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Rules and Policies – Posted 9/3/25 • File 1
FHA Rules & Policies MEMBERSHIP: Membership to Family Homeschool Alliance is open to all homeschoolers within the general North/West Georgia area. We are based out of Paulding County. For our purposes, “homeschoolers'' are defined as families who file a Home Study Program Declaration of Intent Form (DOI) with the Georgia Department of Education and who follow all applicable Georgia homeschool laws and regulations. Membership is also open to alternative education students (AES). AES are students who are members of a different organization for their education and have not filed a declaration of intent with the state, but wish to participate in some clubs or classes offered by FHA. Registration is to be completed online at the Family Homeschool Alliance, Inc. (FHA) website at www.familyhomeschoolalliance.org. **Upon registration you are committing to the full school year, or remainder thereof. FHA currently has three levels of membership. The foundation level of membership is the Community membership. Community Members have access to all field trips, events, and clubs. Community members may then also sign-up for Co-op and/or Hybrid membership. FHA Co-op membership offers parent-led weekly classes, all run by volunteers. The cost is kept very low and everyone comes together to build a common goal. The Hybrid membership offers twice weekly classes that are tutor-led. The Hybrid program is a drop off program with homework given, supporting families who need more support. FHA Board Members and Lead Tutors will have the first choice in signing up their children for Co-op or Hybrid classes, followed by existing FHA Co-op or Hybrid members, followed by FHA Community Members and then members of FHA’s host church. New members will be allowed to sign up after each group has had sufficient time to register. Registration will not be complete (meaning that your child’s classes will not be secure) until you have paid your fees, signed up for your required volunteer positions (if applicable), and we have received all necessary documentation. CODE OF CONDUCT: All students are expected to speak and act respectfully toward tutors, leaders, other parents and one another. This means students should be attentive in class, follow tutors' instructions, obey safety rules, respect church property, and act in a manner that would bless and encourage others (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 an official warning by the tutor and, if inappropriate conduct continues, the student will be removed from the classroom, a parent will be contacted, and if necessary, asked to leave the premises. There will be NO food or drinks (except water-filled closed cover drink containers) allowed in the classrooms; Childcare, Preschool, and K-2 rooms being the exception. 1
PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH: Members must do their best to prevent abuse and neglect among children and youth involved in FHA activities. Physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, and neglect of a child or youth is prohibited and will not be tolerated by the organization. FHA requires all tutors, volunteers, and any other adults who are 18 and above who will regularly attend, must pass a criminal background check annually. FHA also requires all adult members to review the policies contained in this document and sign the last page indicating compliance with policy requirements. Members must report known or suspected inappropriate, suspicious, or suspected grooming behavior toward children or youth to appropriate leaders immediately. The leaders are required to then take the matter to the full FHA Board of Directors who have been trained on mandated reporting. According to Georgia law, in the setting of a homeschool group, we are not considered mandatory reporters. However, it is the view of FHA that the organization shall hold itself to those guidelines. In such an instance, a guide and training can be found at https://oca.georgia.gov/training/mandated-reporting. Any person accused of committing a prohibited act or any act considered by the organization to be harmful will be immediately suspended from participation in all FHA activities. This suspension will continue during any investigation by law enforcement or Child Protective agencies. DRESS: All members, to include adults and students, should dress neatly, modestly, and appropriately for the weather during all FHA activities. No offensive writing or graphics are permitted on clothing. Modest shorts are permissible. Shorts and skirts must be no shorter than fingertip length. Shorts should be worn under younger girls’ skirts. Shirts should cover the midriff, cleavage, and the back. Sleeveless tops are permitted as long as the straps cover bra straps, and the underarm opening does not extend below the chest. Clothing should not be tight. Clothing should not have words specifically across the breasts or buttocks. Jeans are permitted. Pants must be pulled up with no undergarments showing. Shirts are to be worn at all times. STUDENT ENROLLMENT: All children, while on site during classes and clubs, are required to be either enrolled in a class, club, or study hall. If on campus during lunch, the child must be enrolled for the lunch hour and directly supervised. If a child is not participating in a class or club and is fourth grade or older, they will be required to be enrolled in the supervised Study Hall. Study Hall will be a quiet area where students can do homework, read, or listen to music with earbuds. Tutors will be supervising the area each hour. Study Hall must be quiet at all times. If students are working together on a project, it must be at a volume to where the other students working independently can concentrate. There should be absolutely no children roaming the hallways during class hours. No children can regularly be on campus that are not enrolled. Visits or staying with a parent is permitted occasionally. 2
Co-op Program CO-OP VOLUNTEER & DROP OFF POLICY: FHA Co-op is NOT A DROP OFF PROGRAM and at least one parent must be on site at all times while your child/children are present. If you are unable or unwilling to have a parent onsite to volunteer, you will be charged a $60 non-volunteer fee per semester. At the Co-op level, if your child/children are only registered for 1-2 classes, you will be required to volunteer for the amount of time your child/children are registered. Families that have children enrolled in all 3 class hours will be required to volunteer for 2 of the 3 hours per week their child/children are registered. During your off hour, you will be considered a floater and must stay in (or near) the Parent Lounge so that you can be put into an empty volunteer space as required. In the event not all volunteer positions are filled, you will be required to help fill all volunteer positions. There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer to make up hours when you are absent for a day, such as helping set up or clean up events, plan field trips, and volunteer as a lunchtime monitor. Community Member clubs are run Friday afternoons. Parents may drop off for clubs. Co-op members can fulfill some of their volunteer time during club hours as needed or desired as long as we have all of the holes covered during the Co-op classes. On occasion, if it is absolutely necessary for you to be off-site, you must notify the Co-op Director, Miranda Reece. You may do this by email - [email protected], or if time sensitive, by text - 678-300-6602. We must have a completed copy of the NON-CUSTODIAL CHILD/STUDENT CARE AGREEMENT & LIABILITY WAIVER on file before such an instance occurs that designates an adult who will be on campus and directly overseeing your child/children. Your kid's classes are not secure until you have also registered for volunteer slots if you are a Co-op member. CO-OP PAYMENTS: All payments will be made directly to Family Homeschool Alliance, Inc. by online payment, Cash or Check given to the office manager. Registration & Membership Fees: All members of FHA must be a Community Member and pay the annual non-refundable $75 Community Membership fee upon registration. 3
For Co-op, a non-refundable registration fee of $40 for the first child plus an additional $15 per child after the first will also be due upon registration. The non-refundable annual Co-op membership $382.50 fee will then be due within 30 days, or by September 1st, whichever comes first. OR if you prefer, you may set up non-refundable monthly Co-op membership payments of $45 per month per family. Monthly payments will be September-May. If you request Co-op membership after September 1st, the fee will be due within one week unless other arrangements have been approved by the Office Manager. Membership fees are determined by the Board of Directors each calendar year based on budget requirements; see website for current annual cost. All fees are non-refundable.**Upon registration you are committing to the full school year, or remainder thereof. Co-op members who have chosen monthly payments: Monthly Co-op Membership payments will be due on the 5th of every month. If you choose to leave Co-op between the months of September and March, we require a 30 day notice and you will be charged a $90 fee. Our Co-op fee is budgeted on an annual basis, and your commitment for the year. Not only would the budget be affected, but also the group losing a volunteer would affect the function of the program. Supply Fees: There is a $30 supply fee per child for the year. The payments are due by August 1st or upon registration, whichever comes first. Late Fee: A $40 late fee will be assessed the day after the due date unless the Office Manager has approved an alternate arrangement. **Two weeks after the late fee is assessed, if the account is not brought current, the member family will be suspended from participation in any FHA activities until the account is brought current. Members who join and start participating in Co-op after the first unit, will be required to pay a prorated non-refundable Annual Co-op membership fee based on the number of units remaining. You can choose to have monthly membership payments as well. All other fees will remain the same for new registrations into the Co-op level. CO-OP ABSENCES: If you are a Co-op Tutor and you must be absent for any reason, please let the FHA Co-op Director, Miranda Reece, know ASAP by text at 678-300-6602. If you know you will be unavailable for a particular day in advance, please let Miranda know as far in advance as possible. If, for some reason you are unable to reach her, you may contact Jessica Wilcox at [email protected] or 770-670-8737. 4
CO-OP EXCESSIVE ABSENCES: Because of the way FHA Co-op is set up, we rely on families to be present each week to allow the program to run effectively. If there are excessive absences from any family, The Co-op Director and Executive Director will schedule a meeting via zoom, phone call, or in person with that family to resolve the absence issues. In the case where there are over 20% of our families who will be out on any given week, or 50% of our Administration team, we will need to evaluate closely whether we have the ability to run the program in a safe and effective manner. In the event that leadership deems it necessary to cancel classes, emails, texts, and Facebook posts will be sent to tutors and families by 7:30 a.m. at the latest, on the morning of the scheduled Co-op day. With this in mind, all families need to make their call outs as soon as possible, but no later than 6:00 a.m. on the co-op day. Please give us as much forewarning as you can. CO-OP LEAD TUTOR RESPONSIBILITIES: We require that all lead tutors read, understand, and sign the FHA Tutor Expectation Form. The form is to be signed and turned in to our Co-op Director, Miranda Reece, before classes begin. Throughout the year tutors should email families as necessary with updates. Students sometimes forget to tell parents important things! Please be considerate and keep everyone in the loop. All tutors (except Childcare – Preschool) will turn in two Emergency back-up assignments and/or lesson plans, each to their classroom helper and the FHA Co-op Director, to be taught to their class in the event of a tutor unplanned absence. Some examples of back-up assignments could include: DVDs, worksheets, games, and workout lists, all with enough materials to include every student in the class. These one at a time, as needed, back-up assignments will be provided to your helper/substitute in the event that you are unable to come to Co-op due to an emergency and no fore-planning is possible. This system is to be used ONLY for such events and will not be permitted in any other situation. All Emergency back-up assignments, to include copies and materials, are due on the first day of class. NON-CUSTODIAL CHILD/STUDENT POLICY: FHA’s Co-op and clubs operate by a group made up of homeschool families, serving homeschool families. We are a parent dependent and parent run program, and so under normal circumstances non-custodial children are not allowed to attend FHA activities without a registered adult family member or legal guardian. Non-custodial children are defined as children who are not residing in the member’s home and are not in the legal custody of the member’s family. However, there are certain situations where exceptions are permissible. Should the grandparent, or any other immediate family member serve as the main entity responsible for homeschooling in the child's daily schedule, that member is eligible to enroll and bring the child/children. 5
In all other scenarios where children who do not live with their custodial parents wish to attend on-campus, the family must reach out to Co-op Director, Miranda Reece, to make the request. You may do this by emailing [email protected]. Miranda Reece will approve or deny the request. If denied, an appeal to the FHA Board of Directors can be made. The Board of Directors will make a decision on a case-by-case basis and decisions will be final. Should the appeal be approved, the non-custodial child/ren will be allowed on campus under the supervision of the designated adult who will be on campus and directly overseeing the child/children. The non-custodial child’s family must also follow these regulations:
Hybrid Program HYBRID DROP OFF POLICY: FHA Hybrid is A DROP OFF PROGRAM where no parent is required to remain on site while your child/children are present. All children must be walked in and checked in by a parent/guardian and not just simply dropped off at the door. Once checked in, children 4th grade and older may walk on their own to Morning Assembly, or their class if later in the day; children 3rd grade and younger must be walked by their parent/guardian to Morning Assembly or their classroom if later in the day. While on campus, children must be registered in one of the available classes, or Study Hall, and be under the supervision of a Tutor. There should be absolutely no children roaming the hallways during any class hours. All children must be picked up by their parent/guardian, or person previously designated on the pickup list. No child will be allowed to leave with someone not on the pickup list. Children must be picked up at the end of classes at 4pm. There will be a late pickup fee charged to your account of $10 per every 10 minutes you’re late, for children picked up later than 4:15 after their last class. HYBRID PAYMENTS: All payments will be made directly to Family Homeschool Alliance, Inc. by online payment, Cash or Check given to the office manager. 6
Registration & Membership Fees: All members of FHA must be a Community Member and pay the non-refundable annual $75 Community Membership fee upon registration. For Hybrid, a non-refundable registration fee of $175 per child will also be due upon registration. There will also be a non-refundable monthly Hybrid tuition of $75 per class per month for 2-day a week classes, and $40 per class per month for 1-day a week classes, which will be due by the 5th of each month. Children in 2nd grade and younger attend on a block schedule. Attending 1 day a week ½ days being $100 per student per month, and full day $200 per student per month. Attending 2 days a week for ½ days would be $200 per student per month, and 2 full days $400 per student per month. Membership fees are approved by the Board of Directors each calendar year based on budget requirements. Payment plans are available upon request. All fees are non-refundable. **Upon registration you are committing the full school year, or remainder thereof. Supply Fees: Classes may require supply fees to be paid by the parents as indicated in the class descriptions. The payments are due by September 1st or upon registration, whichever comes first. Late Fee: A $40 late fee will be assessed the day after the due date unless the office manager has approved an alternate arrangement. **Two weeks after the late fee is assessed, if the account is not brought current, the member family will be suspended from participation in any FHA activities until the account is brought current. Members who join and start participating in Hybrid any time throughout the year, will be required to pay all the same new registrations fees and monthly tuition into the Hybrid level from that time forward. HYBRID ABSENCES: If you are a Hybrid Tutor and you must be absent for any reason, please let the Executive Director, Jessica Wilcox, know at 770-670-8737 or email her at [email protected]. If you know you will be unavailable for a particular day in advance, please let Jessica know as far in advance as possible. 7
HYBRID EXCESSIVE ABSENCES: Because of the way FHA Hybrid is set up, we rely on families to be present each week to allow the program to run effectively. In the case where there are over 20% of our families who will be out on any given day, or 50% of our Administration team, we will need to evaluate closely whether we have the ability to run the program in a safe and effective manner. In the event that the Administration deems it necessary to cancel classes; emails, texts, and Facebook posts will be sent to tutors and families by 7:30 a.m. at the latest, on the morning of the scheduled Hybrid day. With this in mind, all families need to make their call outs as soon as possible, but no later than 6:00 a.m. on Hybrid day. Please give us as much forewarning as you can. HYBRID LEAD TUTOR RESPONSIBILITIES: We ask that all lead tutors read, understand, and sign your contract as an Independent Contractor. The form is to be signed and turned in to our Executive Director, Jessica Wilcox, before class begins. Throughout the year tutors are asked to email families as necessary with updates and homework. Students sometimes forget to tell parents important things! Please be considerate and keep everyone in the loop. All Tutors (except Preschool) should turn in two Emergency back-up assignments and/or lesson plans, each to their classroom helper and the FHA Hybrid Director, to be taught to their class in the event of a Tutor unplanned absence. Some examples of back-up assignments could include: DVDs, worksheets, games, and workout lists, all with enough materials to include every student in the class. These one at a time, as needed, back-up assignments will be provided to your substitute in the event that you are unable to come to hybrid due to an emergency and no fore-planning is possible. This system should be used for such events and not in any other situation. All Emergency back-up assignments, to include copies and materials, are due by the first day of class. HYBRID TUTOR ABSENCES: If you are a Hybrid Tutor and you must be absent for any reason, please let the FHA Executive Director, Jessica Wilcox, know ASAP by text at 770-670-8737 . If you know you will be unavailable for a particular day in advance, please let Jessica know as far in advance as possible. HYBRID Substitutes: As a Hybrid Tutor if you are in need of a substitute, The Substitute list will be made available to you of parents and other qualified adults and will be paid the rate of the tutor they are subbing for. 8
FHA’s Community Community Membership: Clubs meet on a variety of days, most will be on days FHA meets for Hybrid classes or Co-op. Parents may drop off for clubs that meet at FHA’s current location. There may be some clubs that require parents to stay and supervise their children. It is the member’s responsibility to read the club requirements fully. Co-op members can fulfill some of their volunteer time during club hours as needed or desired as long as we have all of the holes covered during the Co-op day. Any member of FHA can suggest field trips, events, or clubs. Please submit ideas to any of the Directors for approval. Our activities committee is made of students and parents of the community. All are welcome to join the community to plan and participate in ideas. All community events will be put on the website's calendar which syncs with our app and your calendar as well. These events are for any and all community members to sign up and attend. All clubs are open to community members for enrollment. No volunteer hours are required for community members, but volunteers are always welcome. Some clubs may require volunteers. General STUDENT GUIDELINES: We require that all parents and students read, understand, and sign the FHA Student Rules and Policies Form to be turned in to the Directors before attending the first day of class, club or event. It is expected that members relay that respectful behavior is mandatory in each and every FHA setting. Respectful behavior includes, but is not limited to the following:
If a student chooses not to participate respectfully or he/she wishes not to continue in a class, for any reason, please notify the Tutor and the Directors as soon as possible. Often, we have waiting lists for the classes or activities and other students will happily fill a student’s spot. 9
CLASSROOM RATIO REQUIREMENTS: Two adults in each classroom is the ideal setting. Exceptions can be made for older classes (6th grade and up) but the door must remain open. Tutors can request additional adults as needed. No male volunteers will be allowed to change diapers or help with toileting unless the child is their own. Ratio requirements by age are as follows:
Minimum class registration for any class will be 4 students for Co-op and 5 students for Hybrid, unless otherwise noted and approved by the Directors, parent and Tutor. Maximum class size, if not limited by square footage, Directors, or tutor preference, will be no larger than 12. If a wait list is present at the conclusion of registration, it will be left to the discretion of the Directors and the tutor, if square footage allows, to then add the students on the waitlist to the active class roster. If a tutor is out of ratio it is his or her responsibility to immediately notify the Directors or other leadership. Diligent efforts will be made to immediately bring ratios into compliance with this policy. In the event that classrooms are combined and ages mixed, the ratios followed will be those in compliance for the youngest children in the room. BATHROOM SUPERVISION AND ASSISTANCE GUIDELINE: Childcare and Preschool Children Diapering
Toilet training
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School age children
Special needs
DISCIPLINE: Members are prohibited from using physical discipline in any way for behavior management of minors. No form of physical discipline is acceptable to include spanking, slapping, pinching, hitting, or any other physical force as retaliation or correction of inappropriate behaviors by minors. If a minor is unruly or fails to comply with verbal warnings or instructions, the minor’s parent will be contacted and the child may be asked to leave the class. In the event of a fight or physical altercation, members will verbally redirect minors involved and will try to avoid physical intervention. Uncontrollable or unusual behavior should be reported immediately to parents and the leadership team. Verbal interactions between adults and minors at any FHA event should be positive and uplifting. Do not talk to minors in a way that is or could be construed by any reasonable observer as harsh, threatening, intimidating, shaming, derogatory, demeaning, or humiliating. In addition, adult members are expected to refrain from swearing in the presence of minors. 11 PHYSICAL CONTACT: A ‘physical contact policy’ is implemented which promotes a positive, nurturing environment while protecting children and youth. The following guidelines are to be carefully followed:
CONFLICT RESOLUTION: All situations where many families or individuals come together will experience conflict. FHA is an organization that is building a strong community and so in order to deal with conflict in a quick and fair way, leadership has used the guidance of Matthew 18 to put together a list of guidelines to use to come to a resolution. 1) Go directly to the person you are having a hard time with, or to the parents of the children. DO NOT go to a minor to discuss a problem. Discuss the problem in an open and kind way between just the parties involved. 2) If step one does not resolve the problem, please approach one or two people on the leadership team so that they can then go with you to discuss the problem between the small group of those involved. 3) If step two is ineffective, the leadership members involved will then take the issue to the full leadership team and discuss how the problem should be resolved from there.
OUTDOOR FACILITY USE: Students are permitted to be outside in the approved areas with adult supervision, before classes, during the lunch hour, and after classes. Adult supervision is for everyone’s safety and use of outside facilities will not be permitted otherwise. TRANSPORTATION: Members may from time to time be in a position to provide transportation to non family members. The following guidelines should be strictly 12 observed when volunteers are involved in the transportation of children or youth:
FHA takes no responsibility or liability in the decision families make to share rides to activities. That is an agreement between the adults and families involved. SNOW/INCLEMENT WEATHER: FHA will consider the Paulding, Douglas, and Cobb County Public School policy and decision for snow/inclement weather days. Emails will be sent to Tutors and families by 7:30 a.m. or as soon as it’s known, on the morning of the scheduled school day. If they cancel school for the entire day, then classes are canceled. Should there be a two-hour delay, we may still have classes starting at the normal 9:00 a.m. hour, unless otherwise notified. Of course, we need to allow for some flexibility for this type of situation. If FHA chooses to have school and you feel the need to stay home for the safety of your family, please make that decision to do so, and please let one of the directors know. You are not expected to travel to and from FHA, if your home lies in a section of the county that has not yet been treated for the weather. Due to the highly varying storm systems and topographical regions within our area, one home might have traversable roads, while others do not. Again, please use your best judgment. MAKE-UP DAYS: We will not be holding make-up days. If we must close due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances the tutor will rework their syllabus when possible to cover the material. Of course, if the weather causes an unusual amount of canceled meetings, we will revisit this topic and notify you accordingly. RESOURCES: FHA or Tutors will provide copies and materials for teaching classes and will not be utilizing the host church’s resources. NO supplies of any kind are to be used or removed from the host church. FHA will leave each room the same or in better condition after use. Students staying for lunch are responsible for bringing all necessary paper supplies. FHA will fulfill the needs of cleaning supplies. LUNCH: The lunch hour on Hybrid and Co-op days will take place in the designated lunch area. There will be a clean up time at the end of every lunch hour and all adults and children are responsible for cleaning up after themselves. Please be sure that food and drinks are kept strictly in the lunch areas. Only water-filled closed cover drink containers are permitted. With the exception of younger classes needing snack time. 13 Photo Release: I hereby grant Family Homeschool Alliance, Inc. (FHA) permission to use the likeness of any FHA family and/or individual family member in a photograph, video, or other digital media (“photo”) in any and all of its publications, including web-based publications, without payment or other consideration. I understand and agree that all photos will become the property of FHA and will not be returned. I hereby irrevocably authorize the FHA to edit, alter, copy, exhibit, publish, or distribute these photos for any lawful purpose. In addition, I waive any right to inspect or approve the finished product wherein my likeness appears. Additionally, I waive any right to royalties or other compensation arising or related to the use of the photo. If you do not wish to grant FHA full Photo release, you may request the Photo Refusal form. ***FHA reserves the right to refuse membership to our organization. We may not be able to accommodate all membership requests.*** No person shall be subject to unlawful discrimination based on race; national or ethnic origin; color; sex; religion; age; sexual orientation; gender expression or identity; pregnancy; marital status; familial status; economic status or source of income; mental or physical disability. Members agree to also not discriminate against any other member, tutor, or administration. Any member may resign from FHA by a written notice, some fees may apply, and notice is required for Co-op members, to any of the following: the Co-op Director ([email protected]), the Hybrid Director ([email protected]), or the Executive Director ([email protected]) based on membership. Membership may also be terminated by a majority vote of the Board for failure to act ethically and/or responsibly with regards to the activities and other members of this group. Terminations, whether voluntary or involuntary, determined before July 31st of the current school year will be eligible for a complete refund of the membership dues. Any dues paid after that date are non-refundable and prorated accordingly as outlined. Community Membership, registration fees, supply fees or other fees paid are non-refundable and not prorated. If you had been placed on a payment plan, all fees are due immediately upon termination. As a member of Family Homeschool Alliance, Inc., I have read, understand, agree, and will adhere to the above rules and policies. Signature________________________________________Date__________________ Printed Name ________________________________________________ 14 |
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Bylaws – Posted 8/5/24 • FHA Bylaws |