Aspire Fun!

Aspire Family Social, March 12, 2011

Aspire Parent Group has had a couple of events over the last couple of weeks, and we have really enjoyed each one. It has been a really great experience to get together with other parents and families and get to know each other.

Our first meeting was an information meeting for the Aspire Homeschool Activity Group, we met at the Capilano Library. Parents visited while the children played, and we made plans for future activities.

One idea that came out of this introductory meeting was to hold a parent discussion evening, which was a fabulous idea and was what we did. We met at a Starbucks on a Tuesday evening and talked about homeschooling our children on the spectrum, challenges that we've faced, and strengths that our children have; we shared ideas, stories, and resources; we talked about the Aspire Academy Pilot program, what our hopes were for it, and some frustrations that we were experiencing with the process of getting it going. It was such a pleasant evening, and we hope to do it again soon!

We held our Family Social last Saturday and it was a lot of fun! Seven families met at the Idlewylde Library, and had a dessert and coffee potluck and games day. Everyone brought their favourite dessert and board game to play. It was awesome to hear the hum of conversation, punctuated by giggles from the children, and to see the smiles on everyone's faces. Fun was had by everyone! It was a really wonderful afternoon.

Thank you to everyone who has responded to our request to submit names of interested parents to Argyll for the Aspire Academy Pilot Program. We are so pleased with the positive response and feedback that we have been receiving. There is a meeting downtown next Thursday, which will largely determine whether or not the pilot will be approved for September 2011. We are very anxious to hear the results. We are really impressed with the work that Argyll has been doing on this project. We believe that it has the potential to be a phenomenal program.

Please stay in touch. You can leave comments, and questions below, or you can always email us at aspireparents@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

Argyll Pilot Program Update and Registration List

Hello!

I hope that you are staying warm,

it's been a chilly week!

Argyll Centre has requested that Aspire Parent Group put together a list of parents that would be interested in registering their children in the Aspire Academy Pilot Program in September 2011. They are required to submit this information along with the proposal for the pilot program to the superintendent for final approval.

What they are proposing is a Blended Home Education program, for students from K-12, with a diagnosis of Asperger's or High Functioning Autism. Students would attend on-site classes two days per week, where the core subjects (English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies) would be taught, and then options plus Health and Physical Education would be covered at home. "In support of high quality learning, there will be a focus on environmental adaptations appropriate for students with AS and HFA."

If you are interested in enrolling your child in this program, or have any questions, please email us at: aspireparents@gmail.com. Please provide us with your name, your child's name, age, and grade, and contact information.

(Also, if you would be interested in this type of program, but would only be able to register if it was offered in a full-days format, please let us know.)

The deadline for submitting the proposal and list of interested parents is fast approaching; therefore, we would appreciate a quick response. Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Kelly and Cathy