Policies updated 01/2024

I. Goals and Beliefs
 a. Goals
       i. To provide educational classes and activities to homeschool families
       ii. To expose our children to following authority and structure outside the home
       iii. To provide fellowship opportunities and support among homeschool families within our community
   b. Beliefs
       i. AWA co-op was founded by Christian families We acknowledge that families come from varied backgrounds of faith.  Any family who is respectful and honoring of the AWA goals and beliefs may be considered for acceptance.  Above all, we desire that this co-op be honoring to God. The school day and classes will be conducted from a Christian perspective.

                   1. There will be prayer time at the beginning of each day and possibly in classes. Classes will be taught in accordance with Christian views as expressed by our statement of faith.
                  2. If there is a debated topic to be covered in class, the teacher is asked to please seek advice of council members before covering it with students.
           ii. Members must pledge to, in no way, speak against or attempt to sway children or parents away from the Christian faith as expressed by our statement of faith. Violation of this agreement could be grounds for immediate dismissal.
       c. Statement of Faith
          i. We believe the Bible to be the inspired and inerrant word of God, which is the final authority on all matters on which it speaks. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
          ii. We believe in one God, creator of all things, eternally existing in 3 persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 45:5; John 1:1-5)
          iii. We believe that Jesus Christ became flesh through miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and of His virgin birth. He is true man and true God, lived a sinless life, and died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures. On the third day, he arose bodily from the dead, has ascended into heaven and is today our High Priest and Advocate. (John 1:1, 14; Luke 1:26-38; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Hebrews 4:14-15)
         iv. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the third of the trinity, who has come to apply the saving work of Christ in our hearts. He convicts us of sin and indwells every believer in Christ as an abiding helper, teacher, and guide, and seals us for the day of redemption. (John 16:7-15; Romans 8:26-27; Ephesians 1:13-14)
        v. We believe man was created in the image of God that he sinned and is thereby condemned to death. As sinners our only hope of salvation is through God’s grace, a free gift apart from works. Salvation is through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in Christ alone, that he paid the penalty we owed for our sins. All who trust in Him alone are justified and assured of eternal life by His shed blood. (Genesis 1:27; Isaiah 53:5; John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9)
       vi. We believe that marriage is sanctioned by God, which joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive, covenant relationship, as defined in scripture and that God intends sexual intimacy to only occur between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13; Matthew 19:4-6; Romans 1:24-32; Hebrews 13:4)
       vii. We believe that Christians are called to live a holy life of service and testimony for the glory of God and the making of disciples and the well-being of their fellow man. (John 12:26; Matthew 28:19-20)

II.  General Guidelines for Achieving our Goals
   a. To provide educational classes and activities to homeschool families
       i. We will seek to offer educational and enrichment classes to students based on the availability of teachers.
               1. Each teacher is responsible for planning, presenting, and supplementing curriculum based on the scope and range of the class designated by council.
               2. Materials purchased with co-op supply fees will be owned by the co-op.
               3. Each teacher will submit a general syllabus and brief lesson plans for the semester by Aug 1 and Jan 1. Any monthly lesson changes must be approved by council. Syllabi and lesson plans will be provided to all parents.

      ii. We will seek to offer preschool and nursery classes that emphasize early learning. As much as possible, we would like to have a head teacher in these rooms that does not rotate offering consistency for our littlest children. Elementary level classes will be for students beginning at the Kindergarten age defined as age 5 by September 1st of the school year. Preschool level classes will be for students who are at least 2 years old by September 1st. Nursery level classes will be for students who are not yet 2 years old by September 1st. Divisions of classes within levels will be dependent on the number of enrolled students.
      iii. Children will receive instruction one day a week on Wednesdays in a classroom setting at a host location. Arrow’s Way is not affiliated with any specific church or the host location. The school day will begin with an opening assembly followed by classes divided by ages. The timing and number of classes may vary from year to year depending on the number of enrolled students. The school year will run August-May and holidays will generally be in line with Lindale ISD.
        iv. Parents will stay on-site for the entire school day, assisting in various ways.
         v. Classes will be taught by parent volunteers, not necessarily trained teachers.
       vi. Students are expected to be in a class for each hour of the school day. Parents are expected to be assisting during the entire school day.

       vii. Parental involvement is vital to the function and safety of this co-op. For this reason, barring illness, please make every effort to attend each week.
       viii. Field trips and other group activities can be arranged by the council or other members. Trips off campus or on non-school days will not be mandatory.
   b. To expose our children to following authority outside the home
        i. All students are expected to obey and respect teachers and other parent members while on campus. All adult members are encouraged to correct any misbehavior they observe. Any teacher, assistant, or council member may write a conduct report documenting anything that they believe a parent needs to be informed about. This may include minor injuries and misbehavior so that the parent may be accurately informed of the student’s conduct.  This will be kept as record to ensure any negative conduct doesn’t become a pattern that is not in line with the environment we are hoping to create at AWA

       ii. Students who do not respond to the teacher or council member’s correction and who create a distraction to learning will be removed from class and an incident report will be written. In some cases, the student may be required to leave campus for the day.
      iii. The council reserves the right to expel a family if disciplinary problems create a continuing threat to the learning environment. This will be determined by the number of demerits the family has received, but may also be called to a vote of the council for immediate expulsion at any time. 
       iv. Students are asked not to bring any toys or electronic games or devices that will create a distraction. Parents are asked to refrain from using their cell phones for personal use inside the classrooms.

        v. Demerits - A separate demerit policy must be signed and agreed to by each family. If any family accumulates more than the designated limit of demerits in a semester or total for the year, they will not be invited to return to AWA for the designated holding period, after which they are welcome to reapply.

                  1.Demerits may only be issued by a council member or director. 

                  2.Demerit totals are reviewed at the conclusion of each semester and reported to the families. 

                  3.Totals are cumulative for the year beginning at orientation and ending on the last non-field day of co-op.

      vi. A separate Member Code of Conduct must be signed and agreed to by each adult and student member grade 6^th and up.

.  c. To provide fellowship opportunities and support among homeschool families
        i. Students will be developing friendships through a cooperative learning environment. All students are expected to treat all other students with respect and God’s love.
       ii. Teachers may share some fellowship opportunities in the classroom as they work together. As the co-op grows, we will strive to offer rest periods for parents to continue fellowship with each other.
       iii. Parents will be respectful of each other and each family’s beliefs. Instructors are expected to teach from a Biblical perspective within the outlines of the co-op’s statement of faith.
      iv. Offenses may be inevitable in a diverse group, but below are suggestions to maintain a respectful environment for everyone.
              1. Student behavior – Please think about your child’s response at home to correction and the language your family uses. Some families may not consider some language appropriate. Prepare your child to make adjustments before coming to class.
              2. Dress – Strive to dress yourself and your children in a more modest fashion for school days. Suggestions would be to avoid tight-fitting clothes, low cut tops, short shorts or skirts, low rise pants, and logos or clothing that may show an anti-Christian or anti-authority culture.
              3. Teaching styles – Please address all students respectfully. Be aware that what one might consider playful teasing could be hurtful or disrespectful to another.
             4. If an offense or disagreement arises with another member or their child, please first address this privately with the member. If an agreement cannot be reached between the two parties, you should involve one of the council members to mediate the situation. If there is still a problem, the issue will be taken to council to decide if any action should be taken. This is in accordance with Matthew 18:15-18.  This policy does not apply to discipline issues occurring in the classroom that require immediate attention from council.

 III. Attendance Policies
   a. Health and protection of our children and ourselves are very important. As with all schools, students and parents should not attend AWA if they have symptoms of communicable diseases. This includes having any symptoms of fever, vomiting or diarrhea within the 24 hours before the start of a school day. Other symptoms such as excessive coughing, extremely runny nose, especially non-clear snot, unknown rash, or head lice are also reasons to stay home and recover.
   b. If the parent cannot attend, no children may attend the school day.

   c. After 3 absences in a semester, each additional absence will incur a demerit. Two tardies (arriving after assembly has dismissed) will count as one absence. Early departures without pre-approval (24hrs notice) will count as a tardy.
   d. If attendance of at least 50% of lead teachers will not be met, the school day will be cancelled. This may possibly occur very close to the start of the school day. Communication by phone or text will be made.   

   e. If a parent knows in advance of a day they will need to miss, a substitute adult can be sent, children may still attend and no absence will be counted. The substitute must be approved by the council and background checked at least 2 days in advance.

IV.  Application and Renewal Procedures
 a. Prospective families will fill out an application and submit it to one of the council members. Council members will contact references to gain an understanding of the prospective family. Matches will be made based on a series of factors including, but not limited to, the parent’s role in the co-op, references, and the spots available for the children of the family.
 b. Prospective families should have an elementary age child (defined as age 5 by September 1st of the school year) to be considered for membership. Prospective families should only enroll students to whom they have legal guardianship.
 c. Prospective families should plan to attend one of the visitation days if invited. No children may attend visitation days. Co-op information for the following year will be given as well as next steps in the application process.
 d. Prospective families must be willing to submit to an interview with council members before acceptance is granted.

 e. Applicants must pass a background check before receiving an invitation to join.  Background checks are renewed for all members every 5 years.  This is to ensure the ongoing safety of all our members
  f. All enrolled families must attend an orientation before the start of the fall semester and a member meeting in the spring semester. Returning families must have maintained a demerit number under the designated limit in order to renew membership.

  g. Families that are declined membership must reapply the following year for reconsideration.

V.  Costs
   a. Each adult member is responsible for covering their own cost of the background check. This cost ranges from $12-$20 per person. Background checks are renewed for all adult members every 5 years.
   b. Costs will include a supply fee for each student. Kindergarten and preschool students age 2 and up will have a supply fee of $15 for each semester. Nursery children will have a supply fee of $5 for each semester.  Students first grade and up will have supply fees of $2-$15 per class enrolled for each semester.  Some classes may require additional costs.
   c. Costs will also include a family fee of $100 per family each semester, which covers our host facility payment and other necessary expenses.

   d. For the first semester, fees will be due at orientation in July. For the second semester, fees will be due on the first day of class of the second semester.
   e. All fees are non-refundable.

VI.  Administrative Positions and Governing Policies
 a. The governing body will consist of directors and council members.
        i. Directors will divide their responsibilities amongst themselves
                   1. Inviting, interviewing, and accepting new members.
                   2. Coordinating yearly teacher assignments and class schedules and monthly lesson plans.
                   3. Coordinating and distributing monthly lesson plans to families
                   4. Coordinating floaters and substitutes
                           a. Keeping sub plans from each teacher up to date
                   5. Coordinating with teachers in choosing appropriate curriculum for the year
                   6. Collecting supply fees, maintaining school and class budgets and purchasing supplies.
                   7. Coordinating the school calendar, field trips, special events and after school programs.
                   8. Collecting facility fees and keeping open communication with the host facility.
                           a. Checking over the facilities as the school day ends to make sure thermostats are reset, lights are off, and the rooms are tidy.
                   9. Keeping records of attendance, absences, tardies and incidents
        ii. Council Duties
                   1. Approving new members recommended by directors.
                    2. Approving fees and budget recommended by directors.
                   3. Approving school schedule and teacher assignments recommended by directors.
                   4. Assisting directors with council duties. 
                   5. Liaison between directors and members when needed.
                   6. Vote on administrative decisions as necessary.

  b. Directors will hold their positions with a majority vote of all members (1 vote per family). In the event of a tie, a discussion and revote will be held. The vote will be held each spring for the following school year.
       i. For a member to be a director, they must have been part of council the previous year.
       ii. For a member to be on council, they must have participated in the co-op for the previous two years and sign the AWA statement of beliefs in agreement.
       iii. In the event a director steps down, any eligible, interested council members will interview with the remaining council members for the position. Or council may vote to leave the position unfilled.

       iv. In the event a council member steps down or a new council member is to be added, AWA members may nominate candidates for the position. Any interested, eligible nominees will be put on a ballot to be elected by council.

       v. In the event that council is not reinstated by majority member vote, all eligible director candidates will be on a ballot to be voted on by all AWA members. The top ranked candidates will be the new directors. All interested, eligible members for council will be on a ballot to be voted on by all AWA members and the top ranked candidates will be the new council members.
    vi. In a transition, a newly elected director or council member will make plans and decisions for all issues pertaining to the following school year, including accepting new members. The outgoing director or council member will fulfill their duties and make decisions on any issues for the current school year.
  c. Council will be responsible for making decisions regarding new member acceptance.

  d. The council will be solely responsible for making decisions for removal of a family during the school year, if necessary, at a majority approval.
   e. The directors will be responsible for the time and calendar for the school year, with council approval.
   f. AWA members may submit amendments to policies for consideration. Potential changes to the policies and procedures will be made by the council and voted on by all current members of the co-op, one vote per family. A 2/3 acceptance of amendments will be necessary for the changes to be put into place. The policies and procedures will be reviewed each spring. Any members wishing to suggest policy changes should submit suggestions to council at the beginning of the spring semester.