Supporting and Assisting Christian Home Educators

Supporting and Assisting
Christian Home
Educators
2009-2010
www.roots-homeschooling.com
HANDBOOK
ROOTS
S
Table of Contents
Coordinator’s Letter ................................................................................................................................. 3
Roots’ Philosophy of Home Education ..................................................................................................... 4
Support .................................................................................................................................................... 5
Supervision .............................................................................................................................................. 6
Funding and Materials ............................................................................................................................. 7
Curriculum Suppliers................................................................................................................................ 8
Additional Important Documents available at roots-homeschooling.com
The complete By-laws for the Association for Christian Schooling in Calgary South
The Alberta Home Education Regulations
The Alberta Home Education Policy
Important Addresses
Roots Office (Coordinator until July 09)
Jennie Van Hooft
28 Laneham Pl. S.W.
Calgary, Alberta T3E 5C5
Phone: (403) 287 - 6685
Fax: (403) 287 - 7605
E-mail: [email protected]
Roots Office (Coordinator for’ 09 – ‘10)
Rick Vander Woude
20 Winston Dr. S.W.
Calgary, Alberta T3C 2P8
Phone: (403) 287 - 6685
Fax: (403) 287 - 7605
E-mail: [email protected]
Roots Office Assistant
Yvonne Jones
187 Shawglen Rd. S.W.
Calgary, AB T2Y 1Y2
Phone: (403) 201 – 0424
E-mail: [email protected]
Roots Bookkeeper
Sharon Kielstra
1027 Cannock Rd S.W.
Calgary, AB T2W 1M6
Phone: (403) 455 - 9167
E-mail: [email protected]
Trinity Christian School
#100, 295 Midpark Way S.E.
Calgary, AB T2X 2A8
Phone: (403) 254 – 6682
E-mail: [email protected]
www.roots-homeschooling.com
ROOTS: Supporting and Assisting Christian Homeschoolers
2009 - 2010
Spring 2009
Dear Home Educators:
This handbook has been compiled to assist you in understanding:
♦ Root’s purpose and direction,
♦ Root’s services and requirements,
♦ Alberta Education’s services and requirements
The Association for Christian Schooling in Calgary South is a parent run society, supporting parents
committed to raising their children in the way of the Lord. Parents of both Trinity Christian School
(Trinity) and Trinity’s Homeschooling Program (Roots) agree to the school by-laws and strive to unify
school, home and church in promoting a God-directed lifestyle.
Roots recognizes the parents’ right to educate their children, while providing Christian assistance,
support and encouragement. We desire to develop a community of educators and learners through
whom God is glorified and parents and children are encouraged. Roots parents, staff and volunteers
unite in striving to fulfill this mandate. We also recognize that parents home educate their children for
a variety of reasons and with a variety of goals in mind. “By the grace of God, Roots’ mission is to
support and encourage Christian parents in the Roots community as they home educate each
of their children ‘in the way he should go’ (Proverbs 22:6).”
Please take notice of the table of contents for this handbook. General information on the Roots
program fills the first pages, then some specific information you may want to refer back to throughout
the school year. The Roots policies are available for registered families on www.rootshomeschooling.com. Every Roots student has a student record file which is kept at Trinity Christian
School and parents have the right to view the documents on their child’s file. Please feel free to
contact me to view your child’s file or for further assistance in other area; You can e-mail the
coordinator at [email protected] or call at 403-287-6685.
May you be blessed with every success in your home education program.
In His service,
Jennie Van Hooft
Home Education Coordinator
3
ROOTS: Supporting and Assisting Christian Homeschoolers
2009 - 2010
Roots’ Philosophy of Home Education
Surely one of the Lord’s greatest gifts is our children. They provide us with joy and satisfaction as we
see them grow and mature and as we experience with them the world our heavenly Father created.
With the gift of children also comes the tremendous responsibility of bringing them up as children of
God. The Bible is quite clear that this must be done not just on certain days of the week or in certain
subject areas; instead it must be part of our day every day and integral to all areas of our lives
(Deuteronomy 6:7-9). Therefore, many Christians choose to educate their children from a clear and
distinctive Christian worldview.
The philosophical motivation for Christian education, whether at home or in a school setting, is
derived from the common Biblical imperative to bring up our children in the fear and way of the Lord.
The Association for Christian Schooling in Calgary South is a parental response to that obligation we
all have as parents. We believe that while the government has a responsibility to see to it that its
citizens are receiving an education; parents have been given primary responsibility and authority from
God to determine the content and nature of what their children are taught. That is why educational
services, as an extension of this parental authority, must be operated and directed by parents who
together with teachers, educational assistants, and administrators develop a community that is faithful
to and consistent with parental responsibility.
Roots is convinced that a supervising board, coordinator and educational assistants should share with
parents this common motivating philosophy. In the Association for Christian Schooling in Calgary
South, parents, staff, and board share this important vision and respect the Biblical role of parents in
the education of children. Together, we strive to develop a "community of learners" where each player
has a distinct role in developing our children to take their rightful place in this world as servants of our
King.
The name “Roots” was chosen due to the
Christian nature of our program. In Psalm
1, the blessed have roots going down to
God’s truth, while the wicked are chaff
blown in the wind. Our program’s strength
is in being rooted in God’s truth and in
bearing fruit for Him. Furthermore, we see
Roots as being supportive of the
homeschooling families, but the work is
done in the tree - our homeschooling
families. We desire to support and nourish
our families so they can carry out their
responsibilities in their families and to God’s
glory.
4
ROOTS: Supporting and Assisting Christian Homeschoolers
2009 - 2010
Support
Homeschool support groups are available and highly recommended. We strongly recommend
parents utilize opportunities for fellowship, prayer, encouragement, sharing of ideas and honest
dialogue with other Christian homeschooling parents.
Roots Support Groups strive to support and encourage our community of home educators, with
devotions, a topic of interest to homeschoolers, fellowship and announcements. Meetings are held
from 1:30 – 3:30, September - November, and January - May. While parents gather, activities are
planned for the school-aged children and baby-sitting is available for the preschoolers.
• The South group meets on the last Friday afternoon of the month at Trinity Christian School,
#100, 295 Midpark Way SE. The homeschooling library is also open at this time.
• The North group meets on the Monday following the last Friday of the month at Harvest Hills
Alliance Church, 10099 Harvest Hills Blvd. NW
Calgary Christian Homeschoolers is an online Yahoo group for Christian parents from in and around
Calgary who want to support and pray for each other and discuss issues that relate to Christian
homeschooling. Join them for on-line support in the homeschooling journey.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/calgarychristianhomeschoolers/
To look for additional Calgary homeschooling support groups, check out
http://www.mcginnovation.com/hs/groups.shtml
It’s important to develop your own support system as well. Families have found priceless support
from educational assistants, curriculum suppliers, other homeschooling families, church community,
neighbours and family.
Other Christian Homeschooling Organizations Worthy of Your Support
Organizations such as Homeschool Legal Defence and Alberta Home Educators Association have
been instrumental in fighting for the rights of homeschooling families in Alberta to home educate their
children in a God-honouring manner. People working for us in this manner, enable us to spend the
majority of our time dealing with individual learning needs, instead of struggling with the government.
Please continue to support and remember these volunteers and staff that make homeschooling
easily available in Alberta.
Home School Legal Defence Association is a national organization that supports homeschooling
families across Canada and provides legal defence to their
members. As a member of Roots, you can obtain a reduced
membership fee of $110.00 per year (standard fee is $125) when
you indicate on your HSLDA membership application or renewal
form that you are a member of Roots. Application forms are
available online at www.hslda.ca or by calling 519-913-0318.
Please prayerfully consider supporting this worthwhile cause that
fights for homeschooling across Canada.
Alberta Home Educators Association (AHEA) is a Christian
provincial organization that organizes large Christian conferences
annually in Red Deer. They also mediate with the Alberta
Government to protect our ability to home educate our children.
The purpose of their society is threefold: to support parents, to
create a forum for better interaction between home educating
families, and to facilitate interaction between school authorities and
parents. An annual membership is $15 and more details are
available on their website, www.aheaonline.com
5
ROOTS: Supporting and Assisting Christian Homeschoolers
2009 - 2010
Supervision
Roots staff conduct two home visits each year, each followed by a written report on the child’s
progress; the first visit is completed in October or November and the second one in March or April.
The two reports are based on a review of a collected sampling of student assignments, recorded
parental evaluations, possibly a demonstration of skills and a conference with the child and parent.
One copy of the report is filed in the child’s Student Record and one copy sent to his/her parents.
Our Educational Assistants (EAs) recognize the parents’ authority as teachers of their children. With
this in mind, be assured that our EAs are here to assist and encourage our families. Furthermore, the
better an EA understands parents’ goals the better enabled he/she is to assist the parents meet those
goals. Please help the staff help you as parents. EAs do not pass or fail any child; suggestions are
given with the goal of assisting the parent. Staff and parents have the same goal: we all want what is
best for each child.
Alberta Education does not require testing at any age level. However, tests are available at no extra
cost if parents would like to utilize them.
CAT-3 normed skills tests are available for any child in grades 3 to 12. This series of tests evaluate
reading, language, math, vocabulary, spelling, writing conventions, and computation and estimation.
This test is appropriate for any curriculum and diagnostic information is available that outlines your
child’s strengths and weaknesses. Please indicate on your Family Information Form if you’d like to
utilize this service. Tests are sent out in early February and must be completed in February, with
parents supervising the writing of the tests.
Children in grades 3, 6 or 9 may take the Alberta Achievement Tests. These tests are administered
at specific times and dates in May and in June, follow Alberta Education’s program of studies and are
supervised by someone other than the parents. Families who choose this option are urged to obtain
additional information from education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/testing/achievement. Please indicate on your
Roots Information form if you’d like your child to take these tests.
Families with a child approaching high school are strongly encouraged to check the Roots website for
information and to discuss options with their Educational Assistant. Some programs require
preparation in grade 9.
What does God want from my children and me this year?
Are my children developing their God-given talents to the best of their
ability? (otice that the comparison is according to their ability!)
How can I best train my children to honor God in their character, their
studies, their relationships and their bodies?
6
ROOTS: Supporting and Assisting Christian Homeschoolers
2009 - 2010
Funding and Materials
Alberta Education provides Trinity with a grant of $1494 for every home-educated student registered
by September 30, 2009. $747.00 is made available to parents for curriculum or educational classes;
the other half is used to cover administrative, educational assistant, Trinity, office and family support
expenses.
Roots encourages families to practice good stewardship, allowing materials which can be reused to
benefit other families. Many families sell, share or exchange materials that they are not using at that
time. Families may advertise used materials free on our website. Non-curriculum resources may
sometimes be donated to the Roots homeschooling library.
Curriculum funding is accessible by submitting reimbursement forms with your receipts attached or by
requesting a Purchase Order from the Roots bookkeeper. For reimbursements, submit original
receipts to the bookkeeper on forms available from the website, bookkeeper or office assistant.
Between August 15 and May 1, Roots families may request a Purchase Order (P.O.) by e-mailing the
bookkeeper with the name of the store and the amount required. The PO will be issued within one
week and parents must take the PO document issued to the designated store to make a purchase.
Please note: each PO may only be used once, and it must be used within one month of the date
issued. A hold will be placed in the family’s file for these funds until the actual invoices are received
for the purchases made. In other words, a PO is permission for you to request that a store bill Roots
directly for homeschooling supplies.
Roots strives to make reimbursement funding available to homeschooling parents as quickly as
possible. Since Alberta Education sends funding in October, February and May, Roots must have
sufficient funds available before receipts can be reimbursed; therefore, initial reimbursements may
need to be limited. Since Roots has been successful in putting funds aside for early reimbursements,
families who request immediate reimbursement start receiving reimbursement payments in midOctober.
All family accounts close on May 31st ; please ensure that all receipts are submitted before May 31st.
Under the 2006 Home Education Regulations, Alberta Education’s funding is available for
instructional materials and instructional classes relevant to the child’s education. Although the
following list is incomplete, here is a list of commonly reimbursed items:
• curriculum books and materials necessary to teach the curriculum including
encyclopedias
• miscellaneous supplies that would enhance the program (globe, atlas, research books)
• membership in educational organizations (i.e. Calgary Zoo, Science Centre)
• computers and/or related hardware/educational software
• schooling supplies including those for subjects such as art and science
• educational videos, audio cassettes, DVD’s, electronic games, etc.
• calculators, tape recorders
• swimming lessons, French classes, writing classes
Items not eligible for reimbursements include:
• travel costs or
• other expenses usually paid for by a parent of a student in school.
Questions regarding the Roots’ ability to finance other materials may be directed
to the bookkeeper at [email protected] or 403-455-9167.
7
ROOTS: Supporting and Assisting Christian Homeschoolers
2009 - 2010
Curriculum Suppliers
www.roots-homeschooling.com
Check out the used curriculum listed on our webpage or sell some things you no
longer require.
Canadian Home Education Resources (Good Stuff for Home School Families)
Contact Brenda or Gary Baradoy @ 243-4443, fax: 243-9727
#108, 1289 Highfield Cr., SE
Store is open M-F 10 - 5PM, and Sat. 1-5PM
e-mail: [email protected]
website: www.CanadianHomeEducation.com
Math-U-See
Contact Jacki Knight @ 1-888-854-6284
PO Box 53540, Broadmead RPO
Victoria, BC V8Z 5K2
e-mail: [email protected]
website: www.mathusee.com
KONOS Curriculum (K-12)
Contact Carol Krahn @ (306) 225-4355
Konos Western Canadian representative
e-mail: [email protected]
website: www.konos-canada.com
KidSource
253-4567, fax: 253-4568, website: www.kidsource.ca
6019 - 1A Street SW, Calgary
Learning and teaching supplies
Science Is...
403-547-4422, fax: 403-547-0235
P.O. Box 64291, Thorncliffe RPO, Calgary AB T2K 6J0
Showroom in NW Calgary, call for appointment
Science tools & toys, equipment and supplies (rentals available, in-town only)
e-mail: [email protected]
website: www.science-is.com
United Library Services
252-4426, fax: 258-3426
7140 Fairmount Dr., SE, Calgary T2H 0X4
Open M-Thursday 7:30 – 5PM, Friday 7:30 – 4PM, summer hours are different
Identify yourself as a homeschooler and receive 30% off
http://www.uls.com
Other suppliers you may want to consider:
• Sonlight, http://www.sonlight.com
• ABeka, http://www.abeka.com
• Bob Jones, http://www.bjupress.com/page/Home
• Institute in Basic Life Principles, http://iblp.org/iblp
• Christian Light Education, http://www.clp.org
• Character First, http://www.characterfirst.com/education
8