Policies

PEACH Policies

Revised July 2007

Note: Policies are determined by the PEACH officers in accordance with the ByLaws.

PEACH Mission
PEACH exists to provide support, encouragement, and fellowship to independent Christian homeschooling families and to provide information about home education.

PEACH Definition of Home Education
Homeschooling or home education is defined as a parent/guardian providing annual notification of homeschooling to the appropriate superintendent, directs 50% or more of the education at home and is personally responsible for funding the education. Another acceptable definition is if the parent administers an “08″ school, has a bachelor’s degree and opposes government controlled education because of religious beliefs.

Statement of Faith
At least one parent must indicate by signature on the membership application that they are in agreement with the PEACH statement of faith. No changes (additions or subtractions), notes, or comments are permitted regarding the statement of faith.

Announcements
Events/Opportunities offered by local Christian schools to home educators should be made known through the newsletter or the PEACH Announcement list with a disclaimer. Making such announcements at meetings takes up valuable time and could be perceived as something that PEACH endorses. Our policy should be one of neutrality.

Book It!
Anyone in the PEACH Book It! program must be a current PEACH member.

Care Groups
Care Groups are for PEACH members only.

Child Care
PEACH does not provide child care at the monthly meetings. However, you are welcome to bring your children and keep them with you. If they become disruptive, you make take them in to the nursery, but please accompany them in there. There is a speaker in there and you will still be able to hear the meeting.

Email Policy

1. PEACH Announcement List:

To ensure that important PEACH information is distributed in a timely manner, members are automatically invited to the Announcement list. Only PEACH officers may post to the Announcement list. The Announcement list will be used for:

  • The newsletter link each month.
  • Meeting and activity reminders.
  • Urgent prayer requests concerning immediate members of PEACH families.
  • Legislative alerts concerning home education rights, family issues, and religious liberties.
  • Other official PEACH business.

2. PEACH Discussion List:

Membership to this list is optional. The purpose of this list is to facilitate communication between PEACH members. Discussion is encouraged, but please keep topics family oriented since children may have access to messages posted. Any questions concerning topics of discussion should be directed to the PEACH leadership at peachdiscussowner@yahoogroups.com. If the topic of discussion would not be of interest to the entire group, please continue your discussion privately. The PEACH officers reserve the right to moderate posts to the PEACH lists. Examples of appropriate posts would include:

  • Items for sale.
  • Items you might want to see or are looking to buy.
  • Questions about curriculum.
  • Other homeschooling related questions.
  • Activity opportunities that are not specifically PEACH related.
  • Prayer requests.

3. Joining the PEACH e-mail lists: All new members will be sent invitations to the Peach e-mail lists. Members can request an invitation by e-mailing the membership vice president. Members can log into yahoo groups to maintain their yahoo groups lists. At http://www.yahoogroups.com , you may sign into yahoo groups and choose how you wish to receive your message, i.e. individual email messages, daily digest, or no mail (reading the messages on the website). Instructions on how to make these changes are available at the yahoo groups website. To post to the discussion list, send your messages to peachdiscuss@yahoogroups.com.

Endorsement of Events
In order for the PEACH name to be used for an event, activity or organization, a written request must be submitted for approval by the PEACH officers.

Field Trips
Reservation deadlines are determined by the field trip coordinator and will vary by event. Please check announcements carefully for detailed information.

Cancellations of a registration will be refunded if possible. If you are registered for a field trip and cannot attend, you must notify the field trip coordinator BEFORE the trip. If you do not attend and do not notify, you will be charged a $5.00 “no-show” fee and forfeit any refunds due you. You may pay the fee by the honor system to the PEACH treasurer.

Parents are responsible for their children’s behavior. Children are expected to be polite, respectful, attentive, and courteous. During a field trip, children should have an attitude of learning. Remember, our children’s behavior will not only reflect on us as parents, but on home education as a whole. Therefore, try to keep your children grouped with you during tours to help uphold this behavior policy. If there is a behavior problem during a field trip, the field trip coordinator has the authority to ask you to leave the tour.

Teens attending teen field trips must be accountable to an adult present on the trip, someone other than the trip coordinator. There will be no public display of affection (PDA) between non-family members on teen trips. (This has not been a problem. It’s just a policy.)

Non-members families may attend a PEACH field trip if all of the following criteria are met:

1. They are a guest of a member family

2. A fee of $2.00 per family is paid to the field trip coordinator. This is over and above the cost of the field trip itself. An exception is made for special helpers such as grandparents. They may attend for no additional fee. Special helpers bringing non-member children will be assessed the $2.00 fee.

3. Space must be available. PEACH member families are given priority when space is limited.

Non-homeschooled siblings of PEACH families may attend PEACH field trips.

Field trips are not drop off activities. A responsible adult must accompany all children.

Skates are covered under field trip policies.

PEACH Bees and Fairs
Participation in (Spelling bee, Geography bee, History Fair, Science Fair, etc.)

1. Children must be part of a PEACH member family.

2. Non-homeschooled children of PEACH member families may not participate in PEACH Bees and Fairs.

Graduation
1. The PEACH president shall appoint the Graduation Coordinator, as per PEACH by-laws, Article VI - Duties of Officers. “The president shall: “appoint committee heads”.

2. All participating families must have been members of PEACH by January 1 of the previous school year (Graduating student’s junior year of high school).

3. All participating seniors must be home schooled as defined in the PEACH by-laws. The PEACH leadership team will consider any special circumstances on an individual basis.

4. All graduates, parents/guardians, junior representatives and anyone closely associated with the ceremony must attend a mandatory rehearsal.

5. Parent(s)/guardian(s) and graduates must make every effort to attend and participate in planning meetings. Each family will be expected to have at least one parent/guardian participate in planning by volunteering for a committee.

6. All participating families must be willing to contribute to the cost of graduation operational expenses (i.e. monetary gifts for speakers, musicians, emcee, decorating expenses, etc.) Amount will be determined by the coordinator at the first planning meeting after membership deadline.

7. Each family will be responsible for their own personal expenses due to graduation (i.e. rental of cap and gown, personal open house/parties, any cost pertaining to any graduate activities organized by the activity committee, senior pictures and announcements, gifts, etc.).

8. Junior class representatives must be graduating or considering graduation the subsequent year with PEACH. Siblings of the current senior class will be considered first in representing the junior class before the general PEACH membership.

9. All parents and graduates will be supportive and respectful of each family’s God directed plans for each individual home school, while striving to have a Christ-like attitude during all meetings, activities, rehearsals, etc . . .

Library
Any member of PEACH shall have access to this Library subject to the following policies:

1. A maximum of 2 materials may be retained for 4 weeks. No renewals.

2. Fines on overdue books and tapes shall be $1.00 per month.

3. No member shall be permitted to lend library materials to another person.

4. All damaged books shall be made good to the satisfaction of librarian, by the member.

5. The member shall pay for all books and tapes lost or destroyed at their current value.

6. No member shall be permitted to take a book or tape from the library while any fine against the family remains unpaid.

7. All unpaid fines will be added to the membership fee at the time of renewal.

8. The PEACH Library’s purpose is to provide helpful quality-oriented information. Each individual family must use their own discretion in using the available information as God would direct.

Membership Effective Date
Families shall not be considered active members until signed application, signed statement of faith, and dues have all been received.

Payments
PEACH will not accept post dated checks. See the treasurer to make alternative arrangements if necessary.

Newsletter
The newsletter editor(s) and leadership of PEACH reserve the right to edit or refuse publication of anything submitted to the newsletter at their discretion.

  • PEACH members may submit personal classified ads at no charge as often as they wish to do so.
  • PEACH newsletter will not accept any paid advertisements.

Reimbursement of PEACH Expenses
Any expenses incurred for PEACH, except monthly newsletter expenses, above the amount of $25.00 must be approved by the treasurer. All receipts must be turned in, signed, and may be original or hand-written.

Testing
Non-homeschooled children of PEACH families MAY NOT participate in PEACH testing. We want to afford our children the best atmosphere for testing to provide the opportunity to concentrate and to allow them to demonstrate their knowledge. Therefore, the test administrator will maintain a high degree of discipline in the classroom. This includes: total quiet during each test period-no whispering, eating, playing, or any other distracting activities will be allowed. As each child enters the room, food and toys will be deposited in a designated place. Students may only take needed testing materials and items such as books or seat work with them to their seat. Also, no parent may be a test administrator or helper in his/her child’s class.

Change Notice
Unlike the bylaws, which have to be voted on by the membership, policies are determined by PEACH officers and can be changed at any time without notice. Please check the website www.peachhomeschool.org for the most recent version.