Session 3      1:30 - 2:45 Seminars shown below are 2010 seminars

Room 101   Help For Hurting Parents - What To Do When Your Children Stumble    

Harold House

We all want to raise our children to become godly responsible citizens, but what happens when a son or daughter makes choices that lead to lifestyles that we never thought possible. Does this mean we have failed as parents? How do we respond to our son or daughter? How do we deal with our feelings of failure and inadequacy? How do we put our life back together? Harold, veteran homeschooling father of 4, will share from his family's experience and what they have learned from a very difficult situation. Harold and his wife Louise have homeschooled their four children since 1990. They own and operate The Learning House, a homeschool curriculum company. Harold has a MSc. in Engineering and has worked as a professional engineer for over 30 years. He specializes in dairy housing and equipment.

Room 102   A Mission's Application To Geography  

Vanessa Brobbel

There is a danger in teaching information without coupling it with application.  1 Corinthians 8:1 says, "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." As homeschooling parents, we seek to educate our children through the rigors of academia and godly living. This seminar endeavors to equip educators with an opportunity for providing Biblical application to their geography information. The Voice of the Martyrs is a non-profit Christian mission, whose mandate is to serve the persecuted Church world-wide, and as such, has developed many creative tools and opportunities to assist parents as they raise the next generation of "Bold Believers." Vanessa is the homeschooling mother of three children. Her husband, Floyd, is the Chief Operations Officer for Voice of the Martyrs. She has a heart for bringing the sufferings of our brothers and sisters in Christ to the attention of the Canadian church.

Room 103     Why Our Children Need Nature     Leanne Baer-Erb

"I like playing indoors because that's where the electrical outlets are." In his book, The Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv quotes the above words of a fourth grader. Yet, most adults have great memories of playing outdoors. The union between children and nature has been  timeless and intuitive. However, as the above quote suggests, this union is disintegrating quickly. As researchers look at the impact that this disconnect has on children and society, the findings are startling. Leanne will focus on the effect of nature and time spent outdoors on child development (both physical and cognitive), creative play and spiritual growth. Leanne and her husband Dave run Silver Lake Mennonite Camp. Their shared vocation permits them to utilize their strengths, homeschool their children and share their passion for the outdoors.

Room 104   Lapbooking From A To Z  

Cyndy Regeling

What exactly is a Lap Book®? Simply put, it is a file folder which is folded in a funny way to hold little Fold-its your child creates to display and demonstrate his or her learning, on a particular topic. But oh, they are so much more than just that! Lap Books are a simple idea with an endless array of possible applications, to any homeschool, using any curriculum, with any child, at any level. Come learn how it can work for your children! Cyndy homeschooled her three sons for 13 years and is now back teaching Grade 3 at a Christian school in Barrie, Ontario. She is the co-author of The Lap Book Handbook. 

Room 105   Strategies To Support The Learning Of Children With Autism Part A

Francine McLeod  and Patty Reid Young

Francine and Patty will provide you with an understanding of the learning styles of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. They will give you practical strategies to increase motivation and support learning.  Francine and Patty work with the ErinoakKids Central West School Support Program Autism Spectrum Disorders. Francine has worked in the field of Autism for over 15 years as a consultant, behaviour therapist, and program supervisor.  Patty has worked in the field of Autism for over 25 years as a researcher, teacher, behaviour therapist, and program coordinator. They have worked in home, recreational, school, and clinical environments.

Room 106 The Adventure Of Home Education

Diane Geerlinks

The decision is made…now what? Where is the first trail marker on this Home Education Journey? How do you cross the bridge from school to home? Who will be your trail guide? Is there a place to get off and enjoy the sights? Diane will share some lessons learned about traveling this journey…lessons about knowing your destination, planning your mode of transportation, and packing the appropriate materials. Yes, you can be assured that there will be amazing discoveries as well as challenging experiences. Diane is eager to encourage parents on this homeschool journey, with all its’ joys and struggles. You will be inspired and encouraged to travel down this path with confidence! Diane has been involved in homeschooling her 5 children over the past 20 years.

Room 108   Really Love Your Child   

Donna Ward

Maximizing the acts of love we bestow on our children gives them the emotional base to become outstanding people. Are your children “sibling rivals” or “sibling buddies”? Move discipline to the back and love to the front to launch your kids to higher goals for life. Donna will bring God’s encouragement, inspiration and tools to craft love in the lives of your children and teens with proven practical principles. Donna and her husband homeschooled their children for 14 years.

Room 110   A Creationist View Of Astronomy 

Richard Fangrad

Do the heavens really declare the awesome creative work of God or is the universe the result of a big bang some 13.7 billion years ago, completely attributable to mother nature? Does the Big Bang fit with the Bible? Is there scientific evidence from astronomy supporting a recent creation in 6 days? The workshop focuses on how observations in astronomy support Biblical creation. Richard's exposure to Creation seminars and its personal impact led him to begin speaking on Creation/evolution issues in 1994, and to open the Canadian division of Creation Ministries International, in 1998.  Richard's professional specialty is in advanced communication satellite systems. Richard is a homeschooling father of 4 girls.

Dining Room A  Getting Your Children Into Post Secondary Education 

Heather Zwart

It's attention to detail, it's work, and it's full of questions, but it's not impossible. This session will cover course and institution selection, study preparation, credibility confirmation, forms, application deadlines and scholarships. Heather will share with you the approach their family has taken towards post-secondary education, the effort involved and the hoops to jump through. Perhaps this hands-on experience may help you. Two of her sons have been through Mech-Eng at University of Waterloo, one going on to do a Masters. Her third son, accepted at the university also, is in an apprenticeship for carpentry, while son 4 is in grade 11. Jake and Heather are both graduates of University of Waterloo, Mechanical Engineering and Math-Accounting respectively, and operate an engineering consulting business from home.

Dining Room B  Get To "Yay!"   

Karen Pasqualucci

Goal setting - specifically for the homeschooling family. A firm grasp of goal setting skills will make your homeschool adventure effective and significantly more fun! We will discuss the vital skills you need to set goals for yourself and your family and more importantly - reach them! Setting goals will move you forward, bolster your confidence, and make you eager to do more. We will cover recognizing where you are at, deciding where you want to get to and planning manageable steps to get to "Yay!" Karen, a homeschooling mother of 3 is passionate about learning. She has written several books and spoken internationally. Karen looks forward to learning with you!

Portable A   Presentation Of New 2009 Home Education Study   

Cory McKenna

The newest research on home educated adults in Canada has just been released. This study gives us insight into some of the questions we have never before been able to answer such as, do home educated students keep their faith; do they participate in community activities? Join Cory, Vice president of HSLDA Canada, as he guides us through this exciting new research. Cory specializes in teaching applied apologetics, worldview, leadership and evangelism. He and his wife Dawn live in London with their homeschooled sons, Joshua and Caleb.

Portable B   What Everyone Should Know About Dyslexia, What It Is And What To Do

Suzanne Day

Suzanne will help you to better understand the causes and the symptoms of dyslexia. She will describe the characteristics of the three different types of dyslexia and what the newest research says about it. She will also talk about different tests used to identify dyslexic patterns and about methodologies and principles of remediation to help dyslexics. Suzanne, a psychoeducational and neurodevelopmental consultant, designs individualized home-based neuro-developmental programs, following a child’s assessment. These address the learning inefficiencies as it stimulates the central nervous system. She published a DVD called Neurodevelopment through Movements in order to teach parents strategies that she has found the most helpful in her practice in the past fifteen years. Suzanne and her husband have homeschooled their 2 adult children.

Round Room   A Leisurely Education: Introduction To Charlotte Mason  

Anne White

What does leisure have to do with education? Isn't school supposed to be about hard work? Join us as we discuss Charlotte Mason's philosophy of learning: "all living, and not merely a tedious passing of time."  (Even arithmetic books.)  Anne  is a homeschooling parent of three who has been involved with the Ambleside Online Curriculum for the past ten years. Anne is actively involved in leadership in her local homeschooling support group and as the group librarian.