The 2025/26 Co-op Class Information is coming soon! This will include the 2025/26 class offerings, prices, course descriptions, facilitator information, and everything else you need to know to decide if LAF is the right choice for YOUR family.
Here’s what to expect in the coming year…
We’re moving!
In the 2025/26 year, LAF Co-op will be moving to Bradenton. Our new home will be at
Bethel Church, 1805 30th Ave W, Bradenton, FL 34205
Three Co-op Days
Tuesdays — Project Based Learning
Thursdays — Traditional Co-op
Fridays — Performing Arts
Apply NOW!
Our 2025/26 Application is OPEN. It will take us weeks to process all of the applications, so if you think you might be interested in participating in LAF Support Community or Co-op next year, apply NOW!
All of the information below is 2024/25 information.
Please check back at the end of April for information on 2025/26 classes.
Beginning in the 2024/25 school year, we are adding an annual registration fee of $25 for each student in all age/grade levels. The fee will help offset the cost of the security measures we are putting in place in 2024/25. At Orientation this year, you will be onboarded to our new Brightwheel check-in system, and every family member (junior kiddos ages 5 and up included) will also receive a new ID card.
- why they want to take the class
- in what ways they will demonstrate maturity and commitment
Below is our list of Middle School Co-Op Classes for the 2024/2025 school year. Next to each class, we have listed the facilitator for the class, the day, time, and location of the class, the course description, and the required materials and additional lab/supply fees.
Click here to meet our Middle and High School Facilitators.
Facilitator: Jaimie Sciesinski
In this course students will learn the structure of ASL, fingerspelling, the importance of facial expression/body language, numbers, word signs, and basic communication through simple statements and commands, yes and no questions/answers. We will also cover the Deaf history, and the Deaf culture. Learning ASL helps with communication skills, encourages eye contact, body language, and spelling skills. It is a beautiful language and benefits the Deaf community.
Required Materials:
- American Sign Language for Beginners: Learn Signing Essentials in 30 Days by Rochelle Barlow
Facilitator: Melissa England
Foundation Worldview’s Careful Thinking Curriculum helps kids recognize false worldview ideas and understand how they differ from the Christian worldview. They will learn skills to unmask faulty ideas and embrace the truth by learning about logic laws and mistakes in careful thinking.
Required Materials:
Bible
In middle school art class, students communicate visually, expressing themselves by first learning the elements of line, shape, space, color, value, texture, and form. Building on those art concepts using a variety of media and techniques as the year progresses. The students will learn to draw from observation using still life props, create a self-portrait, learn to mix paint and different paint media and the many ways to use those media. We will also learn about famous artists and their art movement’s significance in culture, recreating or taking their concepts and creating unique works of art.
*NOTE – Please note that this class is for students who are willing to work hard at improving their art every week. Students must submit a handwritten paragraph (2 – 3 sentences is acceptable) explaining why they want to take this class. You can take a photo of the note and email it to the instructor.
This class is open to waitlist only until the required paragraph has been emailed to the facilitator and the student has been approved for the class. Then the student will be added to the class roster. The facilitator will approve students int he order that she receives their paragraphs.
Required Materials:
The lab fee will cover the supplies that will be bought by the teacher for the whole year’s classes.
Each student may opt to bring a t-shirt or smock for messy days.
Tuition: $105
Thursdays, 9:50 – 11:10
In the Spring Semester, we will pull back for a bird’s eye view of the Bible. We will do an over of the following sections:
- The Torah
- The History Books
- The Wisdom Literature
- The Major Prophets
- The Minor Prophets
- The Gospels and Acts
- The Pauline Epistles
- The General Epistles
- Revelation
As we learn, we will create a basic timeline of major events, pages for key people in the Bible, and maps.
Required Materials:
The Complete Children’s Bible Atlas
Adam and His Kin by Ruth Beechick
1 1/2 inch binder
3 Tab Dividers labeled Timeline, People, Maps
Tuesdays, 8:30 – 9:45
Come explore the making and working of the U.S. government as we investigate how federal, state and local governments work. Class is primarily targeted for the advanced 7th to 8th grade audience.
Memory work, presentations and projects involving public speaking will be part of the course work as well as weekly discussion groups.
Required Materials:
Notgrass Uncle Sam & You curriculum package
Notgrass Uncle Sam & You Lesson Review booklet
Bring paper, pen, highlighter and colored pencils to class.
Teacher provided folder will be required each week.
Tuition: $105
Thursdays, 11:15-12:30
Room C105
*OPEN TO STUDENTS IN 5-8TH GRADES
The DAR Essay Contest was established to encourage young people to think creatively about our nation’s great history and learn about history in a new light.
For the first half of the semester, we will do a deep dive into the history of the topic (topic announced by DAR in the last week of July). Then we will spend the rest of the semester working on the writing assignment, which will be submitted to our local DAR chapter for judging. This course will help students study for and write an excellent contest submission!
Essays are judged for historical accuracy, adherence to the topic, organization of materials, interest, originality, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and neatness.
Each student participant receives a certificate of participation from the chapter and the chapter winners receive bronze medals and certificates. State winners receive certificates and silver medals and a monetary award. National winners receive special certificates, medals, and a monetary award.
- 1″ 3-Ring Binder
- 5 Tab dividers
- College-ruled notebook paper
- 3 clear page-protectors
- 3-hole punched, 2-pocket folder
- Pencil case with
- pens (blue or black)
- red ink pen
- multiple highlighter colors
- post-it flags
- post-in notes
Tuesdays, 11:15 – 12:30
Room C103
We will be exploring God’s creation on Earth and in the sky, through studying the oceans, weather, minerals, and astronomy. This class would be a great fit for 6th-8th grade students.
Wonders of Creation Masterbooks General Science 1 Set:
- “The New Ocean book
- “The Mineral Book”
- “The New Weather Book”
- “The New Astronomy Book”
- Teacher’s Guide
1-inch 3 ring binder
pack of notebook paper
Tuesdays, 1:00 – 2:15
Room C207
Engineering class will foster a love of STEM and hands on learning through using the “engineering design process” and method. Math and science will both be strengthened while planning, designing, decision making and executing projects throughout the year. We will be participating in the local Annual Toothpick Bridge Challenge, working both individually as well as in teams throughout the year. This class is open to grades 5-8.
- Binder
- Loose leaf paper
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Computer paper for sketching designs
General Science
Facilitator: Stephanie Easton
Course Description:
Explore a general overview through different branches of Science! Using the Apologia General Science Middle School curriculum, we will explore the scientific method, simple machines, geology, archaeology, biology, and more. This could be a more challenging class, as the textbook is designed for approximately 7th and 8th grade.
Apologia Textbook for Middle School General Science (3rd Edition)
General Science 1: Survey of Earth and Sky Teacher Guide
Student Journal
Geography: Eastern Hemisphere
Facilitator: Kim Jeantet
Course Description:
Let’s explore the world together on a journey to Africa, Asia, Australia & Antarctica! We will discover how the five themes of geography shape countries and cultures through research and engaging projects. Even more importantly, we will learn about unreached people groups on each of these continents, how we can pray for them and missionaries who have taken the Gospel there. The goal of this course is that students would develop a greater appreciation and respect for the world around them by experiencing cultures different from their own. This is a two-part course that will pair with World Geography: Western Hemisphere that will be offered next school year.
Geography III Student Text and Student Workbook from Memoria Press
1″ 3-ring binder (or section of a larger binder)
loose leaf notebook paper
3 dividers
Pencils
Colored pencils
Index cards
(Various general project supplies throughout the year)
This class is geared toward 8th graders and up. This course is designed to develop and enhance life skills the students will need for everyday life. This class will focus on personal, interpersonal, and communication skills. Also, this course will explore other topics such as personal finance/money management, home management, health/wellness, and more. These skills will help prepare students to be successful when they become independent and on their own.
Required Materials:
1-2 inch binder
spiral notebook
writing utensil
Supply Fee:
$10 per student
Literature 6 (Thursdays)
I am overjoyed to facilitate Literature 6 on Thursdays. I have had the privilege of facilitating Literature 6 for the last 2 school years. I anxiously anticipate discussing quality literature with your students,
while sparking a desire for them to expand their vocabulary and inspire a zeal for writing. Over the course of the year, the students will learn plot development, characterization, mood, tone, figurative
language and poetry. A few other lesson topics are the difference between Biography and Memoir, note taking skills and public speaking.
The literature selections will take us on a trip around the world from
Korea during the middle ages to Russia during the Russian Revolution, as well as to the Ukraine during the Holocaust and Kenya during the 1990s and early 2000s. The students will participate in class activities such as teamwork on characterization, to presenting written work from research on topics that interest them as well as various games to review the material they have learned. They will have the opportunity to create their own Poetry Anthology and share some of their work at the Poetry Slam in class towards the end of the school year. I look forward to spending Thursday afternoons with your 6 th grade students this upcoming school year at Learning and Families!
Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly
The Squire’s Tale by Gerald Morris
The Kite Fighters by Linda Sue Park
Angel on the Square by Gloria Whelan
Alias Anna: A True Story of Outwitting the Nazis by Susan Hood and Greg Dawson
When Stars Are Scattered by Omar Mohamed and Victoria Jamieson
2” binder
Folder
10 Dividers for the binder
Pens and or pencils
Literature 6 (Tuesdays)
The primary focus of this Literature 6 course is to expose your young and growing readers to a variety
of Award Winning and engaging novels with the goal of giving them an appreciation for literature. The
book selections were purposefully chosen in order to facilitate critical thinking skills through literature
analysis, develop conflict resolution skills and encourage deep and meaningful in-class, and at-home,
discussions. The class will be comprised of great literature, group discussion, interactive games,
hands-on projects as well as some engaging writing assignments, all with the goal of making relevent
connections between the literature and our own lives.
In addition to learning how to think critically through novels, your students will also learn new
vocabulary, some writing techniques and grammar, as well as, plot structure and literary devices that
will all further their ability to understand more complex text.
Your student will be expected to come to class prepared, participate in class discussions, present
writing assignments and hands-on projects.
*A note about novel selections: As a parent, I understand that we all have different levels of sensitivity
in regards to what we expose our children to and when we expose it to them. Many great works of
literature explore sensitive topics. One of the things I love most about facilitating Literature is being
able to explore these topics together in a safe, welcoming and Christ-centered environment where we
can have age-appropriate conversations about the topic. If a novel has sensitive material, (i.e. death,
war, violence, segregation, etc…) I will do my best to inform you ahead of time so that you can
choose to screen it before your middle grader reads it for themselves. Prior to selecting novels, I
scour Christian book lists, read pages upon pages of book reviews, watch a variety of YouTube
reviews and read through websites like Plugged In and Common Sense Media in order to ensure that
the novels being selected are age appropriate, yet challenging for your maturing reader.
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park (Historical/Realistic Fiction)
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (Fantasy)
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare (Children’s Historical Fiction)
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls (Adventure/Coming of Age)
**Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor (Historical Fiction/Coming of Age/Drama)
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai (Verse)
** sensitive subject matter
Required Materials:Spiral Bound Notebook with at least 70 pages
1” or 1 ½” binder with loose leaf paper
Sticky tabs
pencils/pens
Supply Fee:
$15 per student
Literature 7
In this class, we will read poems and short stories about courage, nature, generosity, land, humility, and family. We will dig deep to discuss the characters, themes, symbolism and much more.
Explorations in Literature Student Grade 7
Notebook and pens
Supply Fee:
$10 per student
Literature 8
Literature 8 will be an exciting journey through different genres of literature so that everyone might find a new book to love. We will have many group discussions, some creative assignments, and writing projects. The mix of stories used in class will range from fantasy to real-life, coming-of-age stories. The goal will be to encourage a love of reading and gain new perspectives and an understanding of classic literature. Students are expected to participate in class by adding relevant feedback to detailed discussions. Some sharing of projects and reading essays in front of the class will be needed as well.
The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton
Animal Farm, by George Orwell
The Giver, by Lois Lowry
The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolken
The Adventures of Huckelberry Finn, by Mark Twain
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving
Supply Fee:
$5 per student
Thursdays, 1:00 – 2:15
English is a tricky language!! This course will train students to match the sounds of spoken English with individual letters or groups of letters. During this course, students will be able to blend sounds of letters together to help decode unfamiliar words and use these skills for spelling.
This course will follow phonics rules from the Orton-Gillingham program, including long vowels, vowel teams, consonant endings, and more.
Required Materials:
$20 per student
Digital Photography
Course Description:
Required Materials:
DSLR or mirrorless digital camera with an interchangeable lens system Memory card compatible with camera Memory card reader to transfer files to a computer
Photo editing software such as Lightroom or Darktable (needed after winter break)
4×7 photo album to hold prints
Physical Education
Facilitator: Coach Phil
Course Description:
Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is dedicated to making disciples through a strategy of engaging, equipping, and empowering coaches and athletes to know and grow in Christ and lead others to do the same.
This Physical Education program focuses on Fitness, Fun, and Friendship to build strong Character and Teamwork in youth.
There will be a 10-minute FCA Huddle at the end of each class with a fun mixer game and short devotional. Parents are invited to come and participate in this time.
Three Class Options
If you want to try it out for a semester, you are welcome to register for the Fall only. If you join LAF after the holidays, you can enroll in the Spring class.
Full Year Class — $250/year with $15 supply fee per student
Fall Only Class — $150 with $10 supply fee
Spring Only Class — $150 with $10 supply fee
Required Materials:
Gym Clothes and Shoes
Facilitator: Brandi McNulty
Horizons Pre-Algebra builds on basic math operations with hands-on lessons in introductory algebra, trigonometry, geometry, and real-life applications. The complete set includes a full-color student workbook with 160 engaging lessons, a user-friendly teacher’s guide, and a separate tests and resources book for evaluating student progress. Pre-Algebra Student Book teaches your child: volume and surface area of solids, four operations with monomials and polynomials, representations of data, trigonometric ratios, and more.
Horizons Pre-Algebra Student Book Tests and Resources Book
3-ring binder
Basic scientific calculator
$10 per student
Club Description:
Pre-algebra Prep will be a combination of the previous two years of math leading up to and including some Pre-Algebra. It will be designed to give a solid foundation of complex math concepts that will make it easier to move on to the next levels of math. Each class will build upon the next and include some projects that the students will need to complete using the math concepts they have learned. There is no book to purchase for this class since it combines several curriculums into one class.
1.5″ Binder
31-tab lesson dividers
Notebook paper (loose sheets)
Graph paper (3 holes to fit in binder)
Pencils
Highlighter pens
—-
Ruler 12″(Standard/Metric)
Tape Measure Standard/ metric/ fractions)
Pencil Compass
Protractor
——
Pack (ruler, tape measure, pencil compass, and protractor) can be purchased from LAF for $20
Lab Fee:
- Build leadership skills
- Critical Thinking
- Personal Development
- Develop your vocabulary and fluency
- Improve communication skills
BJU Press Sound Speech: Public Speaking & Communication Studies, Student Edition
Speaking in Public Effectively: How to prepare, How to present, How to progress by Richard Bewes
2 Spiral Notebooks
Pencils & Pens that erase
Package of 4 highlighter
2 ring folders (please not the same design or color)
$30 per student
Beginning Sewing (Fall Semester)
Intermediate Sewing (Spring Semester)
Tuition: $105 (each semester)
Sewing machine with manual.
Extra needles and bobbins that fit your machine.
Sewing scissors
Sewing pins
Assortment of colors of all purpose threads
1/2-1” binder
*Optional iron
Fabric TBD
$25 per student
This beginner class is an introduction to Spanish and to the wide number of countries that share this language. Students will learn to read, write, pronounce, and understand basic Spanish. The goal is to welcome students into a language journey that God can use to open countless doors for them. Class time will be dedicated to instruction and student participation through games, pronunciation practice, reading out loud, partner activities, and simple presentations. Students will also get to experience new foods, new music, and learn about the basic geography of Latin America.
Topics include:
- Greetings & Conversations
- Numbers 0 – 1,000
- Colors
- Alphabet
- The Family
- Adjectives
- The Body
- Food
- Weather and Clothing
- Months, Days, Holidays, Seasons
- Daily Life
- Sports and Pastimes
- Places in the Community
- Telling Time
- Meals and Restaurants
- Animals and their Environments
Español ¡En Vivo! Instructional Spanish Workbook Grade 4-8 Level 1
Español ¡En Vivo! Instructional Spanish Workbook Grade 4-8 Level 2
*Please note the proper grade level 4-8 when ordering the books
$10 per student
This intermediate course builds on the concepts introduced in Spanish 1 and teaches students to converse about the past, present, and future. To sign up for this class, students will need to have some basic Spanish vocabulary, an understanding of general grammatical concepts (like conjugation and matching gender/number), and a knowledge of proper Spanish pronunciation. The first semester will focus on conversational Spanish and teach students to identify key words, cognates, question words, and general contexts to carry on a conversation. We will fine tune pronunciation and develop greater vocabulary. The second semester will introduce essential verb tenses to talk about the past, present, future, and conditional. The goal will be to introduce students to the tools they will need to have a basic conversation and to confidently use what they have learned. Students can expect to participate in games, role plays, read-alouds, presentations, and other activities such as guest speakers and two local, cultural field trips.
*Note: This class is open to a waitlist only. Students will be contacted by the facilitator to determine if they meet the minimum requirements to join this class.
Español ¡En Vivo! Instructional Spanish Workbook Grade 4-8 Level 3
Español ¡En Vivo! Instructional Spanish Workbook Grade 4-8 Level 4
*Please note the proper grade level 4-8 when ordering the books
1-inch binder with interior pocket
1-subject college-ruled spiral notebook
Pencils
2 packs of 3×5 assorted (5 colors) index cards
$10 per student
Tuition: $105
In this class, students will become “makers” and engineers who engage in fun challenges. We will explore STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) principles to solve problems and build solutions together. Projects are new every year and driven by the students’ interests. For example, we might design prototypes to solve real world problems; build circuits to light up our creations; and perform acts of service to meet our community’s needs. We also use class time to design and build our LAF Egg Drop inventions!
None
$40 per student
Students will learn all about God’s glorious design. With hands-on, interactive experiments, learning comes to life on the page, giving students an immersive learning experience.
Exploring Creation with Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures, 2nd Edition
Notebooking Journal Grade 6
2Spiral Notebooks
Pencils & Pens that erase
Package of 4 highlighter
2 ring folders (please not the same design or color)
$40 per student
In Swimming Creatures, we will be learning all about the oceans and the creatures that live there. We will work through the different depths of the ocean and explore what lives there. In class we will have experiments, dissections (2), weekly oral presentations, and an end of the year project.
Exploring Creation with Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures, 2nd Edition
1.5″ binder
31-tab lesson dividers
Notebook Paper (loose sheets)
Pencils
Highlighter pens
Glue sticks (2)
Scissors
Colored pencils or markers
$40 per student
The Notgrass History America the Beautiful curriculum is a one-year American history, geography, and literature course designed for students in grades 5-8. It combines the flexibility and richness of a unit study with the simplicity of a textbook-based approach to history. Daily lessons guide your middle-school student chronologically through American history, with an emphasis on key events, people, and places.
The 2-volume text includes the course instructions and easy-to-follow daily directions that children are often able to follow independently. Each of the thirty units has five lessons. You can complete the curriculum in one year by doing one lesson per day for 150 days during your school year. Depending on how many activities you assign, most students will need 45-90 minutes to complete one lesson. While this course is designed for children in grades 5-8, younger children can listen to the lessons and participate in the family activities.
You will need the text, map and timeline books as well as the student workbook.
Student Kit (Check if it is cheaper to buy individual pieces.)
Required books are textbooks, map, timeline, and student workbook
$10 per student
The Notgrass From Adam to Us curriculum is a one-year world history curriculum for students in grades 5-8.3
You will need the text, the mapbook, the timeline, and the student workbook. It may be cheaper to buy the kit and the workbook (even though you will not need the Creative World book) as opposed to buying each individual piece. Do what works best for your family.
From Adam to Us includes two primary textbooks (one for each semester; each includes 75 lessons). The daily lessons are written in a narrative style and richly illustrated with color photographs and maps. Volume 1: Creation to Cathedrals will introduce students to ancient civilizations, the Great Empires, the early Church, and the Middle Ages. Volume 2: Castles to Computers covers the early Renaissance, Age of Revolutions, Victorian Era, the 20th Century and up through modern communications. Each unit includes five lessons that look at biographies, landmarks, daily life, “God’s Wonders” (natural resources), and “Our World” stories (major events).
From Adam to Us, Volume 2, pages 510-1044, hardcover
Map Book, 43 maps, softcover
Timeline Book, 31 pages, softcover
$10 per student
Tuition: $105
In this one semester class, we will study the elements of storytelling and the use of dialogue in playwriting. As a class, we will co-write a play and submit it the Florida Studio Theatre Young Playwrights Festival. Each student will also write a play that will be submitted to the Young Playwrights Festival.
As part of our study, we will read a play together, and also study a handful of small plays.
As a class, we will attend three performances at Florida Studio Theatre. Admission price and dates for the plays will be announced in the summer
The Miracle Worker by William Gibson
1″ binder
Loose leaf paper
Pens
Pencils
$15 per studen
In MS Writing this year, students will be exploring the five main types of writing genres; expository, persuasive, narrative, descriptive and creative. Students will be able to know how and when to use each type of writing, how to engage readers and how to convey ideas effectively.
Students will use the writing process, which includes lessons in drafting, editing, and revision techniques to create successful publications that we will celebrate in class!
3 ring binder with 5 tabs
$15 per student
