8 - The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, October 28,1997 FLOW1ER 51107 lplu 6MI 1 il IFARMHI One teacher, two students equals one home school By STEVE LeBLANC Special ta The Champion J il]eicks classroom is nuwbere and every- Her curriculum includes notbing in specifite and everytbing under the suni. And wbile she bas nu oficiai assistance frum the outside world, ber pool of resources is as vast as ber imagination. Welcome to Ms Hicks' world of borne school- ing. Population: une teacher, two students. The individual attention this instructor-pupil ratio affords is une of the thinga that attracted the Laurier Avenue motber to tbis unique lifestyle. "We really wanted our cbildren to bave a joy for learning and tbougbt we could encourage tbat," said Ms Hicks, speaking for herself and bttsband David. "We saw a real quest for infor- mation from our cbildren early on and didn't want tbat to be lost." Ms Hicks bas been borne scbooling for tbe past 10 years. Her two eldeat cbildren, 19-year- old Faitb and I 5-year-old Noah, now attend uni- versity and E.C. Dmury Higb Scbool. For the past year and two montbs, seven-year- old Nathan and five-year-old Eli bave had mom aIl ta tbemselves. Said Ms Hicks, "I was borne scbooled as s cbild myself, whicb made the start witb Faitb tbat mucb amoother. I also bave a masters degree in early cbildhood education, wbicb belpa as Weil." No typical day her children with regard tu interaction with other students. In tact, she said, Noah bas had a seemingly prublem-free transition into bigh school. During bis freshman year at Drury, he excelled in ail his classes as well as on the stage -as the lead in a drama club play. Recalled Noah, 'There was just one guy who used it (his home scbooling) as a personal vendetta, but basically everyone was very accepting of my situation. "The transition was amoother than 1 tbought it would be." Jerry Ann Clifford, assistant superintendent at the Halton Board of Education, said Noah is a typical case study of home sehoolingas many success atonies. Well prepared kids "Almost ail of the cbildren I've known to be home schooled in Halton bave been very Weil prepared for high sehool or college and were well adjusted," said the Halton Board's liaison for borne schooling. "In my experience, home schooling bas only been a drawback for cbildren with emotional problems or special needa," Sbe estirnates tbat rougbly 120 families in Halton currently practice borne schooling, althougb one Milton woman feels this figure is well off the actual mark. "Tbeoe are lots of borne scbooling families that don't register witb the board, su 1 tbink bier num- Il ju She explained that tbere's nu typical day bers are very conservative, sugge around Hicks H.S. (Home Sehool) and tbat Clifford, wbo tesebers ber nine-year-old "learning happens ail the time." and live-year-old daughter Victoria. Nathan and Eli are being taugbt to read and Sbe took Ben out of elementary scb write juat like tbeir in-sebool couniter-parts, but years ago, after he began imitating sor not necessarily between the confines of 8:30 "bad boys" wbo were acting out in cîsass a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Ms Clifford said, "This is a mucb b Tbey listen ta cassette tapes on various sub- for bim. He's more relaxed now and jects, take weekly art classes and soak up infor- into projeets and sports. mation during regular field trips ta the library, "After eigbt to 10 years of achool, it': museums and conservation sites. stme students to be wom out once t "The boys juat recently learned about cowboys bigb sebool. For Ben and Victoria itîl from tbeir father, after bis latest trip ta and tbey'll tell us wben tbey're ready te Wasbington," recounted Ms Hicks. "Tbey may not study everything t "Home scbooling is more of a free-flow- kind cbildren do, but let's face it, 90 per cen' of experience. Lessons and activities are varied ing is desire." and different. Despite tremnendous succeas witb her "We alto encourage them to seek out sorne dren, Ms Hicks stressed that borne sel anawers on their own. It's irnpopà 1nt for tbemn to not for everyone - and is not a solutio gain at least a little indepen pienow because problem. there won't always be éaone there telling "You really bave to enjoy being wîtb thernwbat to do." and find ways or giving each oth While admitting th are some wonderful because you're witb them every daya teachers in the adi sstem, Ms Hicks believes explained Ms Hicks. regutar clasec 'often becorne a social play- "Home scbooling families aren'tt gmound, wbtpee students lose their drive and either, because one parent esaentially hl individuality, up work. Sbe add "we're ail social beings" and that "For us however, it's heen a wonder home eling hasn't caused any pmoblems for ence." HIONDA R(MENRS ORDUTO FlON son Ben ouI tbree ne of tbe etter spot is really s easy for îey reacb 1 be fresb go. bat other t of Iearn- own ebil- hooIing is nl to every yottr ktds er space nd nigbt," usual ricb as to give ful experi- Photo by GRAHAM PIAINL Morn JiIi Hicks is keeplng Eli, 5, <ieft) and Nathan, 7 at home and teaching them her- self after having sucoessfuiiy dons the same with her two other chiidren. Ail systems go for meetings Thse Milton Jaycees spent mach of yesterday questions for mayoral, regional counicîl, towî moming trying to confirmi wbere votera would counicîl and public achool trustee candidates. meet tie candidates this Wednesday. At the saine time ai Campbellville's Lion In light of this week's teachers' strike, the ser- Hall, thse Halton Federation of Agriculture wil vice club was initialiy told it couldn't use hott another ail-candidates meeting featurinj Bishop Reding Secondary School for its Meet candidates for Wards i and 3. the Candidates Night. But thse Halton Roman Next Tuesday, Nov. 4, The Champion wil Catholic Separate School Board later said ail hoat an informai evening witb candidates at B! after-bour activities would proceed as sched- from 7 ta 10 p.m. Thse following nigbt, E.C uled. -Drury's Parent Council will bold a meet-the The 7:30 ta 10:30 p.m. event. at BR will include botb opening and closing statements and ~' I 4 'k' I MILIÔN' 03-595 1I trustee-candidates from 7 to 9 p.m. in E.C. Drury's auditorium. F OR HONUAS HONDA Exp.riWied Mchanc tes bs à,,% k iîIýi 4 t n s 1 9