Junior Co-Op
LAF Junior Co-Op is open to Pre-K through 5th grade students and their younger siblings. It meets on Tuesdays from 8:45am – 12:30pm, and again on Thursdays, September through April.
- Babies
- Crawlers and Toddlers
- Preschoolers
- Kindergarteners
- Elementary Aged Students (K – 5)
It all starts at Orientation!
LAF Junior Co-Op orientation will be held on August 31, 2021 at Sarasota Alliance Church on Bee Ridge Rd. in Sarasota. It is mandatory for at least one parent to prepare for the coming school year.
At this orientation, parents will receive their volunteer training as well as be able to meet the LAF leadership team and the class facilitators.
Junior Co-Op orientation is August 31, 2021.
What We Believe
It’s important to know that while Learning and Families welcomes all families, we teach from a Young-Earth-Creationist perspective. To view our Statement of Faith, click on the link below.
What to Expect on a Junior Co-Op Day
Nursery through 5th grade students attend junior Co-Op, which meets Tuesdays, 8:45-12:30 and Thursdays.
When students arrive at 8:45 am, each family sits together in the gym for morning announcements. After morning announcements and prayer, students are released to their first class, one class at a time. Parents walk younger siblings directly to their nursery class before going to their volunteer position. Pre-K through 5th-grade students are escorted to class by their respective pod parents.
Each class is organized by grade. Within the class, there are smaller groups called pods. Each pod of four to five students has a specific pod parent responsible for helping them, managing behavior, and escorting them to bathroom breaks. Pod parents are responsible for their individual pod but also work together to take care of the entire class. Between each class in the k-5 program, students have a short snack/play break. Pre-K and Kindergarten classes have snack time in the classroom.
At 12:30, when Co-Op is finished for the day, parents pick up their students from their classrooms. We do offer the opportunity for families to purchase pizza for lunch if they would like, and families are welcome to join others at Rothenbach Park (on the east end of Bee Ridge Rd) every Tuesday and Thursday immediately following co-op if they wish.
New Kindergarten Opportunity
In the 2021/2022 school year, we are very excited to introduce a new self-contained kindergarten class on Tuesdays as an option for parents of four to six-year-olds. Parents of students in this age range can choose the Pre-K class, which focuses on basic learning skills such as color, shape, letter, and number recognition, character building and social skills, as well as hands-on, interactive activities indoors and outdoors throughout the day.
Parents can also choose the new self-contained Kindergarten class on Tuesdays. This class will help prepare students for a more focused and formal learning environment. These students will do many of the hands-on science experiments that students in the K – 5 program are also doing, but will spend more time focusing on both academic and social skill-building to help prepare students for the more focused and less directed learning environment.
Lastly, parents of five and six-year-olds can choose the full three-class Junior Co-Op program. In this program, kindergarten through 5th-grade students rotate through three classes. Kindergarten through 3rd grade attends world geography, land animals, and art. Fourth and fifth grades attend literature, land animals, and art.
Junior Co-Op Programs
Below is our list of Junior Co-Op programs for the 2021/2022 school year, along with a description of what is offered in each program and the costs for each.
Please note that our K – 3 Program and our 3 -5 Program are not a la cart programs. Classes included in each program are listed below the general program information, including information about the facilitators and materials/curriculum to be used.
Click here to meet our 2021/2022 Junior Co-Op Facilitators.
- Science
- Geography
- Art
- Science
- Literature
- Art
Exploring Creation with Zoology 3: Land Animals of the Sixth Day makes every day an adventure as you take your child on a safari through jungles, deserts, forests, and farms—without ever leaving your backyard! During this course, your child will examine and enjoy the incredible variety of enchanting creatures God made to inhabit the earth. Students in this program will use the companion Junior Notebooking Journal.
K – 3 Geography
Facilitator: Brandi McNulty
For the 2021/2022 year, K – 3 Geography will focus on “Our 50 States,” a one-year American geography and literature course from Notgrass History designed for students in grades 1-4. This unique course combines the flexibility and richness of a unit study with the simplicity of a textbook-based approach.
K – 3 Art
Facilitator: Olga Spitsa
Explore Art through weekly Artist study and art technique in a fun and fresh hands-on atmosphere.
Exploring Creation with Zoology 3: Land Animals of the Sixth Day makes every day an adventure as you take your child on a safari through jungles, deserts, forests, and farms—without ever leaving your backyard! During this course, your child will examine and enjoy the incredible variety of enchanting creatures God made to inhabit the earth. Students in this program will use the companion Notebooking Journal.
3 – 5 Literature
Facilitator: Jessica Falde
Exciting literature study of Award-winning books in a book club-style setting with a monthly book to read, discussions, and presentation opportunities. Explore different writing styles with some writing instruction each month.
September – Beezus and Ramona
October – Charlotte’s Web
November – The One and Only Ivan
December – biography of choice
January – Lily’s Crossing
February – My Side of the Mountain
March – The Magician’s Nephew
April – Love That Dog
3 – 5 Art
Facilitator: TBA
Explore Art through weekly Artist study and art technique in a fun and fresh hands-on atmosphere.
Junior Co-Op Supply List
Below are two supply lists for 2021 – 2022 Junior Co-Op. The first is the COMMUNITY SUPPLY LIST. To figure out what you are responsible for purchasing and contributing to the LAF community, find the grade level for each of your children who are registered for Junior Co-op. If you’re unsure what grade level to choose, go by where he/she would be placed in public school.
Bring these supplies to the LAF Junior Co-op Orientation on Tuesday, August 31, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at Sarasota Alliance Church, 7221 Bee Ridge Rd, Sarasota.
The second list is the personal supplies that your student will need to bring on the first day of co-op. Be sure personal supplies are clearly labeled with your child’s name.
| Grade (age) Level | Supplies To Bring |
|---|---|
| Nursery: Birth -- Age 3 (not in pre-K class) |
|
| Pre K |
|
| Kindergarteners (in K - 3 Program & Self contained) |
|
| 1st Grade |
|
| 2nd Grade |
|
| 3rd Grade |
|
| 4th Grade |
|
| 5th Grade |
|
Personal Supply List
| Grade (age) Level | Supplies To Bring |
|---|---|
| EVERY STUDENT |
|
| Pre-K Students |
|
| Self-Contained Kindergarten Students |
|
| Our 50 States (K - 3 geography) Students |
|
| Literature 3 - 5 Students |
|
| Science (K - 3) Students |
|
| Science (3 - 5) Students |
|
| Art (K - 5) Students |
|