Be yourself. Make mistakes, learning is messy. Come walk with us in our Blended Clan
A daily rhythm can be hard to find, and home learning families may need support. The Mill Bay Blended Clan Program creates these rhythms with students so that learning becomes a ‘whole child’ experience.
The program helps families, who recognize that growing and learning involves engaging the whole child create, personalized rhythms. This is done without the stress of rigid expectations, so their child can feel confident and safe to be themselves in community.
Sign up now for a September 2021 start in the Mill Bay Blended Clans
“Blended Clan has been exactly what our family wanted and needed for our children. This amazing program supports our children’s individual learning needs and makes learning fun and inclusive to all members of our family. Our wonderful teacher really got who our children are as unique people and has formed such a special relationship with them, they think of her as a part of our extended family and look forward everyday to doing their “school work”. Blended learning has supported our families values and goals for our kids and has also shown me fun and new ways to foster learning and growth in authentic and meaningful ways. We are so grateful for this program and for our wonderful teacher.” – Jocelyn, parent
Our rhythm is guided by themes developed with our school’s Hul’q’uimi’num elders. We learn about the world through a seasonal lens; appreciating the way things change over time. The themes are also infused with the wisdom of the Quw’utsun Syuw’entst teachings showing us how to live in harmony with each other and Mother Earth.
“I have been extremely impressed with what blended clan has to offer to my daughter and family. From the independent attention, group outings, personalized iep meeting to writing report cards together. This has created an ideal environment for my child to blossom and for us as parents to feel connected and share ideas about learning/teaching. Blended clan has given us a chance to connect as a family and cherish our time, as well as experience a lot of amazing new adventures with a group.” – Courtney, parent
The Mill Bay Blended Clan supports families who are interested in home schooling with the guidance & support of a teacher walking alongside parent and child as both learn & grow. It also caters to families who value play & exploration as learning, as well as a comfort with providing room for children & youth to make mistakes & learn from experience, as well as playfully following their lead – questions, wonders, interests
The home learning is structured & personalized within Mill Bay Nature School rhythms, but not directed or prescribed. Part of the parent’s role is to support the child in the development of core competencies – thinking, personal, social, communication – leading to more independent learning over time.
More information can be found in our Mill Bay Blended Clan Brochure
If you would like to talk to someone about the Mill Bay Blended Clan, please contact Kim Ondrik, Head Learner of Mill Bay Nature School at kondrik@sd79.bc.ca
Parent Testimonials:
“Our son has been in the Blended Clan at Mill Bay Nature School since September 2020, he has really enjoyed the combination of online classes/ support, on campus learning and the park learning days. As a family we have watched him learn and grow in this combined way of learning. The support that we have received from his teacher, has been amazing, when it came time for reports card our son felt so encouraged by it, it focused on our son’s strengths in learning rather than pointing his weaknesses. What he needs to work on, was written out in such a way that made our son feel empowered and excited to keep trying his best. We are so grateful to be a part of this Blended Clan that supports our child in such a caring way and look forward to his continued learning.” – Mike and Julie Willing, parents
“The blended clan has helped Kade become a more independent thinker. His confidence in school has improved immensely this year. Not only does he look forward to the clans Zoom sessions, but he also looks forward to field studies at the parks. He’s becoming more social and active, and is taking more interest in the lives of people around him.” – Christina, parent
“Blended clan has given our son the ability to freely learn in a comfortable environment. Being able to see him grow socially, academically, and emotionally has been amazing. This method of learning is what we needed to truly see success and personal growth for him and we are so thrilled to be a part of this journey with the Blended Clan.” – Shannon, parent
“The MBNS Blended Clan has provided our son with a varied, engaging, and comfortable school experience that has fostered within him a sense of confidence and excitement for school that we have not witnessed in him heretofore.
In a short period of time, he has adapted to the balance of home-learning, in-school participation, zoom lessons, and field studies. We see in him a growing state of ease, sense of pride, and keenness in his school experience. Where he used to express some resistance, worry, and anxiety attending school solely, he is now expressing enthusiasm to see his peers and teacher.
We believe the Blended learning model is providing a scaffolding to our son’s learning experience, which allows him to expand his capacities, increase his confidence, and feel a sense of security all the while– which for many children, such as ours, is a basis that needs to be founded in order for academic learning to be achieved.
Since joining the Blended Clan, first and foremost, his confidence and resilience have increased, which is allowing him to recapture his love for learning, his curiosity, and interest in trying new things, connecting with friends, and being the joyful, unique, wild, and brilliant student that he truly is!
Thank you, Karin, for providing security and a balanced learning opportunity to allow our son to shine again 🙏🔥” – Jayde, parent
“The Blended learning clan at Mill Bay nature school is supporting my son Havens growth through providing options that are unique to his needs and will be/is structured in such a way of presenting learning opportunities through everyday life skills such as decision making, allowing Haven to also focus on self care and basic needs such as diet and sleep. This is allowing Haven to be in a non survival state of mind which is allowing his neural pathways to have the opportunity to fire together, and his perspective and nervous system can regulate. This allows Haven to be in a state where learning CAN take place. I believe this is just the beginning of Haven being able to form long-lasting important to his development relationships. Huy ch q’u” – Stacey, parent