Keynote Address – A Homeschool Journey
Cynthia Hancox is a mother of 5 children, and has home schooled for 16 years. That’s a lot of years – years of laughter and learning, and also of tears and struggles. Come along as Cynthia shares a whirlwind glimpse of some of the highs and lows of her family’s home schooling journey so far.
Session 1
Goodbye Chaos, Hello Peace
Are you struggling to keep on top of all the demands in your life? Is your house in a state of chaos? Are you overwhelmed or stressed-out? Feeling alone and in need of some encouragement and help? In this workshop, Cynthia will share 4 Secret Weapons and 10 Practical Steps to help you get on top of things and create your own personal plan to banish chaos.
Getting Started
So you have decided to Homeschool. Now you are wondering how to go about
it. What now? What do you need to do?
This session is a practical approach to getting up and going without stress.
Secondary Options
What options are there for Homeshooling our teenagers? Is there more available than ACE, the NZ Correspondence School or do we just send our teens to school so they meet NZQA requirements? Do they need NZQA credits to get where they want to go? Our panel of experts speaking about: Cambridge International Exams, the Correspondence School, ACE, and the Certificate of University Preparation (Waikato University) will address all these issues and more. Bring your questions and your teens.
Reluctant/Late Readers
With four sons who learned to read at the ages of 9 ½, 8 ½, 12 ½, and 3 ½, all of whom are avid readers as adults, Cally has many years of anxiety, experience and joy to draw on to help you find ways to raise literate adults.
Session 2
Cambridge International Exams
Cambridge International Exams (CIE) are becoming a popular qualification route for home educating families. Erena Fussell (LearnEX) and Judith Tizzard (former coordinator of Auckland Home Educators) run a not-for-profit organisation which seeks to support homeschooling families sitting Cambridge.
This session looks briefly at the history of CIE, explains the basic terminology, explodes some myths and touches on some of the practicalities. It would be suitable for anyone who is looking for further information about Cambridge Exams.
Christian Worldviews
Everyone has a worldview….a set of assumptions shaping our view of the world, the decisisons we make and historically the constitution of whole cultures. Children need to be taught how to think about their world and how their faith engages with their life. Teaching worldviews gives them tools to face the challenges and distractions of the many competing ideas that bombard them.
Keeping It Simple
With so many resources and activities available, life has become very complex for home educating families. We need to simplify what we are doing, so that our children are learning all the skills they need for life – not just the academic ones.
Ideas For Dads
Nigel is an enthusiastic homeschooling father, who is keen to help other fathers with ideas that can help a homeschooling family grow. While he would not say he is an expert, he has gatherered ideas together for other fathers to help in their journey. His workshop is aimed at fathers who see the conference as a chance to network and swap ideas from a man’s point of view.
Session 3
Food Intolerance and Its Effects On Learning
Food sensitivities are often not well understood, but can have a profound effect on mood, behaviour, learning and health. In this workshop, Cynthia shares some of her family’s journey in recognising and dealing with food intolerance. She will explain the 7 main food chemicals that can cause problems, and how to identify and overcome food intolerance.
Unschooling
Children can learn in accordance with their own interests, abilities, and within their own time frame, rather than to someone else’s agenda. Unschooling is not about leaving your children alone to do as they please. It is about providing interesting experiences, stimulation, conversation, and much more, in an abundant, respectful environment so that children discover the world on their own terms.
Lapbooking/Unit Studies
Lapbooking is a creative way to present Unit Study work. There’s no wrong way to do it, as each folder reflects the age and interest of the creator.We started making lapbooks about eight years ago on topics ranging from apples to Switzerland. F you want to conveniently record and store project work in an attractive crafty way then investigate this hands-on workshop.
Career Planning for Young adults
Alpha Careers First provides career advice and guidance to to help teenagers, school leavers and young adults set clear career directions.
Session 4
Homeschool Graduates and Parents
A diverse group of young people who have completed their schooling and gone on to tertiary study or into the workforce, and homeschooling parents who have finished homeschooling their children or are in the process of homeschooling.