Heritage Christian Online School is first and foremost a ministry to homeschooling parents. Our policies and guidelines are written the way they are to allow the most flexibility possible while still meeting Ministry guidelines. Our wish is to come alongside you, as a homeschooling parent, and offer support and encouragement. We believe that each family has a different homeschooling style that is ideally suited to the education of the children in that family. We want to learn more about what your style is so that our teachers can figure out how and where the things you’re already doing fit into the learning outcomes. We offer the flexibility of covering the topics that appear in the learning outcomes in grade ranges (K to 4, 5 to 9) until students reach the Grad program. This allows for multi-level teaching and leaves room for interest based learning. The learning outcomes still get covered, but in a sequence that makes sense to your family. In some cases, teachers will suggest supplementation to cover certain things that you may not otherwise cover. We don’t want to change the way you homeschool. Quite frankly, we’re amazed by the diversity our families bring to HCOS and we want to honour the learning that takes place in your home.

I know that often the structure of a program can get overwhelming. Sometimes we get a little ambitious with trying to organize things. Our teachers, many of whom are homeschooling their own children, are always looking for new ways to make things more efficient. Unfortunately, because everyone is so different this means that some parents will be overjoyed with some of our suggestions and others will be completely overwhelmed.

We sent out a check-list before the November portfolio this year. When I got it I was quite impressed. I even used it while I was putting together my children’s portfolios. However, then I started talking to a few of our teachers who each had one or two parents who were less than impressed with the check-list. A friend of mine also commented that it had made her feel overwhelmed. Like anything, many parents found the list helpful and many found it overwhelming. The differences that we celebrate at HCOS also make it harder for us to implement policies that will meet everyone’s needs. We have tried very hard to ensure that we don’t create a policy that isn’t necessary. Most of what we send out is in the form of a suggestion, like the check-list. You’re free to use it if it blesses you or to decide not to use it if you feel it will be less than a blessing.

For those of you who felt overwhelmed by the check-list please know that our policy hasn’t changed. Ignore the check-list next time. We’re still only asking for a minimum of three samples per core subject and less for things like personal planning and fine arts. We do have some guidelines as to what kinds of samples we’d like to see in order to better assess students. These guidelines are found under the Learning Outcomes link on our site. We have tried to be very flexible in these guidelines so that they are easily met no matter what curriculum you are using. For instance, for social studies in the middle school grades we ask that one sample per portfolio is a piece of written work and that students hand in a map at some point in the year.

I want to thank the parents who have emailed me with feedback. Every comment I receive helps me to evaluate how our program is meeting people’s needs and gives me ideas for areas in which we can improve. If you have any questions or concerns (or commendations : ) please email me at: sbennett@onlineschool.ca