Seed Grad

Seed Grad offers two streams where students can build their skills, gain credits towards their Dogwood and build more skills toward success in their Grad school years.

Overview

Seed facilitates a group experience in a creative environment under the guidance and direction of an HCOS Seed teacher. The HCOS Special Education Experiential Design (Seed) program, brings students together with Google Workspace including Brightspace and many other digital resources, allowing EA or parent support to be given easily. The exciting and innovative virtual tools create expectations that encourage students to strive to reach their potential. Seed successfully captivates students, allowing them to learn at their own pace and through their personal interests. The virtual aspect allows pacing, technology in the place of handwriting, and robust support through EA and/or parents in the home.

Success

Seed focus on building the core competencies, building on a student's strengths and teaching students how to self-advocate for support. The Seed program sees growth academically, focus on learning to use supports offered by HCOS, improved executive functioning tools, an increase of self-confidence, social skills and even taking on leadership within the small group synchronous classes.

Vision Statement

In Experiential Design, the goal is that all learning (Seed) is planted deeply and given the opportunity to be rooted and grounded with solid comprehension. By fully experiencing learning practically and personally with authentic and meaningful projects wherein choice, collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and creativity are a part of the teaching pedagogy, students’ educational experiences will far surpass mere knowledge without experience. Learners will be filled up with the richest of opportunities to grow and blossom into who God has created them to be, and also be provided with meaningful interactions and experiences with the world around them as followers of our amazing, loving God.

Ephesians 3: 16-19 Amp.
May He grant you out of the riches of His glory, to be strengthened and spiritually energized with power through His Spirit in your inner self, [indwelling your innermost being and personality], 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith. And may you, having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love, 18 be fully capable of comprehending with all the saints (God’s people) the width and length and height and depth of His love [fully experiencing that amazing, endless love]; 19 and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].

2023/2024 Seed Course Offerings

Humanities

Christian Studies 10 (details to be announced)
English 10
Social Studies 10

Math/Science/ADST

Math Workplace 10
Science 10
ADST 10 (details to be announced)

Grad - some students (modified) in grades 10-12 may be a good fit to join grades 8 and 9 in Seed. This can be discussed with the Seed teachers and admin - Steve Bastian.

Benefits

The heart and soul of the Seed Program and the Seed Teachers is to love, care, and guide each individual student along their own path, fulfilling the academic and social goals of BC’s Modernized Curriculum. Through the guidance, inspiration, and support of the Holy Spirit, we, the Seed teachers, hope that the students will experience the knowledge of God’s love for themselves. Benefits of the program include:

1:1 support as needed on a weekly basis through regular meetings with Seed teachers on Zoom.
Seed teachers work to build significant relationships with each of their students and caregivers.
Social skills development within a safe group environment.
Lessons are differentiated to support all learning styles, with multiple ways to present learning.
Students are prepared to be ready for the transition from Grade 10 Seed to regular Grad through grade-level content and the development of the competency skills needed to be successful.
Strong emphasis on growing and developing a student’s personal faith and service-oriented lifestyle.
Interaction in Group Meeting Weekly in order to build relationships with others and gain confidence in oral skills..
Safe Digital Citizenship and gaining increased technology skills.
Efforts are significantly praised and struggles are supported with love and care.
Formative Assessment to help students progress steadily.
Goals and expectations are set to stretch according to where a student is in their personal journey in collaboration with parents, IE teacher, and other support.

Class Connections

Each new student will connect 1:1 for 45 - 60 minutes with the Seed Teacher for the first two weeks. After the first two weeks, the 1:1 schedule will be every other week. These time slots are chosen individually in consultation with the Seed teacher. As time is particularly booked to fit the student and teacher schedule at the beginning of the year, changes cannot be made during the year. If a meeting is missed, a make-up time is not available; however, each teacher has Drop In office hours that a particular need can be addressed.
Group Connections are on Thursdays - Details to be announced
All meetings are done via Zoom and the links for the meetings will be shared in September.
If a connection time is to be missed, please inform the Seed teacher; work due is still expected to be turned in on time.

Start Dates

New Students meeting start week of September 11th for One-on-Ones
ALL Group Meeting Starts Thursday, September 21th 2023
Returning Students One-on-Ones start week of the 18th
Full Year Schedule will be available in in BrightSpace

Technology & Resources Needed and Utilized

Either a PC or Mac will work with all software and platforms within Seed
Items Needed
- Every computer being used for meetings needs to have either a built-in webcam and microphone or an external one. Video is an essential part of the program. (In order to be excused from using video in group meetings, it needs to be documented in the IEP and talked about with the Seed teacher to give an understanding of the reasons. Video in face-to-face meetings with the teacher is essential to build the relationship.)
- A Noise Cancelling or Sound Isolating Headset with microphone is a requirement unless a student is working in a completely quiet area. Distractions from background noises cause many students sensory and focus challenges.
- A directional microphone. Since many students are sensitive to distracting noises, having a quality microphone that won't pick up background noise is very helpful.
- Multiple Programs will be utilized at no cost or minimum within the lessons: Google Workspace Apps, including Grammarly, Read & Write. It is important to use Chrome as the student’s browser for doing schoolwork, Fanschool, Flip, PixtonEDU, Infographics, Screencastomatic, Zoom, etc. All instructions with significant 1:1 support will be provided as we use the programs throughout the year.
- Experiential Items are used in many lessons and practice. Your teacher will provide a list two weeks in advance of items needed and guardians are expected to purchase these items as part of their school supplies. Eg. popsicle sticks, elastic bands, plastic bottles, play-doh, cardboard, glue, outdoor supplies such as twigs, stones, leaves, pipe cleaners, beads, paper clips, pasta, watercolour paints or markers, poster board, fabric, seeds, food colouring, salt, sand, model supplies, baking soda, vinegar, steel wool, salt, cabbage (purple), thermometer, magnifying glass...

Student Admittance Process

Only available to Inclusive Education or Learning Services designated students or recommended by Learning Services/Learning Coach. If you are unsure, please contact your case manager teacher to ask more about admittance.
IE Teacher or LS Regional Administrator completes the application form. (Talk to your IE teacher, Learning Coach or IE Grad Advisor).
HCOS considers the privacy and protection of student information of utmost importance. We also hold the value of community and the relationship between students and teachers to be paramount. In an online learning environment, this is achieved primarily through the use of technology including, but not limited to: Zoom, Google Workplace, Brightspace, and Flip.

These services, and others, allow our teachers and students to share information, share recorded class sessions and interact with each other at a distance as such student names and faces may be visible in recordings shared with students and parents.

Before participating in a class that may involve some form of recorded student presence, we ask that you review our online session recordings policy and complete the question below.
Online Recording Policy
Please let you IE to Learning Coach teacher know that you agree with this policy for acceptance into Seed.
Student and Family will be emailed a "Get to know you form" in order to gather further information and best ensure success/supports within Seed.
Seed is a 10-month synchronous program (September to June). We require commitment for the 10 months, from a family, student, IE Teacher and EAs to ensure success. Students sometimes hit the "proverbial wall" and may require extra effort from the entire team to climb over and proceed to success in the program. We have seen students that remain committed to a whole school year are successful and return for 2-3+ more years in the Seed program. These are celebrated moments of growth.

Please feel free to contact Steve Bastian, the Seed Administrator, if you have any questions.