FAQ

• Is Canton Homeschool Resources a private school?

Yes and No. We are a homeschool program as well as a full time private school style academy that allows parents to keep their homeschool rights.   We support students who are homeschooled with academic and enrichment classes.  We offer a 2-3  day a week hybrid program and 1-2 day a week elective classes.  We also offer a full time 4 or 5 day academy program. 

Our academic classes are taught by certified teachers who administer much of or all of the classwork to the student; however, the parent remains the  teacher on record as per state law.  We supply the work, the curriculum, the suggested grades, and the instruction AS A SUPPORT SYSTEM to the parent. Parents are fully responsible for the maintaining of student records and following GA state homeschool law.  We also provide after-school and summer enrichment courses for students who are enrolled in public and private school to broaden their horizons.  We WILL assist high school students in the maintenance of transcripts and preparation for college application.

Homeschool students and parents must follow the state laws as homeschool families. We will help you do this, if you would like, but it is your responsibility to take the actions involved. It is quite simple, but must be done by the parents.  We will guide you through this simple process- we just cannot do it for you ;).  SO- the answer is YES. We can help you if you want a homeschool program or a private school program :)

https://www.ghea.org/pages/resources/stateLaw.php

• Is Canton Homeschool Resources accredited?

Students at CHR are able to have transcripts GAC accredited through a third party agency that we have created a relationship with and work alongside.  This is what high school students and parents want for the HOPE scholarship as well as for  ease in applying to college without homeschool portfolios and hoops to jump through  . This is also great for students who may have to transfer programs during their high school career. We use a third party for the 10 month process and recommend all high school students do this. It is the sole responsibility of the family to follow through on the process, however we will help in every way possible to make it easy. We, of course, cannot make any guarantees that credits will be accepted by other institutions  but when you inquire with them, please tell them that our third party uses GAC (Georgia Accreditation Commission).

We suggest that all students SAVE EVERYTHING! Save all of the work, tests, projects, etc. This is especially important at the high school level for portfolios for college but 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 are certified teachers. Many of us have specialist degrees and Master’s 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.

• How do I register my children?

If you would like to discuss a custom program or register your child for classes, feel free to call  or better, text us at (678-283-7795.  We will check availability status , schedule an in person meeting and tour, and then complete the electronic registration paperwork process. We accept students year round as long as we have room.  If you are registering during popular registration times, you may sign up for a tour or even register online. Be sure to check out our whole website for this info. The easiest way to get in touch with us about registration and availability of classes is to email us. We will most likely get back to you the same day or within a day of your email.

We have a minimum number of students required to hold a class, and we have a maximum number of kids who can be in each class. It is best to email and request to reserve a spot when you have made your class decision. MANY of our classes fill up, and do so quickly. We urge you to hold your spot as soon as you are able.  Classes are held with registration and supply fees paid. Parents will be refunded if a class they registered for is cancelled and they do not wish to transfer to another open class. This is the only time refunds are able to be given at CHR.

FALL 2019 registration will begin in late Jan, early Feb.

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

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 secret Facebook pages (non-CHR people cannot see these) where we post upcoming activities, field trips, and pictures from classes.

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

We do have some areas for short waits and meeting rooms that can be used. HOWEVER, 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. 

• What safety protocols do you have in place? 

CHR has a two step system to get in the school where students are at. The main doors are secure 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 and security cameras throughout the building. 

• What is your inclement weather policy?

In the event of dangerous weather, we will not meet for class. While we do follow the Cherokee County school holiday calendar for the most part, we do stray from it some. We are more 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 on our Facebook page.

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. 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.

The same is true for the days that CHR 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 a short session, semester-long and year-long basis. By enrolling, you are making a commitment for the entire term for the class. Full tuition for the term enrolled is due even if you decide to leave CHR.  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.   Talk to us if you have a change in plans for your children. We will do our best to help when we can, but can not make any promises.

Classes generally meet for just under an hour each unless noted otherwise in the description.

• 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.

• Can I make payments?

Yes! We are happy to break your full tuition up into monthly payments.  We cannot allow monthly payments to be made after the 15th of the month because we rely on these payments to make our overhead. Late payments after the 15th 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 fee.

• What payments do you accept?

We take cash, credit cards, and personal checks. Parents may also send us money through Paypal.

• Are you a Christian organization? 

Yes, but we are not a “preaching” one. SOME of our curriculum is Christian-based and some is secular. We strive to pick the best and sometimes the choices are both! We do celebrate and decorate for Christmas  However, we do not pray before or after class , teach religion aspects even when presented in teh texts that are Christian based, or teach any controversial topics (such as the age of the earth, creation vs evolution, or sex ed.). We do offer voluntary Bible study classes on occasion. We accept students from all religious backgrounds and do not require any students to file a Declaration of Faith statement. Our teachers are Christians. We welcome all and believe that Christians can show their Christianity through love and respect, just as Jesus did himself.  Our goal is not to convert anyone. We have a split of Christian and secular curriculum and use what is best. Academics are what we do here at CHR. 

• What curriculum do you use? 

We use a variety of curriculum at CHR. We also use a mix of  texts, resources, teacher created materials, supplemental resources, websites, programs, and teaching methods. We use a lot of novel studies in every grade. We use whatever resources we can use to help our students.

• 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 issues. We want CHR to be a safe and fun place for all. Repeated offences of disrespect to others or the building/property of CHR will result in the removal of the student at CHR.  Each instance is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Some offenses would be cause for immediate removal from CHR on the first offense. If you are worried that your child may fall into this category, CHR may not be the best place for your child. 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 CHR. 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 plan on coming to administer it as we do not do this.  We are teachers and not nurses or doctors, so we want to be super safe in this area.

• Do you have school uniforms or a dress code?

We have not had a dress code in the past but with warm summer weather, we do have to have some simple guidelines. Shorts and skirts should be at or close to fingertip length. 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.

• Do you offer standardized testing?

Yes. We offer the ITBS every spring and the COGAT on odd years in addition to the ITBS.  If you require a test to be given individually or outside of our normal testing times, we will require payment for the test as well as the administrators time at the teacher’s tutoring rate.

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