Detailed Schedule
2:00pm - 2:15pm
Welcome, Introductions and Opening
2:15pm - 3:15pm
Lifting Our Eyes Up - Sara Kraushar & Craig Kwiatkowski
3:15pm - 3:45pm
Break
3:45pm - 5:00pm
- Being Nurtured in Nature - Shelley Anderson
- Graduation 101 (for Grades 8-12) - Ryan Titley
- The HCOS Learning Commons: Resourcing You for Success - Pippa Davies & Cynthia Duncalfe
5:00pm - 7:00pm
Break
7:00pm - 8:15pm
Viewing of the film Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience
8:15pm - 8:40pm
Discussion of Screenagers - Q&A
Closing
Detailed Schedule
2:00pm - 2:15pm
Welcome, introductions and Worship
2:15pm - 3:15pm
Lifting Our Eyes Up - Sara Kraushar & Craig Kwiatkowski
3:15pm - 3:45pm
Break
3:45pm - 5:00pm
- Being Nurtured in Nature - Shelley Anderson
- Graduation 101 (for Grades 8-12) - Ryan Titley
- The HCOS Learning Commons: Resourcing You for Success - Pippa Davies & Cynthia Duncalfe
5:00pm - 7:00pm
Break
7:00pm - 8:15pm
Viewing of the film Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience
8:15pm - 8:40pm
Discussion of Screenagers - Q&A
Closing
Conference Starts In...
Workshops
Keynote
Session 1
Session 2
Keynote
Sara Kraushar
Academic Head of School
Lifting Our Eyes Up
Have you ever found yourself asking: “Why do I home educate?”, “How did I end up here?”, or “Is this worth it?” Join Sara and Craig, the HCOS Heads of School, as they discuss home education in a season of cultural polarization, increasing financial pressures, and rising levels of anxiety, while sifting through the haze to identify the foundational truths and values that allow us to lift our eyes to see what lies beyond the challenges. We believe in this session you will find your hard work acknowledged, be reminded of why your family has chosen to be part of the creative, challenging and inspirational home education community, and find strength and encouragement as you build into your children.
Craig Kwiatkowski
Business Head of School
Sara Kraushar
Academic Head of School
Craig Kwiatkowski
Business Head of School
Lifting Our Eyes Up
Have you ever found yourself asking: “Why do I home educate?”, “How did I end up here?”, or “Is this worth it?” Join Sara and Craig, the HCOS Heads of School, as they discuss home education in a season of cultural polarization, increasing financial pressures, and rising levels of anxiety, while sifting through the haze to identify the foundational truths and values that allow us to lift our eyes to see what lies beyond the challenges. We believe in this session you will find your hard work acknowledged, be reminded of why your family has chosen to be part of the creative, challenging and inspirational home education community, and find strength and encouragement as you build into your children.
Session 1
Shelley Anderson
Certified Forest Therapy Guide
Creation is one of the greatest gifts God has given us! Join Shelley Anderson, a Certified Forest Therapy Guide with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy as she shares with us some intentional ways we can help our children have a deepened experience in nature. Through her business, Nature Impact Incorporated, Shelley works with children and youth of all ages giving them a digital detox and teaching them how to be attentive to the voice of Jesus in nature. This practice has become especially meaningful in light of the past 2 years of the pandemic where anxiety and depression has reached an all time high in youth. She is passionate about giving the next generation tools to deal with all the challenges that are unfolding before them in unprecedented ways. Consider joining this meaningful time of heart connection around the understanding of what it means to be Nurtured in Nature.
Shelley Anderson
Certified Forest Therapy Guide
Creation is one of the greatest gifts God has given us! Join Shelley Anderson, a Certified Forest Therapy Guide with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy as she shares with us some intentional ways we can help our children have a deepened experience in nature. Through her business, Nature Impact Incorporated, Shelley works with children and youth of all ages giving them a digital detox and teaching them how to be attentive to the voice of Jesus in nature. This practice has become especially meaningful in light of the past 2 years of the pandemic where anxiety and depression has reached an all time high in youth. She is passionate about giving the next generation tools to deal with all the challenges that are unfolding before them in unprecedented ways. Consider joining this meaningful time of heart connection around the understanding of what it means to be Nurtured in Nature.
Ryan Titley
Grad Advisor
Join your Grad Advisor, Ryan Titley, 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.
Ryan Titley
Grad Advisor
Join your Grad Advisor, Ryan Titley, 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.
Pippa Davies
Learning Commons Director
Join Learning Commons Director Pippa Davies and Curriculum Consultant Cynthia Duncalfe as they share some new insight into equipping you with the right tools and tips to resource your school year. We will provide an overview of how to get going in the Learning Commons along with a focus on recently added resources and popular subscriptions. Bring your computer and questions to learn on the go.
Cynthia Duncalfe
Curriculum Consultant
Pippa Davies
Learning Commons Director
Cynthia Duncalfe
Curriculum Consultant
Join Learning Commons Director Pippa Davies and Curriculum Consultant Cynthia Duncalfe as they share some new insight into equipping you with the right tools and tips to resource your school year. We will provide an overview of how to get going in the Learning Commons along with a focus on recently added resources and popular subscriptions. Bring your computer and questions to learn on the go.
Session 2
Viewing of the film Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience
Filmmaker and physician Dr. Delaney Ruston takes the conversation around screens and teens to the next level with Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience—a film that examines the science behind emotional challenges, the interplay of social media, and most importantly, what can be done in our schools and homes to help them build crucial skills to navigate stress, anxiety, and depression in our digital age.
Speakers
Sara Kraushar
Academic Head of School
Sara Kraushar is the Academic Head of School for Heritage Christian Online School, living in Langley with her family. Over the 12 years of working at HCOS Sara has enjoyed being part of many aspects of the school as a teacher, administrator and parent. Home education has been an unexpected journey for Sara’s family and one they have been on for the last 9 years. In their free moments Sara’s family enjoys being outside, travel, and projects.
Sara Kraushar
Academic Head of School
Sara Kraushar is the Academic Head of School for Heritage Christian Online School, living in Langley with her family. Over the 12 years of working at HCOS Sara has enjoyed being part of many aspects of the school as a teacher, administrator and parent. Home education has been an unexpected journey for Sara’s family and one they have been on for the last 9 years. In their free moments Sara’s family enjoys being outside, travel, and projects.
Craig Kwiatkowski
Business Head of School
Craig Kwiatkowski is the Business Head of School for Heritage Christian Online School, living in Kelowna with his two children. Having been with HCOS for the past 15 years, he has experienced the changes, challenges and celebrations along the journey to be a school that serves a diverse community of home educators and learners. Craig is also a worship leader, hiker, disc golfer and donut aficionado.
Craig Kwiatkowski
Business Head of School
Craig Kwiatkowski is the Business Head of School for Heritage Christian Online School, living in Kelowna with his two children. Having been with HCOS for the past 15 years, he has experienced the changes, challenges and celebrations along the journey to be a school that serves a diverse community of home educators and learners. Craig is also a worship leader, hiker, disc golfer and donut aficionado.
Shelley Anderson
Forest Therapy Guide
Shelley Anderson is a Forest Therapy Guide who works with individuals of all ages helping them sink into nature and experience an intentional pathway into health, wholeness, and happiness. She lives in Port Alberni, BC on Vancouver Island. Her husband Nori and her have been in full time ministry for over 20 years serving both in Canada and overseas. She has two adult children who are married and have blessed her with two beautiful granddaughters. In her free time Shelley loves to work on puzzles, sit by the river with Nori, work out at a gym, spend time with her granddaughters, and of course spend time in the woods.
She believes that the work she does enables her clients to reset the stress button, boost immune function, kick start creativity, and feel so much better! Not only does spending time in nature significantly benefit those who struggle with anxiety, ADD, ADHD, autism, and any other mental health challenges but it benefits all people of all ages for all time.
She is a certified Forest Therapy Guide, an Educational Assistant, has completed her Wilderness First Aid Training, has completed a one year Master of Religious Studies certificate, a certificate in Spiritual Formation, and most recently completed her training in the Les Brown Power Voice Program.
Shelley Anderson
Forest Therapy Guide
Shelley Anderson is a Forest Therapy Guide who works with individuals of all ages helping them sink into nature and experience an intentional pathway into health, wholeness, and happiness. She lives in Port Alberni, BC on Vancouver Island. Her husband Nori and her have been in full time ministry for over 20 years serving both in Canada and overseas. She has two adult children who are married and have blessed her with two beautiful granddaughters. In her free time Shelley loves to work on puzzles, sit by the river with Nori, work out at a gym, spend time with her granddaughters, and of course spend time in the woods.
She believes that the work she does enables her clients to reset the stress button, boost immune function, kick start creativity, and feel so much better! Not only does spending time in nature significantly benefit those who struggle with anxiety, ADD, ADHD, autism, and any other mental health challenges but it benefits all people of all ages for all time.
She is a certified Forest Therapy Guide, an Educational Assistant, has completed her Wilderness First Aid Training, has completed a one year Master of Religious Studies certificate, a certificate in Spiritual Formation, and most recently completed her training in the Les Brown Power Voice Program.
Ryan Titley
Art Teacher and Grad Advisor
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.
Ryan Titley
Art Teacher and Grad Advisor
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.
Pippa Davies
Pippa Davies has 30 years experience encompassing working as a director, administrator, library specialist and teacher-librarian, in many fields; medical, legal, public, reference and education. Her goal is to constantly challenge herself to learn new technology, and educational innovations for my school and students, to encourage learning which is vibrant and relevant to their 21st century needs. For the last 17 years, she has loved working as the Director of Heritage Christian Online School Learning Commons. As a change agent in the learning commons environment she enjoys collaboration, technology integration, literacy projects and dynamic inquiry-based learning, whilst creating a voice for all of our students and staff. She also is married to her husband John, and has three adult children and two grandchildren who fill her life with love!
Pippa Davies
Pippa Davies has 30 years experience encompassing working as a director, administrator, library specialist and teacher-librarian, in many fields; medical, legal, public, reference and education. Her goal is to constantly challenge herself to learn new technology, and educational innovations for my school and students, to encourage learning which is vibrant and relevant to their 21st century needs. For the last 17 years, she has loved working as the Director of Heritage Christian Online School Learning Commons. As a change agent in the learning commons environment she enjoys collaboration, technology integration, literacy projects and dynamic inquiry-based learning, whilst creating a voice for all of our students and staff. She also is married to her husband John, and has three adult children and two grandchildren who fill her life with love!
Cynthia Duncalfe
Cynthia Duncalfe has been working with HCOS as Curriculum Consultant for the past 5 years as part of the Learning Commons team, and is committed to building community and providing innovative ways for our teachers and families to access resources suited to individual needs. Prior to that, she was an owner/operator of Cornerstone Learning Resources, Ltd. for 11 years, a retail and online store that provided educational materials to educators and students, specializing in home education curriculum and consultations. Cynthia is a mother of 5 teen and adult children, all of whom were home educated, and is blessed to be happily married to her husband of 30 years.
Cynthia Duncalfe
Cynthia Duncalfe has been working with HCOS as Curriculum Consultant for the past 5 years as part of the Learning Commons team, and is committed to building community and providing innovative ways for our teachers and families to access resources suited to individual needs. Prior to that, she was an owner/operator of Cornerstone Learning Resources, Ltd. for 11 years, a retail and online store that provided educational materials to educators and students, specializing in home education curriculum and consultations. Cynthia is a mother of 5 teen and adult children, all of whom were home educated, and is blessed to be happily married to her husband of 30 years.