What is your Co-op like?

[Bookaddict]

I was wondering what other co-ops do? What classes/activities do you have? Is it by age, grade, level? What do you do for the younger prek/kinder and the older kids? Tell me how the day goes.

 

Thanks in advance.

[happypamama]

I love our co-op and its people. We have a nursery for the under twos (currently staffed by moms of infants, and it's acceptable to bring a toddler or baby to the class you're teaching as well if need be, so nobody is forced to use the nursery), a preschool age class for the 3-5s, a class for the 5-8s, a class for the 8-12s, and a class for the 12s and up. We are flexible; you put your child where you think he or she is suited best. 8-12 is expected to be able to read and write well, but 5-8 is not. We meet once a month. We have online signup sheets, accept paypal for payment, have maps and nametags and signs for each room. Our director does a great job! Parents are expected to help and receive a big discount if they're teaching and not just assisting.

 

This year, everyone meets together for prayer and announcements, and then the nursery is dismissed. Then we break the preschoolers off into a separate group, and we all do picture study together as a group. The preschoolers study the same picture, but in their own group in a different spot in the room. (I'm leading picture study this year, and since my 3yo likes it, it was important to me that they be included, so one of the other moms graciously volunteered to do wit with the preschoolers, and she's doing a great job.)

 

After picture study, the kids go to their first class. The preschoolers have a preschool fun class, where they read a book, do a craft, etc. The 5-8s are learning about different holidays and other seasonal stuff this year. My 6yo loves his class! The 8-12s have a PE class where they do relays and other organized games, and the 12s and up are studying current events and civics this year.

 

After the first class, there is a break, where kids eat a snack if the parents supply one, and they run around and play for a bit. Then for the second class, the preschoolers have unstructured but supervised play time (we are blessed to have a location that has a free play area for the preschoolers), and the 5-8s have gym (my 6yo was so happy to play kickball!). Everyone over 8 meets together, where one of the teachers teaches them about some aspect of public speaking. Then they break into small groups where each student gives a short, prepared speech, and receives feedback about it. They have a specific topic to speak on each month, as we are trying to hit some of the small portfolio subjects such as fire safety and PA history. I like that they're hitting some of the stuff, like public speaking and PE, that is harder to do at home.

 

Afterward, we have time for lunch and socializing and playing, plus a planning meeting for the adults. It's a great group, and is am very happy with it.

[mom31257]

I started and directed 2 different co-ops in our area. I am currently not attending the second one because I wanted to take a year off. I'll give you descriptions of both.

 

 

1st Co-Op: 

Enrichment Classes, no homework

Advertised to the whole homeschool community and took anyone until full

Only charged for supplies and donation to the church we were meeting in, no teachers were paid

Met 8 weeks each semester, usually in a row other than holiday weeks

Met 3 hours plus gathering time and clean up

Provided nursery and had classes for Preschool-Pre-K, K-2, 3-5, 6th and up

Moms all stayed and helped out somewhere being lead teachers or helpers

Each semester was different classes, nothing carried over the full year

Met in a church, gathered together for announcements, prayer, and divided up by age groups switching class rooms throughout the day as space needs required

A huge variety of classes during the 3 years (art, math games, etiquette, geography, short studies in history such as Ancient Greece, Pilgrims, Pioneers), forensics, money management, FIAR, Mock Trial, Budgeting, etc.)

 

2nd Co-Op:

Academic with Enrichment, homework in 2 classes

Participation was by invitation only

Only charged for supplies and donation to the church, no teachers paid

Met 8 weeks each semester, every other week

Provided Nursery and had classes for Preschool, Pre-K-1, 2nd-4th, 5th-8th, High school

Moms all stayed and helped out being lead teachers or helpers

Classes were planned for all year long

2 Classes in the morning, Lunch, 1 More class, clean up

2 Academic Subjects and 1 Enrichment 

Subjects have included: IEW Writing, Progeny Press Literature, Apologia Science

Enrichment has included: Life Skills (different mom taught each month and focused on a specialty of hers), Art, Geography (Mapping the World Through Art)

 

[mom31257]

Double Post

 

[Farrar]

Just four families (oh, actually, now three! but for many years it was four). All the kids are one of two ages (at the moment 9/10 yo or 5/6 yo... oh, except as of a couple of weeks ago, there's a brand new baby!). We run on full group consensus for the most part. The kids propose and pick the topics. For many years, each family would host one session about the topic. Now, we take turns hosting a full topic and let the kids choose a project to do and complete it together. We often cover some academic skills, but the primary goals are social learning goals, not academic ones.

 

For example, they chose "the news" and we studied a little about current events and how reporters work and then the kids chose to write newspaper stories and create a news show. The "news" they're doing is about mythology because the current events avenue didn't feel comfortable for most of us, but they're practicing writing a lead, writing headlines, doing layout, etc. etc. It'll be a cute final project. In our previous topics, I'll give a different example. One year we did "astronomy" and each family chose a different topic - we did the big bang, but other families did constellations, comets, and something else. At the end, the kids each did presentations about a different planet.

[The Girls' Mom]

Our co-op is quite large and run much like a private school that operates one day a week. They have classes from 8AM until 4:30PM for preschoolers all the way through high school.  They have bells and class changes.  The classes you take are entirely optional, and you do not have to attend all day.  It is a drop off co-op, but parents are required to put in 16 hours of volunteer time per semester (or you can "buy" your way out by paying a fee)  The teachers are usually professionals that have taught in their area of expertise previously and are paid.  (for example, the girls' Biology teacher last year was actually a professor of Biology)  It is a mix of academic and extra curricular classes, but the academic classes are taken seriously and students are expected to do their work.  They often use Engrade to keep grade records.  The academic classes are of a sufficient level that I feel confident in using them for high school credit.  

 

They have several blocks for lunch breaks.  You can also buy lunch tickets to purchase a hot lunch.

 

This is what our schedule looks like for this spring.  All of these classes are continuations of the fall semester.

 

 

 

[Cricket]

We attend a co-op twice a month. There are four families, all doing a CM-style approach to schooling. We cover the fun extras like folksongs, hymns, picture study, composer study, Shakespeare, handicrafts, poetry. Kids range in ages from 1 to 17. All kids are together for every subject except for their literature discussion groups. Then we break down into three groups. We meet for about five hours. We do two terms per year (three months each) and then have a family night at the end of each term to show the dads and other extended friends and family what we have been doing.

[kirstenhill]

We attend a twice-per-month co-op for three hours and 15 minutes in the afternoon.  It has been in existence for over 20 years, and part of their "success" is finding a format that works and sticking with it. That has its pros/cons. (I had what I thought were some great ideas...but new ideas are not exactly "welcome" if it means breaking with tradition...on the other hand the families who went before us figured out what works or doesn't work so there is less trial and error for us!)

 

The first hour is "assembly"  -- this has a pattern that repeats every year, but depending on the week it may be a guest speaker/presenter, Christmas/valentines party, "expert day" (like science fair only projects on any topic), geography challenge, recitations, talent show, etc.  Sometimes the Preschoolers or the teens may not participate depending on what is going on.   PreK-K have their own class (or classes if there is enough to split them up into PreK and K). 

 

Elementary kids have gym class, art class and science class.  Elementary age kids are grouped by grade, but it is parent determined (no strict age cut offs).  If there are enough kids there is a 1st/2nd, 3rd/4th and 5th/6th groupings, or if not enough kids for that they break down 1st-3rd and 4th-6th.  Teens (essentially 7th and up) have gym, science and another class that does vary from year to year (it has been drama, worldview/history, writing, etc).   Some classes are mom-taught and some have outside teachers -- since the format is fixed, if no parent is able to teach a given class, an outside teacher is hired).  Every mom (or dad...we have some families that have dads attend instead of mom) either teaches or assists in a class for at least 45 minutes during each 3 hr co-op meeting.  Teachers are paid (a small but reasonable amount) whether they are a parent or an outside teacher.  We have a nursery for the under-three crowd (so some parents do their volunteer shift in the nursery).   We also plan optional field trips for off-weeks from co-op. 

[5LittleMonkeys]

The co-op that I direct can accommodate up to 90 students from birth up to 12th grade. We currently have 80 children. 

 

 

• We schedule 2 semesters per year - fall and spring
• We meet every other Monday from 9-12.
• We have 8 or 9 class days per semester based on how holidays fall
• There is a $25 per family fee per semester to cover insurance, cleaning supplies, printer paper and ink, and general supplies that all classes can utilize (crayons, glue, scissors, construction paper, etc.)  Any fees that are not used at the end of each semester are put toward a service project and to help fund the next semester's Kick Off party. 
• Some classes may require an additional per child fee from $3 up to $25.  These would be classes that require additional supplies that the teacher can not personally pay for (art, sewing, engineering, etc.)
• We have 3 class periods, each lasting 50 to 55 minutes.  
• Currently we offer 2 or 3 different class choices per grade group, per class period. We try to have a mixture of academic and enrichment. We have 12 classrooms with a class going on in each, each period.
• We have offered far too many classes to list but some of the favorites have been : Project Based Engineering, Outdoor Adventure\Survival, Art History, Artist Study, Life Skills, Logic Games, Sewing, Disgusting Science Experiments, Ellen McHenry's Elements, Greek History, Medieval Times, Food Crafts
• We also offer frequent field trips, enrichment opportunities, and social activities based on grade level (in the next week we are doing a 6th and up Bonfire and Movie Under the Stars Event, a K-5th Chuck E. Cheese Event, and a PreK-2nd grade English Tea Party and Craft Event)

 

Our members are asked to volunteer to either teach a class that they come up with, teach a class that I've planned based on student interest, co-teach, or work as a helper in one of the classes, in the nursery, or as a hall monitor.  I try to help volunteers find positions that I feel they are well suited to based on my knowledge of their teaching style, temperament, and what they have going on in their lives currently.  (Just had a baby...yeah, you don't need to be lead teacher this semester. ;) )  I never require anyone teach if they don't feel comfortable doing so and I try to make sure everyone has an opportunity to take a break from being a lead teacher each year. 

 

I love our co-op!  I think it's a great blend of academic and enrichment so that everyone can customize their co-op experience.  Many families only choose academic classes or enrichment classes, while others like to have a combo of each. We also work really hard to foster friendships and a sense of community.  Most of us are really good friends and even do things together outside of co-op - lunches, sleep overs for the kids, movies, etc.   There is a core of people that have been members for a very long time and then we have those that come and go, but we always allow those who were once registered as active to remain on our Facebook private page so that they can still take part in field trips and scheduled social activities.  It's worked out really well for some families that, due to life, can't make the commitment to attend classes but still want to be a part of a community that their dc get to see a couple times a month. 

[Sdel]

This is our second year attending a "co-op", but the co-op we attend isn't a true co-op.  Anyone can create a class and decide they want to teach, and several of the teachers also teach at the local community college, but members aren't expected to teach or attend classes.  The courses offered change each year.  They collect a basic membership fee to cover the group's insurance and then each teacher usually charges a nominal fee per class.  Currently the classes are very language oriented offering Spanish, ASL, Latin, and two types of Greek.  But there are art, geography, handicraft type classes as well.

 

Last year there was a middle school java class and a middle school writing/lit class as well.  Additionally other groups make peripheral use of the co-op such as:  CC, a PE group, a home school group that sponsors clubs/athletics (like spelling bees, math olympiad, etc), and American Heritage Girls and the boy equivalent. 

 

It functions really well for what I think it is intended for....primarily a place for home schoolers to come hang out or study. 

 

Stefanie

 

[mom2att]

From my co-op's website:

 

MCH co-op is a sub-group of Mandarin Christian Homeschoolers.  Our co-op is limited to 200 children, and generally caps at about 80 families.  We have children of all ages, from babies to high schoolers. Co-op meets on Friday mornings for 12 weeks in the spring and 12 weeks in the fall for 2 hours of classes each week.  Classes are elective in nature and parent-taught.  Parents must either teach or assist in the classroom for one of our two hours of programming.

Our classes are grouped into 5 categories (preschool, primary, elementary, middle, and high school), with each category (except preschool) offering 3 - 5 different class choices each hour.  Classes offered vary from year to year and depend entirely on what parents want to teach.

 

Examples of classes we have offered in the past include include PE, Choir, Primary Art, Astronomy, Road Trip USA, and Kindergarten Connection for our primary-aged students (grades K - 2).  Prior elementary classes (3rd - 5th) have been Drawing, Florida History, PE, Elementary Writing, Violin, and Apologia Science.  For middle school we have offered Latin, Natural Disasters, IEW Writing, Etiquette, Photography, Web TV, and Yearbook.  High school classes have included Assembly, Conversational Spanish, HOPE, and Biology.  These are all parent-taught and cost a material-only fee, which varies by class.  We also offer a few classes (Art, Guitar, and Spanish) that are taught by individuals outside the co-op.  These have an additional fee set by the instructor.

Cost for joining the co-op is $100 per family, of which $90 is given to the church where we meet as a facilities fee.  The remaining $10 covers website and administrative costs.

 

We often have an open house in March toward the end of our co-op year.  Applications for co-op are distributed and accepted during a short two-week window in the spring. We generally have more applicants than we can accommodate.  Co-op accepts applicants only from families current and active in our general membership. General membership includes full website access, and offers general members a chance to get to know MCH through field trips, park days, and other social events.  If you are interested in co-op, joining the general membership is the first step.

 

 

[Peaceful Isle]

I tried to find some kind of co-op in my area, but ended up finding a private school that would allow my children to be a part of their activities. It has ended up working out great.

Schedule is : band 2 times a week for 50 minutes each time

Field trips are once or twice a month

Allowed to be included in sports from 6th grade and up which includes practices and games

Voice lessons once a week for about an hour

 

It costs me a little more than I would like to pay, but it is so worth it. My kids are making sweet friends and I am still able to homeschool and have a somewhat relaxed schedule. If you can't find a co-op, maybe something like this would be an option.

[cintinative]

Our co-op offers classes for Pre-K through high school. There is a pre-co-op high school drawing class taught by a paid teacher. We have assembly for a half hour, then two one hour classes then lunch for a half hour, then another one hour class. Most dismiss at that point but there is a post-co-op bio lab class (high school) and choir for grades 2 and up.  We have 40 families I believe. We meet every week, 28 weeks a year.

 

Our co-op says it is an enrichment co-op so generally you aren't looking to check a box with the classes, but for some of them you can. For example, we offer an art class every period for every age level but pre-K/K. These are with a paid teacher. Also some of the classes such as Spanish require outside time that could make it equivalent to an actual class.  

 

As far as types of classes they vary a lot by year. Each year we offer musical theatre, guitar, and art for all ages.  We also have drama for all ages this year. Generally there is always gym at least for 1st-3rd grades.  Everything else seems to change.  We have gym, math games/brain games, chemistry, Lego Story Starter, Earth and Space Science, Human Body, Spanish etc. for the 1-3rd graders. For 4-6th we have gym, Nature Study and Field Biology, American Girl history, Spanish, etc. I wish I could remember everything or get you a nice schedule.  

Our co-op is set up that you teach one class and assist in one class and have one free period.  There have been cases where people don't teach, but they don't like to promote that long term.  

 

During the free period we get to hang out with the other moms who have free period and talk and drink coffee.  

 

Overall I have been really pleased with our co-op experience. Like most things involving people, there will be personality conflicts, leadership questions, etc.  There is no perfect experience involving humans IMO.  =)

[Momto4inSoCal]

Our co-op has two semesters each semester is 10 weeks long and meets once a week. The classes change each year and don't follow any specific pattern. They usually go by what most people request to be taught. We have different classes for each grade group (two grades per group). The 2nd and 3rd graders have three classes one is about states in the US (names, capitals, flags etc) and the other is poetry writing and recital. The 4th and 5th graders have a CA history class (we live in CA) and an animal anatomy with the option of doing an IEW writing class instead of one of the two classes. We also have a nursery and pre-school along with classes for high schoolers that are more academic. All of the lower grades do a games and movements class that is sort of like a PE. They also have a choir at the end of the day or a stringed instruments.