Registered Homeschooling with HCOS
Parent Responsibilities
Through the registered homeschool option, families have the freedom and responsibility to design their child’s homeschooling educational program (planning, delivery, and assessment).
Parents develop the learning plan, choose the curriculum and facilitate learning activities separate from the supervision of a teacher.
Getting Started as a Registered Homeschool Family with HCOS
In many ways, homeschooling starts in a child’s first years. God provides parents the grace to disciple and educate their children from the start. For instance, before children turn five, parents share their faith, read to their children, introduce number sense, explore nature and community, and encourage physical development. Homeschooling in the “school years” extends this foundation.
The homeschooling environment and approach may be different in each home. When developing an education plan, parents may consider their family’s faith, the child’s learning needs, gifts, and even their parenting approach. For instance, if one's parenting approach leans to the structured and scheduled side, one’s homeschooling approach may be similar.
Many families consider this when choosing a curriculum. Some families first borrow curriculum from the HCOS Learning Commons to assess whether it will support their family's faith, child’s needs, and “homeschool method/style” (e.g., classical, Charlotte Mason, unit study, unschooling, Montessori, school-at-home, etc). Parents may also choose which sections or pages of the curriculum to use with their children based on their learning needs and interests. Consider curriculum as tools; choose which tools will help you in different situations and times.
Invite the Holy Spirit to guide you on your homeschooled journey. As a parent, you will have that “inner voice” helping you to know what is best for your child.
Learning Common Resources
While BC Ministry of Education funding is unavailable to registered homeschool students, Heritage Christian Online School (HCOS) provides various learning resources to registered homeschool families through the HCOS Learning Commons. To view which resources are available to registered homeschool students, visit the Learning Commons, and for more details, the Learning Commons for Families book in SOPHIE.
To help families choose resources, the HCOS Learning Commons has compiled a list of recommended Curriculum Options.
HCOS Learning Groups
Registered homeschool students are invited to attend HCOS Learning Group opportunities throughout the province. For more information on HCOS Learning Groups and Offerings, go here, and for more details, visit the HCOS Sophie Information for Families Learning Groups Book.
To receive an email notification for upcoming Learning Group opportunities in your chosen region, sign up for the HCOS Learning Groups “Get E-Alerts” for their BC region.
Registered Homeschooling in the Grad Years
Registered homeschool students cannot obtain a BC Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood Diploma) by homeschooling alone. However, registered homeschool students may transfer to enrolled status in their Grades 10-12 to work towards a BC Dogwood Diploma.
Grades 10-12 may take online courses through the BC Online School (a Department of Heritage Christian Online School) and retain their registered homeschool status. BCOS courses are BC accredited courses written by HCOS.
Many post-secondary institutions provide alternative admissions pathways. Registered homeschoolers interested in post-secondary institutions should approach the institution to research admission requirements and confirm eligibility. Once known, registered homeschool students can work towards pre-requisite requirements in their Grad years. In some cases, these may include accredited online courses.
BC Educational Learning Standards (optional)
While registered homeschoolers are not required to cover the provincial learning standards, some families use the learning standards as a general guideline in designing their educational plans. BC’s Course Curriculum/Learning Standards.
Using the Continuous Views documents provides the incremental progression of the Learning Standards (Big Ideas, Competencies, and Content) over school years.
HCOS Registered Homeschool Liaison
Contact the HCOS Registered Homeschool Liaison, Claire Pollok,Pollok, with further registered homeschool inquiries.