Community Guidelines

At Firefly Homeschool Community, inclusion is at the core of who we are. We welcome and affirm people of every nation of origin, race, ethnicity, immigration status, religious affiliation (all faith/non-faith belief systems), disability status, and LGBTQIA+ identity.

Our community values and prioritizes respectful communication, mutual understanding, and empathy. The health of our community is dependent on all members committing to the practice of these values.

Code of Conduct

FHC expects that all of our members will adhere to the following:

Joining FHC indicates a willingness to be respectful of other members’ beliefs or lifestyles, even when those beliefs or lifestyles do not reflect your own.
We support the right of personal expression.
We respect and affirm every individual’s sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
We affirm the right of all individuals to form and express their own personal preferences. We believe that no one has the right to force their personal preferences onto others.
We believe that everyone should have the right to feel safe from unwanted physical contact, sexual harassment, intimidation, and ridicule.
We believe that no one should intentionally harm another person.

Behavior Policy

All FHC participants, youth and adults, are expected to conduct themselves with respect, self-control, responsibility, and accountability to themselves, others, and the spaces we occupy.

Specifically, the following behaviors are not acceptable:

Violence or aggression, either physical or verbal
Bullying, including cyber bullying (Bullying is when an individual or a group of people perceived to have more power repeatedly and intentionally cause hurt or harm to another person or group of people)
Discrimination
Damage to property or facilities caused intentionally
Behavior that violates a person’s and/or family’s boundaries
Behavior that is consistently disrespectful to fellow students, parents, teachers, directors, or other members of the community
Refusal to follow safety rules and directions as expressed by directors and teachers

No electronic devices, electronic games, ipods, cell phones, toys, or stuffed animals should be used while in the classroom, unless a teacher has given express permission to do so. If a student brings a cell phone to FHC they need to completely silence their device and use only before and after classes in common areas outside the classroom. The use of these devices and/or toys during instructional time without the permission of the teacher, or in a disruptive manner in the co-op setting is prohibited. Teachers may confiscate any item causing a distraction to be returned to the parent. Exceptions to this policy will be considered on a case by case basis; please contact us at [email protected] with a special circumstance.

No weapons of any kind including, but not limited to guns, knives, or pocket knives are allowed on-site at any time. Any of these items found in a student’s possession will be confiscated and returned to the parent.

Teachers will practice values-based behavior management through use of student-generated agreements and contracts, zero-indifference, and/or restorative justice.

Student-Generated Agreements and Contracts: Involves students in the design of classroom discipline policies which will create a shared ownership of the classroom culture. Students work on policies as a class, but teachers can also work individually with any students that need extra support
Zero-Indifference: Means never letting harmful or disrespectful conduct or conflict go unaddressed; teachers will always respond to these behaviors.
Restorative Justice: Approach to discipline that emphasizes repairing harm and restoring relationships rather than relying on punishments.

It is imperative that all FHC participants, adults and youth, understand and comply with the above expectations; Parents, please discuss them with your children and make sure they understand these expectations.

Violations of expected behavior and/or community guidelines will be addressed first with the student and serve as a warning. If an additional violation occurs, the instructor will inform and discuss this with the student’s parents, and may include director support. Repeated violations or those of a particular severity will result in notification of the directors and one of the student’s parents being required to accompany the student to classes/events and remain with them as long as deemed necessary by instructors, directors, and/or the Board.

Parents who are required to attend classes with their child must sign a Parent Agreement and submit to a background check and are responsible for costs incurred.

Please note: Only parents who have been required and/or invited to accompany their child may sit in and attend classes. If you require a special circumstance, contact FHC at [email protected] and consideration will be given on a case by case basis at the discretion of FHC leadership. Our goal is for children to move toward independence whenever possible.

Removal Policy

The FHC Board reserves the right to dismiss any student or family from any and all classes and activities, or to revoke membership from FHC at any time. Behavior from any member, adult or child, that is destructive to the co-op and/or violates the safety and security of any member(s), teacher(s), and/or director(s) will not be tolerated. No money will be refunded.

Special Needs

Our aim is to help all children participate in this community in a way that feels successful to them. On our medical form, we welcome any information or insight from parents regarding a child’s physical or behavioral challenges in order to best support them. We will do our best to facilitate communication between parents and teachers to determine a plan that works for all. When a student’s needs or challenges outweigh the capacity of our instructors, we will ask a parent to attend class alongside their child to provide individual guidance and support. As a homeschool co-op, we do not have the same resources as a public school, so we rely on parents to directly support their child as a personal aide. This parent participation allows us to create a successful, inclusive learning environment. Parents who attend classes with their child will be required to sign a Parent Agreement and submit to a background check and are responsible for costs incurred. In some rare cases, even with parent participation, it may be determined that a child’s needs and/or behaviors are beyond the resources of FHC and a setting better suited to their specific needs may be appropriate.