TLC HOMESCHOOLERS of Frederick Maryland

LOCATION
TLC Cooperative Classes will take place at Fredericktowne Baptist Church located at 8645 Biggs Ford Road Walkersville, Maryland. See the Directions page for more detailed directions. We meet for eight consecutive Mondays with the nineth day reserved for our presentation social.

WEATHER CANCELLATIONS
In incremental weather, we run this program according to the Frederick County Public Schools. If school is one to two hours late, we will start co-op on time. If public school is canceled or closing early, co-op will be canceled. In the past, we have had a few cancellations due to the weather, so please remember to check the local radio station before leaving. In the event we do miss a day due to weather or building closing, we would resume our scheduled lessons on the following Monday. This means the socials and presentations would be moved back to our make up date.

TEACHER SUPPLIES
Each week, a classroom supply container will be placed in your classroom which contains general supplies such as pencils, markers, glue sticks, paper, etc. Other supplies such as folders, construction paper, craft supplies, paints, etc. are available upon request from our inventory supply person. Please contact our inventory person before purchasing items for co-op.

TEACHER REIMBURSEMENT
In our co-op, teachers do not automatically get the fees charged for their classes. They must submit receipts for items purchased for co-op to our accounting person, and a check will be written immediately for reimbursement. If you have a large item to purchase or would prefer not to kick out money up front, our accounting person can pick up items for you with advanced notice. All items reimbursed with co-op funds will become the property of co-op and added to our inventory. This method of accounting allows us to keep track of expenses for proper class pricing as well as sharing resources so we are not wasteful.

CO-OP ETIQUETTE
It is our desire to be a blessing to the community, to Fredericktowne Baptist as well as to each other. Church staff are normally working on the premises most days when co-op is in session. Continued use of the building is dependent on our care and respect of their facility. Everyone’s efforts to ensure well-behaved children and a clean facility are needed.

COMMUNICATION
Check your email each week!! for information you need to bring for the next week or other information the teachers want to pass along to the parents. If you do not have email, please recruit a friend to call you with this information. If you are not able to attend co-op one day or are running late, please CALL Tina at home or on my cell phone so we have ample time to find a substitute for your parent jobs. Email is normally not check the morning of co-op.

COURSE FEES
Most of our classes have fees to them, due to the cost of curriculum, project supplies, copying and student books. Individual class fees run between $2-$15 per student per class. However, our professional classes with paid instructors run between $40-$60 to cover the cost of professional fees and associated materials (i.e art class).

CLASS PERIODS
We offer four 55 minute class periods: 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1-1:30pm lunch break and the last class starts at 1:40pm. See the co-op classes page for more detailed information on the courses currently being offered.

FOOD ALLERGIES
Please be extra careful with your children and food during co-op events. Our co-op usually has a child or two on site with life threatening food allergies. All lunches should be closed and not eaten except in the lunch area (not at the art tables please). After any class where food is part of the course, please have the children thoroughly wash their hands before going to their next class. Any food creations should be left in the classroom until lunch and not carried around the building. Also be sure to have your child wash their hands before the YMCA gym class and high school art class, since children will be sharing sports equipment and supplies. Peanut butter is one of the most allergic and easily passed foods, so please be sure to check under fingernails after eating this product.

LUNCH PERIOD
From 1:00 to 1:30 pm, everyone is welcome to bring a bag lunch and fellowship with one another in the fellowship hall. We ask that children stay seated with open food and wash hands after meals due to children with food allergies. If you do choose to stay, PLEASE CLEAN UP YOUR LUNCH AREA AND EXIT THE BUILDING BY 1:30 PM. Your exit time is very important since many of us will be attending gym programs immediately following the co-op.

ILLNESS AND CO-OP
PLEASE DO NOT ATTEND CO-OP UNTIL 48 HOURS HAVE PASSED SINCE YOU LAST HAD ANY FEVERS, STOMACH OR INTESTINAL ISSUES. Please also be considerate of teachers by not sending cranky young preschoolers with colds. If you need to stay home with a sick child, please call Tina ASAP and send a note stating your emergency contact information, who will be responsible for your child during coop and who will be picking up your child. You are only permitted to send school age children to coop in the above illness situation.

ELEMENTARY STUDENT REQUIREMENTS
Each parent with a child in elementary age of 5th and under age group will be required to teach or co-teach one course during one of the semesters. You will also be required as a helper or teacher for each hour of co-op as well as hold a set up or clean up job. Children are only allowed to register for PreK and Nursery if an older sibling is involved in co-op and the parent is actively participating. We will also continue with our policy of NO CHILD (regardless of age) is allowed to be unsupervised at any time. Your child is either in an appropriate class or with their parent. This policy must be enforced for insurance reasons.

MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT REQUIREMENTS
We have broken the classes down further into smaller age groups and added the new level of middle school and high school level. With this addition of older kids, a change is being made in our policies. Dropping off of children for this age group will be permitted. Younger children will NOT be permitted in these classes at anytime. As always, parents are welcomed to stay and enjoy the fun. We will also continue with our policy of NO CHILD (regardless of age) is allowed to be unsupervised at any time. Your child is either in an appropriate class or with their parent. This policy must be enforced for insurance reasons. BE ADVISED: This policy may change when we split the middle & high school student up for school year 2008-2009, since more parents will be required to teach classes.