Co-op FAQ

Each WMS family is responsible for 25* Co-op hours. Hours will be pro-rated for those families who enter WMS after the beginning of the school year. Your yearly Co-op requirement begins September 1 and ends June 15. Co-op participation requested between the last day of school and September 1 may be applied to the requirement for the upcoming school year (with staff approval), but completed hours may not otherwise be carried over from year to year.

*For the 2021-22 school year only, this requirement has been changed to 10 hours.

Although Co-op hours are not transferable from family to family, anyone in the family (aunt, grandparent, etc.) may assist in the completion of the time requirement.

You may request an update on your submitted Co-op hours by contacting co-op@wmsde.org. At the end of the school year, the business office will issue bills for incomplete hours.

Co-op hours may be reported for requests made through your child’s teacher, homeroom parent or as posted on Bloomz.

Due to considerations regarding COVID-19, WMS will begin the 2021-22 school year allowing only students and staff in the school building, and we are uncertain about when that may change. Therefore, families will be able to complete their hours by attending online parent education programs and supporting our classrooms through activities that can be completed from home. 

Some examples of participation that may be reported for Co-op hours are:

• Classroom support (your child’s homeroom parent will provide a list of classroom jobs) 
• Event support (planning committees, set-up, providing food, publicity, etc.)
• Maintenance support (gardening, small repairs, carpentry, etc.)
• Program support (library, sports activities, Extended Day/Before-and After-School Program assistance, etc.)
• Administrative/Office support (Board participation, fundraising, grant-writing, graphic design, technology assistance, etc.)

When purchasing items for classroom, event or program support, the general guideline is that one Co-op hour equals $20 spent. In order to receive Co-op credit for requested purchases, a receipt must be attached to the Co-op Report form. Classroom teachers may approve purchases up to $100. Purchases of $100 or more must be pre-approved by the Business Manager.
 

Many valuable contributions of time and talents are made because parents wish to be supportive of their child’s classroom activities and of the school in general. Some examples of participation that may not be reported for Co-op hours are:

• Attending classroom parties or other celebrations
• Donated furniture and technology: As much as we appreciate your consideration, donated items such as furniture and computers cannot be included as Co-op time. We would suggest that you complete a tax-deductible donation form (available at the Front Desk) for these items. Like you, we have limited storage, so please check before bringing items into school.
• Donations for teacher gifts

• Actual time spent: It is not always clear how long it will take a parent to complete a project. In those cases, parents are asked to track their time expenditure and report the number of hours actually spent on the task.
• Time spent plus supplies purchased: If a parent spends two hours making curtains for a classroom, plus $20 in fabric or other supplies, they may claim a total of three Co-op hours.
• Year-long commitments: It is recognized that certain Co-op jobs include extensive responsibilities and time commitments, and may be assigned an hour value. For example, a parent serving as a homeroom parent or board member may claim 30 Co-op hours.

• Bloomz: The majority  of WMS Co-op opportunities (both classroom and school-wide) are posted on our Bloomz site. 
• Wednesday Weekly: Opportunities for Co-op participation are often communicated to parents through the Wednesday Weekly newsletter.

Yes, many Co-op jobs, such as making materials, virtual parent education programs and graphic design, may be done from your home.

Co-op hours may be reported online through our online form. To receive Co-op credit for purchases, receipts may be scanned and submitted via email to co-op@wmsde.org. 

Please submit reports for all completed Co-op jobs as you finish them, even if you have already fulfilled your Co-op requirement for the year. As valuable resources, parent donations of time and purchases are tracked and help the school with funding for grants. You may also need this information for tax purposes. More importantly, your support throughout the year is vital to the functioning of the school. Many of the school’s largest events happen in the spring, and their success depends on our parents’ time and talents.

If you are unable to complete your family’s Co-op requirement before June 15, you will be billed for the incomplete hours, as stated on the annual Co-op Agreement. Parents who are unable to complete their Co-op hours by the end of the school year but wish to do so over the summer may contact co-op@wmsde.org to make arrangements.

If you have any questions or concerns about the Parent Co-op Program at WMS, please email co-op@wmsde.org or call 302-475-0555. Parents are invited to make suggestions for co-op participation. Your ideas are important to us!

Parents may complete many Co-op jobs in the school between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. on school days or on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Note: The school is not open on Saturdays during the summer and often is closed on holiday weekends. Please check with the Front Desk to confirm that the school will be open if you plan to work on a Saturday.) If your task requires that you access the school during other hours, please make arrangements with a staff member.

Important
If parents bring children into the school after hours, they must follow the same rule that applies to all employees of the school regarding child supervision: Children should never be left unsupervised in any area of the school at any time.