Detailed Schedule
1:30 - 2:15 pm
Worship & Welcome
2:15 - 2:20 pm
Transition
2:20 - 3:20 pm
- The Power of Story – Sigmund Brouwer
- Home Based Learning at HCOS: The Year, The Tips, and Your Values – Jeff Laird
3:20 - 3:35 pm
Break
3:35-4:35 pm
- Radiating Ripples: A Practical Guide to Homeschooling Options – Steve Codling & Andria Lengkeek
- Support for Success: Tools for Reading & Writing – Cynthia Duncalfe
- Graduation 101 (for Grades 8-12) – Brad Lemon
4:35-4:50pm
Door Prizes and Closing of the Afternoon
Dinner Break
7:00-8:30pm
Building Resilience in Ourselves and Our Children - Katy Kwon
Conference Starts In...
Workshops
Because humans are wired for stories, it is one of the best motivators for parents to raise children who love literature and are motivated to improve their writing at all levels. More than that, however, STORY connects, and when families tap into this, the results go far beyond elevated reading and writing skills. Plus, there’s one surprise factor that will make a huge difference in learning, and everyone in the family will LOVE the justification to use it daily to raise not only literacy skills, but all other areas of curriculum.
Like tossing a rock into a lake and watching the ripples radiate outwards, homeschooling starts with some core ideas & relationships and then continuously moves outward with ever increasing opportunities, where your version of homeschooling will be 100% uniquely “you”. Andria Lengkeek and Steve Codling have decades of homeschooling experience as parents, teachers and leaders at HCOS, and they want to share their practical perspectives on everything from working with a support teacher to finding resources, from group learning to online options, and from community activities to answering any of your questions.”
Join your Grad Advisor, Brad Lemon, for a crash course on the Grad Program at HCOS. This presentation will give you a clear picture of the different types of courses that are offered at Grad, introduce some of our unique programs, explain how credits are calculated for graduation, describe how funding works and breakdown the Provincial Assessments. There will also be a Q&A Session to follow.
With the various responsibilities that life brings it can be hard to pause and reflect on how we as individuals and families are doing. This evening will be an invitation for learning, connecting, and prompting. Together we will discuss mental health best practices in building strengths and resilience.
Please feel welcome to bring your pre-teens and older students to this session.
Speakers
Photo credit to Rebecca Wellman (Photo property of Orca)
As the bestselling author of dozens of titles, with over 4 million books in print in multiple languages, Sigmund Brouwer writes for both children and adults. Sigmund instills confidence in even the most reluctant young writers and ensures they are having fun and staying excited all the while. He draws upon a diverse range of methods and strategies to help young writers find and refine their unique voices.
He has won the American Christy Book of the Year for best Christian novel, and the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Young-Adult Mystery in Canada, as well as being a finalist twice in the prestigious TD Children’s Literature Awards. Over the last two decades, he reached more than a million students across North America with his Story Ninja presentations.
Director of K-9 Program
Jeff has been with HCOS since the school started in 2004. He has worked as a Support Teacher and Regional Administrator in the school and is currently the Director of the K-9 Program. In addition to Jeff’s experience working with families that have partnered with HCOS in their home education journeys, he has been a home education parent himself for the past 14 years. Starting in 2008 when their oldest son, Maclean (19), entered kindergarten, home education in the Laird house just wrapped up this year when their youngest son, Calum (16), started attending the local Christian school. Along with their two boys, Jeff and his wife Aleece live in Kamloops where they plan to stay for a long, long time enjoying the Interior of BC and the life they have been blessed with.
K-9 Regional Administrator – Lower Mainland
Steve has been with HCOS for a decade and a half after teaching at indigenous, urban and rural schools in BC and Saskatchewan. He and his wife have homeschooled three of their four kids through graduation with HCOS, and have seen the benefits whether they went into the trades or to university – home education works, and there are about a million ways to approach it! With their last child in grade 12 next year, it should soon be four-for-four, a testament to God’s faithfulness through the ups and downs of a life centred around faith, family and education. Steve has degrees in business and education, toured in a rock band in his early days but now prefers electronic music, and enjoys biking virtual routes all around the world in the safety of his garage.
Learning Groups Regional Administrator
Andria Lengkeek has been a teacher for 26 years and is currently a Learning Groups administrator for CCs and Abbotsford CC coordinator. She has taught in campus schools at various grades levels and has a particular love for making science meaningful and memorable. Since starting to homeschool her daughters in 2009, Andria has worked with HCOS as a support teacher and then also with the Learning Groups team. Andria is married to Jerome, and together they have six girls from ages 7 to 24 who particularly love playing music, reading, and road trips across North America. Andria loves working together with students, families, teachers and assistants to facilitate and enhance home education for all ages.
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.
Grad Advisor – Lower Mainland
Brad has been a teacher since 2005. He is currently HCOS’ Lower Mainland Grad Advisor and teaches Individualized Social Studies 10, 11, 12, and Online Christian Studies courses. Brad is married to Laura Lemon, who has been with HCOS since 2017 as a Support Teacher. Together, they have 4 children (3 boys and a girl) who have been enrolled at HCOS since 2017 and have attended a variety of Community Connections classes, Learning Groups activities, and online events. Prior to HCOS, Brad taught at International Christian Schools in Korea and Portugal before returning to Canada to teach at Abbotsford Christian School, where he taught a mix of mostly high school Humanities courses for a period 13 years. Brad is passionate about home learning and the mission and vision of HCOS.
Registered Clinical Counselor
Katy Kwon has her Masters of Counselling Psychology from Trinity Western University. It is her privilege to work alongside individuals and organizations in the work of life transformation and mental health education. She lives in the Lower Mainland with her husband, John, and 3 boys (the greatest adventure of all).