Q & A

Who are the people in our cooperative?

Little Cashews families come from all areas surrounding Prospect, Connecticut.  They come from within other home school groups and bring with them many different educational philosophies and political, social, and religious beliefs and non-beliefs. Little Cashews Co-Op prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, financial status, mental-or-physical disability, political belief or affiliation, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law or not.

 Who is in charge of the cooperative?

As a cooperative, everyone has a stake in the smooth running of our classes and other activities – we all depend on a mutual understanding of respect for those in our neighborhood - for the facilities we rent, the local businesses we frequent, the people we meet, and each other.

Little Cashews is led by a board of volunteers who donate their time and energy to organize activities and programming on behalf of the entire community. These individuals are teachers, physical therapists, artists, curriculum designers, entrepreneurs and mothers.

Little Cashews is a cooperative - all members of our community are asked to contribute to the group each session.  Please volunteer to help. 

How do I get to know folks and become better involved with the group?

When we gather at the start of each session, Little Cashews Board of Directors should be wearing name tags and will be available to help you make your way into our friendly community.  Take some time to introduce yourself and start to make some of the connections with people who share your interests.  They may also put you to work when needed – please come ready to help. 

Are there any formal policies or rules for attending Little Cashews?

Because we aim to have a smoothly operating and safe environment, we do have some guidelines. Please review our Family Pledge. Each student enrolling in a class must read the pledge to indicate awareness of the facility and program expectations – please share this information with your family.  All parents and participating students are expected to sign and submit a copy of the family pledge before attending classes.

What are the families expected to contribute to Little Cashews?

First and foremost, each family is expected to properly supervise each of their children while participating in the Little Cashews.  This helps ensure that the cooperative will run smoothly and that we will continue to maintain positive relationships with our host facilities and the downtown community.  Parents should know where their children are located and the students should have ready access to their parents in case of cancelled classes, classes that end early, or emergencies.  Parents or their assigned caregiver are responsible for their children at ALL times, both inside and outside of the buildings.

In addition, each family is expected to participate by contributing free time and/or skills to the cooperative.  Many people do this by teaching a class or being a teaching assistant.  Some do it by providing building or class supervision or supervision for younger children while another parent is teaching a class.  Other families do it by being available to clean up at the end of the day or to offer technical assistance.  We all work cooperatively to get the work done - please make sure you are doing your part for our community.

What is the best way for me to be involved or make my family volunteer contribution if I am not available during the daytime hours?

Not all families have the same schedules and availability.  Some families will contribute more time than others.  If you are not available during the day, here are some ways you can still contribute:

• Ask a friend to sign up & do a clean-up day for you.  Pay them back by doing something for them at home.
• Schedule an hour before pick up time to do clean up duty.
• Volunteer to make copies for the teachers who need materials copied.
• Volunteer to help organize the picnic or end-of-session party (a one day commitment).
• Take 1 - 2 days off to be a or teacher's assistant.  You'll get to see what your child is up to…

May I drop off my child?

Children twelve-years-old and under may never be dropped off without an adult. Families are welcome to carpool and to send their children with another parent, but all children below the drop-off age of thirteen must have an adult on site responsible for them.  Under the discretion of the parent, children age thirteen and over may be dropped off to attend classes, but the parent remains responsible for their children.  All families are required to meet their cooperative commitments by providing their volunteer time at some point, even if they are only dropping off their teen aged children.

How can we arrange car pooling?

We greatly encourage participants to get to know your neighbors, make new friends, and pool transportation and driving resources.

 How are disciplinary issues handled?

Disciplinary issues should generally be handled by the student’s parents. Our volunteers are in place to answer questions and offer friendly behavioral reminders to students, do not represent a substitute for adequate parental supervision.  The volunteers who support the smooth operation of the Little Cashews Homeschool Cooperative are neither paid nor equipped with the necessary resources to handle behavior that is disruptive, offensive, threatening, or illegal.  We are, however, a caring community and if time and resources allow the group administration will make every effort to support families in positive outcomes for their children's learning opportunities.  At all times there must be respect for property and awareness of the effects of one’s behavior on others, amongst students, parents, and teachers alike.

 Who handles disciplinary issues?

Most problems that arise are handled by the parents and teachers involved, working with the students toward positive outcomes.  It is preferential in most matters that members of the cooperative work out their differences on a personal level.  

 Are there any attendance requirements?

We recognize that the home-school community treasures its flexibility.  We therefore do not take attendance nor require it.  However, it goes without saying that unexpected absences, especially by teachers and/or students in small, team-oriented classes cause a great hardship to the group. Therefore, we ask that if you know your child will be absent that you communicate this clearly to the teacher ahead of time.  Some classes are more academic in nature, such that inconsistent attendance is not appropriate.  Also, teachers are expected to do their level best to notify their students of their absence via email or the website forums.

 Can my child receive a grade or class credit?

Most home school classes are not set up in a way to assess student academic performance.  If you would like to receive a grade or credit for a co-op class, please talk to the teacher at the beginning of the session.

 Are there tuition reductions if I miss classes?

There are no reductions in tuition.  Therefore, if you plan to be away and miss one or more classes you should assess before signing up.

 Why are classes grouped by age and what do the separate age groups mean?

As homeschool parents we respect the need for flexible grouping of ages.  We encourage the teachers to describe their target class groups as specifically as possible.  We try to provide some classes for every broad age category.  If you believe your child's age group is not well served, please suggest a class or two for consideration in the next session.

 What is the best way to assess a new class?

If you are new to the group, the best way to assess classes is to get to know other families in the group.  They will share their own experiences with you and pass along lots of helpful information. Check with one of the programming administrators who will gladly assist you in meeting up with folks who might share your interests, age concerns, or in some instances, complaints.

 How are the class age limits determined?

Classes are created and offered by the teachers themselves and sometimes coordinated by a parent who has a particular interest to be served.  Therefore, all age limits on classes have been set by the teacher and/or parent who set up the class.  If you are disappointed by being outside the age group of a particular class, the best way to handle this is to arrange for another class to be offered rather than asking the teacher to make an exception just for your child.

 May I contact a teacher directly?

Our teachers are our greatest resource. Many of them give their personal time for free in addition to homeschooling their own children or maintaining a job. Therefore, we try to be very respectful of sending too many pre-class inquiries to them. If you know a teacher from within the home school community you are always welcome to contact them directly.  If you wish to contact outside teachers, please contact the cooperative committee first.

 About the Facilities

 Do we have use of the entire building at the Green Street Arts Center?

We have use of the Prospect Firehouse Multi-Purpose Room and Kitchen facilities, per our rental agreement.  We do not have access to the offices or exterior hallways.

Where can we hang out if we are not in classes?

We are also asked to maintain a polite volume, refrain from running/horseplay in that area, and do our level best to not disturb the Firehouse staff.

When the weather is nice, the playground of the Elementary School across the street as well as the Town Green.  

Where can we eat?

We are allowed to eat in the multi-purpose room. Tables and chairs will be available and everyone is asked to help with set-up and take-down before and after lunch.  We all must work together to clean up quickly after lunch in order to allow classes to resume on time.

 Financial Information

 When do I pay for Little Cashews classes?

All money for class tuition is due on or before the start date.

What is the facility fee and when do I pay that fee?

The facility fees cover our rental of the Firehouse, general maintenance, planning, organizing and materials for the organization of the Cooperative. Everyone is expected to pay facility fees before attending classes. 

How much are the facility fees?

For use of the Cooperative site, $25.00 per family of 1 or 2 children or $30.00 per family with 3 or more children per session. These are the costs negotiated for 2013-2014 school year and may be subject to change next year.

 How does pricing work for classes at Little Cashews?

Our Little Cashews cooperative is an evolving place – not every class is handled in the same way.  In general, we try to round up as many volunteer teachers as possible and to encourage parents & others to volunteer their time. We also reach out to community professionals who have affordable rates while still providing high quality instruction.  Fees for the tuition-based classes are under negotiation – more information will be posted here before the start of the next session.

Are there refunds offered if my child does not like the class?

Classes offered by Little Cashews require up-front payment at or immediately following class registration.  There are no refunds if your child chooses to drop out. Many of our classes are free and can be tried without financial risk. However, please keep in mind that if you sign up for a free class and then decide to leave, you have prevented someone else from enjoying that spot in the class.

Is there a way to ensure that there are as many free classes as possible?

Yes!  The best way to do this is to post a class that you will teach for free.  Alternately, you may recruit people from organizations that do public service teaching and ask them to provide a free class.  Many of those folks have been delighted to teach in our cooperative thus far and others like them are just waiting for your call.  Don't assume that free classes will be offered in the future.

Are parent teachers allowed to charge tuition if they teach in the cooperative?

Parents whose children attend classes at Little Cashews are asked to charge solely for the materials necessary for running the class. 

 What do I do if I have another question not listed here in the Q & A?

Please contact us at  happycraftymama@gmail.com with your question – maybe your question and its answer will appear in the next edition of our Little Cashews Q & A!