Policies

Policies

Northwest Home Educators is a Christian homeschool support group for families who are educating their children at home. Our mission is to glorify God by supporting and encouraging one another through prayer, mentoring and fellowship as we educate our children at home. We work to enhance your family’s home education experience through field trips and celebrations.

Membership requires the family to be home educating according to Texas State Law. Each member will be responsible for helping with the success of the events by holding a position within the group. Members must read this document, including but not limited to, the Mission Statement, Statement of Faith, and Policies and agree to uphold the Christian convictions of NWHE while participating in any NWHE activity.

Mission Statement:  

Our mission is to support and encourage one another through prayer, fellowship and mentorship opportunities for our children, while we continually strive to glorify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

All members of NWHE, must sign a statement of faith that they believe and agree with the following:

  • We believe the Holy Bible, both Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God. They are without error, the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men, and the divine and final authority of all Christians’ faith and life.
  • We believe in one God, Creator of all things, and infinitely perfect.
  • We believe that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He died on the cross, the sacrifice for our sins according to the Holy Bible. Further, He rose bodily, from the dead, showed Himself risen, ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He now is our Priest and Advocate.
  • We believe the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and during this age, to convict men, regenerate the believing sinner, indwell, guide, instruct, and empower the believer for godly living and sacrifice.
  • We believe salvation is only through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ by His shed blood. It is received, through faith and repentance, and results in a new nature, which is nothing less than participation in the life of God, who makes all things new.
  • We believe that the Holy Bible teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ could physically return at any moment for His church. This coming will occur before He sets up His earthly kingdom and is a present motivation for godly living.
  • We believe in the resurrection of the dead; of the believer to everlasting life and joy with the Lord, and of the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting separation from God.
  • We believe in a Christian worldview that encompasses the following truths:
    • Sanctity of Life according to Psalm 139:13-17
    • Sanctity of Man-Woman Marriage according to Genesis 2:18-24 and Mark 10:6-9
    • A Commitment to the Local Church according to Hebrews 10:25
    • A Commitment to Living a God Honoring Life according to 1 Corinthians 5:9-13

Payment Policies and Registration

We are a support group that is dependent upon its members being actively involved.  We require each member to hold at least one position, which may require more than a one-day commitment.  Please look over each job description carefully and contact the chairman if you have any questions about what is required. You may choose a chairman position for a $30 membership fee, or a committee member position for a $45 membership fee.  Dues are prorated for members joining between February and May.  Your registration is not considered complete until you have remitted the full payment based on your volunteer commitment.  (A chairman position requires more volunteer time and commitment than a committee member position).

Registration typically takes place at the beginning of June for returning members and the beginning of July for new members.  We typically have an orientation and MNO in August to kick off the school year.  Members are welcome to schedule events during the summer for the group.  NWHE offers field trips, park days, MNO and volunteer events, parties, and tween/teen get togethers from September through May.  

Volunteer assignments are assigned on a first come basis and are done so following completed registrations (meaning associated forms and fees are paid).  We try to give preference to participant’s choices as well as group needs and gifting.  We do not hold volunteer positions and ask that every member fill out a first, second and third choice when registering.

Some events (parties, field trips, etc) have additional costs.  These associated fees will be communicated beforehand to all members typically via the sign-up sheets as well as on the website and email.  

Payments should be made to the treasurer, registrar or their designee — this would be another Steering Member, but would be communicated by the treasurer herself.  We accept cash, check (payable to NWHE) or Paypal payments via friends and family to nwhe.sa@gmail.com.  (We hope in the future to offer Zelle as well).  

Attendance

There is no minimum meetup requirement for NWHE after your initial event (i.e park day, MNO, field trip, etc).  Your family may come to as many or as few events as fits your schedule and preference.  Most events will have a sign-up sheet, accessible from the members’ website.  Please make sure to sign up for events that you would like to attend by the event deadline.  If your family can no longer make it to an event, please make sure to remove your name from the sign-up sheet and let the host know.  Members are expected to be on time for field trips and to attend unless there is illness or a family emergency.  This helps us to keep a good reputation with the various establishments and businesses we frequent and respects everyone’s time and resources.  (Just think your family might be the reason an extra docent or tour was added).

Allergen/Nut Free Policy

We are a nut and peanut free group.  We have a few members who can go into anaphylactic shock due to touching surfaces that have been exposed to peanuts or tree nuts.  Additionally, the church where we sometimes host events is a peanut and nut free campus.  In order to keep everyone safe, no peanut or tree nut products should be at a NWHE event.  Processed food should be made in a factory that is free of these items.  (If the packaging states that the food may contain peanuts or tree nuts, please keep it at home).  Finally, with the exception of Mom-Night-Out potlucks, we ask that no homemade items are shared with the group at park days, field trips, parties, tween/teen night or other events.

Code of Conduct

No clothing containing profanity or offensive imaging should be worn to a NWHE event.

Illness/Covid Policies

In order to try to serve all of our members, our current masking policy is that for any event or field trip we ask that all members adhere to the regulations of the establishment. If they ask that we wear masks, we will honor them and do so. For events hosted by NWHE, masks are not required; however, members who wish to wear them are welcomed to do so.  We ask that all members respect the choices other families make regarding their health; please refrain from commentary about another family’s choices. If you have a positive Covid case in your home or have been exposed to Covid please follow the CDC guidelines for quarantining before participating in events.  This helps keep our other members, some of whom have immunocompromised children, safe.

We also ask that if ANYONE in your household has been sick in the past 48 hours that you do not come to any NWHE function within that time frame.  This includes but is not limited to, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever, not just Covid.  

Wound Treatments/First Aid

Parents are responsible for their children’s medical care.  To that end, please attend events with reasonable medical supplies in hand (bandaids, antibiotic creams, allergy medications, etc.).  If a child is injured beyond normal playground scrapes (example, example, example), then that child’s parent or caregiver is expected to obtain the needed medical care (calling ambulance services, taking the child to a pediatrician, etc).  If a child is injured at tween or teen night, volunteers will assist the child to the best of their ability while they wait for the parent to arrive.  NWHE volunteers are not required to be trained in First Aid or CPR.   NWHE and its volunteers will not provide medical care for injured children and there is no nurse on site.  We cannot administer medication.  In the event of an emergency 911 will be called first and then a parent will be notified.

Supervision at Events

For all of our events, excepting the middle and high school nights or when otherwise explicitly stated by the event host, parents are expected to remain on site and supervise their children.  No one from NWHE or its board will monitor your child(ren). If you make arrangements with another NWHE family to transport your child(ren) to an event, make sure that they understand they will be responsible for supervising your child(ren) at the event.  

Middle and High School Nights

Our middle and high school hangout events typically take place on the second Friday of the month from 6:30-8:30 pm.  Parents may drop their child(ren) off for these nights, provided we have a waiver on file for your family and that there are two adult volunteers present in your child(ren)’s room.  If your child attends with a cellphone, it needs to remain put away while at “tween/teen” time.  If a child is on his/her phone, the phone may be confiscated until pickup. Parents are expected to arrive on time for pickup.  

Middle and High School night is a fun event that this age group looks forward to attending.  Participants are expected to follow a basic code of conduct (including, but not limited to, no bullying, following directions of adult volunteers, and not wandering around the church).  Failure to comply with these directives may result in a child having to attend with a parent or guardian or not being able to attend tween/teen nights.

Volunteer Expectations

Volunteerism is an integral part of our group.  Volunteers are expected to attend all planning meetings and check emails frequently.  Volunteers are expected to be on time to events.  Volunteers are also expected to help tidy up after events.  Volunteers should not expect childcare at an event for their own children. Membership may be revoked if you do not honor your volunteer commitment to the group.  If you are facing a family hardship or circumstance that would make volunteering with the group difficult, please contact the Registrar or another member of Steering to see if you qualify for an exemption.


General Membership Information

It is at the Steering Committee’s discretion each year to set a limit on the membership. However, this is not a favorable action and the Steering Committee will go to great lengths to keep membership open. In the event the group is at maximum membership, a waiting list will be maintained. Members of Northwest Community Church may join NWHE at any time.

Membership has traditionally been extended to anyone homeschooling a child that is in Kindergarten or higher.  Membership may be extended to those who are homeschooling a preschool aged child who is at least 4, but this is at the discretion of the Steering Committee.

The Steering Committee reserves the right to refuse membership (either ongoing or new) to any person, for any reason that is necessary for the safety of NWHE members, whether that be for physical, spiritual or emotional protection.

Membership may be revoked by a simple majority vote of the Steering Committee (in the event of a tie, the Chairman casts the deciding vote) when a member has failed to comply with any of the foregoing policies of NWHE.

While at events, please understand that others may inadvertently take pictures of your child by other members.  We ask that you do not publish photographs of other children to your personal social media without their parents’ consent. Please understand that NWHE cannot guarantee your family’s privacy.

The NWHE email loop is for NWHE members’ postings ONLY. No business (home-based or otherwise) may be advertised on the e-loop. No other solicitations will be permitted. Members are encouraged to communicate information or opportunities that might benefit homeschooling families. Personal property of NWHE members may be requested or offered for free or sale. No political items may be posted, unless they directly pertain to homeschoolers and then ONLY posted by giving a website where the information may be found. (Note: subject line must read “political”).

All activities, classes, events and parties that are not sanctioned by NWHE, but are advertised or announced on the NWHE e-loop, must clearly communicate that they are not endorsed or sponsored by our group.

A roster is kept in the NWHE  Member site.  It may be printed out, if you wish. (Only current members have access to our Member site, so the information is secure). This roster is for NWHE business ONLY. It is not to be shared with any non-NWHE member, used for mailing lists, sales or any other unauthorized purpose.