I hereby authorize School of the Minds to publish the photographs and videos taken of me and/or the undersigned minor children, and our names, for use in the School of the Minds printed publications and website.  I release School of the Minds from any expectation of confidentiality for the undersigned minor children and myself and attest that I am the parent or legal guardian of the children listed below and that I have the authority to authorize the SOTM to use their photographs, videos and names.  I acknowledge that since participation in publications and websites produced by School of the Minds is voluntary, neither the minor children nor I will receive financial compensation.  I further agree that participation in any publication and website produced by School of the Minds confers no rights of ownership whatsoever. I release School of the Minds, its contractors and its employees from liability for any claims by me or any third party in connection with my participation or the participation of the undersigned minor children.

register their children with School of the Minds at the beginning of each year, pay the teacher directly for the complete fees for classes on the first day of instruction, notify the teacher if students must miss or be late for class, be present at the coop with their children at all times (or, they can arrange for another parent or trusted guardian who can be present in their absence to take responsibility for their children in case of emergency), assist in the cleanup of the facility and after their own children, be responsible for their children’s behavior and help them behave appropriately for our homeschool setting, not gossip about each other or each other's children, talk to the teacher or administrator directly should a problem arise, understand that if they don’t comply with these policies it may result in their withdrawal from School of the Minds, understand that School of the Minds is a homeschool support group that meets several times a week.  We offer classes that our homeschool families otherwise may not have the opportunity to do at home.  Our classes are not substitutes for a complete homeschool curriculum.

In consideration of being allowed to participate in any way in School of the Minds related  events and activities, the undersigned: 1. Agree that the member/participant should inspect the facilities and equipment to be used, and if the member/participant believes anything is unsafe, he or she should immediately advise supervisor (advisor, manager, etc.) of such condition(s) and refuse to  participate. 2. Acknowledge and fully understand that each member/participant will be engaging in activities that involve risk of serious injury, including permanent disability and death, and  severe social and economic losses which might result not only from their own actions,  inactions, or negligence but the action, inaction, and negligence of others, or the condition  of the premises or of any equipment used. Further, that there may be other risks not known  to us or not reasonably foreseeable at this time. 3. Assume all the foregoing risks and accept personal responsibility for the damages following such injury, permanent disability or death. 4. Release, waive, discharge and covenant not to sue School of the Minds, its affiliated clubs,  their respective administrators, directors, agents, and other employees of the organization,  other members/participants, sponsoring agencies, sponsors, advertisers, and if applicable,  owners and lessors or premises used to conduct the event, all of which are hereinafter  referred to as “releases,” from any and all liability to each of the undersigned, his or her  heirs and next of kin for any and all claims, demands, losses or damages on account of  injury, including death and damage to property, caused or alleged to be caused in whole or  in part by the negligence of the releases or otherwise. I HAVE READ THE ABOVE WAIVER AND RELEASE, UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE GIVEN UP SUBSTANTIAL RIGHTS BY SIGNING IT AND SIGN IT VOLUNTARILY.

arrive on time to class, attend all classes for which they have registered, complete weekly homework assignments, understand that if they are a source of distraction for their classmates that they may be asked to leave the class for the remainder of the semester, engage in a quiet activity in our facility if not attending class and not roam unsupervised through the coop’s location, be responsible, diligent, respecful and dedicated.

In consideration of being allowed to participate in any way in School of the Minds related  events and activities, the undersigned: 1. Agree that the parent(s) and/or legal guardian(s) of the participant should inspect the facilities and equipment to be used, and if the parent or guardian believes anything is unsafe, he or she should immediately advise supervisor (advisor, manager, etc.) of such  condition(s) and refuse to participate. 2. Acknowledge and fully understand that each member/participant will be engaging in activities that involve risk of serious injury, including permanent disability and death, and  severe social and economic losses which might result not only from their own actions,  inactions, or negligence but the action, inaction, and negligence of others, or the condition  of the premises or of any equipment used. Further, that there may be other risks not known  to us or not reasonably foreseeable at this time. 3. Assume all the foregoing risks and accept personal responsibility for the damages following such injury, permanent disability or death. 4. Release, waive, discharge and covenant not to sue School of the Minds, its affiliated clubs,  their respective administrators, directors, agents, and other employees of the organization,  other members/participants, sponsoring agencies, sponsors, advertisers, and if applicable,  owners and lessors or premises used to conduct the event, all of which are hereinafter  referred to as “releases,” from any and all liability to each of the undersigned, his or her  heirs and next of kin for any and all claims, demands, losses or damages on account of  injury, including death and damage to property, caused or alleged to be caused in whole or  in part by the negligence of the releases or otherwise. I HAVE READ THE ABOVE WAIVER AND RELEASE,UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE GIVEN UP SUBSTANTIAL RIGHTS BY SIGNING IT AND SIGN IT VOLUNTARILY.

We are a FREE support group, but require that our homeschool families maintain a high level of responsibility, diligence, devotion, and involvement in their education and our community. Our families are diverse: from unschoolers to very structured homeschoolers, but our camaraderie is unparalleled.  Please commit to being involved by participating regularly (weekly/monthly) in at least one thing we offer EVERY semester: classes, park days, field trips, workshops, or other. You can also choose to be active in other ways that contribute to our community by giving our families educational or social opportunities via educational info, field trips, and more. YOU HAVE TO BE ACTIVE OR ELSE YOU WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE GROUP.

Unlike instructional learning, our homeschool structure requires a different approach to education. There is much less explicit teaching coming from parents/facilitators, but more exploration inspired directly from the children themselves. This culture of homeschooling makes classes at School of the Minds more meaningful to the children because we provide them with a space to share their interests with their peers and with a bigger community. Our children are a mix of asynchronous/ accelerated/ independent/ self-directed learners who enjoy delving deeply into their interests. Unlike instructional based coops where learning ends at break time, you will find many of our students continue with their "work" even during break. NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT DO YOUR CHILD'S WORK FOR THEM. YOUR CHILDREN HAVE TO DO THEIR OWN HOMEWORK. IF YOUR CHILD CONTINUOUSLY DOES NOT DO HIS/HER HOMEWORK, IT REFLECTS POORLY ON YOUR CHILD AND YOUR FAMILY. IF YOU DO MAKE A HABIT OF DOING YOUR CHILD'S WORK, IT BECOMES VERY OBVIOUS TO EVERYONE ELSE. PLEASE MAKE SURE THEIR WORK GETS DONE WHEN PROMISED. THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT WHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR TEAMS, SCIENCE OLYMPIAD, ODYSSEY OF THE MIND AND/OR FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSES. Finally, we do not appreciate people who quit last minute in this group. We do what we say and we do high quality work. If this homeschool co-op culture does not suit you, please do not bother to join.

Please let us know who recommended you to School of the Minds. This person has to be a past or active member of School of the Minds. In addition, it is required that you attend 2 out of 3 of the following before admission: a field trip, a project fair, or a park day. This recommendation allows us to make sure your family is the right fit for School of the Minds. If you have been a member before, please type in 'member'.

Submitting this form means you have read, understood and agree to the School of  the Minds policies. Please take the time to read them again carefully! Should a check be  returned for insufficient funds, the homeschool family will revoke any check writing  privileges and require cash payments instead. Note: School of the Minds administrators  have the right to refuse registration, at their discretion.