Policies / FAQ
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Membership & Participation
What are the responsibilities of Little Way membership?
Little Way is a cooperative rather than a school or drop-off program. We depend on member families working together to make our meetings and events fruitful for everyone. We therefore ask families to make our 22 class meetings a priority and to contribute actively to the life of the co-op.
Each member is typically given three assignments during the class day, which may include teaching, assisting, hall monitoring, or another needed role. We seek to match members with assignments suited to their particular gifts and interests whenever possible. We also ask members to assist in planning and facilitating special events such as field trips, celebrations, and performances.
Does a parent need to remain at co-op with his or her children?
Little Way is not a drop-off program, and parents should generally remain on the property throughout the co-op day. In addition to being available for their own children, parents are needed for their assigned teaching, assisting, and other responsibilities.
Children in Pre-K through Group 3 must attend with a parent or grandparent and may not be left in the care of another co-op family. Students in Groups 4 and 5 may, when necessary, attend with another Little Way family who has agreed to be responsible for them.
Parents whose children are all in Groups 4 and 5 may leave the property during a free period, provided they return in plenty of time for their next assignment.
Who is responsible for my children when they are not in class?
Children in Group 3 and younger should remain with a parent or another responsible adult who has agreed to supervise them. Please do not allow children to wander the building or grounds unattended.
Older students in Groups 4 and 5 may generally move about independently when not in class, provided they follow co-op and facility rules.
Classes & Member Responsibilities
How are children assigned to age groups? May my child move up or down?
Students are grouped by age as of October 1. Although we appreciate the flexibility of grade levels in homeschooling, age-based groups work best for our co-op setting. A family may choose to keep a child in a younger group, but students may not move ahead to an older group.
What are the responsibilities of a teacher?
Teachers have considerable freedom to shape their classes around their own skills, interests, and enthusiasm. We are happy to discuss past curricula and resources that have worked well. All lessons must be in harmony with Catholic teaching.
What are the duties of assistants?
Assistants are active participants in the classroom, not simply additional adults in the room. Please follow these basic expectations:
Do’s:
Show up. Most classes need two adults in addition to the teacher in order to run safely and smoothly.
Maintain order. As the assistant, you are authorized and expected to remind students to be quiet, stay in their seats, or whatever else is needed to allow the teacher to lead the class. Students who are being repeatedly disruptive may be taken outside to sit with the hall monitor or to a parent.
Be prepared to substitute should the teacher be absent, including last-minute. This makes a huge difference in how co-op functions. Please speak with the teacher about how you might step in as needed; and teachers, please equip your assistants with whatever information is necessary.
Don’ts:
Don’t chat with the other assistant or spend the class on your phone. The teacher and students ought to have your full engagement.
Don’t wait to be asked for help. Actively look for what you can do.
Don’t skip class. Please don’t decide for yourself that a class is fine without you. If an assignment is a poor fit, let us know and we will do our best to facilitate a switch.
Who is responsible for cleaning classrooms?
Teachers, assistants, and students should clean up and reset their classroom at the end of each period. Each week’s Clean Team handles the final cleaning and reset at the end of the day, but everyone is responsible for leaving the spaces we use clean and orderly.
Attendance & Health
What if I need to be absent?
We respectfully ask you to limit absences to illness, travel, or other extenuating circumstances. When an absence is necessary, please find another co-op parent to fill in for you, and post to the “Absent” chat on Band to let us know. If you are a lead teacher, we highly recommend that you keep simple back-up lessons or activities at co-op that can be easily taught by a substitute.
What is Little Way’s health policy?
To help protect our families and especially our more vulnerable members, please keep your family home when illness may be contagious.
General Illness: Anyone with a potentially contagious illness should not attend co-op. Please use particular caution with fever, significant respiratory symptoms, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Fever: Anyone with a temperature of 100 degrees or above within 24 hours of co-op or a co-op event may not attend.
Vomiting or diarrhea: If anyone in your home has experienced vomiting or diarrhea within 48 hours of co-op or a co-op event, please keep the entire family home.
Known contagious illness: If a member of your household has been diagnosed with a contagious illness, such as the flu or conjunctivitis (“pink eye”), the family should not attend until the affected person is no longer contagious.
Lice: Any family member who has had head lice should be treated and fully nit-combed until no nits appear.
When in doubt about whether an illness may be contagious, please err on the side of caution and stay home.
If a family member has a medical condition that affects his or her ability to meet these criteria despite not being ill (e.g., tendency to get carsick on the way to co-op), please provide an explanation of the exception needed.
Student Behavior &
Community Standards
What should my child know about learning at co-op?
Students are expected to listen and participate during classes, with the understanding that younger children may need some time to learn courteous classroom behavior. If a child is repeatedly disruptive (ignoring teachers, making noise, distracting other children), the teacher may send the child to his or her parent for the remainder of the class. Persistent disruption may indicate that a child is not yet ready to participate in a particular class or in group learning at co-op.
Is there a policy regarding cell phones or screens?
To prioritize in-person connection, we ask students to keep cell phones and other personal screens put away during class. We also strongly encourage students to minimize their use during lunch and other social times.
Is there a dress code?
We do not have a uniform, but in the interest of modesty and tastefulness, please refrain from wearing revealing clothing (such as low-cut, midriff-baring, or see-through tops; or very short skirts or shorts) or clothing displaying inappropriate language, images, or messages.
Communication & Organization
How does Little Way communicate with its members?
Any essential information will be sent through our private group on Band, typically through weekly updates. Because we try to minimize announcements during the co-op day, members are responsible for reading the weekly Little Way Updates and checking Band for time-sensitive information. Members are welcome to share articles, make prayer requests, and ask general questions. We also have an optional Facebook group that includes alumni families and co-op friends. Our Little Way Links document, pinned on Band, serves as a central location for member documents.
Who runs Little Way?
Our members! A volunteer board handles much of the behind-the-scenes planning and administration, but Little Way depends upon the involvement and initiative of all our members. We especially encourage you to propose classes, coordinate field trips, plan service opportunities, and organize special events.
Who is on the board?
Faith Rose – President
Jeni Sussmann – Secretary
Tara Thompson – Treasurer
Cindy Kummer – Events Coordinator
Kasia Citkowski
Heather Golinski
Robin Nicoloso
Registration & Fees
How do I register for Little Way?
Registration is completed through our online registration form. By registering, families acknowledge and agree to Little Way's mission statement and policies.
What are the membership fees?
Thanks to parent-teachers volunteering their time, membership costs under $20 per week, or even less per student if you have multiple children enrolled. For those who feel led and are able to contribute beyond the regular fees, any amount is appreciated. We sincerely thank you for your generosity.
How do I pay?
We greatly appreciate families paying the full year's fee when possible, as this simplifies our bookkeeping and helps us meet expenses incurred at the beginning of the co-op year.
Submit your first payment via Venmo @littlewaycoop (confirmation code 5929). Please select the fee-free option or add enough to cover any processing fee. Email LittleWayHSC@gmail.com for details on paying by check, Zelle, or PayPal if you prefer. $50 of the deposit is a non-refundable administration fee.
Membership fees help cover insurance, facility and administrative expenses, class supplies, and other costs of operating the co-op.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions at LittleWayHSC@gmail.com.
Last updated Sept. 9, 2026