Welcome to G.I.F.T.

G.I.F.T. Policies Please keep the G.I.F.T. Board of Directors in your prayers.  We seek to do God's will and to work in His strength.  We ask for His blessings and for safety when we meet. G.I.F.T. Structure G.I.F.T. is a non denominational Christian group open to all. Classes meet Septhember through May for 28 weeks with 2 weeks available for rescheduling if needed (see class canceled policy). Members who attend G.I.F.T. provide the financial means for the board to rent the building, buy community supplies and provide services used by families. Teachers are sub-contractors, not employees of G.I.F.T. Families have a contractual relationship with the teachers and are paying teachers directly for instruction provided. G.I.F.T. provides building and accounting services for teachers to teach. G.I.F.T. phone number used on Tuesdays is 630-287-1089. G.I.F.T. mailing address: P.O. Box 1055, Elgin, IL 60121-1055. G.I.F.T. Registration email: giftregistration@hotmail.com G.I.F.T. Chair email: mkdp@jjkd.com Sign-in Each member, teacher, and board member is required to sign in and out throughout the day of classes. Please sign-in for attendance records and emergency procedures. If parents leave the premises and their children remain, they must organize another adult over the age of 18 to be responsible for their children.  They must record who that person is in the sign-in book. Only G.I.F.T. registered students, teachers, invited guests and their member's family are allowed in the building due to insurance liability. Property of the Church of the Brethren G.I.F.T. rents the property from the Curch of the Brethren.  The elders of the church have made some requests as a condition of our rent agreeement.  We ask our families to follow these requests: Food and liquid is allowed on the laminated eating area on the ground floor. Only water may be brought in the carpeted area on the ground floor or on the above floors. Adult presence is required in the kitchen. Do not climb trees, break tree branches, or otherwise harm any landscaping.  Please keep children away from the memorial garden/patio located to the east of the building. Please have students remain on the ground floor between classes. The staircases behind the kitchen and stage are not to be used. The elevator is available for special needs.  It is not to be used instead of stairs. Volunteers G.I.F.T. is a volunteer organization.  We rely on our family volunteers to keep G.I.F.T. running smoothly. Volunteers are needed to set up and clean up weekly, monitor halls, assist in classrooms and other opportunities. Board positions are volunteer and do not recive any compensation for services. Classroom volunteer assistants: G.I.F.T. requests that teachers have a volunteer assistant in group classes. Parents are encouraged to sit in on private lessons as volunteer assistants are not present for these lessons. Child protection: all families and teachers are screened for registration on offender lists. Cancellation of Classes by G.I.F.T.: G.I.F.T. may cancel all or some classes scheduled due to weather or other reasons. Closure due to weather will be determined as soon as possible. Cancellation of classes will be posted on the G.I.F.T. website by 6:30 a.m. Automated calling will be utilized to contact families and teachers before 7 a.m. on the primary phone number provided at registration. The board will attempt to reschedule classes on a week during the academic year that classes are not currently scheduled to meet.  Two weeks have been added to the academic calendar for this specific reason. Health Issues Please let the Registrar know of any allergy concerns. Allergies will be listed on the teacher's class roster. If your child has learning disabilities that a teacher would be able to help manage, please speak to the teacher directly. Newsletters G.I.F.T. electronically publishes a newsletter the first day of each month September - May. If you have a prayer request or another item that you would like to be considered for inclusion in the publication, please contact the newsletter editor as soon as possible. Communication The board communicates with families through G.I.F.T.'s web page at gifthomeschool.org, monthly newsletters, emails, automated phone messages, written notifications on the sign-in table, and in person. The board may not always be able to communicate to families who do not have an email address or a phone answering machine. Member Attendance If you are not able to attend your classes, please contact your teacher directly. If you volunteer during the day, please try to arrange coverage for your absence.  If you are unable to provide coverage, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator. In the case of short notice decision, please notify G.I.F.T. as soon as possible.  Please let the board member know what volunteer service you provide during the day when you call so a replacement can be organized. Field Trips Purpose: To extend the community created in G.I.F.T. by providing activities of an educational or social nature. These trips are scheduled monthly. Please find announcements in the newsletter and share any ideas with the Field Trip Coordinator. Substitute Teachers Teachers may provide a substitute for when they are absent. All substitute teachers are interviewed by the Board and follow the same interview requirements as the permanent teachers. Directories There is a directory of families and teachers involved at G.I.F.T. Please do not use the directory for solicitation purposes.  Classroom Conduct/Issues A teacher can get help and suggestions from the Teacher Liaison or the Member Liaison.  The board is here to help the teachers and families resolve conflicts. If behavioral problems arise with a student, the board suggests the following: The teacher needs to discuss the behavior with the parent. The teacher can dismiss the child from class to the parent, and talk to the parent. The teacher may require the presence of a parent during class. The teacher may dismiss the child from class altogether. Building Limitations: Given the building limitations, classes offered to families will be based on the class size requirements (e.g. hard floor, water supply, numbers of tables and chairs, etc.). Teacher Attendance Teachers will notify families directly if they are unable to hold class. In the case of short notice, teachers may ask Board members to help notify families and a board memeber of the class cancellation.  Registration Policies Registration begins June 1st for the school year beginning in September of the same year. All registration applications need to be posted to G.I.F.T. P.O. Box 1055, Elgin, IL 60123-1055. The registration fee must accompany the registration in order for the registration to be accepted. Confirmation of receipt of application will be emailed within 1 week of receipt of application. Teachers determine the age and class size.  Children's age will be calculated as of September first. Group Classes Requests for group class enrollments, received in June, will be processed based on: 1) Returning member and 2) Postmark 3) Private lesson requests. Families will be notified of group class enrollment after July 1st. Families whose enrollments are received after July 1st will be notified within 2 weeks of receipt. After July 31 enrollment will be processed as received by postmark. Private Lessons Returning students will receive priority in scheduling private lessons. Private lesson schedules will be finalized at Teacher Orientation and given to families at the member orientation. Member Orientation Orientation will be in September before classes start. Class supply fees are due at orientation - by check payable to the teacher. Student supply lists will be available at orientation and on the G.I.F.T website. Classes that do not meet the minimum number of students at orientation will be cancelled. Change of Enrollment After Orientation The Registrar initially enrolls students in class. Check with the Registrar to join classes after member orientation. Speak with the teacher to work out any change in class times and notify the Registrar of changes to keep enrollment records updated. If dropping enrollment in class, please notify the teacher and Registrar directly. Registration Fee  The registration fee may be refunded depending on class cancellation, as determined by the Registrar. Student Supplies This is the estimated cost of equipment and supplies your student may incur if you were to purchase all the items your student needs to participate in class.  E.g.: A Dremel and safety glasses are needed for the Wood Sculpting class.  If a student owns the equipment, no additional cost is present.  All costs are estimates. A list will be provided at Orientation for the members to prepare for the first day of class. Class Supply Fee The supply fee is the cost of materials the teacher will purchase for use in the classroom.  No cash payment will be accepted. Class Supply Fee is due at Orientation or at the time of registration and is given to the teacher immediately to prepare for class. The teachers receive these funds at Orientation to purchase for the first day of class. Class Supply Fees are non-refundable unless the class is canceled.