarships: Families may qualify for scholarships based on available funds. This scholarship is for full or partial coverage of the Community Share Fee and does not include class fees at this time.
4. Payment: Payment is accepted through PayPal or check (made out to PALS Enrichment) and is due on or before the first day of classes.
5. Refunds: There will be no refunds.
6. Withdrawals: Families are responsible for all fees for any withdrawals made after the class registration period has ended, including if the family decides not to attend. Families will not be allowed to register again in the future until this is paid.
7. Class Fee Reimbursements: Teachers receive all of their class fees, for all students registered after the deadline and any subsequent registrations, plus a 10% overage. Teachers must submit receipts to be reimbursed.
Parent Expectations
1. Attendance: Regular attendance is expected of all students and parents. Parents must notify the Job Coordinator in advance of any absences.
2. Behavior Expectations: Parents are expected to treat each other and the facility with respect. Parents are also responsible for their children’s behavior at all times.
3. Jobs: Each family is required to register and complete jobs in order to participate. The requirement is one job per class period for which the family is attending, with a max of three jobs.
4. Job Accommodations: Families can inquire about job accommodations before job registration due to physical, medical, or other restraints. These are not guaranteed.
5. Community Tasks: Each family is required to register and complete one Community Task per semester, in addition to their per period job requirement. Accommodations may include exemption.
6. Supervision: Children who are not enrolled in a class must remain with a parent. They may not attend or participate in any class unless they are registered and have paid all class fees.
7. On Site Requirement: PALS Enrichment is NOT a drop-off program. Parents are expected to remain in the building with their children and are responsible for them at all times. PALS is not responsible for the safety, well-being, or behavior of your child. Parents are responsible for any property damage caused by their child.
8. Designated Caregiver: If you must leave the building, your children should be signed over to another adult in attendance who takes responsibility for them.
Student Expectations
1. Attendance: Regular attendance is expected of all students and parents. Parents must notify the Job Coordinator in advance of any absences.
2. Behavioral Expectations: Students are expected to be respectful of others and the facility. Disruptive behavior will be addressed through a tiered system of warnings, parent involvement, and, if necessary, temporary or permanent removal from the class. Ultimately, parents are responsible for their children’s behavior at all times.
3. Supervision: Children who are not enrolled in a class must remain with a parent. They may not attend or participate in any class unless they are registered and have paid all class fees.
Facility Rules
1. Rules of Use: All families will adhere to MAUMC’s Building Rules.
2. Signing In and Out: Families are not permitted inside the facility until 9:30am. Each person must sign in and out upon entering and leaving the building, including infants and children. All families should begin leaving the building promptly at 2:30, unless they are assisting with afternoon clean up.
3. General Care: No food or drinks are allowed in any carpeted classroom. Before leaving, please spend some time cleaning up after yourself.
4. Nursery: This is an unmonitored space for parents to bring children during class periods. Families are responsible for cleaning up after themselves. Food is not permitted in the nursery.
5. Lost and Found: Any items found at the end of the day will be placed in a Lost and Found box on the relative floor. These boxes are not secure and are the responsibility of MAUMC. Items not claimed by the end of the term will be donated.
6. Smoking: Our rental facility has a non-smoking policy in both the building and on the grounds.
7. Solicitation: PALS is to be solicitation free. Fundraising by students is permitted on a case-by-case basis; contact the Board for a request.
Lunch Guidelines
1. Lunch Rooms: There are three in-building lunch rooms: gym, M rooms (quiet room), room 202 (teens).
2. Clean Up: Each family should clean up after themselves no matter where they are eating.
3. Teen Lunch Room: This is located in room 202 and is reserved for teens. This is an unmonitored space and parents are responsible for their children in here and for ensuring that space has been set up and cleaned up.
4. Quiet Lunch Room: This is located in M1-M3. This is an unmonitored space and parents are responsible for their children in here and for ensuring the space has been set up and cleaned up.
Health and Safety
1. Allergies: Allergies should be disclosed in your family and child profile on the website to ensure awareness. Parents should also notify teachers of any allergies before classes begin. Since lunch rooms are unmonitored spaces, parents are responsible for ensuring their children are eating safely.
2. Emergency Procedures: A written emergency plan will be posted on each classroom clipboard, detailing procedures for fire, medical emergencies, and lockdowns.
3. Illness: Parents should keep their children home if they or someone in their household are ill. Please do not attend within 24 hours of any illness.
4. Weapons: No weapons of any kind are allowed, including as part of Halloween costumes or cosplay.
Teaching Classes
1. Teacher Eligibility: Attending adults are eligible to teach in their second semester. Returning families who take more than one semester off are not eligible to teach until they have returned to PALS for a semester. All adults who teach must be in good standing: such as attending reliably and communicating absences.
2. Permanent Equipment: Teachers can request a purchase of equipment prior to class registration, if this equipment can be saved and used by PALS to alleviate current and future class fee costs for families. A request should be submitted to the Treasurer prior to class registration for the semester and will be voted on for approval.
3. Teacher Commitment: Teachers commit to teaching their proposed classes; the deadline to notify the Registrar of any changes is when class proposals are due. After that, if any teacher rescinds their offer to teach, it may impact their ability to teach in the future. Any teacher who cancels a class after registration will not be allowed to teach classes for two full semesters.
Teacher Responsibilities
1. Classroom Management: Teachers should maintain a safe and supportive environment for all students.
2. Classroom Assistants: Teachers should have ongoing communication with their classroom assistants. This includes having contact information for relaying lesson plans in case of an absence.
3. Teen Assistants: Teens can serve as an assistant in a class and will have a guaranteed spot in the class. It does not count as a parent job and this does not secure teacher registration for the family.
4. Communication and Support: Teachers should communicate class concerns to the Board and are encouraged to communicate with parents about student concerns.
5. Recording Attendance: Teachers are required to record attendance. These records will be kept with the Secretary after the semester ends.
6. Attendance: Teachers should always let the Job Coordinator know of any absences and should have a lesson plan available for their co-teacher or assistant.
7. Clean Up: Teachers should make sure their room is cleaned up before leaving the classroom.
Assistant Responsibilities
1. Classroom Management: Assistants should be actively involved in helping with classroom activities and providing support to the teacher.
2. Communication: Assistants should have ongoing communication with their teachers. This includes having contact information for relaying lesson plans in case of an absence.
3. Teacher Absences: When teachers are absent, the assistant should be willing to substitute.
Conflict Resolution
1. Conflicts should first be addressed privately between the involved parties. If unresolved, the issue may be brought to the Board for assistance. At the Board’s discretion, involved parties may be asked to sit down together to discuss a mutually satisfactory resolution.
Confidentiality
1. Information that is behind your account log in should not be shared. This includes rosters and other people’s personal information.
Non-Discrimination Policy
1. PALS does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff if any, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients. Furthermore, PALS embraces nonpartisanship to respect the diversity of our political opinions and according to section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code expressly directing that nonprofits shall “not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.”
Legal and Liability Concerns
1. Clearances: All attending adults must have valid clearances on file to register and attend. Guests who do not have valid clearances on file must be accompanied by a PALS adult at all times.
2. Waivers: Parents must sign waivers acknowledging the risks involved in participation and releasing PALS from liability for certain incidents.
3. Agreement to Policies: All parents and guardians are required to read, agree to, and adhere to these policies.
Special Events and Field Trips
1. Planning: Field trips will be coordinated by a Field Trip Coordinator (parent job) and Event Coordinator (Board member).
2. Funding: PALS does not sponsor these events. All fees will be divided amongst the attendees.
Inclement Weather
1. Closings: If PPS issues a cancellation due to weather, we do not hold classes.
2. Delays: If PPS issues a delay due to weather, there may still be classes.
3. Announcements: In either case, open/closed status will be announced by email by 9am.
Ongoing Review and Feedback
1. Transparency: The Board will publish all meeting minutes, semester reports, and financial reports to the website.
2. Annual Meeting: The Board will hold an annual meeting after the Spring semester ends. In this meeting, the Board will vote in new members, review and change Bylaws and policies, review a yearly financial report, update any necessary information about clearances, verify insurance policy, review the Books and Records.