WINDWARD HOMESCHOOL POLICY

*PLEASE READ BEFORE REGISTER YOUR CHILD OR YOURSELF*

The Windward Homeschool Center (WHC) is a resource and educational hub for homeschooling families on Oahu. WHC consists of drop-off enrichment classes offered in one convenient location for the homeschool community. Individual instructors and companies teach various classes to our homeschooling students in dedicated classrooms at Hale Nanea Lodge, Kokokahi YWCA in Kaneohe. The Windward Homeschool Center is not a school, for-profit business or a non-profit organization. The WHC is a Facebook group of homeschooling parents who also coordinate classes together for their children.

ADMISSION PROCESS:

Any homeschooling family on Oahu may join the Windward Homeschool Center as long as they meet the following requirements: Children must be a minimum of 6 yrs. old and a maximum of 13 yrs. old on the first day of class for the current semester. If they turn 14 during the semester, they may still be admitted, however, they will not be eligible in the following semester to start classes as a 14 yr. old. Each child who enrolls must have been homeschooled, full-time, for one continuous calendar year (as determined by DOE guidelines what constitutes minimum homeschooling age). Each child qualifies individually. So, even if a sibling has homeschooled, if the individual child who would like to enroll has not been homeschooled, they have not met the WHC membership requirements. In order to enroll in classes, parents must have an active Facebook account and join the WHC group page. Once on the WHC group page, they must agree to all policies before paying and registering for classes. Failure to agree to policies will mean removal of membership in the group and the child will not be able to register for any classes. By joining WHC, parents agree to keep active on the WHC Facebook group page in order to maintain membership. This is the sole source of online communication; there are no other methods to disseminate information.

REGISTRATION and PAYMENT:

Class enrollment instructions are posted on the Facebook page with all pertinent information for the semester. Instructors are independent vendors and will collect tuition payments and registration directly from parents. Once registered for a class, there is a “no refund” policy. Payment to all instructors will be due in full at the time of registration. Payment and registration by the deadline is what holds a child’s spot in the class for the new semester. If payment and registration are not received by the deadline, the child will be removed from the confirmed list. If an instructor cancels a class, they MUST refund for that specific cancelled class. Make-up classes or private tutoring may not be offered as an alternative.

EXPECTATION OF BEHAVIOR and CONDUCT:

The Windward Homeschool Center is committed to provide an environment in which instructors, students and parents alike can expect to have a courteous, safe, and respectful educational experience with a high standard of behavioral expectations. We require all children to conduct themselves in a respectful and kind manner towards the instructor and other children. We do not tolerate behaviors that adversely impact the experiences of other children. This includes time spent in the classroom, in the bathrooms and during all breaks. We expect that students AND their families actively and thoughtfully embrace these values and follow them.

Examples of both minor infractions and serious behavior concerns that break WHC Behavior and Conduct Guidelines are:

1. Theft

2. Harassment (verbal or non-verbal action which creates a hostile, intimidating or offensive learning environment)

3. Acts of Physical Aggression or Intimidation (fighting, threatening to fight, inappropriately touching another child or instructor by hitting, pushing, poking, kicking)

4. Inappropriate Language (swearing, name-calling, vulgarities, inappropriate gesturing)

5. Repetitive and targeted teasing (verbal or physical)

6. Repetitive Disruption (deliberately disregarding instructor directions, leaving the classroom without permission, and other forms of disruption that require an instructor to move a child to a separate in the classroom in order to manage the classroom)

7. Damage to Physical Property (this includes student or teacher property as well as Kokokahi YWCA property)

8. Deliberately leaving the Lodge, classroom or break area while under supervision of an instructor.

9. Any Act or Behavior that threatens the safety and well-being of other children, the instructor or themselves.

For minor behavioral issues, children will be given the opportunity to correct their behavior and parents will be notified. Students whose pattern of negative conduct is determined to be continuous may be dismissed from the class entirely. Major infractions (physical aggression, endangering the safety of the students or teacher, damage to physical property) would require immediate dismissal from both the class and the Windward Homeschool Center for the remainder of the semester.

MEDICAL EMERGENCIES:

Instructors have their own contact information for parents on registration forms but in the case of emergency, 911 will be called. Instructors only have a basic first aid kit to assist with minor scrapes if needed. Anything further would require calling the parents and/or 911. Please be aware that Windward Homeschool Center is NOT an allergy free zone. *

ASL PROGRAM INFORMATION

We are very excited to begin ASL Program for Age 6-13 in the Center which will begin on October 7th, 2019 and ends on December 2nd, 2019!

If you have already registered for your child/children, Mahalo for registering with us. If you haven’t, Please go ahead and register right above on this page. The American Sign Language (ASL) teacher, Sherylynn Strong, is very looking forward to work with and see your child/children to blossom in learning a new beautiful language.

Once you have registered, Please know that your child / children’s teacher is Deaf since she was 2 years old and spoke ASL (American Sign Language) fluently. She speaks very well and hears a little with a hearing aid on her left ear. She is profoundly Deaf on her right ear. However, there will be an interpreter a couple times or more when needed to provide a convenient exchange conversations between teacher and students. This way, it will help a better understanding and establish a relationship between you and your child/children and the teacher from there.

Sherylynn Strong have been teaching ASL for more than 8 years and have her own business into teaching ASL with homeschoolers, offer private tutoring and programs, and Baby Signs program for parents/children. She also have had taught ASL classes in high school at Honolulu Waldorf School from 2015-2018. She have 18 months old son who is communicating with her using ASL.

In this class with 8 lessons, your child / children will have a great opportunity to learn FUN basic signs such as Alphabets, Numbers, Colors, Fingerspelling, Emotions/Feelings, Animals, Family/People, Basic conversations (ie: Yes, No, Thank you, Please, etc). After all these lessons, in the last 2 classes, we will learn how to translate one song together. This will help develop common sense / concepts to expand understanding with the language and improve eye reception and recognize fingerspelling and signings. The best part is, this will also help your child / children to be able to be able to communicate beginning level with any deaf individual or anyone who knows ASL.

Each class, the student will earn points and will be encouraged to complete points by the end of semester. Points are added when they tap shoulder when needing their attention and participate in any activities with signing. Points will be rewarded depends on how many points.

CLASS ONE (OCTOBER 7TH):
-INTRODUCTION- Teacher and Students (interpreters needed that day) (can write on board their names) Teacher’s name sign
-How to get a deaf person’s attention, what can and what not to do.
-Classroom Rules
-Why do you want to learn ASL?
-Basic Signs (Hi, Yes, No, Understand? Please, Thank you, Again)
-Points / Goals
-ABCs
-ABCs activity and games (looking for items to match each letters)

CLASS TWO (OCTOBER 14TH)
-REVIEW NAMES: Who am I (teacher) what’s your name?
-QUICK REVIEW: Basic signs and ABCs
-QUICK PRACTICE: Fingerspelling
-Numbers 1-10, 11-20, 21-30
-Counting activities and games (Numbers on board) (Counting candies)

CLASS THREE (OCTOBER 21ST)
-QUICK REVIEW: Numbers 1-10, 11-20, 21-30
-QUICK PRACTICE: Fingerspelling
-Colors
-Color activity and games
-Emotion / Feeling Signs

CLASS FOUR (OCTOBER 28TH)
-QUICK REVIEW: Colors
-Animals
-Animal Activity and Games
-HALLOWEEN FUN SIGNS!!

CLASS FIVE (NOVEMBER 4TH)
-QUICK REVIEW: Animals
-Family / People
-Family activity and games

CLASS SIX (NOVEMBER 18TH)
-QUICK REVIEW: Family / People
-Food
-Food activity and games

CLASS SEVEN (NOVEMBER 25TH)
-QUICK REVIEW ALL PREVIOUS LESSONS
-THANKSGIVING SIGNS!!

CLASS EIGHT (DECEMBER 2ND)
-LEARN FUN ASL SONG
-ABC GROUP STORY OR ASL SONG (YOUR CHILD’S PREFERENCES)

CONTACT INFORMATION

Please feel free to contact Teacher- Sherylynn Strong at Hawaiiasl@gmail.com