FAQs
Why is there a fee to join?
The Guelph Homeschool Group (GHG) has a small membership fee. The money collected is used to provide funds for several group-wide activities which occur over the year (eg. a science fair, and an ice cream social in June!), as well as maintaining a selection of resources (Discovery Bins) which are made available to group members.
GHG members can also apply for a subsidy to help with the costs of running a program or activity open to the whole homeschool group (this subsidy is often used to help cover costs such as room bookings).
How many homeschoolers are there?
While we don’t have the exact count of how many families are homeschooling in Guelph, we can say that there are typically about 100 families who are registered members of the GHG each year!
What curriculum should I use?
The curriculum you should use is the one that works for your family. Below are some of the common homeschooling styles people opt for, but in Ontario there are no requirements to follow any particular one.
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Ontario Curriculum
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Montessori
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Charlotte Mason
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Eclectic
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Unschooling
What types of daytime programming are available?
There are many regular activities run throughout the week available for homeschoolers to sign up for. Some of these have included gymnastics, STEM programming, martial arts, drama, co-op groups, and more. In addition, there are many one-time activities that are planned and run throughout the year, such as a science fair, Around-the-World expo and a day at Camp Brebeuf. A look at the calendar will show you some of the programs going on right now.
What about High School (and beyond)?
Many families choose to continue their homeschooling program unchanged during highschool, while others choose to enroll their students into their local highschool. VLC and ILC courses are some of the many independent learning options which allow students to continue learning at home while earning recognized highschool credits towards an OSSD.
Colleges and Universities are becoming more and more open to students coming in from a homeschooling background, and so completing your OSSD at high school is no longer the only way to gain admission to post-secondary studies. Some options include applying as a mature student (19 or 21), taking a semester at an open university (eg. Athabasca) and then applying as a transfer student to the school of your choice, or contacting the admissions department directly about other options for admission without an OSSD or grade 12 course grades.
What about socialization? (Or, Will my kid be weird?)
They may just well be, and we’ll love them the more for it! Homeschooling allows your child to develop their own sense of who they are without as much of the pressures of conforming to a peer group placed on them by being immersed in a classroom of 30 kids and 1 adult for 6 hours a day. Unless you live under a rock, your child will be learning how to be social and to interact with society on an ongoing basis, as it is modelled by parents, other family members, peers and coaches at group activities, sports, clubs, the humans they encounter on a day to day basis running errands, picking up groceries, visiting the library...
Are there local conferences I can attend?
Ontario Federation of Teaching Parents
Ontario Christian Home Educators’ Connection
Kitchener Waterloo Christian Home Educators’ Association
How can I become involved?
Ways to become involved in the group include planning a one-time event or an ongoing activity, coming out to Coordinators’ meetings, helping with set-up and/or tear-down for group-wide events, or mentoring a new homeschooling family.
How do I run an event?
You can post your idea in the Facebook group to gauge interest, or send us an email.
Other Resources:
The website for the Ontario Federation of Teaching Parents contains a great collection of information with more detailed answers for all these and more questions regarding homeschooling in Ontario.