FAQ

YES - PLEASE READ! These are the Journey's policy, procedures, and practices around keeping students safe while at Co-Op. It is important for every member to read, understand, and agree to these for the safety of our children. Violations of this policy have serious outcomes.

The Wisconsin Homeschooling Parent Association is a robust website to that can help answer all your questions related to the Laws of Homeschooling in Wisconsin, as well as the specifics of when and how to file your PI-1206 with the state.

For the 2024-25 School Year The Journey Homeschool Group will meet at: First Covenant Church 1374 N Main St. River Falls, WI 54022

No, we operate separately and only rent the building space.

We do NOT have childcare available for children who are not enrolled in a class. (example: little ones under 4). We also do not have childcare available for when you serve your volunteer time slot. You will need to arrange for your own childcare. Some families with young kids have either dropped their children off who DO have classes(we ask that you escort them to their classes if in elementary or PreK/K) -OR- Some families choose to stay and hang out in the lobby/study hall area with their children where there are tables and some couches, while they wait for students to finish class. If your children or student(s) are not in class or in a study hall it is REQUIRED that parents be with your child(ren) and is not the responsibility of the board or anyone else to give supervision to your child/student.

There are two different costs involved in becoming a member of The Journey Inc and taking classes: 1) The Family Fee: This fee is paid to the co-op to cover building rental, insurance, website, PO Box, Background Checks and other costs involved with running the co-op. Note: If you choose the “opt-out” option there is an additional fee involved in order to cover the cost to pay volunteers that cover your required volunteer hours for the year. VOLUNTEER OPTION IS: $165 OPT-OUT OPTION IS: $225 2) Tuition: Tuition is determined by each teacher and is paid directly to each teacher. See the Registration Forms for all pricing info.

To learn more about The Journey Co-Op please read through the information found on our website, especially the "All Printable Documents" section as these documents hold nearly ALL of the information about our Co-Op, our policies and guidelines, how we run, classes, teachers, statement of faith, your responsibilities as a member, your service team, and much more. You can also read through the FAQs, as well as check out our Facebook page.

We are a Christian homeschool co-op with the purpose of supporting homeschool families. Our policies and values are based on biblical principles, ex. behavior expectations, discipline, reconciliation, etc. You can expect the teachers to teach from a biblical worldview. While we do require board members and all teachers to agree to and abide by our statement of faith, families are not required to do so.

Monday September 9th is the first day of Journey Classes. Monday May 5th is the last day for all Journey Classes.

Short Answer: No, we are not a private school. Long Answer: While homeschool co-ops and private schools both offer educational alternatives to traditional public schooling, we operate in different ways and are not legally a school, accredited program or affiliated with state-sponsored oversight. We are nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that is a parent-led(and operated) Christian homeschool group that subcontracts with individual teachers that are knowledgable and passionate in a certain subject. We have a volunteer board that functions as a liaison and intermediary between teachers and families, who recruit and contract with teachers to provide weekly educational classes for students/families from Sept - May. The board serves as a partnership catalyst between these two parties, working together for a common purpose, providing the space, structure, and organization needed to facilitate the common goal of alternative educational opportunities for our children. Families are the ones who ultimately hire and pay the teachers whom they choose to take classes from. Class size is typically smaller than public school class size.

Each of our teachers are independent contractors. Therefore, it is each individual teacher's discretion to allow a child with learning differences to register for their class. You will need to reach out to each teacher and speak with them about your student/situation. Please know that our teacher's are not necessarily trained professionals in working with different types of learning abilities, so it is understood that we do not have the resources nor paid staff with this type of experience to work along side your child. However, in general, it is our teacher's desire to welcome students with different learning abilities into their classrooms and want to see them succeed in the classroom with their peers. In general, most teachers are willing to work with the parents of the student(s) to help achieve their goals of education for that student. In the past, families have worked with the teacher(s) to have an agreed plan to best serve the child in the classroom setting. A past example/solution to this: The parent of the student sits in or with their child in the classroom, to help if/when needed.

We meet most Mondays Sept. 9th - May 5th. 24 weeks for Elementary. 30 weeks for Upper Levels. School Calendar ​

1) You can post homeschool related events, jobs, resources, buy/sell on our Facebook page. 2) You could also print a flyer of information, give it to a board member to be pre-approved, and then if approved we will post it on the Journey bulletin board. We will have this bulletin board near the main entrance of First Covenant Church on any Monday that we meet for Journey Classes, so families can see it as they come to drop off or pick up their student. 3) You can also print off a flyer and put it in each Journey Member's "mailbox" folder. This "mail" box of folders will be located near the entrance of First Covenant Church on any Monday that we meet for Journey classes. 4) Once in a while we will also post bigger events in the weekly emails that go out to Journey members. (We keep this to a minimum in order to keep those emails short for members).

Please report all absences to your child's teachers directly via email as soon as you know they will be absent. Teachers do not keep formal attendance but do appreciate knowing who to expect in their classes each week. If you know in advance that your child will be absent for a family vacation or other special event, please give your teachers as much prior notice as possible. Some high school teachers would like at least a month's notice, if possible. Please note, refunds will not be given for missed classes. Your child is considered SICK and should not be brought to class if they exhibit any of the following symptoms: • A fever within the last 24 hours • Vomiting or diarrhea within the last 24 hours • Pink eye • Any undiagnosed rash or lesions • Runny nose with yellow or green discharge • Persistent cough • Nits or lice found on anyone in your family • A positive sickness diagnosis or suspected symptoms

School Photos will be taken on the 3rd week of school on Monday September 23rd during the school day. You will need to pay and book a time slot with our photographer(Cori Pierson) for EACH student PRIOR to picture day. *INFO HERE

1) It is required that you Pay your Family Fee + All Class Deposits, and agree to our Guidelines and Child Protection Policy to become members of The Journey. 2) It is understood that one parent of each family will be required to serve on a service team, a predetermined number of volunteer hours throughout the school year -or- you find someone who can fill your spot -or- you choose the 'Opt-Out' option during the registration process. Every member’s involvement and cooperation is what makes the co-op function efficiently. We could not do it without a collaborative team approach. The number of times you are required to serve changes from year to year and depends upon the number of classes in which your children are enrolled as well as the number of families registered in the co-op. Usually anywhere between 6-12hrs. 3) It is required that child(ren) be directly supervised by a parent if they are not in class or a study hall. It is not the responsibility of the board members or anyone else at the Journey to supervise your student if not in class.

If you did not get into the classes you registered for you have 2 options: You can register for different classes that are not yet full, and pay those new teachers' their deposit by sending in a new check to The Journey P.O. Box. The deposit check that you made to the teacher(s) of the class(es) that you did NOT get into will not be given to them. Those checks will be VOIDED and will not be cashed. Your Family Fee still gets cashed if you continue on as a member and register for new/different classes. If you do not want to take any other classes at The Journey and therefore do not want to become members of our Co-Op, your Journey Family Fee and all teacher deposit checks will not be cashed. Therefore, no money will be pulled from your account for any Journey related fees or deposits. (Or you will receive a refund if checks were accidentally deposited).

Typically no, though you can ask the Journey Board(Brenda) to be put on a waiting list if the class is FULL. The MAX student number is determined by each teacher. They make their own decision on their classroom size. It is not up to the Journey Board members.

Registration for the 2024-2035 school year will close on Monday, August 26th ,2024 at the Family Orientation Meeting. We realize sometimes there can be unforeseen circumstances for those wishing to register for Journey classes that arise after registration has closed. In these very rare circumstances, and on a case-by-case basis, the board, in conjunction with the teachers, will evaluate as to whether a student may be allowed to register after the final deadline of registration has passed.

Journey Family Fee(2 options): 1. Volunteer Option = $165 2. Opt-Out of Volunteering = $225 Note: Family Fee and Building Use Fee. The Family Fee is used to cover the costs of items such as insurance, website costs, P.O. box, and other incidental items necessary for operating the co-op. The building use fee is used solely to cover the cost of renting the building. TUITION: A non-refundable payment of $50 for each elementary class and $100 for each Middle School and High school class is to be paid to each teacher upon registration. The remaining tuition for each class must be paid in full at the fall Parent Orientation Meeting. Optional- full payment at time of registration.

If your check has not been cashed yet, know that some teachers will hold onto it until the Family Orientation Meeting on Aug. 26th when all final payments and registrations are received. Please reach out to the individual teacher if you are wanting them to cash your check immediately.

No, we do not have a notification service for this request. The Class Schedule usually comes out in Mid May, and Registration for the following school year opens up in early June... first to Members and then to New members. Keep checking the website or facebook for the latest information!

Regretfully No, there are no scholarships or funds available for financial assistance at this time. In addition, we do not have a process of application and verification of low-income for this to to be made available for families. We are a non-profit organization that is run by volunteers. We do not operate as a typical private or public school, as the Journey and families contract with each teacher individually, therefore each teacher is being paid individually and in full for their class tuition. The Journey Membership Family Fee is used to cover costs such as: insurance, website, P.O. Box, building usage, other costs involved in operating the co-op. One way to make back some of your costs is by choosing to be on the "Buy Out List" and becoming a sub for someone's volunteer time slot. You will receive $40 payment whenever you sub for someone else's time slot.

Registration dates for the 2024-2025 school year: June 1st, 2024: Registration will open for RETURNING Journey families only. June 8th, 2024: Registration will open for NEW families. Aug. 26th, 2024: Registration CLOSES for the 2024-2025 school year.

Brenda Schindler : brendaschindler520@gmail.com 651-271-4525

No. We currently do not have an online registration option. Registration for the 2024-2025 school year is done by mailing in your printed registration forms and deposit checks through the US Postal Service to our P.O. Box address: The Journey P.O. Box 1424 Hudson, WI 54016 No, there is no other place that you can drop your forms off to, Please use the PO Box.

One parent of each Journey family is required to be part of a service team and will serve periodically throughout the year in one assigned area of the co-op. Opt-Out Option: For families who are not able to volunteer at the co-op for whatever reason, the Opt-Out Option allows the family to pay $140 fee for the Journey Board to find a pay their replacements for them. No volunteering is required and no refunds are given at the end of the year. Volunteer Option: A parent of each family fulfills their required volunteer time, swaps with someone, or finds and pays their own sub for their required volunteer time slots. (Note: You must inform the Service Team Director of any changes to the service team schedule).

Short answer: Send in all registration forms via snail mail. There is currently no online registration option. Long answer: Registration for the 2024-2025 school year will be done by mailing in your printed registration forms, class deposit checks, and Journey Family Fee check through the US Postal Service to our P.O. Box(The Journey P.O. Box 1424 Hudson, WI 54016). No, there is no other place that you can drop your forms off to, Please use the PO Box. To become a member of The Journey and register for classes for the 2024-2025 school year you must: 1. Print and fill out all the necessary registration forms found under "Registration Forms" or "All Printable Documents" tabs. 2. You MUST READ our "Guidelines" document in order to register, and sign off and agree to our guidelines, policies, and your responsibilities as a co-op member(Volunteer duties to your assigned service teams). 3. Send in all class deposits and the Journey Family Fee check.

Yes! You will receive an email from our Board Member: Brenda when she has received your registration forms. Brenda will let you know via email whether you have made it into a class or not. If your student(s) were not able to get into a class you registered and made a deposit for, you can further correspond with Brenda on how you wish to proceed.

The Journey does not issue refunds. Once you’ve sent in your registration forms, your class choices will be secured for you. At that point, we cannot allow any switching out of one class and into another as you will have already made partial payment to each individual teacher. You may, however, add in a new class after you’ve sent in your registration if you so desire. In the event of an unforeseen circumstance where you can no longer be apart of the Journey Co-Op, it is up to the sole discretion of the teachers if they are to issue any full or partial refunds. Registration for the 2024-2025 school year will close on Monday, August 26,2023 at the Family Orientation Meeting on August 26th, 2023.

Registration forms need to be sent through the US Postal Service to: The Journey P.O. Box 1424 Hudson, WI 54016 There is no other place to drop off or hand deliver forms.

You will receive an email from our Board Member: Brenda when she has received your registration forms, along with which classes you were able to get in or not get into. Note: It may take longer than expected to hear that we received your registration forms, as Brenda does not pick up from the PO Box everyday. Please be patient. Contact Brenda if you do not get an email with in 2 weeks of mailing in your registration forms: brendaschindler520@gmail.com

Mondays when The Journey has NO CLASSES: Nov. 25th, 2024 (Thanksgiving Break) December 23rd, 2024 (Christmas Break) December. 30th, 2024 (New Year's Break) March 4th, 2025 (Spring Break) March 31st (5th Monday)

General Questions: Molly Stehr journeyhomeschooling@gmail.com Registration Questions: Brenda Schindler brendaschindler520@gmail.com 651-271-4525 Specific Questions about a class: Email that individual teacher. Contact email can be found on each Teacher's Landing Page.

We value the parents right to oversee the education of their student and encourage this transparency between teacher and parents. Out of respect for the teacher’s classroom, we do ask parents to coordinate with the teacher on when is a good day/time to sit-in and observe their classroom. Barring previously agreed upon circumstances, we ask that no parent(s) sit in on every class for the entire year(unless already agreed upon), as one of the goals for our students is to gain a sense of independence in the organized classroom setting of The Journey. The best time to sit-in on classes is On in April (Date TBD) for our Prospective Family Day where families interested in the Journey can come visit, observe classrooms to view content, teacher, and the atmosphere of the classes. You will also be able to talk with volunteer board members to get all your questions answered, along with receiving information about our co-op such as: how we run and membership requirements.

Please reach out to Jen Topliff - Director of Teachers j.k.topliff4567@gmail.com Note: We typically put out a call for recruitment of teachers in February/March if needed. Once we receive your application and your written agreement to our Statement of Faith and organization’s policies, we will make a decision if your recruitment is a good fit for our co-op at this time. If we feel you are a good fit, we typically then start the interviewing process in March. *Teachers are typically finalized for the NEXT school year and teacher Contracts signed by: April 15th

Short Answer: No. Long Answer: We are not a school, an accredited program, or affiliated with state-sponsored oversight. We are nonprofit organization that is a parent-led homeschool Christian group that sub contracts individual teachers that are knowledgable and passionate in a certain subject. Therefore, we are not required by Wisconsin law or under obligation to have certified teachers. However, MOST of our teachers have higher levels of education (B.A., Masters, Associates, etc.) and qualified experience in the subject that they are teaching. There are also teachers who have previously been teachers in the public schools, private schools, or other. If you are interested in teacher qualifications, please refer to each teacher's Bio for more background on each teacher or reach out to them individually.

All our classes are offered A-La-Cart. This means you can take just one class, or you can take as many as is available per hour(must only choose one class per hour)! You are not required to take any certain amount of classes. It is up to you!

It is now up!

The cost for Tuition is for the Full year (24 weeks for Elementary, 30 weeks for Middle + High School classes), unless it is specifically indicated the cost is only for one semester. You can find each class's Tuition Cost when you go click on the specific class you wish to view, along with how many weeks/classes that Tuition Cost covers.

Private Guitar, Piano, or Voice lessons need to be scheduled with each individual instructor. Please contact them via their email or phone number provided at the bottom of their Bio/Classes offered page.

There are some classes that are appropriate for other ages. Please reach out to the individual teacher to ask and get approval for your student to be in their class if they do not fall into the assigned grade/age level. For example: A student who is more advanced in some areas of learning may request and be placed in a grade above their current grade level. Or there may be a student that you feel would be better suited in a lower grade level than their age for a particular subject.

You can make money$$ by subbing for other people’s volunteer spots when they can not fulfill them, or sub for those who chose to “opt-out” of their volunteer obligations by paying a $140 fee. This fee covers to pay for volunteers to fill-in for their required service hours. You will be paid $40 each time you sub for someone else’s time slot. If you would like to be one of the first people contacted to sub for these roles, please sign up to be on the Buy-Out List and please give your name, number, and email. A sign-up sheet for the Buy-Out List will be made available at the Family Orientation Meeting on Aug. 26th, 2024. Otherwise please contact Jessica Steinke - Director of Service Teams jessica.lee.steinke@gmail.com to be put on the Buy-Out List.

The Buy-Out list is the list of people who WANT to be contacted to fill in for other people's servive time slots and get PAID $40! Please email Jessica Steinke - Director of Service Teams: jessica.lee.steinke@gmail.com

Please choose the "Volunteer OPT-OUT" Option upon registering for the Journey. By choosing the Opt-Out option you are paying extra for The Journey Board to find and pay a replacement for your volunteer position. If you did not choose the "Opt-Out" option at the beginning of the year and find that you can not serve your required time, you will need to find sub's for your spots and they will be paid out of your deposit you gave at the beginning of the year. One of the first places to look for subs is to email the people on the "buy-out" list.

You are required to find a sub to fill your service time and notify the Service Team director of a change to schedule. We require that each Journey member take personal responsibility for their service team requirements in the event they cannot fulfill them (if you drop out, have a sick child, etc.). The following are the steps/options for you to take should you need to find a sub. Option #1: MAKE A TRADE WITH A FELLOW PARENT VOLUNTEER If you can not fill your scheduled volunteer slot, simply call another parent volunteer to trade assigned dates with you. Then, once you make an agreement and a change to the schedule, you MUST notify the Service Team Director(Jessica Steinke) of the change ASAP. This option is a no-cost solution. Option #2: THE BUY-OUT LIST AND SECURE A SUB FOR PAYMENT If a trade is not an option to fill your scheduled volunteer slot, secure a replacement by contacting someone on the Buy Out List to volunteer for you in exchange for payment. You will need to make the arrangements for your substitute and you MUST notify the Service Team Director(Jessica Steinke) of the change ASAP. Payment for the sub will be taken out of your Volunteer deposit directly and paid to your replacement by the Treasurer. This option results in a $40 deduction from your Volunteer Deposit for each incident. If your use of the Buy-Out List exceeds two times, a $40 fee will be assessed to you for each incident beyond your Volunteer Deposit of $80. If you simply do not show up for your schedule volunteer slot, and the Service Team Director has to find someone to serve on your behalf, you will forfeit the return of your volunteer fee($80) at the close of the year. Contact: Jessica Steinke - Director of Service Teams jessica.lee.steinke@gmail.com

First contact persons from The Buy-Out List. This list is of people who want to be contacted to serve and get paid for filling-in for others. The Buy-Out list was emailed to all Journey members at the beginning of the year, so can be found there. (For privacy of personal information, this list cannot be published to our website.) If you are in need of the Buy-Out List or further help please Contact: Jessica Steinke - Director of Service Teams jessica.lee.steinke@gmail.com

Short Answer: It depends on many factors, but on average for those that have chosen the "Volunteer Option" it has been 6-10hrs per school year per family. Long Answer: Every member’s involvement and cooperation is what makes the co-op function efficiently. We require active participation in our group, so please join ONLY if you are interested in becoming fully committed. With this team approach to getting things done, we enjoy a strong and bonded sense of community with room for growth. One parent of each Journey family is required to be part of a service team and will serve all year in one designated area of the co-op. The number of times you are required to serve changes from year to year and depends upon the number of classes in which your children are enrolled as well as the number of families registered in the co-op. When you register, you will complete a Service Team Form where you may indicate your preferences for where you would most like to serve. We have a Service Team Director who will assign, organize, and assist you with your service team responsibilities. We do not require that you remain in the building if you are not serving.

Nursery, unfortunately, will not be available this year to utilize during your service time. Please make outside childcare arrangements and plan to serve without your small children. The other option for members is to choose the "Opt-Out" option when registering for Journey Classes, where you opt-out of your required volunteer hours for an additional $140 fee and The Journey then takes care of finding someone for your required volunteer hours.