Fort St. John

APRIL 25, 2023

Afternoon: North Peace Mennonite Brethren Church, 10816 106 Street Fort St. John, BC

Evening: Charlie Lake Community Church, 12731 244 Road, Charlie Lake, BC

Detailed Schedule

1:00 - 1:40 pm

Worship & Welcome

1:40 - 2:40 pm

  • Guiding Curriculum Choices with Q&A – Cynthia Duncalfe
  • Tips & Tricks to Boost Learning – Nancy Gullason

1:40 - 3:40 pm

  • Meet and Greet Suite – Ryan Titley, Jenn MacDonald, Alison Ellis

2:40 - 2:45 pm

Break

2:45 - 3:45 pm

  • Building an Anti-fragile Homeschool – Sarah Wuthrich
  • HCOS Learning Commons: Resourcing You for Success – Cynthia Duncalfe

3:45 - 4:00 pm

Door Prizes and Closing Remarks

Dinner Break

7:00 - 8:30 pm

  • Blessing Our Parents – Regional Leadership Team
  • Escape Grad Discontent with Planning and Supports – Ryan Titley

Conference Starts In...

Workshops

Join HCOS Curriculum Consultant Cynthia Duncalfe as we examine how your home education “philosophy” (whether you know what it is or not) is pivotal in guiding your curriculum choices. We’ll look at a strategy for curriculum selection to reduce overwhelm, discuss some popular resource options not to be overlooked, explore some multi-grade resources, and consider some tips to guide you in the selection process. Bring your questions!

Do you have a child who can’t learn multiplication facts? What about one that loves to read but writing is a mess? Is your child an anxious learner? Or one that is disorganized? Join Nancy in this session to learn some tips to teach the unique children God has placed in your care so that everyone can reach their full potential. We will cover areas of scheduling, managing time and simple time savers. Many tips are practical, working towards learner independence and easy to implement and make sense for home education.

Come meet your HCOS LS (Alison), SE (Jenn) and Grad (Ryan) support. If you have quick questions, this can be a great place to sit down and meet face-to-face.

Homeschooling isn’t for the faint of heart, but when we look to Christ we can build muscles and attitudes that allow our homeschool to flourish in the risky and chaotic situations life will throw at us including: sickness, fatigue, math tears, and burnt suppers.
Join HCOS Curriculum Consultant Cynthia Duncalfe as she shares practical Learning Commons resources and tools to complement your home education journey. She will provide an overview of how to get started in the Learning Commons, borrow physical resources, and purchase used resources. We will look at using Unit Study Kits as curriculum and take a brief look at using our most popular subscriptions for quick access to additional course content material and more!

Bring your favourite education/school resource to share with others, enjoy a time of visiting, connecting, tea and snacks!

Speakers

Ryan Titley
Grad Advisor – Island & North
Ryan Titley is the Art Teacher and Grad Advisor for HCOS. He likes to look at each student as an individual with specific future plans and learning needs. He enjoys planning with families for each student’s needs and giving students the opportunity to grow to their potential as they move through their graduation program. He is a father of two and loves to see his kids explore their unique passions. Ryan has a fondness for unique creative expressions from fine art and woodworking to his kids cosplay and comic art. Likewise, he appreciates time in nature, backpacking, riding a mountain bike or racing his BMX. He looks forward to working with families and supporting their goals to provide a strong Christian education for their kids.
Cynthia Duncalfe
Curriculum Consultant

Cynthia has served as HCOS Curriculum Consultant for the past six years and as Coordinator for Chilliwack Community Connections for the past five. She has also taught various ADST workshops for HCOS students in the Fraser Valley. Cynthia and her husband, Darren, have five home-educated children. Before working with HCOS, she was a founder and owner/operator of Cornerstone Learning Resources, Ltd. in Kelowna. Cynthia has a strong passion for education, particularly in fostering a Biblical worldview and educational technology.

Nancy Gullason
Regional Administrator – North
Nancy taught her children at home for many years until all three graduated from HCOS. She realizes that each child is a unique learner and worked with her children to develop their passions and love of learning. She has been a support teacher with HCOS for 12 years and the K-9 Regional Admin for the north for 9 years. Nancy enjoys spending time outside, reading, and having tea with friends. She is passionate about home learning and the mission and vision of HCOS.
Sarah Wuthrich

Sarah Wuthrich was born and raised in the Fort St John area where she continues to live with her husband, six children ages 7-17, and a smattering of animals. She has homeschooled since 2010 and is passionate about teaching her children and helping others cultivate a lasting vision for this high calling.