Online Learning Resources

Committed to providing quality educational choices, HCOS subscribes to a number of online learning resources. Below is a short description of the many educational resources available to our students this year.

United Streaming

Heritage Christian Online School is offering students a subscription to United Streaming at no cost.  This online video library contains more than 5,000 full length educational videos.  It has Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, Magic Schoolbus, Bill Nye, and much, much more.  You can search through the library easily to find what you’re looking for.  This is a great supplement to every student’s education.  There are videos covering a huge variety of topics in arts and music, science, language arts, health, and social studies from grades K through 12.   Check out www.unitedstreaming.com for more information.  If you would like a subscription please email your teacher for sign-up information.

Encyclopedia Britannica

http://newsletter.onlineschool.ca/archive/images/eb.gifWe have now subscribed all of our students and families with the Encyclopedia Britannica- Online. Please contact your support teacher for your login and password.

Enchanted Learning

All HCOS students and families have access to Enchanted Learning, a safe, family friendly educational site with over 20,000 pages of resources! Please contact your support teacher for your login and password.

netTrekker

A safe educational search engine is now available from HCOS through netTrekker. This trusted search engine provides peace of mind to families as their child searches the net for online resources. The search engine is organized by readability and grade level and is even aligned to the provincial outcomes. Contact your support teacher for a username and password.

Town-to-Town Canada

HCOS’ subscription with “Town-to-Town Canada” provides middle and high school students with information on Canadian civic and public affairs. It link students to web sites “relating to government, law, education, social economics, current events, public policy, and living and culture.”  Please contact your support teacher for a username and password.

WHAT IN THE WORLD?

WHAT IN THE WORLD? is a Canadian current events resource covering events and issues with geography. It is designed for students in the intermediate grades and is available in English and French. Contact your support teacher to request monthly links and passwords which will connect you to each new issue. 

TeachingBooks

Explore award winning youth books and their authors. HCOS provides you with access to thousands of resources and multimedia programs through its online subscription with TeachingBooks. Short movies, audio book readings, and book discussion guides are some of the rich learning resources available through this subscription. Contact your support teacher for a username and password.

YourTeacher

YourTeacher.com is an online multimedia math resource for Middle and High school students. Each lesson includes video examples, interactive practice, and self tests. Through HCOS school subscription you will receive a year’s access to Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Geometry, or Algebra 2 for only $25. Please contact your support teacher to receive a personal username and password, and arrange payment from your curriculum budget.

“Reading A to Z” and “Writing A to Z”

Finding reading and writing learning resources is now just a click away! HCOS is offering access to “Reading A to Z” and “Writing A to Z” resources at a discounted price. “Reading A to Z” has thousands of printable learning resources that support guided reading, phonemic awareness, reading comprehension, reading fluency, and alphabet and vocabulary learning. These professionally developed resources included downloadable ‘levelled’ books, lesson plans, worksheets, and reading assessment material. The “Writing A to Z” site provides hundreds of downloadable writing resources which include “core writing lessons grouped by genre and text type; mini-lessons targeting key writing skills; and writing tools for organizing and improving writing.” The resources are designed for K-6 learning level. These resources will save you time and money as you search for a resource specific to your child’s reading and writing ability. Through HCOS school subscription you will receive a year’s access to these excellent resources for only $25 each. Please contact your support teacher to arrange payment from your curriculum budget and to receive a username and password.

Volume 3 - Edition 9 - June 2007

Professional Development over the Summer

Janet Rainbowby Janet Rainbow

Today as I glanced at my calendar, I noticed today is the first day of summer.   Having been very closely involved in education all of my life either going to school or teaching, I have always felt that the first day of summer is June 30. 

Quite a few years ago, during the last staff meeting of the year the Principal gave each of the teachers a challenge.  He challenged each of us to read a book that would challenge our Christian growth.  I thought, “oh no, I wasn’t planning on thinking over the summer, but now I am duty bound to read something challenging.”  I wound up reading a great book on prayer that I still refer to.

My challenge to parents, teachers, and CEA’s is to consider doing some professional development this summer.

...read more

Summer Reading

by Pippa Davies

Hello Everyone!!

While summer beckons and school books are put away to dust, prepare your children for the lazy days of reading ahead!  If you have an elementary child sign up for a summer reading club at your local library.  Your child will benefit, and the visit will give you a chance to peruse some wonderful children’s books that you can use for novel studies, and maybe find that award winner for yourself.   Look out for public library educational programs that run throughout the summer free of charge! Most libraries offer free computer classes that teach safe Internet surfing, Word, and PowerPoint to school aged kids.

Here is a list of some new children’s books from the Red Cedar Book Awards 2007, which will enthrall your reader!

...read more

Summer School

by Sarah Bennett Sarah Bennett

I know that many of us homeschool through at least part of the summer, but that’s not what my article is about.  This is about us – homeschool parents.  Summer is a great time to spend some time doing homeschool professional development.  It’s hard to find time during the year for this, so summer is an opportunity for us to refocus and equip ourselves for the year ahead. 

One aspect of professional development involves getting inspired  and passionate about the task at hand.  I do this by going back and re-reading (or re-writing!) our family’s Philosophy of Education.  This reminds me why we’re putting all of this effort into homeschooling in the first place and sets my sights on what my children are going to get out of this process.  Often this is a call to me to refocus my time and find a way to schedule our days so that I am more involved in each subject.  I find the re-reading an inspirational book about homeschooling is a very good use of my summer reading time.  My favourites are Educating the Whole Hearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson and The Well Trained Mind by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer.  Both of these books serve to get me excited about the year ahead.

...read more

Heritage Learning Adventure Camps

by Sarah Bennett Sarah Bennett

I am so pleased to announce our new learning project!  This is completely out-of-the-box and is going to be both educational and an experience your children (and you!) will never forget.  We have partnered with Learning Through the Arts to provide some incredible opportunities for our students this year.  This is not classroom-y in the least so be prepared for an entirely different approach to education. 

...read more

Grad Program and Funding

by Ted Gerk

One of the most confusing aspects of the legislative changes that took place last year surround the grad program (Grades 10-12) and the funding of that program.

While it opened some exciting opportunities for families and students throughout the Province of British Columbia, it has been a source of confusion for many of those same families and students.

...read more

Looking Ahead to the James Challenge and ABC Challenge!!

by Charlotte StaceSarah Bennett

As many of our families are looking forward to next fall, and planning ahead, we would like to announce that in the fall we will begin our James Challenge and our ABC Challenge

This will be a 36 week challenge.  By memorizing 3 verses a week, the book of James will be memorized.  Again we will have a 1, 2, and 3 or more verses per week challenge as well as some great prizes for all of your hard work. 

For the younger students in Kindergarten through grade 2 or so, we would like to announce our ABC Challenge!
a Scripture Memory Challenge with each verse following the outline of the alphabet.  Prizes will also be awarded in this category, so stay tuned J. 

...read more

 

 

We have successful Philippians Challenge Champions! 

….to all who have memorized this year!  Because of some generous donations, which the school matched, we are able to give a prize to all successful students.  We encourage each of you to keep reviewing your verses over the summer so that you will remember them for life!  For families who started on the Phil Challenge, but didn’t meet your goals, you still learned some verses, so you know more than you did last year at this time!  Don’t give up – try again next year – any verse memorized is valuable.    Following are those who have accomplished the goals:
140+ verses  (This is Philippians and 35 more verses.)

  1. Heidi Pinno,  Grade 10
  2. Josiah Loewen, Grade 4

Book of Phil:

  1. Jonathan Hall,  Grade 9

2. Andrew Piechnik, Grade 8

  1. Victoria Morrison, Grade
  2. Kristen DeJong (sprice) Grade 8
  3. Valerie Flokstra (bcrombie) Grade 6

2 Verses/ week (70 verses)

  1. Janelle White, Grade 9  Chap 1 – 3
  2. Morgan White, Grade 7 Chap 1 – 3
  3. Josiah White, Grade 5 Chap 1 – 3
  4. Courtney White,  Grade 3 Chap 1 – 3
  5. Jared Flokstra, Grade 4 Phil 1 – 3:11
  6. Stacey Flokstra, Grade 3 Phil  1 – 3:11
  7. Abby Wilson, Grade 8 Phil 1 – 3:15
  8. Matthew Wilson, Grade 7 Phil 1 – 3:15
  9. Thomas Wilson, Grade 5 Phil 1 – 3:15

1 Verses/ week (35 verses)

  1. Marcy Nelson, Grade 4 – Phil 1, Lord’s Prayer, Psalm 34
  2. Rebecca Nelson, Grade 6 – Phil 1, Lord’s Prayer, 2 French verses
  3. David McLatchie, Grade 6 – Phil 1-2:15
  4. Matthew McLatchie, Grade 5 – Phil 1-2:15
  5. Sean McLatchie,  Grade 4 – Phil 1-2:15
  6. Philip Klassen – Grade 9 -  67 verses
  7. Patrick Klassen – Grade 5 - 37 verses

Parents:

  1. Andrew Gibbs, Book of Phil
  2. Sheila White, Chap 1 – 3
  3. Jennifer Flokstra, Phil 1 – 3:11, about ½ of 4
  4. Arthur Klassen – Book of Phil

Teachers:

  1. Gwen Koop, Book of Phil
  2. Charlotte Stace, Book of Phil

Congratulations to these hard working memorizers!  Have a wonderful summer, and start thinking ‘James Challenge’ for the fall!
God bless!