Posted on

Podcast 002- Orientation

Welcome everyone! This is Rayna Remondini with Howard County Homeschooling and you’re listening to Podcast #002 – Orientation.

We’re off to a great start. Thanks to everyone for tuning in and watching this podcast.

Today we’re going to visit a few different places online to explain membership and the enrollment process.  We’ll take a look at the:

  1. Website
  2. Meetup™
  3. Facebook/Twitter

Starting with our website, you’ll discover 2 portals for membership:

Co-op versus Meetup.  What’s the big difference?

  • Co-op Membership is for parents who want to enroll their child in group study (i.e. attending enrichment classes).  And that’s in addition to benefiting from group social activities, events and field trips.
  • Meetup™ Membership is for parents who want to enjoy attending events and field trips.

When it comes to cost, the difference is:

Co-op Members pay $55.00 twice a year during the fall and spring semesters to receive a discounted rate of $10/per class, which amounts to $80/per semester for the 1st child.  Also, these members benefit from sibling discounts.  So if you have 2 or more children, this option would be most advantageous.

Meetup™Members pay $5.00 a month to receive notifications about upcoming social events, field trips and open houses. There’s an initial 60 day free trial period so that prospective families can see if it’s a good fit.

WE’LL ALSO VISIT THE MEETUP GROUP

This forum is where you’ll receive messages from your child’s teacher in regards to postponements, or any pertinent class information.  Therefore, Meetup membership is very important when it comes to receiving correspondence.

Meetup members who enroll in co-op classes pay $14.99 per class for each child.

This podcast is designed to explain the Enrollment Process which includes,

  1. Registering for Classes,
  2. Completing the Student Form
  3. Accepting your Meetup Invitation

Parents are expected to hand-in Student Participation Forms (for each student) in-person on the first day of school. 

So, let’s talk about registering for classes and break down tuition cost.

  • Each class is $10.00 for co-op members
  • Each semester cost $80.00
  • A full year’s tuition totals $160.00 for 1 student taking 1 class
  • A payment plan is available: $40/ per month for 4 months with a $25 finance fee

So, what happens when I have (2) two children?

  • Add $104 to your original bill of $160
  • That makes a grand total of $264 dollars
  • That’s a full year’s tuition for 2 students taking 1 class
  • A payment plan is available: $66/ per month for 4 months with a $50 finance fee

Let’s review it again with 3 children:

  • Add $80 to your adjustedl bill of $264
  • That makes a grand total of $344 dollars
  • That’s a full year’s tuition for 3 students taking 1 class
  • A payment plan is available: $86/ per month for 4 months with a $75 finance fee

Lastly, we’ll move onto the social media platforms.  We’ll start with Facebook, home to our Curriculum Swap, Sell or Trade group and the Community Board.  If you have books to barter, or if you know of an event or class that other homeschooling families could benefit from, feel free to post them here.  We also ask that you take a few minutes to recommend us.  We appreciate the feedback.

If you’re not much of a Facebook fan but you have a Twitter account, you can get updates and notifications from our Twitter site.  School closings and other helpful posts are put here to keep you informed.