Young PIONEERS Parent Commitment Policy

Thank you for your participation in our Young PIONEERS program. We look forward to a profitable year of learning, growing, and working together for the benefit of our students. Please help us achieve this goal by carefully reviewing the following expectations.

1.    Classes begin at 8:30 am for all students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

2.    A parent of all preschool through fifth grade students will be required to work in the Young PIONEERS parent aide pool every week, either in the morning or afternoon, as assigned. Young PIONEERS relies on parent aides to assist in classes. This enables us to keep our costs lower than those of the PIONEERS 6–12 program. However, PIONEERS is a Co-op — to maintain these reasonable costs, PIONEERS Steering expects reasonable participation from the parents of Young PIONEERS students.

3.    Parent aides are expected to stay in the class they are assigned to, for their assigned time, even if it feels like they are not needed. Their first responsibility is to fulfill the requirement of Ganson Street Baptist Church that no child be left unattended at any time during the day. Correcting inappropriate student behavior is also the responsibility of the parent aides. Please take the initiative to separate talking children, or even gently place your hand on the shoulder of a child who is talking while the teacher is talking. Most students will take the hint. Parent aides are also responsible for dealing with other disruptive behavior, such as leaning back in chairs, bathroom breaks, etc. You might not think that teachers need you, but they do. They are busy teaching, and these types of interruptions affect all the students in the class.

4.    It is important that parent aides remain physically present, as well as mentally engaged, in the class. Aides should be interacting with the students and ready to assist the teacher in whatever capacity is needed. Talking with another aide, using your cell phone, reading, etc. set poor examples of our expectation for student involvement. Try to use this class time as an opportunity to be involved in your child’s Young PIONEERS experience. Many moms enjoy the opportunity that PIONEERS affords for adult “socialization” with other moms. We encourage this — but ask that you please enjoy this kind of fellowship during lunch, in between classes, etc.

5.    An overview of Parental Responsibilities with specific job descriptions will be distributed at Orientation.

6.    Each parent aide will be expected to sign in each Wednesday on the provided record.

7.    Due to the large amount of absenteeism in past years, many times unrelated to illness, the Young PIONEERS program has often been without proper support. It is imperative that all aide positions are filled each week. Emergencies and sick children are understandable, but please do not schedule appointments, grocery shopping, etc., during your scheduled YP aide hours. Parents who miss their scheduled hours more than twice a semester, for any reason, will need to make up missed time to the Co-op or a monetary penalty will be applied to their bill. (Missed time includes being out with your own sick children; however, if you make arrangements to switch your hours with another parent, this will not count as missed time.)

8.    If, due to uncontrollable circumstances, you are unable to be in attendance for your scheduled hours, please call the Young PIONEERS Administrator, Mrs. Victoria Counterman, as soon as possible at (517) 499-5192. Victoria is responsible for making arrangements and adjustments to cover all Young PIONEERS aide positions, so it is crucial that you contact her as soon as possible.