Learning Commons for Families
Collection of Learning Commons information and resources to assist families and teachers.
- Curriculum Options
- Getting Started With Selecting Curriculum
- Educational Apps for Tablets & Phones
- External Online Resources
- Curriculum Donations
- Search Portal
- Sora eBooks & Audiobooks
- Intro to SORA Recording
- Logging In
- Book Formats
- Profiles & Badges
- Assistive Technology
- Changing the Loan Period
- Adding Public Library Accounts
- Troubleshooting & Support in Sora
- Subscriptions
- Getting Started
- 4Canoes
- Axis
- BC ExamBank
- BrainPOP
- BrainPOP Science
- Canadian Reader
- Currents4Kids and News4Youth
- Discovery Education
- Enchanted Learning
- EVERFI
- Explora Canada
- Flipster Magazines
- Focused Education Resources
- Gale Databases
- Gizmos
- HearBuilder
- KnowBC (Encyclopedia of BC)
- Learn360
- Live It Earth
- Matific
- myBlueprint
- Mystery Science
- National Film Board Education
- National Geographic Kids
- PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next
- ProQuest (Historical BC Newspapers)
- Reading Eggs, Fast Phonics, & Reading Eggspress
- RightNow Media
- TeachingBooks
- Touch-type Read & Spell
- Twig Science
- Twig Science Reporter
- Tynker
- What in the World?
- World Book
- World Watch News
- Unit Study Kits
- Used Bookstore
- Visiting the Physical Learning Commons
Curriculum Options
Information on curriculum and resource suggestions.
Getting Started With Selecting Curriculum
Curriculum Picks
Curriculum Picks provide just one suggestion for each of the core subjects for each grade, meeting the needs of most typical home-educating students. The trick to finding the Curriculum Picks quickly is to filter Curriculum Options ONLY by GRADE and the Feature “HCOS Pick.”
Curriculum Options
If you would like more choices than our Curriculum Picks offer, the Curriculum Options page on our website provides a searchable selection of resources.
Curriculum Selection Tools and Tips Webinar
This webinar provides an overview of the curriculum selection process and references many curriculum options that may work for your situation.
Slide deck: bit.ly/Curriculum-Selection-23
Curriculum Consultations
If you need assistance selecting curriculum, please be in touch with your support teacher. Our Curriculum Consultant, Cynthia Duncalfe is also available for consultations with HCOS enrolled or registered families via her online calendar.
Educational Apps for Tablets & Phones
This page contains free and paid app suggestions in a variety of subject areas and grade levels.
HCOS + Flex Apps
These are the app versions of tools and platforms available to enrolled students through HCOS + Flex. Please search SOPHIE to learn more about accessing the Resources and visit the Learning Commons website to find passwords for our Subscriptions.
Resources
|
Name |
Description |
Links |
|
Canva for Education |
Graphic design |
|
|
Google Workspace |
Calendar, Docs, Drive, Gmail |
|
|
Grammarly |
Writing and proofreading |
|
|
Read&Write |
Reading and assistive technology |
Subscriptions
|
Name |
Description |
Links |
|
BrainPOP and BrainPOP Jr |
Movies and quizzes from the BrainPOP website |
(Apple App Store and Google Play) |
|
Matific |
Skill-building numeracy games |
|
|
Reading Eggs |
Skill-based literacy games |
|
|
RightNow Media |
Bible study video resources |
|
|
Sora |
eBooks and audiobooks library |
|
|
Tynker |
Coding-based math games |
Teacher Recommended Apps
Parents are encouraged to do their own research on these recommended apps to determine alignment with family values and learning goals. Reviews can be found on the links for the Apple App and Google Play Stores or by searching apps on Common Sense Education.
Arts Education
|
Name |
Description |
Cost |
Links |
|
Adult Colouring Book |
Digital colouring book |
Free |
|
|
DMD Panorama |
Photo and video 3D camera app |
$12.99 (Apple) Free (Google) |
|
|
GarageBand |
Music recording and editing app |
Free |
|
|
iMovie |
Movie editing app |
Free |
|
|
Lapse It |
Time-lapse and stop motion video creator |
Free |
|
|
Paper |
Digital sketchbook |
Free |
|
|
PicCollage EDU |
Photo editor and collage creator |
$2.99 |
|
|
Pixlr |
Photo Editor |
Free |
|
|
Procreate |
Digital art creator and editor |
$17.99 |
|
|
Stop Motion Studio |
Stop motion video creator |
Free |
Assistive Technology
|
Name |
Description |
Cost |
Links |
|
Articulation Essentials 2.0 |
Speech therapy support |
Free |
|
|
Articulation Station |
Speech therapy support |
Free |
|
|
Audio Notebook |
Voice recorder |
Free |
|
|
Mod Math |
Adaptive math notation |
Free |
|
|
SnapType |
Worksheet digitization and editing |
Free |
Christian Studies
|
Name |
Description |
Cost |
Links |
|
Bible App for Kids |
Interactive Bible stories for children |
Free |
|
|
BibleProject |
Interactive Bible resources and classes |
Free |
|
|
Keys for Kids Ministries |
Daily devotionals |
Free |
|
|
Superbook Kids Bible |
Interactive Bible stories and resources |
Free |
|
|
YouVersion Bible |
Digital Bible resource |
Free |
Executive Functioning and Organization
|
Name |
Description |
Cost |
Links |
|
Be Focused (Apple) Focus To-Do (Google) |
Time management support |
Free |
|
|
CamScanner |
Document scanner |
Free |
|
|
Evernote |
Notes and task organizer |
Free |
|
|
Genius Scan |
Document scanner |
Free |
|
|
Noteability |
Notes organizer |
Free |
|
|
Time Timer |
Visual time management |
Free |
|
|
Vantage |
Scheduling and calendar tool |
Free |
Learning Support and Inclusive Education
|
Name |
Description |
Cost |
Links |
|
Blending Sounds 1 |
Skill-building phonics games |
$19.99 |
|
|
Brain Works |
Sensory breaks |
$11.99 |
|
|
Choiceworks Calendar |
Visual calendar and time management |
$17.99 |
|
|
Conversation Builder Teen |
Skill-building conversation tools |
$39.99 |
|
|
Exploring Emotions |
Social emotional learning |
$9.99 (Apple) $12.99 (Google) |
|
|
First Then Visual Schedule |
Visual calendar and time management |
$19.99 |
|
|
Keedogo Plus |
Simplified keyboard layout |
$3.99 |
|
|
Letter Sounds 1 |
Skill-building letter sounds games |
$19.99 |
|
|
School of Multi-Step Directions |
Auditory comprehension and listening skills |
$24.99 |
|
|
Sight Words 1 |
Skill-building sight words games |
$19.99 |
|
|
The Sounding Out Machine |
Assistive reading tools |
$3.99 |
|
|
The Zones of Regulation |
Social emotional learning |
$7.99 |
Literacy
|
Name |
Description |
Cost |
Links |
|
Book Creator |
eBooks creator |
$3.99 |
|
|
IXL |
Skill-building literacy games |
Free |
|
|
LetterSchool |
Handwriting skills |
$12.99 (Apple) Free (Google) |
|
|
Me: A Kid’s Story |
Digital diary creator |
$4.99 |
|
|
Storybird |
eBooks creator |
Free |
|
|
Strip Designer |
eComics creator |
$4.99 |
|
|
Tell About This |
Photo prompt caption creator |
$3.99 |
|
|
Text Twist |
Letter games |
Free |
Numeracy
|
Name |
Description |
Cost |
Links |
|
Doctor Lowhigh |
Ordering values |
$0.99 |
|
|
Equilibrians |
Balancing equations |
$2.99 (Apple) Free (Google) |
|
|
Euclidean Lands |
Puzzle-based math games |
$6.99 |
|
|
IXL |
Skill-building numeracy games |
Free |
|
|
King of Math |
Skill-building numeracy games |
Free (Apple) $4.09 (Google) |
|
|
King of Math 2 |
Skill-building numeracy games |
$3.99 (Apple) $4.09 (Google) |
|
|
Lightbot |
Coding-based math games |
Free |
|
|
Math Slide |
Multiplication and division |
Free |
|
|
Monument Valley |
Geometry-based math games |
$4.99 (Apple) $6.99 (Google) |
|
|
Odd Bot Out |
Puzzle-based math games |
Free |
|
|
Prodigy |
Puzzle-based math games |
Free |
|
|
ReflexMath |
Skill-building numeracy games |
Free |
|
|
ScratchJr |
Coding-based math games |
Free |
|
|
SET Pro HD |
Puzzle-based math games |
$6.99 |
|
|
Swift Playgrounds |
Coding-based math games |
Free |
Science
|
Name |
Description |
Cost |
Links |
|
Biodigital Human |
3D anatomy virtual model |
Free |
|
|
Frog Dissection |
Virtual dissection lab |
$4.99 |
|
|
IXL |
Skill-building science games |
Free |
|
|
NASA Visualization Explorer |
Space research and exploration |
Free |
|
|
The Explorer’s Library by Tinybop |
Skill-building science games |
$2.99-$4.99 |
(Apple Play Store) |
External Online Resources
Overview
We’ve curated dozens of educational resources available for free online. These sites offer valuable and engaging articles, instructional videos, interactive games, and much more to supplement learning at home.
Benefits
Parents, students, and teachers can access a wealth of information and interactive learning experiences for research and inquiry, as well as to supplement coursework, deepen understanding, and foster further exploration.
Using External Resources
Many of these resources are available without an account. Sometimes, parents must set up a free account to use the resource.
Parents should preview resources to ensure suitability for their students.
Accessing External Resources
Kindergarten to Grade 5
Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies: Design Thinking and Making
| Curiosity Machine | Design challenges across various subject areas |
| Design Squad Global |
Compete to create solutions to engineering challenges |
| Instructables |
Learn how to make anything, one step at a time. |
| Makers Empire | 3D design tool to create, download, and print original or community-based objects |
| The Tech at Home | STEM and design challenge activities for K-12 learners |
| The Young Inventors | Challenges designed to demonstrate how inventions can improve people’s lives |
| Tinkercad |
Three workspaces where students can design: 3D Design, Codeblocks, and Circuits |
Arts Education
| 8notes.com |
Sheet music and resources for musicians, including tuners, chord charts, and lessons |
| Blob Opera |
Create your opera-inspired song; no music skills required |
| GarageBand |
Music creation studio with a complete sound library |
| Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM | Arts-integrated online learning experiences for students that include videos and lesson plans |
| MetKids |
Whimsical, kid-friendly intro to the wide art world with videos and interactive activities |
| PBS Learning Media’s Arts Education |
Resources, videos, and interactive lessons in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts |
| TedEd Visual Arts | Instructional videos with comprehension and guided discussion questions |
| Yo Kidz | YouTube channel featuring dozens of drawing tutorials |
Bible and Christian Studies
| Calvary Curriculum |
Bible lessons for grades 1 – 6 |
| Discover God 4 Kids |
Learn about God's character through family activities and Bible study |
| Douglas Talks |
Douglas, the puppet, uses stories from his life to explain God’s plan for him and you |
| Elevate Kids | Bible-based videos to show your child how to become the leader God designed them to be |
| Keys for Kids |
A daily audio devotional based on scripture passages |
| Kids Corner |
Audio adventures, Bible stories and activities for kids |
| Kids of Integrity |
Downloadable lesson plans that help parents instil Christ-honouring character traits in their kids |
| Kids World | Easy-to-read Bible lessons |
| Superbook |
Engaging kids’ games, radio, interactive questions about God, and more. |
Career Education
| Bankaroo | A virtual bank for kids where you can teach them about the value of money in a safe environment |
| EVERFI |
Standards-aligned, research-based digital lessons to teach students to thrive in an ever-changing world. |
| Thrively | Guides students through a student-centred journey to discover their strengths, increase their self-awareness, set goals and track progress, build skills, and learn real-world problem-solving |
Communication & Collaboration
| Lino |
A sticky-note tool to organize and collect information and can be shared with parents and teachers |
| Screencastify |
Empowering students to demonstrate and share their learning |
| Seesaw | Students share their learning with others through digital portfolios |
| Wakelet | Save, organize, and share any content from across the web |
Computer Science
| Code.org | Hundreds of computer science activities and tutorials |
| Codeable Crafts | Animate stories with accessible drawing tools and coding blocks |
| CS First | Makes coding easy to teach and fun to use |
| Scratch | Code, share, and remix stories, games, and animations |
| ScratchJr | As above, for ages 5-7 |
English Language Arts
| National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) | Draft an entire novel in just one month in motivational virtual spaces |
| Quill | Free writing and grammar activities and tools |
| ReadWorks | Differentiated reading passages designed to improve comprehension |
| StoryJumper | an easy way for students to write, narrate, and illustrate their stories. Find informative, expository, collaborative, narrative, and creative writing project ideas, suggestions on topics to write about and digital storytelling ideas. Your students can then use our tools to create and narrate a book, print it on-demand, and publish a book they can hold and hear |
| Storyline Online | read-along books read via video by actors and authors. Each book includes a supplemental curriculum a credentialed elementary educator developed to strengthen comprehension and verbal and written skills for English-language learners |
| Whooo’s Reading | a website with a clear mission: to help students think more critically about whatever they read through open-ended rather than multiple-choice reading quizzes. |
Indigenous Education
Canada’s Original Place Names – Indigenous Peoples named many places in present-day Canada.
Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada – Four books: Truth and Reconciliation, First Nations, Inuit, Metis
The Great Bear Sea – Curriculum resources based on the film The Great Bear Sea: Reflecting on the Past, Planning for the Future by Green Fire Productions can be used to engage students in an inquiry-based, educational journey through the Great Bear Sea exploring a variety of themes such as Indigenous Knowledge, collaborative science, marine planning, biodiversity, sustainable resource management and marine stewardship.
Mathematics
Didax – virtual manipulatives and downloadable activities for PreK – Grade 12.
Khan Academy – provides interactive lessons and instructional videos; students practice at their own pace, first filling in gaps in their understanding and then accelerating their learning.
Legends of Learning – provides an engaging educational experience for at-home learning. Kids will love the educational games on the platform, and parents will love the data that comes out as they automatically progress.
MathAntics – FREE math videos and additional subscription-based content!
Math Learning Centre – easy-to-use math apps for web browsers, Apple devices or Chromebooks.
Math Snacks – educational animations, games, and interactive tools that help learners in grades 3 – 8 better understand math concepts.
Zearn – an online math curriculum with supplemental skills practice activities for K – 5. Parents and teachers must set up their own accounts and assign lessons to their students.
Multi-Subject
Choosito – a smart search engine that safely searches the web for resources based on your student’s reading level.
CK-12 – free Math, Science, Social Studies, English and more courses for grades 1-12.
Collabrify Productivity Tool Suite – educational productivity Apps. In real-time, two or more students, each on their own computing device, co-constructing text documents, drawings & animations, KWL charts, and spreadsheets.
Easy Peasy All-In-One Homeschool – a free online Christian homeschool curriculum.
Khan Academy Kids – a free, award-winning app for children ages 2 – 7 that engages kids in core subjects like early literacy, reading, writing, language, and math, while encouraging creativity and building social-emotional skills.
Learning Hero Roadmap – an interactive guide with videos/tools to help parents support grade-level math and reading as well as social-emotional development. Informed by what parents need, developed by leading content experts.
Newsela – great nonfiction articles with 5 options for levelled reading.
NOVA – compelling videos, simulations, teacher guides, and other activities.
PBS Kids – a wealth of educational content and valuable learning resources covering various topics.
PBS LearningMedia – PreK-12 digital media service. Search and browse thousands of learning materials, including videos, interactive lesson plans, media galleries, and more.
Quarto Classroom is a free video library on YouTube of Quarto’s creators using their books as teaching tools in educational spaces.
Smithsonian Learning Lab – an interactive platform for discovering millions of authentic digital resources, creating content with online tools, and sharing in the Smithsonian’s expansive community of knowledge and learning.
TED-Ed – supports kids’ sense of wonder with outstanding short video lessons.
Wonderopolis – short, interesting informational texts. Each text has vocabulary practice, a comprehension quiz, and activities for further learning. The Immersive Reader tool increases text accessibility with read-aloud, picture dictionary, translation, and more.
Physical and Health Education
GoNoodle – movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts.
KidsHealth – easy-to-follow articles, slideshows, videos, and health tools designed to help kids and teens learn, grow, and be their best.
PBS Learning Media’s Health & Physical Education – resources that provide essential lessons on physical, mental, and emotional health.
Science
100 Fun Science Experiments / Science Fair Projects for Kids – amazing collection of science experiments and science fair projects that you can try with your kids and students at home or school.
Climate Kids – this kid-friendly, expert site by Nasa explores key climate issues through videos, games and activities.
Google Earth – search for specific locations or quickly manually manoeuvre across the globe, zooming in to show detail to the level of parked cars and even pedestrians. Many world areas can be viewed in 3D, allowing students to see cities, the countryside, and famous landmarks in three dimensions.
Inquiry in Action – K-5 science lessons about physical science and chemistry in everyday life
Legends of Learning – provides an engaging educational experience for at-home learning. Kids will love the educational games on the platform, and parents will love the data that comes out as they automatically progress.
Nasa STEM @ Home – videos, interactive multimedia, hands-on activities and more categorized by grade range.
National Geographic Kids – stunning photos, in-depth stories of Earth’s peoples and wildlife, and a large collection of multimedia resources that teach students about animals, habitats, countries, and cultures.
Ocean School by the National Film Board of Canada. It’s bilingual, free and has aboriginal content! A YouTube channel and an app on iOS. It uses video, virtual reality, interactive and 360-degree video, augmented reality, newsreels, toolkits and assessments. Brings powerful storytelling techniques, immersive technologies and interactive media to your home. Explore the ocean with documentary footage of real scientists, 360 videos, AR, and VR.
Science Buddies – K-12 STEM resources, including 160+ hands-on STEM activities and videos. Our activities cover different STEM concepts, can be done in an hour or less, and use materials easily found at home.
Smithsonian Science Education Center – curriculum & resources searchable by type, grade and topic.
The San Diego Zoo – An interactive site featuring videos, games and activities.
Second Language
The ASL App – Learn American Sign Language right from your phone.
ASL Kids – ASL learning app for Beginners & Kids.
Boukili – Help your students and children love reading in French.
Curious Learning – apps for learning to read in 48 languages.
Duolingo – a science-based language education platform that has organically become the most popular way to learn languages online.
Fingerspelling – Learn the ABCs in ASL with machine learning.
HandsOnASL – Learn to fingerspell with sign language.
Oh Noah! – offers students a multi-pronged approach to learning Spanish vocabulary. With its funny, story-based interface, kids are encouraged to take an easygoing, just-try-it approach to learning languages.
OnlineFreeSpanish – dozens of games, colouring pages, and interactive activities by level can be accessed anytime on tablets or desktops.
Sign School – Learn American Sign Language
Virtual Field Trips and Tours
British Natural History Museum – Virtual Museum: 14 ways to explore from home
Canadian Farm Food Virtual Tours – Learn how things are made and how animals are raised.
Discovery Education Virtual Field Trips – Promising amazing places and remarkable experiences, Discovery Education has many different cost-free tours available.
Great Lakes Virtual Field Trip – Learn about the science, diversity, and ecology of these large freshwater lakes.
Hall of North American Mammals (Grades 3-5) – Explore habitat dioramas to learn how animals must be adapted to an environment in order to survive in it.
Royal Tyrrell Museum Park – Visit Canada’s only museum dedicated exclusively to the study of ancient life from home.
Slime in Space – This video field trip shows how slime acts in space. Watch astronauts play ping pong with it!
Smithsonian: National Museum of Natural History – Virtual Tours
The Butterfly Conservatory (Grades K-2) – Observe butterflies and compare their patterns.
The National Aquarium – Explore one of the best aquariums in the country in this interactive self-guided tour.
Curriculum Donations
The Learning Commons welcomes donations of gently used curriculum (e.g., no rips or marks on pages) that are not older than 7 years. Novels, DVDs, and CDs are only accepted if they are part of a curriculum package. When we receive curriculum donations, we post them in our Used Bookstore for other families to purchase at a discounted rate.
Please email Library Administrator Shandra Wiebe for more information: swiebe@onlineschool.ca
Search Portal
Instructions on how to access and use the Learning Commons Search Portal.
Getting Started
The Search Portal is the place to access Learning Commons resources such as physical books and kits, eBooks, audiobooks, databases, curricula, hands-on resources, supplemental packs, and inclusive education support materials.
Physical resources are shipped directly to your home if you live outside the Kelowna area (e.g., Lake Country to West Kelowna).
What is Available to Me?
|
HCOS Enrolled and Flex |
HCOS Registered |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Books, eBooks, audiobooks |
✅ |
✅ |
|
Digital Unit Study Kits |
✅ |
✅ |
|
Inclusive Education General Collection books |
✅ |
✅ |
|
Curriculum |
✅ |
✅ |
|
Grades 10-12 Extended Loan General Collection Textbooks |
✅ |
✅ |
|
Robots |
✅ |
❌ |
|
ADST/Steam Resources* |
✅ |
❌ |
|
Supplemental Packs |
✅ |
❌ |
|
Inclusive Education Support Material |
✅ |
❌ |
|
Individualized Course Extended Loan Textbooks |
✅ |
❌ |
|
Susan Barton Material |
✅ |
❌ |
|
Microscopes |
✅ |
❌ |
|
Physical Unit Study Kits |
✅ |
❌ |
*ADST/Steam resources include hands-on items such as Keva planks, K’nex, Lego, Coding kits, Snap Circuits and Cubelets.
How to Log In
Parents
Parents use their Encom username and password to access the Search Portal, Sora, and Subscription passwords. To book physical books and curriculum for a student, log in to the Search Portal under your parent account, not the student account.
If you do not know your Encom password, you can reset it here. If you don’t remember your username, it is usually FirstnameLastname.
Changing your password in Encom will also change your password for the Learning Commons Search Portal, so please keep track of your login information. It takes up to 24 hours for the credentials to update.
Students
Students use their Encom username and password to access Sora eBooks and Subscription passwords. They cannot book physical items from the Search Portal, but they can view them. Bookings must be made on the parent account. If you do not know your Encom password, you can reset it here.
Loan Periods & Shipping
The default loan period for most items is 10 weeks, which does not include shipping time. Grade 10-12 extended loan textbooks have a loan period of eight months with an option to renew for one month.
Items can be booked up to a year in advance (September to June). Overlapping bookings are not allowed if they exceed 40 items within the 10-week loan period. Back-to-back bookings of the same items are not allowed. Items can be renewed twice for four weeks each time, provided the items have not been booked by someone else.
Enrolled Families
Enrolled families receive eight free shipments (four round trips) per school year (August 1 to June 18). There is a maximum of 40 items per shipment, including the following limits:
| Item Circ Type | Loan Limit | Loan Period |
| Book Club | 2 | 10 Week(s) |
| CD/DVD/CD-Rom | 8 | 10 Week(s) |
| Curriculum | 40 | 10 Week(s) |
| Kits | 6 | 10 Week(s) |
| MakerEd Family | 4 | 10 Week(s) |
| Mini Kits | 2 | 10 Week(s) |
| NonFiction/Fiction | 40 | 10 Week(s) |
| Reader Pen C Pen | 2 | 8 Month(s) |
| S-KIT | 10 | 10 Week(s) |
| Inclusive Education | 10 | 10 Week(s) |
| Inclusive Ed Packs | 10 | 10 Week(s) |
| Susan Barton | 4 | 8 Month(s) |
| Textbooks | 6 | 8 Month(s) |
| Thumb Drive | 1 | 10 Week(s) |
Registered Families
Registered families receive four free shipments (two round trips) per school year (August 1 to June 18).There is a maximum of 40 items per shipment. That includes a limit of 8 Audiovisual resources (CDs, CD-Roms, DVDs), and a limit of 6 textbooks.
Make the most of your free shipments! Due to the cost of shipping, we can't send just one novel or small book. We can ship one textbook or larger item, but it's best to order more than one item.
Please contact Kelly Wiebe with any shipping questions: kelly.wiebe@onlineschool.ca
Fines
Fines are charged for lost or damaged items. The fine can be paid with student funding or invoiced via Paypal.
Avoid fines by:
-
Keeping kit items together in one area. Ensure the kit bag is not damaged or forgotten when preparing the return shipment
-
Check all kits for books and items as soon as you receive them. Contact us if anything is missing or damaged.
-
Prepare packages properly for shipping. Poorly packaged items result in damage!
Items borrowed from HCOS should not be shared with other families not registered or enrolled with HCOS. These materials are specifically for HCOS families. You are responsible for replacement costs of all items signed out under your account, regardless of how they are lost or damaged, except for courier issues.
How to Search
This video is a visual walkthrough of using the search features in the Search Portal. You can use the timestamps to navigate to specific topics. Alternatively, if you prefer, there are written instructions with screenshots below the video.
- 0:00-1:04 Search Portal homepage overview
- 1:05-1:17 Downloading resources
- 1:18-1:28 Grade 10-12 course textbooks
- 1:29-1:35 Subscription links
- 1:36-2:02 Using the search bar
- 2:03-2:23 Refining searches
- 2:24-3:03 Subscriptions, databases, and external websites
- 3:04-3:38 Searching by topic
- 3:39-4:01 Searching by grade
- 4:02-4:18 Searching by series
- 4:19-4:50 Advanced search
Searching for Resources
To search for an item, use the Search drop-down menu. The default search is by Keyword, but you can search by Title, Author, Subject, Series, etc. There is also an "Advanced" search feature.
You will see how many results were returned once you enter a term in the search bar. Use the “Refine Your Search” options in the left column to limit your results by Material Type, Audience, Author, and Series.
The “+” sign adds further options to refine your search. Check the boxes you want to refine by, such as Books or Kits, then click on the "Refresh" button to see the refined search.
Click “Topics” in the menu bar, which will visually search curated lists alphabetically.
Topics are organized by subjects and by grades. This is a great way to quickly find a list of items and the unit study kits by grade.
Registered Families can only access the Digital Unit Study Kit Guides online.
Booking Items
This video is a visual walkthrough of how to book items in the Search Portal. You can use the timestamps to navigate to specific topics. Alternatively, if you prefer, there are written instructions with screenshots below the video.
- 0:00-1:11 Searching for resources and refining results
- 1:12-1:32 Viewing the availability of an item
- 1:33-2:03 Determining shipping and loan periods
- 2:04-2:18 Finding your shipping zone
- 2:19-2:48 Adding items to a list to book later
- 2:49-3:37 Booking multiple items for one date
- 3:38-4:49 Viewing due dates and renewing loaned items
- 4:50-6:44 Shipping multiple items on the same date
- 6:45-8:29 Reviewing future bookings
- 8:30-9:05 Cancelling future bookings
- 9:06-10:36 Booking items for extended loans
- 10:37-10:58 Viewing future shipping dates for items out on loan
Booking Resources
Click on a record to see the details. Click directly on the title to be taken to the Title Details page to book the item. The Title Record will show how many copies are available and the due date if it is already out. You can save the item to a list if you don’t want to book just one item at a time or save it to book later. Even if an item is OUT or on HOLD, you can still book it for future dates.
Determining Shipping and Loan Periods
When you click "Book Item," a calendar will appear. You will see your unique shipping “Site” on the top right. In this example, the patron is HCOS5, which means they are five shipping days from Kelowna. The small red numbers indicate how many copies are available each day. 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 for the correct number of shipping days. Ensure that the item is available for the 10-week loan period. Patrons cannot book items for shorter periods.
Click on the day you want to receive the item. In this example, August 13 was chosen. Items are loaned for ten weeks, not including shipping. The calendar now shows the entire booking period. Shipping days are highlighted in dark orange on the calendar (weekends/holidays are not counted as shipping days, so seven shipping days are shown for the HCOS5 zone). The requested date is August 6.
When you are ready, click “Book Items.” A pop-up will confirm if your booking went through, and you will receive a confirmation email.
You can view due dates, renew, change dates or cancel items online. Please cancel items if your plans change so other families can use the materials.
Booking Multiple Items for One Date
Add an item to My Lists by clicking the Save to My Lists button. A pop-up will ask you to create a New Favorite Title. Use dates of shipments or subjects as titles. You can search multiple subjects and add resources to your lists by creating different Titles.
Once you have added all the books to your lists, click the My Lists icon in the menu. You will see all of your lists in the left column.
Use the List view icon in the top right corner and book all items for the same date by clicking the “Book Items” button at the top right of the page. If you are in grid view, click the checkboxes for each item you want to book, then click Book Items. Choose a date on the calendar and click Book Items. A pop-up will confirm your bookings.
Any items unavailable for your original date will be bumped to the next available date. Check your Future Bookings list to ensure all items have the same loan period, and cancel any items you do not want. This will avoid using one of your free shipments!
Viewing Due Dates and Renewing Items
Hover over the “My Account” icon, then “My Borrowing,” and select “My Loans.” View the due dates.
Renew one item by clicking the check box on the left or renew all items by clicking "Select All," then clicking the "Renew" button. The renewal period is four weeks. Items booked by another patron will not renew. Renew books no sooner than 1 - 2 weeks before they are due, or your loan period will be shortened.
View all of your Bookings for the Year, Cancel or Change Booking Date
Hover over “My Account”, then “My Borrowing”, and then select “Future Booking.”
In List View enter the “From” and “To” dates (change to June of the school year to see the entire year’s bookings). All of your bookings will be displayed. Click the "Cancel" button to cancel your booking or the "Edit" button to change your booking date.
If you are in Grid View, hover over the item record, and the "Cancel" and "Edit" buttons will appear.
Shipping Procedures
Change of Address
If you plan to move or have moved, please update your address in Encom and email Kelly Wiebe at kelly.wiebe@onlineschool.ca with the new address so information can be updated.
If you do not update the Learning Commons with a change of address and a shipment is sent to the wrong address, you will be charged for shipping fees and any lost items.
Shipping Outside of Canada
The Learning Commons does not ship physical items outside of Canada due to shipping costs, limitations of loan periods, and higher risk of damaged and lost items. Families who are travelling can access our online resources.
Receiving Packages
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KEEP the box/packages and all other packing materials for when you return the items.
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Check KITS for missing items; email kelly.wiebe@onlineschool.ca immediately if there are missing or damaged items. Otherwise, you may be charged for them!
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Check the Library receipt to ensure all items are included in your shipment. Contact us immediately if an item is missing. Keep the receipt handy as a checklist when returning items.
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Renewals: Renew online before items are overdue. Not all items may be renewed if there are bookings for them.
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Extensions: need just a few more days? Let us know, and we will extend the dates if possible.
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Going away? Email us at least 10 business days before you leave. Arrangements can then be made to ship items back earlier or when you are back.
Returning Items
If you live outside the courier service area, we will ship by Canada Post and provide prepaid shipping labels for returns.
Arrange a courier pick up or prepaid return by connecting with Kelly Wiebe: 778-721-8309 kelly.wiebe@onlineschool.ca or Jen jennifer.mcnamara@onlineschool.ca
Please follow all instructions included in your shipment. Every shipment is different. Proper packaging will reduce damage to books and other items.
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Due Dates: The due date is the date the item must arrive back in the Learning Commons. You must ship your package several days before the due date, depending on your shipping zone.
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The shipping instructions are included with every package. You will need to contact Kelly or Jen several days before the item is due to arrange shipping. The time period is noted on your shipping instructions and is dependent on the shipping zone you are in and the method, (courier or Canada Post), of shipping.
Returning Multiple Boxes/Packages
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Please put all items into ONE box/package, or tape packages together if they are compatible in size. This saves on shipping costs. (One white Tyvek bag can hold 2 or more kits).
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Please do not tape boxes together if you return items via Canada Post.
If you have more than one box/package which cannot be put into one, let us know immediately how many boxes you will be returning before the pick-up is issued. If a shipment includes 2 or more boxes, the driver is only permitted to pick up ONE if that is what is requested.
Tips for returning items:
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Items must be packaged in boxes or Tyvek envelopes (save the packaging in which the items were sent!)
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Please don’t use paper envelopes as they rip too easily.
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Items damaged due to poor packaging will be billed to your account.
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Families are responsible for paying for postage to return DVDs, CDs, and small items that can be mailed if they cannot be returned with a larger shipment.
Local Patrons
Patrons living in Kelowna, Lake Country, and West Kelowna need to pick up their items from the Learning Commons. Since no shipping time is involved, please get in touch with Library Administrator Shandra Wiebe (swiebe@onlineschool.ca) to have items booked for a shorter period.
Learning Commons Hours and Location
HCOS Learning Commons 907 Badke Rd, Kelowna, B.C. V1X5Z5
Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Sora eBooks & Audiobooks
Sora is a digital reading platform for families to access eBooks, audiobooks and Read-Along books for education and enjoyment.
Intro to SORA Recording
Logging In
Step 1: Go to https://soraapp.com/library/heritageca and click on "Heritage Christian Online School."
Step 2: Click "Sign in using Heritage Christian Online School."
Step 3: Sign in with your Encom account.
Sora is also available as an app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Book Formats
There are three main book formats in Sora: eBooks, audiobooks, and read-along books.
eBooks
eBooks have text and images, but no audio.
View the eBook Reader Tutorial for more information about navigating this type of book in Sora.
Audiobooks
Audiobooks are fully audio files. They have a cover image for the book, but no text or images. The headphones symbol 
beneath the cover image indicates audiobook availability.
View the Audiobook Reader Tutorial for more information about navigating this type of book in Sora.
Read-Along Books
Read-along books have text, images, and audio. Some titles will highlight the text as the audio plays. In Sora, read-along books are available in both fiction and non-fiction genres.
Profiles & Badges
Users can set up their Sora profile to add personalization and collect badge rewards.
Go to https://soraapp.com/profile. At the top left-hand corner, click "Edit profile" to add your nickname and change your image.
Sora allows students to earn achievement badges as they learn about and use the program. Scroll down to view badges on your profile page.
Badges that have been earned will show a coloured image of the badge. When the badge is earned, there will be a pop-up on the screen showing the badge and congratulating the student.
Badges that still need to be earned will tell the badge's name in bold and how to earn the badge beneath the name and the empty badge placeholder. Can you collect them all?
Assistive Technology
Different fonts and formatting styles are available to meet many reading needs.
OpenDyslexic
OpenDyslexic is a font created by Abbie Gonzalez and made available for public use. Its goal is to help dyslexic readers overcome some of the most common stumbling blocks. The benefits of using OpenDyslexic include:
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All letters are spaced further apart so individual letters can be more easily seen.
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The lines used in the lettering change thickness in different areas so readers can more easily distinguish between similarly structured letters.
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The first letter of the first word in a sentence is always bold to help readers know where the sentence starts.
There are two steps to turn on OpenDyslexic in your browser or app:
Step 1: Click on the hamburger menu (three lines) to open the dropdown menu.
Step 2: Use the "Dyslexic Font" toggle switch to turn this feature on and off.
High Contrast
High contrast mode reverses the colours of background and texts while adding yellow accents, creating a stark contrast that some users desire.
There are two steps to turn on High Contrast Mode in your browser or app:
Step 1: Click on the hamburger menu (three lines) to open the dropdown menu.
Step 2: Use the "High Contrast Mode" toggle switch to turn this feature on and off.
Changing the Loan Period
The standard load period in Sora is 14 days, however, there are options for 7, 21, and 28 days. Some readers may benefit from longer loan periods for larger projects.
There are four steps to adjust the loan period in your browser or app:
Step 1: Click on the hamburger menu (three lines) to open the dropdown menu.
Step 2: Click on "All Settings."
Step 3: Click on "Lending Periods."
Step 4: Adjust the lending periods as desired, then click on "Done."
Adding Public Library Accounts
You can use Sora to access eBooks, audiobooks, and read-along books through HCOS and your local public library.
There are two steps to add your local library to Sora in your browser or app:
Step 1: Click on the hamburger menu (three lines) to open the dropdown menu.
Step 2: Click on the "+Add library" button, then search for your local library and sign in using the information found on your library card.
Troubleshooting & Support in Sora
Discovering Reading and Learning Success (November 2023)
Sora: A Treasure of Digital Resources & Curriculum (October 20, 2021)
Slide deck: bit.ly/HCOS-Sora
Subscriptions
Information about Subscriptions available to Enrolled, Flex, and Registered students through the Learning Commons. Questions can be sent to our Subscriptions Facilitator, Margaret Basaraba, through Live Chat on regular school days from 9 am. to 3 pm. Live Chat is located in the bottom right-hand corner of our website.
Getting Started
Subscriptions cover a wide range of valuable content in various subject areas and grade levels. All subscriptions are available for Enrolled and Flex families. If you are a Registered family, please select the bar below the video to discover which subscriptions are available to you.
This short video will help you get started with Subscriptions on the Learning Commons website.
What is Available to Me?
| Enrolled and Flex | Registered | |
| 4Canoes | ✅ | ✅ |
| Axis | ✅ | ✅ |
| BC ExamBank | ✅ | ✅ |
| BrainPOP, BrainPOP Jr. | ✅ | ❌ |
| BrainPOP Français, BrainPOP Español | ✅ | ❌ |
| BrainPOP Science | ✅ | ❌ |
| Canadian Reader | ✅ | ❌ |
| Currents4Kids, News4Youth | ✅ | ❌ |
| Discovery Education | ✅ | ❌ |
| Enchanted Learning | ✅ | ✅ |
| EVERFI | ✅ | ✅ |
| Explora Canada (Canadian Reference Centre) | ✅ | ❌ |
| Flipster Magazines | ✅ | ✅ |
| Focused Education (BC Digital Classroom) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Gale Cengage Learning | ✅ | ✅ |
| Gizmos | ✅ | ❌ |
| Grammarly | ✅ | ❌ |
| HearBuilder | ✅ | ❌ |
| KnowBC | ✅ | ✅ |
| Learn360 | ✅ | ❌ |
| Live It Earth | ✅ | ❌ |
| Matific | ✅ | ❌ |
| myBlueprint | ✅ | ❌ |
| Mystery Science | ✅ | ❌ |
| National Film Board | ✅ | ✅ |
| National Geographic Kids | ✅ | ✅ |
| PebbleGo & PebbleGo Next | ✅ | ❌ |
| ProQuest (Historical BC Newspapers) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Read&Write | ✅ | ✅ |
| Reading Eggs, Eggspress & Fast Phonics | ✅ | ❌ |
| RightNow Media | ✅ | ❌ |
| Teaching Books | ✅ | ✅ |
| Touch-Type Read and Spell | ✅ | ❌ |
| Twig Science | ✅ | ✅ |
| Twig Science Reporter | ✅ | ✅ |
| Tynker | ✅ | ❌ |
| What in the World? Level 1 & 2 | ✅ | ❌ |
| World Book Online | ✅ | ✅ |
| World Watch News | ✅ | ❌ |
Finding Links, Usernames, & Passwords
On the Website
Navigate to the Learning Commons Website Subscriptions page.
Log in with your Encom credentials at the top of the next page.
Select the "Info" button on any Subscription tile.
Read the information and select the "Log in" button to log in.
On the Search Portal
Navigate to the Search Portal and select the Subs/Password tab. Log in with your Encom username and password. You will see a list of subscriptions and find links, usernames and passwords.
The list is organized alphabetically from A-Z. You can toggle to Z-A by selecting "Name."
Subscription Passwords are updated annually in July, with some being updated throughout the year. If your password stops working, please check back on the Learning Commons website for up-to-date passwords.
Using Subscriptions in the Summer
Enrolled, Flex, and Registered students who are re-enrolled for the next school year are welcome to continue using subscriptions through the summer, with the exception of Tynker(closed in July) and News4Youth and Currents4Kids(closed July and August).
Troubleshooting
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Always check the Search Portal to make sure that the link, username, and password you are using are up-to-date.
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Clear your browser cache, as your computer may have saved a broken link. Type “clear cache” into your search bar and follow the instructions from the drop-down menu for your browser.
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Check that you are not adding an extra space at the beginning or the end of your username or password. Ensure usernames and passwords are located at the very beginning of the allowed space and that your cursor is right at the end of the password.
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Check whether your username or password has upper and lowercase letters. Some subscriptions are case-sensitive.
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Use a different browser to access the subscription. For example, if you usually work in Google Chrome, try using Internet Explorer, Safari, or Firefox.
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Reboot your computer. Turn everything off, wait thirty seconds, and then turn it on again. Sometimes, waiting a day and then trying it again seems to work!
- If you are still having trouble, please contact Margaret Basaraba through email or LiveChat. Don’t give up! We promise it will be worth your while!
4Canoes
4Canoes magazine (K-Grade 12) has articles vetted by the Indigenous communities about which they were written. The 4Canoes website is accessed through Focused Education Resources and the BC Digital Classroom.
Focused Education Resources is a not-for-profit, shared services organization that supports excellence in K-12 education in British Columbia. It is a consortium of BC public school districts and independent schools that work together to create accessible learning resources for BC schools. Within Focused Education Resources is the BC Digital Classroom, which houses many of the subscriptions available to HCOS and Flex families.
Logging In
There are two steps to log in to 4Canoes.
Step 2: Enter the username and password for 4Canoes from the Subs/Passwords tab in the Search Portal.
Navigation & Use
A slider bar or forward arrow underneath the magazine allows you to move quickly from one place to another within the magazine. There is also an arrow in the magazine's middle, far-right, and far-left to turn page by page.
The "Recommended Resources" section at the end of some of the articles will enhance teaching.
The "Kids Fun Zone" has engaging activities for younger children. There are traditional interactive stories and activities to accompany them.
It is possible to purchase the print version of these magazines at a 30% discount from Goodminds.com using the code ERAC.
Axis
Axis (Grades 5-12) is geared toward building lifelong faith by helping parents and caring adults talk with teens about topics they might not otherwise discuss. Their vision is to see all caring adults equipped with the conversation, discipleship, and cultural translation skills needed to reach the next generation for Christ. They began as a ministry offering resources to families and youth workers; several years ago, the ministry morphed into an online one and has since expanded. You will notice that this site does not tell you (or your teens) how to think. Instead, it gives up-to-date information and asks questions, which you may use to open discussion with your students or children.
Logging In
Navigate to Axis and start exploring the resources. You do not need to set up an account to use this website.
Navigation & Use
Some of the information may be sensitive to students. Parents are encouraged to supervise their children while using this site and to engage in regular conversation to discuss topics.
Explore resources by selecting the buttons in the top right menu on the home page. You can return to the home page by selecting the Axis logo in the top left corner.
Click below to learn more about the specific features offered by Axis.
The Culture Translator
The Culture Translator is a weekly email on what's trending in culture and how it affects your teen's world.
It will help you stay up-to-date on the music, movies, TV shows, and social media trends impacting your kid's world. This resource is set up to make it easier to start conversations about the issues that matter most to your kids and provide you with Christ-like responses. It doesn't seek to teach you what to think but rather how to think about these topics through the lens of Jesus. They pray that The Culture Translator will help develop empathy in your heart for all the challenges the next generation faces daily.
You can sign up for the weekly email or explore past editions at https://axis.org/resource-category/culture-translator/
Conversation Kits
Explore tough topics together through teen-friendly videos that break down barriers and offer keys for deeper conversations. Conversation Kits are recorded presentations meant to be watched with your teen to get them thinking about what truly matters. Find Conversation kits by clicking "Resources for Parents" at the top right of the page or by scrolling down the home page.
Parent Guides
Talking about issues like smartphones, eating disorders, Snapchat, video games, and sexting with teens can be scary and complicated. But it doesn't have to be! Parent Guides are downloadable PDFs with links to content that will help you understand what your teens face, how to have conversations about them, and how to Biblically disciple them into lifelong faith through it all. Find Parent Guides by selecting "Resources for Parents" from the top right of the page.
Podcasts
Dive in with parenting experts and take your conversations with your kids to the next level. The Axis Podcast Network provides a learning environment for you in a format that is easy to consume in your busy life. Each episode will invite you into the Axis parenting community and coach you through building stronger conversations with the kids and teens in your life. Find podcasts by selecting "Resources For Parents" at the top right of the home page.
Select any podcast title and find many more recent episodes under that title by scrolling down the page.
BC ExamBank
BC ExamBank (K-Grade 12) allows students to write online practice exams in core subject areas. The site consists of practice exams that are aligned with British Columbia's curriculum. In ExamBank, completed tests are automatically marked to give students immediate feedback. The tests are randomly generated from question banks so students can write tests multiple times for better preparation.
Logging In
There are four steps to log in to the BC ExamBank.
Step 2: Select the subject area.
Step 3: Select the test that you wish to take.
Step 4: Enter the username and password for BC ExamBank from the Subs/Passwords tab in the Search Portal.
Navigation & Use
Watch this short video to learn more about how students can use the BC ExamBank site.
If you cannot access tests when clicking the "Start test" button, you likely have a pop-up window blocker installed on your computer. Please add bc.exambank.com to your pop-up blocker's trusted sites list.
Once a test is completed, students can send results to their support teacher by scrolling to the bottom of the page and filling out the following form.
BrainPOP
BrainPOP (K-Grade 8) is an educational platform with animated videos and engaging resources in various subject areas. There are three resources for different grade levels:
BrainPOP Jr. (K-Grade 3) encourages young learners to ask questions and form their ideas. Each curricular topic includes an animated movie, learning games, concept mapping, and interactive features that help extend key concepts and meet the needs of students with different learning styles. Text is read aloud to facilitate comprehension.
BrainPOP (Grades 4-6) topics include animated movies, concept mapping, learning games, playful assessments, and primary source activities. These engaging resources help build higher-order thinking, cognitive, and literacy skills while encouraging reflection and giving students multiple ways to share their learning. Following each movie clip, students can participate in quizzes, cartoons, and do-it-yourself experiments, and send their quiz results to their support teacher.
BrainPOP Français and BrainPOP Español (Grades 4-8) are intended for students who speak these languages fluently or are looking to reinforce language skills. These sites are not for French or Spanish language learners.
This subscription is not available to HCOS Registered students.
Logging In
There are two account options to sign in with BrainPOP.
Shared Account
There are three steps to log in to the BrainPOP shared account.
Step 2: Enter the username and password for BrainPOP from the Subs/Passwords tab in the Search Portal.
Step 3: Select “Keep using a shared account” at the bottom of the screen.
Student work is not saved when using the shared account.
Individual Student Account
There are six steps to log into the BrainPOP individual student account.
Step 1: Contact your support teacher and request a BrainPOP code.
Step 3: Enter the code from your support teacher.
Step 4: Select “Create Account."
Step 5: Complete the fields, then select "Create account."
Step 6: Use the "Log in" button for all future visits.
Navigation & Use
Students can select a specific subject or “Today’s Topic.”
Once a topic is selected, explore the available resources.
BrainPOP Educators
Parents and teachers can access BrainPOP Educators without logging into the site. The great variety of information to be found there is free to them. The link can be found by scrolling down on the home page:
BrainPOP Science
BrainPOP Science (Grades 6-8) empowers students to do, discuss, and analyze scientific ideas through inquiry-based investigations, virtual science and engineering experiments, and claim-evidence-reasoning processes.
This subscription is not available to HCOS Registered students.
Logging In
There are five steps to log in to BrainPOP Science.
Step 1: Contact your support teacher and request a BrainPOP code.
Step 2: Navigate to BrainPOP Science. Select the “Log in” button at the top right of the page, and select “I am a kid” from the drop-down menu.
Step 3: Select “Have a class code?” in the bottom right of the screen.
Step 4: Enter the code from your support teacher.
Step 5: Select "Create Account" or "Log in"(if your teacher gave you a username and password), to access your classroom.
Navigation & Use
Your support teacher will assign work for you to complete. Follow the instructions and complete the assignments.
Assignments will be cleared on July 1st. Please take screenshots of anything you'd like to save or recreate.
Canadian Reader
The Canadian Reader (Grades 3-5) is a current events resource that combines current Canadian events and geography issues to encourage students to expand their knowledge of Canada while enhancing their ability to read and understand informational text.
The magazine is published eight times a year from September to May. Each issue includes:
- A focus on key reading comprehension strategies (making connections, questioning, visualizing, inferring, summarizing, and synthesizing/transforming)
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Three news stories written at a level students can understand
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Detailed literacy-based lesson plans, including ready-to-use graphic organizers and assessment criteria
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A map assignment featuring a region of Canada highlighted in one of the articles
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A non-fiction comic strip featuring background information related to one of the news stories, accompanied by a lesson plan and supporting material
This subscription is not available to HCOS Registered students.
Logging In
Access to Canadian Reader has changed. Contact your teacher to receive access to the Canadian Reader resources
Navigation & Use
Your support teacher will need to forward the documents to you.
Magazine Formats
Magazines are available in two formats: .pdf and .docx.
- The .pdf file contains the complete document and cannot be changed. It has helpful information for parents and answer keys at the bottom of the document.
- The .docx file contains only the articles and questions. Students can complete assignments directly in the .docx document using Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
Resource Links
Students resource links that co-ordinate with the current magazines can be found here.
Currents4Kids and News4Youth
These Canadian Social Studies Subscription resources (Grades 3-12) and learning tools feature weekly articles about important news stories and empower students to understand and explore current events around the world.
Currents4Kids (Grades 3-7)
Currents4Kids is a Canadian Social Studies resource featuring weekly articles about important news stories. It empowers students to understand and explore current events worldwide.
News4Youth (Grades 7-12)
News4Youth (Grades 7-12) is an online teaching resource that brings current world events alive! Students gain weekly access to articles carefully selected from credible news sites such as cbc.ca, which are non-sensational, significant within society, and relevant to students and the curriculum.
This subscription is not available to HCOS Registered students.
Logging In
Contact your support teacher and request a Currents4Kids or a News4Youth account. Next, navigate to Currents4Kids or News4Youth and log in using the provided information.
Navigation & Use
Select "Home" from the blue bar to find the articles.
Read below to learn more about the specific features offered by Currents4Kids.
Listen to the Article
Select the arrow beneath the photo caption to hear the pre-recorded articles read aloud. Select "slow," "normal," or "fast" to set the speed at which you hear the article.
Find Definitions
To use the dictionary box located in the margin to the left of each article, type the word you’d like to look up in the box. Click ‘Go’.
Take Quizzes
Each article has two quizzes. Both consist of five multiple-choice or true/false questions.
To complete the quizzes, select the ‘Quizzes’ tab underneath the article's title.
Students can respond to the questions individually and find their results after completing the quiz. Teachers will see all the questions and possible responses.
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Students may listen to each segment of the quiz as they read by selecting the arrow to the left of the segment.
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While taking a quiz, students may go back and reread for information by selecting ‘View Story.’
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Students may also change previously completed answers by selecting ‘Prev.’ They can navigate forward by selecting ‘Next’.
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When finished, students click ‘Finish’ and then ‘View your results’ in the blue header to see their results. Alternatively, they can click ‘view’ in the table showing their quiz attempt #, date, and score.
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If students have to stop a quiz, they can select ‘save and exit’ and resume where they left off later.
Find Helpful Tutorials
Scroll to the bottom of the Subscription page and select “help & tutorials.” Scroll down on the next page that loads to “#2 Using Articles.”
Discovery Education
The Discovery Education online video library (K-Grade 12) contains over 5,000 full-length educational videos, including Canadian content correlated to the BC curriculum. Video clips and audio files are available in both English and French.
This subscription is not available to HCOS Registered students.
Logging In
There are two steps to log in to the Discovery Education shared parent account.
Step 2: Enter the username and password for Discovery Education from the Subs/Passwords tab in the Search Portal. You may need to hand-type the username and password into Discovery Ed to log in. You do not need to set up an account to use this Subscription.
Navigation & Use
Watch this short video to learn more about how students can use the Discovery Education site.
Enchanted Learning
Enchanted Learning (K-Grade 5) provides crafts and activities to capture the imagination while maximizing creativity, learning, and enjoyment. Their mission is to produce the best educational material, emphasizing creativity and the pure enjoyment of learning.
Logging In
There are two steps to log in to Enchanted Learning.
Step 2: Enter the username and password for Enchanted Learning from the Subs/Passwords tab in the Search Portal.
You may find that you are not logged in the first time you try. A second attempt will usually get you into Enchanted Learning.
Navigation & Use
Use the Site Index to view major topics(eg. astronomy, geography, K-3 Themes, printable books, Spanish, etc.).
Students may find it easier to explore the site using the Little Explorers Picture Dictionary. To find a topic, look it up in the dictionary and click on the picture to go to a page on that picture. For example, to find the topic “dinosaurs,” go to the D Page, scroll down until you find the entry for dinosaurs, and select the dinosaur.
To find an activity related to an event that happened on a particular day in history, go to the activity calendar. To see newly added pages, visit the What’s New section.
EVERFI
EVERFI (K-Grade 12) covers digital citizenship, STEM, financial literacy, health education, and career readiness. Activities are short, relevant, and engaging.
Logging In
There are six steps to log into EVERFI.
Step 1: Email our Subscriptions Facilitator, Margaret Basaraba, for the EVERFI registration code.
Step 2: Navigate to EVERFI, then select the “Register” button next to “Don’t have an account?”
Step 3: Select "Student."
Step 4: Enter the registration code.
Step 5: Select an age range.
Step 6: Complete the form to create your account. Remember your username and password so you can log in again.
Navigation & Use
Below are the subject areas and suggested grade levels for EVERFI courses. Students can use the "Listen" option, which allows them to hear text read aloud.
Word Force is the only course available for K - 2.
Financial Literacy
- Vault – Understanding Money (Grade 4-6)
- Venture Entrepreneurial Expedition (Grade 7-10)
- EVERFI Financial Literacy (Grade 9-12)
- Minding Your Money: Skills For Life (Gr. 9-12)
- Marketplaces: Investing Basics (Grade 9-12)
- Crypto Foundations (Gr. 9-12)
- Data Science Foundations (Gr. 9-12)
- Data Science Exploration: Financial Wellness (Gr. 9-12)
- Econ Foundations: Economics For High School (Gr. 9-12)
- Keys To Your Future: College & Career Readiness (Gr. 8-12)
STEM
- Future Goals – Hockey Scholar (Gr. 4-7, Science or Math)
- Ignition – Digital Wellness and Safety (Gr. 6-9)
- Endeavour – STEM Career Exploration (Gr. 6-9)
Physical and Health Education
- AlcoholEdu® (Gr. 8-12)
- Prescription Drug Safety (Gr. 8-12)
- Character Playbook (Gr. 6-9)
- Healthier Me – Wellness Fundamentals for Middle School (Gr. 6-8)
- Healthier Me: Intro to Wellness (Gr. 4-6)
- Honour Code – Bullying Prevention (Gr. 8-10)
- The Compassion Project (2 Courses Gr. 2-4 and Gr. 4-6)
- Understanding Mental Wellness (Gr. 8-12)
- Sustainability Foundations: Ready to Recycle (Gr. 5-8)
- Sustainability Foundations (Gr. 5-8)
- Sustainability Foundations: Plants, Animals, and Our World (Gr. 5-8)
- WORD Force: an Early Literacy Adventure (Gr. K-2)
Explora Canada
Explora Canada (Grades 8-12) supports student research with rich, reliable content and easy-to-use functionality. It is a modern and efficient research experience designed specifically for schools and public libraries.
Logging In
Navigate to Explora Canada. Enter the username and password for Explora from the Subs/Passwords tab in the Search Portal.
Student work is not saved when using the shared account. Students must set up a personal account in EBSCOhost Student folders to save their research in Explora Canada.
Navigation & Use
Research Made Easy With Explora video.
EBSCOhost has improved its interface to make searching easier. Check out the Explora Quick Start Guide for helpful articles.
Research and writing tips for students are found under “Research Guide” at the bottom of the left-hand menu:
Here are some recommended tutorials:
- Basic Search on EBSCOhost
- Browsing Subject Terms in EBSCOhost Databases
- Advanced Search on EBSCOhost
Flipster Magazines
Flipster Magazines (K-Grade 12) is an innovative digital magazine platform that allows easy browsing on various topics.
Logging In
Navigate to Flipster. Enter the username and password for Flipster Magazines from the Subs/Passwords tab in the Search Portal. You do not need to set up an account to use these magazines.
Navigation & Use
Click below to learn more about specific magazines available through this subscription.
Ranger Rick Jr. (K-Grade 2)
Ranger Rick Jr. is filled with fun, age-appropriate animal facts, stories, photos, exciting outdoor activities, and lots of games, crafts, and recipes. Great for beginning readers! Monthly Parent Reading Guides help enhance the Ranger Rick Jr. subscription by recommending ways to use the magazine to encourage a strong foundation for early literacy development. There are 10 issues published per year.
Chickadee (Grades 1-4)
Created in 1979, Chickadee satisfies the 6- to 9-year-old’s insatiable thirst for knowledge and appetite for humour. Chickadee acknowledges the growing independence of primary-aged children and fosters their curiosity about and connection to the world around them.
Every month, the Chickadee team creates interactive stories, puzzles, animal features, and science experiments to educate and entertain readers.
Kayak Magazine (Grades 2-7)
Kayak Magazine is designed to catch the imagination of 7 to 12-year-olds. Every issue introduces children to Canada's fascinating stories and shows them our history in context with today's world! Educational and entertaining, Kayak imparts knowledge of Canada's fascinating history.
Les Débrouillards (Grades 4-9)
Les Débrouillards is a French language magazine about nature, the environment, technology, space, the human body, communications, history, and the future. There are 11 issues published per year (September to July). Each issue includes the following features:
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Illustrated reports on animals, nature, the environment, technology, ecology, physical and natural sciences
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Collectable cards
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Comics and games
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Interactive chronicles
British Columbia History Magazine (Grades 8-12)
Discover British Columbia’s Past! British Columbia History is the British Columbia Historical Federation’s flagship publication, a quarterly magazine chronicling British Columbia’s unique story through the words and images of community writers, archivists, museum professionals, academic historians, and more.
Fresh, engaging, personal, and relevant, every issue is packed with articles, photographs, maps, illustrations, book reviews, and insights into local archives. They publish four issues per year.
The British Columbia History Magazine also publishes a Study Guide. The focus of the study guide is to encourage students to dig deeper into history to find a quiet or unheard voice. The guide will deepen understanding and knowledge of colonial histories and the current realities of Indigenous People, as well as an understanding of social injustices and discriminatory policies in Canada (including Residential Schools, the head tax, the legal system, disenfranchisement, and internment).
Focused Education Resources
Focused Education Resources (K-Grade 12) is a consortium of BC public school districts and independent schools that work together to create accessible learning resources for BC schools.
See the available resources below.
Logging In
On Campus
To log in go here.
No username and password are required if you are on campus at Flex Academy. You can move easily between the different BC Digital Classroom resources.
At Home
To log in go here.
Scroll down to click on the icon for the subscription you wish to access, and a login page will open. You will then enter the username and password found in the Search Portal on the Subs/Password tab.
Once you have logged in to one of the resources on the Focused Ed page, you can easily move to another resource title without signing in again. Focused Ed will allow you to move between resources after signing in only once. Each new resource that you open will open in a new tab.
You may see this login area at the top right of the page (Especially on the Nat Geo Kids resource) as you move between resources. You DO NOT need to use this area to log in again. Scroll down the page and begin using the resource.
Navigation & Use
Once you have logged in to one of the resources on the Focused Ed page, you can move to another resource title without signing in again.
Each resource on the Focused Ed page has its own instruction page in the Subscriptions Chapter.
The Core Collection
includes resources from these vendors:
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myBlueprint (We purchase an expanded version. Find the access on the Search Portal.)
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Twig Science (Now available to families)
The a la Carte Collection
includes the following resources (Some resources require teachers to set up an account):
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Idello (This resource is only available to French Immersion schools.)
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Live it Earth (Your resource teacher can set up your account.)
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myBlueprint (We purchase an expanded version. Find access on the Search Portal.)
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Teens 101 (Secular site. Please preview items before using them.)
- Twig Science Reporter
Gale Databases
Gale Databases (Grades 8-12) is one of the world leaders in research and educational publishing. This subscription includes full-text magazine and newspaper articles and articles from over 600 online databases with up-to-date subject matter. Gale Databases are accessed through Focused Education Resources and the BC Digital Classroom.
Focused Education Resources is a not-for-profit, shared services organization that supports excellence in K-12 education in British Columbia. It is a consortium of BC public school districts and independent schools that work together to create accessible learning resources for BC schools. Within Focused Education Resources is the BC Digital Classroom, which houses many of the subscriptions available to HCOS and Flex families.
Read below to learn more about the specific databases available through Gale.
Gale in Context: Canada
Gale in Context: Canada contains information on various Canadian topics, people, places, and events. Students can access content written from a Canadian perspective, including full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, primary source documents, images, videos, audio files, and links to vetted websites organized into a user-friendly portal experience.
Gale in Context: Global Issues
Gale in Context: Global Issues offers international viewpoints on global issues, topics, and current events. Resources may be a springboard for critical thinking and analysis of social, political, military, economic, environmental, health, and cultural issues. Students can access articles, references, periodicals, primary sources, and statistical information.
Gale in Context: Science
Gale in Context: Science provides information on hundreds of today’s most significant science topics. Note that the Science in Context site also includes some Math topics.
Gale Power Search
Gale PowerSearch is a periodical, reference, multimedia, and primary source information search platform.
Logging In
There are two steps to log in to Gale Databases.
Step 2: Enter the username and password for Gale Databases from the Subs/Passwords tab in the Search Portal.
Navigation & Use
Gale Databases are designed to function intuitively like other search engines.
The Advanced Search feature underneath the search bar allows users to add filters and generate more specific results.
Topic Finder invites users to find information organized by topic. Results can be formatted as tiles or a wheel. Below is the result of a search for “First Nations.”
The Educator Resources tab has a research toolkit with tips and strategies for students to fine-tune their research skills.
Content Levels and Lexile Measures allow readers to determine whether an article is written at an appropriate reading level for their learning needs.
The Translate button invites students to translate articles into a different language. Once a language has been selected, click on the "Complete Translation" button. The article's text will be translated, and the speaker button will allow the student to hear the article spoken in the selected language. This could be very useful when learning a second language.
The Listen toolbar features read-aloud options and downloadable mp3s. The settings icon ⚙️ provides assistive technology options, including highlighting words, high contrast mode, speed adjust, and enhanced text visibility. Click on it to learn more and apply these features.
Gizmos
Gizmos (Grades 3-12) is an interactive math and science simulation library. There are over 475 Gizmos to bring powerful new learning experiences to students. Gizmos use an inquiry-based approach to learning validated by extensive research as a highly effective way to build conceptual understanding.
This subscription is not available to HCOS Registered students.
Logging In
There are four steps to log into Gizmos.
Step 1: Contact our Subscriptions Facilitator, Margaret Basaraba, through email or Live Chat on regular school days from 9 am. to 3 pm. for the Gizmos class codes.
Step 3: Click "Have a Class Code?"
Step 4: Enter the class code.
Gizmos has classrooms that students can sign into and work in independently. Student work is saved, and support teachers can log in to view progress.
Navigation & Use
Select “Launch” to begin using a Gizmos.
When your Gizmo opens, you will see “Lesson Info” and the arrows to select to make the Gizmo fullscreen in the top right corner. Click your keyboard escape button to exit the fullscreen view.
Selecting the “Lesson info” drop-down menu will display the student exploration sheet, which explains how to use the Gizmo. Students can type directly into the document by saving the file to their computer and then typing in either Microsoft Word or Google Docs. There are also vocabulary sheets available for student use.
Assessment questions are located below the Gizmo. Exit fullscreen mode, then scroll to the bottom.
Here are some suggestions for families wishing to use Gizmos with K-Grade 2 students:
- Math Gizmos for Grades-K-2 (.docx file)
- Math Gizmos for Grades-K-2 (.pdf file)
- Science Gizmos for Grades K-2 (.docx file)
- Science Gizmos for Grades K-2 (.pdf file)
HearBuilder
HearBuilder (K-Grade 8) is an online literacy program that provides systematic instruction in basic concepts, following directions, phonological awareness, sequencing, and auditory memory.
This subscription is not available to HCOS Registered students.
Logging In
HearBuilder has a limited number of seats. It is available by referral from your support teacher.
Navigation & Use
Once logged in to HearBuilder, choose one of the four programs. Select the "Home" button in the top left corner to return to the home screen. HearBuilder recommends 15 minutes per day for four to five days per week.
KnowBC (Encyclopedia of BC)
KnowBC (K-Grade 12) is BC's leading general reference site. It combines many resources, including the Encyclopedia of BC, which contains 4,000 articles and 1,000 pictures about British Columbia. The KnowBC website is accessed through Focused Education Resources and the BC Digital Classroom.
Focused Education Resources is a not-for-profit, shared services organization that supports excellence in K-12 education in British Columbia. It is a consortium of BC public school districts and independent schools that work together to create accessible learning resources for BC schools. Within Focused Education Resources is the BC Digital Classroom, which houses many of the subscriptions available to HCOS and Flex families.
Logging In
There are two steps to log in to KnowBC.
Step 2: Enter the username and password for KnowBC from the Subs/Passwords tab in the Search Portal.
Navigation & Use
Use the search bar on the left side of the page and select “Searching KnowBC” to find a list of links for the many resources that are available to you through KnowBC.
Use the green bar on the top of the home page to find the resources listed there. Use the advanced search button on the top right of the page to search multiple resources at once.
Learn360
Learn360 (K-Grade 12) is the ultimate streaming multimedia resource. Users can access 200,000 media resources, including videos, interactives, printables, audio content, maps, flags, and more. It is a powerful tool for blended instruction and project-based learning.
This subscription is not available to HCOS Registered students.
Logging In
Navigate to Learn360, then enter the username and password for Learn360 from the Subs/Passwords tab in the Search Portal.
If you would like to set up a personal student account, Contact our Subscriptions Facilitator, Margaret Basaraba, through Live Chat on regular school days from 9 am. to 3 pm. for the student passkey.
Navigation & Use
When you enter Learn360, you will see the main menu at the top of your screen.
Topic Centers pull together many resources found in Learn360 for a given topic.
You can simplify your search by selecting the hamburger menu (three lines) to the left of the Learn360 logo and selecting a grade range. Learn360 will use this grade range to filter as you search for new topics.
You can save research information by selecting the icon next to “Hi Heritage” and then selecting “My Content” from the drop-down menu. Create a folder, give it a title, and save your items in the folder.
Select the Learn360 logo to return to the home page.
Live It Earth
Live It Earth (K-Grade 8) features new cross-curricular activities and challenges throughout the school year. Once a month, a live video presentation called "Feature Show" can be accessed, which is then saved to the dashboard for future use. The Live It Earth website is accessed through Focused Education Resources and the BC Digital Classroom.
Focused Education Resources is a not-for-profit, shared services organization that supports excellence in K-12 education in British Columbia. It is a consortium of BC public school districts and independent schools that work together to create accessible learning resources for BC schools. Within Focused Education Resources is the BC Digital Classroom, which houses many of the subscriptions available to HCOS and Flex families.
This subscription is not available to HCOS Registered students.
Logging In
There are four steps to log in to Live It Earth.
Step 1: Contact your support teacher and request a Live It Earth passcode.
Step 3: Select the “Login” button.
Step 4: Enter the passcode from your support teacher.
Navigation & Use
Click on the tabs at the top of the home page to access the various resources. You can toggle between English and French by using the drop-down menu at the top right corner of the page.
Matific
Matific (K-Grade 6) is a game-based platform for building specific mathematical concepts and skills. Each episode is 5-15 minutes, engaging students in playing math games while helping them master core math concepts.
This subscription is not available to HCOS Registered students.
Logging In
There are two types of accounts: student accounts and parent accounts.
Student Account
There are three steps to log into the student account.
Step 1: Contact your support teacher and request a username and password.
Step 3: Enter the password provided by your support teacher, then click the orange "Log in" button.
Parent Account
There are five steps to log in to the parent account.
Step 1: Email your support teacher to request and ask for your email address to be added to your child's account. You will receive an email to verify your account and set up a password.
Step 2: Log in to your child’s Matific account and click on the blue cog in the upper right corner.
Step 3: Choose “Parent” from the list of options.
Step 4: Sign in using your parent password, then click the green "Continue" button.
Step 5: Select your child's name to see their report and progress.
Navigation & Use
Students will be given a placement test called “Pilot Training.” Students need to complete the placement test without assistance so they are placed at the appropriate level.
First, students can choose to set up an avatar and a nickname. Then, students will enter Adventure Island and begin their “Pilot Training.” When they finish the placement test, they will see their Pilot Badge on the screen and begin to travel down the Adventure Island path.
Parent-Assigned Activities
Parents can choose to assign their children's activities using the "Parent Assigned" category on the "Assigned Work" map by logging in to their parent account and following these four steps.
Step 1: On the Parent Dashboard, scroll down to "Skill Performance" and select the drop-down arrow.
Step 2: Select up to five activities by clicking the title, then clicking "Assign 5 activities." Click the "X" to close the page.
Step 3: Once you have assigned work, select "Switch user" at the top of the page to return to your child's workspace.
Step 4: View the "Assigned Work" island to confirm that work is assigned (look for the green circle). As each of the assignments is completed, the number on the island will decrease.
Stuck on a Problem
If your student is on a problem and cannot move forward, use the bookmark tab to go to the next problem. It is found on the top right corner of the page.
myBlueprint
MyBlueprint (Grades 7-12) is a Career Education planner. The platform is a great asset as our students prepare for the creation of their digital portfolios and the world of work. Some of the features students will find in myBlueprint are:
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Goals: Create goals with interactive action plans and monitor your progress.
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Who Am I: Complete five career life assessment surveys and take compatibility surveys to explore available occupations related to personal strengths and areas of interest.
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High School: Develop a graduation plan and map out course progress. Using the pathway eligibility box, determine eligible post-secondary programs based on the course’s input onto the grid.
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Post-Secondary: Explore the post-secondary database of over 12,000 post-secondary programs across Canada and learn more about admission requirements.
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Occupations: Investigate over 500 occupations in our database, determine requirements, and create a plan for the future.
This subscription is not available to HCOS Registered students.
Logging In
There are five steps to log in to myBlueprint.
Step 2: Enter the activation key for myBlueprint from the Subs/Passwords tab in the Search Portal.
Step 3: Select "Student" for the account type.
Step 4: Select your grade level, then click on the green "Continue" button.
Step 5: Complete the form, then click on the green "Continue" button.
Once your account is set up, visit myBlueprint and click the "Log In" button to enter your username/email and password. Your teacher may have done this in advance and you will be able to bypass the steps above.
Navigation & Use
The best place to start is by visiting the Education Planner Resources hub. There are many resources on a variety of topics, including Getting Started, Implementation & Curriculum, Exemplar Portfolios & Checklists, Lesson Plans, and Course Packages. Be sure to select "British Columbia" in the province filter box to access the resources for BC students.
Here are some selected highlights from the Education Planner Resources hub:
- The Getting Started Guide For Students is a four-page booklet written in student-friendly language with visuals and includes a helpful checklist of everything needed to get started on myBlueprint.
- The Getting Started Guide for Family provides parents and guardians with a step-by-step explanation of creating a Family account, linking it with a student, and exploring its features.
- The Education Planner Videos for quick help in using each step.
Career and Life Assessment Surveys
The "Who Am I?" video explains how students can use the five career and life assessment surveys.
Year At A Glance
The Year at a Glance documents offer a month-by-month breakdown of learning goals, student activities, and valuable resources for successfully implementing the Education Planner for Grade 7-12 students. Click the links below to access the resources for each grade level:
Beyond Graduation
When students reach the end of their Grade 12 year and are ready to graduate, myBlueprint will prompt them to update the email on their account from a school email to a personal one. Adding a personal email will ensure that students will retain full access to their myBlueprint accounts free of charge after graduation.
According to their Privacy Policy, myBlueprint will delete accounts that have been inactive for more than 24 months. Before deletion, students will be notified via email to prompt them to log in to their accounts to keep access. If they do so, the 24-month window resets. If the student still does not log in, the account will be deleted.
Mystery Science
Mystery Science (K-Grade 5) contains hands-on, low-prep, easy-to-use activities to engage students in learning the "doing" of science and engineering. There are three levels for families to choose from:
- Mini-Lessons are for families on the go looking for quick lessons. (5-15 minutes per week)
- Core Lessons are for families who enjoy hands-on science learning. (40-60 minutes per week)
- Anchor Layer is for families who want to dive deep and thoroughly explore science topics (60-120 minutes per week).
This subscription is not available to HCOS Registered students.
Logging In
First, select which mysteries you want to use by visiting the Mystery Science Lessons by Grade Level spreadsheet. The previous link also contains the titles of the "Mini-Mysteries" which are each about five minutes long. You may also find it useful to select your mysteries from the Mystery Science Year Plan. Once you have selected your lessons, email your support teacher with the lesson names to receive a student link.
Navigation & Use
For information about getting started, visit the Mystery Science – Getting Started hub.
Mystery Doug is a weekly video series from the creators of Mystery Science that inspires students to ask questions! It’s the perfect five-minute break for morning meetings, snack time, or any transitions in your day. Mystery Doug can also be found on YouTube.
Purchasing Access to Mystery Science
Families can sign up for a paid account through the HCOS purchasing department at a cost of $99.00 USD. Mystery Science offers discounts on homeschool memberships during their early April and August sales of about $69.00 USD.
If parents purchase an account in Mystery Science and their teacher sends them a link, it will not open if the parent is signed in to their purchased account. Parents will need to sign out and clear their browser cache before clicking the link sent by the teacher. Parents do not need to log in to be able to open the link.
National Film Board Education
The NFB Education (K- Grade 12) includes creative documentaries, animation, interactive stories, and participatory experiences. Their mission is to provide new perspectives on Canada and the world from Canadian points of view that serve Canadian and global audiences through an imaginative exploration of who we are and what we may be. The National Film Board website is accessed through Focused Education Resources and the BC Digital Classroom.
Focused Education Resources is a not-for-profit, shared services organization that supports excellence in K-12 education in British Columbia. It is a consortium of BC public school districts and independent schools that work together to create accessible learning resources for BC schools. Within Focused Education Resources is the BC Digital Classroom, which houses many of the subscriptions available to HCOS and Flex families.
Logging In
The Education Menu
There is no longer a username and password to enter the Education Menu.
The Media School
Media school is for teachers and students aged 13+. Logging in is required.
Step 2: Select "Sign In" from the left menu bar.
Step 3: Select "Create your NFB account."
Step 4: Set up your account.
- Create your password.
- Select the box "I have read and agree to the NFB Privacy Policy."
- Select "Sign up."
The next time you log in go to nfb.ca. and select "Sign in" from the menu on the left.
Navigation & Use
Select “Education” from the menu on the left of the page.
Select “More Resources” from the top menu bar. Then select “Professional Development” from the drop-down menu.
Digital Storytelling is an introductory workshop on media production. Students can navigate through videos and interactive activities related to the different stages of film production. They will acquire the tools to create digital stories and dynamic videos using accessible equipment (e.g., smartphones, software).
Ocean School is an environmental resource that aims to create a generation of ocean-literate citizens. A team of educators and scientists take learners on a global aquatic expedition that provides the knowledge and tools to produce innovative solutions to the world’s oceans' growing challenges.
Mini-Lessons are set up within school subjects and recommended age groups. They include an educational synopsis, overarching questions, activities, short films, historical context, and online resources.
Educational Playlists are selections of films on curricular themes which address the important issues of the day. Many of the playlists are also linked to the study guides.
NFB Study Guides are designed to facilitate the integration of films into student learning. Study guides are written by Canadian educators and are designed to be a starting point for creating personalized lesson plans.
Difficulties streaming a film?
Please update your browser if the player window does not appear on the film page. If you still cannot see the film player, please get in touch with Margaret Basaraba through LiveChat on school days from 9 am. to 3 pm. She will need to know your browser type and version, and if you are trying to watch our films on a school network or via a proxy server.
If you can see the player but can’t play the film you wish to view, please check whether you experience the same problem when viewing other films or the same film at a different resolution. The player window should automatically adapt the quality to your connection quality, but you can also choose your quality level. If you experience this problem with only one film, please contact Margaret Basaraba with the film's name and the resolution setting so the National Film Board team can investigate further. If you experience this problem with all films, please upgrade your browser and/or use a different internet browser (e.g., Safari, Firefox, Chrome).
If the film you are trying to watch starts and stops, try selecting a lower resolution for video playback. Using a wired connection instead of Wi-Fi and reducing the traffic on your network (e.g., downloading other files simultaneously) may also improve playback.
National Geographic Kids
National Geographic Kids (K-Grade 7) is a children's magazine published by the National Geographic Society. It is a one-stop shop for elementary and middle school students interested in the cultural or natural world. The National Geographic Kids website is accessed through Focused Education Resources and the BC Digital Classroom.
Focused Education Resources is a not-for-profit, shared services organization that supports excellence in K-12 education in British Columbia. It is a consortium of BC public school districts and independent schools that work together to create accessible learning resources for BC schools. Within Focused Education Resources is the BC Digital Classroom, which houses many of the subscriptions available to HCOS and Flex families.
Logging In
There are two steps to log in to National Geographic Kids.
Step 2: Enter the username and password for National Geographic Kids from the Subs/Passwords tab in the Search Portal.
Navigation & Use
National Geographic has magazines, books, videos, and pictures.
Headings on the site can be changed to different languages through the drop-down menu at the top right of the page.
The language and font size of articles can be changed in the menu above the article.
Articles can be cited, downloaded, saved, and printed.
Advanced Search can be used to make your search more specific.
PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next
PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next (K-Grade 5) are searchable databases covering animals, science, biographies, social studies, and health. It is a fantastic tool to build basic research skills.
PebbleGo (K-Grade 3) has built-in reading and research tools such as levelled texts, consistent navigation, fun educational games, and spoken-word audio that models correct pronunciation and fluency.
PebbleGo Next (Grades 3-5) provides curriculum-connected articles designed for intermediate-aged students.
This subscription is not available to HCOS Registered students.
Logging In
Use the PebbleGo link in the Subs/Passwords tab in the Search Portal.
Navigation & Use
Visit the Resources Centre to locate videos, lesson plans, and content maps.
PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next use visual navigation tools. Users can search by either typing into the search bar or clicking on the bread crumb pictures underneath the search bar. Selecting any of the pictures will take you back to that specific page.
Students can choose to play games or answer the question of the day.
PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next also include assistive technology. Hover your mouse over headings in to hear them read aloud. Articles are read aloud by selecting the arrow at the article's beginning. Select highlighted words to read or hear the definition.
Once students have chosen an article, a new bar appears at the bottom of the page with several options.
ProQuest (Historical BC Newspapers)
ProQuest (Historical BC newspapers) (Grades 8-12) includes over 365 million pages of world-class collections, 325 years of historical periodical content, and 350 years of global, national, and regional newspapers. ProQuest gives researchers access to more than 125 years of the historical archives of The Province (1894-2010), the Vancouver Sun (1912-2010), and the Times-Colonist (1884 -2010), including in-depth insights into how stories and perspectives evolved over the decades. Students can review primary source material through local and regional stories, events, and people. ProQuest is accessed through Focused Education Resources and the BC Digital Classroom.
Focused Education Resources is a not-for-profit, shared services organization that supports excellence in K-12 education in British Columbia. It is a consortium of BC public school districts and independent schools that work together to create accessible learning resources for BC schools. Within Focused Education Resources is the BC Digital Classroom, which houses many of the subscriptions available to HCOS and Flex families.
Logging In
There are two steps to log in to ProQuest.
Step 2: Enter the username and password for ProQuest from the Subs/Passwords tab in the Search Portal.
Navigation & Use
To begin using ProQuest, you must accept cookies at the bottom of the page. Until you do this, the homepage is grayed out.
You can search for Historical BC Newspapers using a basic or advanced search. You can also search by publications or databases. You can see in the picture below that you are searching three databases. In the advanced search, you can limit your search by source, document type, and language after entering your search terms.
Once you have started a search, you can return to the home page by clicking on the ProQuest logo at the top left.
Select the hamburger menu (three lines) and choose “All Databases (5)” from the drop-down menu. You can also access the Support Center by clicking the button at the bottom of this menu.
Reading Eggs, Fast Phonics, & Reading Eggspress
Reading Eggs (K-Grade 7) focuses on a core phonics and sight words curriculum using skills and strategies essential for sustained reading success.
Reading Eggs (K-Grade 2) makes learning to read interesting and engaging for kids with great online reading games and activities. Games, songs, golden eggs, and other rewards motivate students to keep exploring and learning as they build foundational literacy skills.
Reading Eggspress (Grades 2-7) is designed for older readers and provides a unique and effective learning environment. It focuses on building reading fluency and comprehension, spelling and vocabulary, and writing skills, including grammar and punctuation, in an exciting and relevant way. Teachers can assign a read-aloud activity via Reading Eggspress assignments. Students record themselves reading for one minute in a stress-free environment of their choice. Teachers can then remotely listen to these recordings, assess fluency and provide personalized, constructive feedback on student performance.
Fast Phonics (K-Grade 5) is an online synthetic phonics program where children learn essential phonics skills, including letter‑sound recognition, blending, and spelling. Children explore fun activities, decodable reading books, and meet lovable characters like the Reading Eggs Yeti.
This subscription is not available to HCOS Registered students.
Logging In
There are three steps to log in to Reading Eggs, Reading Eggspress, or Fast Phonics.
Step 1: Contact your support teacher and request login information.
Step 3: Enter the login information from your support teacher.
Navigation & Use
Here are some helpful videos to review during the initial start-up process:
You can also review more tutorial video content on the Reading Eggs site or try a sample lesson in Reading Eggspress.
Reading Eggs printable library.
If you would like to share your student's reading progress with your support teacher, consider using a voice recorder (e.g., Vocaroo) and sharing the file.
Please preview content before using it with your students, especially in Reading Eggspress, as there may be secular content. These books are optional and are not required reading. Families are advised to actively check texts to make choices that align with their family’s values.
Additional Learning Opportunities
Story Factory (Lessons 11+) invites students to practice writing skills and storytelling by creating their own storybooks. Students can save their books to My House for later rereading or submit them to a weekly contest.
Reggie’s Shop Arcade (Lessons 7+) and My House (Lessons 11+) motivate learners by awarding Golden Eggs to celebrate their learning achievements. In Reggie’s Shop, students can cash in their Golden Eggs to decorate their house or dress their avatars. In the Arcade, students can also spend their Golden Eggs and play educational games.
Spelling Skills Bank (Lessons 41+) incorporates lessons that test spelling strategies, including word structure, word families, meaning, segmentation, phonics, and repetition to build spelling knowledge.
Puzzle Park (Lessons 41+) allows students to experience brain-stretching puzzles that reinforce comprehension, high-frequency sight word knowledge, vocabulary development, and problem-solving.
Driving Tests (Lessons 41+) assess reading skills such as high-frequency sight words, phonics skills, and vocabulary. Students are rewarded with an exciting racing game when they answer questions correctly.
Storylands (Lessons 61+) focuses on expanding vocabulary and building comprehension skills using activities, levelled texts, and a comprehension quiz in each lesson.
Troubleshooting
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Refresh your page.
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Ensure you have a strong internet connection.
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Ensure you access the Reading Eggs via the internet address bar and not through shortcuts or bookmarks.
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Delete your browsing history (temporary internet files/cache/cookies), as your computer may continually memorize the same error. Google “clear cache” and choose your browser for instructions.
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Upgrade to Google Chrome.
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Investigate whether you have a parental lock or anti-virus software blocking the site. Ensure the following URLs are on your safe list:
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readingeggs.com
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readingeggspress.com
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student.readingeggspress.com
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RightNow Media
RightNow Media (K-Grade 12) is a video library of Bible study topics for students of all ages, including a "Just for Kids" section.
This subscription is not available to HCOS Registered students.
Logging In
Find the login link under the Subs/Password tab on the Search Portal. Follow the instructions to set up an account.
Navigation & Use
Select the "Browse" button in the top left corner to get a quick idea of what is available. Once on the "Browse" page, you can refine your search by selecting the "Advanced Search" button at the far right.
Assistive technology options include "audio only" and picture-in-picture settings.
You can find RightNow Media Kids by selecting the "Kids" button in the top left corner. Select the logo at any time to return to the homepage.
Explore the RightNow Media Roadmaps for in-depth ideas on how to implement a year-round Christian Studies curriculum.
TeachingBooks
TeachingBooks (K-Grade12) is an online database that explores children’s books and young adult literature. The database provides access to additional materials (e.g., short movies, audio book readings, book discussion guides) to enhance learning, including the following features:
Logging In
Navigation & Use
TeachingBooks can also be accessed through Sora.
TeachingBooks has Early Childhood Resources available for parents. These include book suggestions, printables, instructional supports, timely topics, and ready-to-use ideas.
Digital Escape rooms are a fun way to engage students and enhance learning. Navigate to Digital Escape Rooms, then select a book title from the list. Scroll down to select "Book Guides, Activities, and Lessons." Scroll down the next page to the Digital Escape Room button.
Games include Book Cover Jigsaw Puzzles, Book Description Word Search, Concentration, and Author/Illustrator Name Game.
Fluent French and Spanish speakers may wish to use French Language Resources or Spanish Language Resources. Please note these resources are not for French or Spanish language learners.
Touch-type Read & Spell
Touch-type Read and Spell (TTRS) (Grades 3-12) is a typing course that is a highly accessible, multi-sensory course that teaches touch-typing, reading, and spelling at the same time. TTRS has 24 levels, each with 31 modules. Modules contain words organized into groups of spelling patterns. Students practice typing these patterns using the correct fingering for touch-typing. At the end of every four modules, there is a dictation module to reinforce patterns previously practiced. The keyboard and screen can be customized for sensory comfort and support.
This course is designed for students who also have difficulty synthesizing phonemes. Engaging the skill of touch-typing aims to provide an additional avenue of learning. It is an excellent resource for students challenged by dyslexia.
This subscription is not available to HCOS Registered students.
Logging In
There are three steps to log in to TTRS.
Step 1: Complete the TTRS request form found in the Search Portal.
Step 2: Wait for an email from Subscriptions Coordinator Margaret Basaraba with a username and password.
If you are a Flex family don't use the steps above. Navigate to TTRS and enter the username and password that your Flex teacher has given you.
Navigation & Use
Once you have logged in to the dashboard, you will see a bar at the top to access the TTRS main course, including statistics, subjects, messages, settings, notifications, and your profile information.
The Subjects tab allows students to practice words within specific areas of interest (e.g., Art, Fitness, Gaming, Music, GCSE Religious Education through Christianity) or English Language Arts content (e.g., spelling, grammar, parts of speech).
Parents are encouraged to preview age range suggestions for subjects to be sure the subjects chosen are age appropriate.
Visit the TTRS Help Centre for more information on adjusting settings. It may also be helpful to download this printable daily checklist to keep track of progress.
Turning Audio Off
The default setting is for TTRS to read the words that are being typed. The audio track accompanies the letters as they appear on screen reinforcing sound-letter correspondence, which is a crucial skill for sounding out words in reading.
If you wish to turn the audio off, select "Settings" from the top menu bar.
Next, click on "Audio Setting" from the left menu bar.
Toggle the "Play word audio" button off, then click the green "Apply Changes" button on the left of the screen. You may also want to turn off "Announce Spacebar," and "Training. The" Announce module praise" feature gives a brief amount of applause as students finish a module.
Finding Reports
Select the "My Stats" tab to see how your student is doing.
The next page to load will show you the reports from the "Main Course." If your student is working in the "Subjects" area of the course, you will need to select "Subjects" to see those reports.
Twig Science
Twig Science (Grades 6-10) is an interactive science program that immerses students in the exciting world of science and natural phenomena. It has thousands of short videos covering math and science, plus 80+ hands-on experiments. The Twig Science website is accessed through Focused Education Resources and the BC Digital Classroom.
Focused Education Resources is a not-for-profit, shared services organization that supports excellence in K-12 education in British Columbia. It is a consortium of BC public school districts and independent schools that work together to create accessible learning resources for BC schools. Within Focused Education Resources is the BC Digital Classroom, which houses many of the subscriptions available to HCOS and Flex families.
Logging In
There are two steps to log in to Twig Science.
Step 2: Enter the username and password for Twig Science from the Subs/Passwords tab in the Search Portal.
Navigation & Use
Using the main menu, users can explore Twig Science resources by subject.
Click the "Find videos" button on the top right corner to access the drop-down menu to select how you would like to use Twig Science.
Mindmaps and Twig Videos
There are many different types of Twig videos available for Science and Math. Select "Mind Maps" from the drop-down menu and select a topic. Each heading branches into more specific headings as you narrow your search.
- Experiment Videos are a series of short videos that show actual experiments in lab conditions. Setup, Method and Analysis are shown, along with real-world applications of the science, all accompanied by extensive learning materials.
- Curriculum Videos get straight to the facts in just three minutes. They are directly linked to core learning, and these videos will fit neatly into your lesson plans. Top tip: These videos sit in the larger circles in the center of each topic Mindmap.
- Context Videos place learning in the real world and show students the relevance of their studies. Twig’s context videos show abstract concepts in action in the real world. Top tip: Context videos sit in smaller circles around the edge of the topic Mindmap.
- Science Glossary Videos contain key scientific terms that are defined in just 60 seconds and reinforce abstract concepts. Top tip: Related glossary videos are in the Glossary tab underneath the video player.
Twig Science Reporter
Twig Science Reporter (K - 8) is a weekly science news service. The brainchild of Twig Education and Imperial College London, it has been created to help families connect science lessons with real-world news.
Logging In
- Enter Focused Education.
- Scroll down to the "Twig" icon at the bottom of the page and select it.
- Select "sign up for free."
4. Fill in the form. Fill in the form using "Central Okanagan #23" as your school district and "Heritage Christian Online School" as your school. Select finish.
5. To continue to your account, select the "skip" button at the bottom of the page.
Alternatively, you can also go to YouTube and subscribe to this link. This gives you access to many of the Twig Science Reporters' videos from Imagine Learning. Scroll down after using the link.
Navigation & Use
News Updates
Don't miss the latest developments in science and engineering with weekly films focusing on current news and significant world events.
Features
Don't miss the latest developments in science and engineering with weekly films focusing on current news and significant world events.
Videos
Discover the answers to curious questions and meet the craziest creatures with engaging and thought-provoking videos.
Fact Packs
Explore science-related facts with text-based resources.
Tynker
Tynker (K-Grade 10) teaches coding as students create games and animated projects. Students gain a solid foundation in programming and computational thinking, which prepares them to transition to any mainstream object-oriented programming language. After learning the fundamentals, students can transition to Javascript or Python within the Tynker learning system.
HCOS Enrolled students who wish to receive teacher-guided instruction in Tynker can email Mr Mark Lamden for more information about enrolling in the online ADST: Leveled Coding module. Check with your support teacher for Mr Lamden's contact information.
Tynker courses include:
- Icon coding 7-Course Pack, Space Cadet and Dragon Spells, Programming 1A and 1B
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Programming 100, 300, Barbie, You Can Be Anything
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Programming 101, 102, 201, 202, 301, 302
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JavaScript, Python, Web Development 101
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Drones 101, WeDo Coding, Augmented Reality, micro: bit 101 and MicroPython 101
This subscription is not available to HCOS Registered students.
Logging In
There are eight steps to log in to Tynker.
Step 1: Email Margaret Basaraba for help setting up an account. If your students already have a Tynker account, email Margaret Basaraba to ask for additional classes to be added to their account.
Step 3: Select "Student."
Step 4: Enter the username and password provided by Margaret, then click the orange "Log in" button.
Step 5: Select "school" from the drop-down menu by the Tynker logo.
Step 6: Select the "join a class" button.
Step 7: Enter the class code provided by Margaret.
Step 8: Select the course you wish to enter by clicking on the picture.
Navigation & Use
Watch this short video to learn more about how students can use Tynker. Additional video tutorials are available at the Tynker Support Centre.
Completing Lessons
Each lesson will be brightly lit up before it has been completed. There will be many steps inside of the lesson to complete it. Select the picture to open the lesson.
As each lesson is completed, it will be grayed out.
As you start each lesson you will see locks on each of the parts of the lesson that are not completed. Tynker will move you through each of these steps. When the lesson is complete, all the locks will be gone, and only numbers will remain.
To log out during a lesson, select "Replay." Go to the top right and select "log out."
A progress bar will appear if you have only partly completed a lesson.
Students can repeat previous parts of a lesson by selecting an earlier number.
Students can move forward to a new lesson by selecting the gray arrow by the Tynker logo in the top left corner.
All of the numbers will be shown when a lesson is complete.
Sound can be turned off by selecting the three dots at the top right corner and then toggling the "Sound" switch.
What in the World?
What in the World? (Grades 5-10) is a current events resource that enhances understanding of current Canadian and international events. The magazine is published eight times a year from September to May. Each issue includes:
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Four news articles
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Relevant background information to enhance understanding of each event or issue
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On-the-line, between-the-line, and beyond-the-line questions
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Assignment to analyze a political cartoon and examine a news photo
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Crossword and quizzes
This subscription is not available to HCOS Registered students.
Logging In
Access to "What in the World?" magazine has changed. Contact your teacher to receive access to the "What in the World?" resources.
Navigation & Use
Your support teacher will need to forward the documents to you.
Magazine Formats
Magazines are available in two formats: .pdf and .docx.
- The .pdf file contains the complete document and cannot be changed. It has helpful information for parents and answer keys at the bottom of the document.
- The .docx file contains only the articles and questions. Students can complete assignments directly in the .docx document using Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
- The Maps pdf has printable maps that co-ordinate with the stories found in the magazines. There are answer keys included in this document.
Resource Links
Students resource links that co-ordinate with the current magazines can be found here.
World Book
World Book (K-Grade 12) is the leading online encyclopedia. The website is accessed through Focused Education Resources and the BC Digital Classroom.
Focused Education Resources is a not-for-profit, shared services organization that supports excellence in K-12 education in British Columbia. It is a consortium of BC public school districts and independent schools that work together to create accessible learning resources for BC schools. Within Focused Education Resources is the BC Digital Classroom, which houses many of the subscriptions available to HCOS and Flex families.
Click below to learn more about the specific features offered by World Book.
Early Learning (K-Grade 3)
Early Learning supports early elementary students with “Trek’s Travels,” “Welcome to Reading,” and “Know It.” These sites include narrative stories, interactive games, and a visual encyclopedia to support early reading, numeracy, and knowledge. Pre-readers will enjoy listening to stories. Readers can control the story's pace as word-by-word highlighting guides them. They can also play games and enjoy sorting, painting, and matching puzzles. Print-and-go activities will also interest your primary-aged students.
World Book Kids (K-Grade 5)
World Book Kids is an online encyclopedia designed for a younger primary elementary audience with easy-to-read articles, illustrations, and engaging activities. Students can enjoy science projects, experiments, biographical searches, animal comparisons, and mapping searches, including World Book Maps with printable PDF maps.
World Book Student (Grades 5-8)
World Book Student gives elementary and middle school students access to encyclopedia and reference articles, biographies, videos, animations, historical features, educational tools, and activities. Students will learn about research skills needed to complete research projects, including the planning process, evaluating sources, and creating citations. Students will also learn how to use MyResearch, which allows them to save all their research. Students can also create timelines to make their social study projects sparkle with 21st-century options. The biography centre will help students research famous Canadians and inspiring people. Surf the Ages website is for ancient civilizations research. Quizzes and activities are made easy for teachers and students to access. In the Headlines provides a history feed from news of the day.
World Book Discover (Grades 3-9)
World Book Discover is a collection of resources for differentiated learning, including read-aloud, text translation, video, and easy-to-read information. This resource supports students who need additional support with research articles, tools, and multimedia and interactive videos. There is also a life skills component to help students build financial literacy and health education skills.
World Book Advanced (Grades 9-12)
World Book Advanced gives students access to refined optimized searching of encyclopedias, multimedia, eBooks (including Shakespeare and Dickens, library, and other classics), and primary source databases. It also includes research tools such as dictionaries, atlas, and research guides with bibliographical citation builders. Students have the ability to create individual accounts, save their content, create timelines, and develop citations in MLA format. Primary and secondary sources are covered in all databases. The Pathfinders feature helps students research popular topics and links to media, biographies, government, and history.
World Book Timelines (K-Grade 12)
World Book Timelines is optimized for tablets and offers hundreds of pre-generated timelines across eight broad topics, which cover various time periods in history or span the life of historical public figures. Featuring more personalization and customization options than any other World Book site, World Book Timelines allows users to create their own timeline from scratch, adding events, descriptions, and media.
L’Encyclopédie Découverte (Grades 8-12)
L'Encyclopédie Découverte offers students a colourful engagement in the French language. Categories include: People, Exploring the World, Science and Math, Religions of the World, Plants and Animals, History, Arts and Literature, and Sports and Hobbies. Rich with images and engaging activities, L'Encyclopédie Découverte gives students added value and experience alongside their French language studies. This site is for students who are already fluent in French and is not meant to be a language-learning resource.
Logging In
There are two steps to log in to World Book.
Step 2: Enter the username and password for World Book from the Subs/Passwords tab in the Search Portal.
Navigation & Use
World Book Online Video Tutorials is a collection of brief video tutorials to help familiarize users with the resources available on World Book.
World Book Apps Webinar is a detailed explanation of resources available to Grades 3-9 students.
Saving Your Research
World Book allows students to set up their own “My Research” page for saving their work. Click the hamburger menu (three lines) at the top right corner to access.
Next, select “My Research” from the navigation options.
Finally, select “Create an Account” to set up your folder with your username and password.
Users can now save a WorldBook article to their "My Research" page by selecting the "Tools" setting in the upper right corner of the article.
World Watch News
World Watch News (Grades 7-12) contains current news stories from Christian journalists through engaging 10-minute episodes, airing each weekday. This platform invites students to build news literacy, critical thinking, and Biblical discernment. Students are reminded daily that “whatever the news, the purpose of the Lord will stand.”
This subscription is not available to HCOS Registered students.
Logging In
Navigation & Use
Download the World Watch News app on your preferred streaming service.
World Watch News uses Vimeo to play videos. If your content blocker is not allowing you to view their pages, you may need to add Vimeo as a trusted site.
If you would like to receive daily email reminders, Scroll to the bottom of the home page and select “Add an email address” to sign up for automatic emails.
Unit Study Kits
Unit Study Kits are a carefully researched compilation of reading and listening resources, curated subscriptions, and choice-based activities based on BC's curriculum's Big Ideas and Core and Curricular Competencies. Learners will engage in questioning, researching, discussing, exploring, creating, reflecting, and designing as they interact with these engaging activities and topics while inquiring about the world around them.
This short video will help you get started with Unit Study Kits on the Learning Commons website.
In this video, Rachael Rennie shares how to use HCOS Unit Study Kits. Below are timestamps to help you navigate to specific topics in the video:
1:54-2:16 What are Unit Study Kits?
2:17-10:17 What’s inside a Unit Study Kit?
10:47-13:21 Why use Unit Study Kits?
13:22-15:17 Tips for Using Unit Study Kits
15:18-15:40 Where to find Unit Study Kits
15:58-18:36 Unit Study Kit Tour
20:40-23:01 How can Unit Study Kits be adapted?
23:02-24:44 How long should it take to complete a Unit Study Kit?
Purpose & Goals
Unit Study Kits provide a flexible option for families who seek to build academic skills and knowledge with Social Studies and Science units aligned to the BC Curriculum. Many of our kits offer flexibility for whole-family learning. We encourage families and teachers to collaborate in the kit selection and planning process.
Our kits support learning in a variety of areas, including:
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A cross-curricular approach, including Career Education and ADST activities
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Differentiated learning options
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A Guided Inquiry approach directly tying into Core Competencies, written from a Biblical worldview
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Digital Literacy integration
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First Peoples Principles of Learning integration
Learn more about Unit Study Kits at specific grade levels by exploring the following categories:
Grades K-3
Our Grades K-3 Unit Study Kits are filled with fun and flexible activities to bring God’s world to life for our youngest learners. Families will discover beautiful books, intentionally selected videos, and engaging activities.
Grades 4-5
Students in Grades 4-5 are gaining confidence as learners and enjoy being challenged with thought-provoking content, skill development, fascinating books and videos, and a wonderful array of knowledge-building activities.
Grade 6
Our newly revised Grade 6 humanities-based kits contain specific assignments that allow students to delve deeply into curricular topics while still providing them with room to express themselves as unique children of God.
Grades 7-9
Unit Study Kits for Grades 7-9 students are designed to begin preparing them for the HCOS Grad program. Units provide structured learning opportunities within a framework that promotes choice while allowing students room to express themselves as learners.
In fall 2024, we pulled the physical Gr 7 - 9 Unit Study Kit Guides from the website until they can be updated. If you need to access these Guides, please reach out to the Learning Commons team via Live Chat accessible at www.learningcommons.ca. If you are using a guide and find that a link does not work, please contact Rachael by email at rachael.rennie@onlineschool.ca with the guide name, page and dead link information, and she will try to find a replacement.
HCOS Unit Study Kits are available in both physical and digital formats. In Grades K-6, a blended instruction guide is used for all kits. In Grades 7-9, you will access a digital guide for links and other digital resources; however, you can also borrow a physical kit from the Learning Commons.
Digital Unit Study Kits
Nothing will be mailed to you when you choose to use a digital kit, as all your resources will be digital. Digital Unit Study Kits are password protected. To view them, log in to the Learning Commons website and choose the Subscriptions Icon in the menu at the top of the Search Portal. This will take you to the Subscriptions page, where you will find usernames, links, and passwords.
Blended guides contain links to digital books, videos, and other virtual tools, games, and interactive resources. All instructions for activities are found within the kit guide. We recommend that you log into Sora and the subscriptions before starting, saving the passwords in your browser as you go. If eBooks are unavailable, please get in touch with Pippa Davies.
Digital Unit Study Kits are available to all HCOS students.
Physical Unit Study Kits
Physical Unit Study Kits can be booked through the Learning Commons Search Portal. When you order a physical kit from the Learning Commons, you will be mailed an assortment of physical books to accompany your learning. The kit will be shipped to your home, and HCOS will send a courier to pick it up after use.
Physical Unit Study Kits are available to HCOS-enrolled students only.
Unit Study Kit Guides
All HCOS Unit Study Kits guides use eBooks, audiobooks, and subscriptions linked directly within the kit guides.
Blended Guides are available for all K-Grade 6 kits. Blended guides are digital documents with fully clickable links. K-6 kits are available in digital and physical formats, but both types of kits use the same blended guide.
Digital and Physical Guides are available for Grades 7-9 kits. You will still need to access the digital guide to utilize clickable links when using a physical kit. Families using physical kits can still select digital books to enhance their learning.
|
|
Blended Guide |
Digital Guide |
Physical Guide |
Physical Book Pack |
|
Kindergarten to Grade 5 |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
✅ |
|
Grade 6 Social Studies |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
✅ |
|
Grade 6 Science |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
|
Grades 7-9 |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
We are in the process of creating updated blended guides for Grade 6 Unit Study Kits.
French Unit Study Kits
These kits have been written for students in grades 5 - 9 but can also be used for older students. They provide reading and viewing content as well as offering listening, speaking and writing suggestions. Any work completed by students should be shared with their support or course teacher for evaluation. They are intended to be supplementary in nature and will not cover all aspects of Core French, especially conversational components. These kits can be found on our website by selecting "French" in the subjects filter:
Watch the video below to learn more about how to use French Kits:
0:25 - 0:45 Receiving and reviewing physical books from the Learning Commons
1:08 - 1:12 Table of Contents - components of each kit
1:12 - 1:41 Vocabulary
1:42 - 3:39 Reading
3:40 - 4:14 Post-reading Questions
4:15 - 4:49 Reference book activity ideas
4:50 - 5:24 Comic Book Activity suggestions
5:25 - 5:56 Videos and Music
5:57 - 6:14 BrainPOP suggested videos
6:15 - 6:49 Writing Project Ideas
6:50 - 7:30 Speaking and Conversation Ideas
7:31 - 8:04 Reflection
8:05 - 8:13 Standards
Used Bookstore
Welcome to the HCOS Used Curriculum Store
You will find books and curricula from many of your favourite publishers: A Beka, Saxon, Sonlight, RightStart Math, Tree of Life, and more! We have curricula covering Math, Socials, Science, Language Arts, Health, Bible, and Art, as well as novels and MakerEd/manipulatives. If you are looking for something in particular, email Shandra Wiebe at swiebe@onlineschool.ca; she will check to see if a copy is available.
Webstore Policies
Please read the product descriptions carefully. The edition of the item will be noted where information is available. Descriptions include a list of all items in a set.
Condition is noted as follows:
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As New: A copy that has been unopened or is in “new” condition, with no marks or wear.
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Good: A copy that has been read but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact. The spine may show signs of wear. It may have some pen/pencil markings or show other signs of previous use.
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Fair: Noticeably used book. Pages may contain marginal notes, underlining, and/or highlighting. These will be noted in the description.
Searching for Items
To Search, click on the Shop tab. Categories appear on the left. Once you click on a title, you will see Tags that can help refine your search by grade or other filters. You can also enter the title or publisher into the Search Bar for results.
Payment & Shipping
Payment options include credit card (PayPal), HCOS PO numbers, or cash for in-person pick-ups.
Shipping costs are based on the number of items purchased and the weight and bulk of some items.
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Flat rate - 1-5 Items in order: $20.00
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Flat rate - 6-10 items in order: $25.00
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Flat rate - 11+ items in order: $30.00
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Shipping paid with HCOS PO - amount added manually
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Free shipping if combined w/library bookings (May be charged for bulky or heavy items)
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Local Pick Up
Additional Costs added to specific items:
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Bulky Items are an additional $8.00
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Heavy items are charged an additional fee based on weight.
Items shipped outside of BC but within Canada may incur extra shipping charges. We do not ship outside of Canada due to shipping costs.
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Add the items to your cart
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When done adding items, click on the cart
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Enter the promotional code if there is one active
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If you are using a PO Number for payment, enter: HCOS PO in the coupon code box, then enter the PO number in the comments box at the bottom of the Shipping page.
**If there is a sale with a percentage off coupon (i.e. thanks10), it must be entered as the FIRST coupon before the HCOS PO coupon to receive the discount.
5. Click Apply Coupon - the total should show the discount after the coupon is applied.
6. If the HCOS PO coupon is used to pay, the total will show as zero. The discount amount will not show but has been applied.
7. Choose your shipping method:
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Shipping is free if you have an order of 3 items or more from the Learning Commons library booked within 3 weeks of your purchase. Let us know when you have booked your LC items so we can include purchases. Email Kelly Wiebe at shipping@onlineschool.ca or Shandra Wiebe at swiebe@onlineschool
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Paid by HCOS PO - The shipping will be added to the order manually and deducted from funding.
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Pay to have items shipped immediately. Choose the correct shipping option based on the number of items in your order.
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Local Pick up - choose if you can pick up items in person.
8. Enter your billing information & address on the next screen. If your shipping address is different from the billing address, click the box on the shipping screen.
9. You will be sent to a PayPal screen if you pay by credit card. You will receive an email confirmation of your purchase.
Note: The free shipments for the Learning Commons cannot be used solely for used curriculum purchases as the shipping budget is specifically for Learning Commons materials. Combining the orders is benefit we offer patrons who use the Learning Commons.
Product Descriptions
Please read the product descriptions carefully. The edition of the item and condition (e.g., new, like new, fair) will be noted where information is available. Descriptions include a list of all items in a set.
It is your responsibility to ensure you are purchasing the correct edition or volume needed.
Returns & Refunds
We do not offer returns or refunds but will issue a credit if an item is not working (e.g., CD, DVD).
Visiting the Physical Learning Commons
Pick ups/Drop offs -The physical Learning Commons in Kelowna is open Monday – Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Browsing Resources - You can browse the curriculum and used book store anytime, but the main library conducts classes. Call or email to find the best time to come; after 3:00 p.m. is usually fine. Email Kelly Wiebe at kelly.wiebe@onlineschool.ca or call 778-721-8309.
- Parents or caregivers with children are asked to remain with children at all times.
- Due to a lack of space, children are not permitted in the shipping room where the curriculum and resources are located. They are allowed in the main library only.
- If you would like assistance with curriculum and how to navigate the Search Portal, please contact Shandra Wiebe swiebe@onlineschool.ca to make an appointment.
- If you feel sick or experiencing flu-like symptoms, please drop off items and do not visit. Please use hand sanitizer when entering and exiting the Learning Commons.
Learning Commons location:
- We are in the Flex Academy building at 907 Badke Rd, Kelowna, BC, V1X 5Z5.
- Park in Visitor Parking spots between the school and the church.
- You will see signs for HCOS Learning Commons shipping/receiving. Walk down the driveway beside the school building to the far end until you come to the door with a Learning Commons sign. Please ring the doorbell!
Should you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Pippa Davies, HCOS Learning Commons Director, at 604-908-0826 or at pdavies@onlineschool.ca.