Membership Handbook 2024-2025

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 Firelight Homeschool is a secular, parent involved homeschool group for the whole family, preschool through high school. We seek to provide an encouraging, supportive, and respectful place for relationship and community with like-minded families as we travel this journey of homeschooling our children. We provide opportunities for those supplemental, cooperative, and group learning experiences for homeschooling families in Columbus and central Ohio. To that end, we come together to provide the opportunity to do all the things that are more fun with friends! 

• Co-op classes
• Field trips
• Special events
• Service projects
• Parent's night out events

*Throughout the school year Firelight Homeschool events are for members only unless special permission is requested and given, or the times that we open select events to local homeschoolers who do not attend Firelight Homeschool.

 We offer enrichment classes based on our children's interests.  During co-op days, a parent or other designated guardian is required to stay on the property at all times and volunteer their time for the day. That means everyone works together to make the co-op days and other activities work. Teamwork is crucial to the success of a co-op. We need adults helping in every classroom, including teaching the classes. A couple weeks before classes begin, we will meet for a mandatory parent information meeting, volunteer sign-up, and class payments. 

Our entrance door is toward the back of the parking lot. We arrive at 9:45 am to put our things, lunches, coats, etc. in the Gathering Place.  Children may stay in the Gathering Place or go with their adult to set up classes.  We start our first class at 10:00 am and follow the schedule listed below. 

We rent the Lord of Life Lutheran Church for our class days and some special events.

Address: 2480 W. Dublin Granville Rd, Columbus, Ohio 43235

 Co-op class days are on every other Friday between 9:45 am and 2:30 pm, with occasional exceptions. The day's schedule is listed below. We meet for two sessions per year in the fall from September through December, and in the spring from January through May.

9:45-9:55  Arrive/Set-up

10:00-11:00    First Hour Class

11:00-12:00    Second Hour Class

12:00-12:30    Lunch

12:30-2:00   Third Hour Activities & Cleaning

This is a general schedule. Schedules for classes like the preschool room or special event days, such as potlucks or parties may differ slightly.

 Each family is expected to provide one volunteer from their family. This family volunteer (parent or guardian) will need to attend every co-op day and participate in the co-op along with the students from that family.   The adult that will be there regularly must have a background check done per the requirements of Lord of Life Lutheran Church.  (Visiting adults, or dad stepping in for the day do not require background checks.)  Each parent will need to teach a class, be a class helper, or be a buddy to one of our special needs students for each hour. This is not a “drop-off” program; a parent or designated guardian is expected to remain on the property at all times.

There must always be two adults in a class. If you are a helper in a morning class, please check in with the lead teacher to see if there is anything you can help with to prepare prior to class. If you are a class helper for the third class session, please check with the lead teacher during the lunch break to see if there is anything you can help with for preparing before the class.

Mostly Facebook Messenger, some Email, and some texting

 When posting on social media please do not tag the location or names of children. Please change your phone settings before posting so it does not tag your location. 

 One of our goals at Firelight Homeschool is that everyone feels encouraged, supported, and respected during their homeschool journey. If our Co-op is part of your journey it is important that you feel comfortable and welcomed in our diverse group. As such, we need to show respect for others even when we disagree. We come from extremely diverse political, religious, parenting, etc…backgrounds. We all make different choices. We want to foster a supportive environment.

If there is ever concern that a member’s actions or words were undermining this supportive, encouraging environment and were in fact disrespectful, approach them and attempt to discuss the matter with the person with the goal of coming to a mutual understanding and respect. If you are not able to resolve the concern privately with the other member, please bring the issue privately to a leader. Leaders are volunteers just like you and not professional problem solvers. Please bare with us as we try to help.

 Each week that we do not have a co-op class day, we will have a field trip or social gathering.  Members are encouraged to attend these field trips/gatherings, but they are not required. We sometimes open these to any homeschoolers in the Central Ohio area. 

We want everyone to remain as healthy as possible in our group. Members with a fever or any contagious condition should remain home, and families with any member who has had a contagious condition such as flu or strep throat should also remain home. All family members should be free from fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or other contagious condition, without medication, for 24-hours before attending; for example, don’t bring your child if their fever was reduced with ibuprofen.  If you are sick, PLEASE STAY HOME! We will be looking forward to seeing you again when you are well.

For colds/coughs please use your discretion. If the child’s nose is running badly or they are coughing quite a lot (especially a productive cough), it is probably best to stay home. A mostly well child with a slightly runny nose is probably fine. If your child is acting “out of sorts” and you suspect illness, or you know the child has recently been exposed, please err on the side of caution and stay home.

As soon as you realize you will be missing a co-op day, send a message to teachers/leaders. Work with your co-teacher to make sure your class(es) can still be taught.

 We have already stated that we come from extremely diverse backgrounds and that students should show the volunteer teachers, other adults, and other students, respect. This goes both ways. All students should be shown respect as well. Speak to them gently, help them where needed, and keep all the students safe. Intervene if necessary. If a student is having a hard time, and normal interventions are not helping, bring the student to his/her parent or have another adult go get the parent. We all have different discipline styles and ways of handling issues and all students are different. We are not at Co-op to bring students into what we deem appropriate behavior. Also, many students will respond best to their own parents.

As parents, we are aware of our children's social and academic abilities and interests. The age and grade limits posted give you an idea of the level the class will be geared for and are for recommendation purposes. If you have a child who is particularly gifted in a subject or who is particularly interested in the class subject, you can speak to a leadership team member or the class teacher about placing your child in that class. That said, parents, please encourage your student to participate in class, to stay in the classroom while class is in session, and again to show respect to the volunteer teacher, other adults, and students. All children are expected to be in a classroom or with a parent/guardian. If they need to leave the classroom or they do not have a class they will need to be with a parent/guardian. We want to respect the property of Lord of Life Lutheran Church and honor them by not having children wandering around the property unsupervised during co-op hours. If your child may need to leave the class or does not have a class during a class session, the child can bring a book to read, a quiet toy or play a board game. The parent/guardian should stay with the student.

At all times, students should be properly supervised; all adults should naturally help with this supervision. There should be no unsupervised students in the hallways or other areas of the church. Except for emergencies or quick trips to the bathroom, students should be in their classes or with their parent/guardian. Children should use the “buddy system” throughout the building if not with an adult. Students must ask permission to leave the class so that adults know where the student is at all times.

Please inform and remind your student that there should be absolutely NO RUNNING or yelling inside the building.

Potlucks/Parties will be noted in advance. Volunteer planners help make these events spectacular and we enjoy having 1-2 each semester.  

Firelight leaders will make a decision whether or not to cancel co-op days, or whether or not to delay co-op in inclement weather as soon as possible and with the goal to keep all members safe. It does not make sense to base our cancellation/delay policy on any school districts decisions because we have members who come from many districts and we start our days later than public schools start so a need for a delay may not always line up with the public schools need for a delay. Because of this it makes the most sense to make our own decisions about delaying/canceling. This information will be posted on the website, emailed,  and shared in the Firelight message group as soon as possible during inclement weather.

Joining Firelight Homeschool means that you are planning to come to all co-op days with the exception of sick days and planned absences.   We rely on everyone to make our co-op days work and we miss you when you are not here.

Lunch break is between the second and third class session. Lunch will be eaten in the Gathering Place, or on nice weather days, students may eat outside in the lawn area if some parents are out there as well. Students may play outside during the lunch break. If your child has an allergy that restricts what other's eat, where other's eat, or crafts, please let the leaders know and include the information on your registration.. All food should be kept in the Gathering Place or outside lawn area and families must clean up after themselves when they finish, including placing tables and chairs where they need to be. A refrigerator and a microwave are available for use, but the kitchen and its appliances cannot be used for storage between school days. Please be aware that we only have 30 minutes for lunch. 

We strive to leave the spaces provided by Lord of Life Lutheran Church in a better state than when we arrived. As such, we expect everyone’s participation in cleaning up.

We will have a poster board of all spaces needing cleaned.  As spaces are cleaned they will be checked off on the board. 

 Firelight Homeschool charges a small fee of $90 per family per semester. 

$60 goes to Lord of Life Lutheran Church to pay for the use of their space.

$30 is to pay for supplies used by everyone.

Additional costs:

$15/ initial background check required by the church, then triennial

Classes may also require a list of supplies that must be provided by the parent or a class fee.  This will be listed in each class description. 

Firelight Homeschool leadership team consists of volunteer moms whose families attend Firelight Homeschool and who are dedicated to promoting friendship and knowledge in the homeschool community. We are continually preparing for the next session and need your input and suggestions about classes that would interest your children. The leaders can be reached via Facebook.

We are here to communicate with the church, coordinate co-op class days, help with the overall collaboration of the group, and all of the behind the scenes planning to keep each semester running smoothly.

We are a community and as such need volunteers for planning the details. We cannot have any special events without multiple volunteers to plan, purchase (for reimbursement), prep, advertise, set-up and clean-up. 

Anna Evans - You're main lady for all things.

Susan Guryanova - Website maintenance

Thank you for being a part of Firelight Homeschool!