What is a Co-op? 

The Miriam-Webster dictionary defines a cooperative as “1: marked by cooperation, 2: marked by a willingness and ability to work with others”.  Likewise, cooperate is defined as “1: to associate with another or others for mutual benefit,   2: the act of working or acting together to achieve a common goal”.  For our purposes, a cooperative (referred to as “co-op’ henceforth) is a variety of classes being offered on the same day and same location.  Our common goal is the education and development of our children in a Christian environment.

What is the purpose of our FICHE Co-op?

We arrived at three main functions for our co-op.  We are calling them the “3 F’s”. (Yes, we’re copying the “3 R’s”.)  Those three “F’s” are Fun, Fellowship, and ‘Ffordable education. (Two of the “R’s” don’t start with an “R” either!) 

Fun:  In all honesty, one of the driving forces for attendance in a co-op, for both students and parents, is generally that the student is experiencing an enjoyable class time.  Classes are to be structured to draw the child’s interest and teach them a love of the topic and learning, not just mere facts. 

Fellowship: Co-op classes provide wonderful opportunities for both child and parent to make and establish friendships with other homeschool families.  This weekly time together can help motivate children to perform better throughout the week.  And time with other moms with similar trials and joys provide encouragement for both homeschooling issues and our walks with Lord.  For the college-bound, these classes will allow them an opportunity to learn to perform under different teaching styles and expectations.

‘Ffordable education: We strive to provide a variety of classes for all ages.  Many of these classes are opportunities that the family might not otherwise have, such as PE, science experiments or labs, foreign language, art or music.  Even the core classes such as history, writing, or math can be the “weak spot” for Mom and these classes can help Mom and child throughout the year.  Our fees are kept to a minimum to assure participation for all interested families, but do vary based on the subject and grade level of the class.

What are the ages and grades that our co-op serves?

We offer classes for 1st through 12th grades.  We do offer classes for Pre-K and Kindergarten Teachers’ children and the younger siblings of students enrolled in co-op classes.  We also offer a Nursery for infants and toddlers while Mom is teaching or serving.

We may have openings in the PreK and Kindergarten classes after enrollment.  If you do not have any older children but would like to be added to our waiting list for these ages, contact a co-op Administrator.

What if we want to enroll in only one class?

Our co-op is organized to allow families to pick-and-choose which classes are suitable for their children.  For some families, that may be only class for each child.  For other families, they may choose to enroll their children in a full day of classes. 

Who is allowed to teach a class? 

We encourage mothers, fathers, and mature teens with a love for any subject to teach.  All teachers, members and non-members, teens and adults, are required to sign our FICHE Statement of Faith and teach according to Scripture. 

What are the benefits of teaching in the Co-op?

The primary benefit for Teachers and Co-Teachers is the opportunity to enroll their children in the co-op classes before the enrollment is opened to the FICHE co-op as a whole.  Teachers have the added benefit of free childcare for their young children while teaching their class(es). Teachers also receive discounted co-op registration fees.

What are the responsibilities of the parents?

1.)    Every parent is ultimately responsible for ensuring their child’s proper behavior.

2.)     Parents are responsible for filling out the appropriate enrollment forms and paying any monies due in a timely fashion. 

3.)    At least one person from each family – Mom, Dad, or mature teen - is required to serve as a Volunteer in a class, as a hall/door monitor, or set-up or clean-up crew to allow us to offer primarily tuition- free classes.  Each family needs to serve for up to 3 hours a week; more time is allowed for those desiring to do so.  (Families only attending for one or two hours need only serve the time they are enrolled.)  Remember: teachers and parents trade services, not money. Considerations will be made for those with small children or health issues.  The volunteer positions and schedule is created based on the number of classes that are actually established and specific needs pertaining to our facility. 

What do FICHE Co-op classes cost? 

In keeping with the definition of cooperate, we will work for the “mutual benefit” of all families involved.  Teachers and parents trade services, not money.  Members of FICHE do not charge tuition for their classes.  Teachers are encouraged to charge a Materials Fee to cover their expenses and not “lose money” in the process.  Teachers in our co-op from outside our group are allowed to charge a tuition fee as this is how many of them make their livings.  We strive to arrive at a price that is both affordable for our families and a reasonable compensation to the teachers for their time and expertise.   For this reason, we prefer members of our group to teach their areas of interests or strengths and therefore, keep costs down for all families.

Each student/family is assessed a nominal registration fee to cover the costs of the facility, paper and copy supplies, and other basic co-op expenses.  Tuition class fees are due on the first Monday of each month, for families who choose those classes.

What about families who may be struggling financially? 

If you – or a family you know – desires to attend co-op classes but are experiencing financial hardships, please contact an Administrator.  Occasionally, there is a limited amount of scholarship funds available. These are distributed at the discretion of the administrators, or as indicated by the donor.