Innovations High School

Additional Resources & Learning Supports
Subscriptions 

 

 We have plenty of online subscriptions you can access for inquiry, research, and to supplement learning. Find subscription details in SOPHIE  here , and passwords on the  Learning Commons website . 

 

 Learning Camps/Community Connections 

 You may sign up for our learning camp e-alerts here . By visiting the former website you may also find more info on our Learning Camps and Community Connections programs for the Grad Program. 

 Learning Commons 

 Be sure to visit our Learning Commons (library) and check out all the fabulous resources there. If you need help, you can access Live Chat during weekday business hours in the bottom right hand corner.

Adventure Discipleship Program
Grades: 10–12 Format: Online + Multi-Day Field Expedition Credits: 12 Credits per Program Year 

 Program Overview 

 The Adventure Discipleship Program (ADP) is a unique educational pathway designed for the adventurer at heart. We believe that stepping out of the classroom and into the beauty of God’s creation offers a distinct opportunity to hear His voice, build resilience, and develop authentic community. 

 In this program, students do not just earn credits; they engage in deep discipleship, build practical leadership skills, and practice outdoor recreational techniques. The semester culminates in a multi-day group expedition, where students apply what they have learned in a real-world setting. 

 The Two Tracks 

 Year 1: 

 Open to accepted applicants in Grades 10–12. 

 The first year of ADP is about laying the foundation. Students are challenged to grow their passion for Christ while exploring the outdoors. 

 

 

 The Experience: Students engage in online modules and physical training logs that build toward a Multi-Day Field Expedition. 

 

 

 Skill Building: Focus on backpacking skills, navigation, teamwork, and personal spiritual discipline. 

 

 

 Certification: Encouragement to gain industry-level certification in outdoor skill areas of choice. 

 

 

 Year 2: The Leader 

 Open to students who have completed Year 1 and received a teacher recommendation. 

 For those who have proven their resilience and character in Year 1, the Second Year program offers a chance to step up. 

 

 

 The Experience: Students are encouraged to take on leadership roles, under the supervision of professional guides and program teachers. 

 

 

 Skill Building: Continued development of leadership dynamics, conflict resolution, risk management, and spiritual mentorship. 

 

 

 Curriculum & Credits 

 Successful completion of the program grants students 12 Credits toward graduation. The workload is a hybrid of online readings, assignments, physical activity logs, and the expedition itself. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Subject Area 

 

 

 Credits 

 

 

 Focus 

 

 

 

 

 Physical & Health Education 

 

 

 4 

 

 

 PHE or Outdoor Education 11/12. Mostly practical application, training routines, and trip performance. 

 

 

 

 

 Christian Studies 

 

 

 4 

 

 

 Discipleship, Biblical worldview, and faith formation in the context of creation. 

 

 

 

 

 Leadership 

 

 

 4 

 

 

 Leadership 10/11/12. Specific focus on outdoor leadership, team dynamics, and service. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Assessment Approach 

 We view assessment as a holistic process. Students are evaluated through: 

 

 

 Online Coursework: Readings, reflections, and assignments. 

 

 

 Activity Logs: Verified PE logs and training routines to ensure physical readiness. 

 

 

 Field Assessment: Practical skills and leadership demonstrated during the week-long backpacking trip. 

 

 

 Application & Requirements 

 Space in the Adventure Discipleship Program is limited. 

 To foster a safe and spiritually focused group dynamic, all students must submit an application and be accepted into the program before being registered for courses. 

 Prerequisites: 

 

 

 Year 1: Application packet. 

 

 

 Year 2: Completion of Year 1 + Recommendation from ADP teachers. 

 

 

 How to Join 

 Please complete the form linked below to let our coordinators know if you are interested in joining a special program at HCOS next year! Innovations Program Interest Form.

Advanced Placement Courses
What are they? 

 The Advanced Placement (AP) program makes college and university level courses available for students to take while they’re still in secondary school. For students who are interested in extending their learning beyond the grade 12 level, while still in high school, these courses can be a great option. Students can earn additional credits at the high school level by completing these courses and may also be granted first year college or university credits, depending on the post-secondary institution, when the AP exam is taken.  

 AP courses are overseen by the College Board which is recognized for advanced credit or placement in many Canadian and American universities and colleges. Schools are permitted to offer AP courses from a set list, and are responsible for ensuring that any courses they offer meet College Board standards.  

 HCOS offers a select number of AP courses, based on the in-house expertise of our instructors and course developers. The list of AP courses offered each year can be found on the HCOS course description webpage and AP exams are written in May of each school year.  

 How do they work?  

 In general, if a student enrolls in an AP course and completes all the required components, they will earn 4 external credits for the high school level course. Generally, the additional AP material extends or expands on the concepts and content addressed in the grade 12 level course. In addition, if a student successfully completes the AP exam, university credit may also be granted (see section below) 

 What about the AP Exam? 

 AP Exams are administered at authorized schools and test centers each school year in the month of May. AP course work is arranged so students have ample time to complete the necessary AP work prior to writing the exam in May. This may mean students have some coursework remaining to complete after the AP exam is written, depending on how the course is laid out.  

 HCOS staff will communicate information relating to the exams offered in Kelowna at our testing centre to students enrolled in AP courses. 

 The exams are marked and scored on a scale of 1 to 5 by college and university professors and experienced AP teachers (not the HCOS AP course teacher). Many post secondary institutions offer credit for AP Exam scores of 3 or higher.

Advanced Placement FAQs
1. Do I have to take 2 final exams (the school’s final exam and the Collegeboard’s AP exam in May)?  

 Most AP courses require an online proctored final exam for you to receive your high school course credit. This exam must be written to receive this credit.  

 If you want to attempt to receive university credit through the College Board that exam takes place in May. Please note that the AP and school exams are separate from each other. Some course teachers will accept the AP Exam in lieu of the final exam for the course. This is a teacher by teacher decision and once enrolled, you should discuss your options with your course teacher.  

 2. Do I have to create an AP student account?  

 If you plan to write the AP exam in May, you will need to create an AP student account. This will allow for our school to order and book your AP exam. By creating this account, it will also give you access to additional material that your teacher may require as a part of your course.  

 3. What if I don’t live close to an AP exam location?  

 We only offer AP exams in the Kelowna area. Students who cannot travel to our exam location are welcome to reach out to a local school with an AP program to request they order and exam for them. You will need to connect with the AP Coordinator at the local school as they will need to provide you with an exam only join code . You will also need to inform our offices so that we can adjust your registration with our school. Students should do this prior to November as many schools submit their exam orders mid-November and late fees may apply to exams requested after the November order date.  

 4. Can I take the AP Exam at my own school (school of record)?  

 Yes, you may write your AP Exam at your school of record if they offer AP exams.  You will need to connect with the AP Coordinator at your school as they will need to provide you with an exam only join code . You will also need to inform our offices so that we can adjust your registration with our school. Students should do this prior to November as many schools submit their exam orders mid-November and late fees may apply to exams requested after the November order date.  

 5. How much does it cost to take the AP Exam? 

 The cost to write each AP exam is $200. This cost is the responsibility of the family to cover.  

 6. How do I register for the AP Exam? 

 After creating an account on the College Board website you will want to login at myap.collegeboard.org. 

 Click the Join a Course or Exam button . Before you do this, make sure you have the six-Character join code from your teacher. You’ll need it to join a class section.     

 Enter the join code your teacher gave you and click Submit. 

 Make sure the information that comes up is for the course you’re taking. If it is, click Yes 

 If you need to make any adjustments to your exam registration, such as in you no longer want to write the exam or yes you would like to write, please email Johanna Martz at:  johanna.martz@bconlineschool.ca   

 7. What is the AP Exam registration deadline? 

 There are two AP Exam registration deadlines in a year. The first one is in the middle of November for students who enrolled in the course before this time. The second deadline is in the middle of March. Information will be sent by course teachers and our office informing of upcoming deadlines.

Booking Textbooks
Please note: This is for Individualized Patrons with Encom Passwords. 

 Logging into the Search Portal: 

 Click on this link: https://hcs.insigniails.com/LibrarySAML/Home   You will see the Search Portal menu below; click on Login in the upper right-hand corner.  

 

 You will log in with your Encom username and password. If you have forgotten your password, choose the ‘forgot password?’ link, and the site will send it to your email. To find out your username or password, email tech@onlineschool.ca . 

 

 You may arrive at this page if coming from the Learning Commons website. If so, click on the SAML link and follow the instructions above. 

 

 Physical Resource Limits For Textbooks 

 High School Textbooks are loaned out for up to 8 months with 1 month renewal option. 

 Physical Resource Limits For Other Resources 

 The loan period is 10 weeks, except for textbooks, so please consider aligning your return dates with other bookings. You receive eight free shipments (4 return trips). 

 Searching 

 We have curated the textbook list into Topic Lists, making it easier to find and book them. Click on the icon that says “Topic Lists”. 

 

 The next screen will show a list of topics by grade and subject. Click on the applicable icon: 

 

 The l eft scroll bar has subjects - click on the subject and scroll to view titles. If you hover over the title, a balloon pops up with information about the title. Not all browsers load all of the pictures (Chrome), so you may want to use Firefox or another browser.  

 

 Click on a book cover, then click on the Title. 

 

 You will be taken to the Title Details page, where you can book by clicking the Book Item icon. 

 

 Booking items

 

 A calendar will appear When you click “Book Item” (see image below). The small red numbers indicate how many copies are available on that requested day. In the top right corner you will see your unique shipping “Site,” which shows the number of shipping days (HCOS5). 

 

 In the screenshot above, we’ve selected HCOS5, which means this patron is five shipping days away from Kelowna. Be sure to choose a date that allows the number of shipping days before you want to receive your items. 

 The system will automatically change your date to allow for the correct shipping days. 

 Click on the date. In this example, March 6th was chosen. Next,  click “Book Items”.  

 Shipping days are marked in orange on the calendar, excluding weekends and holidays. These days are added to the booking date before and after to determine the shipping timeframe. 

 A pop-up will confirm if your booking was successful, and you will receive a confirmation email. 

 View your bookings 

 Hover over “My Account,” then “My Borrowing,” and then select “Booking.” 

 

 You can view all of your bookings for the year. 

 Hover over “My Account,” then “My Borrowing,” and then select “Future Bookings": 

 

 You will see: 

 The booking loan period with  Shipping to and from days 

 The Cancel button - click to cancel your booking 

 Edit Booking button - click to change your date 

 

 View due dates and renewal options for items out. 

 To renew your items: 

 Hover over the “My Account” icon. 

 Click on “My Borrowing” and select “My Loan.” 

 View the Due Date 

 Choose to renew all items at once by clicking Select All, then Renew All, or just one item by clicking the Renew  button . 

 Note: Items cannot be renewed if another patron has booked them. If available, renewals are for 4 weeks .

Career Life Education & Career Life Connections Courses
This page is designed to outline the differences in the Career Life Education (CLE) and Career Life Connections (CLC) offerings at HCOS.  

 Career Life Education should be taken before Career Life Connections.  

 The Ministry of Education has outline the rationale and goals for the new K-12 Career Education offerings: 

 Rationale 

 Today’s graduates must be able to adapt to ongoing change in many aspects of their lives. For most people, career life planning will not be a matter of making one major decision and living with it for a lifetime. Instead, purposeful career-life development, where students learn how to set personally meaningful goals, recognize and cultivate relevant opportunities and supportive relationships, and continually re-evaluate and revise their plans, is a requirement for educated citizens in an ever-changing world. 

 Educated citizens are lifelong learners who continually build on their self-awareness about evolving interests and strengths, and who are able to use this personal knowledge to inform their career-life choices with flexibility as opportunities and challenges arise. Career Education fosters development of the confidence, knowledge, and competencies necessary to succeed in personal, educational, and workplace contexts throughout life. 

 From Kindergarten to graduation, the Career Education curriculum offers students many opportunities to explore and develop personal interests, strengths, and competencies while making connections with experiential learning, career life possibilities, and preferred post-graduation opportunities. Under the guidance of their teachers, students discover that career life development with intent is not simply figuring out what they want to be when they grow up, but a lifelong journey of being and becoming who they want to be in the world and how they can make meaningful contributions in their communities. 

 Career Education includes reflection on learning experiences both in school and out of school, and facilitates connections with communities and networks to support personal career-life interests and goals. The Career Education curriculum aligns with the First Peoples Principles of Learning, highlighting a holistic view of students placed at the centre of their learning, and recognizing the importance of experiential learning, guidance from mentors, and community involvement. 

 Goals 

 The Career Education curriculum contributes to students’ development as educated citizens through the achievement of the following goals. Students are expected to: 

 recognize the need to be adaptable, resilient, and flexible in order to meet the ever-changing opportunities and challenges of today’s world 

 understand how ongoing purposeful career life development contributes to the success and well-being of individuals, communities, and society 

 build personal career life development capacity to effectively learn and grow new interests, knowledge, skills, and competencies throughout their lives 

 develop awareness of their personal strengths, competencies, values, and passions, and use this self-knowledge to inform career life choices 

 communicate and interact collaboratively with others, valuing diversity of people, perspectives, worldviews, ideas, and opportunities 

 explore a range of experiences, roles, and opportunities in personal, educational, and workplace contexts to advance their personal career-life journeys 

 HCOS Grad Program Offerings 

 In Encom you will see Career Life Education and Career Life Connections offered at all three grade levels (10, 11 and 12). This is because we want to work flexibly with our students to have them complete the courses when it is best for them in their educational journey.  

 Requirements: 

 Students must complete Career Life Education and Career Life Connections before graduating. You only have to complete the course once! 

 Career Life Education should be completed prior to taking Career Life Connections.  

 HCOS offers both Career Life courses as online courses and individualized courses. Please connect with your Grad Advisor to plan the best time for you to take these as well as which course option is best for you! 

Comparative Civilizations Program: European Expedition
History, Faith, and Art Brought to Life 

 For Students in Grades: 11 and 12 Format: Synchronous Hybrid Coursework + Overseas Travel Credits: 12 Credits 

 To express interest in joining the Comp Civ program, please complete this form . 

 Program Overview 

 The Comparative Civilizations Program is an intensely spiritual and life-affirming experience designed for Grade 12 students ready to broaden their worldview. This program moves beyond the textbook, inviting students to walk the streets where history was written and faith was forged. 

 This program is a "blended multi-credit travel program." It combines rigorous academic inquiry with the transformative power of travel, allowing students to explore the shifts in human thought, art, and religion through a Christ-centered lens. 

 Curriculum & Credits 

 This program offers a flexible, heavy-weight credit opportunity. The coursework is designed to best fit your particular interests and transcript needs. 

 The Core Bundle 

 Students choose three courses from the following list to form their core curriculum: 

 

 

 CompCiv – Art Studio 12 

 

 

 CompCiv – Christian Studies 12 

 

 

 CompCiv – Comparative Cultures 12 

 

 

 CompCiv – Philosophy 12 

 

 

 CompCiv – World Religions 12 

 

 

 (All courses include the overseas travel component). 

 Major Units: The Four Epochs 

 The curriculum is structured narratively across four major historical and philosophical eras, guiding students through the development of Western civilization: 

 

 

 The First Epoch: In the Beginning 

 

 

 The Second Epoch: Shifts in Thought 

 

 

 The Third Epoch: A Glorious Interruption (Tensions and Transitions) 

 

 

 The Fourth Epoch: Triumphant Human 

 

 

 Assessment & Format 

 This is a synchronous hybrid course. It requires consistent engagement both online and in the field. 

 Assessment Approach: 

 

 

 Weekly Engagement: Participation in weekly synchronous lectures is required. 

 

 

 Coursework: Completion of 12 weekly assignment sets. 

 

 

 Experiential Learning: A major Field Assignment completed on-site in Europe. 

 

 

 Extended Study: Options available for students wishing to go deeper into the material. 

 

 

 Application & Inquiries 

 Space for the European Expedition is limited and requires careful planning. 

 For more information about specific coursework, credit combinations, or the travel itinerary, please contact: Mr. Benjamin Robideau or Mrs. Caroline Thomas.   

 Duration: approx 10-12 days in the last three weeks of March. 

 Program Fee: approximately $4000.00 

 How to Join:  

 Please complete the form linked below to let our coordinators know if you are interested in joining a special program at HCOS next year! Innovations Program Interest Form

Course Options
HCOS offers the flexibility to design a unique High School experience with a variety of different learning options. All courses provide credit towards the BC Dogwood Diploma. 

 Online Courses 

 HCOS’ online course catalogue provides engaging online learning and all the resources needed to cover course content, curricular competencies and help students to grow in the core competencies. All courses are supported by a passionate subject specialist and are hosted in our learning management system, Brightspace. 

 HCOS offers two flexible pacing options: 

 Asynchronous : work at your own pace to complete the course within twelve months from activation date. 

 Synchronous cohorts : work at the same pace as your peers, meeting regularly on Zoom with your online teacher. 

 Hybrid Courses 

 HCOS offers hybrid courses, where families choose the curriculum from a list of popular options. Our teachers will guide students through completing the course competencies by using the chosen curriculum and additional supplementary material as needed. Hybrid courses can be completed at any pace over twelve months with the support of a subject specialist teacher and are hosted through our learning management system, Brightspace. 

 Individualized Courses 

 HCOS is known for its flexibility and willingness to personalize student learning through individualized courses. 

 Individualized courses are offered at any pace, with up to one year to complete the course. The student and the family will work alongside a subject specialist to create a Student Learning Plan (SLP) where they can help design a course that is suited to the students strengths and interests while covering the course content, curricular and core competencies.  Individualized courses rely heavily on students being self disciplined and responsible to complete work independently, as outlined in the SLP. The teachers are available to suggest resources, identify expected work samples, give feedback and assess student performance. Regular, ongoing communication with the teacher is expected to allow for meaningful support of student learning.

Course Selection Instructions
New Students: 

 Once your application has been accepted by your Academic Advisor (AA), you or your parent can log into Encom and select your courses using their parent account. 

 Visit the Encom Access & Icon Explanation page if you need assistant logging into Encom.  

 Returning Students: 

 You must have re-enrolled first in order to choose your courses for the upcoming year.  

 To Re-enrol for the next school year, log into Encom with your parent user name and password. 

 Click on the Re-Enrollment icon and follow the prompts. 

 Be sure you are in the correct school year by clicking the Calendar icon  in the top right of the Encom page. You need to ensure you are selecting courses for the correct school year.  

 Course Enrollment 

 When you have successfully logged in to Encom, click on the Course Selection button.  

 If you don’t see that ‘Course Selection’ icon, please check that you’ve logged in to Encom using a parent account and not a student account. 

   

 

 

 Courses that have the same grade level of the student will appear by default. 

 

 For example if your student is in Grade 11 in the chosen school year, Grade 11 courses will appear. You can use the Quick Search bar in the top left to search the courses, or scroll through the list.  

 

 

 

 

 If you'd like to select a course from a different grade level. Click the Advanced Search button in the navigation bar. You can then navigate to a different grade level. Students are permitted to take courses at different grade levels, provided they’ve completed the necessary prerequisites.  

   

 

 

 When you've found a course you'd like to add. Click on the course title. You will then be taken to a short description of the course, and some more information. Verify that you are selecting the correct course (online or individualized) and click the Add Course button. 

   

 

 

 You then need to select the pace at which you'd like to complete the course from the drop down menu provided: 

   

 Please note: 

 

 Linear means you plan to work on your course all year long, beginning in September 

 

 

 First Semester means you plan to start and finish a course in September and finish in January/February 

 

 

 Second Semester means you plan to start a course on or after February 1. 

 

   

 

 

 Continue selecting additional courses in the same manner until you have finished adding courses.  

 

 

 Once you have completed all of your selections, you must Review and Save.   

 

 If you are not confident in your selections or unfinished, do not click Review and Save. Once you click the option, you are locked out of course selections and will need to contact your Grad Advisor to make additional changes. 

 8. To view the courses for your student, click on the Home button in the upper left of your Encom profile. 

 

 9. Then click on the  Course List button on the main Encom page to view your complete list of enrolled courses. 

 

  

Course Withdrawals or Changes
Students and parents can request course withdrawals or changes during the year, however there are some implications that need to be acknowledged when changes are made to courses that are in progress. 

 If you withdraw from a course in which you were activated (in progress), you will need to wait one year from the time of withdrawal before you can enroll in the course again. This is a Ministry of Education regulation. The other alternative is for you to take a failing grade. If you have a failing grade, you can retake the course, starting anytime. 

 Please note that if you are dropping an individualized or hybrid course, your student's resource allotments might be affected. Contact your Grad Advisor if you have any questions. 

 To proceed with a course withdrawal or change, please complete this form.

DAS - District Authority Scholarships
Purpose of Scholarship Program 

 The District/Authority scholarship is awarded to 5,500 high school graduates who have demonstrated excellence in their chosen area. 

 The Ministry of Education and Child Care sets core eligibility requirements and general guidelines; local scholarship committees determine awarding criteria and select their conditional recipients. 

 The Ministry confirms that the selected students have meet basic criteria and then sends these confirmed recipients a $1,250 scholarship voucher. They may redeem this voucher with the Ministry to be reimbursed for tuition paid after they are attending a post-secondary institution that is  designated by the Province of B.C.  (i.e., approved for Canada Student Loans) or a program provider that is approved by  SkilledTradesBC .

 

 Students have five years to  redeem their District/Authority scholarship vouchers; an expiry date is printed on each voucher and extensions are not possible. 

 HCOS is awarded an allotment of scholarships through FISA to distribute to applicants each year. Applications will open in late February and close end of April.  

 How to Apply 

 Students in Grade 12 will be emailed when applications open for the DAS awards. They will receive the application form and instructions for submitting the needed materials. Students will need to choose 1 category from the list below to apply in, and will be required to submit a portfolio of their learning, experience or expertise in that area.  

 Students will also need to provide one reference, who is not of relation to the student.  

 Apply Now: Application Deadline - April 28th, 2026 

 District Authority Scholarship (DAS) Application Form- 2026 

 District Authority Scholarship (DAS) Reference Form - 2026 

 Categories for Scholarships  

 

 

 

 

 Area of interest 

 

 

 Examples 

 

 

 

 

 

 Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies 

 Business, Home Economics, Media Arts, Technology, Tourism 

 

 

 Community Service (Volunteer Activity) 

 Includes awareness of local, global, and cultural issues 

 

 

 Fine Arts 

 Dance, Drama, Music, Visual Arts 

 

 

 Indigenous Languages and Culture 

 Demonstrated at school or in the community 

 

 

 Languages 

 External Assessments or Languages Curriculum, including AP and IB courses  

 

 

 Physical Activity (and Health) 

 Athletics, Dance, Gymnastics 

 

 

 Technical and Trades Training 

 Coding, Culinary Arts, Mechanics, Robotics, Woodwork 

 

 

 

 

 Notification of Scholarship Recipients 

 

 Spring: conditional recipients notified by their district/authority 

 September: conditional recipients checked against eligibility requirements 

 November: paper scholarship vouchers mailed to confirmed recipients 

 

 Disbursement Criteria 

 Students selected as conditional recipients of the District/Authority scholarship must satisfy the following requirements  by August 31 of their graduating year  to be confirmed as a recipient and receive their scholarship voucher: 

 

 Meet core eligibility requirements 

 

 Must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident (landed immigrant) and have that on record with the school at which you registered for Grade 12  

 Be a B.C. resident 

 Be or have been in the school year for which the scholarship is awarded:

 

 Enrolled in a British Columbia public school (including online learning schools), or 

 Enrolled in a Group 1, 2, or 4 British Columbia Independent School, or 

 Enrolled in a Continuing Education Centre, or 

 Registered as a  homeschooler  with an eligible school in British Columbia

 

 

 

 Complete all graduation requirements, and be on record as having graduated, by August 31 of the scholarship awards year

 

 Scholarship awards years operate from September 1 to August 31 

 

 

 

 

 Fulfill the graduation requirements of either the  B.C. Certificate of Graduation  (Dogwood Diploma) or the  B.C. Adult Graduation Diploma  (Adult Dogwood) 

 Meet criteria determined by the student’s local scholarship committee, including demonstration of outstanding achievement in one of the areas listed above. 

 

 HCOS will let the Ministry know our scholarship recipients, final notification will come from the ministry provided all requirements have been met.  

 

 Scholarship Committee 

 As per the HCOS Scholarship and Bursary policy : 

 The Scholarship Committee will be composed of a minimum of 3 individuals from the HCOS community, with the majority of members being involved in the Grad program in some capacity. Committee members may include HCOS employees, contractors and/or support personnel. Scholarship committee members will be appointed by the Head of Schools and Chief Operating Officer, based on nominations from the Director of the Grad program.  

 Role of a Scholarship Committee Member Scholarship committee members will:  

 

 

 Meet with other committee members at least once in January to confirm the number and type of scholarships to be awarded for that school year. The committee will appoint a chairperson to communicate with the HCOS Director of Grad as outlined below.  

 

 

 After the January meeting, the Chairperson will communicate with the Director of the Grad Program regarding application forms, application deadlines, and scholarship award criteria 

 

 

 Ensure online application forms are functional and student applications are being forwarded to Chairperson for distribution to all committee members.  

 

 

 HCOS Director of Grad will then communicate the opening of the form to eligible grade 12 students.  

 

 

 

 Meet with other committee members after the closing of the application form to evaluate applications and determine award recipients.

 

 

 Designate a committee member to communicate this information to the HCOS Director of the Grad Program before May 31st of each calendar year.  

 

 

 Students will be informed of award recipients at HCOS graduation ceremonies. Certificates and letters will be distributed at those events. 

 

 

 

 

 Designate a committee member to communicate names of scholarship recipients to Data Manager for printing of certificates and award letters 

 

 

 Ensure certificates and letters are received by HCOS Director of Grad prior to Graduation 

 

 

 If a student does not attend, the HCOS Director of Grad will ensure the certificate and letter will be mailed directly to award recipients.  

 

 

 

 

 Chairperson will track and collect confirmation of enrollment letters and tuition receipts. The Committee Chairperson will communicate with the HCOS Chief Operating Officer when award recipients have provided correct documentation so scholarships can be paid.  

 

 

 Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Members of the Scholarship Committees operate under the confidentiality expectations outlined in the KCCS confidentiality agreement signed by contractors and employees. In accordance with this agreement, Scholarship Committee members are required to declare any real or potential conflict of interests and to abide by the Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality policies. In the case of an immediate family member or close associate applying for a scholarship, the scholarship committee member will recuse themselves from having input and voting on the eligibility of that applicant and the decision to award a scholarship to that individual. 

Dual Credits
The ministry of education has provided an option for students to be involved in dual credit programs where they enrol in and complete post-secondary courses or training and also earn secondary (high school) credits at the same time. These dual-credit programs are stand-alone agreements set up between a specific secondary school and a specific post-secondary institution, usually within the same school district.  

 

 Heritage Christian Online School does not currently offer dual credit course offerings for our Grade 10-12 students. With grade 10-12 students in each of the 60 school districts across the province, we do not have the resources to create and maintain the ongoing unique agreements with each of the post secondary institutions or secondary schools in these districts that offer dual-credit enrolment.  

 

 Students interested in dual credit courses are encouraged to explore options for cross-enrolment with their local secondary schools and your grad advisor is happy to help you create a schedule and plan for graduation that includes any information on local dual-credit options you bring to them.  

 

 For more information on Dual Credits please visit the Ministry of Education website.

English Language Arts Options in Grades 10-12
This page outlines the available options as well as requirements for the English Language Arts (ELA) options in Grades 10 through 12. 

 English Language Arts under the new BC Curriculum provides students with more options to learn their English skills and materials in methods and manners that are more applicable to each unique student. As such, there is choice in what students may do to achieve the required credit. 

 Grade 10 

 Requirement 

 Choice 

 Example 

 

 Students must completed 4 credits of ELA 10. 

 

 Courses are 2 credits each - meaning students must select a minimum of 2 courses or a combined offering. 

 

 Any additional courses taken count towards elective credit for graduation. 

 

 

 2 Credit Options, 

 Composition 10 (Online/Individualized) 

 Creative Writing 10 (Individualized) 

 Literary Studies 10 (Online/Individualized)  

 New Media 10 Individualized  

 Spoken Language 10 Individualized  

 4 Credit Options,  

 Composition 10 and Literary Studies 10 Combined Online Course (4 credits) 

 Composition 10 and Literary Studies 10 Combined Online Synchronous Course (4 credits) 

 

 

 Sarah has strong writing skills and has aspirations to explore Journalism when she graduates. She would like to focus on courses that help her enhance her writing. Because she needs 4 credits to satisfy graduation requirements Sarah will take: 

 Composition 10 Individualized and 

 Creative Writing 10 Individualized 

 

 Jonas enjoys taking online courses and doesn't want to have to concern himself with taking two separate courses. He will enroll in the Composition 10 and Literary Studies 10 Combined Online courses which satisfies all 4 required credits. 

 

 Please see the below for more detailed information on the HCOS choices available for grade 10 Language Arts.  

 Grade 11 

 Requirement 

 Choice 

 Example 

 

 Students must completed 4 credits of ELA 11. 

 

 Any additional courses taken count towards elective credit for graduation. 

 

 

 All options are 4 Credits 

 

 Composition 11 (Individualized) 

 Creative Writing 11 Individualized (4 credits) 

 Literary Studies 11 (Online/Individualized)  

 New Media 11(Individualized)  

 Spoken Language 11 (Individualized)  

 

 

 Bailey likes the idea of presenting and using her skills as a drama student to share her learning. She likes to orally present her learning and will enroll in Spoken Language 11 Individualized. This course satisfies all credits required for her at the Grade 11 level. 

 

 

 Thomas likes to create and edit major video productions. This is a passion area of his and writing is not his strongest ability. Although there is a writing component to New Media 11, the content is focused around different media types, one of which is video. This course is the most appealing to Thomas' strengths and passions and satisfies all requirements for ELA 11. 

 

 Grade 12 

 Requirement 

 Choice 

 Example 

 

 All students must take English Studies 12 OR First Peoples English Studies 12 in order to graduate. 

 

 Any additional courses taken count towards elective credit for graduation. 

 

 

 All options are 4 credits 

 English Studies 12 (Online/Individualized) - required course 

 English First Peoples 12 (Online) 

 Composition 12 (Individualized) 

 Creative Writing 12 (Individualized) 

 Literary Studies 12 (Individualized) 

 New Media 12 (Individualized) 

 Spoken Language 12 (Individualized) 

 

 

 In order to graduate, all students must take English Studies 12 or First Peoples English Studies 12. 

 

 Any additional courses taken at the Grade 12 level count towards elective credit and the grade 12 required credit for graduation. 

 

 Students are required to take 4 credits of Indigenous Course Credits before graduation. English First People's courses count towards this requirement. 

 English Language Arts 10 Options 

 Students need  two  of the following 2 credit course options in order to receive the required four credits of English 10.  

 Since many curriculum options are a combination of two of these already, students can take a combined approach and often only need one curricular resource.  

 Many of the recommended curricular selections below are available to borrow from the HCOS Learning Commons. 

 All ELA10 courses can be adapted in accordance with IEP recommendations. 

 

 COMPOSITION 10 (2 credits)  is designed for students who would like to strengthen their skills in expository, opinion, persuasive, descriptive and/or narrative writing.

 

 This course provides students with the opportunity to: 

 explore and create coherent, purposeful compositions 

 read and study compositions by other writers and consider their value as models for the development of students' own writing 

 develop their craft through processes of drafting, reflecting, and revising. 

 Composition 10 is incorporated into many of our  HCOS online, hybrid, and community connections  options.  

 Curriculum suggestions for a focus on Individualized Composition 10 are as follows: 

 Power in Your Hands , 

 Byline , 

 IEW Structure & Style, Level C, 

 Essentials in Writing , 

 The Elegant Essay , 

 Bravewriter, 

 Write Shop II , 

 Jump In 

 

 

 LITERARY STUDIES 10 (2 credits)  is designed for students who are interested in the literature of a particular era, geographical area, or theme, or in the study of literature in general.  

 Giving students the choice of a range of literary topics allows them to follow their passion and at the same time: 

 increase literacy skills through close reading of appropriately challenging text 

 develop balance and broaden their understanding of themselves and the world 

 develop higher-level thinking and learning skills 

 Literary Studies 10 is incorporated into many of our  HCOS online, hybrid, and community connections  options. 

 

 Curriculum suggestions for a focus on Individualized Literary Studies 10 are as follows:  

 Windows to the World,   

 Illuminating Literature: When Worlds Collide,   

 Illuminating Literature: Characters in Crisis, 

 Teaching the Classics,   Essentials in Literature, 

 The Art of Poetry ,  Nelson Literacy 10 , 

 Progeny Press , 

 HCOS Book Club or Lit Camp 

 

 

 CREATIVE WRITING 10 (2 credits)  is designed for students who have an interest in creative expression through language.  

 This course provides students with the opportunity to: 

 express themselves creatively 

 develop their skills through the writing and design processes.  

 Creative Writing 10 can be approached as a  hybrid course  or as an individualized course.  

 Curriculum suggestions for a focus on Individualized Creative Writing 10 are as follows:  

 One Year Adventure Novel,   

 Byline , 

 Writing Fiction in High School, 

 Jerry Jenkins Jumpstart, 

 National Novel Writing Month , 

 Young Writer’s Workshop   

 

 

 SPOKEN LANGUAGE 10 (2 credits)  is designed for students with an interest in performance, storytelling, spoken word poetry, or public speaking.  

 

 This course provides students with an opportunity to: 

 develop their spoken communication skills through processes of questioning, exploring, and sampling  

 study, draft, and use language to create original pieces in a variety of modes.  

 Spoken Language 10 can be approached as a  hybrid course  or as an individualized course.  

 

 Curriculum suggestions for a focus on Individualized Spoken Language 10 are as follows: 

 IEW Speech Boot Camp , 

 Lightning Literature Speech , 

 Theatre Folk Resources , 

 Skit Guys,   

 The Art of Poetry , 

 Poetry in Voice   

 Credit can also be assigned for participation and achievements in community theatre, storytelling, spoken word, Toastmasters, 4H or Cadets Effective Speaking programs. 

 

 

 NEW MEDIA 10 (2 credits)  is designed for students with an interest in media, journalism, film, or digital communications.

 

 This course provides students with an opportunity to 

 develop a program of study centred on personal interests, needs, and abilities,  

 allow for a range of local delivery methods 

 recognize that digital literacy is an essential characteristic of the educated citizen.  

 New Media 10 can be approached as a  hybrid course  or as an individualized course.  

 Curriculum suggestions for a focus on Individualized New Media 10 are as follows: 

 Nelson Literacy 10 , 

 Byline ,  

 Movies As Literature , 

 Teach With Movies , 

 C.I.V.I.X News Literacy , 

 Media Smarts Canada,   

 Curio, 

 Student News Daily, 

 Propaganda Critic , 

 Social Assurity

Grad FAQs
For more detailed information on the Grad program at HCOS, requirements for graduation, course selection and planning, please see our series of Orientation Week videos here.  

 Do you have face-to-face opportunities for kids?  

 Yes, we offer face-to-face opportunities in two different ways: CC+ and Online Synchronous courses . In a CC+ students will meet in a location and take courses together with a certified teacher; oftentimes a CC+ will include taking multiple courses together (such as English, Social Studies, and PE). We only offer CC+ in certain areas though such as Abbotsford and Chilliwack. In an Online Synchronous course students will meet virtually over Zoom once a week with a certified teacher and the rest of the students taking the same Online Synchronous course. These classes will occur from September to June for 1 hour Zoom sessions. 

 What formats are courses provided in at the Grad Program? 

 We have four different formats for many of our courses in the Grad program. It's important to note that not all courses are available in all formats... so it's good to check with your Grad Advisor as you are planning.  

 1) Online Synchronous - this option uses the online courses that HCOS has written, and also has the added benefit of weekly zoom meetings with your course teacher. The student cohort in these classes work together at about the same pace, beginning in September and finishing in June.  

 2) Online Asynchronous - this option also uses the same online course as the synchronous course, but students have the flexibility to work at their own pace, as well as start and end on dates that may fit their unique schedule.  

 3) Hybrid - this course option is designed for students who need some guidance and structure in a course but are also looking for a bit more flexibility. This course format may provide resources, suggest assignments, give project ideas, etc. and allow for more freedom and student choice. By design, they also benefit from more parent oversight and support as students don't have daily lessons to complete. Instead, students learn material independently and then submit samples that demonstrate the culmination of their learning. 

 4) Individualized - this course option is designed for students who have a plan that doesn't 'fit' one of the above options. This could be because you have a particular curriculum you want to use, you are involved in a unique learning opportunity, or you just have a really great idea that is a bit out-of-the-box. This option requires the student to work with the course specialist teacher to outline the course expectations, select resources to use, identify what work samples will be submitted, and how assessment will be done.  

 Can I use a combination of online courses and individualized courses? 

 Yes! One of our core values as a school is flexibility. Students enrolled in grades 10-12 have the freedom to blend their course planning to include online, hybrid and individualized courses to meet their specific needs and strengths. Most of our core course options can be taken in any format, and many of our electives are available in multiple formats as well, so students have lots of choice.  

 Who do I go to if I have questions about the grad program or need help planning my grade 10-12 years? 

 In the grad program at HCOS, each student is assigned a grad advisor (GA) to provide guidance throughout their time in the grad program. This GA is your 'go-to' person for general questions, help with course planning, advice on post secondary preparations, accessing learning service supports, and any other type of support you may need as you work towards your graduation goals. If you have questions relating to a specific course, an assignments or teacher feedback then you need to connect with that course teacher for help or more information. 

 In the grad program, how do I know my Individualized course teachers’ email? 

 All of our HCOS teacher emails follow the same format: firstname.lastname@onlineschool.ca 

 If you aren't sure what your teachers name is (or how to spell it), there are a couple of ways to find your course teacher's email address. 

 

 

 

 On your Encom home page, find the box called 'List of Courses'. This should list all the courses you are enrolled in and from there you can can click on your teacher's name to see their email address,  OR 

 On your Encom home page click on the report card box. At the top all the courses you are enrolled should appear along with the teacher's name beside them. Click on the teacher's name to email them.  

 

 

 

 How do I see teacher comments for my child’s assignments in Online Grad courses? 

 Parents have their own Moodle login capabilities (using their own Encom account information). Once a parent logs in to Moodle they can look over their children’s pacing guide to see if they’re on-pace or behind, they can see their current course grade, and can also check the marks on individual assignments which will include feedback and comments from teachers. 

 (Moodle is still there for the next year 2023 for students who are finishing old courses; otherwise, we have transitioned to Brightspace).  

 My child is working on Math 11 but I don’t see this on the transcript; why not? 

 Unofficial transcripts (and official transcripts) only show completed courses. Any courses that are still in progress, or that your student is still working on will not appear on the transcript. Once a teacher enters a final grade for a course indicating a student has completed the course, our data department reports that final grade and it will appear on a student's transcript. Courses that a student withdraws from also do not appear on the transcript.  

 Do I have to complete the grade 10 and 12 provincial assessments? 

 Yes, the ministry expectation is that all students in grade 10 will write the numeracy and literacy 10 assessments. this gives students the opportunity to re-write the assessments if they want to improve their scores before grade 12. These assessments are required to receive a Dogwood Diploma in BC. The literacy 12 assessment is also required for graduation and so must be completed by students in grade 12.  

 It's important to note that officially, all students are working towards the Dogwood Diploma. Once a student turns 18, they may then declare their intent and move to the Adult Dogwood program. The Adult Dogwood program does not require assessments to be written at this time. However, some post-secondary institutions have indicated that they prefer to see those assessments have been completed when looking at adult student applications.  

 Where do I go to complete Provincial Assessments?  

 There are a few options for students when it comes to writing provincial assessments. 

 1) The simplest option is to sign up for an HCOS assessment site. We typically host an assessment location in Kelowna and the lower mainland in each assessment session, but often we have additional locations (based on student numbers) such as Nanaimo or Victoria. 

 2) The other option is to write your assessment at a local school. This option is totally dependent on each individual local school's plans and it's important to note that not all schools run assessment sessions in all 4 assessment windows. If a school is willing to host one of our students, we are happy to make those arrangements, but this option isn't always possible and is dependent on a number of factors outside of HCOS. 

 3) IE students who are eligible for a private location can write at a location set up by their case manager, with a private invigilator and other accommodations in place. This can only be arranged through a student's Case Manager.  

 How many classes do I need to complete to graduate? 

 There's no easy answer for this as there isn't a set number of 'classes' a student needs to complete. Instead, graduation is based on the number of credits a student earns, and in specific content/course areas. Your Grad Advisor can give you more guidance on this, but in order to graduate in BC, you need a total of 80 credits, and some of those credits must be completed in certain courses or subject areas.  

 The majority of courses that HCOS offers are 4-credit courses. Some exceptions to this are: 

 

 

 

 English Language Arts 10 courses: there are 5 options here that are each 2-credit courses. Students must complete two of these courses for graduation 

 Christian Studies 10-12: students have the option to do a 2-credit option here, if they choose.  

 

 

 

 If the need arises, can my child integrate back into a campus school? 

 Yes, the credits students earn for completing courses through HCOS are reported to the Ministry. Students can continue to build their transcript at another educational institution of their choosing. 

 I re-enrolled into the Grad program yet I don’t see any curriculum funds. In K-9 I had $600 Where are the funds? 

 In the grad program, funds are allocated differently than they are for K-9 students. In the grad program you will be given access to $50 of curriculum funds for each individualized or hybrid non-core (elective) course. This would include courses such as a fine arts course, ADST, and active living 11/12. 

 Online and Core subjects courses do not receive any curriculum funds. Online courses have all the resources needed supplied through the online course shell, and our learning commons has textbooks available for students to borrow for a full school year when enrolled in hybrid or individualized core courses.  

 That means if a student does not enroll in any elective Individualized or hybrid courses, there is no funding allocated to the student’s resource budget. 

 How much communication should I expect with my teachers? 

 Teachers will often communicate with parents when students enroll in their course. From there, teachers will send email communication throughout the school year for important info and dates such as report cards, etc. Additionally, teachers will connect with parents if they notice that students are behind or doing poorly, but may also send communication to parents when students do something spectacular. Feedback provided in Moodle is also a common method of communication and interaction with students.  

 Do you offer summer school? 

 Yes! Online courses are open through the summer session.  

 I attend another school. Can I take one or two courses with you? 

 Yes, you can sign up for courses through our cross enrolled division, www.bconlineschool.ca .  

 When is the last day of school? 

 Students have up to 1 year to complete their grad program courses. Typically students will complete their courses from September to mid-June. Anything submitted by mid June will be reported during June report cards, however if students have yet to complete their courses they are welcome to continue working during the summer term.  

 Will I get to choose my teacher?  

 We do our best to provide different options for courses and teachers across the grad program. Teachers are assigned their courses in the Spring for the following school year. For example, Teacher A will be teaching Online English 11, and Teacher B will be teaching Individualized English 11.  

 How many hours per weekday should we be doing school at home? 

 Because student course loads vary in number, this will vary depending on the courses chosen in any given year.  A student can expect to work approximately 4-6 hours a week per course if they spread their course work over 10 months.

Grad Planner - For Families
As students enter the grad program at HCOS (Grade 10-12), they begin building their transcript and accumulate credits towards a Dogwood Diploma. The Grad Planner in Encom is used for planning and tracking student progress through the various graduation requirements in BC.  

 

 The Grad Planner seen in Encom reflects the graduation program a student is currently enrolled in. The examples below are all from the Dogwood diploma planner, but planners also exist for the Adult Dogwood and School Completion certificates. The planner format will automatically update with the appropriate planner and requirements when a Grad Advisor updates the Graduation program a student is enrolled in as required. 

 The Grad Planner gives an up-to-date summary of what courses have been completed, courses in progress or enrolled, and courses or credits still required for graduation.  

 Courses completed at schools outside of HCOS need to be manually added to the Grad Planner. Please inform your Grad Advisor when these are completed.  

 How do I see my student’s Grad Planner? 

 Please note, Grad Planners are only set up and available for students as they prepare to enter the grad program. Initial setup of the Grad Planner will take place as students meet with their Grad Advisor in the spring of Grade 9. 

 You can access your student’s grad planner by logging into Encom . For more information on how to access Encom please see here. Once logged in, click the See More Items for this Student link at the bottom of their overview.  

 

 Select 'Graduation Planner' to open up your student's grad planner. 

 

 The next screen will take you to your student’s Grad Planner. If you see: 

 

 Please contact your Grad Advisor and they will create a planner if needed. 

 What Am I Looking At? 

 There are two main components to the Grad Planner.  

 Part 1: Overview 

 At the top is a summary that gives an overview of what courses a student has completed, is currently enrolled and/or active in, and what requirements still need to be completed. 

 

 A green box with a check mark indicates the student has successfully completed that requirement for graduation.  

 An orange box with a clock indicates the student is currently enrolled in a course(s) with HCOS that satisfy that requirement. The course may or may not be yet activated. 

 A grey box with an ‘X’ indicates that the student has not yet enrolled in or completed one or more courses that will fulfill that requirement. 

 The ‘Credits’ column gives a quick snapshot of the categories where a student has completed the required number of credits, and which categories have not yet been fully addressed. 

 

 The ‘Legend’ box explains the icons that are used below in the more detailed, second portion of the Grad Planner.  

 

 Part 2: Detailed Course Requirements 

 The overview is followed by a more detailed description of the student’s current overall standing. This includes information on completed courses, courses in progress, and courses the student may want to plan for in future semesters.  

 

 

 

 At the bottom of the Grad Planner, you will see a section named ‘other’ that summarizes important requirements for graduation.  

 For example, the student below has three courses that meet the grade 12 required credits. They have completed Spanish 12, are enrolled and active in Entrepreneurship 12 and are enrolled in Anatomy and Physiology 12. This will satisfy 12 of the 16 required credits, however both English Studies 12 and Career-Life Connections still need to be completed before this section can be marked ‘complete’ as these are both required grade 12 level courses.  

 

 The student below is shown to have enrolled in 4 of the 8 credits required to earn an HCOS Graduation certificate   in addition to their Dogwood Diploma. This student’s planner shows two different 2-credit offerings, one completed and one in progress. These credits also count towards a student’s elective course requirements and can be concurrently applied towards the Dogwood Diploma. 

 

 Additionally, there will be a summary of which of the required Graduation assessments a student has completed and which ones still need to be taken. 

 

 Clicking on any of the Graduation Assessments found here will open a box that contains more information. This information will be updated by our Provincial Assessment coordinator following each assessment session as well as when scores are reported.  

 

 How do I get the Grad Planner updated?  

 If you have questions about your grad planner or have something you think needs to be updated, please contact your Grad Advisor.  

 The grad planner automatically updates when courses are completed with HCOS (a final grade has been entered on a student’s report card).  

 If you have completed a course with another school, or have completed training that qualifies you for external credits, you will need to inform your Grad Advisor. They will then manually update your Grad Planner to reflect those achievements.  

 Other questions?  

 See our FAQ page here or reach out to your Grad Advisor. 

Innovations Orientation Week Recordings 2025
Welcome to the Innovations Grad Program 

 

 

 

 

 What Math is Right for Me? (Math 101) 

 

 

 

 

 What Course Type to Choose? 

 

 

 

 

 Meet Your Council 

 

 

 

 

 Science 10 and Beyond! 

 

 

 

 

 Are you Ready for Grade 10? 

 

 

 

 

 Brightspace/Encom What Students and Parents Need to Know 

 

 

 

 

 Student Panel 

 

 

 Combined Course Options 

 

 Thinking Ahead 

 

 Numeracy and Literacy Assessments 

 

 Planning for the Future 

 

 Student Success Centre 

 

 English 10 - So Many Choices 

 

 Breakfast Club 

 Creating a Plan for a Successful Year

Grad Planner - FAQ
What is the purpose of the Grad Planner?  

 As students complete Grades 10-12 in British Columbia, they begin building their transcript and accumulating credits towards a diploma. The Grad Planner module in Encom is used for planning and tracking student progress through the various graduation requirements in BC.  

 The Grad Planner seen in Encom reflects the graduation program a student is currently enrolled in, either Dogwood, Adult Graduation or School Completion Certificate. It is meant to be a simple tool used to understand graduation requirements and a student’s current standing at any point in time.  

 Who sets up the Grad Planner?  

 When a student first connects with their Grad Advisor (GA) and prepares to enter the grad program at HCOS, the GA will initiate the set-up of the Grad Planner. If you think your Grad Planner still needs to be set up, please contact your GA. 

 When a GA initially sets up a Grad Planner, they will: 

 

 Pull any existing final marks for grade 10-12 courses already completed with HCOS. 

 Manually enter marks for grade 10-12 courses completed at other schools as reported on the the student’s transcript. 

 Manually enter external credits for extracurricular programs the student has completed. 

 

 As the GA continues to support a student through grades 10-12, further updates to the Grad Planner may include:  

 

 Automatic updates to course marks and credits earned as a student receives final grades on HCOS report cards. 

 Adding courses the student plans to take in the future. These are easily removed or changed if plans or required courses change. 

 Adding ‘suggested’ courses that the GA feels would help meet graduation requirements or pathway to the student’s post secondary aspirations. 

 Adding course marks and credits for courses or external credits completed at another institution while the student is in the Grad program.  

 

 Who can view the Grad Planner?  

 The grad planner in a student’s Encom profile is viewable and printable by the student, the parents, course teachers, Grad Advisors, IE case managers, and administrators.  

 Grad Advisors and Grad Program administrators are the only ones who have the ability to update, edit or alter the Grad Planner. 

 How is the Planner updated?  

 Once created, the Grad Planner will automatically update when HCOS course information changes. This includes updates when: 

 

 a student enrols in a course 

 a student becomes active in a course 

 a final course grade is entered on the HCOS report card 

 a student withdraws from a course 

 

 Grad Advisors will manually update Grad Planners when:  

 

 a student moves to a different graduation program 

 a student informs them they have completed a cross-enrolled course 

 a student informs them of completed External Credit programs. 

 

 What if I change Graduation programs at some point?  

 The Grad Planner module is designed to automatically update whenever a Grad Advisor or Grad Program administrator changes the graduation program that a student is enrolled in.  

 For example, if a student decides at 18 to pursue an Adult Graduation Program, the GA would make that change in Encom and the Grad Planner module will automatically update to reflect the requirements for that program. It will also automatically pull any relevant course information from the previous version of the planner.  

 What do the different icons within the planner mean? 

 There is a legend at the top of the Grad Planner that explains what each colour and symbol mean. 

 

 Additionally, see the Grad Planner for Families page here for more detailed explanation of the most commonly seen icons and colours.

 

 Can I print a copy of my Grad Planner? 

 Yes! To generate a print or pdf copy of your Grad Planner, navigate to the top of your Grad Planner, where you will see a Download PDF button. Click on that button and it will save a PDF of the Grad Planner which you can print. 

 

 Please note, your electronic grad planner will automatically update when courses are completed, so be sure you are working with the most recent version of your grad planner when planning future courses.  

 Who do I contact if I have questions about the Grad Planner?  

 Please contact your Grad Advisor if you have any questions. 

 

 Lower Mainland (A-H): Ms. Kristen Matthews ( kristen.matthews@onlineschool.ca ) 

 Lower Mainland (I-Z): Ms. Laura Nelson ( laura.nelson@onlineschool.ca ) 

 Interior BC: Mr. Anthony Kuchma ( akuchma@onlineschool.ca ) 

 Vancouver Island: Mr. Ryan Titley ( rtitley@onlineschool.ca ) 

 Northern BC: Ms. Tara Klukas ( tara.klukas@onlineschool.ca ) 

 IE Grad Advisor: Ms. Allison Miles ( amiles@onlineschool.ca )  and Mr. Brad Lemon ( brad.lemon@onlineschool.ca )

Grad Program Funding
This page should answer questions regarding the funding at the Grad program level. If you have additional questions please contact the Director of Grad, Chelsea Bitgood , for more clarification.  

 How does the funding work? 

 The Ministry of Education funds a Grad Program (GP) student per course they take, not as a ‘full program of studies’, which is the process for students in Grades K-9. This enables a GP student to take courses with a variety of schools (Distributed Learning, campus etc) and each school only applies for the funding that is associated with the courses the student is taking with them. 

 

 Example :  Sally signs up to takes Math, Planning and Science with Heritage Christian Online School. Once she is considered ACTIVE (completed 5% to 10% of the course as verified by her teacher), the teacher will post an ACTIVE DATE for that course in Encom. Once the student is active in a course, HCOS sends a request to the Ministry of Education for the funding they provide for those courses. Funding is not requested for a student until they are active.  

 Sally also enrolls at a campus school for PHE and Drama. The campus school then requests funding for those two courses. 

 

 What sort of funding is provided to the parents for curriculum purchases? 

 Students have two options for course delivery when they are fully enrolled (taking the majority) of their courses with HCOS. Online and Individualized. 

 Online Course Option: These courses have all their resources provided so there is $0 provided to the parent for curriculum purchases. 

 Core Individualized/Hybrid Course Option: These courses require a Student Learning Plan (SLP) created in consultation with the course Support Teacher. Our Learning Commons is outfitted with the most commonly used resources for students to borrow and return based on recommendations by their Support Teacher.  

 Non-Core Individualized/Hybrid Course Option: These courses require a Student Learning Plan (SLP) created in consultation with a course Support Teacher. For these courses, parents are required to purchase the curriculum resources need for the student to earn credit.  HCOS makes $50 of curriculum funding available for students per non-core Individualized/Hybrid course. 

 

 Why does my funding amount say $0 for my Grad Program student? 

 This would be because you have not completed course selection for the student  or all of the courses on their list are Online or Core Individualized/Hybrid (which offer $0 in funding as all resources are provided for your student). Remember, the $50 amount is per non-core Individualized course. If there are no non-core Individualized courses, there is no funding. 

 How can I check on my student's account to see the amount that they have? 

 Log into Encom with your parent access info. This information was originally sent in your welcome email. If you do not have record of it please contact tech support at tech@onlineschool.ca .  

 Once in Encom, click on “ Additional Resources ” at the top of the page. That should open a window with an itemized list of orders or expenditures and a total amount remaining for your overall funding amount. 

 

 My student is taking two individualized courses (Music 11 and Active Living 11) so I have $100 of curriculum funding available. Can I use it for a gym pass? 

 Yes, as your purchase is needed to support Active Living 11 outcomes. Note: All expenses must correlate with a course on the student's list and be listed on the course SLP.  

 Is there a limit to how much I can use for consumables and third part vendors (lessons etc)? 

 Yes, if you have the funding available in your student's account, there is a government regulation cap of $600.  

 Can I pool family curriculum amounts and pay for an invoice for one student? 

 Yes, as long as you keep in mind the $600 limit for consumable or third party vendors. If you have any questions about this, please contact the office at office@onlineschool.ca   

 How do I spend my student's available funds? 

 Once the office has received all your student's required documentation, they will issue your student a Purchase Order Number (PO#). You can see your student's PO# in Encom, in their profile. You can then use this PO# to order from any of our resource vendors.  Invoices for lessons are processed by the school and can be submitted after November 1st of the current school year.  

 Note: The school can not reimburse parents directly so make sure all your purchases and invoices are processed by PO# or vendor invoices sent to the school office.  

 All third party lesson providers must have a Criminal Record Check on file with the office in order for us to pay their invoice.  

 How is my student's funding account affected if they withdraw from an Individualized course they decide not to take? 

 If, at any time during the year, an Individualized course (activated or not) is  removed  from your student's course list for the year, the resource funding for that course is  also removed. This may mean that if you have already spent that funding, there could be an outstanding amount to be repaid to the HCOS office. 

 HCOS does their final request for funding at the end of April. What if my student does not get an active date for an Individualized course by then? 

 If your student does not get an active date in an Individualized course by the end of April, Encom will automatically withdraw the student from the course because we can no longer request funding for the school year. As a result, the $50 associated with that course will also be removed from the student's funding account.  

 If you have any additional questions, please contact your Individualized Course Support teacher, Grad Advisor, or the Director of Grad. 

Grad Program Overview
Welcome to the Grad Program at Heritage Christian Online School!  

 While this page will not answer all of your questions, we hope it is a good foundation to get you started. Once you have connected with the Registrar , you will receive a call from your regional  Academic Advisor who will work with you and your student to plan your courses and everything necessary for graduation! 

 Before that call, take a few moments to read through the following information.  

 Grad Program Website 

 You'll want to bookmark this page for updates about events, new scholarships, graduation, assessments - the works! Please visit often!  

 Course Options 

 This page will walk you through the different types of programming we have in the Grad Program at HCOS.  

 Grad Program Funding 

 Funding operates differently in the Grad Program compared to K-9. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the different options through this page of frequently asked questions. 

 Parent and Teacher Roles 

 This page outlines what you can expect from your student's teacher(s) and what is expected of you as the parent.  

 

 Feel free at anytime to navigate back to the Information for Families book to check out other pages about the offerings and programs at HCOS. Just click the Information for Families link at the top left of the page!

Grad Program - Physical Education Course Policy
Students are required to take Physical and Health Education 10 as part of their Dogwood Diploma program of study.  

 Students may also opt to take additional physical education courses throughout their time in the grad program. Course options include:  

 

 Outdoor Education 11/12 

 

 

 Active Living 11/12 

 

 

 Fitness and Conditioning 11/12 

 

 

 Dance Choreography or Dance Conditioning 10/11/12 

 

 While students are encouraged to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle, we do recognize that most students will only be able to realistically meet the activity requirements of one course at a time. It is our practice at HCOS to have students active in one Physical Education related course at a time, to help avoid duplicate reporting of activities between courses.  

 Students may complete more than one physical education type course in a school year, but should plan to work on them consecutively, completing one course before activating a second.  

 In scenarios where students are engaged in high performance sport or other activities where their weekly activity hours regularly exceed 20 hours, students may be permitted to activate multiple Physical Education type courses concurrently. 

 If a Grad Advisor indicates to a student that they are approved to activate two courses at the same time, it is the responsibility of the student to:  

 

 Contact both course instructors to create a unique plan for each course (no doubling up of activity hours in logs, reporting unique activities for each course, etc).  

 

 

 Submit work and assignments that are unique and original for each course 

 

 

 Students are not permitted to submit the same assignment, activity logs, etc in multiple courses.  

 

 Grad Advisors will:  

 

 Work with and advise families on course enrolment plans that are appropriate for the student.  

 

 

 Manage course enrolments to help ensure only one PE-related course is activated at a time (unless extenuating circumstances are identified).  

 

 

 This includes checking if PHE courses from the previous school year have been completed 

 

 

 Contact course teachers in the case where a student is approved to work on more than one PHE course concurrently so course teachers are aware of potential conflicts and overlap 

 

 

 Course teachers have the freedom to: 

 

 Communicate with one another and the student as needed to ensure a clear, unique plan for each course is in place 

 

 

 Check with other course teachers to ensure duplicate work is not being submitted 

 

 

 Submission of the same activity reports, assignments, or other work in two different courses is in violation of our Academic Integrity Policy . In these cases, it is up to the course instructor’s professional discretion to respond to the violation in line with our school policies. 

  

HCOS Graduation Certificate
This page outlines the requirements needed to receive an HCOS Graduation Certificate on top of a student's BC Dogwood Diploma.  

 Students who complete the BC Graduation requirements receive a BC Dogwood Diploma. HCOS students who complete a minimum of 8 credits in Christian Studies programming also receive an HCOS Graduation Certificate. These 8 credits can be earned through: 

 Christian Studies Online and Individualized Modules - When selecting courses, these are denoted by the CS: prefix.  

 Specific course programming including options like Adventure Discipleship, Humanities and Comparative Civilizations Travel Program.  

 These 8 credits also satisfy elective requirements for a student's BC Dogwood. 

 Why an HCOS Graduation Certificate? 

 Often we are asked what is the purpose to working towards this certificate? There are a few beneficial reasons we suggest to all students to take Christian Studies courses with us.  

 Faith Development - We are a Christian school and as such believe that our students should continue to be learning and growing in their personal faith journey.  

 Our Christian Studies courses help equip students for their future by ensuring they have a strong foundation and can clearly articulate their beliefs. 

 Courses are designed to encourage personal development for students as articulated in the HCOS Learner Profile .

 

 The certificate has been helpful to students applying to Post Secondary studies at Bible Colleges, YWAM programs and universities such as Trinity Western. Showing completion of some under graduate studies in the field they are pursuing can help with entrance requirements. 

HCOS Scholarship & Bursary Opportunities
This page is designed to support HCOS students and families as they explore, apply for, and manage scholarships, bursaries, and awards. Below you will find HCOS in-house opportunities, external resources, application guidance, and next steps after receiving an award. 

 

 HCOS In-House Scholarship Opportunities 

 HCOS offers several internal scholarship and bursary options for eligible students. Families are encouraged to review the following policies carefully: 

 

 

 District Authority Scholarships (DAS) Learn about eligibility, timelines, and requirements for District Authority Scholarships. 

 

 

 HCOS Scholarship & Bursaries  Review HCOS policies and information related to scholarships and bursaries. 

 

 

 

 External Scholarship Resources 

 Students are strongly encouraged to apply for external scholarships and bursaries in addition to HCOS opportunities. 

 

 

 ScholarshipsCanada A comprehensive Canadian scholarship search website: 

 

 

 Additional Scholarship List   A document compiled by HCOS to support students in their search, including timelines and deadlines.  

 

 

 

 Finding Volunteer Opportunities 

 Many scholarships require proof of community involvement. Volunteer opportunities can be found through: 

 

 

 Volunteer BC 

 

 

 GoVolunteer 

 

 

 Local community boards and program guides 

 

 

 Conversations with neighbours, church mentors, coaches, and friends 

 

 

 

 How to Apply for Scholarships & Bursaries 

 Step 1: Assess Your Financial Need 

 Determine your financial situation and estimate how many scholarships and bursaries you plan to apply for. 

 Step 2: Create a Tracking System 

 If you are applying for multiple awards, staying organized is essential. 

 

 

 Create your own tracking spreadsheet in Excel or 

 

 

 Use the HCOS Scholarship Tracking Template . 

 

 

 Step 3: Suggested Tracking Fields 

 Include the following fields in your spreadsheet: 

 

 

 Scholarship name 

 

 

 Scholarship provider 

 

 

 Contact information 

 

 

 URL for additional information or application 

 

 

 Deadline date 

 

 

 Award amount 

 

 

 Eligibility criteria (age, grade, GPA, etc.) 

 

 

 Required documentation (transcripts, financial records, references, essays, etc.) 

 

 

 

 Helpful Hints for Scholarship Success 

 

 

 Begin researching scholarship opportunities in Grade 11 

 

 

 Volunteer consistently; many scholarships value long-term involvement 

 

 

 Carefully review eligibility criteria for each award 

 

 

 Apply for a variety of smaller awards, as they often receive fewer applications 

 

 

 Maintain an up-to-date resume and adaptable cover letter 

 

 

 Dedicate specific time each week for scholarship research 

 

 

 Pay close attention to application deadlines, especially for hard-copy submissions 

 

 

 

 You Were Awarded a Scholarship or Bursary — Now What? 

 1. Thank Your Donors 

 Once you receive an award, it is important to write a thank-you letter to the donor. The mailing address is usually included with your award notification. 

 Sample Thank-You Letter: 

 

 Dear Donor, Thank you for the scholarship. I am planning to pursue a career in teaching and will be attending UNBC in the fall. The funds will go toward tuition and books and is very much appreciated. 

 Sincerely, Mya Scholarship 

 

 2. Award Deferral 

 If you are not attending post-secondary immediately after graduation, indicate in your thank-you letter that you are requesting a one-year deferral. Most scholarships and bursaries allow deferrals for one year only. 

 

 Types of Scholarships, Bursaries & Awards 

 I. Post-Secondary Institution Scholarships 

 These awards are connected to specific post-secondary institutions and often require acceptance of an offer of admission. They may include: 

 

 

 Automatic awards (e.g., entrance scholarships) 

 

 

 General scholarship applications 

 

 

 Faculty-specific awards (e.g., Engineering, Education) 

 

 

 Nominated scholarships (limited nominations per school) 

 

 

 Need-based bursaries 

 

 

 II. Association & Community Scholarships 

 Community groups such as unions, clubs, businesses, organizations, and associations often offer scholarships. Criteria may include: 

 

 

 Academic achievement 

 

 

 Artistic or athletic ability 

 

 

 Leadership 

 

 

 Community service 

 

 

 Financial need 

 

 

 Students are encouraged to explore opportunities connected to: 

 

 

 Parents’ or guardians’ workplaces 

 

 

 Cultural, professional, or service organizations 

 

 

 Associations linked to parents or grandparents 

 

 

 III. Find-a-Match Scholarship Websites 

 These websites match students with scholarships based on their profile: 

 

 

 Yconic 

 

 

 ScholarshipsCanada 

 

 

 ScholarTree 

 

 

 StudentScholarships 

 

 

 Maclean’s (Scholarships tab) 

 

 

 EducationPlannerBC 

 

 

 

 If you have questions or need support, please contact your HCOS academic advisor. We encourage all students to apply broadly and start early.

HCOS to BCOS Transfer Request: Why is this necessary?
Rationale 

 The Ministry of Education expects that when a student is enrolled in courses in more than one school, the school that holds the majority of courses is designated as the school of record (SOR). 

 Sometimes, full-time HCOS students decide to enroll with another school before all of their HCOS coursework has been completed. This leaves them with one or more active courses with HCOS but they are full-time students with another institution.  

 When a student moves from HCOS to another school of record, they officially become a cross-enrolled student with HCOS. BC Online School (BCOS) is the division of our school that facilitates and oversees cross-enrolled students.  

 There are a number of reasons for this separation, but the main one has to do with how final marks are reported.  The student’s current School of Record  is responsible for reporting student final grades and credits to the Ministry of Education when a course is completed. If HCOS is not the School of Record when students finish coursework, we can no longer report on behalf of the student and must instead report those completed grades to the new official School of Record. The School of Record then has the responsibility of reporting those marks to appear on student transcripts.  

 Our systems within HCOS are not designed to identify these final course marks that need different methods of reporting, hence the need to move students into our BCOS division when they are no longer HCOS enrolled students. 

 Moving your student from HCOS to BCOS ensures that any remaining courses that are completed are properly reported to the Ministry of Education to appear on your student transcript and are credited for graduation.  

 Why BCOS? 

 BCOS is designed to communicate to other schools and it is assumed that a BCOS student is cross enrolled.

 

 This information is helpful to anyone working with a student - academic advisors, teachers, administrators, parents, and office staff.  

 

 

 BCOS sends progress reports to the SOR so that the school course counsellor is updated on course progress. 

 

 BCOS has systems in place to regularly identify when students have completed course work and report those final grades as appropriate. 

 

 

 What Happens If I Ignore The Transfer Request? 

 Students will be given 10 business days from the date they are informed of transfer request to complete their application to BCOS 

 Failure to move to BCOS means you run the very real risk that your final marks and course credits will not be reported to the Ministry of Education (will not appear on a student transcript). This can delay the granting of your Dogwood Diploma 

 If HCOS reports as if they are the School of Record, we run the risk of overriding data from the official School of Record, affecting their ability to report and unintentionally causing considerable work for both school offices.  

 When students transfer to a new school, there are specific documents that need to be transferred, as those are required to stay with students. Failure to indicate you are now cross-enrolled with BCOS could mean that those important documents don’t make their way to your new school as our team has not received notification of the student transfer. 

 These documents may include report cards, IEP Documents, Designation Documents, etc 

 

 How Will This Change Affect Me? 

 Really, there is very little difference on the student end of things.  

 The format of the course and access will stay the same. 

 The course teachers stay the same. 

 Your course progress and work is not lost, you continue on where you left off. 

 Your login information stays the same.  

 

 How do I know if I need to transfer to BCOS? 

 You only need to take these steps if contacted by your Grad Advisor. Your Grad Advisor will ask that you complete the BCOS application form and send you a link to the online form. 

 Please complete the BCOS application form using the link sent to you by your Grad Advisor.  

 You do not need to call the BCOS office when you have completed the form. The form is automatically sent to the BCOS office and the staff there will complete the course transfer once the form has been received.  

 When asked to select a course on page 5 of the form, please select “ HCOS to BCOS transfer ’ for your grade level.

Innovations Events
*linked to innovations website*

Learning a Second Language
This page outlines the options available for students who are interested in learning a second language. 

 Online Courses  

 ​These courses begins at Grade 5 and continues through Grade 12 using Rosetta Stone. A student coming into Grade 10 with no background in learning a second language would not be ready for the course offerings in Grade 10.  

 This course is highly recommended. The lessons are separated into shorter lessons (5-30mins max), each focusing on a different topic (Core Lesson, Grammar, Listening, Writing, Pronunciation, etc.). The lessons seem to include more instruction than other programs, and are very foundational. This course also includes live tutoring sessions with Rosetta Stone's native language tutors, games & activities for practice, 3 meetings per course with their online teacher for assessment and instruction, and a handful of cultural projects. Second Language courses in Grade 10 covers two units (and slightly fewer requirements), while Grade 11 and 12 course offerings cover four units. 

 Individualized  

 This course works for any level of language ability. For this course, the teacher meets with the family over video chat to create an SLP and they typically turn in learning portfolios at each progress reporting interval. While students must meet content standards for the BC curriculum, families are allowed tremendous flexibility to use whichever curriculum or programs they prefer and there is more flexibility with cultural projects as well. 

 This course is ideal for: 

 Students who work well independently or have a private tutor 

 Students who live in another native-speaking (Spanish-Speaking, French-speaking, etc.) country or community 

 Students who are participating in a conversation class or learning group in their area 

 Students who speak at home, but want to focus more on reading/writing/grammar 

 Students who have access to community/family/external resources in the target language 

 Students who have a very specific reason for wanting to learn the language (going into a public services field, preparing for missions in another country, etc.) ​ 

 If you have any questions, please contact one of the following people: 

 Karen Roeck (Grades 5-9) 

 Trish Van Dop (Grades 10-12 general questions) 

 Erin Bowman (Grades 10-12 Spanish) 

 Lesley Schrottner (Grades 10-12 French) 

 Bev Scholman (Grades 10-12 Individualized)

Math Course Options and Streams
This page provides information regarding the various courses and streams a student can take at HCOS for Math 

 

 

 

 Students in Grade 10 will have to make a decision regarding what Math courses to take 

 Things to consider when choosing a Math Stream: 

 Students need a math 11 or 12 course credit in order to graduate with a Dogwood diploma. 

 Students can still go to university or college without taking the Foundations & Pre-Calculus Math Route. However students may not be able to enter into the Sciences or Engineering streams.  

 Pre-Calculus 12 should be taken if interested in going to a top level university. 

 Nursing Programs or Business Programs usually require Pre-Calculus 11 or Foundations 12. 

 Students interested in going into trades should take  Apprenticeship Math 12

 Workplace Math 10 is the prerequisite for either Workplace Math 11 or Apprenticeship 12  

 Work Place Math 11 and Apprenticeship 12 are equivalent in workload and difficulty.  

 

 If you’d like to find out the content that is covered in a particular course please view the Course Description Website

Ordering Curriculum
In the Grad Program, for every Individualized, Online or Hybrid course, your main point of contact is the Course Teacher. No longer is there one teacher overseeing your entire program, you are now working with course specialists!  

 In order to purchase curriculum for your courses, you must first know who your teacher for the course is. To find the teacher associated with your course, visit your course list in Encom. 

 Upon enrolling in a course, or at the beginning of a new school year, you should receive first contact from your support teacher for each course. All teachers can be reached at firstname.lastname@onlineschool.ca  if you would like to email! 

 When you have questions to do with course resources or your Student Learning Plan (SLP) for any of your courses, you can: 

 
 Contact the course teacher by email ( firstname.lastname@onlineschool.ca )  

 Check out sample SLP's and information about the courses here .  

 
 To order resources you will need your PO (Purchase Order) Number, which can be found in Encom on the main page once logging in. You can find it located on the left hand side, under your Grad Advisor's name.  

 

 
 If you are a new student, once the office has received all of your documents for registration, you will be issued a PO number for the school year. If you do not see a PO number posted in Encom please email the office .  

 Your PO number will work at the following HCOS Approved Vendors .  

 If you wish to order curriculum from a vendor that is not on the list, please contact the office.

Orientation Week - ScanHunt


Pacing and Progress Tool: Set up and Editing Instructions
To create a pacing schedule within your Brightspace course: 

 1. Log in to Brightspace. 

 2. Navigate to the course you wish to build a schedule for by clicking on the matching tile on your dashboard. 

 

 3. In the navigation bar for that course, click Pacing & Progress Tool. 

 

 4. This will take you to the set up page for the tool. Set the course start date, which will automatically populate with today’s date. Then, set your desired end date. The end date can always be changed later to allow you more time as needed. 

 

 5. When you are done, you will see your Pacing & Progress Widget populate on the right-hand side of the course page. Below are some examples of what it may look like:  

 

 6.  If you need to customize your suggested submission dates, press the pencil beside the date. 

 

 

 Once you have completed the set up of your pacing and progress tool, or edited your dates, your course teacher will be able to view any changes you've made to help track your progress.  

 If you are attempting to set up your pacing and progress tool and you see the message below, please contact your course teacher for more information. 

Provincial Assessments - Literacy and Numeracy
What is a Provincial Assessment? 

 There are three provincial assessments that Grad program students need to take. 

 Grade 10 Graduation Numeracy Assessment  

 The Graduation Numeracy Assessment (GNA) is a provincial assessment written in Grade 10. It is a graduation requirement. The GNA is based on mathematical concepts learned across multiple subjects from kindergarten to Grade 10, with an emphasis on K–9. It requires students to solve problems by using the five numeracy processes (different ways of thinking and working): interpret, apply, solve, analyze and communicate. 

 Ministry Resources for Numeracy 10 Assessment 

 Grade 10 Graduation Literacy Assessment 

 The Grade 10 Graduation Literacy Assessment (GLA 10) assesses students' ability to use critical thinking and analysis to make meaning from a diverse array of texts. It also assesses the ability of students to communicate their ideas. GLA 10 is not based on a particular course but on learning across multiple subjects, from kindergarten to Grade 10. 

 Ministry Resources for Literacy 10 Assessment 

 Grade 12 Graduation Literacy Assessment 

 The Grade 12 Graduation Literacy Assessment (GLA 12) assesses students’ ability to use critical and reflective thinking and analysis to make meaning from a diverse array of texts. It also assesses the ability of students to communicate their ideas, or those found in the texts.The Grade 12 Literacy assessment is not based on a particular subject matter or course, but rather on learning across multiple subjects, from kindergarten to Grade 12. 

 Ministry Resources for Literacy 12 Assessment  

 Who needs to take a Provincial Assessment? 

 Students Graduating with a Dogwood Diploma 

 Adult Students Graduating with the Adult Dogwood Diploma 

 

 Students must complete: 

 Grade 10 Graduation Numeracy Assessment 

 Grade 10 Graduation Literacy Assessment 

 Grade 12 Graduation Literacy Assessment 

 

 

 Students graduating with an Adult Dogwood are not required to complete any of the provincial assessments. 

 

 They can however, choose to complete an assessment. 

 

 

 Students on a School Completion path are not required to write any provincial assessments in the Grad program.  

 Why do students need to take a Provincial Assessment?  

 The three provincial assessments are a required part of the graduation program in BC. Students who wish to graduate with a BC Dogwood Diploma must write the provincial assessments. Students who are not yet declared Adult Graduation Program students (AGP) are also required to take the assessments. Once declared, the assessments are no longer required to earn an AGP however, they may be required by post-secondary institutions.  Students should verify the admission requirements for any post-secondary institution they plan on applying to. 

 For more information, or if you have any further questions, please contact your Grad Advisor.  

 General Information 

 Provincial assessments are scheduled for two hours but all students are allowed an additional third hour if they need it. If a student is entitled to additional time, it is added beyond the third hour. 

 The Ministry of Education (MoE) typically gives a window of a few days in which schools can schedule provincial assessments. 

 The MoE does not specify a specific start time. HCOS typically tries to start at either 9:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. 

 

 It is entered as a separate line on a student’s transcript, not tied to any course in specific, so it does not  affect a student's final grades.  

 

 Students who are  declared (over 18) Adult Dogwood Program (AGP) are not required to take provincial assessments. 

 Please carefully consider whether a student actually needs a private setting (i.e., a room in which they are the only student writing) or whether a quiet setting with a few students writing may be sufficient. 

 HCOS is required to register each student who is writing at an HCOS location (group setting or private) with the MoE. If a student is not registered, they are able to walk into a location that is offering the exam, but a seat is not guaranteed. 

 Case managers of IE students are required to make arrangements for their students. If you are an IE student, please contact your Case Manager or GA for more information and help with these arrangements.  

 How do I find my score?  

 *Provincial Assessment scores will be available about 8 weeks after completion* 

 

 Head to Encom 

 

 

 Scroll down to the "Graduation Planner" tab 

 

 

 Scroll down to the "Required Graduation Program Assessments" section.  

 

 

 The assessments will be listed, if there is a checkmark inside the box that means you have completed the assessment and your score has been uploaded.  

 

 

 If you select the assessment, a box will appear with a score out of 4 or an RM (requirements met) mark when they successfully complete the assessment. 

 

 *You are also able to find your score on your transcript online. If you aren't sure how to view your transcript online, we have a Sophie Page with instructions here.

SEAL Team Outreach Program
S erving Others - E xploring Faith - A dvancing the Gospel - L eading with Integrity.  

 

 Who can join the SEAL Team?  

 Are you a grade 10- 12 student looking for ways to serve the global community? Are you interested in deepening your relationship with Jesus? Maybe you wonder how God is at work in different areas of the world or you want the chance to serve God in a missions setting? 

 

 What is the SEAL program all about?  

 The SEAL Team outreach program at Heritage Christian Online School is a travel and outreach program that aims to help students see God at work in the world around them while at the same time providing unique opportunities to grow in their own faith, develop as servant leaders, and have a genuine spiritual impact on the world around them.  

 

 Where does the SEAL team serve?  

 Currently the SEAL program works in partnership with Impact Ministries in Guatemala. Once a year we send a team to support the ongoing work in the region of Tactic in northern Guatemala. Our teams typically travel to Guatemala for 10 days in the late spring and are involved in a variety of outreach and service activities while there. Students should budget about $3000 to cover the costs of the trip with spending money not included in that total. 

 

 How does the SEAL program operate?  

 Team members attend online weekly synchronous classes throughout the school year to grow as a team and work through their Christian Studies and Leadership coursework. Students earn 4 Christian Studies course credits and 4 Leadership course credits through their participation in zoom classes as well as the activities they are involved in while in Guatemala.  

 How can I get more information?  

 Watch our SEAL Outreach Program promotional video here. 

 If you would like more information  or if you would like to put your name on an interest list to be contacted when applications open, please fill out our Innovations Program Interest Form. 

 Use this link to apply to the SEAL Outreach program for the May 2026 trip:  Applications are now closed  

 Seal Team Leaders - Contact Us for More Information 

 Stephanie Martens: stephanie.martens@onlineschool.ca 

 Trish Vandop: tvandop@onlineschool.ca

Synchronous Courses 10-12
This page provides information around Synchronous courses that are offered from grades 10-12 

 Description 

 Synchronous courses offer the same program of study as an online course, with the added benefit of weekly meetings with a teacher and working alongside a cohort of your peers on the same topics. Synchronous courses provide overall structure for students, with the expectation that they will work to keep up with the schedule set by the teacher for assignments and tests. The accountability of the weekly meeting is designed to help elaborate on challenging topics or concepts, encourage student interaction, and provide a natural place for students to ask questions and develop deeper understanding. This option is the one that is most similar to a face-to-face classroom experience in an online environment. 

 Benefits 

 Synchronous Courses provide regular, required touchpoints where students would meet with their teacher(s) and fellow classmates. Regularly scheduled times set by the instructor early in September allow students to connect with teachers to receive instruction, clarify assignments, and ask questions on a weekly basis. Synchronous Cohorts provide the chance for students to be known and also increase the level of accountability. Teachers may use the weekly meetings to pre-teach lessons, answer common questions, clarify assignments, or discuss complex topics or issues. 

 How Synchronous Courses Function 

 Students work through the online course together with the teacher, according to a weekly schedule set by the teacher. 

 The teacher and students meet via Zoom at a regularly scheduled time every week. 

 Weekly meetings create a rhythm and maintain a high level of contact.  

 Zoom classes are typically 60 minutes in length, and begin about the 3rd week of September. 

 Students are held accountable to the course schedule, and synchronous courses will be completed in June.  

 Click here to access this year's synchronous cohort schedule. 

 Student Responsibilities and Expectations 

 Students commit to attend weekly meeting with teacher and other students in their synchronous cohort 

 Students commit to working independently on weekly lessons and assignments, according to the schedule set by the teacher 

 Students commit to staying on pace with the cohort, completing lesson activities and submitting assignments in a timely manner (to the best of their ability) 

 Students have access to the teacher outside of the weekly meetings, during scheduled office hours, or via email to ask questions, clarify assignments, etc.  

 Students commit to respectful and appropriate behaviour during weekly meetings (this includes both appropriate language and appropriate attire). 

 Students are encouraged to have their video cameras on during class, to use the chat function to interact, and use their microphone to respond to others, to help with student engagement and interaction 

 Exceptions can be made for students who find this challenging, with arrangements discussed with the course teacher and LS/IE support teacher. 

 Students who fall significantly behind schedule may be reassigned to an asynchronous course, or zeros may be recorded until assignments are submitted. 

 Students understand that the course will be completed in June of the school year.  

 Teacher Responsibilities and Expectations 

 The teacher will decide on a set class meeting day and time in the spring each year to allow students to view synchronous course schedules as they enroll 

 this is done in consideration of other, similar grade level courses to prevent overlap of meeting times 

 online meetings will begin in the third week of September and finish early to mid-June 

 The teacher will create a year schedule that outlines the pace for lesson completion, assignment submissions and test dates where appropriate. 

 The teacher will prepare for and host weekly 60 minute meetings with content and activities that are relevant to the course and/or lesson being addressed.  

 The teacher will host with both audio and video functions on, so students can see their teacher.  

 The teacher will mark assignments and tests in a timely manner, providing relevant formative and summative assessment for students.  

 The teacher will initiate contact with any students who have fallen behind or become inactive, to determine the best course of action going forward.  

 Teacher may record weekly meetings. This allows students to review information or watch the class if they were absent for some reason. 

 Frequently Asked Questions 

 Does it cost any more to enroll in a synchronous course compared to an asynchronous course?  

 No, the cost to the student is the same for a synchronous course as it is for any other online course enrollment. 

 

 What if I have to miss a meeting for a dentist appointment or other unforeseen conflict?  

 This should be communicated to your teacher. Teachers may or may not record classes for students to review later. Students should arrange activities such as regular piano lessons or sports practices at a time that does not conflict with scheduled class meetings.  

 

 Can my student take just one synchronized cohort for an online course or do they have to take all across their grade level? 

 Absolutely they can take just one, or multiple synchronous options! Figure out what works best for your child’s learning style, level of independence and degree of desired flexibility? 

 

 How does the course schedule work? 

 The meeting times for each synchronous cohort will be posted in SOPHIE. You can see the schedule live here! Your Grad Advisor can also let you know when specific classes are meeting. In addition, there will not be overlap between class time for the different subjects across the same grade level, this allows students to take all synchronous offerings if they so choose. 

 

 How long are the synchronous courses? 

 Grades 10-12: 1 hour blocks, once a week.  

 Note: Depending on the topics and assignments some meetings may be longer or shorter than scheduled.  

 

 What happens if my student falls behind? 

 Just like in any classroom environment, things happen.  Students are encouraged to keep attending the class and to work with their teacher to catch up. Teachers are prepared to support students when things don’t go as planned.  

 

 Are teachers available outside of the posted class times?

 

 Absolutely.  Teachers will have availability times posted in their course.

 

 

 Are students required to have cameras and audio on?

 

 Teacher cameras will be on to facilitate relationship building with students. While we encourage students to turn their cameras on we recognize not all students or families may be comfortable on camera and as such do not require it for students.  

 

 Are the courses semester or linear pacing? 

 Courses are held over the school year in a linear fashion. Classes start in the 3rd or 4th week of September and are held until the end of May (or earlier if material is completed sooner). Final dates for work submissions is at the end of term 2. 

 

 Is there an end date to classes?

 Yes, classes will wrap up and students will be given final grades in June. 

 

 Do I have to attend the live meetings? 

 Yes! This is the main part of a synchronous class. Of course, there are absences that you can’t avoid, like sickness or appointments - but your teacher will miss you! 

 

 Please note all synchronous courses will be given a final grade during the June reporting period. 

The Role of the Academic Advisor
In the grad program at HCOS, students are connected with an Academic Advisor based on the region where they live. These advisors work alongside students and families throughout their time in the grad program to help plan, support and guide students to successfully complete grade 12. 

 Academic Advisors are typically available during regular school hours to connect with students and families. They are willing and able to communicate in a variety of ways, including email, phone calls or Zoom chats. Below is a brief outline of what your advisor can help you with, and what things are outside of their responsibilities.  

 HCOS Academic Advisors are Responsible for:  

 

 Applications and intake 

 

 

 AA’s formally accept students into the HCOS grad program once they complete the application form. This process also includes orientation and helping students get set up upon entering HCOS in grades 10-12, or for Crew in Grades 8 and 9. 

 

 

 Knowing Students 

 

 

 AA’s want to get to know students in order to understand a student's strengths and challenges. This helps them tailor a specific path to graduation for each student. 

 In some cases this may also include connecting students with supports through Learning Services or Inclusive Education departments when appropriate 

 

 

 Academic Advising and Course Selection 

 

 

 This is the the main job of our Academic Advisors and it includes:  

 Monitoring overall student progress 

 Reporting of external credits 

 Changing and withdrawing courses throughout the year 

 Matching course selection with post secondary goals 

 

 

 Grad Planner 

 

 

 AA’s update and maintain the grad planner tool in Encom. This represents a student’s current plan and path to graduation.  

 

 

 Share Relevant HCOS Community Information 

 

 

 AA’s will communicate general information as it is made available. Throughout the year this may include:  

 Scholarship information communicated to HCOS 

 Graduation event information 

 Local HCOS community events by region 

 

 

 Student Record Transfers 

 

 

 AA’s will facilitate the transfer of student records and information to new schools when students leave HCOS.  

 This includes submitting requests to deactivate student accounts or instructing families on how to move to BCOS to finish courses in progress 

 

 HCOS Academic Advisors may also: 

 

 Give advice, share ideas, brainstorm options 

 

 

 AA’s may give advice on or suggest potential careers or areas of study that line up with student interests and abilities. This will vary among AA’s as each of them have different life experiences and areas of expertise.  

 

 

 Discuss Provincial Assessment preparation 

 

 

 AA’s can provide guidance to help plan, register, and prepare for Provincial Assessments  

 Session registration is completed through the Provincial Assessment Coordinator.  

 AA’s are not involved in Provincial Assessments beyond discussing recommended sessions for students to write assessments in, alerting students to the registration windows,  and providing resources students can use to prepare for assessments.  

 

 

 Write Reference Letters 

 

 

 With enough time and information provided, AA’s are willing to write reference letters for scholarships and post secondary applications.  

 If your AA feels there is another individual better suited to write the reference letter, they may suggest you contact that person for a stronger reference.  

 

 HCOS Academic Advisors do not: 

 

 Act on behalf of a course instructor or teacher 

 

 

 AA’s will not respond to or interpret course specific questions or instructions (interpret teacher emails etc).  

 If you have questions about a specific course, they will direct you to contact the course teacher for more information. 

 

 

 Complete application forms for students 

 

 

 Post Secondary Applications  

 Academic Advisors will work with families to help students plan for the appropriate course or program prerequisites IF families bring that information to their Academic Advisor.  

 Academic Advisors do not research post secondary programs or institutions to determine entrance requirements, course prerequisites, application deadlines, etc for students. This is the responsibility of the student/family. 

 Academic Advisors do not complete post secondary applications for students. This is the responsibility of the family/student. 

 Scholarship Applications 

 Academic Advisors do not research scholarship information and/or apply for scholarships for students. This is the responsibility of the student/family. 

 

 

 Provide regular, daily support for students 

 

 

 AA’s do not monitor student work, activity, or engagement of students in their courses (or with teachers) on a daily basis to report to parents. It is the responsibility of the parent to maintain the ongoing, regular oversight of their student as they work through their grade 10-12 courses.  

 Students may access the Student Success Centre at any time if they need extra help with specific assignments, planning, or time management. 

 AA's will check on students at set times during the school year and alert students/families if significant concerns are noted.  

 

 

 Set up IE Assessments or Services 

 

 

 This is the responsibility of the IE department and they will contact you directly once the referral process is completed. 

Transitioning from Grade 9
Welcome to the Grad Program! 

 This page is to help you understand some of the ins and outs and changes as you move from Grade 9 to Grade 10. At any time, if the information is confusing please feel free to reach out to your Grad Advisor (GA). They are your sidekick through your grad years!  

 Student Support 

 There are lots of resources and people to support your student's learning journey: 

 The Office - office@onlineschool.ca 

 Your Grad Advisor - check Encom under your Home information: Your Grad Advisor is the one to answer any questions you have about the grad program, requirements, course selection - the list goes on!

 

 Your Student's Teachers - each course, online or individualized, has a course specialist teacher at the grad program level. Please feel welcome to reach out at anytime to have discussions, or check in to see where you student is at.  

 Director of Grad Program - Chelsea Bitgood, chelsea.bitgood@onlineschool.ca   

 Inclusive Education (IE) Department - Learning Services (LS) and Inclusive Education teachers. If this is something you feel your student could benefit from, please bring it up in discussion with your Grad Advisor who can connect you to the right person on the team! 

 Prerequisite Courses 

 Although the ministry does not mandate prerequisite courses - having taken a specific course before being able to take another - it is highly recommended that in core subject areas you have completed the prior grade level. 

 Core Courses: Mathematics, Sciences, English Language Arts and Social Studies 

 For example, to take Foundations and PreCalculus Math 10, it is expected that a student has successfully demonstrated completion of a Math 9 course.  

 Course Types  

 The grad program currently has three different types of course offerings, all with subject specialist teachers: 

 (Moodle will be for students who are finishing courses in 2023; otherwise, we have transitioned to Brightspace).  

 Individualized Courses These courses are designed using a Student Learning Plan template (SLP). The parent/student works together with the teacher to build and structure their learning goals, resources and materials. The modernized curriculum provides many opportunities for these courses to be unique, and tailored to a learner's passions and interests. Some individualized courses are hosted in Moodle where students can log in to submit assignments and work samples to their teachers as well as accessing additional resources for learning. These courses require parent participation to help facilitate the learning.  

 Online Courses These courses are hosted in Moodle, and all the of the learning activities and resources are provided for the students to complete. Curriculum is designed by the HCOS team, with biblical integration, in order to provide a robust learning experience for every student. Parent involvement is encouraged, though not required.  

 Hybrid Courses Hybrid courses are a mix between the two options. These courses use Moodle as a platform to structure the learning journey and are a teacher directed course. In some courses, students will choose their resource, and then based on their resource choice are given instructions on how to complete it. In others, teachers post material for students to follow along with in a more synchronized fashion.  

 All courses follow the modernized curriculum and the content outcomes, curricular competencies, core competencies and big ideas.  

 Please feel free to check out the ministry curriculum here .  

 Hopefully during your Grade 9 year you were able to try an online course. We recommend that during middle school years, students try to take 1 or 2 online courses. When the content starts to get heavier as the grades progress, often families are not sure how to support some of the core subjects - this is where an online course is a fantastic option to continue your academic journey.  

 While in middle school, students should participate in the planning of their SLP's. If they can attempt to help make suggestions and understand what is expected with their support teacher, the transition to those discussions with the grad program teachers will be smoother.  

 Grad Assessments 

 The provincial government has mandated that all students must write two required exams before graduating, the Numeracy Assessment and the Literacy Assessment. 

 The Numeracy Assessment 10 can be written anytime after completing Grade 9 Math, and can be written up to three different times before graduation. Students should take their first attempt in their grade 10 year.  

 The Literacy Assessment 10 and 12 are to be written in the corresponding grade years. Students have up to three attempts on each to improve their scores.  

 For more tips and tricks about getting ready for the Grad Program, please click here . 

Viewing Graduation Assessment Results and Your Transcript
This page provides information for students that would like to view their unofficial transcript or see the results of a Graduation Assessment Results.  

 Step 1: Create BCeID 

 To access your StudentTranscripts Services, you will need to sign up for a BCeID. If you already have a BCeID please go down to step 2.  

 Complete the registration form for a Basic BCeID on the Ministry of Education's website 

 

 

 

 Register for a Basic BCeID by entering your personal information. Use a personal email account that you will have for a number of years. When done, click  continue. 

 The next page will ask if you want to continue to the service directory (blue button). Click on the button to go to the list of services available. 

 Use the search bar on the right to search for the term ‘transcript’ then click the ‘filter now’ button below the search fields. Click on the Student Transcript (STSPRD) option in the list that appears.   

 Then click on the ‘subscribe now’ option to add the Student Transcripts service to your BCeID account. 

 Complete your registration by filling in the information requested. You will need your Personal Education Number to complete the form (this can be found in Encom on your report card). 

 

 

 

 You will receive a confirmation email indicating that you have registered for the BC Ministry of Education StudentTranscripts services. To complete the registration process you will need to activate your StudentTranscript Registration. 

 Be sure to keep your userID and password on file as you will need both for future use. 

 Step 2: Register for StudentTranscript Services 

 Log in to StudentTranscript Services using your BCeID information (userID and password). 

 Once logged in you will have access to: 

 

 Transcripts and Certificates:

 

 Send or Order official Transcripts 

 Order a Graduation Certificate (if your transcript indicates graduation status) 

 View your Post Secondary Institution Choices (these are the schools you can complete the request to send an official transcript to) 

 

 

 Marks and Scholarships:

 

 

 View Your Transcrpt 

 

 

 View your Graduation Assessment Results 

 

 

 View your Scholarships awarded from the Ministry of Education (eg. DAS scholarships) 

 

 

 

 Account Information

 

 View your profile 

 Update your Contact Information 

 View your Order Activity 

 

 

 

 

 Video Tutorial for setting up BCeID and StudentTranscripts Services

Virtual Christian College Fair
Day 1 

 Canadian Mennonite University Prairie College Trinity Western University Capernwray Harbour Heritage College & Seminary 

 

 Day 2 

 Tyndale University Horizon College The King's University Alberta Bible College Pacific Life Bible College Millar College of the Bible 

 

 Day 3 

 Redeemer University Ambrose University Peace River Bible Insitute Vangaurd College Columbia Bible College

Welcome to Innovations - Intake
Thank you for your interest in HCOS. Please take a moment to watch the video and explore the links provided. 

 

 Course Library Innovations Website

Inactive or Absentee Student Procedure
This information represents an intentional approach to identify and support students who enrol in the Innovations program with HCOS but become (or remain) inactive in their courses. 

   

 Typically, when students enrol with HCOS their Academic Advisor will work with them to select their courses for the year. Often new students who come to HCOS as a response to previous negative experiences in school have a slower start, and can begin with a fewer number of courses. This flexibility is key to student success, but can also mean students have fewer points of connection and accountability. 

 

 The following steps are in place to help identify those students who have not become active in courses or have become inactive at some point during the school year.  

  Our goal is to be intentional about identifying students who have not been responsive or active in their studies and to alert administration to students who may be at risk because of high rates of absenteeism in courses.  

 Procedure 

 1)  An Innovations program administrator will pull reports regularly throughout the school year to identify students with inactive courses.  

 2) Academic Advisors will work through their lists to identify students who need follow-up 

 3) If no response to AA communication is received, or responses indicate there is reason for concern, the academic advisor will complete an Absentee (Inactive) Student report so that administrators are alerted to the concerns around absenteeism. 

 4) The Innovations Administrator that receives the Absentee (Inactive)Student report will contact the family with both a phone call and an email to communicate next steps.   

   

 If appropriate the Innovations Administrator will contact the Head of School to determine any further actions that need to be taken 

  

Innovations Orientation Week Recordings 2026
Welcome to the Innovations Grad Program  

 

 Math 101- What's the right path for me?  

 

 What course type to choose?  

 

 English 10- So many choices!  

 

 Meet Your Council 

 

 Science 10 and Beyond 

 

 Are you ready for Grade 10?  

 

 Brightspace & Encom - What Students and Parents Need to Know.  

 

 Student Panel  

 

 Oh the Places You'll Go- Travel Programs at HCOS 

 

 Learning in Community- Combined Study Programs at HCOS 

 

 Electives- What are my options?  

 

 Student Success Centre 

 

 Planning for the Future 

 

 Numeracy and Literacy Assessments 

 

 Creating a Plan for a Successful Year