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No, Firefly Homeschool Community is not a school. The key difference between a homeschool co-op and a public/private school is that in a co-op each parent is ultimately responsible for providing the primary education. FHC is a parent-directed, nonprofit organization providing enrichment classes and social events for homeschoolers from Kindergarten through high school. Our teachers are parents and community members who design their own classes and are paid directly by parents/guardians for the classes their children choose to take. Teachers pay a small fraction of this tuition to Firefly to cover rent and other costs. Teachers do not issue grades, keep track of hours, or complete transcripts for courses offered, as the responsibility for following Georgia home study requirements remains with parents/guardians.

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To work together to build a safe, respectful and nurturing homeschool community focused on maximizing each child's sense of well-being and acquisition of skills for life and learning. 

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*To prepare all students to become lifelong learners and responsible citizens ready to meet the challenges of the future. In partnership with families and community, our goal is to create relevant learning opportunities for students - both inside and outside the classroom. 

*To strengthen parent commitment and investment in order to reach the full potential of our community. 

*To evolve to meet the expanding needs of our community. 

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Firefly serves students in Kindergarten (age 5 by the first day of class) through high school.

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Firefly offers five class periods on Tuesdays and six class periods on Thursdays. A full-day student is a child who is registering for all class periods on one or both days. A partial-day student is a child who is not registering for a full day on either day. Students in grades 2-12 are free to choose whichever classes they like, whether they're registering for a full-day or partial-day. PLEASE NOTE: If you have at least one full-day child, you may register all of your children at the same time, even if the others are taking less than a full day. 

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This is an effort to help streamline the class day for our youngest students. In the past, we found that class period transitions and navigating the halls, stairwells, and front desk check in/out caused confusion and nervousness among our youngest learners. With a set full-day schedule, we can ensure all of these students are going to the same place at the same time and that they will have a designated adult to help them navigate this routine. Our K-1 program includes a variety of our popular class offerings for this age group.

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Families with special needs children should notify the directors in advance of registration to ensure that FHC will be a good fit for their child. We will do our best to facilitate communication between parents and teachers to determine a plan that works for all. Parents should keep in mind that most of our instructors are homeschooling parents without formal training. While instructors and directors will do what they can within reason to accommodate the needs of a student, meeting those needs is ultimately up to the parent. When a student’s needs or challenges outweigh the capacity of our instructors, we will ask a parent to attend class alongside their child to provide direct support. Parents who attend classes with their child will be required to sign a Parent Agreement and submit to a background check and are responsible for costs incurred. In some instances, even with parent participation, it may be determined that a child’s needs and/or behaviors cannot be served by FHC and a setting better suited to their specific needs may be appropriate.

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Yes. All instructors are subject to and have passed a background check.

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Classes are offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Princeton United Methodist Church located at 2390 S Lumpkin St in Athens. For the 2025-2026 school year, we will move to Oconee Presbyterian Church located at 2601 Hog Mountain Rd in Watkinsville.

There are 16 weeks of classes per semester. View our Academic Calendar.

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Please refer to the "Payment Info" tab above for Registration/Facility Fees and Class Tuition. 

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In order to register for classes, you must first register your family with Firefly: 

1. Click on "Join" in the upper-right-hand corner of the website 

2. Create a login and submit the registration form.

3. Once your membership is approved, you'll receive an email and you may log in to the secure part of our website. Membership approvals occur from March 1 - July 1 and again from Nov 1 - Dec 1.

4. On the appropriate date, you will be able to register for classes directly on our Tuesday & Thursday Class Registration pages.

5. After you finish selecting your child's classes, click on "Balance" in the upper right corner of our site and pay the $45 registration fee ($65 if registering after June 15) and the $15 per child Facility Fee within one week to secure class registration.

Please note that registration closes on July 1 for the fall semester and December 1 for the spring semester.

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Yes, you may. If your child requires parent assistance, please reach out to us.

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Please view our Payment Policy

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In general, classes are designed as two-semester classes, building upon skills acquired in the previous semester. However, some classes will admit new students at the start of the second semester during our drop/add period. Please see our Payment Policy for financial responsibilities if changing or dropping a class once a semester has begun. Mid-semester class changes require 30 days notice. 

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Yes. Firefly is a community that values family involvement. Because we are not a school, but a non-profit parent cooperative for independent homeschoolers, we need help from all of our families throughout the school year. It is important to us that all members are actively building and investing in our community as we work together in educating our students. For information on volunteer requirements, please visit here.

Families will be notified by email when the volunteer sign-up becomes available as we near the start of each semester. 

If you are unable to fulfill this requirement, please pay the volunteer opt out fee ($80 per semester) via PayPal to fireflyathens@gmail.com

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Please refer to our monthly calendar on the homepage or our full academic calendar here.

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Firefly Homeschool Community follows the Clarke County School System for all class cancellations due to inclement weather or other unforeseen events. If Clarke County Schools are closed, FHC will likely close as well.

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Excess funds are earmarked for the community and tuition assistance. This amount varies year to year depending upon the number of applicants and excess funds in the annual budget. In conjunction with our registration dates, we will open our Tuition Assistance application form for the following school year. Families awarded tuition assistance will be notified by email.