Frequently Asked Questions

Teachers will provide all instruction and homework and collect, assess, and grade each student’s homework, quizzes, and tests, however, Bridges should not be considered a “hands-off” learning environment. While instructors guide and enrich learning, parental oversight and involvement remain essential to your student's growth, academically, spiritually, and personally. These classes are designed to support and complement your God-given role as the primary educator in your child's life. 

We always encourage parental involvement, but the needed amount may vary depending on the student and their age, their ability level, and the class itself. Each week, it is ideal to review what was taught, what is due, and ensure it has been completed before the next class. Beyond this, parents are responsible for reviewing instructor communication, monitoring their student’s grades in the Toolbox, and maintaining all homeschool records and transcripts. Furthermore, parental supervision/proctoring of quizzes and tests is always required, regardless of the class or age level.

It is also the parents’ responsibility to provide any additional help a struggling student may need outside of the classroom. Please review the FAQ, “What about my student’s school IEP or learning differences?”

This depends on how many classes students are enrolled in! Students enrolled in a full day of classes will move around to the appropriate classroom (according to their class schedule) throughout each period of their day or be in study hall for any free periods. If a student is enrolled in only one class, they may arrive 10 minutes before their class starts and then leave immediately afterwards. Students are welcome to schedule classes and study halls around the lunch period also, as we know this is a fun social time for our students! 

Yes! We have a designated date once a year (see current school year calendar) when we allow prospective students to visit with their parents. You will get a chance to look around, talk with one of our administrators, and sit in on classes if you would like. If you are interested in our 2026 open house, please see the visitation day sign up link within the 2026-27 school year tab when available.

Registration is done online on our site called the Hub.  Read and review the instructions provided in the school year tab which you are registering for. *Please use a computer and not your cell phone for the registration process. 

Registration opens for the upcoming school year near the beginning of April and remains open until the middle of August. All classes have a maximum student number and will close to further registration when they are full, so student placement is not guaranteed. Registration opens first to current families and then to new families after that. Please check the school year's calendar for registration dates.

Each student will be required to pay the registration fee, the class fees (tuition), and supply fees associated with the classes that they have registered for (see course descriptions). Families are also responsible to buy the listed curriculum for each class.

The registration fee pays for any costs relating to the use of the building and general costs of keeping the program running, the supply fee pays for classroom materials (labs, copies, markers, etc.), and the class fees/tuition pay your child’s teacher. 

Registration fees are always nonrefundable. Other payments (supply fees and class fees/tuition) are refundable only up until the listed payment deadline in July. Please refer to the school year calendar for this deadline.

Yes, you can make payments over the course of the spring/summer only. The final payment must be received by the communicated July deadline. At that point, unpaid balances will result in loss of the student's spot until payment is made, and then only if there is room still available in the class.

Unfortunately, we do not issue refunds after the declared payment deadline in July (please see the school calendar), so make sure to schedule your student for appropriate classes. 

For a student to enroll in Bridges, they need to be 10 years old and in fifth grade. Age cut-off for each school year is September 30th.  Bridges only accepts students who are in 5th-12th grade (and at least 10).

While we register students by their grade level, every class does have an age requirement. Please consult the class description to see required ages. Age cut-off for each school year is September 30th. 

Bridges is a rigorous academic homeschool organization that meets only one day a week and is not equipped to provide special accommodations for any student who has been given an IEP by a school or who has special learning needs that affect their ability to participate independently in the classroom.

While parents may make adjustments for learning differences at home, in-class work will not be altered for individual students. Because a parent’s adjustments at home cannot be applied during class (audio books or dictation, for example), if the student is unable to read or write independently, we strongly suggest reconsidering involvement in Bridges, as this will be required in most classes.

Yes, you will need to purchase the listed curriculum for each class and any school supplies (textbooks, DVDs, workbooks, etc.) that the teacher requests. See the supply list in the correct school year tab.

Students can sign up for as few or as many open classes as they would like. A waiting list is available for filled classes and individuals will be personally notified if a spot in a class opens from the waiting list.

Yes. Government, economics, finance, health, debate, art, physical education and others are offered a semester at a time and your student can take one semester of any of them. (Example: Physical Education for first semester; Jr. High Art for second semester.) Consult the class schedule for options. 

We do not offer a mid-year registration. Registration opens for the upcoming school year near the beginning of April and remains open until the middle of August. All classes should be chosen then and all payments are nonrefundable after that point.

Bridges is a supervised environment and offers a paid study hall at each period of the day, so you may drop off your child as long as they are in a class or registered for study hall during every period they are at Bridges. If your child has a free period with no scheduled class and you have chosen not to register for study hall, you must be in the building with them. A parent room is available for your use.

The study hall fee ($50 for all year or $25 if only needed for one semester) covers as many or as few class periods as a student needs in their schedule for the semester/year. However, as study hall is only intended to be a filler between classes, students may not have more than two study hall periods in a row without approval from Administration.

Yes! Lunch is from 12-12:25 every Monday and we offer two large supervised rooms for students staying with us during that period. Students pack their own lunches. Students may only eat lunch in the designated lunch rooms and not in a classroom. A snack may be eaten during class time with teacher's permission and as long as it is not messy or disruptive to the class. Remember to sign up for lunch during registration if your student would like to participate in this period.

Student health and safety is very important to us. Every teacher is given the student allergy list that was submitted by parents for their class at the beginning of the school year and is asked to make sure that anything they bring to the classroom is safe for their individual students. With that being said, we do not ban any food ingredients at Bridges. We expect students who are in 5th grade and up to be able to monitor their individual needs and not eat anything they did not bring unless it is packaged and they can guarantee it does not contain the allergen that would affect them. We ask that students keep their EpiPen in their backpack, and we will also keep Benadryl on hand for emergencies. We ask that parents ensure students are able to be self-sufficient in understanding what they can and cannot eat while at school and we have requested our teachers to honor students' allergies in class activities so that no one is excluded. For allergic reactions or any emergency situations, we will call 911 immediately and notify parents. 

Yes, in-person orientation is required for all new Bridges families (student and at least one parent) in order to participate. Online orientation is offered for current families who are returning for consecutive years. After any absence from Bridges, in-person orientation is again required. See calendar for orientation date.

Overall, the majority of science experiments and labs (including microscopy) are completed in the Bridges classrooms. Occasionally a student will be required to perform something simple at home due to the experiment needing to be completed over an extended period of time, and the teacher typically provides the supplies that are needed in those circumstances.

When Plain Local Schools are canceled for road safety, Bridges classes are also canceled. However, if Plain Local Schools cancels for cold temperatures, we will still hold classes as long as First Friends is open. On Mondays that are public school holidays, the decision will be made by Administration and First Friends. If Bridges is canceled for any reason, parents will receive an email early Monday morning. In order to avoid extending the school year, teachers will send a detailed email or video and homework assignments to make up for the missed class time.

Students are only with their teachers one day a week, so make it a priority to come to class! That being said, we know things happen. Planned absences should be communicated to teachers as soon as possible. In case of illness, parents and students should utilize the Toolbox to inform teachers directly, address turning in homework, and see if they can get any material/information that may have been missed. Teachers do not teach remotely and are not required to compile lesson plans for students, especially in the case of multi-week absences.