Grad Program Handbook

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Grad Program Handbook

905 Badke Road Kelowna British Columbia Canada V1X 5Z5 Local Phone: 862-2376 Toll Free: 1-877-862-2375 Fax: 1-250-762-9277

Email: info@OnlineSchool.ca or Guidance Counselor Sue Savard at ssavard@onlineschool.ca

Quality Educational Choices with Christian Values”

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” Psalms 119:105-105

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Getting to Know Us

There are three things that make Heritage Christian Online School an excellent school

 The word Christian in our title is not just part of our name but a very defining factor of who we are.

 All of our staff and contractors are dedicated Christians who see the work they do, not just as a job but as a Ministry of promoting the Kingdom of God

 We have some of the best technology designers anywhere working on designing programs that are sought after around the world.

We invite you to spend some time researching the school website at www.onlineschool.ca You will find an abundance of information about the Grad Program, our staff and the support and

resources that are available to you. If you decide to enroll as your child in either our Distributed Learning Program or as a Registered Homeschooler, the applications are available on the school‟s home page (web address above) under the tab “Our Programs/Summary”.

 Distributed Learning (DL) Program: In our DL Grad Program, the student is

 accountable to the supervising course teacher

 required to meet Provincial Learning Outcomes in their courses

 able to take any combination of individualized and/or online courses

 given $125 for each Individualized course for curriculum

 able to receive a Dogwood certificate

 given a report card

 required to regularly communicate with subject teachers and submit concrete portfolio evidence of learning for individualized courses, showing work accomplished

 Registered Home Learner: If you choose to register your in this program, your student will

 not be accountable to any course teachers

 not be required to use curriculum that meets the BC Provincial Learning Outcomes

 be entitled to a total of $150 reimbursement for curriculum

 have access to online courses through BCOS in grades 10 to 12

 not receive a Dogwood certificate

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Choosing Your Distributed Learning (DL) Courses: Our Three School Choices

We understand that our students learn best when their education is tailored to their interests, abilities, and needs. Every home-educator's needs are different, thus we have three design options to

accommodate those differences. As being a Ministry funded program, we are accountable to the

Provincial Learning Outcomes (PLO's), but we offer a flexible approach maintaining your educational philosophy while meeting the PLO's in ways that suit your family's method of learning.

THE INDIVIDUALIZED OPTION

(Parent/Teacher Designed Courses Using a Variety of Curriculum) This approach allows families the freedom to pursue their learning goals while meeting the PLO's through a variety of methods. We start with a Student Learning Plan (SLP) designed by the student, parent, and teacher. Students in Grade 10 to 12 have $125 of funding provided PER Individualized course for materials used to support the Student Learning Plan (for examples of some SLP's, go here and visit the 'Courses' section) Our teachers are trained to identify and respect many different ways of meeting PLO's. We encourage students to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.

THE ONLINE OPTION

(Online Teacher directed Courses, Grades 5 to 12)

Our Online, Christian curriculum is comprehensive and in depth. Paired with our BC certified teachers, you get a complete Christian school delivered to your student over your home computer. Your student connects with other like-minded students worldwide to share in their learning experience. Parents are an integral part of this program and provide the home learning environment, while we provide the

instruction, marking, and accreditation. The Online School combines solid texts, online instruction, and dedicated teachers who provide your student with a strong academic program cultivating a Christian

Worldview. Our program is specifically suited to prepare your student for their future, whether that be University, Bible College, Trades Programs or the Work Force.

THE INTEGRATED OPTION

(Parent/Teacher Designed Courses and Online Teacher Directed Courses)

The Integrated Approach includes a combination of online and individualized courses. The Guidance Counselor collaborates with you to plan your student‟s course list for the year. You may have a student who would benefit from an online math class, yet still wants more parental involvement for history and language arts. With the Integrated Approach, you create the combination that will best suit your learner's needs. Students in Grade 10 to 12 will receive $125 per Individualized course to be used for curriculum materials. There is no funding reimbursement for online courses as curriculum and course delivery is provided for you.

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If you have any further questions regarding the differences of the three programs, please call the Grad

Program Guidance Counselor, Sue Savard at 888-258-1513 or email her at ssavard@onlineschool.ca :

COMPLETING YOUR APPLICATION Online applications are available at www.onlineschool.ca

Once your have completed your application, there are certain documents that must be send to the office via email, fax or mail. No textbooks or resources for online courses or funding for Individualized courses will be available to you until the documentation is received. These forms include:

 Proof of Residency Form: A link to this form is in your welcome email and it is also available on our website.

 A copy of your child‟s birth certificate School Fax Number: 250-762-9277

Office email: koemena@onlineschool.ca

NOTE: Once you have completed your application, if you have chosen the DL program, Sue Savard, the Grad Program Guidance Counselor will be contacting you to go over your student‟s course planning and to answer any questions you may have.

Early Grad Program course registration information will be sent out via email in June and can be done through the Guidance Counselor, Sue Savard. Otherwise, course selection can be done in Encom after August 15th.

OUR WELCOME LETTER

Once your application has been accepted, you will receive a welcome email from our school principal, Mr. Greg Bitgood. Please read this welcome letter carefully as it contains important registration information.

In this email, you will be sent a User Name and Password for Encom. Encom is where student records and reports are stored. You might consider this the „office‟ area of the school and it is separate from where the online courses are posted (which is the area called Moodle). You can log into Encom on the school home page at www.onlineschool.ca .

Record your Encom log in information below (be sure to copy it exactly as it is sent to you) so that you can find it easily when you want to take a look at your student‟s profile and/or progress. If you would like to change your password to something more familiar, log in and edit your personal profile at anytime.

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Choosing Your Courses: Graduation Requirements

In order to qualify for a BC Dogwood graduation diploma, a student must get a total of 80 credits from required and elective courses. The table below is an overview of what you need:

 48 credits from required courses  28 credits from elective courses

 4 credits from a Graduation Transitions portfolio & presentation (done in your grad year) NOTE: Of the 80 credits needed for graduation, at least 16 credits must be from Grade 12 level courses, including a Grade 12 Language Arts course. The 4 credits from Graduation Transitions is not part of these 16 credits. Also, as a Christian School, we require that 12 credits come from Bible courses. .

2004 Graduation Program

REQUIRED COURSES:

Subject Area Minimum Credits

Planning 10 4

English 10 4

Language Arts 11 (Communications 11/English 11) 4 Language Arts 12 (Communications 12/ English 12) 4 Mathematics 10 - Essentials, Applications or Principles 4 Mathematics 11 or 12 - Essentials, Applications or Principles 4 Fine Arts and/or Applied Skills 10, 11 or 12 4

Social Studies 10 4

Social Studies 11 4

Science 10 4

Science 11 or 12 – Science Tech 11, Biology, Physics or Chemistry 4

Physical Education 10 4

Bible 10 (HCOS required elective) 4

Christian Studies 11 and 12 (HCOS required electives) 8 60 credits ELECTIVE COURSES:

Additional Grade 10-12 credits 16 credits

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OVERALL TOTAL: 80 credits

Graduation requirements are introduced in the Planning 10 course. For more help, refer to the Grad Planner or visit the Ministry's Graduation Program website.

The School Office – Introducing Encom

In Encom, you will have access to your personal profile and for your student, you will have access to their profile (email address, phone numbers etc.), their course list, their learning plans (for individualized subjects) and their report card. Please make sure this information is correct at all times as this is our primary way of communicating with you and your student via email, mail or telephone.

Explanation of the Icons In Encom

Student Learning plan - This is where your support teachers will post the Individualized course learning plans that you have worked on together. It is the teacher‟s document but they work very closely with each parent before they write it. It is important to check to see if the teacher has accurately

portrayed what your plans are for your student for the year. It is also important to check to see that the resources listed are correct and complete as this is what the teacher or office will refer to when making purchases for your child‟s curriculum. In the Grad Program, you will be working with a subject specialist for each Individualized course.

Course List – This is quite self-explanatory. It is a list of the courses that your student is registered in for the year and includes course teacher information.

View User Details – This is where the teacher gets the personal information that they need, such as your address, phone number and email address. If you move, or change your phone number or email address please make the changes in Encom and inform Sue Savard at ssavard@onlineschool.ca

Additional Resources – This is where both you and HCOS can track information on your curriculum budget. If you are wondering if you can afford some curriculum purchase please check this icon.

Learning Outcomes – This is where the Pupil Learning Outcomes are tracked. If you want to check to see how your child is doing and what they still need to cover for the year, this is the place. There is also a spot to make a note to the teacher informing them if you have covered and certain PLO and a spot for the teacher to make comments on how they know your child has covered a PLO and to record curriculum organizer marks.

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Registering for Courses

Once your enrollment application has been accepted, you are then able to register your student in their courses. If you have already planned the courses and the pacing your student plans to follow, it should only take you a few minutes to select their courses in Encom. While there may be some exceptions, most students register for 8 courses in any one school year. Keep in mind that a 4 credit course represents 100 – 120 hours of study. Please make sure you:

 Indicate the course selection as Online or Individualized – the sections are clearly separated  The course pacing you plan to follow for the year (see info below for suggestions)

Choosing a Pacing Schedule

Once you have decided which courses your student plans to complete in the upcoming school year, you will need to consider your pacing choices:

 Semester - September to January or February to June  Linear - September to June

 Non-paced - students and parents must schedule this timeline in collaboration with the online teacher

A student may mix semester and linear timelines to meet their particular needs. Please keep in mind that courses with Provincial Exams will need to have fixed time lines.

Example: Online English 10 – Semester 1 (Sept – Jan.) Online Science 10 – Semester 1 (Sept – Jan.) Online Planning 10 – Linear (all year – Sept to June) Individualized PE 10 - Linear (all year – Sept to June) Individualized Fine Arts 10 - Linear (all year – Sept to June) Individualized Bible 10 – Linear (all year – Sept to June) Online Math 10 – Semester 2 (Feb – June)

Online Social Studies 10 – Semester 2 (Feb – June) Ordering Resources for Online Courses

Once you have ordered your student‟s courses, you will automatically be sent to a screen to order the resources for your student‟s online courses. Although it appears there is a price beside the resource, they do not actually cost you anything unless you fail to return them at the end of the course. Free return shipping is provided for you. The sooner you register, the sooner you will receive the course textbooks etc. Some books (like hard cover textbooks) are on loan and must be returned (we provide the courier service), and some resources (like paperback novels) are consumable and non – returnable. If you elect to purchase any resources from other sources, please check with the course teacher to make sure you are using the same edition.

Please note:

 Resources WILL NOT be shipped until the office receives the documentation requested when you registered your student, so make sure you send in your documents as soon as possible after registration.

 Scanned pages of course resources needed for the first four lessons have been uploaded into each course, so students may begin their studies right away, even if they are still waiting for their

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texts. If you do not receive your resources in a timely fashion, please contact Ted Gerk or Trudy Ebert right away

Individualized Courses

Student Learning Plans

Once your student has set up their course list with the Guidance Counselor, you will be contacted by a teacher for the Individualized courses you have scheduled. In collaboration with this teacher, you will prepare a Student Learning Plan (SLP) which will be submitted to them and which they will post in Encom. The following information in required for a Student Learning Plan:

 Goals - What do you want your child to accomplish or understand? (related to learning outcomes)  Learning Strategies - What activities are you planning to do to accomplish your goals?

 Evaluation/Assessment - How will we check to see if your student has accomplished the goals?  Resources - What materials/resources are you going to use to accomplish your goals?

 Timetable - How are you going to divide up your plans over the year so that they will get accomplished? PLEASE NOTE: All SLPs should be completed and posted by September 30th unless you enroll for the course later in the school year.

For each Individualized course, there is a Curriculum and Resources allocation of $125. This is available for you to order resources through our authorized Resource Vendors or your course teacher can approve, and pay for, any resources or activities that are not available through the vendors. Communication Requirements

At HCOS, weekly/biweekly email communication is required. Please work directly with the individual teacher in each subject area. It is recommended that the communication comes from the student and gives an overview of the week‟s activities in the given subject area. Regular, informative email

communication helps your teacher with assessment and supports the Portfolio Submission process. Evidence of Learning Portfolio Submissions

Another of the Ministry guidelines for DL schools is that the teacher is to do the assessing. Heritage Christian Online School has chosen to meet that requirement for the individualized program through portfolios

Grad Program students are encouraged to work on a semester/linear system, unless otherwise scheduled with their teacher consultant. There are four reporting periods and students are required to submit „Evidence of Learning Portfolios‟ for their Individualized Courses. Each teacher consultant will clearly indicate the kinds of submissions that they are looking for when doing their assessment.

 Via email directly to each individual supervising teaching consultant

 If you elect to send your portfolio via email, please send all of your submissions in one zipped folder per subject, attached to the email. If you are unsure of how to do this, contact tech support and they will be happy to assist you. (see Contacts page)

 Mailed directly to each individual supervising teaching consultant

 Your supervising teacher will provide you with their address. Please send copies of your work as submissions will not be returned unless you specifically request it and provide a self-addressed envelope. Please do not send your portfolio to the HCOS office unless the consulting teacher lives in Kelowna. In order to provide you with timely assessment, we appreciate your assistance in this area - thank you.

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 Your teacher will provide you with a fax number where you may send your submissions.  Personal meeting

Introducing Moodle – The Online Classrooms

Logging on

Moodle is where students access their online courses and could be considered our school „classrooms‟. If registered in Online Courses for the upcoming school year, you may set up your student‟s password in Encom.. Students registered in online courses will go to the school‟s home page at

www.onlineschool.ca and log into Courses. Here they can view their lesson material, participate in forums and discussions and submit their assignments.

Record your student‟s User Name and Password below. (be sure to copy it exactly!)

Moodle User Name:

Moodle Password:

NOTE: Once a User Name and Password is obtained, students must log into Moodle and

complete the “Online Orientation” before they can access any of their courses.

Here they will find information regarding:  system requirements

 downloading Skype – our main teacher/student communication tool  programs and techniques needed for successful assignment completion  teacher communication options

 how to contact a tech for support!!!

Online course teachers will provide students with a timeline of suggested due dates to help keep them on track. If you enroll midway through the year, you will need to create a due date schedule for yourself in order to finish your course by June.

The Online Course Learning Curve

When your student takes their first online course, please know that it is not uncommon for them to take a few weeks to get into the „swing‟ of things. Please do not get too stressed out during the first month. The course teacher is there to help, so please encourage your student to contact them on Skype or email whenever they feel they need help. Assignment suggested due dates are flexible during this time and we certainly want to do whatever we can to make your student‟s course experience an inspiring and interesting one. Also, our tech team is there for you as well, so don‟t hesitate to seek assistance if you are having computer problems.

Once your student finishes their first online course, they will want to take more!! But it does take some time to get used to this new routine, so please persist.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Sue Savard at 888-258-1513.

Online Course Teacher Expectations

Working in the online environment means that students are obviously not directly supervised when completing coursework and exams. Unless they have teacher permission, it is a requirement in the online Grad Program that all work be original and done without assistance. At a teacher‟s discretion, a student may be asked to verbally discuss their work and what they have learned. As well, web cam or

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proctored exams may be scheduled. Submitting plagiarized assignments or work that is not original may result in a student being removed from the course. Teachers appreciate parental assistance in this area.

Grades and Records Cards

The Grad Program school year is divided into 4 Terms. A Grad Program School Calendar will be issued in September and you will be able to see the specific dates of these terms and when report cards will be available for you to view in Encom.

Individualized Courses:

 Each teacher is to assess your student‟s portfolio submissions and make out your student‟s report card in a timely matter.

 If you have mailed in portfolio samples the teachers will return all of the work to you.

 Teachers recognize that as home educators you have a very good grasp of where you child is. They are glad to work together with you on a fair mark for your student. Remember that teachers see a wide variety of work and have access to such helps as “Quick Scales” to give your student the most accurate mark possible.

 If you do not agree with a mark on the report card, please contact the supervising teacher, and they will be glad to discuss it with you.

Online Courses:

 Are you interested in seeing how your student is doing between report cards? Log on to the Moodle lesson site (using the User Name and Password above), click on Assignments on the side bar, and view submission dates and marks for assignments associated with that course. To see specific teacher comments, click on the Assignment name. If you have questions or concerns, please contact the course teacher directly via Skype or email.

 If you do not agree with a mark on any assignments, please contact your teacher, and they will be glad to discuss it with you.

Grad Program Student Report Cards will be ready for viewing in Encom on the following dates: November 23rd February 8th

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Other Information

Course Additions or Withdrawals are handled by the Guidance Counselor, Sue Savard. Please contact her directly if you wish to make changes to your student‟s course schedule.

The „Active‟ Student Students are not considered active in a course until the first online course

assignment or the SLP has been submitted. Please plan your course load carefully to avoid withdrawals after activation. If a student fails to become active in a course within 30 days of registering to begin, they may be removed from the teacher‟s class list.

Please Note: One they have been activated in a course, if, at any time during the year, a student becomes inactive for more than 30 days (no assignment submissions or email communication), the parent will receive a notification of student inactivity and after 60 days of inactivity, a student may be de-enrolled from the course. Please communicate any special circumstances that you may have with your course teacher and the Guidance Counselor. While our philosophy is “any place, any pace”, the government does require that a certain amount of accountability and communication between student and teacher is required.

Course Completion Dates and final grades are reported to the Ministry of Education at the end of January and the end of June in a school year. While we advocate „any place, any pace‟, it is highly recommended that student‟s finish courses before the end of the Ministry of Education‟s fiscal school year by the end of the second full week in June. Unless there are extenuating circumstances that the teacher is aware of, the grade the student has earned for what they have completed in course will be submitted to the Ministry of Education in June. If a student finishes the course in the next school year, their school mark for the course will be re-submitted to the Ministry.

Provincial Exams are scheduled for students in January and June for all examinable courses. Some exams are also offered in what are considered alternative months - August, November, April, and May – and students may be scheduled to write at these times under special circumstances.

Please note:

 In order to register a student to write a Provincial Exam, a course teacher must submit the student‟s name to the office one month in advance of the exam date. Students that do not seem to be on track to finish the course at least one week before the exam will not be registered to write.

 If a student self-registers for an exam, the date upon which they write will be considered the day they finish the school course and a school mark will be assessed according to what they have completed up until that date.

 A student may write any available exam for the first time in one of the alternative months, but may not do exam re-writes for the same course in these months. For example, if they write English 10 in November and do not do well, they may not re-write the English 10 exam again in the April or May seating. They may, however, re-write in January or June.

 This year‟s scheduled dates and times for Provincial Exams and practice exams can be found at the Provincial Exam website. ( http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/exams/ )

 You may access your Student‟s Provincial Exam results by creating an account at the Provincial Exam website. In order to do this, you will need your Student‟s PEN (Personal Education Number). Please contact Craig at ckwiatkowski@onlineschool.ca , if you need this number.

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Grad Program Handbook