Capital Baptist Church
Homeschool Support Group
MINISTRY STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The Capital Baptist Church Home school Support Group ("HSG") was formed to assist those members who have elected to home educate their children. Since the beginning of this ministry, others outside of the church have become interested in also participating in this ministry. For this reason and because the Home school Support Group is a ministry of Capital Baptist Church, the following policies have been instituted:
1. Since the HSG is a ministry of Capital Baptist Church ("CBC"), members of CBC can and will be included in the ministry as soon as they begin homeschooling and wish to participate.
2. Members of sister churches of like faith and practice will be allowed to participate in the Home school Support Group provided there is available room. Acceptance into the group is by invitation only.
3. Other homeschoolers may be invited to participate in the Home school Support Group provided room is available. Acceptance into the group is by invitation only.
4. All classes must be taught in accordance with the doctrinal statement of Capital Baptist Church.
5. The Pastoral staff or a church member of CBC will teach any Bible Studies and/or Bible Classes.
6. Any Bible readings and or quotations must be read or quoted from the King James Version of the Bible. This is the standard Bible text of our English-speaking church.
Capital Baptist Church
Homeschool Support Group
INFORMATION SHEET 2023-2024
The Capital Baptist Church Homeschool Support Group is designed to meet the needs of parents who have chosen to home educate their children. The Support Group provides information, seminars, and mutual support. It also organizes activities to provide educational experiences for the home-educated child.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HOMESCHOOL SUPPORT GROUP
Who is the Group for?
The CBC Homeschool Support Group is only for families who are home educating their children. Children participating in the co-op morning enrichment classes must be six years of age and enrolled in a first grade homeschool program and are of sufficient character and motivation to participate in the program. Families without school age children will not be admitted to the homeschool co-op. This reserves kindergarten, preschool, and nursery spaces for families’ home educating school age children.
When does the group meet?
The CBC Homeschool Support Group meets on Tuesday or Thursday. A family comes on only one of the co-op days. The Co-op meets each week during the traditional school year beginning September 5 or 7, 2023 through May 21 or 23, 2024. There are several days off during the year due to holidays. The program starts at 9:30 a.m. with morning devotions and concludes at 12:30 p.m. each Tuesday or Thursday. Afternoon academic classes and clubs are also offered. Information for these programs are explained in another packet.
What do the children do at the co-op morning meeting?
Each week, the children in early elementary participate in four enrichment classes each semester. These classes include Art, Physical Education, Music, Drama, Geography, Science, and Literature. The children in early elementary will be divided into groups, based on their age, and will rotate to the various classes. These early elementary classes are one semester in length. Early elementary children will take 8 classes over the course of the year. There is also an opportunity for the children to have lunch together. The children in upper elementary through high school will have an opportunity to choose from a list of parent-offered elective classes for three 50 minute sessions. These classes are year- long classes. These elective classes vary in type: audit, homework, competition, or credit. There is a kindergarten, preschool, and nursery program for children in those age categories.
What do the parents do each Tuesday or Thursday co-op morning?
One parent from each family must participate in the co-op each week as either a teacher/assistant, nursery worker, or in an administrative role (e.g. planning field trips and special events, coordinating support group activities and speakers, preparation of the yearbook and end-of-year awards, etc.). Parents should indicate their preferences for how they would like to volunteer when applying to join on the enclosed application.
In addition, parents are given an opportunity on co-op mornings to attend one support group meeting that provides an opportunity for fellowship, teaching, and encouragement. These meetings may include a Bible devotional, prayer, group announcements, discussion of homeschool issues, opportunities to examine curriculum resources, and presentations – often by fellow co-op members – on topics related to parenting and homeschooling.
What does the co-op cost?
The fee for the year for the Homeschool group is $100.00 per each school age child, $60 per each preschool child with a family maximum of $400. This fee covers art supplies, music and instruments, physical education equipment, classroom needs, and awards certificates. Additional fees for individual classes are known at the time of registration. These additional fees may include the purchase of textbooks, costume rental, lab supplies and personal materials. There may be some additional cost as the year progresses for various activities you have the options to participate in (e.g. for field trips, pictures, testing, yearbooks, etc.).
What should the students/parents wear?
Students should dress neatly, modestly, and also appropriately for the weather. Due to the fact that many of the young people will be having physical education weekly, you should dress your child to participate in physical activities. They will need a good pair of running shoes, and then appropriate dress for the weather. Modest shorts (Finger tip length or longer) are permissible on warm days. Shirts should cover the shoulder, the midriff, and the back. They should not be low-cut, tight nor revealing when bending over. Jeans (without holes) are permitted. Plan to bring a sweatshirt or have your child dress in layers when the weather turns cold. The key principle for dress for students and parents is modesty. Undergarments are to remain undergarments and not be revealed. Remember the Four L’s of Dress –Long, Loose, Lots, and Layers. Also, please no jewelry in PE classes, as it gets in the way of many PE activities and can easily get lost. Those not dressed appropriately will not be allowed to participate in co-op classes.
DESCRIPTION OF CLASSES FOR SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN
Music: This activity will involve the children in a vocal choir and an instrumental choir with the hand-chimes/handbells. They will learn how to read music through musical games and activities as they learn to sing and to play the hand-chimes/handbells. This activity will give them an appreciation for music as well as learning teamwork and group cooperation. The students will perform at Christmas and in May for families and friends after shortened classes on a co-op morning.
Art: This class will engage the children’s creativity through stimulating art projects, which may include drawing, painting, sculpture, stitchery, weaving, and holiday art. Students will also study the techniques of a variety of artists.
Physical Education (PE): This activity will allow the children to play group games and train them in physical fitness. A number of units of study are planned for the year, which may include: badminton, soccer, football, relays, volleyball, field hockey, tumbling, and track/field.
Drama/Acting Classes: This class provides opportunities to develop acting skills by participating in drama skits and plays. Early Elementary classes will perform after co-op at the end of each semester December 5 & 7, 2023 and May 7 & 9, 2024. Elective class students will participate in a Drama Festival Weekend, held on April 25, 26, 27, 2024 (Tuesday) and May 2,3,4, 2024 (Thursday) which will allow the students a chance for public performance.
Elective Classes: These classes are for children who are upper elementary through high school. These classes will consist of many different type of classes that the students will have an opportunity to choose to attend. Classes fit into four main categories: Audit, Homework, Competition, Credit. These classes may include Sign Language, Spanish, Government, Health/Safety, Chess, Public Speaking, Science Lab, Literature, Debate, American Girls, Geography, Electronics, Robotics, Math, Sewing, Quilting, Scrapbooking, Odyssey of the Mind, French, Chinese, Literature, Latin, History Chemistry, Biology, etc. There is another packet that explains all the elective classes for each co-op year.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Field Trips: Field trips will be planned throughout the year to a variety of locations in the Washington D.C. and surrounding area. Participation is optional and destinations vary each year, but generally cover a range of topics including American history, business and industry, government, and science. Field trip content will be geared to school-age children participating in the enrichment classes. Information on field trips, including details on cost, age restrictions, transportation, etc. will be announced in the support group meetings each week. NOTE: The $100 per child Support Group fee does not cover the cost of field trips.
Parties: Two parties are planned for the children and parents. These parties will be held during our regular co-op morning meetings: Christmas luncheon-December 12 or 14, 2023, End of the Year Picnic-May 21 or 23, 2024. Three social events are planned for the high school aged students. These include a fall homecoming, winter party, and spring formal.
Hand-chimes/Choir/Orchestra Presentations: Two musical presentations are planned for this home school year. They are scheduled for Christmas Concert - December 12 or 14, 2023 and Spring Concert - May 14 or 16, 2024, during the last hour of the coop meeting. Relatives and friends are warmly invited to attend these performances.
Standardized Testing: During the spring of the year, those interested in having their children tested with the IOWA Basic Skills Test can do so here at the Church. Testing will be done during the week of April 29, 30, May 1, 2024.
Fine Arts Festival: The Fine Arts Festival will be held on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. The festival provides the children an opportunity to display their art work, science projects, book reports, or other items from their homeschooling year. Also, a performing arts program will be offered, as part of the festival, where the children may sing, play musical instruments, recite poetry, etc. This activity concludes our support group year.
Graduation Ceremony: A Graduation ceremony will be held on Friday, May 31, 2024 at 7:00 pm. This ceremony is an opportunity for all families in the co-op to participate who have a high school senior. Parents award their own child a diploma. A preliminary planning meeting will be held in January for all interested families.
GENERAL POLICIES AND COST:
Sickness and Absenteeism: Participation in the co-op is a nine-month commitment, and depends upon the active participation of all members to ensure a positive experience for all families. Therefore, parents and children are expected to attend co-op meetings every week, except in cases of sickness, travel, or a family emergency. We ask all families to be careful not to schedule appointments or other activities during co-op mornings since an absent teacher or student can be disruptive to the program. If a family has a sick child – but there are other school-age children in the family that are well – parents may leave these children to attend their homeschool classes, while the parent remains at home with their sick child. Parents must have a medical release form (included) and a contact telephone number on file in order to leave their children at co-op.
Behavior: All students are expected to speak and act respectively toward teachers, assistants, and one another. This means, students should be attentive in class, follow teachers’ instructions, obey safety rules, respect church property, and act in a manner that would bless and encourage others and honor Jesus Christ (e g. no mocking, criticizing, arguing, fighting, use of crude language or joking, or taking the Lord’s name in vain). If a student’s speech or conduct is inappropriate, he/she will receive a warning by the teacher and if inappropriate conduct continues, the student will be removed from the classroom. Pastor Eagy, if necessary, will contact parents about inappropriate behavior of their child.
Warning System Policy:
If a student’s behavior is inappropriate in the classroom, a parent teacher should address that student by saying: “(Student’s name), your behavior is inappropriate (name the behavior), and I am giving you a warning. Next time I have to speak to you I will have to remove you from the classroom.”
A student removed from the classroom should be sent to Pastor Eagy. Pastor Eagy will have a discussion with the student and contact the parent after coop to deal with the matter. Co-op participation is a privilege not a right. Loss of co-op participation privileges will be the consequences of the continual misbehavior by a student.
Course work Grading and Transcripts: The Capital Baptist Homeschool Co-op is not a school but a support group. The co-op does not issues course work grades or prepare a transcript for students. Course work grades and transcripts are the responsibility of the parents for their own children. Parents may request co-op parent teachers input for co-op course work. Since many high school courses are “For Credit”, co-op parent teachers may issue grades to help parents in their transcript preparation. All grading by co-op parent teachers whether they be test scores, mid-term or final grades should be issued privately to the student and his parents.
Technology Policy: The use of electronic devices (laptops, ipods, mp3 players, cell phones) within the classroom is up to the discretion of each lead teacher. Each teacher’s electronic device policy should be clearly communicated to the students. Many of these devices may be useful in the instruction and participation of the class. These devices may also become a distraction from instruction. If this is so, teachers may collect items and return them to the students after class. If problems persist, lead teachers should communicate to Pastor Eagy. Pastor Eagy will support each lead teacher’s classroom policy.
Cancellations Due to Inclement Weather: The Support Group will follow the Fairfax County Public School Announcements for cancellations due to weather. When FCPS closes for the day, we will not meet. When the schools are delayed (either one or two hours) due to weather, we will meet at our usual time.
Fundraising: The co-op will organize a consignment sale during the spring to raise extra funds for co-op activities. This year’s consignment sale is scheduled for Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11, 2024. All fund raising by groups and clubs must be approved by Pastor Eagy.
Reimbursements: The co-op fees collected for co-op are used to support the general educational use of the classes. These fees are for materials used within the classes that remain the property of the co-op and may be used from year to year. (An exception to this would be preschool and art supplies.) A textbook that becomes the property of the student needs to be purchased by the student. Purchases need to be pre-approved by Pastor Eagy and a Capital Baptist Church Reimbursement form needs to be filled out and a receipt attached in order to process a reimbursement. These forms will be available in the resource room.