K-9 Programs - Overview
Thank you for your interest in our Kindergarten to Grade 9 Program at Heritage Christian Online School. Outlined below are the options available to you in our school. Our mission is to develop innovative Christ-centered educational opportunities for learners to explore and embrace God's unique purpose. This statement guides what we aim to do as a school in living out our Values and Vision as we work to provide educational support in your home learning adventure.
There are two Home Education programs offered through HCOS. These are Registered and Enrolled and you would have applied for one of these when you filled out an application. Below is a brief outline of these two programs and related details, please read up on the program you applied for. This information will be reviewed with you in a General Intake Session and a phone call with your Regional Administrator.
If you would like to read up on more information related to families at HCOS, you can go to our Information for Families book in our online resource SOPHIE.
Registered Program
Our Registered Program has been designed for families that desire to provide education for their children at home separate to the guidelines of the British Columbia Ministry of Education curriculum. Registered students receive minimal support from HCOS and you can read more on this at Support for Registered Families . Also, please see our website for more information on what it means to be Homeschool Registered.
Enrolled Program
Our main program offered to families for support in their home learning is our Enrolled Program. This program is our fully supported program that partners you with a British Columbia Certified Teacher to build an educational program unique to each student. This is done through the resource budget available to Enrolled families, the building of a Student Learning Plan at the start of the year, and regular assessment and reporting on student progress throughout the year.
HCOS Support in our Enrolled Program
HCOS will discuss the variety of support services, the responsibilities for families and also miscellaneous information during the initial intake session and the follow up phone call with your Regional Administrator.
Your Support Teacher will:
- Be your child’s Home Room teacher at HCOS and is responsible for your child’s educational program. They also support families through prayer, encouragement, and educational program guidance
- Have regular contact (emails, phone calls, home visits when possible and desired)
- Collaborate on a Student Learning Plan (SLP) starting in September and it may be adjusted throughout the year
- Provide assessment through regular feedback on work sample submitted weekly, Interim Grade Reports as needed, and Report Cards at the end of our two terms (end of January and end of June)
- You will be contacted by your Support Teacher in August or early September
Resource Budget
- PO numbers will be given which may be used through a variety of vendors. Please see our list of participating vendors
- Once curriculum for core subjects (Science, Socials, Language Arts, Math & Languages when applicable) is established, curriculum budget may be used for lessons and other resources
- PO numbers can be found in Encom
Learning Commons
- Learning resources and kits
- Online Library
- Subscriptions
Learning Groups
- Community Connections
- Community Connections Plus
- Learning Camps
Curriculum Consultant
- Can meet with to go over resources and what can work for each grade
Curriculum Packages
- Have been built based on common resources for each grade to help get started as needed
Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) Testing
- Students enrolling in grades 4 and 7 are required to write the FSA tests in October and these are written at each family's home
Online courses
- Online courses are available for grades 5 to 9
Parent Responsibilities:
Documentation to be sent to HCOS office
- Copy of birth certificate
- Care Card Number
- Curriculum Agreement
- Residency Form
Weekly contact with support teacher
- phone calls, SeeSaw/Freshgrade, Zoom calls, texts, or other agreed upon methods
- Face-to-face visits when possible or desired
- Weekly sharing of work samples and activities as guided by your support teacher