Purpose:
We desire to glorify God by keeping His commandment to faithfully teach the next generation about His goodness by providing a Christian-based, cooperative learning opportunity along with practical and spiritual support and encouragement and mission opportunities to assist families in their commitment to home educate their children.
We desire to glorify God by keeping His commandment to faithfully teach the next generation about His goodness by providing a Christian-based, cooperative learning opportunity along with practical and spiritual support and encouragement and mission opportunities to assist families in their commitment to home educate their children.
Membership Guidelines:
Soar will comprised of Christian homeschooling families in and around our area. SOAR will meet every Friday at Community Church located at I-35 and Seward Road. Field trips will be incorporated in lieu of classes once per semester as scheduled at the beginning of the year.
Members are required to attend a yearly orientation/planning meeting. Members will only be accepted if they agree with the Statement of Faith, Conflict Resolution Policy, Standard of Conduct, sign the Liability Waiver and agree to abide by the purpose of SOAR. (Yearly signing of the above documents is required for each family. Make-up meetings will be scheduled at the discretion of the leadership team.)
Membership dues will be exacted per family and will be determined each year by the Co-op leadership team. Failure to pay dues will result in canceled membership. Dues include $50 facility fee and insurance per family per semester. Members are expected to provide supplies/fees as determined by each instructor of the classes as necessary.
Members must sign a liability waiver form prior to attending or participating in any SOAR event. SOAR members are expected to take full responsibility for their own actions and the actions of their family members. Non-members are welcomed when accompanied by current members and may enjoy field trips and other planned activities but may not participate in cooperative learning experiences unless becoming members. All participants must sign a Liability Waiver form prior to participating.
Members are required to accompany their children to all events and be on-sight for all classes. Members commit to be at all SOAR classes as scheduled at the beginning of year unless an unavoidable situation arises. Members are required to notify the SOAR Leadership Team at the soonest opportunity that an absence will be necessary. Excessive absences may result in dismissal of membership from SOAR.
Members and any family member over the age of 18 must provide a background check to the Leadership Team if they will be on campus for any reason. Members are strongly encouraged to seek membership in the Home School Legal Defense Association.
Statement of Faith:
Preface: Our Statement of Faith concerns the Person and Work of Jesus Christ (the Gospel) revealed in Scripture. It is the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 2, Eph. 4:5) which distinguishes believers from non-believers. There are many other precious truths taught in the Bible over which godly men have differed in understanding. Therefore, this is not a statement of all that is important to believe but of all that is essential to believe for Christian fellowship and unity (Rom. 15:7).
1. We believe the Bible to be the verbally inspired and only infallible Word of God, inerrant in the autographs (II Tim. 3:16, II Peter 1:20-21). 2. We believe God is one being who eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit. All of the persons are equal in power and glory (Matt. 28:19, II Cor. 13:14).
3. We believe Jesus Christ is fully God and man (John 1:1, 14), born of a virgin (Matt. 1:18),
sinless in His life (Heb. 4:15). He died on the cross as a substitution for sinful men (Heb. 9:
15). He rose bodily from the grave (John 20:1-9, 24-31, Acts 2:24) and now reigns with the
Father (Acts 2:33, Heb. 10:12). He will return visibly and personally to the earth both in sal-
vation and judgment (Acts 1:11, Heb. 9:28, Matt. 24:35).
4. We believe all humans are sinful by nature (Rom. 3:23, 5:12) and can only be forgiven by repentance and statement of trust in Jesus as Savior (John 3:16), brought about by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5-7).
6. We affirm the biblical definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman
(Genesis 2:24, Mark 10:6-9).
James 1:19
5. We believe in the continuing ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian
is enabled to live a godly life (Romans 8:1-17).
Hearing and Doing the Word19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick
to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
Romans 12:17-21
17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never
avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine,
I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is
thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his
head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
_____ Always respect adults in charge of the activity. Be polite and show respect by being quiet and listening well when others are speaking.
sinless in His life (Heb. 4:15). He died on the cross as a substitution for sinful men (Heb. 9:
15). He rose bodily from the grave (John 20:1-9, 24-31, Acts 2:24) and now reigns with the
Father (Acts 2:33, Heb. 10:12). He will return visibly and personally to the earth both in sal-
vation and judgment (Acts 1:11, Heb. 9:28, Matt. 24:35).
4. We believe all humans are sinful by nature (Rom. 3:23, 5:12) and can only be forgiven by repentance and statement of trust in Jesus as Savior (John 3:16), brought about by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5-7).
6. We affirm the biblical definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman
(Genesis 2:24, Mark 10:6-9).
Conflict Resolution Policy
Matthew 18:15-17
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
James 1:19
5. We believe in the continuing ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian
is enabled to live a godly life (Romans 8:1-17).
Hearing and Doing the Word19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick
to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
Romans 12:17-21
17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never
avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine,
I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is
thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his
head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Proverbs 15:1
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Colossians 3:13
13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Matthew 18:17
17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
Ephesians 4:31
31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
Ephesians 4:29-5:4
29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. 5 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
Proverbs 25:21-22
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, 22 for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.
Luke 6:29
29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Proverbs 15:4
4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
Ephesians 6:19
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.
Standard of Conduct
PLEASE INITIAL EACH ITEM BELOW INDICATING YOUR COMPLIANCE WITH THESE GUIDELINES.
For Adults:
______ Maintain order and discipline of your children and any other children for whom you are responsible, knowing where they are and what they are doing at all times.
_____ Never drop off a child and leave them unsupervised at any time. If you are unable to attend an activity with your child, The SOAR Leadership Team must approve alternative arrangements.
_____ Never drop off a child and leave them unsupervised at any time. If you are unable to attend an activity with your child, The SOAR Leadership Team must approve alternative arrangements.
_____ When attending an activity, be in submission to the adult(s) in charge.
For Students:
_____ Always respect adults in charge of the activity. Be polite and show respect by being quiet and listening well when others are speaking.
_____ You must have permission from your parents or adult in charge to leave the group.
_____ Respect others by keeping your hands and feet to yourself. Pushing, shoving or hurting others, even with words, will not be tolerated. Running is not allowing in the facility.
_____ Respect the property. We are guests and should always leave the Church in better shape than before we used it. Do not write on, hit, or kick walls. Don’t slam doors. Pick up any messes you see, even if you did not make it.
For All, including the adult(s) in charge:
_____ Persons attending and/or participating in activities, competitive or otherwise, must behave in a Christ-honoring manner at all times.
_____ No use of profanity is permitted at any activity.
_____ Violations of the Standard of Conduct will result in disciplinary action. On a first occurrence, a warning will be issued to the parents. If a violation occurs a second time, the child will be asked to sit out of the situation and parents will be notified. On a third offense, the Leadership Team will be notified immediately. Recurrent behavioral issues will result in a meeting with the SOAR Leadership Team. Recurrent violations may result in dismissal from membership.
Teacher Guidelines
Handling misconduct of children:
First Offense:
The child will be given a warning. Notify the parent following the class/incident.
Second Offense:
The child will be asked to sit out of the activity. Parents and SOAR Leadership Team should be notified following the class/activity.
Third Offense:
The child will be taken to the parent immediately following the offense and SOAR Leadership Team is to be notified.
Recurrent Offenses:
Notify the Leadership Team immediately. A meeting will be held with the parents and Leadership Team. Dismissal from membership to the co-op may be requested.
Guidelines for Parents On-Site
By becoming a member of SOAR, parents are committing to be in attendance at all scheduled days of instruction. A calendar will be provided at the beginning of the instruction year. The cooperative learning environment only works if we are all committed to make it work. Excessive absences will not be tolerated. Absences due to illness and unavoidable situations need to be explained to the SOAR Leadership Team in a timely manner. Parents will be expected to teach and/or assist in classes during the cooperative learning day as determined by the Leadership Team. Parents are required to supervise lunch playground duty one week during the year and ensure co-op and church guidelines are followed during this time.
All families are expected to participate in helping to keep the facility clean. Please urge your children to pick up after themselves. There will be a family rotation for cleaning the facility each month. This will comprise of more than one family a month. You will be provided with a list of what is expected for cleaning in accordance with the church cleaning guidelines. Our goal is to leave the building in better condition than when we got there. ALL families on the cleaning rotation are required to assist in cleaning. Families are asked to check with the SOAR Leadership Team member on rotation for cleaning assignments and BEFORE leaving the property for the day while on cleaning rotation to ensure everything has been completed.
Teachers or assistants will come get you if a child is disruptive, disrespectful, sick, or injured. SOAR teachers are not taking your place academically, spiritually, or emotionally, but are coming along beside you in a supportive role as you homeschool your children.
Guidelines for Appropriate Dress
All SOAR participants shall maintain modest dress at all times, including guests, parents, teachers, students and grandparents.
-Appropriate length shirts. No midriffs showing when hands are raised above the head as might occur in PE and choir. Evaluate t-shirts with slogans, saying or pictures for appropriateness. Modest neck lines for mothers and girls. No skirts in PE please, unless shorts or leggings are underneath!
-No undergarments showing, including straps.
-Modest length shorts and skirts, dresses and skorts when appropriate. Check short, skirts, dresses and skorts with the bend, spin, squat, sit test for activities that require lifting hands, movement or even sitting in a chair. Evaluate skorts for appropriate length even with the shorts underneath.
-Wear older clothes when soiling is possible like in art or on some field trips.
-Wear appropriate footwear. Athletic shoes, preferably tennis shoe type with shoe strings for PE. (Can run safely without shoes falling off) No flip-flops for PE.
-Dress for the weather on field trips and outdoor activities. Consider layering clothing.
-Loose clothing as well as tight clothing can be a hazard depending on the activity. Please evaluate and dress appropriately.
If conflict arises concerning a participants dress, the SOAR conflict resolution policy will be used to deal with the conflict. We fully trust parents to follow God’s word and His leading when choosing clothing that is orderly, well arranged, decent and modest for their families. (Greek definition of modest used in the New Testament)
Health and Illness Guidelines
Please be considerate of others when evaluating the health and well being of your own children. In order to protect the health of others please do not attend events and/or classes if ANY household members have had...
- Discolored nasal mucus
- Chronic cough
- A fever in the past 24 hours
- Diarrhea in the past 24 hours
- Vomiting in the past 24 hours
- A diagnosis and /or signs and symptoms of a known communicable disease or such i.e. chicken pox, head lice, strep throat, etc.
****During the flu season please do not attend SOAR if you or a member of your family has had fever or flu symptoms within 5 days prior to SOAR.****
Please evaluate the mode of transmission of the illness and possible incubation period, trying not to put others at risk.
Please cover wounds that are open, weeping or new injuries. If you child has an active case of MRSA, please let the Leadership Team know. Follow your doctor’s instructions for treating and covering the site and hand washing to decrease transmission.
Please review all forms of prevention of disease transmission with your family, including the following:
- Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze using a cupped hand or elbow. “Whenever you have to cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and say, ‘Excuse me, please!’”
- Hand washing after using the restroom, changing a diaper, before eating and when visibly soiled.
- Refrain from sharing drinks or eating after another.
Boy/Girl Relationships Guidelines
- We desire to create an environment where both genders can come and feel comfortable in their own skin with their brothers and sisters in Christ free from the pressures of the world to act, look or dress a certain way.
- The Leaders recognizes young adults and their need to socialize and have meaningful relationships with friends of the opposite gender.
- We support friendly interaction during class time and free time at SOAR.
- We discourage boyfriend/girlfriend relationships at anytime during SOAR.
- We discourage openly talking/discussing about a person and their external qualities, clothing, or physique that might make them attractive as such (a boyfriend or girlfriend).
Communication
It is our desire to communicate as effectively, inexpensively and thoroughly as possible. Methods of communication for SOAR include the following:
The Leadership will communicate through email, Facebook and GroupMe.
The Leadership will communicate through email, Facebook and GroupMe.
The Leaders will communicate with individuals about specific things and entire membership of SOAR about general items as needed through email.
On occasion the Leadership Team will communicate about specific events through phone calls.
A membership directory will be made available for all members of SOAR.
When needing to communicate with the Leadership team, we ask that you do so through the email: soarhomeschoolcoop@gmail.com
Communication concerning cancellation or change of planned events or teachers unable to fulfill their role
In the event of inclement weather or the change of plans for a specific event the Leadership Team or event planner will:
- Text the involved participants if the activity is in 24 hours or less as well as update Facebook and GroupMe.
- Send emails to the involved participants and update GroupMe and Facebook if the activity is more than 24 hours out.
- Participants will also do their best to notify event planners according to specific deadlines for RSVP events and if their plans for participation in an event change according to the above guidelines.
- All difficulties concerning communication will be handled according to SOAR’S Conflict resolution policy.
Guidelines for New Members
It is the goal of the Leadership Team of SOAR Homeschool Co-op to keep the membership of the co-op to 25 families. We feel this is enough families to provide for the functional needs of the co-op and yet maintain the relational aspects of the co-op. This may be readdressed and revisited as deemed necessary and appropriate by the Leadership Team at any point in the future.
Families interested in joining SOAR Homeschool Co-Op should contact the co-op via email with their name, number and ages of children, and contact information. They will be added to our waiting list in the order that they make contact with us.
Families are required to visit the co-op prior to membership being extend. However, visiting the co-op does not guarantee admission. While visiting, they will visit with the Leadership Team. It is the experience of the Leadership Team that this gives all parties an opportunity to make sure this is a fit for their needs prior to embarking on the membership process.
Once a family visits the co-op, the Leadership Team will meet to discuss the membership opportunities available based on current enrollment. An offer to join the co-op will be extended as applicable. Families will be given a commitment deadline and must notify the Leadership Team prior to the deadline of their desire to commit to joining the co-op. This allows the Leadership Team the opportunity to work down the waiting list in a timely manner to fill vacancies in co-op membership.
Upon accepting an offer to join the co-op, families need to determine where/how they would like to assist in the needs of the co-op for the coming year. A schedule with current needs will be provided by the Leadership Team to the families. Enrollment information will be provided as necessary upon commitment to join the co-op.
New families are required to participate in the Membership Orientation prior to the start of the next co-op year. If you are unable to attend the scheduled orientation due to extenuating circumstances, arrangements will need to be made to visit with the Leadership Team prior to the start of Co-Op.
