You have questions, we have answers

How does Greenhouse differ from a co-op?

Greenhouse is more directional and intentional than many co-ops because it has consistent leadership from its board and administration. Its offerings are not the result of the cooperative pooling of available resources and variable desires;  Greenhouse has a steadfast mission and seeks to help families who resonate with that mission. This allows Greenhouse to set reasonably high and consistent standards of quality control. Holding regular faculty meetings to build collegiality and cross-pollinate between disciplines also distinguishes Greenhouse from most co-ops.

Why do you call it Greenhouse?

A conventional greenhouse provides environmental controls and nourishment to allow seedlings to mature into hearty plants. Similarly, Greenhouse offers academic, spiritual and relational nourishment in a safe, wholesome and stimulating environment. By God’s grace, these elements will strengthen youngsters in preparation for servant leadership later in life. Such is our hope, our mission, and our prayer.

Is Greenhouse affiliated with a church?

Although initially launched under the auspices of Church of the Resurrection of Illinois (for which we are deeply grateful), Greenhouse incorporated as a separate not-for-profit ministry in 2004 and no longer has formal ties to any one congregation.

How are admissions decisions made?

Your family will be prayerfully considered on its own merits. Our decision will be based on several factors, including (1) the available space and the composition of your child’s potential class, (2) the similarity of mission between your family and Greenhouse, (3) your child’s academic readiness and compatibility with other students at your child’s level, and (4) your child’s development of moral reasoning and behavior. If your family is offered enrollment (and most are!), you will have a few weeks to decide whether or not to enroll for that year.

How "Christian" does my family need to be to be admitted to Greenhouse? 

At least one parent must have an active faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in keeping with the Christian faith as delineated in our statements of faith. Beyond that,  Greenhouse admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to its students. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, employment policies and other programs it administers.

What do you do about discipline problems?

Two-thirds of our mission deals not with academics, but with character formation and community building. Therefore, behavioral expectations, training and discipline are important facets of Greenhouse. Teachers work under the mandate that “character trumps content”; i.e. if something happens in a classroom that merits affirmation or correction, it should be attended to even if that means the curriculum gets set aside momentarily to do so. Since we work in tandem with parents, we do our best to quickly apprise parents of noteworthy situations and to work cooperatively in addressing them, which we are committed to doing for the good of the student, and of the community.

What is expected of Greenhouse parents?

Beyond ensuring that their students complete necessary assignments, parents at Greenhouse model servant leadership themselves, in part, through helping with service opportunities. We ask each household to volunteer time to serve the general welfare of Greenhouse. The variety and timing of the service opportunities generally permit families to find a suitable option. During the Play season, we ask each Grammar- and Logic-level family to serve an additional 5-10 hours in preparation for the play.

We also ask at least one parent from each family to participate in three meetings: the fall orientation (Aug), the play kick-off meeting (Oct/Nov) and the annual parents meeting (Apr).

How diverse is the community at Greenhouse?

Greenhouse serves Christian families who come from about 50 different congregations. Greenhouse serves home schooling families, but many also have students enrolled in public or private schools. While Greenhouse is situated in Wheaton, its families come from 35+ other Chicagoland communities. As far as ethnic composition is concerned, Greenhouse mirrors the homeschooling population of the western suburbs.

Through our curriculum and our practice, Greenhouse desires to portray the whole Body of Christ in all its diversity and the varied expressions of God’s image in humankind. We want each student to recognize that God uses men and women of “every nation, tribe, people and language” (Rev 7:9) to accomplish His purposes, and has done so throughout history. We want each to recognize and use the gifts and experiences God has given him or her, and to respect and encourage those God has given to others as they function together in a learning community.

What is Greenhouse’s position on creation versus evolution?

The Board recognizes that faithful Christians hold a variety of convictions on the matter of the age of the earth, and the evolution of species. What we hold without question is that God is the creator of all that is – seen and unseen – and that man is a special creation of God. Beyond these there is significant room for legitimate disagreement. Generally, we encourage students to discuss these issues with their parents. On Logic- and Rhetoric-levels, we will occasionally discuss the merits and weaknesses of various positions, while respecting wide-ranging convictions.

Why are donations needed?

In order to hold tuition costs down, and to tangibly demonstrate our dependence of God, we routinely establish at donation goal of 10-20% of our operating budget. We are blessed to recount that the Lord has faithfully provided for us since our inception in 2001.