North Point Baptist
Homeschool Ministry
Workshops
Fall 2014 Semester
Revised 4/2014
North Point Baptist Homeschool Ministry Workshops
1040 Lower Flat Creek Rd.
Alexander, NC
Dear Prospective Workshop Family,
Thank you for the interest you have shown in North Point Workshops. Our organization is made up ofChristian families who support one another in their efforts to educate their children at home. Our support groupand Workshop program are open to all area homeschoolers. Workshop volunteer staff and lead instructors receive pre-enrollment;members of North Point Baptist Church Homeschool Ministry receive priority enrollment in our Workshops, followed by non-members. New families are very welcome and included as space is available. All Workshop participants mustjoin North Point Baptist Homeschool Ministry support group. Classes are filled on a first-come, first-servedbasis.
It is important for you to note that North Point Workshops are a true co-op. Parents are required to serve twohours in one of the following areas: lead teacher, co-teacher, class assistant, nursery assistant, preschoolassistant, or floater. Parents have the option of using the hour as personal time, but must remain on thechurch campus. Other than a small registration fee, all of our Workshops are free or materials costs only, asour instructors volunteer their time and talents. To participate in the Workshop program families must have atleast one school age child.
If you choose to attend our Workshops, please read all the information contained in the handbook andkeep it in a safe place.
Enclosed you will find our Fall 2014 Workshop information. This information contains: the FallSchedulewith registration information, our Purpose Statement, Guidelines, Policies and Procedures, Statement of Faith,Workshop Descriptions, Instructor Bios, as well as the forms necessary for registration. In your informationpacket, the Family Application is first. Please fill this out completely. The Parent Agreement and Student Agreement forms arenext. Please go over all Policies and Guidelines with your children and then have them sign these forms. Allchildren in your family can sign the same copy of the agreement.
The Workshop Request is next. These need to be filled out with the classes that each child desires to take. Since we can not guarantee that all classes will still have space available when filling out your forms, all moneytotals from these forms will be transferred to the Payment Form on registration day, added, and a checkmade payable to North Point Homeschool Ministry for the total that day. New member registration must bedone in person on Monday, June 2, 2014, 2-4pm at MaranathaBaptistChurch at 1040 Lower Flat Creek Rd., Alexander. (Please be aware that due to our space/building constraints, we need to limit our registration to 40 families for the Workshop classes, this will include those families returning from the spring semester, as well as, new families. Thank you for your understanding.)
Families returning to the Workshop program from the Spring 2014semester need only fill out theWorkshop Request, Membership Form, and Payment Form.
We're looking forward to having a great fall semester of North Point Workshops and hope you will join us!May the Lord bless your homeschooling!
Sincerely,
Kristi Bailey
North Point Workshops Administrator
Fall 2014 Calendar
Registration for NPBHM members** Thursday, May 8, 2014, 8:30-9am & 9-9:30am
Registration for non-members** Thursday, June 2, 2014,2-4pm
All Registrations will take place at:MaranathaBaptistChurch
1040 Lower Flat Creek Road
Alexander, NC
First Day of Workshops Thursday, September 4, 2014
Last Day of Workshops for Fall Semester Thursday, November 20, 2014
Registration Information
Our volunteer staff and lead instructors receive first preference in enrolling their children. Then returning homeschool ministry members receive second priority enrollment in our Workshops. Non-members arevery welcome and included as space is available. To participate in the Workshop program families must have at least one school age child. Classesare filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Enrollment for members must be done on member registration day(s). Non-member registration must bedone in person by a parent or legal guardian of the participating child on the scheduled non-member registration date for a given semester. ALL feesMUST be paid at the time of registration.
**Workshop registration packets must be printed prior to registration dates from our web site
. All paperwork must be read and filled out BEFORE registration. **
Inclement Weather Policy
North Point Workshops will make determinations about closings due to weather conditions by 8:30 a.m. on Workshop days. Workshop participantswill be placed on an e-mail loop which will be our main means of communication. Please check your e-mail after 8:30 a.m. on Workshop days forany special notices about bad weather.
Who to contact if you have questions:
Workshop Administrator Kristi Bailey645-0494
Assistant AdministratorCorinne Ptak 658-8342
Nursery through age 2 CoordinatorAngela Casteel 649-9744
Preschool CoordinatorHeather Bullman 231-4185
Lower Elementary CoordinatorAmy Castellani 713-3767
Upper Elementary CoordinatorSusannah Richmond658-8302
Jr. /Sr. High CoordinatorNadine Robinson582-3042
Workshops Overview
As homeschool parents, we feel that God has called and enabled us to homeschool our children. We feel thatcooperatively we can provide enrichment opportunities that may not be possible on our own. North Point Workshops is aco-op that meets weekly on Thursdaymornings from 9:30am to 12:40pm at MaranathaBaptistChurch, 1040 Lower Flat Creek Rd., Alexander. Our calendar year is broken down into two semesters. The fall semester is: September - November and the spring semester is February - May. Our Homeschool Ministry support group and Workshopprogram are open to all area homeschoolers. Workshop volunteer staff and lead instructors receive pre-enrollment; members of North PointBaptist Church Homeschool Members receive priority enrollment in our Workshops, followed by non-members. New families are verywelcome and included as space is available All Workshop participants must join North Point Baptist HomeschoolMinistry support group. Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
All families must arrive at 9:30 a.m. to help with the set upnecessary for Workshops. All Workshop classes begin at 9:45 a.m. Lower Elementary Workshops (K-2ndgrades),Upper Elementary Workshops (3rd-5thgrades),are divided into three 55 minute blocks and Junior/Senior High Workshops (6th-12th grades) are divided into two 90 minute blocks. Parents are required to serve at least two hoursin one of thefollowing areas: lead teacher, co-teacher, class assistant, nursery/preschool assistant, or floater. Parents have the option ofusing the other hour as personal time, but must remain on the church campus the entire time Workshops are insession. In addition, all families will be assigned cleaning duties each weekto ensure that the church building is put backin order following our Workshop sessions and are required to remain after Workshops to complete them. Since we are atrue co-op and not a drop off educational program, you must choose to sign up for all 3 class periods offered or 2 class periods for Jr/Sr studentsin order toparticipate in the co-op. This is to ease the difficulty in assigning volunteer hours.
All groups offered are supplemental to what is being taught in the home and are meant for enrichment purposes only. Thegroups offered vary from semester to semester, and are determined by the willingness of group members to lead. Members lead most of the groups; however, we also have people who volunteer their time and talents to lead.
All families who participate in North Point Workshops must join the support group. Support group membership is $20.00per family per year. In addition, there is a workshop registration fee of $15.00 per family per semester. Some classes may have fees to cover material costs. All registration fees and materials fees are nonrefundable.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of North Point Workshops is to provide high quality, academically challenging, spiritually upliftingenrichment workshops to supplement, support, encourage, but not replace, what is being learned at home. The spiritualobjective of North Point Workshops is to provide a learning environment which supports and encourages Christian faithand discipleship.
Guidelines, Policies and Procedures
North Point Workshops are a part of NorthPointBaptistChurch’s Homeschool Ministry (NPBHM). Membership in thehomeschool ministry is required to participate in the Workshop program.
Parent/Student Participation
It is extremely important to remember that North Point Workshops are a cooperative effort on the part of parents, theirchildren, and instructors. We will not continue to exist if one of these elements is missing.
Parents should read and be in agreement with the Purpose Statement, Guidelines, and Policies and Procedures for theWorkshops Program.
As a true co-op, Workshop participants are REQUIRED to take part in the entire program; all three Workshop periods (for grades 5 and down)and both Workshop periods (for Jr/Sr High). This is necessary to facilitate proper volunteer staffing.
A parent is required to remain in the building THE ENTIRE TIME their child is present at the Workshops regardlessof the age of the child. (Parents with a strong need to co-op with another family can present this need to the WorkshopAdministrator or Assistant Administrator IN WRITING **PRIOR** to registration. These requests will be consideredon an individual basis).
Absences
Children are responsible for attending each workshop for which they are registered. (Even if there is no charge for the workshop, the instructor has made a commitment and has spent time preparing for each student who is registered.) Adult absences of teachers, assistant teachers, etc. must be reported to the Workshop Coordinator, Kristi Bailey @ 768-9562, along with the people you have subbing for you, as soon as possible. THREE absences, without valid excuses, will result innot being permitted to register for the next semester’s Workshops.Please view your participation in Workshops as a commitment and plan to attend all sessions if at all possible.
Tardy Policy
All families must arrive at9:30 a.m.to help with the set up necessary for Workshops. There will be a sign–in sheet as you enter to ensure a prompt arrival time andfamilies arriving after 9:30 a.m. will be considered tardy.THREEtardies during the semester will result in not being permitted to register for the next semester's Workshops.**However, we understand there are circumstances beyond our control (traffic, car trouble, weather, etc.) and tardies are the result in these situations. If you are running late, please call our Assistant Administrator: Corinne Ptak @ (814) 602-7298 to let her know you are on your way. Then the Workshop Coordinator will deem whether or not your circumstance is a valid tardy or not.
Registration
Our volunteer instructors are given first preference in enrolling their children. NorthPointBaptistChurch membersreceive priority enrollment in our Workshop program. Enrollment for members must be done in person on the designatedregistration session(s) for members. Non- member parents must attend the non-member registration session. Workshopregistration packets must be printed from the web site prior to registration day to speed the process. All paperwork mustbe read and filled out prior to registration. ALL fee payments must be made at the time of registration. ALLregistrations must be done in person by a parent or legal guardian of the participating child on the scheduledregistration date for a given semester. *Please note: There will be no workshop registrations excepted after Monday, June 2nd.*
Schedule Changes
You will have a one-week grace period after the final registration in which to make changes to your child’s schedule. During this grace period, you must contact the Workshops Administrator to make schedule changes pending availability. After this grace period, any request to make changes to your child’s schedule must be submitted in writing to theWorkshop Administrator for evaluation.
Leaving Workshops
Please be sure of your commitment to attend Workshops prior to signing up. Teachers have voluntarily worked very hardto prepare the coursework for the number of students registered. If you choose to leave the Workshopsat any point,before or during the semester no feeswill be refunded, and you will not be allowed to sign-up for the following semester.
Age Divisions
All groups offered are supplemental to what is being taught in the home and are meant for enrichment purposes only.
Therefore all age divisions will be strictly adhered to: Nursery (baby – 2 years old), Preschool (3-5 years old), Lower Elementary (traditional ages for K-2nd grades), Upper Elementary (traditional ages for 3rd -5th grades), Jr. High (traditional ages for 6th-8th grades), and Sr. High(traditional ages for 9th-12thgrades). To participate inthe Workshop program families must have at least one school age child.
Volunteering
As a true co-op, at the time of registration, parents will be required to sign up to help each week in one or more areas ofWorkshops as needed. Two hours of “volunteer” work will be required per week. “Volunteer” work includes but is notlimited to lead teacher, co-teacher, class assistant, nursery/preschool assistant, or being a floater.
In addition, all families will be assigned cleaning duties each week to ensure that the church building is put back in orderfollowing our Workshop sessions and are required to remain after Workshops to complete them.
Due to the amount of work involved in making the Workshops run smoothly, we ask that when needed, parents beavailable to cheerfully help with other responsibilities that will arise from week to week. This may include but is not limited to extra cleaning duties, teaching a different class, and helping out during your free period.
Discipline and Student Conduct
All students will be held responsible for their actions and shall conduct themselves in keeping with their level of maturity,showing regard for established authority and the rights and welfare of others. We ask that students seek excellence, behonest, use clean speech, and be courteous and kind to all.
North Point Workshop members and their children are asked to adhere to the following standards when attending
Workshops:
Parents should monitor their children’s behavior at all times. Appropriate disciplinary measures should be taken,when needed, privately. Uncooperative or disruptive children should be removed from activities.
Respect for and obedience to authority is expected.
In the case of disciplinary problems during a given class period the following should be considered standard procedure:
1. Child is given a verbal warning by instructor which will be documented, signed, and put on file.
2. If unacceptable behavior persists, the instructor steps outside the classroom with the child to pray abouthis/her behavior. As soon as practical, one of the class monitors should notify the Workshop Coordinator thatthis action has been taken so that the parent may be apprised of the situation then it will be documented, signed, and put on file.
3. If unacceptable behavior continues to persist, the child will be dismissed from that class period. The classvolunteer or instructor will accompany the child to his/her parent. If there is dismissal from class on threeoccasions, they will be required to remain with their parent during all Workshop periods. If unacceptablebehavior continues, they shall be suspended from allWorkshops for the remainder of the semester. In suchcase, no fees will be refunded. Participation in future Workshops will be on a probationary basis withconditions as determined by the North Point Leadership Team.
4. Parents must be willing to allow instructors to discipline their children according to the procedures outlinedabove and must be willing to abide by the instructor’s decision to dismiss their children from the workshop ifthe instructor deems it necessary.
Each child attending Workshops must be accompanied by a parent or designated chaperone that must remain onsite for the entire time during Workshops.
Clothing must be modest, clean and neat. Appropriate dress for P.E. (if provided) is fingertip-length shorts thatare not body conforming, along with loose-fitting t-shirts. Appropriate dress for classes is as follows: Please donot wear tank tops, strap tops, halter tops, "muscle" shirts, etc. or any short, body conforming shirts. A blouse ordress will be considered as having a strap top if the shoulders are less than 3" wide. Midriff (short) blouses maynot be worn. Necklines must be modest. Pants or shorts must be worn at or near the waistline and not be tightfitting. Any shorts, skirts or dresses worn should be at least finger-tip length.
Unusual attire associated with immoral or improper ideas is unacceptable. Symbols or logos that communicateanti-Christian messages are unacceptable on clothing, jewelry, and other accessories. While we realize that aperson's attire is not indicative of their spiritual worthiness, God's Word does give us standards of both dress andconduct (1 Tim. 2:9; 4:8, 12, 15-16; I Peter 2:12, 3:3-4).
Any student found with possession of any type of firearm, knife, tobacco, alcohol, or drugs will be asked to leavethe premises immediately and proper authorities will be notified. Any such possession will result in immediateand permanent suspension from further participation in North Point Workshops without fee refund.
Unity is essential to meeting our purpose of honoring Christ. If anyone within the group or workshop staff offends you, oryou have a concern with anything within our group, please follow the example outlined in Matthew 18:15-17. Please donot allow Satan to use disagreements as an opportunity to divide us.
Security and Safety Policy
In an effort to keep our families safe during the workshops, we will be locking the front and side doors to the building at 9:30am.
Children of all ages must have an adult present outside while on the playground.
Guideline and Policy Violations
Any parent or child who is found to be in violation of any of the Workshop policies and/or guidelines will receive oneverbal warning. Another violation may result in dismissal from Workshops on that day. A third offense may result in suspension from all Workshops for the remainder of the semester. In such case, no fees will be refunded.