FAQ

• Is Canton Homeschool Resources & The Haven Academy (CHR/THA) accredited?

Yes. 

We are fully accreidted by Cognia. This is the same organization that accredits local public schools for easy transition. It is a world wide accreiddation used by many public and private schools. 

We also have  GAC accreditation (Georgia Accreditation Commission) as a non traditional education center and as a private school.  Private school accreditation is what parents want for their children if they are considering enrolling in public highschool with any credits. We accept homeschoolers who do not want accredidation as well. 

If you are a homeschool student, rather than a private school students, we suggest that you SAVE EVERYTHING! Save all of the work, tests, projects, etc. This is especially important at the high school level for portfolios for college, but it is also great for younger students to have the proof they may need of their homeschooling studies for accreditation or other purpose.

ALL academic teachers at CHR/THA are certified teachers and/or have a degree and/or experience teaching in their teaching field. We make sure our teachers are qualified to teach what they teacj. Many of us have specialist degrees and Master’s degrees or Doctorate degrees in education as well. We strive to find the best curriculum and extra resources for classes for our students. This information is important because the qualifications and curriculum  information is questioned by accreditation agencies and in portfolio making for college applications.

• Do you accept Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program or SB-10 funds?  

YES! The Haven Academy is an approved school for this program. We are happy to discuss our full-time private school with you to ensure we can meet the needs of your child. We have partnered with the Georgia Department of Education and DO accept SB-10 or the special needs scholarship program funds to cover tuition at our school. 

• How do I register my children?

 We have a button on the front page of our website for you to sign up for meetings and tours. We post our registration on our website and take students on a first come, first served basis after approval.  We accept students year round as long as we have room. Many of our classes fill up early and we grow every year. 

FALL registration will begin on Jan 15 each year. Some classes do fill up immediately and we encourage parents to register early as we never know which grades and classes will fill up first. 

• What is the best way to stay updated about CHR and Haven?

Facebook! We post our most recent news and updates on our public Facebook page. Please follow us there. If you do not have Facebook, please consider doing so if only to stay abreast of school happenings. You do not need to actively participate on your own Facebook page to be able to read our page. We encourage you to read it for important updates like class cancellations. CURRENT families also have access to a parent, teacher, student portal where we post upcoming activities, field trips, and pictures from classes.

• Can parents and  siblings stay at CHR/ Haven while others are in class? 

We are a drop off program. Our only waiting areas are in the lobby. We do have some volunteer opportunities inside but please note that all adults who will be around students must have a background check on file and all must  follow our strict safety rules. As COVID numbers rise and fall, our policy about in person tours and non essential visitors changes. Please ask if you want to come inside. 

• What safety protocols do you have in place? 

CHR has a two step system to get in the school where students are at inside.The main doors are im our lobby and once inside, parents and students must be buzzed in past a second locked door to get to the main class areas. Teachers and staff have access cards. We have an extensive fire life safety plan and system in place  throughout the building. ** WE  ALSO HAVE AN EXTENSIVE COVID SAFETY PLAN. THIS INCLUDES :

masks are highly reccomended for all 

increased hand washing and sanitization stations throughout

disinfection of surfaces throughout the day

optional desk shields are available for all students

cohort classes to prevent class changes as much as possible

other safety measures are in place and will continue to be added or changed as we see fit.  As policies and guidelines change by the CDC, OSHA, and Bright from the Start, we will change ours as well. Covid keeps changing. We will be sure everyne has the most updated policies when parents speak to us, get a tour, and students do trial days. We are doing our best to stay open for those who want to come in while also creating methods for students to work from home when sick or cautious about group settings. 

      What is your inclement weather policy?

In the event of dangerous weather, we will not meet for class. We are cautious when it comes to inclement weather. If Cherokee, Pickens, Forsyth, or Fulton County cancels school, please assume that we will be closed as well. If they are on a delayed schedule, we will probably remain closed for the day. If we deem that the weather brings road conditions in which we are not comfortable driving, we will cancel classes even if the counties are in session. Our first priority is the safety of our children and teachers! We will not take any chances when it comes to icy roads or storms. Weather related updates and school closures will be listed in our teacher, student, parent portal. 

If class is canceled, the teachers will post student homework to let them know what the lesson plan is to do at home. Assignments will be posted for students so we can remain on schedule. We MAY offer Zoom or other online platform classes during these days and this will depend on the closure and electricity availability. Because our budget is based on full tuition for courses, we do not offer make-up classes for missed classes due to weather, nor do we pro-rate tuition for missed classes due to weather. Teachers will post work for the academic subjects so school days can still be counted. (Friday Enrichment Program has different rules for this including a make up policy for closures).

The same is true for the days that CHR/THA has off that the local school district is not off. Teachers will assign work for students to do at home to ensure that all students have access to 180 school days of work.

          How long are the classes?

Classes are scheduled on the semester system and parents are making a year long financial commitment when they register their child. Full tuition for the term or year enrolled is due even if you decide to leave CHR/THA for any reason.  Parents will sign an understanding of this commitment when they enroll. We cannot refund prepaid tuition, supply fees, or registration fees and we do require full payment for classes. Our operating budget is based on enrollment and we need to keep a stable environment for our teachers and students. 

• Do you follow Cherokee County school calendar?

Yes- well, for the most part! We have all of the same vacation days but we do have some other non class days as well. We will ensure that all parents have access to our calendar when it differs from Cherokee County schools, which it does in August, December,  and May primarily.  We do have different rules for safety than the public schools and therefore we may not be closed at the same time if they close due to COVID. 

• Can I make payments?

Yes! We are happy to break your full tuition up into monthly payments.  Late payments after the 5th will be assessed a $25 fee every 15 days that it is late. Students will not be able to attend class if payments fall 30 days behind.  Bounced checks are subject to a $50 -$150 fee. 

• What payments do you accept?

We take cash, credit cards, personal checks, Zelle payments and credit card payments through Square or PayPal. Credit cards and online payments are subject to a fee of 4%. 

• Are you a religious organization? 

No.  We  accept and respect students of all faiths. Our curriculum is secular and we enjoy celebrating holidays from around the world and different cultures. 

• My student has a learning disability or is gifted. Can you accommodate him/her?

Hopefully! We accept students with processing disorders, dyslexia, and a variety of learning struggles. We also accept students who are academically advanced. Because we do not say “you are in the third grade, here is your third grade curriculum”, we are able to customize the education for each student. If you have a student working above or below grade level in any one or many subjects, we can accommodate this! Many of our teachers have backgrounds in this area. We are happy to move students in between classes for various subjects as needed and make modifications to assignments.

Please note that we do not accept students with behavioral struggles. We want CHR/THA to be a safe and fun place for all and therefore have a strict behavioral policy. We want to focus on education and having fun – not discipline. We are happy to chat with you and discuss other educational options for you if you are concerned about your child’s behavior while at CHR.

• My child has severe allergies. Do you restrict certain foods at CHR?

No. We allow students to bring foods including nuts to school. If your child has airborne allergies, this may not be a good fit for you. If your child needs to keep an epi pen or medication with them on campus, please speak with us.  We have had students who have done this every year that we have been open and thankfully, even though we are trained in using them, we have not had to do so yet! We do not allow any student to have medicine of any kind in their book bags.  If your student needs medication mid-day, please contact us for assistance.Our library is open for lunch and is a peanut free zone.

• Do you have school uniforms or a dress code?

We do not have uniforms. We just have some simple guidelines. Shorts and skirts should be at or close to fingertip length. Please no profanity, alcohol, or tobacco advertisements on clothing or jewelry. Undergarments, including undergarment straps, should be covered. Elementary girls who like to play outside or lounge around should wear shorts under dresses. Simple modesty is what we are looking for here. We do not have hair style, color or cut requirements for boys or girls. We allow free expression in this manner as long as it is not disruptive or offensive to anyone else. 

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• Please feel free to call us, text us, or email us with any questions!