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CHRSM stands for Catholic Homeschool Resource and Support Ministry. The name was chosen to symbolically represent our mission statement. 

Chrism oil is a sacramental oil used in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders. At the special Chrism Mass celebrated during Holy Week, the bishop breathes on the chrism oil, symbolizing the gesture instituted by Christ when he breathed on the disciples after his resurrection, sending them the Holy Spirit. In ancient times, oils infused with hyssop and other herbs were used for healing and strengthening. Athletes would use them to help limber up prior to competition; it also made it difficult for their opponents to grasp and defeat them easily. Ancient prophets were anointed with oil as a public sign of having been chosen by God; they in turn used it to anoint fellow prophets and kings.

Our prayer is that the CHRSM community will assist our families and our young ones to be armed with the tools they will need to stand 'as a city on a hill' within this generation.

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You do not have to be Catholic to participate -- we welcome students of all faith backgrounds that recognize Christ as our Lord and Savior, and the son of God the Father. We do require a signed Statement of Faith. Here are some testimonials from some of our families from other churches: 

"Our family has been so blessed by CHRSM this year.  We felt immediately welcomed and loved by the wonderful families involved in the ministry, both old friends and new, Protestant and Catholic! The classes offered have helped fill a void in our homeschool to have excellent live teachers, as well as enriching and fun electives. But just as importantly, CHRSM has provided us with a supportive and encouraging community, both for our children and for me! We all look forward to Tuesdays! Our family is truly grateful for the opportunity to be involved in CHRSM!"

~ Catherine Gilanshah, parent

We do want to affirm that CHRSM is run by Catholic families, as a ministry to our fellow Catholic families. Our registration process is tiered in order to meet our parish and community needs first.

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All of our teachers are devout followers of Christ, and are excited to share their faith within the context of their subject matter. While some come from other Christian denominations, most are practicing Catholics.

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Thank you for your interest in our ministry!  Before proceeding with a request for membership in our organization, please review the following documents to be certain that our ministry will fit your family's needs:

-  Mission Statement

-  Statement of Faith

-  Code of Conduct

-  Policies & Procedures

After reviewing these carefully, if you still have an interest in becoming part of our CHRSM family, you will contant our New Family Coordinators at [email protected] and they can answer any questions you may have. You will be asked to fill out an online application through our website during our application dates of January 15th through March 15th. After your application is received, you will be added to our waitlst in the order it was received and be invited to come with your family for an informational tour of CHRSM on a Tuesday in February or March. After your tour, if there is space in our program, we will approve your application and you will receive further instructions about our registration process. In order to register for any of our classes, you will need to indicate that you have read, are in agreement with, and will commit to adhere to the documents above. You will also be required to submit a signed Statement of Faith and a non-refundable registration fee of $50 per child (max family fee of $150). This fee covers our ministry expenses such as insurance, background check fees, website, supplies, etc. 

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CHRSM collects payments for three different types of fees: application fees, tuition fees, and facilities fees. While it may be an inconvenience to write separate checks for these payments, it is a necessary step for the parish Business Office to process the payments correctly. All check s. All checks should be made out to ST. FRANCIS DE SALES CHURCH. 

Application Fees:

All families are asked to submit a non-refundable application fee of $50 per child with a  maximum of $150 per family. Since CHRSM is entirely self-supported, these funds go toward ministry operating costs such as insurance, supplies, and background check fees.

Application fees may be paid by check (please write “CHRSM App Fee” in the memo line of your check) and submitted by:

1. placing in the CHRSM drop box in the ground-floor hallway of the Parish Education Center

2. or mailing to:

Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Church

ATTN: CHRSM Registrar

37730 Saint Francis Court

Purcellville, VA 20132

Tuition Fees:

Tuition is determined by each individual teacher, all of whom recognize that this is a ministry and have priced their classes to be as affordable as possible. Tuition payments will be made in two installments. The first 50% of the tuition balance for the upcoming school year is due May 1st and the second 50% is due by the date of the CHRSM Open House in August.

Tuition fees may be paid by check (please write “CHRSM Tuition” in the memo line of your check) and submitted by:

1. placing in the CHRSM drop box in the ground-floor hallway of the Parish Education Center

2. or mailing to:

Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Church

ATTN: CHRSM Registrar

37730 Saint Francis Court

Purcellville, VA 20132

If this schedule poses a financial difficulty such that a family would not otherwise be able to participate, the CHRSM Directors are willing to assist with a payment plan that is manageable. Families must communicate the need for a payment plan prior to the deadline for payments.

Facilities Fee:

CHRSM is required to pay an annual fee that covers our use of the building, support staff, supplies, etc. For registered and active St. Francis de Sales parishioners (who already support the parish with their tithes), the fee is $25 per class, with a maximum of $150 per family. For all others, this fee is $50 per class, with a family minimum of $100 and a maximum of $300. This fee is due by the date of the CHRSM Open House along with the final tuition payment.

Facilities fees may be paid by check (please write “CHRSM Facilities Fee” in the memo line of your check) and submitted by:

1. placing in the CHRSM drop box  in the ground-floor hallway of the Parish Education Center

2. or mailing to:

Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Church

ATTN: CHRSM Registrar

37730 Saint Francis Court

Purcellville, VA 20132

Additionally, most teachers also collect a supply fee, which is due to the teacher by the date of the CHRSM Open House in August.

Limited need-based financial assistance opportunities may be available. If you would like more information, please speak to one of the CHRSM Directors or send them an email at [email protected].

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All high school level students may be dropped off. All students younger than high school must be accompanied by their parent. If you cannot be present in the building during your child(ren)'s classes due to special circumstances, you must designate another on-site adult who is willing to be responsible for your child(ren) in your absence and have this approved by CHRSM Directors.

Responsible Adult Form

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The only way we can achieve our vision is if we all pitch in.  Parents will have a minimum requirement of volunteer hours to assist with various responsibilities within the ministry such as welcome desk, classroom aide, lunch monitor, study hall monitor, clean up staff, etc.  The number of required hours will be determined based on the number of class hours for which you have registered. 

If your situation in life makes it difficult to help during CHRSM hours, there are some jobs that can be done at home on your own time. We trust that you will be as generous with your time and assistance as you are able.  By doing so, you help to build our vision of a family-oriented community. On the day each family comes to St. Francis to pay fees, the chance to choose volunteer positions will be available. If a family does not sign up for a job, one will be assigned to them.  If you are unable to make your selected time, you will be asked to find someone to cover your responsibilities.

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We recognize that there are many extenuating and unforeseen circumstances that can occur. However, we are a ministry of our parish, and must consider the requirements of our Business Office, as well as the needs of our teachers. Our church must maintain absolute transparency with bookkeeping. Teachers prepare and plan for the year based on enrollment numbers, so this policy is a courtesy to all. 

We are able to allow limited refunds only under the following circumstances:

1. If an instructor’s class minimum is not met and the class is canceled, a full refund of tuition and the facility fee for that class will be given.

2. Prior to the start of the year, if an instructor is no longer able to offer a class, and a  replacement cannot be found, a full refund of tuition and the facility fee for that class will be given. If the instructor can no longer teach a class after the course has begun, and no replacement can be found, a prorated refund of tuition and facility fee will be given.

3. Until June 1st, families may drop classes with no penalty by utilizing the drop feature on the website.

4. From June 2nd until September 14th, all drop requests must be emailed to the Registrar at [email protected]. Each class dropped will be assessed a $25 processing fee. If a class has a standing waitlist with another student willing to take the spot immediately, a full refund of tuition and the class facility fee will be given. If the dropped spot cannot be immediately filled with a waitlisted student, a 50% refund of tuition and a full refund of the facility fee will be given. All drop-related refunds will be processed after September 15th.

5. From September 15th onward, no refunds of tuition or facility fees will be given.

6. If a family applies for membership and pays the application fee, but they are unable to secure a spot in any of their desired classes, a full refund of the application fee will be mailed after September 15th.

Thank you for understanding that we must be firm on these scenarios. We are an all-volunteer organization, and it is tremendously time-consuming to process drop requests, make account updates, and manage refund requests. Teachers prepare and plan for the year based on enrollment numbers, so this policy is a courtesy to all who would be negatively affected by offering refunds beyond this window.

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In order to promote an environment of mutual respect for ourselves and others, we require students to adhere to a dress code:

• On Tuesdays: All students are required to wear a navy blue polo shirt. Gentlemen may wear it with solid colored pants or shorts. Ladies may wear it with solid colored pants, shorts, or skirts, or they may choose to wear a navy blue polo dress. No jeans.

• On Wednesdays–Fridays: All students are required to wear a collared shirt with sleeves. Gentlemen may wear it with solid colored pants or shorts. Ladies may wear it with solid colored pants, shorts, or skirts, or they may choose to wear a collared dress. No jeans.

• On Spirit Days: Students participating in the spirit theme are excused from the day’s dress code. Jeans may be worn along with the spirit day theme, but they must be free of rips and holes.

Additional notes:

• Tops may not be tightly fitted.

• Bottoms must be of a modest length (no shorter than near the knee) and have no writing across the seat.

• No leggings, jeggings, yoga pants, short skirts, or athletic wear may be worn at any time, even on spirit days unless otherwise stated. (Ladies may wear solid-colored leggings under a skirt or dress that meets dress code.)

• During the colder months, students are allowed to wear sweaters, fleeces, or lightweight jackets in the classrooms as long as the student’s shirt collar is still visible. No hooded sweatshirts are allowed.

• Students participating in PE may change clothes for PE, but must change immediately after class back into dress code (except for 5th Block). If PE is immediately after lunch, the student may not change clothes for PE until the end of lunch.

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CHRSM 2024-2025 Academic Calendar

August 20: CHRSM Open House

August 27: First day of classes (1^st Semester)

August 27 – November 22: Weeks 1 - 13

November 23 – December 2: NO CLASSES - Thanksgiving Break

December 3 – December 13: Weeks 14 &15

December 14 – January 6: NO CLASSES - Christmas Break

January 7: Classes resume

January 7 – April 11: Weeks 16 - 29

January 14: First day of 2^nd Semester

April 12 – April 28: NO CLASSES - Easter Break

April 29 – May 16: Weeks 30 - 32

May 16: Last day of classes