Reading Buddies K-3 Book Club

There is a K-3 Reading Buddies virtual group being offered to our HCOS familes.  If you are interested, check out the description at HCOS Reading Buddies K-3

It is happening on Wednesdays (not consecutive) in October to January. It looks like fun!

HCOS Family in the News!

One of our Heritage families was interviewed recently about their choice to enrol in a DL program instead of being registered strictly as homeschoolers.  It is great to see acceptance and the growing support for our home learning families and the choices they make!

Feel free to check it out at: Squamish News: Home is Where the Heart is

Free Remembrance Day Resources

Not a poppy but I still like this photo!

Are you interested in ordering some resources for Remembrance Day?  I have used these resources, and the site linked, every year and have found it really helpful.

Canadian Government Remembrance Day Resources for Educators

I know it is early, but if you are going to order something, I want it to arrive before Nov. 11!

The First Day of School

Did your kids start school today?  I know a number of you started already, some started today and a few are starting next week.  I want to encourage you to celebrate the beginning of school!  Perhaps have a end-of-week celebration, create a photo collage of each of your kids, include a couple activities that your kids love - just for fun!  Helping to establish routines, goals, expectations and more are definitely important activities.  However, I want to encourage you to invest in helping your kids love learning by including some FUN stuff that may or may not connect to any of the lessons.

Having a huge belly laugh with students reminded me:  I have the responsibility of teaching them the many lessons before me, I have the OPPORTUNITY to have fun with them and build a love of learning and school.

Let's have fun!

Writing session for kids with Author Sigmund Brouwer

Hi Everyone!

We are only 1 week away from Sigmund Brouwer's visit to Fort Nelson! I found him to be a great presenter last year and he especially has a heart for reluctant writers and helping boys engage in writing. The session I attended last year had students from grade 3 to 10 and everyone seemed to enjoy the session, especially the Q&A time. This year, rather than just being online, we have the opportunity for him to be PRESENT, sharing encouraging, motivating and insightful information on writing, answering questions AND getting to see the kids and brainstorm with them! I would encourage you all to attend with your kids (to observe the process and glean ideas) and then to attend the evening session to ask questions, get specific answers that apply to you family and possibly even start building goals around writing and publishing yourself (for you or your kids!). It was so exciting for me last year, to read comments by a range of students who were looking forward being "writers".

Here is the link to register. Please feel free to pass it on to other people in the community too, so that they have the opportunity to come to this session. It would be great to have a full house for Sigmund AND to encourage writers in Fort Nelson!  smile emoticon

Register for this workshop session!

Take care,

Niki

Staff Training

Wow!  It has been an intense past week!  Have you every felt a little overwhelmed with your schedule? That is me this week!  I've been in 5 full days of meetings, two half days of meetings, had three staff evening events, ran around for numerous meetings and have been entertaining/neglecting company through it all.  This is what my last 8 days have looked like.  I'm sure that you can understand why my prayers have been so focused on "God, You are my strength and I need you."

It is all valuable and I am thankful for this time.  I am so thankful that our school, HCOS, is so committed to building community in our staff, spending time equipping all of us and pouring into us vision and purpose and encouragement.  I hope that I am able to do that for each of you.  Highlights for me have been our times of corporate worship, seeing how the different divisions of the school work together, building community with the teachers and support staff, and the workshops.  I learned more about subscriptions and foreign languages in hopes to be able to support everyone better.  :)

I am looking forward to an excellent year!