FAQs

Q:

A:

Preschool:  Ages 1-5 (younger siblings only)

Elementary

• Yellow - Grades K-1
• Green - Grades 2-3*
• Blue - Grades 3-4*
• Indigo - Grades 5-6

Middle School - Grades 7-9

High School - Grades 9-12**

*Moving to the Blue Room requires a level of skill that not every rising third grader is ready for.  We offer 3rd grade as a swing year for students that need a little bit more time before their writing skills take off.

**9th Grade is a season during which many transitions are taking place for children.  If your ninth grader has not reached the maturity level that you feel comfortable with high school level content, we offer the option for them to remain in the Middle School class.

Q:

A:

There a few important dates in August, and then classes start in September. The academic calendar will not be released to the public for the protection of our families. Once you have joined the co-op, you will have access to all the dates you need. If you have concerns about dates that impact your ability to join the co-op, you can reach out to the director and she will answer your specific questions.

Q:

A:

We only enroll families that have at least one child that is in Kindergarten or above. 

Childcare and/or Preschool is exclusively offered to families with younger siblings of Co-Op students.

Q:

A:

Preschool (Orange)
"Homeschool" should be easy and fun at this age.  Spend your days reading, playing, and discovering the world!  Education is not compulsory until the age of 7 in Missouri, so don't rush it! 

Elementary
Our Elementary students are only required to do homework for their Morning Block classes - more detaisl are below for each grade level.  Our Living History, Science, and Enrichment Hour classes in the afternoon will be based on reputable published curricula, but your family will not be required to purchase or complete anything from these curricula at home.  (However, they are awesome books, and we highly recommend them!)

K-1 (Yellow)
This level has no required homework from the co-op except for Bible Verse memory.  You are welcome to purchase the Language Arts book that will be used in class, and follow up with it at home, but the co-op does not require this.  This the age that many children are ready to learn to read and learn some basic math skills.  Formal education, even at home, should be delivered in short time periods surrounded by lots of reading and play.
HOMEWORK:  Scripture Memory

Grades 2-3 (Green)
This is the age that we begin to require homework assignments to be completed for Morning Block.  Students will be asked to complete their writing lesson from their Bible Heroes at home.  This should take you and your child no more than 1 hour each week, and often much less than that.    
HOMEWORK:  Bible Heroes lesson, prepare for Public Speaking activity, Scripture Memory
WHAT ELSE SHOULD WE DO? Reading, Math, other Core Subjects that are important to you, Non-Core of your choice

Grades 3-4 (Blue)
At this age, our writing assignments for IEW take on a little more shape.  They will require a bit more time at home - up to 2 hours per week, depending on the student.
HOMEWORK:  IEW lesson, prepare for Public Speaking activity, Scripture Memory
WHAT ELSE SHOULD WE DO? Reading, Math, Science, History, Non-Core of your choice

Grades 5-6 (Indigo)
At this age, our writing assignments for IEW become detailed, and we add on assignments in Grammar and Literature.  They will require a bit more time at home - up to 3 hours per week, depending on the student.
HOMEWORK:  IEW lesson, Grammar lesson, Literature selection, prepare for Public Speaking activity, Scripture Memory
WHAT ELSE SHOULD WE DO? Reading, Math, Science, History, Non-Core of your choice

Middle School and High School
At this age, we are looking to bring our children into a culture of independent learning and deeper thinking.  As such, all classes require homework of some kind.  Please refer to Course Descriptions for more details.

If you are in need of support in the process of planning and builidng your homeschool year, reach out to our director!  We would love the opportunity to sit with you and provide guidance in this process.

Q:

A:

Our enrollment tends to be around 50-60 students.  If all of our classes hit capacity, there would be 85 students on campus plus parents.

Class size limits:

Preschool (Orange): 10 students
K-1 (Yellow):  10 students
Elementary (Green, Blue, Indigo): 15 students per class
Middle (Purple):  10 students
High School (EPIC): 10 students

Q:

A:

Yes, we do have the ability to maintain a waiting list.

We will always make every effort to accomodate families before placing them on a wait list.

Q:

A:

With our expansion into High School programming, there would be no need to bring a child from your family to campus that is not enrolled in the program.  We have a place for everyone!  Here are some possible special cases:

• Babies that are not old enough to go into the child care room.  BABIES ARE MORE THAN WELCOME, and we want you to register them on your application, even if they don't "count" as a student.  You are welcome to keep your baby with you.
• Children with special needs.  While we do not have specific services for children with disabilites or learning differences, we desire to allow inclusion to the greatest of our ability!  If you have a child with special needs in your family, please reach out to our director to discuss the possibilities.
• Family visitors.  If you have one-time or out-of-town guests on a co-op day, it is usually possible for us to accomodate them for a visit.  This always needs to be arranged in advance for the safety of our other families.

Q:

A:

We at KCCH we believe in family sovereignty.  That means if you as a homeschooling parent want to assign grades for your children’s school work, you are responsible to do it.  Instructors at KCCH are simply responsible to lead classes on co-op days and teach new skills during those classes.  Many of them are also great at communicating during the week and offering support to parents as needed. 

Middle and High School students will be utilizing our online platform to track homework completion and scoring for all of their classes. This is intended to be an opportunity for them to begin engaging in greater accountability with their academics. It will not, however, replace the need for parents to evaluate work at home.  The grades that we track for Middle School and HIgh School classes would be sufficient to decide on a transcript grade if you so choose.

Q:

A:

We will foster a culture of speaking LIFE into one another.  Words of encouragement and positivity are what we will teach our children to use.  We will work together to capitalize on one another’s strengths and lift each others’ arms as we work to improve our weaknesses.  We expect parents to participate in coaching their children to be positive members of our community.

We do not tolerate bullying of any kind.

All adults and children in the co-op will sign a Word and Deed Agreement. In this agreement, we will commit to treat one another as Image Bearers of Christ.  We have a discipline policy in place to support families in the event that the Word and Deed Agreement is not followed by an individual.

Q:

A:

We ask that everyone on campus dress with modesty and respect toward those around you.  Please make attire choices that glorify God.

Q:

A:

We at KCCH see getting involved as an opportunity! Working together as parents on co-op days is what binds us together in relationship.

All families must be represented on campus during classes by at least one adult.*  In order to run a co-op, we need teachers!  Parents that volunteer to teach will receive a discount toward their family's tuition.  Parents that are not teachers will be assigned a schedule to assist in classrooms.  Each adult on campus will have one class period in the parent lounge.

We hope that you’ll be excited to be as active as possible!  In addition to class days, we will be offering field trips and playdates throughout the school year.  We invite you to participate - and to even help plan them!  We also have some needs as a co-op for help in administrative duties, yearbook creation, social media engagement, and website maintenance.

*High School students may apply for membership to the co-op as individuals OR as a part of a family.  Individual High School students may attend classes without a parent on campus.

Q:

A:

Parents that would like to teach a class will be asked to fill out a brief application.  Teaching experience is not a requirement to apply to be a co-op teacher!  The application will give you a chance to indicate what classes you’d like to teach, and the Director will coordinate teaching positions.  Parents that volunteer to teach will receive a discount toward their family's tuition. 

There is a required all-day teacher training before the beginning of the school year and a half day training in January before school starts again. There will also be some meetings throughout the school year during the Lunch hour.  It is possible that you will need to meet individually with the director over the summer for planning.

Teachers will receive a syllabus and be loaned curricula to use to teach the classes they are assigned if they do not have a student from their home in that class.  Supplies will be purchased for you.  Prep work will vary based on subject, but will be manageable if not minimal.

Click here for more information and a link to the instructor application.

Q:

A:

Every parent will have a personalized schedule, letting them know where they will need to serve for each of the class periods.  One of the class periods will be a break time in the parent lounge.

Q:

A:

Background screenings will be performed on all adults that will be on campus. If a screening reveals something about an adult that sparks concern, a thorough background check will be performed.  This expense is built into your family's tuition.

Q:

A:

This is not something that our Co-Op can support on a regular basis.  There are rare exceptions that can be met to fill specific needs, and that will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

If you have some other emergency on co-op day during the year, you will be able to speak directly with the Director to decide what can be worked out. 

Q:

A:

It is our prayer that just being involved with KCCH would be a blessing and help parents feel supported in their homeschool.  With that said, we have been very puposeful in building certain things into our culture as specific supports to parents:

• Parent Break Room - each parent receives one session during the co-op day as a break.  We have a room designated as the break room that offers coffee and tea, and we take turns bringing in a treat that's just for us moms.  Children are not permitted into this sacred space.
• Long Recess - We schedule a long recess after lunch to allow for children to have free time to play and grow in friendships AND for moms to do the same!  We encourage moms to use this time in ways that bless them.  That may include getting involved with the children and their play, finding a quiet corner to take a breathe, or gathering with other moms to connect and grow in friendship.
• Monthly Mom Nights - every first Thursday of the month is set aside for the moms of the co-op.  Sometimes those meetings will have a special theme, and sometimes we'll just enjoy taking a moment to have fewer demands on us.
• Teacher Checkins - our parents will receive communication from the instructors of their children's classes to ensure that everything is going smoothly at home in regard to co-op classes.
• Website Dashboard - we have launched a new website that enhances our ability as a co-op to stay up-to-date with events, classes, homework, and more!  These new features are designed to streamline information for parents and make things easier to manage.

Q:

A:

Students who take all courses and complete all assigned coursework will earn a minimum of 5- high school credits over the course of each school year. With the addition of math, science, and physical education at home, students will be positioned to meet and exceed recommended graduation requirements in the state of Missouri and entrance requirements at higher education institutions. The breakdown of credits would look like this:

Year 1:

• Social Studies: 1.5

• English: 1

• Electives: 1

• Fine Arts: .5-1

• Foreign Language: 1

Year 2:

• Social Studies: 1

• English: 1

• Electives: .5

• Fine Arts: 1

• Health: .5

• Foreign Language: 1

Year 3:

• Social Studies: 1.5

• English: 1

• Electives: .5

• Practical Arts: .5

• Foreign Language: 1

Year 4:

• Social Studies: 1.5

• English: 1

• Electives: .5

• Fine Arts: .5

• Personal Finance: .5

• Foreign Language: 1

KCCH will provide each student with a transcript template with suggested course names and credits. Parents will ultimately determine their student’s final grades  and credits and will compile their transcript. 

Q:

A:

We recognize that math and science are difficult subjects to teach at home at higher levels, thus many families are looking for co-ops that offer them. We have chosen not to offer them for four reasons:

1. Capacity: If we were to offer these subjects, we would want them to be taught by a parent with exceptional skill and passion for higher levels of these subjects. At this time, we cannot offer that.

2. Focus: One benefit of co-op participation is the chance for students to engage with their peers as they develop critical thinking and communication skills. We’ve chosen to focus on subjects that have a significant opportunity for collaborative and interactive engagement inside and outside the classroom.

3. Trajectory: Math and science requirements are highly specific to a student’s future trajectory regarding their college and career goals. The subjects we offer will equip all students with key skills that will help them succeed, flourish, and live godly lives regardless of their intended educational goals or career path. 

4. Availability: Math and science courses are widely available to students through a-la-carte programs, dual enrollment at community colleges, and online classes. 

While we do not offer math and science at KCCH, we can provide guidance on finding curriculum or class options for those subjects. We also have moms in our co-op with backgrounds in science and/or math who may be able to offer struggling students help in those areas on a case-by-case basis. 

Q:

A:

Grading for high school is a team effort between parents and the class teacher.  Teachers provide rubrics and guidelines for grading various assignment types. The majority of at-home work will be graded by the parent. Some assignments, such as projects and papers, will be graded by the teacher.  The KCCH website is the central place to record grades, and the website also includes a transcript builder available for your use. Parents remain the ultimate authority over their child's grades and transcript.

Q:

A:

No, but we highly recommend it! Our program is intentionally designed as a cohesvie whole with overlapping content across subjects to provide a robust learning environment for our students. Therefore, we believe students will receive maximum benefit from attending full-time.  However, we welcome part-time, a-la-carte students as well, as we recognize students may have other commitments or interests.

Q:

A:

We'll give you some information as it relates to what you'll be doing at home...AND what you can do at co-op!

AT HOME...

Parents are expected to offer guidance to their students throughout the week to whatever degree their student needs.  You are an expert on what your child needs!  So use your expertise to determine how much "hands-on" help your student will need.  At the least, you should plan to spend time each week reviewing your student's work for the week and grading parent-graded assignments (see FAQ above regarding grading).  Your job is to work in tandem with our volunteer teachers to provide the best learning environment possible for your student!

AT CO-OP...

Your enrollment situation could be one of two options:

• Your high school student is a member of the co-op because your entire family participates in co-op.  In this case, one parent is expected to stay on campus for the entire day and will be assigned to classrooms as an assistant throughout the day (let us know if you have an interest in teaching!).
• Your high school student is a member of co-op as an individual high school student.  In this case, you are free to drop your student off for the day. However, if you  are willing to commit at least one hour of on-campus service to the co-op per week on Mondays, you will receive a discount.   (Note that we do not offer programming to younger siblings of drop-off high school students while their parent volunteers.)