Delight Directed: Jul-Aug 2024 WISDOM Family Magazine
The Gilbertine Academy Administration
Principal, Head of School
Kenneth Noster
Associate Principal,
Home Education
Simon Noster
Associate Principal of Gilbertine Academy
Yvan Beaudoin
Secretary Treasurer
Vic Wiens
Chief Operating Officer
TobyLauren Burgess
Office Manager
Rae LaRocque
High School Advisor
Christian Bekolay
High School Credit Advisor
Peter Weidman
IT Systems Administrator
Levi Breederland
Graphic Designer
Naomi Doyle
Office Staff:
Home School Consultants
Janice Laurence
Peter Weidman
Terry Yaceyko
Administrative Assistants
Jennifer Laszlo
Amy Burkey
Julia Yaceyko
Office Assistant
Helen Burgess
Finance Manager
Melissa McEachern
Finance Assistant
Henrietta Neilson
Family Funding Team Lead
Taylor Laurence
Family Funding Assistants
Thomas Laurence
Ezra Noster
Family Funding
Systems Maintenance
Dylan Kwasnycia
Accounts Receivable
Jim Burgess
Development Director
Saul Noster
Development Assistant
Joshua Bruce
Data Manager
Janelle Mailhot
Data Assistant
Abigail Laurence
SIS Data Entry Clerks
Hannah Hoekstra
Anthony Laszlo
Events Director
Marlane Noster
Events Coordinator
Kyra Tinant
Athletics Director
John Hoekstra
Socratic Dialogue Online Program Manager
Nicole Noster
Mediated Learning Program Manager Dynamic
Assessment
John Hoekstra
Mediated Learning
Advisor & Educational Therapist
Lora Cardinal
High School Subject Specialists
Pierre-Andre Beaudoin (Chemistry)
Rhonda Caluttung (English)
Lydie Delli Santi (French, Spanish)
James Rauch (Latin)
Joy Ronald (Social Studies)
Peter Weidman (Math, Sciences)
For contact information, see wisdomhomeschooling.com > About > The Team
WISDOM Home Schooling is a registered trade name of The Gilbertine Institute. The Gilbertine Academy, Calgary, is an independent school operated by The Gilbertine Institute.
Phone: (780) 741-2113
Toll Free: (877) 425-8546
with questions: office@wisdomhomeschooling.com with contributions to the WISDOM Magazine: magazine@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Publisher: WISDOM Home Schooling
Content/Editor /Desktop:
TobyLauren Burgess & Amy Burkey
Desktop / Design:
Naomi Doyle
wisdomhomeschooling.com
Facilitators:
Michele Barter (780) 363-3740
Pierre-Andre Beaudoin (780) 239-0381
Joan Bishop (780) 878-5380
Rhonda Caluttung (403) 846-0404
Lydie Delli Santi (403) 392-9209
Carrie Friesen (780) 217-4006
Simon Friesen (587) 222-1790
Rachelle Godin (780) 349-1827
Liz Gurnett (780) 349-1577
Nola Hutchinson (780) 781-2527
Anella Jantz (587) 297-1992
Desmond Kilgannon (780) 225-6688
Randy Kopp (780) 723-5382
Gordon Loewen (587) 298-7565
Taylore Maschmeyer (780) 270-0460
Mark Meakes (780) 231-6594
Simon Noster (780) 581-8885
Sue Peachment (403) 994-1963
Joy Ronald (780) 278-5557
Kim Schultz (780) 623-2886
Glenn Spiess (639) 894-0470
Brian Taje (780) 312-4525
Paul van den Bosch (403) 358-4497
Catherine van Kampen (403) 845-2923
Peter Weidman (780) 223-2414
North
Georg & Gayle Beinert
Rene & Karen Godin
Parent Advisory Council
Menno & Margaret Knelsen
Central
Darrel & Kristine Buchholtz
Sheldon & Sharon Kok
Don & Bo Reid
Cory & Sierra Rotchford
South
Cameron & Tanya Harrison
Joe & Diane Pollock
Jeremy & Cheree Quantz
Content:
WISDOM publishes articles by many Individual authors. The opinions of the writers are not necessarily those of WISDOM. We reserve the right to decline any submission, and to edit those submissions we accept for accuracy, clarity & length.
Unless otherwise credited, photography is courtesy of the Noster, Burgess, Tinant, and Doyle families. The people appearing in photos throughout this publication do not endorse any specific product, service, cause, association or endeavour. Images and photos are for illustrative purposes only.
First Things
July/August 2024
If you know the expression “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink”, it may be something that pops into your head when you have a child staring at their math textbook, not learning. Not all learning can be lollipops and cotton candy, and there is a very important place for hard work, dedication, and completing difficult and unenjoyable learning tasks. The benefits of such learning range from internalizing useful information, to developing character and good study habits, and extend to a positive selfknowledge that “I completed a hard thing, therefore I am capable of other hard things”. However, most will agree that the very best quality of learning happens when it involves delight. The theme of this magazine is just that, Delight in Learning.
Because the Alberta Education “Count Date” is the last business day before September 30th, the Notification Deadline this year is September 27th. As a returning family, hopefully you have already re-notified, but if you have any friends who are considering home education, please do inform them of this date. If you are a returning family who has not re-notified yet, please do so as soon as possible by visiting schoolcloud.ca/login. We are assigning new families to facilitators now so that they can receive timely assistance. It is possible that your current facilitator will “fill up” and be unable to work with your family next year if you have not re-notified in a timely manner. Our lovely office staff are ready to help with any technical issues you might experience along the way.
As home educators, we have a unique opportunity to imbue learning with meaning and joy. Learning through literature, discussion, unit studies on a topic of interest, hobbies or activities, field trips or travel are some examples of ways that we can create purpose and value for certain knowledge or skills. I know a student who might not have cared much for formal math, art, or writing, but who created a whole world surrounding a sports league and home team, which included statistics (math), drawing/decorating/illustrating (art) and invented sports analyst writeups on the players (writing). Another student created a board game with complex rules and a beautiful board. Another student started their own small business selling their homemade baking. When there is purpose, value, and interest the speed and quality of learning is off the charts. When we see a child buzzing with delight as they explore a forest, or have invented a new creation with LEGO, or are riveted by historical fiction, we recognize that the sky is the limit.
Thinking that this can happen with every subject all the time is unrealistic, and it will lead us to feel disappointed and that we are doing a bad job when the delight is not there. Striking the balance between discipline and delight is a lifelong acrobatic exercise, but we should never stop trying to find new approaches that inspire our children. Our goal should be that whenever possible our children’s hearts and minds will be marching in sync as they discover and develop. As you enjoy your summer and have time to reflect on goals and plans for next year, keep an open mind and do not be afraid to think outside the box.
The deadline for returning families to submit Education Program Plans is August 31st. In September our facilitators will be busy working with new families who are just beginning their home education journey. Please do not wait until the deadline, but submit your EPP to your facilitator as soon as possible so that they have time before September to suggest any necessary changes or additions.
Our first funding allocation of the year will be in October this year; please submit eligible receipts by the end of September in order to receive your first reimbursement in October by direct deposit.
Registration continues for the WISDOM Socratic Dialogue Online Program through August 7th. If the course you are interested in is full, please do join the waiting list. We will open additional sections where there is sufficient interest.
The WISDOM Alumni Association was officially formed on March 22, 2024. The purpose of the Alumni Association is to honour WISDOM alumni, share the benefits of home education, and to provide peer support and networking opportunities for alumni. Contact the alumni executive by emailing alumni@wisdomhomeschooling.com in order to provide support or suggestions.
We have already planned a number of Fall Family Gatherings. Please see page 36 of this magazine, and visit the WISDOM Website to register or learn about additional events.
As always, our office staff pauses to pray for you at 3PM each day. Special requests are included in our prayers.
Blessings on your home,
Simon
Simon Noster, Associate Principal of Home Education simon@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Write for The WISDOM Family:
DelightDirected Learning
By Ken & Marlane Noster
Marlane: Delight directed learning is a term some people use to describe what they ultimately call unschooling. It generally means that they allow the aptitudes and interests of their child to direct their choices of resources and activities. Seeing as I have never unschooled, I don’t think I’m in any position to speak about delight directed learning.
Ken: Well, you certainly never were an unschooler (nor was your husband). The best examples of unschooling that I have witnessed over the years have required that parents provide an environment that is rich with resources and other sources of intellectual stimulation. The parents have done far more work in responding creatively to their children’s interests than we have had time to provide in our home, but I
don’t believe delight directed learning necessarily requires that a parent unschool the children.
Marlane: So, are you saying that parents can provide learning that is delight directed without solely following their children’s interests?
Ken: Yes, in fact there may be two approaches to delight directed learning. One may occur when
parents are sensitive to the sources of their children’s delight and respond with approaches that will keep their children engaged and maybe even excited to learn. The other may occur when parents themselves take delight in learning and simply pass their delight on to their children.
Marlane: Okay, so give me some examples.
Ken: How about some examples of the ways you chose to teach our children? Your son (mine too) was highly kinesthetic. I remember how he always had to be bouncing on one leg, dancing, or at least moving around. Remember how you stationed him at the corner of the island in the kitchen to do his math? He enjoyed math in itself, but it truly was delight directed when he could hop at the same time.
Marlane: Yes, and when memorization of the multiplication tables seemed to become laborious, I taped his math times-tables to the handlebar of his bike and sent him out cycling. Never have I seen a boy
so happy to be learning math.
Ken: And boy did he learn. Remember how quickly the timestables became easy for him?
And, now that I think of it, I remember walking into the house to find myself surrounded by an abundance of delights, so many delights over the years.
Marlane: Yes, the history reports where I required background music and artwork. The house resonated with beautiful sounds augmented by creative visuals and delightful descriptions of a time gone by. Also our Cultural Geography: central to studying a country and its culture was research into their climate and the foods that climate produced. We would pore over cultural recipes, and then our children chose, shopped for, and prepared the cuisine of the peoples- and then dressed appropriately for the occasion. Guests would arrive to music and decor of the region, enjoy cultural cuisine, and then sit back to listen to an oral presentation that accompanied their experience.
Ken: Another source of delight was location. With nothing else that was different, a simple change of place was enough to elicit smiles and stimulate learning. More than once, I recall driving into the yard to witness a child on the roof of the house.
Marlane: But note, you never saw one on the steep side of the roof, only the gentle slope that ended 6 feet from the ground. Also, time to time, I would send one up the hill with an assignment, a picnic blanket, and maybe even a snack.
Ken: And both you and I were amazed at how much one of our children could take in and vividly remember as long as she was drawing while listening.
Marlane: Yes, far quicker and longer lasting learning than any other situation we experienced.
So many good memories. You’re right; we certainly did employ delight directed learning, but it was directed primarily by us, not our children; at least not at first. Eventually, though, they became more aware of what they most enjoyed and became pretty creative at turning a learning assignment into a delightful one. It still serves them.
But what about the other type of delight directed learning you mentioned? Give me an example of how our own delight stimulated the learning of our children?
Ken: Remember the years before we had children, when we were on tour with our mime company? You read to me. There was always a book on the dash of the van, and some of them were exceptionally long, but so were some trips, yet the miles flew by. We found reading and discussing to be highly enjoyable, and the details of those books remain vivid in my mind decades later.
Marlane: Yes, it would be somewhat later that we learned that reading together and discussing is the way the ancient Greeks educated their youth and, to this day, it comprises the logical stage of a classical education. Ha, and we had just tripped into it. When we began travelling with children, the practise of reading continued, and the discussions were rich and memorable. When we began home schooling, reading aloud to everyone in the house became a daily event and one of the best ways to engage together. Now, our children read to their families. Who would have thought it would be so central
to family life and delight directed learning.
Ken: This brings to mind another delight you and I had in common. Even before we knew one another, each of us engaged in choral music. Once married, our home always had music playing, and we took every opportunity to sing. First we sang together, then we sang with our children, and then we sang with our children in a formal choral setting.
Marlane: They all sing well, and they have embraced opportunities to do so. Three of them competed at that international choral festival in Wales, two sang in a professional choir, some sang at a music festival, they all sing in church, and their children sing whenever they can, even home-made opera. A highlight for me was singing in the women’s choir along with two daughters and a daughter-in-law.
Ken: And my greatest choral highlight was when you and I got to rehearse and perform Mozart’s
Requiem with our two younger girls (along with a sterling cast of singers and musicians).
Yes, delight begets delight. We haven’t had to force our children to embark upon and refine a significant portion of their learning, because they so very naturally became engaged in the things they saw we valued and delighted in.
Marlane: Well, Ken, may I say I am delighted to have had this conversation with you about delight directed learning? Okay, okay, that was corny, but it has been enjoyable to reflect on some of these wonderful memories.
Ken: It’s been a pleasure, and it has helped me think about how delight directed learning needn’t necessarily be unschooling. You and I continued to choose what we thought was important for our children to learn. We didn’t follow our children around, but I think we were attuned to each of them and approached their learning accordingly... and it was fun.
Kenneth and Marlane Noster, founders of WISDOM, live near Derwent, Alberta on their certified organic farm. Ken currently serves as Head of School, and Marlane as WISDOM's Events Director. Ken and Marlane home educated their 6 children through high school. Those of their eighteen grandchildren who are school-aged are also homeschooled.
Penpal Club Penpal Club
Elaina F, 18
Hi! I would love to talk to some older teens! My passions are reading, writing, dance, art, and learning to homestead. I enjoy playing piano and have 5 younger siblings. I hope to hear from you soon!
Adam L, 7
I love dinosaurs, cars, and oranges. I like to play soccer outside and I like riding my bike.
Leif M, 9
I live on a farm. I like to work with cows, play Lego, build stuff with old boards, and ride in big farm equipment. My favorite colors are green and brown. I have 3 sisters. I also like to ride my bike. Hope you can be my pen pal.
Gunnr U, 12
I live in Alberta with two older brothers, one older sister and one younger sister. My hobbies are ants and bugs. I love to go outside and look at bugs. When I go outside I like to bounce on the trampoline and use a magnifying glass to burn stuff. I like to play with LEGO. I keep pet ants. It is my favorite hobby. I would love to have a pen pal that loves bugs as much as me.
Samuel G, 8
I like Pokemon. I actually collect Pokemon cards, I like cats, and I like drawing. I very much hope we can be pen pals : D
Rigo N, 13
Hello! My name is Rigoberto, or Rigo for short. I'm 13 years old and enjoy designing pictures and such, LEGO, playing games with my friends, writing stories, and swimming. I live in Okotoks Alberta. I would love to talk to other teens my age. I hope to hear from somebody soon!
McKaela S, 11
Hi, my name is McKaela. I am almost 12 years old. I have 5 siblings and am the second oldest. I really like drawing, reading, and playing outside. I also really like horses. I hope you can be my pen pal.
To join
You are invited to write to any Pen Pal Club member listed here!
To join the Club, please send a short letter of introduction (like those posted here) to the WISDOM office, along with a note giving parental permission. You may also ask your parent to email office@wisdomhomeschooling.com.
If you'd like to be a pen-pal of someone listed here, please send your first letter to:
[Penpal name] c/o WISDOM Pen Pal Club Box 78 Derwent, AB T0B 1C0
The Einsteins of Dyslexia
By Lora Cardinal
The research brought forth by professionals focusing on the many unique patterns of thoughts, abilities, and talents that individuals with dyslexia have, has been limited. Scientific studies concentrate on the areas of cognitive weakness, and the solutions to address these weaknesses, rather than investing in those areas that do not need addressing. This line of research has been beneficial in some respects, but it has missed important pieces of the puzzle: to explore the many surprising strengths, attributes, and talents that an individual with dyslexia has and how these unique characteristics will benefit society.
Scientists and researchers have found that through different scanning technologies, assessments, and tests, the affected processing areas of the dyslexic individual’s brain are measurable. Their
findings now validate their hypothesis that it is the phonological processing area that is affected. This area of the brain is responsible for putting the sounds we hear together to make words, putting the sound to a letter shape and constructing words, and breaking words down into separate sounds. Through the modality of phonics-based programs and as remedial academic work using explicit instruction has shown, there is marked improvement in the areas of phonological processing.
As further research has been available, additional programs have been developed that include specific academics in phonics to aid individuals with dyslexia. Unfortunately, inadequate research has been undertaken to show their unique talents, thought processes, and gifts. The book “The Gift of Dyslexia” by Davis and Braun delves into this area and lists
many positive qualities that individuals with dyslexia have. Individuals with dyslexia can “utilize the brain’s ability to alter and create perceptions, they are highly aware of the environment, they are more curious than average, they mainly think in pictures instead of words, they are highly intuitive and insightful, they can think and perceive multi-dimensionally (use all their senses), they can experience thought as reality, and they have vivid imaginations” (Davis and Braun, 2000). They also state that “These gifts, if nurtured, will result in two characteristics: higher than normal intelligence, and extraordinary creative abilities. From these, the true gift of dyslexia can emerge, which is the gift of mastery. The gift of mastery develops in many ways…for Albert Einstein (who had dyslexia), it was mastery in the area of physics” (Davis and Braun, 2000).
Dr. Shaywitz, who wrote the book, “Overcoming Dyslexia,” found that individuals with dyslexia enjoy solving puzzles, have excellent comprehension when the story is read or told to them, have a better sense of spatial relationships, and better use of their right brain, they have excellent thinking skills in the area of conceptualization, reason, imagination, and abstraction, they see concepts with a “big picture” perspective, they are adept to excellence in areas not dependent on reading, they have a large spoken vocabulary for their age, they tend to be more curious, creative, and intuitive than average, and their special mode of thought easily produces the gift of mastery (Shaywitz, 2014). Dyslexia is not related to low intelligence (Shaywitz, 2014).
The most recent research on dyslexia is interesting, and although reading it requires discernment, as it is evolutionary, not creation-based, it provides some ideas that are worth contemplating and reflecting on. The idea that the individual with dyslexia (this article also claims that individuals who display characteristics of ADHD might also have an overlap of some of the positive attributes of the dyslexic brain as well) has characteristics that are worthy of further study, is inspiring. This article claims that instead of concentrating on the processing deficits of an individual with developmental dyslexia (DD), further research and study is needed to investigate the advantages of developmental dyslexia. They hypothesize that DD would be better understood by using a “cognitive search framework.” Cognitive search, they explain, is the ability to
Mediated Learning
identify information and resources that have survival value. With their unique cognitive abilities, the dyslexic brain excels in this area. The authors suggest: “the question we need to be asking is not what’s wrong with the dyslexic brain, but what is the dyslexic cognition for and what their brains are really built to do?” (Taylor and Vestergaard, 2022). They propose that what has traditionally been seen as deficits are actually “trade-offs by their unique areas of cognition and abilities” (Taylor and Vestergaard, 2022). They now raise the idea that “individuals with DD are specialized in explorative cognitive search and rather than having a neurocognitive disorder, play an essential role in human adaptation” (Taylor and Vestergaard, 2022).
The information that has been offered to the public about DD has been mainly centered on their deficits, areas of difficulty, and how to improve them. These recent studies are shedding a new and bright light upon the strengths that individuals with DD have, particularly in the “realms of discovery, invention, and creativity that deficit-centered theories cannot explain” (Taylor and Vestergaard, 2022). It may very well be that these unique qualities that DD individuals have will delightfully direct generations of people into the vast unknown realms of the future.
Davis, R. D., & Braun, E. M. (2000). The gift of dyslexia Davis Dyslexia Association International.
Shaywitz, M. D., Sally. (2014). Overcoming Dyslexia. Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Taylor, H., & Vestergaard, M. D. (2022). Developmental dyslexia: Disorder or specialization in exploration?
Frontiers in Psychology, 13. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.889245
Ingredients (to figure out)
8 ounces =___ white sugar
4/8 =___ cup unsalted butter
288-286 = ___ large eggs
0.75 x 2 + 0.50 =___ teaspoons vanilla
¼ x6 =___ cup flour
7/4 =___ teaspoons baking powder
1 ÷ 2 = ___ cup milk
Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees
Line one 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.
Einstein Cupcakes
This recipe was created by Lora Cardinal and baked, decorated, and photographed by Jillian Abramowski.
Directions
1) Cream the butter and sugar together, then add eggs and vanilla, and beat until smooth.
2) Combine flour and baking powder in a separate bowl, then add to wet ingredients and mix well. Lastly, add milk and beat until smooth.
3) Scoop an even amount of batter into each paper lined cupcake cup.
4) Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.
5) Cool completely before decorating.
Decorations:
One tin of white or vanilla frosting (store-bought or homemade)
Chocolate chips for eyes
Red Food Coloring to color a bit of frosting for the mouth.
Decorate as shown on picture and enjoy!
Answer key on pg. 41
The Magic Trick
That Will Ignite Your Kids’ Passion for Learning This Summer
By Jamie C. Martin
“Jamie, your writing is beautiful!”
“Really?” I said, genuinely stunned. No one had told me that since college. Writing was a childhood dream I had let die. After all, in the “real” world people didn’t get to do that for a living.
My friend’s comment came ten years ago, after I had written my very first blog post. Steve and I were preparing to go meet Trishna, our new four-year-
old daughter in India. Many friends and family members had been a part of our adoption process, and we wanted to keep them updated during our travels.
After we returned home, another friend said my blog had inspired her family to pursue adoption too. Sometimes life points you in the direction you need to go long before you would otherwise take the hint.
for learning this summer is to pursue your own. After ten years of doing so, here’s what I’d suggest:
1. Ask yourself what you’ve always loved.
It didn’t happen that day, month, or even year–but slowly God gave me the courage to begin writing–to pursue a passion I had tossed aside even as I dealt with the demands of being Mom to a four-, three-, and two-year-old.
As homeschooling mamas, we sometimes forget that an investment in ourselves is not a withdrawal from our family. Instead, it acts like compound interest, growing and giving back to everyone under your roof.
And that’s why the best thing you could do to ignite your kids’ passion
Hopefully this is an easy answer, but we can make things so complicated. At times we’ve lost sight of ourselves to such a degree that we’re not even sure anymore.
What do you do “just for fun?” If you don’t know, look further back to when you had free time as a kid. How did you spend it?
One note to keep in mind: you don’t have to love every minute of your passion. I don’t enjoy every moment I spend writing. It’s more like a calling, like I have to write to live. Even if I stopped on this blog, it would come out in a journal or elsewhere. Is there something similar in your life?
2. Carve out regular time.
On most weekdays I get up around 6am so I have time for writing before the day begins.
But listen, sweet mom to early elementary-aged kids and littles, do not tell me you are going to start getting up earlier. You’re not. You can’t. YOU DON’T GET ENOUGH SLEEP AS IT IS.
And maybe sleep is the passion you need to pursue this summer. That’s legit, girl.
3. Stop feeling guilty.
What is it about us moms that makes us elevate inner guilt to an art form?
Don’t we want our kids to find their God-given passions, develop them, and then use them for the good of others and the world? So why shouldn’t we model that process?!
One of my current callings is to homeschool my children. But that assignment isn’t going to last forever! That’s why pursuing another interest is a gift to myself, my family, and the world. No guilt required.
• Or if your passion is cooking, you look up to notice a kitchen helper desperate to get in on the action.
• If you adore music, you hear a little voice asking, “Can you teach me to play the piano, too, Mommy?”
And on it goes. Love of learning is contagious.
So have fun learning for yourself this summer, and watch how that influences everyone under your roof!
Don’t put heavy expectations around your passion. I didn’t start getting up early to write regularly until my kids were nine, eight, and seven.
Do you know what I did in the earlier years? I put on a 45-minute educational video–right smack in the middle of our homeschool day–and I tried to give that time to writing. It wasn’t much, and some days it didn’t happen at all.
But over the years? It so added up.
4. Wait for the return on investment.
When you put money in the bank, you don’t gain interest overnight. But with time your investment grows in tangible ways you can see.
It’s the same as we invest in our own love of learning. There may be no noticeable difference in a week, a month, or even a year.
• Then one day, you hear your child tell someone they want to be a writer one day, just like their mom.
What passion do you feel God nudging you to pursue as an example to your kids this summer?
Jamie C. Martin - I’m a highly sensitive, introverted mom who loves the countryside, writing, traveling, and reading. Some of my favorite authors: Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen, L.M. Montgomery, and Laura Ingalls Wilder. I never planned to become a homeschooling mom, but stumbled into it when doing some initial research into educational options for our kids. Often the best things in life are unplanned, aren’t they? I love the advantages homeschooling gives my kids, and this lifestyle fits perfectly with who we are as a family. Find out more at the Simple Homeschool simplehomeschool.net
courtesy of: Jamie C. Martin
Photos
Some might call it “strewing”
Others, “sneaky learning”
Still others prefer “childhood enchantment.”
Whatever the moniker, the outcome is still the same. All of these methods lead to one thing, a delight-directed education. It’s the no-fuss, fast-track way to encourage REAL learning...the kind in which a child personally invests and one which inspires (not requires) him to want to learn more.
But what exactly is “strewing?” you ask.
To be honest, it’s kind of an If-you-givea-Mouse-a-Cookie story line. When strewing, you use a pre-existing interest or passion to lure your child into another interest or passion. One topic leads to another, which leads to the next, which leads to the next.
Here, let me explain.
By Jamie Erickson
discussion to Legos. Some quick chores and he’s on to more Legos. Then during our family read-aloud, there is a 100% chance he will be sitting on the living room floor, listening, while surrounded by a pile of Legos...
My eight-year-old’s daily routine looks a little something like this. He gets up thinking about Legos. He completes his Good Morning activities with lightning speed...in order to have extra time to play Legos. He dutifully does some school and then hurls himself downstairs to play Legos. More school. More Legos. He eats lunch and somehow veers the table
Well, you get the idea.
(To be honest, if he could build himself a little colony out of Minifigs, I think he’d declare himself king and start structuring the world’s first plastic monarchy so that he’d never have to leave his bedroom Legos corner again.)
Home School Tips
Now, I could just let him continue to build his Legos army in solitude, naively assuming he’s preparing for some kind of brick apocalypse, OR I could use this pre-existing passion of Legos to lure him into learning.
I’ll take door #2, please.
And here’s where the strewing comes in.
I lay out some headphones and a few Heirloom Audio Adventures and casually mention that he can have some time
to listen to a CD all on his own...while he plays with Legos, of course.
(He loves audio dramas, and these particular ones are new to him. Based on the time-tested historical novels of G.A. Henty, the Heirloom Audios are history from a Christian perspective. They are put out by some of the former producers of Adventures in Odyssey®, and are narrated by a star-studded cast, including Kirk Cameron of Fireproof, Sean Astin of The Lord of the Rings, and John Rhys-Davies of The Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones. In other words, they’d capture the attention of anyone with a heartbeat.)
He sifts through the available titles I’ve tossed his way...Under Drake’s Flag, In Freedom’s Cause, The Dragon and the Raven... and chooses With Lee in Virginia.
A few minutes into the series, he realizes that this is the very same LEE that I had mentioned when I came back from a whirlwind trip to Washington, D.C. and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania a few weeks prior.
(I returned home laden with maps, photographs, souvenirs, and stories of a nation divided. We sat on the floor and retraced the turning point battle.)
He had listened intently then. But now, after building and listening and building and listening on and off for the entire 2 1/2-hour drama, he’s mesmerized.
He rushes up to the family library and begins collecting a stash of Civil Warrelated books for himself. The next hour finds him lost in a literary retelling of Lee and Grant and their opposing armies.
Somewhere in the mix, he lands on Lincoln. He learns of his presidency, his obsession with cats, and his insatiable appetite for chicken casserole... little-known facts that he learns from a presidential trivia book.
This newfound and somewhat whimsical knowledge of Honest Abe leads to a new topic of table conversation...oddities of presidents past.
While lingering over lunch, we all discuss the fact that the “S” of Harry S. Truman doesn’t stand for anything. The 33rd president never actually had a middle name. We speak of 350-pound William Taft and the bathtub “incident” of ‘09. We praise Ronald Reagan for the birth of the blueberry-flavored jellybean, made in his honor.
With heads full of presidential potpourri, my kids do a quick meal cleanup, then clamor to the game closet. All five of them launch into a heated game of Hail to the Chief, a homemade game of presidential facts
that my daughter created for one of her PBL presentations a few years back.
When the final question is answered, the money tallied, and a winner is declared, the kids all scatter, and the presidents are forgotten.
And my son? The one who started this delight-directed adventure in the first place? Well, he heads downstairs to do what he does best, build Legos.
Only this time, he decides to pop on another Heirloom Audio Adventure. Before you know it, we’re all discussing the Vikings and their European invasions.
And that, my friends, is the lazy momma’s way of directing a delightful education.
Jaime Erickson - Jamie left her big city life to follow love all the way to a reallife Mayberry. After earning her Bachelor's degree in elementary education, working for the nation's leading homeschooling curriculum company, and teaching in a traditional classroom, she had babies...lots of them...and decided to point her gaze towards home. When she's not curating memories, hoarding vintage books, or playing ringmaster to her own live-in circus of seven, she can be found writing, speaking, and trying to stay warm in the upper midwest. Be sure to check out Jamie's latest book, Homeschool Bravely: How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Child With Confidence. Find out more at The Unlikely Homeschool www.theunlikelyhomeschool.com
Mouse. Cookie. The End.
Photos courtesy of: Jamie Erickson
Simply Delightful
“Where am I going and why do I want to go there?” The answer to that question depends on whether you are in a foreign country and asking directions to the nearest toilet, or you are meditating philosophically and asking the ‘big picture question’ of what you want to do with the rest of your life, starting today. Or, to refine that second situation, perhaps you are a home schooling parent looking at your educational philosophy and the future of your children. What direction do you want to take in your life (and in the lives of your children) starting from this moment forward? That depends on what you’re aiming for…
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
- Preamble to the United States Declaration of Independence, 1776
Perhaps it’s because I’m Canadian (and apologies to any Americans reading this) but those words always struck me as incomplete, like a puzzle with one piece missing. When I first heard those words - when I was much younger than I am now - I thought “it doesn’t say that I have the right to be happy, but only that I have the right to chase
happiness”. Later on - after I learned a thing or two - I realized that the missing piece was in the fact that, in pursuing happiness, the result would be a fruitless pursuit. If we simply pursue happiness for ourselves, we soon become completely selfish and arrogantly self-centred creatures devoted to our own pleasure. We might pursue happiness, but we will never attain it, at least not at any deep or true level beyond surface pleasure.
But there is another road to happiness, and that is a road that we can model for our home schooled children and even make a part of the Education Program Plans for our kids. Instead of making happiness the goal, we can devote ourselves to selflessness in the service of those around us in need (and I’ve seen this reflected in EPPs under subjects like “Volunteerism” and “Community Involvement”). In doing so, we find that in making others happy, we are blessed with an over-abundance of happiness ourselves. In order to attain happiness then, we need to pursue something other than happiness. Aim at something other than happiness, and happiness will come anyway.
So, to refine the question a little, if we can’t aim ourselves solely toward our own happiness, what can we aim at? I think the
By Paul van den Bosch
answer to that is in seeing the path we are on more than looking solely at the distant goal, in being aware of the importance of the process more than focusing only on arriving at a future destination, in knowing we are attaining change in our lives each day, in knowing that today’s growth will lead us to that goal.
In other words, if we are truly “delight directed”, we are focusing on the direction we take each day more than the delight we may arrive at someday. Every day, in every action, I can become more integrated in my personhood so that my direction is reflected in all my actions.
Yes, you might say, but you haven’t answered the question: if we want to have personal integrity, so that the whole of our being from our core to the end of our fingertips is unified in direction, what direction do we turn? What is the proper inner compass that we want to see operating in our lives? Are we going to be chasing every frivolous trend in an attempt to chase happiness? Can we maintain a consistent movement toward a better - and happier - self?
In other words, is delight even possible?
Yes.
If we pursue only our own personal happiness, we will pursue entirely selfish and selfcentred ends through selfish and self-centred means. But if we truly wish happiness, it is service given freely to others through personal self-sacrifice that we need to pursue. To quote Jordan Peterson, it is the “spirit of voluntary self-sacrifice” that should be the guiding principle and the “integrating spirit” that we should be pursuing. Pursue that, and happiness will come.
So if we aim for a spirit of voluntary selfsacrifice, does that mean delight will come too? Is that what it means to be “delight directed”? If we say we are directing ourselves toward delight, what does that mean? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, that word could be a noun meaning “extreme satisfaction” or a verb meaning “to give joy or satisfaction to”. The Cambridge dictionary definition is similar, a noun meaning “great pleasure, satisfaction, or happiness”.
The word repeated there is “satisfaction”. Delight and satisfaction aren’t exactly synonymous (there’s something extra in delight, and we’ll get to that in a moment) so what is satisfaction? Merriam-Webster: “the quality or state of being contented as a source or means of enjoyment in something accomplished.” Cambridge: “the pleasant feeling that you get when you have done something you wanted to do; the act of fulfilling or achieving a need or wish.”
How do we attain satisfaction? We get it through the achievement of a long-term goal, the mastery of a difficult skill, the accepting and successful completion of a challenge, the persistent and consistent move toward personal progress. It isn’t easy, but it IS simple, meaning it isn’t complicated.
The “something extra” in delight is the sudden “A-ha!” when we suddenly realize we have indeed achieved that distant goal, when
we have mastered that difficult skill, when we have completed that challenge, when we suddenly see that our consistent movement toward personal progress has meant a great deal of accomplishment, especially when we look back and realize that today’s Point B is a long way from our Point A starting place. All of those achievements come with that sudden “A-ha!”.
They also come with truly delightful moments when we know to the core of our being that we have truly and deeply changed. We realize that the change that we aimed for has happened and is continuing to happen. We begin to see ourselves in a different light. We begin to truly discover ourselves. We begin to see things in ourselves that were hidden before. We uncover new strengths, see hidden talents, begin to make fresh plans and take new risks where before we felt afraid or unsure or we were convinced that we couldn’t. Now we can. We know a new self.
I’m sure you have felt such moments of delight when you could clearly see how much you’ve done on a certain project, how much better you are at a skill you’ve been working on, how far you’ve come in your personal growth.
Now apply that sense of satisfied joy to your home schooling children. In the same way you directed yourself on a path to satisfaction and contentment and joy, we can guide our children in the same direction. We can guide them to their ultimate selves. We can open the possibility that they can be their best self. We can help them see beyond today to the delight of their future.
For once we direct ourselves and our children toward the joy of self-discovery, the satisfaction when we know we are growing, the contentment of seeing ourselves in the abundance of God’s creation, we are launched on a glorious voyage of discovering that creation (and of discovering ourselves
in it). We can see delight in the beauty of a cold mountain stream or a glowing sunset. We can smell the delightful fresh joy in the blossoming of a cherry tree in the spring. We can feel delight in our hands when we hold a cool hard apple or a warm sleeping puppy. Simple things. Simply delightful.
Consider these two quotations…
“Children, as persons, are entitled to the greatest respect. Children are given to us as free-flying souls… Children should become the role-models for us, their parents, for they are coated with the spirit from which they came - out of the ether, clean, innocent, brimming with the delight of life, aware of the beauty of the simplest thing; a snail, a bud....”
Gerry Spence, Give Me Liberty, 1998
“Do you know I don’t know how one can walk by a tree and not be happy at the sight of it? How can one talk to a man and not be happy in loving him! Oh, it’s only that I’m not able to express it... And what beautiful things there are at every step, that even the most hopeless man must feel to be beautiful! Look at a child! Look at God’s sunrise! Look at the grass, how it grows! Look at the eyes that gaze at you and love you!”
Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Idiot, 1869
Two thinkers from different times and different places, both seeing the same possibility for delight. We can help our children see the same possibilities for delight. It takes work, on our part, as well as on their part. It takes time. But it’s worth it.
There is satisfaction ahead.
And it will be delightful.
Paul van den Bosch is a WISDOM Facilitator. A thief once stole all of the lightbulbs at Paul’s house. Paul was completely delighted.
Photos courtesy of: Paul van den Bosch
Resources, Reviews & The Rest
By Nicki Truesdell
The stories that Laura Ingalls wrote about her life on the prairie are packed with wisdom for us today. Laura wrote often of the pleasures of home, and the joy found in simple pleasures.
Did you know that Laura began her first school teaching job at the age of 15? She was hired to teach in a school 12 miles
from her home; that was a long trip, with horses and wagons or buggies. This meant that she must be boarded at the home of the Brewster family near the school for the two-month duration of her term.
She wound up with a terrible family; today, we would call them dysfunctional.
The lady of the home was either yelling or silent, but never friendly. The toddler screamed constantly. The man of the house was either gone or brooding in a corner. It was nothing like the cheerful family Laura had at home. She had to sleep on a narrow couch in the same room as the family.
She didn’t know how she would ever survive two whole months of this. She secretly hoped Pa would come get her for the weekend, but she knew it was a long drive for Pa’s horses.
What a wonderful surprise it was when, on Friday afternoon of the first week, Almanzo Wilder showed up with his fast team of horses and a small cutter, or sled. He had driven the twelve miles to take her home! She would have a short break from the dismal home she was staying in!
The next morning:
“Good morning!” Carrie said from her bed, and Grace bounced up and cried, “Good morning, Laura!” “Good morning.” Ma smiled when Laura entered the kitchen, and Pa came
in with the milk and said, “Good morning, flutterbudget!” Laura had never noticed before that saying, “Good morning,” made the morning good. Anyway, she was learning something from that Mrs. Brewster, she thought.
Breakfast was so pleasant. Then briskly, and still talking, Laura and Carrie did the dishes, and went upstairs to make the beds. While they were tucking in a sheet, Laura said, “Carrie, do you ever think how lucky we are to have a home like this?”
Carrie looked around her, surprised. There was nothing to be seen but the two beds, the three boxes under the eaves where they kept their things, and the underside of the shingles overhead. There was also the stovepipe that came up through the floor and went out through the roof. (Taken from the book: These Happy Golden Years in the chapter entitled Sleigh Bells.)
Laura knew then that it is the people that make a home. She didn’t have a fancy home. She shared a bedroom with her 3 sisters in the attic of her father’s store in town. There were no fancy window
treatments, no pictures on the wall; just a stovepipe and three boxes.
Downstairs was the same. They had homemade wooden furniture, a cook stove, a braided rug, simple tin plates and cups, and plain curtains on the windows. But to Laura, it was the best place in the world.
After supper, when Laura and Carrie had done the dishes, Pa said as Laura had been hoping he would, “If you’ll bring me the fiddle, Laura, we’ll have a little music.”
He played the brave marching songs of Scotland and of the United States; he played the sweet old love songs and the gay dance tunes, and Laura was so happy that her throat ached.
Laura knew that home could be anywhere: in a covered wagon on the wide open prairie, a log cabin in the woods, a house made of dirt, a claim shanty in the Dakotas, or a store building in town.
It’s not the house, or the furnishings, that make a home. It’s the people, the smiles,
the kind words, the hugs, the music, the laughter, and the time spent together.
Today, a fashionable home is a thing to be desired. We all want one. Most of us dream of a new sofa, or a nicer bedspread, or the perfect flower arrangement, or the latest window treatments. A beautiful home is a good thing. But let’s not forget what makes it truly special. It’s the people who live there, and the love they share.
Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam – Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.
I love living history, and learning from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books is a fun way to homeschool!
Nicki Truesdell - Christian. Wife. Mother of two sons and three daughters. Author, blogger, speaker, and book lover. Second-generation homeschooler. This blog has been my space to share all things Christian parenting, homeschooling, and conservative issues since 2009. I believe in bold truth-telling, biblical womanhood, and discipleship parenting. Find out more at Nicki Truesdell nickitruesdell.com
By Jamie Erickson
Today, let’s take a look at Unschooling Science.
Science, especially anything related to nature and the great outdoors, gets a little tricky during the school year in my neck of the woods. Unless we plan to study hibernation and/or dormancy, our nature study is limited to whatever happens to be able to withstand several feet of frozen “white.” Four years ago while chatting with some homeschool veterans, I decided that although I would continue to teach science throughout the school year, I would focus much of our science efforts during the summertime. Throughout the year, I make a mental note of what natural interests my kids develop as we read books together. If possible, we revisit those themes when the snow melts...or June starts...whichever comes first! These summer-long units are very organic. I don’t really do any planning. We simply read a lot of books, observe, make theories and test them, and do some notebooking to document our discoveries. I thought I’d share a few of our past adventures in hopes that it might spark an idea or topic of interest for your summertime learning.
Summer-long Units
Butterfly Study
A fellow homeschool co-op mom is my go-to science gal. A few years ago, she was gracious enough to scour her property for milkweed and the little caterpillar critters that take residence on them every summer. She helped us nab a few to keep in a homemade observatory (a large pickle jar with netting over the top). We were able to watch the fascinating life cycle several times before summer’s end.
After releasing quite a handful of monarchs into the wild (one even accompanied us on a vacation upstate and was set free at the crest of a large hill), the children made some Eric Carle-esque paintings and set their findings down in the form of a handmade book.
Bird Watching
Come spring/summer, our area becomes an Audubon birder’s paradise. With a few field guides and a homemade birdwatching notebook at her side, a then first-grade Sweetie Pea set about to document every bird she saw. She even stopped in the middle of a Community Ed soccer game to run over to the sidelines and tell me she saw an osprey’s nest above the light pole.
In her book, she documented the bird’s name, date of her findings, the bird’s gender (based on the coloring), where she found the bird, the bird’s diet, how that species builds its nests, and any other interesting facts she learned from her field guides. She completed the entry with a handmade drawing of each. (It helped that her dad is a professional artist and gave her a few tips on drawing bird forms.)
I wish I still had the files for this bird book printable to be able to share it with you, but alas...
Instead, check out these other bird watching notebooking pages:
Think Crafts’ Bird Watching Book
KidsCanHaveFun’s Bird Watching Explorer sheet
Frogs/Toads
For years, we have had a family...and eventually a LARGE community...of frogs and toads living in our basement window wells. One summer, I had a plan to do a nature study on ants. I had prepared a notebook filled with observation activities, checked out several books from the library, and had bookmarked several scripture verses about ants to incorporate a character study using ants as a natural example. But, after only a few days of our study, it was quite clear that the frogs were much more intriguing to my little learners. In the true nature of “unschooling,” I scrapped all my PLANS and enlisted the
Hubs to help the kids round up some little leapers.
Since this truly was a “plan B,” our learning took place mostly through observation and care/keeping of the little critters. My boys especially loved discovering the eating likes/dislikes of our “house guests.”
TOPS Science Units
Now, before you write the “unschooling authorities,” I realize that a pre-planned unit does not necessarily qualify as organic learning. That said, I do think that TOPS Learning System books are excellent resources to jumpstart the natural learning process. They encourage exploration of a topic by presenting NUMEROUS projects that follow the steps of the scientific process.
We completed the TOPS Radish kit this past fall and are spending the summer working through their Corn and Beans biology unit.
A couple of things to remember when embarking upon a TOPS series: the units are written for a five-day-classroom situation. To complete the projects correctly, a pre-planned timeline has to be strictly followed. Our Corn and Beans unit takes 5 weeks to complete. Missing even ONE day in those five weeks makes a few of our experiments a moot point.
The books include lab instructions and journaling pages that can be photocopied for each child. I put all of these into pronged folders for my kids to fill out. Most of the TOPS units have suggested age-ranges. Be sure to choose the right range for your household and read all teacher notes before beginning.
Other suggestions
Lord willing, we will have many summertimes in our future to be able to use these same patterns of natural learning to explore other topics:
• Trees
• Flowers
• Other insects
• Fish
• Spiders
• Stars
Short-term units
Not wanting to commit to an entire summer of scientific discovery? No worries. Many topics can be explored in a few days or even a few minutes.
Egg Carton Nature Hunt
For my littlest learners, an egg carton nature hunt is always an annual summertime staple. Before heading out on a walk through the woods or a state park, we each paint the insides
of an empty egg carton. Each cup is painted a different color.
As we walk, the kids attempt to find a natural element that is similar in color to each of the painted egg cups.
When we get back home, we share our findings, try to determine the name of each item, and do some nature drawings of our favorites in a nature notebook. This has proven to be a great way to encourage thoughtful observation as we “commune with nature.”
Nature Collections
Super Boy, especially, gets a spark every few weeks to search out a new topic. This often comes in the form of gathering a collection of similar items. Rocks, shells, leaves, and feathers have all made their way into a treasure box or dresser drawer for safe keeping. Even though his reading level does not enable him to actually read all the words in it, I provide Super Boy with a simple field guide, to encourage investigation. He looks through the pictures and finds an item with similar characteristics to the one in his collection.
Discovery Baskets
During the summer, our discovery quiet time basket becomes a hub of organic learning. It has been a great way to introduce numerous new topics in order that my kids can develop new interests. I fill much of the basket with nature and nature-study resources.
I realize that science and science projects can make many mothers shudder, myself included. Just the THOUGHT of cleaning up a mess can be exhausting. Saving science for summer can be a great, less-busy time to encourage the disorder/clutter that comes with exploratory learning.
Jamie left her big city life to follow love all the way to a real-life Mayberry. After earning her Bachelor's degree in elementary education, working for the nation's leading homeschooling curriculum company, and teaching in a traditional classroom, she had babies...lots of them... and decided to point her gaze towards home. When she's not curating memories, hoarding vintage books, or playing ringmaster to her own livein circus of seven, she can be found writing, speaking, and trying to stay warm in the upper midwest. Be sure to check out Jamie's latest book, Homeschool Bravely: How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Child With Confidence. Find out more at The Unlikely Homeschool theunlikelyhomeschool.com
Photos courtesy of: Jamie Erickson
Some WISDOM Graduates of 2024
Every year, a new wave of WISDOM students step into the world, poised to leave their mark as the change-makers they were nurtured to become. These remarkable individuals will soon be found in the workforce, embracing higher education, venturing into entrepreneurial endeavors, or diving deeper into learning as they navigate their paths ahead.
To these exceptional young adults, we extend our heartfelt congratulations and boundless admiration. Parents, guiding your child through home schooling to this milestone is truly commendable—take this moment to revel in your shared accomplishment.
And to our esteemed alumni, remember that you are forever part of the WISDOM family. You are always welcome to join us at our events, reconnect with fellow graduates, and continue to inspire the next generation.
Congratulations to all!
Brooke Anderson is a high school senior pursuing an education she didn’t know she needed, with a love for the gym and all things summer, who loves to see her friends and family happy. In her spare time Brooke likes to listen to music, baking new things, recreating drinks she tries, and photography. Her favorite subject is Biology. Her favorite high school memory is going on a two-week road trip with her family to visit friends in British Columbia. Her favorite teachers are Mrs. Meaghen Gonzalez and Mrs. Maria McDonald who made their classes fun and enjoyable. Thank you to my best friend Isabella Rabino, your company is always enjoyable, and your friendship got me though high school, I love you so much! And to my mom Colette Anderson for teaching me even though she has not been in school for 29 years. Her advice for future students is to be you not the person next to you. She still does not know what she wants to do with life, but for sure there is a mini house, a dog, and an espresso machine.
“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”
– Muhammad Ali
Isaac Barnsdale has homeschooled with WISDOM since he was five years old. He has appreciated the opportunity to learn at home. He is the eldest of four boys and good at “advising” his brothers! He definitely prefers Math/Science and enjoys computer programming whenever he gets the chance. He enjoys basketball and especially the satisfaction of dunking. He also loves the challenge of skiing a double diamond black run with icy moguls at Sunshine Village! He is going to University of Calgary in the fall to study Bioinformatics which, for those of you who don’t know, is using IT to study biological data!
Monica Beinert
I have been homeschooled my whole life, and here I am at the end. It has been a long many years spent studying towards my diploma and the courses required for college. After quite a bit of time of uncertainty about what I would do after High School, including considering everything from being a Lawyer to Art Therapy, I finally settled on studying Interior Design Technology at NAIT. I will attend NAIT in the fall of 2024.
My interests have always leaned toward art and creativity, and though in my first few years of exploring art, there were many frustrating failures and impatience-induced creative disasters, I have learned a lot and developed my artistic skills. Now I enjoy pencil drawing, ink painting, leather-working, and photography. I hope that my abilities will be of use in the years to come. In Interior Design, and perhaps in other areas of my life as well. I have developed a passion for dancing in the past few years, and I intend to continue going to country dances. It is a wonderful way to have fun, meet new people, and deepen existing friendships Through it all God has been faithful, and I trust that he will guide me and care for me in all the next steps of life that lie before me.
Hello! My name is Dillon Bidell and I'm excited to be graduating this spring! I've been lucky enough to work with the same facilitator, Mr. Paul, over all the years of my schooling and been given many unique and interesting opportunities through him and the WISDOM team. I'm looking forward to starting my life as an adult through postsecondary and my eventual career. Here's to a hopeful future!
Samuel Boyer grew up in Grande Prairie and has homeschooled all his life. He is happy to be finished school and be in the workforce, pursuing a career in concrete finishing. WISDOM Home Schooling has been a great fit for him to get his AB diploma, while doing the things he enjoys. His favourite hobby is hockey and he’s excited to be playing for Lac La Biche Junior A in the coming season.
Jonah Bradley
Cody Chaput has been homeschooled since grade 1 with WISDOM. He has appreciated the flexibility to set his own schedule and have had an education that fits his learning style. He is excited to be graduating and looks forward to pursuing a career training horses.
Ashlea Christensen has always been homeschooled; she joined WISDOM for grade nine. The past four years have been filled with various types of school projects, including course challenges and Socratic dialogue classes -- her favorite part of high school! She is graduating with a WISDOM diploma and an AB Ed. transcript for her core courses. After graduation, she will take a gap year -- heading to a YWAM programme in Europe. Ashlea will continue to pursue her interests in nature, good stories, and, especially, people. She would like to help others see light in dark places as she seeks to live out Romans 12:21.
Hi, my name is Benjamin Dodd, I'm excited to be in the graduating class of 2024! I've been home-schooled my whole life and have enjoyed the flexibility of home education. I'm looking forward to my next chapter in life apprenticing as a automotive mechanic, already registered in NAIT for September.
Caeden Duncan: I like baking, video games and many different things. Homeschooling was such a great opportunity for me! It felt a lot more flexible and less stressful than going to school in person, the work was a lot better too. I got to do some fun activities like visiting museums and even going on trips as well! I also was able to meet new friends because of homeschooling. Recently, I’ve found some new interests which one of them was weightlifting. It has inspired me to become a personal trainer. I’ve really enjoyed these past few years of being homeschooled.
High School
Heya! I’m Rileigh Duncan, an aspiring artist and video game enthusiast! I’ve been homeschooled since 2020 and wouldn’t have it any other way! Homeschooling is what has allowed me to meet so many amazing lifelong friends I never would’ve met otherwise. It’s also given me the freedom to spend time focusing on my passion for 2D illustration. I’ve been able to accomplish so many things, that years ago I never would’ve imagined doing. I’ve had the honour to work on zines with so many incredibly talented artists all over the world. I have also participated in art contests and have done some commission work. I’m so incredibly thankful for everything I’ve been able to learn and accomplish through homeschooling, I look forward to seeing what life has in store for me after graduation.
Julie Fletcher Goodfare, AB.
Josie Gish has three sisters and four animals, two cats and two dogs currently. She has participated and won awards in swimming and water polo. She is currently a senior in the air cadet program, participating in ceremonial drill, marksmanship, instruction, and aviation. You can find her gardening, writing, photographing, and stargazing outside. After graduation she is hoping to continue pursuing her hobbies and dreams.
Jacob Godin Homeschooled since kindergarten. Never regretted it through all the ups and downs. It’s been a long, yet rewarding journey and I’m grateful for the individuals who made it possible to finally walk the proverbial stage as a 2024 grad. I plan to enter the University of Victoria in the fall and pursue a degree in Astrophysics.
Kateri Godin is the 7th of 9 children and has been homeschooled her whole life. One of her favorite parts of homeschooling was doing the WISDOM Online classes, which formed her critical thinking skills and love of Theology. Kateri has many passions, and has spent much of her spare time exploring new ones, especially art. She loves macrame, painting, and pottery, as well as baking, reading, and ballroom dancing. Always a people person, Kateri can often be found discussing fictional characters with her besties over London fogs, going to youth retreats, and joking around with her siblings. In the fall, Kateri will be attending St Therese Institute of Faith and Mission in Bruno, Saskatchewan as a faith foundation before later moving on to potentially becoming an art teacher or wedding planner. She is waiting to see what God has planned for her!
Sam Hewitt
I started my Homeschooling journey at grade 2, and I have enjoyed it ever since, as it is such a blessing to be able to learn in such a free and unrestrained manner. Home schooling also gave me the flexibility to learn even when dealing with some very severe headaches for a good portion of my education, and it has been a great experience that I have my parents, WISDOM Home Schooling, and most importantly, Jesus Christ to thank for! In the future I want to learn mechanics and other useful trades as I try to use my life to serve the Lord.
My name is John-Paul Hiatt and I am the youngest of twelve children. I live in the country, in Yellowhead County, Alberta. Growing up in a Catholic homeschool family allowed me a tangible opportunity to develop a sense of wonder, fascination and curiosity for learning (particularly towards psychology). I am also a great appreciator of art and have spent many sleepless nights dedicating my time towards: crafts, sewing, music, painting and (most recently) interior design. Homeschooling has been a rewarding journey filled with fascinating twists and meaningful connections with my fellow students (AKA My siblings,) and by two spectacular mentors (my parents.) I enjoy thundering rainfalls, steaming lattes, and the companionship of cats. I may not know what my future brings, but I am willing to face it head on. - JohnPaul Hiatt. “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I will learn.” -Benjamin Franklin.
Holly Hum
Hey everyone! I’m Holly and happy graduation to my fellow graduates! I’ve been with WISDOM for 8 years and it’s been a great journey! I love that with WISDOM I could focus on what interested me most and enjoy my studies! I have been able to further develop my skills in many areas like animal care, drawing, food sciences (cooking & baking), science and engineering, gardening & sewing and other home skills, history and food history plus so much more. I have thoroughly enjoyed homeschooling because I can work on my favourite subjects and have time to complete projects without noisy distractions of a brick & mortar classroom. Thank you WISDOM for allowing me the opportunity to work on what I love, and enjoy learning! Thank you to the best facilitator Mr. Meakes for listening to my presentations and making it easy for me to present, and helping answer any questions we had. Thanks to my mom for teaching me and assisting me in learning my interests. Thanks everyone! To my fellow graduates — do your best, believe you can do anything, never stop learning, do one thing each day that scares you - that’s how you grow, take advice and in the words of Baz Luhrmann: wear sunscreen!
Strategy, computers, and words: those are my passions. My name is Josiah David Pond and I enjoy many things from strategy games and technology studies to debates and sports. I make sure to spend many hours every season playing non-competitive basketball, baseball, and hockey! I love learning about theories and new technology. In between all these things I am a devoted reader, devouring books with rapid speed. My favorite author is most definitely James Ronald Reuel Tolkien and his Lord of the Rings series, but other authors such as C.S. Lewis and Chuck Black are high among my favorites. I love debating philosophical, political, and civil matters. I am very much looking forward to what the Lord has in store for my life in the years ahead. Isaiah 40:31.
My name is Elisabeth Pueschel and I have been raised a Catholic Homeschooler for my entire life. I have always loved learning to the point that I am able to graduate a whole year early. 16 and moving on in life, I feel strongly supported by my education experience with WISDOM and look forward to seeing many great things come out of the school board. Congratulations to everyone else graduating this year and good luck to anyone graduating in the future. "Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire." - St. Cathrine of Siena.
David Salamon
I am the 3rd of 6 kids and have been homeschooled through WISDOM my entire existence. Math and physics are my favourite subjects. Big LOTR Fan (aren’t we all). I enjoy experimenting with my God-given talents in architecture, construction, design, & problem-solving. While interested in all things electrical and mechanical, I am looking forward to God’s leading as I navigate the next season in my life. I am grateful that homeschooling has made it possible for us to travel, as travelling & adventuring have been a large part of my homeschooling journey. It has created a desire for learning to sail and exploring the oceans.
Jeremiah 3:14 (Jerry pi), ‘“Return, faithless people,” declares the LORD, “for I am your husband. I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion.”’
Hello there! My name is Emma Skuban. I absolutely love books, dancing, singing, coffee, making people laugh, cats, sunsets, writing, rain, and London Fogs. I can be found either frolicking or pacing dramatically in a field, as one does, or journaling about the interesting nothings of my day in a comfy nook somewhere. I love having conversations and discussions on anything from philosophy and theology to which film adaptation of Sense and Sensibility is the best. I have been homeschooled since day one, and I am so grateful to my parents for my education and encouraging my passions and interests. I have also benefited hugely from WISDOM's online courses, some of my favorite classes being Victorian Gothic and Creative Writing. I am so thankful for everyone who has helped me grow and learn throughout this whole process. I plan to attend St. Therese, Institute of Faith and Mission this Fall, and I am so excited to experience living in a faith based community and to deepen my relationship with God and others this upcoming year.
Sheldon Mailhot
Brendan McPeek
High School
David VanZandbeek
My name is Colton Wieler. I have been homeschooled my whole life. I live on a ranch in southwest Alberta. My hobbies are hunting, quading, and sports. In the summer months I work as a shepherd taking care of sheep for weed control. I am pursuing a drone pilot business.
Hey I'm Kathrine Wall from Vauxhall, Alberta. I finished Grades 1 -5 at Vauxhall Elementary School but completed high school at home in October 2023, and I definitely enjoyed those years of homeschooling! I made so many memories with my siblings in our schoolroom. I'm currently working with my Dad's building construction crew but I'm excited to see where God will take me in the next few years!
Emery Zayac is the youngest of three sisters who were all home educated from birth. A happy go lucky kid throughout, she has grown into a strong young woman. Emery is a member of her local 4H Sheep club, and she enjoys showing her animals on Achievement Day and cuddling with the baby lambs in the spring. Competing in box lacrosse is another passion, and this sport has been an integral part of her completion of the Gold Level for the Duke of Edinburgh Award. She loves Opal (her beagle), driving her truck, and the country lifestyle that she grew up in.
Congratulations to all of the above, along with the rest of the 387 graduates of 2024!
Thonour to contact every homeschool support group I could find on Facebook. (The reality is, Facebook is still the best way for homeschool families and parents to connect. I’ve looked elsewhere – and will continue to look – but Facebook is above and beyond the best option to make homeschool connections. Feel free to email terry@wisdomhomeschooling.com or call the Office for some ideas on how to access Facebook safely and privately.) I ended up adding *88* NEW Homeschool Support Groups on Facebook. Many were created specifically to make connections and community among homeschoolers.
It was interesting messaging all the individuals volunteering to lead the different groups. I will say, there is a real need for more volunteers. It was also eye opening to see a few individuals volunteering for multiple groups. They are very committed to the homeschool community in Alberta. Why not thank the support group leaders you know? And perhaps offer to assist them / respond to questions / post encouragement or support for others?
I also asked each leader what is working in their area. WOW, there are some creative ideas – some support groups
he I mpor T ance of Homeschool Support Groups (and Meeting in Person!)
By Terry Yaceyko
are very active and are doing a great job connecting as children, youth and parents. (If you would like a copy of my Tips for Homeschool Support Group Leaders document, email Terry) *If you would like a physical copy of the NEW Home Education Support Groups of Alberta booklet, please call or email the Office. We'll get it in the mail for you as soon as possible AND it is available on our website, too (wisdomhomeschooling.com/ resources/external/support-network-groups).
I thought I would share highlights from a recent Homeschool Support Group I attended. I encourage you all to connect with other homeschoolers regularly. If there is one thing I have learned in the past few years, it is the need for *community* both for ourselves as adults and for our children.
Topic of the month: The Mental Load of Parenting and Homeschooling. (Everyone was encouraged to share a positive tip for dealing with the mental load of parenting and homeschooling. It ended up being one of the best meetings I have been at for a while!)
One mom shared all the thoughts she has when going through her day. It’s overwhelming at times. Chores / house maintenance? Needs of children and
husband? Homeschooling plans? Water bottles and quiet toys for travel or events? And so much more.
So many good books were recommended at this meeting. Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti by Bill and Pam Farrel was highly recommended by one mom. She read it years ago to her husband and they still refer to it frequently. Bill and Pam Farrel explain why a man is like a waffle (each element of his life is in a separate box), why a woman is like spaghetti (everything in her life touches everything else), and what these differences mean.
It was suggested to only talk about one item at a time with your husband. Easier to come to an agreement. *Best time to talk to teen boys and husbands is while driving (shoulder to shoulder). Works with teen girls, too. (One on one is best for deep talks and connections.)
A mom shared that she has adrenal fatigue and health issues. Her body can’t hold onto vitamins. So tired at 4pm - she often wonders how to make supper and thinks “What is wrong with me? Why do I feel this way?” Adds even more weight to the overwhelmed feeling. She is getting a B12, B6, and Thiamine shot every 6 weeks that really helps. (Not covered by
benefits.) It takes about 2 days for the shot to kick in and then she is like a new woman with energy.
Typical discipline doesn’t work with some kids. She recommends not doing a time out all the time - pay attention to your child’s needs. Do a time in (20 minutes of cuddling). That has really helped with her children. Being present for kids (bedtime) takes all her energy. Putting 4 kids to bed can take an hour or more - they all want to talk to her.
Dr Ross Greene (podcast) helped one mom with kids different than she is. (Dr. Ross Greene provides guidance to parents on understanding and helping kids with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. Author of The Explosive Child, Lost at School, Lost & Found, and Raising Human Beings.)
Kids with special needs take lots of energy and add more weight to our mental load BUT having them home and homeschooling them is worth it.
One mom is not getting along with her teenager (13-year-old girl talking back.) The teen feeds off anger. Stay calm.
• Try counseling or therapy for the daughter. Perhaps she needs someone to talk to.
• Try counseling as parent & child and learn how to communicate better.
• Try tracking cycle on an app. Multiple moms say it helps to know where they (and their daughters) are hormonally / monthly.
• One mom recommended teen girls to take chewable B12 daily. This is helpful.
Learn the Love Language of your child. (The 5 Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell.) Does your child speak a different language? Do you know what it is?
There was a side discussion on social media and how bad it is. Texting can feed unhealthy habits. Some of our kids
are very hungry for social media and friends. More discussion on the needs of introverts and extroverts, and the need to limit tech in our homes and *our hands*.
Ourselves by Charlotte Mason is a good read to do with teenagers. Work through it slowly. (Ourselves, the fourth volume of Charlotte Mason’s Classic Homeschooling Series, is a character curriculum book written directly to children.)
*Having their heart is the most important. Nothing else matters as much. This article is very useful: calledtomothering. com/2022/03/04/10-ways-to-win-and-keepyour-childs-heart/
Make a point of leaving your family regularly (for a short time) to refresh your spirit AND to give your family a chance to realize everything you do AND to appreciate that! One mom shared it can even be useful to have a popcorn or cereal supper once a week or as needed. She thinks a simple supper now and then helps her family appreciate the good meals they have.
We can’t do everything all the time. Make sure others know that. Adding homeschooling into our life is like adding in another job. It takes time to do well. Something must go to make room for it.
Hold On to Your Kids by Dr. Gordon Neufeld and Dr. Gabor Maté was highly recommended by a few moms present. (This parenting classic is shining a light on one of the most misunderstood trends of our generation: how the influence of peers, magnified by social media and video game culture, is replacing the place of parents in the lives of their children, and what parents can do about it.)
*Encouragement from Home School Moms
Whatever is overwhelming you - it’s not going to last forever. Kids grow up. Teens get through tough times. We find strategies that work for managing our homes, homeschooling and parenting.
Learning about the different learning styles helped a few moms. If a child isn’t learning, change your style of teaching or take a break to let them grow.
Treat your children as individuals, not as a group. (Sometimes it is easy to treat them all the same, but it isn’t always effective.)
Set aside some time daily for yourself. (One mom shared she has at least 15 minutes to an hour to herself every day. It helps her stay sane. She tells her kids to only get her if they are bleeding.) *Set boundaries where your children can play / safety rules / etc. while you are taking time for yourself. Works best with children 6 years and up. If you have younger children, take your time for yourself when your spouse is home to look after them OR when they are napping.
We all need people we can share with –a community that understand what you are going through. We all need support sometimes. It takes time and effort to develop this community.
Acknowledge if you have moved from a mental load to a mental breakdown. Maybe you need vitamins or more rest or have health issues that need looking after….
A reminder for all of us: praying for others is a gift, not a burden. Never regret asking for prayer. It’s one way we can support each other.
Another reminder: if the Lord has called you to homeschool, He will see you through it. (The mom who shared this quoted from Philippians: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”)
Bedtime routines are huge for children. Parenting is a marathon, not a sprint. All our kids need to feel cherished and loved. What are their needs at bedtime?
A mom reminded us, we need to make intentional choices with our time as a homeschool parent - meals, homeschooling, events - what can we do (or not do) to have a lovely life together?
Another mother quoted, “Cut back until you have peace” from Teaching from Rest by Sarah Mackenzie. (Teaching from Rest offers inspiration, insight, and practical help for the homeschooling mom.)
Seasons of a Mother’s Heart (Sally Clarkson) was also recommended by a mom. (Sally Clarkson opens her heart within these pages, sharing what she has learned as a homeschooling wife and mother about herself, her children, and her Lord.)
Revive Our Hearts (podcast) has encouraged one mom to get back into the Word of God. (Learn from Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth and other leaders how to magnify Christ and shine His truth in your life.)
Write down the important stuff and get it done. Banking, specific kid chores, etc. and do those first.
When a friend / spouse / child / teen is venting about an issue, ask “Do you want me to listen to you or do you want a solution?” It changes how we listen and respond. Sometimes we just need to vent and get it off our chests. (5-minute Brain Dumps are helpful for relieving stress as well - just do a search online for tips on how to do so. I need to start doing these again!)
We were not designed to parent in isolation. We need community and support. Someone shared about a couple (as their kids were becoming teenagers) who picked 3 or 4 families that were willing to support them as they traveled through the teen years. They got together often and were there as support for each other. (What a great idea.)
Another mom shared about sitting down with each of her teens and picking 2 or 3 willing ladies that the teen could talk toIF she felt she couldn’t talk to her mom. Another great idea for the sometimesturbulent teen years.
Do one on one time with little ones in the morning. (One on one time before homeschooling the big kids keeps the
little ones happier.)
*A (tough / timely) reminder:
• We cannot control our husband.
• We cannot control our children.
• We can barely control ourselves.
As homeschool moms, we can simply do our best living and parenting, and be the best person we can be each day. (Praying helps!)
*More Recommended Books
• Teatime Discipleship - Sally Clarkson (SO good). Me and you time with one child. (Sally Clarkson has witnessed on countless occasions how a shared cup of tea can impact a heart. These simple moments of hospitality become opportunities for women to support each other in faith while drawing nearer to God.)
• Book Girl: A Journey Through the Treasures and Transforming Power of a Reading Life - Sarah Clarkson. (In Book Girl, you’ll discover how reading can strengthen your spiritual life and deepen your faith, why a journey through classic literature might be just what you need (and where to begin), how stories form your sense of identity, how Sarah’s parents raised her to be a reader, and what you can do to cultivate a love of reading in the growing readers around you.)
• Girls’ Club: Cultivating Lasting Friendship in a Lonely World - Sarah, Sally & Joy Clarkson. (Girls’ Club will speak to the value and satisfaction found through friendships in which women not only support each other emotionally but also encourage each other to become more excellent women.)
• Beyond Mere Motherhood - Cindy Rollins. (This is a book for mothers, but not about mothering. It’s a book about education, but not about teaching children. This is a book
about self-education. It is a book about how a mother can capture her moments and days in such a way that they add up to a life worth living.)
One mom shared vulnerably what she was doing at 13 - spending too much time in bad homes, doing drugs, stealing cigarettes from parents to sell to friends, going to parties on Friday nights, lying outright to parents (puts things in perspective regarding a teenager talking back...) What made the difference in her life? Her mother had her heart, and she changed the direction she was going.
**At the end of our meeting, a mom said “The mental load of motherhood is something we have been designed to bear. It is NOT too hard. And how lovely it is when a family pulls together.” (What a privilege it is to be a mother and even more to be a homeschooling mother!)
Terry Yaceyko is a graduated WISDOM mama of 4 girls. She now loves finding creative ways to connect with her grandchildren and homeschoolers around Alberta.
Biology Laboratory 2024-2025 · Derwent
Students in the Biology Laboratory 2024-2025 seminar will gain experience in using the scientific method, laboratory skills, and lab write ups.
In Biology 20, students will: consider and analyze evidence for and against the theory of evolution; explore photosynthesis and cellular respiration (isolation of chlorophyll); begin integrating human systems (fetal pig dissection); and better understand the human respiratory and circulatory systems (lung function testing).
In Biology 30, students will: study the neurological system (cow or sheep brain and eye dissection); the endocrine system (case studies); the reproductive system (bovine organ dissection); molecular genetics (strawberry DNA extraction); and carry out meaningful exercises that will assist them in their diploma examination.
In both Biology 20 and 30, students will be expected to do a small online pre-lab assessment to ensure adequate preparation. The dates for both the online component and the lab are below.
Sessions run from 4:30-6:30pm.
Chemistry Laboratory
2024-2025 · Calgary
Students in the Chemistry Laboratory 2024-2025 seminar will gain experience in using the scientific method, laboratory skills, and lab write ups pertaining to Chemistry.
In Chemistry 20, students will study and conduct experiments regarding: the scientific method and gain mastery in conducting measurements within experiments (Forming Ionic Compounds); Forms of Matter, Gases (Investigating the properties and behaviour of gases such as Boyle’s Law); Matter as Solutions, Acids and Bases (Making a solution with a precise concentration); Quantitative Relationships in Chemical Changes (Stoichiometry through rockets).
In Chemistry 30, students will study and conduct experiments regarding: Thermochemical Changes (Calorimetry, how many calories are in a macadamia nut); Electrochemical Changes (Making a Battery); Acid/ Base Chemical Reactions (Titrations); and Chemical Equilibrium on Acid-Base Systems (Titrations extended).
In both Chemistry 20 and 30, students will be coached and mentored in measurement, graphing, and algebraic reasoning but it is expected that they will already have adequate skills in naming and deriving chemical formulas for Ionic and Molecular Compounds and acids, balancing chemical equations, given two reactants, graphing and algebraic reasoning skills to manipulate basic algebraic equations. Also, students will do an online pre-lab assessment to ensure adequate preparation before every lab.
The dates for both the online component and the lab are below. Classes run from 12-2pm.
Physics Laboratory
2024-2025 · Edmonton
Students in the Physics Laboratory 2024-2025 seminar will gain experience in using the scientific method, laboratory skills, and lab write ups pertaining to Physics.
In Physics 20, students will conduct experiments in: The Scientific Method and gaining mastery in conducting measurements within experiments (toy car activity); Kinematics - the study of objects in motion without reference to forces (determining whether an object is exhibiting uniform or non-uniform motion using ticker tape); Dynamics - the study of position and velocity of objects and systems with reference to forces (calculating the coefficient of static friction of various materials); Circular Motion (creating and using a slingshot or catapult to launch an object); Wave Propagation (modelling wave propagation and analyzing its factors with gummy bears).
In Physics 30, students will study and conduct experiments regarding: Momentum and Impulse (Conservation of Momentum in two dimensions); Forces and Fields (drawing Electric Force fields using equipotential lines); Optics (using an optical bench to study the properties of light); Atomic Physics (creating and analyzing models to understand the nature of an atom).
In both Physics 20 and 30, students will be coached and mentored in measurement, graphing, and algebraic reasoning but it is expected that they will already have adequate graphing and algebraic reasoning skills to manipulate basic algebraic equations. Also, students will do an online pre-lab assessment to ensure adequate preparation.
The dates for both the online component and the lab are below.
Fall Family Gatherings
You are invited to attend family gatherings across the province! These social-style events are open to all current WISDOM Home Schooling families. Meet friends, visit with other homeschoolers and members of the WISDOM team, and find out more about how WISDOM can serve you best.
RSVP by filling out the free registration on our website, wisdomhomeschooling.com > Events > WISDOM Family Gatherings or contact the event host.
W es T lock & a rea f all f am I ly G aT her I nG
When: Monday, September 2, 2024, 4-8pm
Where: Bethel Bible Camp (10 minutes west of Westlock).
Directions: For directions to Bethel Bible Camp, please visit: bethelbiblecamp.ca/directions
Details: WISDOM will provide hot dogs, buns, condiments and beverages. We will enjoy a meal together as well as have an information time, door prizes, games and socializing. This event will run rain or shine.
Please bring: For the meal, please bring potluck sides, salads or desserts to share with the group. (Please note: if you have a highly restrictive diet, feel free to bring your own food if you wish.) There are many activities to enjoy at the facility, but you are welcome to bring other lawn games, board games, or lawn chairs if you would like.
RSVP by August 30, 2024.
If you have any questions or for late registrations, please contact: Liz Gurnett by text at 780-349-1577
or email at liz@wisdomhomeschooling.com
This event will be co-hosted by: Rachelle Godin: rachelle@wisdomhomeschooling.com
e dmon T on & a rea f all f am I ly G aT her I nG
When: Sunday, September 8, 2024, 4-8pm
Where: Meadowlodge Bible Camp (MBC), near Cooking Lake
Directions: MBC is south east of Sherwood Park on the northside of Cooking Lake near the intersection of Rge Rd 215 and Twp Rd 515 (located next to Birch Bay Bible Camp).
Details: WISDOM will provide hamburgers, hot dogs, buns, condiments and beverages. We will enjoy a meal together as well as have an information time, door prizes, games and socializing. This event will run rain or shine.
Please bring: For the meal, please bring potluck sides, salads or desserts to share with the group. (Please note: if you have a highly
restrictive diet, feel free to bring your own food if you wish.) There are many activities to enjoy at the facility, but you are welcome to bring other lawn games, board games, or lawn chairs if you would like.
NOTE: Similar to other years, families who wish to set up a table to sell baking, crafts or curriculum are welcome to do so. Please email Liz Gurnett with details.
RSVP by September 6, 2024.
If you have any questions or for late registrations please contact: Liz Gurnett by text at 780-349-1577 or email at liz@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Carrie Friesen by text at 780-217-4006 or email at carrie@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Mike & Michele Barter by text at 780-363-3740 or email at michele@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Taylore Maschmeyer by text at 780-270-0460 or email taylore@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Pierre-Andre Beaudoin by text at 780-239-0381 or email at pierre-andre@wisdomhomeschooling.com
G rande p ra I r I e & a rea f all f am I ly G aT her I nG
When: Sunday, September 8, 2024, 2-5:30pm
Where: Bear Lake Park on Rge Rd 72
Directions: If coming from Grande Prairie, go north on Hwy #2 or Rge Rd 63, turn west (left) on Twp Rd 730, go about 8 miles, and turn south (left) on Rge Rd 72 at the Bear Lake Bible Camp sign.
Details: Join other WISDOM families for a shared afternoon of visiting and BBQing. WISDOM will provide hamburgers, buns, condiments and beverages. There will also be an interactive tour of the Canuck one-room schoolhouse, a short walk away.
Activities:
• Visiting, 2pm onwards
• Playground
• Kayaking on Bear Lake (kayaks provided)
• Tour of one-room schoolhouse
• Homeschooling informational talk, 3:30pm
• BBQ hamburgers with shared sides and dessert, 4:00pm
• Campfire and roasted marshmallows
Please bring: Lawn chairs and a potluck dish to share (ie: salad, crackers & cheese, chips & salsa, watermelon, squares, dessert, etc.)
If you have any questions, please contact: Gordon Loewen: 587-298-7565 or gordon@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Anella Jantz: 587-297-1992 or anella@wisdomhomeschooling.com
W e Task IWI n a rea f all f am I ly G aT her I nG
When: Saturday, September 14, 2024, Morning/Afternoon (exact times TBD)
Where: Reynolds-Alberta Museum, Wetaskiwin
Please bring: A picnic lunch for your own family. More details coming soon.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Joan Bishop: joan@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Nola Hutchinson: nola@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Simon Friesen: simon.f@wisdomhomeschooling.com
l a c re T e / f or T V erm I l Ion / h IG h l e V el f all f am I ly G aT her I nG
When: Sunday, September 15, 2024, 3-7pm
Where: More information on location will be coming soon.
Details: Potluck sandwich supper and fellowship. WISDOM will provide the beverages.
Please bring: Sandwiches and a salad or dessert to share. RSVP by September 13, 2024.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Margaret Knelsen: 780-926-6556
Kim and Dan Schultz: 780-404-3356 or kim@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Paul van den Bosch: 403-358-4497 or paul@wisdomhomeschooling.com
l e T hbr I d G e & a rea f all f am I ly G aT her I nG
When: Monday, September 16, 2024, 4-8pm
Where: John Martin Recreation Centre (located in Pavan Park)
Details: WISDOM will provide hamburgers, hot dogs, buns, condiments and beverages. We will enjoy a meal together as well as have an information time, door prizes, games and socializing. This event will run rain or shine.
Please bring: Please bring potluck sides, salads and/or desserts to share with the group. (Please note: if you have a highly restrictive diet, feel free to bring your own food if you wish.) There are many activities to enjoy at the facility, but you are welcome to bring other lawn games, board games, or lawn chairs if you would like.
RSVP by September 12, 2024.
If you have any questions or for late registrations, please contact: Liz Gurnett by text at 780-780-349-1577 or email at liz@wisdomhomeschooling.com
This event will be co-hosted by:
Simon Friesen: simon.f@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Brian Taje: brian@wisdomhomeschooling.com
c alG ary f all f am I ly G aT her I nG
When: Wednesday, September 18, 2024, 5-8:30pm
Where: Renfrew Community Hall (811 Radford Rd NE, Calgary)
Details: Please join us for an evening of fun to get to know other WISDOM homeschoolers in the Calgary area. We will share a meal together, play outside and inside, and enjoy a talent show! If you are interested, please plan to share a family skit, song or dance at the talent show. If an individual parent or child has a talent they want to do or share (like artwork or inventions) that would be great too. A sign up sheet will be available in August.
Please bring: A potluck side to accompany the meal, card/board games, outdoor games, and whatever your family needs for an evening of fun!
If you have any questions, please contact:
Carrie Friesen: carrie@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Liz Gurnett: liz@wisdomhomeschooling.com
l akeland & a rea f all f am I ly G aT her I nG
When: Friday, September 20, 2024, 4:30-10pm
Where: Clandonald Community Hall, Clandonald
Details: This is a potluck supper event! A free family dance for WISDOM families will follow the meal. WISDOM will provide additional snacks and beverages for the dance.
Please bring: Families are asked to please bring a potluck main course option and either a salad or dessert for the potluck portion of the event.
d un V e G an b r I d G e f all f am I ly G aT her I nG
When: Sunday, September 22, 2024, 1-5pm
Where: Dunvegan Bridge (between Rycroft and Fairview, just north of the bridge crossing the Peace River).
Details: Potluck and fellowship.
Please bring: Camp chairs, a main course / side dish / salads / dessert to share, and bring your WATER BALLOONS because this is your chance to soak a WISDOM Facilitator!
If you have any questions, please contact:
Paul van den Bosch by call/text at 403-358-4497 or email at paul@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Anella Jantz: 587-297-1992 or anella@wisdomhomeschooling.com
m edIc I ne h aT f all f am I ly G aT her I nG
When: Monday, September 23, 2024, 4-8pm
Where: Kin Coulee Park, Medicine Hat
Details: BBQ with potluck. WISDOM will provide hamburgers, hot dogs, buns, condiments, and beverages. We will enjoy a meal together as well as have an information time, door prizes, games, and socializing. This event will run rain or shine.
Please bring: Potluck sides, salads and/or desserts to share with the group. (Please note: if you have a highly restrictive diet, feel free to bring your own food if you wish.) You are welcome to bring lawn games, board games, and lawn chairs if you would like.
RSVP by September 20, 2024.
If you have any questions or for late registrations, please contact: Simon Friesen: 587-222-1790 or simon.f@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Brian Taje: 780-312-4525 or brian@wisdomhomeschooling.com
r ed d eer & a rea f all f am I ly G aT her I nG
When: Sunday, October 6, 2024, 3-6pm
Where: Bower-Kin Community Centre, 85 Boyce St, Red Deer
Details: Potluck and fellowship. WISDOM will provide the main course and beverages.
Please bring: Salads and desserts to share, ball gloves, and your favourite indoor and outdoor board games (since weather may be unpredictable).
If you have any questions, please contact:
Paul van den Bosch by call/text at 403-358-4497 or email at paul@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Sue Peachment: sue@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Catherine van Kampen: catherine@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Rhonda Caluttung: rhonda@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Lydie Delli Santi: lydie@wisdomhomeschooling.com
(A response to Terry’s TLC #25 on Pioneers)
My great grandparents came over from Germany and settled in Saskatchewan on a plot of land. They had no power, no running water or irrigation, not even established trees! They built up the land and worked it into a well working farm full of selfsustainability.
My grandfather was the first born on that farm and became the lead hand, quickly picking up what today we call talents and life skills.
They struggled through the great dust bowl of the dirty 30’s.
(As it was told to me) One day some men from the government came and told my great grandmother that come Monday morning the children had to be put in school.
My grandfather made it to grade 6 before being desperately needed back on the farm. When he grew up, he met and married my grandmother, who was a schoolteacher at the time. They both lived on the farm and raised my mom, aunt and uncles. They only got electricity with flushing toilets the year my mom went to college.
Four years ago, my family decided to homeschool. The “educational system” wasn’t working for us, giving me the perfect opportunity to break away from the traditional school system.
Three years ago, we moved out to a little acreage.
One year ago, we decided to get chickens, ducks, and a few peacocks. My children and I love animals and learn so much caring for them.
I gained a whole new appreciation, respect, admiration and perspective when it came time to build our flock of fowl’s home. It got me thinking about how much harder it would be without all the stuff I have access to today. Like electricity, clean running water, a toilet, heat, shade from established trees, the internet to have information at my fingertips and stores to get items.
As hard as the last few years have been on me, my family has never gone without. My children don’t need to share. They want to share.
My children don’t need to ration but we still guide with limits.
My children learn all these life skills for fun, not because they must, or they might not thrive let alone survive.
But when I take all this into consideration… I know…the families and community was stronger back then. People had a connection to their community and village. The houses were built stronger without college degrees.
Children were children longer but independent sooner.
The food, although not necessarily in abundance, was much more satisfying and wholesome.
They had struggles and suffered hardships. Things were far from perfect, but they became resilient and grew stamina.
I feel above all, they had wisdom. They were grateful, thankful and they loved and worked hard…
I now work hard to hold onto the best areas, values, morals, and concepts from the past to try and put down a solid foundation for my children, so they have some of these qualities going into their future that I feel are somewhat largely missing from our society today.
Thank you, Terry, you got me thinking about my reasons for doing what I am today with my family!
Amberle KulhavyWISDOM Mom
Home ScHool
A ssistA nce F und
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