Homeschool Collective meets every Wednesday from 12:30 to 3:00pm, September through May.

Important Summer Date: Aug 21st - Parent Orientation at 6:30pm

September Dates: 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th

October Dates: 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th

November Dates: 6th, 13th, 20th

December Dates: 4th, 11th, 18th

January Dates: 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th

February Dates: 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th

March Dates: 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th

April Dates: 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th

May Dates: 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th

June Dates: 4th

Click here for a printable calendar.

We start gathering around 12:30pm on Wednesdays. This time can be used to participate in the optional kids bible study, prepare for your electives, to eat lunch, and parents can watch children play outside. We then gather at the lodge for announcements around 12:50-12:55pm. We’ll break into our smaller groups, and then dismiss to electives at 1pm. Electives run from 1-2pm. Then Flex Time runs from 2pm-3pm.

We do not follow any type of curriculum. The electives are 100% parent inspired and taught. Parents often teach a skill or interest of their own. Others are inspired by Pinterest or suggestions from our kids. Sometimes they’ll use teach something from our running list of elective ideas. Some examples of previous electives: first aid, cake decorating, mountain biking, story writing, cooking, wood shop, crafts, sewing, sports, outdoor survival, fishing, geography, archery, gooey science, etc.

A parent from each family in our Collective is responsible to plan and lead three small classes during the 2024-2025 year. We call these small classes electives. Electives run for three Wednesdays each month. Each elective leader will have at least one parent helper assigned with them. We know this sounds intimidating if you’re unfamiliar with Collective. However, we have a running list of ideas for you, the internet is at your fingertips, and this is an incredibly supportive group. We promise you can do this!

Parents are also responsible for cleaning up spaces used for their electives. These spaces are to be left in the state that they are found in. Parents are also responsible for cleaning up the lodge. The lodge cleaning schedule is determined by alphabetical order.

Families are also responsible to maintain a 75% attendance rate at Collective. This is essential in order for Collective to operate successfully. Families will need to attend meetings and Wednesday gatherings 75% of the time to retain their spot in the group. If families become inactive their spots may be given to waitlisted families.

If you will be absent from Collective you will need to do the follow; please email the leadership team at cleelumcollective@gmail.com AND finding coverage for my responsibilities for that day, including but not limited to my elective and my cleaning duties.

We utilize email and our private Facebook group for all communication. Our most consistent stream of information about events, elective, updates, etc is the once weekly email that is sent to every Collective member.

Our Think Time Behavior Strategy strives to catch unsafe and unwanted behaviors early, and is intended to teach children self-control skills, not to be a punishment technique.

When a child needs to fill out a “think time” sheet because of their behavior, they will sit down in a quiet space with their parent and our think time mediator to reflect on their choices and the incident. They can fill out the think time sheet themselves or dictate their answers to an adult.

Our behavior expectations for all Collective members (children and adults) can be summarized simply: safety and respect. The priority at Homeschool Collective and Camp Koinonia is to provide a safe program for everyone. Any behavior that threatens the safety of self or others is not acceptable. Homeschool Collective and Camp Koinonia respect the rights and dignity of all people, and we expect everyone else to do the same while they are at camp. Any behavior that is disrespectful to others is not acceptable.

The following are Camp Koinonia’s behavior expectations for campers during day camp. Please read through this with your child before camp starts.

While at Collective and Camp Koinonia, I agree to:

• Maintain a positive attitude and an open mind for learning

• Show respect and obey ALL adults in authority

• Show respect and honor peers (zero tolerance for rude, mean or bullying behavior)

• Respect the camp’s property. If you break something at camp, the camp will expect compensation.

• Respect individual’s property: devices, projects, bags, etc

• Abstain from verbal or written profanity.

• Abstain from gossip or excluding members of the community we have built.

• Arrive at events, trips, sessions, or classes on time out of respect for other families, facilitators, and leadership

• Clean up after yourself (parents help your younger children) at all functions, classes and events.

• Abstain from using or having possession of any alcohol, tobacco, vaping, or electronic cigarettes products, or illegal substances

• Understand that weapons are strictly prohibited (firearms, knives, tasers, pepper spray, etc.)

• Children and parents should limit cell phone usage when possible.

• Follow the resolution of incidents and conflicts noted on back page.

Although none of these behaviors are acceptable within the Homeschool Collective, it is important to have a shared language and understand the difference between these behaviors so that when we address it with children, we are clear about how the behavior was wrong and what we can do to resolve it.

Rude = Inadvertently saying or doing something that hurts someone else

• Rudeness might look like burping in someone’s face, jumping ahead in line, bragging, eating a bite of someone’s snack without permission, etc. Incidents of rudeness are usually spontaneous, unplanned, inconsiderate, based on thoughtlessness or poor manners, but the motive behind rudeness is not to actually hurt someone.

Mean = Purposefully saying or doing something to hurt someone

• The main distinction between “rude” and “mean” behaviors lies in the motive. Rudeness is unintentional, but mean behavior aims to hurt or depreciate someone. Kids are mean when they criticize clothing, appearance, intelligence or anything they can find to denigrate. Meanness can also be words spoken in anger — impulsive cruelty is often regretted in short order. Rudeness that is repeated after it has been addressed can also cross the line into meanness.

Bullying = Intentionally aggressive behavior, repeated over time, that involves an imbalance of power and bullying entails three key elements:

• An intent to harm

• A power imbalance

• Repeated acts or threats of aggressive behavior.

• Kids who bully say or do something intentionally hurtful and continue doing it with no sense of regret or remorse, even when the victim expresses hurt and tells the aggressor to stop. Bullying may be physical, verbal, relational, or carried out via technology. Physical aggression includes hitting, punching, kicking, spitting, tripping, hair-pulling, etc. Verbal aggression includes abusive and hurtful words to intimidate and/or denigrate. Relational aggression includes social exclusion, shunning, hazing, intentional embarrassment, and rumor spreading.

First Incident: Child and parent sit with the think time mediator to fill out a behavior think time sheet. Once the sheet is completed the child will rejoin the group.

Second Incident: Child and parent sit with the think time mediator to fill out a think time sheet. If a child has already filled out a sheet for the same behavior issue once in the same month, the child will remain with his parents for the remainder of the day.

Third Incident: Child and parent sit with the think time mediator to fill out a behavior think sheet. If a child has already filled out a sheet for the same behavior issue twice in the same month, the child will finish out the day with their parents and then be asked to miss the next collective day.

Parents/guardians are also expected to act in accordance with the general expectations. We know parent conflicts also occur at times. Anything that cannot be handled 1-1, we ask that parents include a 3rd party to help resolve the situation. If it is still not resolved, the parents can choose to agree to disagree or move on from the program.

We encourage you to reach out to the leadership team with any questions or concerns - cleelumcollective@gmail.com