• Home schoolers are held to a higher standard by the public than are other educational groups.  Although this may seem unfair, it is a reality we must deal with.  In recent years home schoolers have sometimes been refused due to “bad” experiences from previous home school field trip groups.  We need to present our best face to the world as a witness for our Lord Jesus Christ and for home schooling.  As guidance, please review and abide by these field trip policies.
• CHEER field trips are open to all current members whose dues are paid in full.  Please do not invite your friends, acquaintances, relatives, or prospective members to tag along.   Exceptions may be made for immediate relatives who actually reside in your home full-time.
• Field trips will be announced at monthly member meetings and by email only.  Courtesy to field trip organizers is expected by recognizing deadlines, age or grade limitations, and fees.  Participants should respond and pay any associated fees in a timely manner.  Your reservation can not be confirmed until payment is received.
• If you sign up, you should show up.  If you need to cancel, please do so at least 24 hours in advance.  Your courtesy will allow the coordinator to call those who may be on a waiting list.  Some field trips require a minimum number and one family can make a big difference when they are missing.
• Attire should be modest and in good taste.
• If practical, prepare your children in advance for the field trip.  Let younger ones know what they might expect to see.  This enables students to have a higher interest level. You may want to help them prepare a list of questions to ask the host.
• Please arrive for the field trip five minutes early and let the field trip coordinator know you have arrived.  If you are late, it may not be possible to allow you to join the group. 
• Parents must remain with their children (or close enough to control them) for the duration of the field trip.  Each parent is responsible for the behavior of his/her children.  This includes public or private forms of transportation CHEER may utilize or charter.  Non-attentive parents may be gently alerted to their child’s disruptions or wanderings.
• If you or your spouse are unable to attend a field trip due to a last minute emergency, you may send your children with their grandparent or another current CHEER member.  Please inform the field trip coordinator of the changes ahead of time.  In addition, be sure to fill out a medical permission sheet for each child and send it with them in case of an emergency.  Please acquaint the grandparent with the field trip policies so they know what to expect.
• If you or your child has a special need or require an accommodation, please email the field trip coordinator in plenty of time.  Due to circumstances out of our direct control, please understand not every field trip can be modified to fit every member’s particular circumstances.
• Participants are advised to check their email before leaving for the field trip to ensure no last minute changes developed.
• As you leave the field trip, please be sure you and your children thank our host and/or guide.  If your child would like to mail a thank you note or a drawing to that person, please contact the field trip coordinator for the business address.  This gracious act of kindness is wonderful PR (public relations), not only for CHEER but for home schoolers.
• Parents agree to assume any and all risks and liabilities associated with CHEER field trips or activities, including the public or private transportation to and from such an event.  The CHEER Leadership Committee and the Field Trip & Activities Coordinator shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct, indirect, punitive, special, incidental, or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any field trip.
• For the safety of our members, failure to abide by CHEER Field Trip and Activity policies may result in the suspension or loss of your family’s field trip privileges.
• Abiding by these policies will ensure that we have successful, fun, and educational field trips.

CHEER Library Policies

• CHEER library materials are available for all current members whose dues and library user fees are paid in full.  There are books, magazines, videos, and audio tapes in the library.  We encourage all members to take advantage of these great resources.  If there is an item you would like the library to acquire, please submit the title to our leadership committee for consideration.  A portion of our membership dues is used to procure new library materials. Please help us to be good stewards of these resources by keeping in mind the library guidelines.
• Checkout Period:  The checkout period for all materials is one month.
• Check out Limit:   A total of three (3) items per member may be checked out. 
• Library Fees:  A one-time $10 CHEER member library user fee will be paid to CHEER before a member can check out materials.  The amount will be held in CHEER funds. When a member exits CHEER, the CHEER treasurer will refund the library user fee once the member returns all CHEER library items to the librarian.  For ongoing CHEER members, the library user fee will be in effect for the lifetime of their membership.  The same refund policy will apply.
• Renewing Materials:  Items may be renewed only if no other member is waiting to check out that specific material.  Please check with a librarian about this since some items are very popular.
• Checkout Card:  Each item available for checkout (except catalogs and magazines) has a checkout card which must be completed prior to checkout.  On the card, please include both your first and last name and current phone number.  For books, the checkout card is located in the book pocket inside the cover of the book.  For other materials, the associated cards are in a card file box listed alphabetically.  Once the card is filled out, please return it to the librarian.
• Returning Materials:  Please place your returned materials in the “Return” box.
• Honor System:  The CHEER library operates on the honor system.  There are no fines for late materials.  We ask and expect all members to be good stewards of these materials by keeping track of them and returning them on time.
• Damaged Materials:  Accidents sometimes happen.  We feel confident our members will be honest and forthcoming to our librarians about any damage to CHEER library materials.  However, if the damage is extensive or ruins the material’s use or enjoyment by others, you may be asked to pay the replacement cost of that item.
• Late Materials:  Any item that has not been returned within two months will be included in the friendly reminder list of late materials.  This list will be available at the sign-in table at each meeting.  We may also call or email a friendly reminder.
• Lost Materials:  If you lose library materials, we ask that you notify the librarian immediately.  You may be asked to pay the cost of replacing that item. 
• Donations:  We welcome appropriate new donations to the library.  Please give the items to a librarian or one of the leadership committee members for review.

• Participants of the co-op must be members of CHEER or Meridian Assembly.
• Co-op meets the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.
• This is a co-op; therefore all parents are required to teach or co-teach at least one semester per year. When not teaching or co-teaching, parents are required to assist in some other way such as assisting in a class, watching younger children in the nursery, or participating in cleanup. Parents assisting in a class are required to be present in that classroom for the duration of the class.
• All parents must stay on campus at all times. We understand that some classes do not require very many helpers and that leaves some parents without a helping role; however, all participating parents must stay on campus. We do not have authorization for emergency care if your children should become hurt or ill.
• Additionally, we do not want this to become a babysitting time. This includes all co-op classes nursery thru high school.
• Only children who are registered may attend classes. That means that siblings, relatives, daycare children, etc. who are not registered are not permitted in classes. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you. Besides the co-op being full, teachers are planning on only the number of registered children.
• If you must miss a class, please contact the co-op coordinator. If your child is absent for two consecutive class periods without notification, your child will be dropped from the class to allow for those on the waiting list to participate.
• Fees must be submitted with the registration form. Children will not be registered with out proper paper work and paid fees.
• Fees are used to cover the cost of supplies, copying etc.; however, at times there may be an additional fee for some classes.
• Fees for the year are $20.00 per semester per family for non-teachers and $10.00 per semester per family for teachers. Fees may be paid each semester or for the whole year.