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From the Pen of Our Principal

Dennise Croswell
Admin, Uncategorised

As I write to you today, I am grateful. Grateful for our community.  Grateful for the freedom of choice in how we educate our children. Grateful that we are in this together.  Grateful that we serve a God who goes before us and behind us and lays His hand upon us.

It is a significant time for education in our province as we wade through changes not only related to the decrease in funding for independent online schools, but also to COVID-19, job losses, programming changes, the impact on family, routines, and dreams. 
 
After many days of many hours of meetings and prayer, my administration team and I have this offering to bring to you.  I pray that as you read through these plans, you will see the priorities of devotion to Jesus, choice in education, and the deep value for relationships that have bound and will bind us together as a community on this journey.  

Growing together in grace and knowledge, 
Dennise 

Our Story

Originating as a branch of Regent Christian Academy, RCOA started in 2005 as a dream of Mark and Carolyn Langley to support Christian home educating families. The school was founded on the principles of family, community, and honouring God.  

Early on, they brought on Brenda Fawkes, a gifted, innovative home schooler who understood the value of co-ops and the importance of home educating families having a network of community support. From these strong roots, our Community Classes were born.  

When I was commissioned by Mark, Carolyn, and Brenda to develop the high school, I spent time with the youth and families in our high school program and fell in love with the RCOA community. I was blown away by the quality of education and the character of the teens. I was equally impacted  by the culture of collaboration that characterized the Special Education program, under the leadership of Marilyn Smith. 

Because we have so enjoyed the community we experience in our face-to-face programming, it has become a significant priority in our school. In fact, until now, we have subsidized 50-100% of the cost as it was important to us that all who wished to participate could. In light of the recent funding cuts, we will continue to subsidize our programs but now need to share the costs with you. We strived to keep them as low as possible.

We have modelled the new funding structure in a way that makes it possible for every child to participate. We have also added virtual programming so our programs are accessible to more families.  We have incorporated suggestions that you included in your survey responses, including adding a virtual component to some classes to reduce the rental costs.

Your home programming will remain the same. Our K-12 home learning support teachers are eager to continue to walk with you through this next phase of your educational journey. This is another expression of community that we value greatly.

As we look to the future, we desire to continue to seek the Lord and to consult with you in our decisions, as we strive to be a reliable source of support for quality Christian home education. We are thankful for the foundation upon which we are building. We look forward to the next phase of this journey with you.

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain.  Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. ~Psalm 127:1

Elementary Program (Kindergarten to Grade 7)

 Annual Tuition Options Per Learner  PO Funds Per Learner
 $200  $600
 $0  $350
 *maximum K-9 family annual tuition of $600
 *annual tuition may not be paid with PO funds or Special Education funds
 *annual tuition assistance bursary available based on financial need & monies available
  *in-person & virtual offerings have additional costs. See OTIS for details
Families enrolled with RCOA have the support of a committed Christian educator to walk with you through the journey of educating your children.Programs*:
Through the need to redesign our school offerings, we have created a program that will offer you more flexibility and choice. Sandra Venema, Elementary Vice Principal, and the rest of our team are eager to show you our new elementary program structure as outlined on our website (see link below). Here is a preview of some of the new opportunities we have planned for you. We are excited!
  • Community Classes will be reduced to two thirds (2/3) of their length and will have a fun, multi-grade thematic approach that covers learning standards in a variety of subjects.
  • Community Clubs – This is a new offering!  Community Clubs will take place after lunch on Community Class days.  Each club lasts a term and will focus on a topic or skill (E.g., Arts or Languages).  
  • Community Classes & Community Clubs – For those who participate in both programs there will be a supervised lunch break in between.  This means one drop-off in the morning and pick-up in the afternoon for you, drivers.  For returning families, it will feel much like a full day of Community Classes.
  • Partners in Education (PIE) Program – We have made some innovative changes to our PIE program that will allow us to continue offering it.
  • Virtual Clubs – We were delighted to hear through our survey that many of you enjoyed (and sometimes preferred!) virtual offerings.  This opens up new possibilities for us and we are excited to expand our programming in this area.  We plan to continue with book clubs and are busy planning other opportunities as well.
  • Virtual PIE & Virtual Community Classes – Yes!  We are going to launch virtual versions of both PIE and Community Classes.  This allows us to extend our community into further reaches of our province and provide learning opportunities for those learners (or households) who are immunocompromised.  Those who live locally and prefer virtual programming are welcome to attend.
  • In addition we will plan to offer Activities, Camps, and Events. 
*costs apply to all programs
Click here to visit our *new* Elementary Program website page where you will find details.

Elementary Program (Kindergarten to Grade 7)

 Annual Tuition Per Learner  PO Funds Per Learner
 $200  $600
 $0  $350
 *maximum K-9 family annual tuition of $600
*annual tuition may not be paid with PO Funds or Special Education funds
*annual tuition assistance bursary available based on financial need & monies available (n/a for XE)
*in-person & virtual offerings have additional costs. See OTIS for details
*cross-enrolled (XE) grades 8 & 9:  $215 annual tuition/course + additional costs for in-person & virtual offerings

Families enrolled with RCOA are supported by committed Christian educators and will be assigned a homeroom teacher who will serve as the primary support for any questions you might have.

Programs*:
Through the need to redesign our school offerings, we have created a program that will offer you more flexibility and choice.  We are eager to show you our new middle school program structure as outlined on our website (see link below).  We are excited to welcome Alisha Hadley as our Vice Principal focusing on Middle School programming. Here is a preview of some of the new opportunities we have planned for next year.  

Homeroom Hub – We are launching a new program for grades 8 & 9 learners, called Homeroom Hub.  This program increased the support provided to families and helps bridge the transition from elementary to high school in a blended program of in-person and virtual instruction.  This program is similar to our K-7 Partners in Education program.  

Online Courses – These structured programs guide you through a course step-by-step. Read and view what you need to know and do, complete the tasks, upload assignments, and enjoy the support of a course teacher.

Individualized Programs – These programs are completely customizable with the assistance of a certified teacher.  This is a great way to continue family-based learning. Themes can incorporate those you are investigating across the grades. Work is uploaded to the online platform, Canvas, where communication between your children and teachers happens.

We will continue to offer many of the Activities, Clubs, & Classes that you are familiar with. We also look forward to adding LiveStream French, LiveStream Drama, LiveStream Visual Arts courses.  

*costs apply to all programs

Click here for more information on our Middle School Program.

Grad Program (10 – 12)

 Learner  Per Course Tuition  PO Funds
 Enrolled (SOR* with RCOA)  $50 to a max of $200  $50 for select elective courses
 Cross-enrolled (XE)  $50  $50 for select elective courses
 Registered with RCOA  $50  $50 for select elective courses
 Adult Dogwood (school age)  $50  $0
 Adult (non-graduated)  $75  $0
 Adult (graduated)  $650  $0
 International Learners  $925  $0
 *SOR = School of Record (the school where most courses are taken)
*maximum K-9 family annual tuition of $600 does not apply to grad program per course tuition
*per course tuition:

  • is due in full upon enrolment in the course
  • is not refundable but may be applied to a different course as needed
  • may not be paid with PO funds or Special Education funds

*tuition assistance bursary available for enrolled families based on financial need & monies available
*in-person & virtual offerings have additional costs. See OTIS for details

The programs*:
We have reformatted our high school webpage (see link below) for ease of use. We are grateful to Andrew Easson for his dedication as Vice Principal.  As of July, he will transition out of the VP role to increase his leadership focus in our Special Education department. 

We will continue to offer many of the Activities, Clubs, & Classes that you are familiar with. We also look forward to adding exciting new LiveStream classes such as LiveStream Biology and LiveStream Humanities.

Online Courses – These structured programs guide you through a course step-by-step. Read and view what you need to know and do, complete the tasks, upload assignments, and enjoy the support of a specialist course teacher.

Individualized Programs – These programs are completely customizable with the assistance of a certified teacher.  This is a great way to continue family-based learning. Themes can incorporate those you are investigating across the grades. Work is uploaded to the online platform, Canvas, where communication between your teens and teachers happen.

*costs apply to all programs

Click here for more information on our Grad Program.

Registered Homeschoolers (K – 12)

We have a long history with and respect for registered homeschooling families.  While we won’t be issuing funding, we will increase the amount of internal support we offer our registered home learners.

We will be sending a survey by the end of June to all families registered with us so we can hear about what you value most.

Internal Offerings:

  • special rates on our in-person & virtual programming
  • online subscriptions
  • registered homeschool lending library
  • assessment opportunities
  • consultation with a certified teacher ($50 fee)
  • blended high school transcript ($125 fee)

COVID-19 & Internal Programming

We love being face-to-face in community with you. Should we have another wave of COVID-19 and have unique restrictions as a result, we will adapt the programs we described above. Even if we cannot meet in person for a time, we will do everything we can to provide consistent connection for your children.

We invite you to ride out this COVID-19 season with us. Please do continue to sign up for face-to-face programming if that is a priority for your family. If everyone “takes a year off”, our programs will be significantly impacted and we may not have the desired programming available the following year.

Questions & Answers

When is my first payment due?
If you are not doing any in-person or virtual programming, your first tuition payment is due on or before September 1st.
 
If you are participating in in-person or virtual programming (face-to-face programming), a $50/learner non-refundable deposit is due before you can sign up. The $50 deposit will be applied to your tuition (or programming fees for those who choose the zero-tuition option) and is not an extra amount. 

When can I choose which tuition model I want?
To expedite the process for this unusual year, we ask that you go to this link in OTIS, be sure to change the year in the top right corner to 2020/21and add your child to the preferred K-9 tuition model ($0 tuition/$350 PO funds or $200 tuition/$600 PO funds).  You may choose a different model for each child. 

When can I begin spending my PO Funds?  
If you are doing face-to-face programming, the $50/learner non-refundable deposit and applicable PO funds will automatically be put toward programming costs. You will receive half of any remaining PO funds for resources* when you have confirmed your tuition model (see question above). The final PO fund amount will be issued as of February 1st.
 
If you are not doing in-person or virtual programming, half of your PO funding will become available (for resources only*) once your consultation is complete. The final amount will be issued as of February 1st.

*Note:  Third-party service payments will be available as of September 1st and the remainder, February 1st 
 
Is the registration fee I paid, before the Ministry funding cut, refundable?
Non-refundable registration fees already paid up until May 15th under the previous funding structure will be put toward the $50/learner deposit or can be refunded up until June 15th if you are withdrawing from RCOA programming or from RCOA due to the program restructuring. 

Note:  If you paid the registration fee under the old program structure, we will automatically apply that to the new $50 deposit. This may result in a credit for you (e.g., old registration fee of $75 paid & new deposit paid is $50 – a credit of $25 would be applied to remaining K-9 family costs).

When can I access Library World to order resources for the new school year?
The lending library will be accessible in OTIS as of Wednesday, June 3rd, for everyone who has completed a consult.  Resources ordered will be shipped out to you beginning July 15th. 

Will I receive free shipments of Library World items for the new school year?
We will continue to cover the cost of up to six (6) free shipments per K-9 family, per year. This includes resources shipped to you from our office or from you back to our office for a total of six shipments at no cost to you. If you need to use more than the six provided shipments, the shipping cost will need to be paid by you before the items are shipped out.

Grades 10-12 resources are shipped to you as each course is activated and back to us when you are finished with them. Shipping of these items is covered by RCOA.

When can I sign up for in-person and virtual programming (face-to-face programming)?
We are so excited to welcome you to the 2020/21 school year!  Sign-up in OTIS for all programs will open for grades K-7 programs on Wednesday, June 3rd and Monday, June 8th for grades 8-12 programs. A $50/learner non-refundable program deposit is required to secure your seat.

K-7 learners will be added to the pending sign up list and an invoice for the $50/learner non-refundable program deposit will be emailed to you starting on Tuesday, June 9th. Once paid, you will be added to the secured seat list unless the program is full.  You will then have a spot on the class waitlist.

If you have already paid a registration fee to sign up for our previous programming prior to the Ministry funding cuts, that amount will be applied to the new $50/per learner non-refundable program deposit. Be assured that if you made selections prior to the Ministry of Education funding cuts and had secured seats, your seats will remain secured in the new programming. You will be placed on the secured seat list again when you re-sign up for the new programming. You have until Monday, June 8th to re-select your programs and to secure your seats again.  On Tuesday, June 9th, others will have the chance to pay and secure seats.
 
Do I need to re-select my choices for 2020/21 if I already did so prior to the May 2020 program changes?
Yes! As you prepare for the redesigned school year, we need all families to reselect their choices.  There are some changes to current programs, as well as some great new options for you to consider.  As you had already secured your spot for next year, you will receive first priority for our newly redesigned program.  Secured seating will open to everyone else on Tuesday, June 9th.

Will all classes run?
Each in-person and virtual program needs to have a minimum number of participants.  The number varies depending on the offering.
 
How do I apply for a bursary?
More information about our bursary program will be available at the end of June.

Are you going to use parent volunteers for anything?
We are looking forward to working more closely with parents in our programming. Thank you to those who suggested this in your survey responses!

 

Dennise Croswell
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