January 19, 2023
Some changes at HLP
January 12 2023
Dear HLP Families,
New Westminster School District is looking forward to the 2023-2024 school year, when the Home Learners’ Program will officially be a Provincial Online Learning School (POLS). As I have shared in previous updates, the Ministry of Education’s transition to POLS means that we have been assessing what changes will need to occur at HLP. If you would like more information about POLS you can visit the Ministry of Education website, here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/support/classroom-alternatives/online-learning/model
It has always been New Westminster School District’s focus to ensure continuity for HLP students, and families. As we move through this transition there are many parts of the program that will remain the same. You can continue to expect that the family will have a vital role in the child’s learning journey, that Teacher support and direction will be central to the program and that HLP will provide flexibility and choice in each child’s home learning. However, in order to meet the Ministry of Education requirements for POLS there will be some changes to the program.
Starting next year all families who are enrolled with HLP will be expected to regularly use the Brightspace platform. This is an online platform that will allow the HLP staff to share pertinent learning focused information with families, and for families to share their learning with the staff. We will provide support and training for families as we navigate this new, and exciting, platform.
In the 2023-2024 school year, in-person learning will also become a requirement. The whole staff is very excited about the opportunity to see each learner on a regular basis and for the rich learning environment it will allow us to create. While most families attend the site regularly, we do know that there are some families who are currently unable to do this because of distance. If your family is in this situation please reach out to me directly, at jscorda@sd40.bc.ca.
The staff at HLP is looking forward to these changes, and the positive impact they will have on the program. I know that you may have questions about how these changes will impact your family directly and I encourage you to reach out to me anytime to discuss further. Please feel free to contact me anytime at jscorda@sd40.bc.ca or 604-517-6012.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Scorda
Principal