Leadership Team

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The entire Board of Directors will organize the following tasks together during their quarterly board meetings. These shared responsibilities include:

Assigning all roles of service for the community such as tutors, tutor assistants, coaches, etc.
Organizing and leading Community Orientation Day before the first semester
Supporting tutors in Faces of History, History Fair, Mock Trial, and Science Fair
Organizing and leading End-of-Year Celebration
Working together to resolve large community challenges

Community Director (President): Claudia Shearer

The President leads the community by providing a strong and kind example for the community to follow. Her responsibilities include:

Serving as the legal and public representative of the Connections non-profit
Serving as the liaison between Connections and the host church
Acting as the first point of contact for new families
Fulfilling all roles in the existing families and new families enrollment processes
Arriving early on community days to open up and set up the facility
Leading morning and afternoon assembly
Providing guidance to the Electives Coordinator
Serving as a point person for the community, pointing families toward needed help
Filing the annual non-profit business report to the state of Florida by May 1 each year
Keeping track of families unable to attend co-op on a given day and relaying that information to directors and coordinators
Setting up and leading quarterly meetings for the Board of Directors
Setting up and leading two whole-community meetings per year, prior to each semester

Communications Director (Secretary): Arielle Shansky

The Communications Director ensures that all information pertinent to the community is organized and well-communicated. Her responsibilities include:

Maintaining and monitoring the website, BAND, and calendar
Publishing external and internal information or public relations material
Giving announcements during morning and afternoon assembly
Sharing announcements and important event updates through weekly communications as well as individual announcements as needed and assist members with event sign-ups
Leading the class registration process at the beginning of each semester
Maintaining all log-in information for any digital accounts under the Connections name
Serving as point person for the Homeschool Life website platform
Fulfilling all roles in the existing families and new families enrollment processes
Attending and recording the quarterly meetings for the Board of Directors
Attending and recording any whole-community meetings in the year

Financial Director (Treasurer): Krista King

The Financial Director maintains all monies going into and out of the community. Her responsibilities include:

Keeping the books and financial records for the community
Balancing the checking account with the financial records
Reimbursing tutors and coordinators for expenses
Purchasing supplies for those who would prefer not to go through reimbursement
Making payments to the facility
Ensuring taxes are filed annually
Overseeing financial aspects related to being a Step Up approved provider
Fulfilling all roles in the existing families and new families enrollment processes
Attending the quarterly meetings for the Board of Directors
Attending any whole-community meetings in the year

Relational Director: Katie Rippy

The Relational Director serves to keep the harmony and vision of the community on track throughout the year. Her responsibilities include:

Fulfilling her role in the new families enrollment process by conducting familiy interviews
Being available to mediate conflict among parents, tutors, leadership, and students
Leading and maintaining the community virtues curriculum binder and materials
Hosting a Care Coaches training meeting each summer
Leading the Care Coaches team throughout the year
Leading the community in virtues and prayer during morning and afternoon assembly
Attending the quarterly meetings for the Board of Directors
Attending any whole-community meetings in the year

Upper School Director: Jennifer Hubbard

The Upper School Director protects and sustains the Classical and Christian education standards of the community. Her responsibilities include:

Lining up tutors for Upper School classes
Solidifying the curriculum and book lists for the upcoming year by June 30 of each year
Leading an Upper School tutor training session each summer
Co-leading a Classical Education Workshop each summer with Lower School Director
Regularly communicating with tutors, parents, and students to provide support
Observing tutors once each semester to ensure a Classical and Christian approach
Ensuring science supplies for the Upper School program are purchased and organized
Working with the Lower School Director to ensure academic cohesion & shared goals
Fulfilling her role in the new families enrollment process
Attending the quarterly meetings for the Board of Directors
Attending any whole-community meetings in the year

Lower School Director: Bethany Olsen

The Lower School Director manages the elementary program. Her responsibilities include:

Lining up tutors for Lower School classes
Solidifying the curriculum and book lists for the upcoming year by June 30 of each year
Leading a Lower School tutor training session each summer
Co-leading a Classical Education Workshop each summer with Upper School Director
Regularly communicating with tutors, parents, and students to provide support
Observing tutors once each semester to ensure a Classical and Christian approach
Ensuring that all supplies for the Lower School program are purchased and organized
Working with the Upper School Director to ensure academic cohesion & shared goals
Fulfilling her role in the new families enrollment process
Attending the quarterly meetings for the Board of Directors
Attending any whole-community meetings in the year

Electives Director: Danika Maines

The Electives Director manages the electives program. Her responsibilities include:

Lining up elective classes & tutors for each semester at least 4 weeks prior to start
Collecting class information from each elective tutor at least 4 weeks prior to start
Sharing all class information with the Communications Director and President at least 4 weeks prior to aid in the registration process
Working with the President on any needed improvement to the electives program
Attending the quarterly meetings for the Board of Directors
Attending any whole-community meetings in the year

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Coordinators

Field Trip Coordinator: Lisa Williams

The Event Coordinator manages events outside of community days. Her responsibilities include:

Planning and facilitating at least two field trips each semester
Planning at least two free meet-ups each semester for lower school
Planning at least two free meet-ups each semester for upper school
Encouraging parents who may want to plan other events and meet-ups
Working with the President on any needed improvement to the events program

Facility Coordinator: Tera Lafler

The Facility Coordinator manages community cleaning duties. Her responsibilities include:

Creating cleaning assignments for the community
Ensuring all cleaning assignments are completed after community days
Communicating with families if their assignments are not done well
Communicating with families about absences and filling their cleaning roles
Purchasing and replenishing cleaning supplies for the community
Creating clean-up teams for any Connections events at the church
Working with the President on any needed improvement to the facility operations

Library Coordinator

The Library Coordinator manages the homeschool library room at Tavares Library that is sponsored by Connections. Her responsibilities include:

Maintaining the room at the library
Checking on the returned books pile on a regular basis
Contacting families about overdue books
Communicating with local homeschool families about information and donations

Yearbook Coordinator

The Yearbook Coordinator makes sure our Connections community has a published yearbook. Her responsibilities include:

Organizing a yearbook class during electives at least one semester per school year
Gathering or taking photos of the community from the whole school year and all events
Finishing the yearbook and coordinating final purchase and distribution
Forming a team of parent and student yearbook volunteers if desired

Nursery Coordinator

The Nursery Coordinator makes sure our Connections community has an option for a nursery.

Communicate with families who need nursery care
Hire a nursery worker/ helper
Collect money to pay worker
Make sure the nursery has supplies needed
Check that the nursery is left in order

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Co-op Day Assignments

The tutor follows the curriculum determined by the Upper or Lower School Director. She/he plans weekly lessons and executes those lessons through instruction, classically-styled conversation, and hands-on opportunities. She/he also must attend a tutor training session each summer.

Science Lab Assistant

The science lab assistant supports the tutor and students during class time by helping to ensure students are paying attention and on task. She/he does not teach the students, but is prepared to lead the class through the procedure of each lab. She/he is fully in charge of gathering all materials for science labs and cleaning up. She/he is responsible for keeping the supply closet organized by making sure all lab materials are returned to their correct locations.

Care Coach (Lower School)

A care coach is the adult point person assigned to an Explorer (lower elementary), Examiner (upper elementary), Connector (middle school), or Commander (high school) group. The coach seeks to nurture and address student needs, uphold community values, promote consistency/peace, facilitate class schedule/ movement, and enforce class reward/disciplinary system.

Student Council (Student Roles)

The student council will plan and facilitate all in-community special days and parties. They will also seek to enforce community values amongst peers and develop opportunities (class projects) to care for others within our community.