community handbook - Classical Conversations Cocoa Community

Community Handbook
Cocoa, FL Classical Conversations Community 2014-2015
Cocoa First Assembly ~ 3757 North US 1, Cocoa, FL 32926
“To Know God and MaKe HiM Known”
Akiane
Kramarik
At eightyears-old,
Akiane
decided she
wanted to
paint the
face of
Jesus.
Akiane’s
painting of
Jesus was a
painstaking
effort. “The
‘Prince of
Peace’ took
me 40 hours
to paint and
another 20
hours of
working
with model
sketching,”
Akiane
says. She
deftly works
with light
and
shadows to
create
powerful
impressions.
“The light
side of his
face represents the
truth, the
dark side
represents
suffering,”
WWW.COCOACOMMUNITY.WEEBLY.COM
July 2014
Greetings Classical Educators...aka: Parent/Teachers!
Welcome to the Classical Conversations Cocoa Community! I hope this year will be full of many
days of joy and growth in “knowing God and making Him known” in every area of your lives! Meeting on
Fridays will be source of encouragement as we walk this path together and find the treasures of truth
everywhere we dig. Isaiah shares with us:
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:28-31 ESV
Knowing the source of all knowledge and wisdom...the Lord…is our most amazing strength as
parent educators. I could share a million things with you on how to make this a successful year , but truly
only “one thing is needed,” and that is that we stay close to our God and keep our minds growing in His
Word. He will lead you as you seek Him, help you as you encounter the inevitable days of trial and rejoice
with you as you see the many days of growth.
Remember you are not alone, the Tutors, Directors and fellow parents have faced many of the challenges you will face this year. Seek their wisdom and experience...ask a million questions and may we
each humbly find answers together.
Remember you will be arriving at 9:00 am each Friday morning to get nametags, take a restroom
break, drop off lunch & backpack in your students room and arrive in Assembly by 9:15 am.
As Foundations Director, I am here to help you in any way I can. Please do not hesitate to ask me anything. If I am able, I will do all that is possible to assist you or point you to someone who can! I am learning along with each of you as well. I have purposed my heart to “Enjoy the journey” with you! Some days
we will coast downhill and other days we will strain to get up a few steps, but we will laugh, cry, pray, and
encourage one another as we find that “two is better than one.”
I am praying for you dear friends and with great anticipation and great faith, knowing that God will
lead us where He has purposed us and each of our children to go.
Serving in His Grace & Strength . . .
Kim Merwin
Community day
What to bring:
For Nursery Children:
 Labeled diaper bag containing diapers, wipes, etc.
 Labeled snack and drink per child
For Foundations Children: (Tutor Specific)
 Your child’s supplies, which may include pencils, erasers, colored pencils, markers,
white-board eraser or sock, dry erase markers, ruler, scissors. Please label
For Essentials Children:
 Essentials Guide & IEW Workbooks. (Tutor will inform you.)
For Parents:
 Lunches for your family
 A snack, you need one
 Your Foundations Guide (weeks 7-12 Tin Whistle too!)
 The Essentials of the English Language (EEL) Guide (Essential’s Parents)
 Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) Guide (Essential’s Parents)
What to Leave…
Electronic devices are not needed on campus.
Parents, no cell phones ringing in class please.
No texting in class please.
Daily Schedule
8:00 am
8:30 am
8:45 am
9:00 am
9:10 am
12:00 pm
12:10 pm
12:55 pm
1:00 pm
3:00 pm
3:30 pm
Facility Opens
Challenge Program Begins
AM Job Responsibilities Completed
Foundations Families Arrive & Check-In
Foundations Opening Assembly
Complete Family Responsibilities
Lunch (supervising your children)
Notification of time to conclude
Essentials Program Begins
Essentials Program Ends
PM Job Responsibilities Completed
Challenge Program Ends

If your family responsibilities include an AM
job, please arrive by
8:45 am.

Please take your children to the restroom
before class begins.

All Challenge Students
will eat lunch in the
gym from 12-1pm unless
they are accompanied
by a Tutor or Parent.
Opening assembly

Opening assembly begins promptly at 9:10 am in the Main Auditorium. Children
should be seated with their tutors or parent.
 Each week, one family will lead our group in prayer and pledges, and will then
present material on a topic of their choice.
 Presentations may include songs, poems, demonstrations, visuals, skits, and audience
participation. Use your imaginations and your talents! Ideally, each Foundations student in your family
should be included in some way.
 Please keep your presentations under 5 minutes.
 After Assembly all classes will begin. We will not use the Main Auditorium again.
 We will be dismissing classes one at a time so the Tutors can walk with their classes to their room.
FAMILY PRESENTATIONS:
08/22
Merwin
08/29
Manzano
09/05
Lavender
09/12
Brown
09/19
McIntire
09/26
Peshek
10/10
Schrack
10/17
Tomlinson
10/24
Heath
10/31
Bush
11/7
Shropshire
11/14
Kilpi
Pledges:
01/9
01/16
01/23
01/30
02/06
02/13
02/27
03/06
03/13
03/20
04/03
Barbee
Grimstead
Lehmann
Liptac
Smith
McIntire
Shinpaugh
Green
Horr
Cherry
King
(If your family is absent
the day of your Family
Presentation, please call
one of the families below
to take your place.
(Bontrager, Williams, Costello, Feezor, Effinger,
Harrell, Compton, Phillips, Treder, Robinson,
Gable, Russo, )
PLEDGE TO THE BIBLE: I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy Word.
I will make it a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and hide it’s words
in my heart that I might not sin against God.
PLEDGE TO THE FLAG: I pledge allegiance to the
flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
JOHN 1:1-7 In the beginning was the Word—and the Word was with God and the Word was God—this was
with God in the beginning—all things were made through him—and without him nothing was made that
was made—in him was life and [his] life was the light of men—and the light shineth in the darkness—and
the darkness comprehended it not—there was a man sent from God—whose name was John—this man
came for a witness—to bear witness of the light—that all men through him might believe
PARENTS IN THE CLASSROOM :
Each parent is required to be in a class with one of their
Foundations children. This may need to be a bit sched3. PLEASE STAY IN THE SAME CLASS: on a given day. If
uled b/c all the Tutors will need the parents to help.
you must change classes, please change at the 30
minute break between classes.
1. EXPECT TO: help the Tutor during the class….she
will need you!
4. PLEASE DO NOT: Chat with other mothers while the
Tutor is instructing. This distracts and encourages
2. MODEL: the desire to learn. Your children will catch
the children to chatter too. No Cell phones. Thanks!
the passion and be encouraged!
Tutors
Each tutor will be unique in her style of teaching, even though the material presented will be the
same from class to class. It is also expected that there will be different methods of instruction used with different
age groups. Please keep these things in mind as you observe your child’s class. If you have any questions please
talk to your child’s tutor first.
Our method of tutoring is modeling. We demonstrate to both the students and their parents various methods of
memorizing grammar from all major subjects. The Tutor’s are trained to “drill-drill-drill” during New Grammar
and expound a bit more during Fine Arts, Science & Oral Presentations. The parents are the ones who get to dig
deeper during the week.
DISCIPLINE POLICY:

If conflicts arise within the classroom and on our campus, we will follow
the biblical standard set forth in Mathew 18.

If there is a problem with a child disrupting the class or acting in a manner that is disrespectful to the
others, he/she will be lovingly, but firmly advised to stop the behavior.

If the child continues to be disrespectful or disruptive, the child may be asked to leave the room and
sit with the parent. A follow-up conversation from the tutor to the parent will occur to discuss the
situation, and the Director will be advised of the situation.

“Pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.” Romans 14:19
Lunchtime

Lunch is from 12:10 to 1:00pm in the Gym or Outdoor Picnic Area. All families are
invited to join us for lunch and free time.

Parents with nursery age children—please pick up your children as soon as you can
so that the nursery attendant may have lunch.

Children MUST stay seated until 12:30. This allows everyone time to eat and be
still. Please keep your children with you at all times during lunch - no wandering
through the building or the grounds. At 12:30, the children are allowed to play with adult supervision.
They may not go into the woods or the cemetery. The playground may have splinters in it as it is wooden and old. So take care.

Please make sure your area is clean and cleared after lunch. Brooms & dustpans are available.
FACILITY REMINDER : Cocoa First Assembly is a wonderful facility, one that we are blessed to
share on Fridays. As members of the body of Christ, and in response to the generosity of CFA, our families
are asked to ALWAYS leave the building in the same or better condition than we found it. This includes not
only the classrooms, but also, the gym, the hallways and entry, the restrooms and the grounds. Please
take initiative and keep things neat and tidy as you use this facility throughout the day, and remain in the
areas of the facility designated solely for CC.
If you have a facility need such as a temperature concern or a maintenance issue, please let the Director
know. Please do not contact the church staff unless there is an emergency.
Weekly jobs

responsibilities
Each family in Classical Conversations shares the responsibilities associated
with gathering as a group. This primarily involves caring for our facility.
weaTHer cancellaTion policy…
If Brevard County has issued a hazardous
weather warning and cancelled classes for Brevard County, then we will also cancel classes. Please check
your email for a determination by 7:00 a.m. the morning of class.
Sick Child Policy







Questions to ask to see if you should stay home from school?
Does my child feel well enough to participate in the program activities? Sick children who are lethargic or
whiny are often giving clues that they would be better off resting at home.
Did the doctor diagnose a contagious illness? Pink eye, scabies, head lice, impetigo, strep infection,
whooping cough and chicken pox are highly contagious.
Fever above 99 degrees Fahrenheit.
Signs of possible severe illness such as uncontrolled coughing, difficulty breathing, wheezing, persistent
crying or lethargy.
Diarrhea (loose or runny stools), a stool that runs out of a diaper, or a sick child who cannot reach the
bathroom in time.
Vomiting...recommended to keep child away from others for 24 hours (minimum).
Any sort of rash, especially when accompanied by a fever or behavioral changes.
While having a sick child is a hardship for most families, it is most important that we follow the Golden Rule.
This will keep our community healthier and your family as well. Thank you for following these recommendations .
Dress Code
We all have different styles and creative bends...but, let’s be a community that dresses in a way that honors the Lord. This may be an area
many forget about, but clothes can honor the Lord too! Here are some
suggestions that will help.

If it’s too tight, it will draw attention to the area it is “tight fitting.”
That can be distracting 

If the neckline is too low...that can be distracting when we lean over a million times a day.

If the skirt or shorts are really short….yikes!

If there are words or characters on our t-shirts that are disrespectful….create a new dust rag. 

No hats like baseball caps in class….we just can’t see your eyes...and we love you!
Hope these ideas help. We want to be a community of grace, and yet grace protects and loves one an-
Memory master challenge
A Memory Master is a student who has mastered/memorized
ALL 100% of the material for a given Foundations Cycle. The
MM Challenge was designed to encourage excellence in subject grammar memorization and recitation, which are skills
that will serve students well along their educational journey.
Attempting to become a MM is optional.
You will find Cycle 3 Memory Master material on pages 109120 in your Foundation Guide.
You will find the Proof Sheets for Cycle 3 on page 20-206 and 211-212. These will help you proof your
student at the end of the year.
MEMORY MASTER PROOFING PROCESS: If your student can answer all of Cycle 3 New Grammar
Memory Work when you proof them on between April 1-16th, then you will pass them onto their Tutor
for a Tutor Proof around April 17th. If your student passes this proof, then they are passed onto to the
Director Proof on May 1st. If they pass this last proof they will be honored at the end of the year program as a Cycle 3 Memory Master.
Hint: Parents, do not tell your children that Memory Master is “hard”….they don’t know it’s hard. And
they can do it!
Specific details about Memory Masters Chalany questions, contact Kim Merwin.
lenge will be discussed later in the year. If you have
Field Trip Check-List
When planning a field trip, please double check that these items
are in your email or flyer:
 Name of Field Trip
 Who? What age groups are appropriate
 What? What is the trip about, what will we be doing?
 Where? Where is the location? Address?
 When? When is the date of the trip?
 Time? What time do we meet? Where?
 Cost? Is there a cost? Please be clear.
 Details? Do I need to have a paragraph with explanation and details?
 Contact Information? Who is planning this trip? Name & cell # &
email address.
 How? How do I sign up for your field trip? [Sign-Up sheet during assembly?] [Sign-up sheet at Info.Table?] [Email Sign-up?]
Promoting the Field Trip





Did I email my information to the Website Coordinator?
Do I need to print a flyer to hand out?
Should I invite the community through Facebook?
Should I invite the community through email?
Should I make one 8.5x11 flyer for the Info Table?
You can find field trip flyer ideas online (google images is one site)
Information
Website Information
Www.CocoaCommunity.weebly.com
 Community Directory (password protected online)
 Everything in this Community Hondbook you will find on the
website and more…(Oral Presentation Schedule, Field Trip Page,
Calendar, etc)
Notes
At Home
Oral Presentations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Eye Contact
Voice projection
Proper use of props & visual aids
Poise & posture
Content (prepare & practice)
Introduction & Conclusion
“um…” “...like” : do not use these
Tell, do not read
Time: 2-3 minutes
10. No passes...everyone speaks each wk.
11. Good audience skills
Science
“Ideas Only!”
New Grammar
Your new grammar can be similar to the classroom style or you can make it all your own. Idea
options:
1. White board
2. CD player or Ipod with Cycle 2 songs for
Timeline and Subjects.
3. Foundations Guide.
4. Timeline cards or Science Cards.
5. Printouts from CC Connected.
6. Flashcards.
7. A joyful heart!
History
Younger: If you want to dig deeper, find the
library books that connect with the New Grammar Science sentences, worksheets from CC
Connected and great web-based information.
Younger: If you want to dig deeper, find the library books that connect with the New Grammar History sentences, worksheets from CC Connected and great web-based information.
Older: Anatomy and Physiology by Apologia.
Classical Acts & Facts Science Cards (Anatomy &
Chemistry Origins) other great books as well.
Older: Story of the World History Series. Classical Acts & Facts History Cards and great books
from the library or home.
Language
Math
Younger: A Phonics, Reading & Writing Program
Older: You may want to include Spelling, Handwriting, Reading with Comprehension, Typing,
Beginner Logic, English Grammar….or you may
not. You get to plan your homeschool! Have
fun!
Finding a math curriculum that works well with
your student is important. Saxon Math is recommended in the CC Catalog and while this might
work great with your child, there are many great
options in the “world” of great curriculum out
there.
Combine Subjects and Do Not Over-do-it!: You may be able to combine subjects so when you study history, you may be able to accomplish: Reading, writing, spelling and
comprehension as well. If you are stressed out each day, you may be trying to “do” to much.
Notes
CC Community Calendar 2014-2015
July 2014
29
Challenge B & Challenge 1 Parent Orientation 3pm-5pm
29
Foundations Parent Orientation Night 7pm-8:30pm
August
1
Foundations Tutor Planning Meeting 9am-1pm
7
Essentials Parent Orientation (3pm Cherie) (6:30 Julie)
11
Essentials Parents IEW Training 4pm-8pm
15
First Day of Challenge Program (Wk1) Semester Begins!
22
First Day of Foundations/Essentials Program (Wk1)
September
22
27
Essentials Parents IEW Training 7pm-9pm
Foundations Tutor Planning Meeting 9am-12pm
October
3
Mid-Semester Break - No Classes - F/E & Challenge
10
Classes Resume (F/E Wk7), (Challenge Wk8)
17
Yearbook Picture Day -All Programs IncludedNovember
14
F/E Fall Semester Ends - Last Day of Classes
14
Olympic Review Games 12:30pm-1:30pm FUN!
21
Tutor/ Director Planning Meeting
28
Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend
December
12
Challenge Wk 15 - Fall Semester Ends
- - - - - -Winter Break - - - - - - January 2014
9
F/E & Challenge Programs Spring Semester Begins
23
Yearbook Picture Make-Up Day
30
Open House Day
February
20
Mid-Semester Break - No Classes - F/E & Challenge
20
Tutor / Director Planning Meeting
27
Classes Resume (F/E Wk 19), (Challenge Wk 7)
March
27
2014 Student Achievement Testing
- - -Spring Break - - - No Classes 23rd-27th
April
3
10
1-16
17
24
F/E & Challenge Classes Resume (Good Friday)
Foundation/Essentials - Last Day of Classes (Wk24)
Memory Master Parent Proofing
Memory Master Tutor Proofing
Memory Master Director Proofing
Parent Orientation Nights:
must attend the parent orientation meetings for Foundations and Essentials. Explanations will be given and important
topics will be covered.
Parent Equipping Days &
Nights: Join together with other parents and share your ideas, ask questions,
be encouraged and grow in your pursuit
of a Classical Christian Education!
Student Achievement Testing:
We will be administering the Stanford
Achievement Test. March Dates: TBA
Foundations Olympic
Review Games!
Join in the Olympic Review Games on
week 12 of the Foundations Program.
We will compete against each other to
see if we can get as many stickers as possible as we review weeks 1-12 of our New
Grammar Review Memory Work. The
students have so much fun!
Open House:
May
1
1
Challenge - Last Day of Classes (Wk30)
End of Year Celebration 7pm
You
Do you have a friend
that would like to visit and see what CC is
all about? Invite them to the Open
House Event.