Elementary Program: Grades K-7
The @KOOL Elementary Program follows the Ministry of Education curriculum. It is a program that is free of charge to BC residents and is an accredited British Columbian public school.
Every student and family is unique in their educational needs and this is recognized by the @KOOL teachers and administration. We strive to offer flexible programming and lessons that will fit the needs of your child, while also meeting the prescribed learning outcomes of the Ministry of Education.
Options
- The program has classrooms located in Heffley Creek Elementary School (7020 Old Highway 5), where families can arrange to meet face-to-face with their teacher.
- For students who live in Kamloops and surrounding areas, @KOOL offers the opportunity to participate in class activities with their peers. These activities are popular with our students and include assorted physical activities, art lessons, science lessons, and much more.
- @KOOL also offers a flexible program in which students have the option of working through their lessons and assignments from anywhere in the world. This flexibility is well received by families and students who are planning to traveling for part of the school year.
Learning Resources and Teachers
- All of our @KOOL teachers are B.C. Certified Teachers with experience in distance education and distributed learning.
- @KOOL supplies all of the course materials and resources needed for our students to be successful. Individualized and unique learning opportunities are the goal of @KOOL.
Frequently Asked Questions
| What is DL? |
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@KOOL is a public DL school. DL is also referred to as distance learning, distributed learning, or online learning. At a DL school, the school supplies a program based on the BC Ministry of Education’s curriculum. A teacher oversees each child’s program, providing any necessary curriculum resources, support for the child and/or parents, and assessment of the students abilities (through submitted work samples, in-person assessments, regular meetings, and report cards). The program implementation is done largely at home, facilitated by the parents. DL schooling is different from homeschooling and remote learning. For information on homeschool vs online learning, click here. For more information about other alternatives to the classroom, please see the Ministry of Education website here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/support/classroom-alternatives. |
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Will my child receive grades and a report card? Will my child receive credits for the work/grade they complete? |
| Yes. @KOOL is a public school and your child will receive the same grades, report cards, and credits that they would at any other public school. If your child completes the work for their grade level, they will receive credit for that grade and be eligible to enter the next grade in the following year. |
| How do I register with @KOOL? |
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Go to our registration page for more information on how to register. After your application has been submitted, and the necessary pieces of identification are verified, @KOOL will request your child’s student record be transferred from their previous school and enroll them with @KOOL. Sometimes this process takes time, so please be patient. Your child’s teacher will contact you when enrollment is complete. |
| Will I lose my spot in the classroom? Will my student’s files be transferred? |
| When you register with @KOOL, your child’s record will be transferred to our school. If you are worried about losing your spot at your current school, please contact that school for information. |
| Is there space in your school? |
| We post a message on the application page when our classes are full. If there is no message posted, we are accepting new students. |
| Is there a tuition fee? |
| No, @KOOL is a public school and there is no tuition fee for enrolling. |
| I don’t live in BC. Can I still register with @KOOL? |
| In order to register with @KOOL, you will be required to provide proof of residency in BC. We cannot accept elementary enrollments for students living outside of British Columbia. However, if your family is based in BC (lives here for at least 6 months per year) but travels for periods during the year, then you may be eligible to register with @KOOL. |
| My child has a diagnosis and/or an IEP. What support is provided? |
| Your child will receive support for their IEP through our learning resource teachers and the school-based team. If you have specific questions, please contact the school directly. |
| Do I need a computer? |
| You will need a computer for DL learning. @KOOL is an online school and all students in grades 4-12 will be taking courses online. It is recommended that each student in those grades have their own computer to view lessons and complete/submit assignments. For students in grades K-3, a computer or tablet is necessary for parents to download/print assignments and submit work samples. We also recommend that each family have a printer. |
| How do I prepare for DL learning? |
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You will need to purchase school supplies for your child just as you would at a brick and mortar school. Your child’s teacher will provide a supply list once you are enrolled. We recommend that you also create a designated learning space for your child at home. This provides your child with a distraction-free area to think and a sense of ownership over their schooling. It is important for your child’s wellness that their desk and chair are the right size for their height and age. For recommended sizing, please view this link: https://manine-montessori.com/pages/choosing-the-correct-table-and-chair-for-your-child. An effective school space also has a storage area to keep school supplies and curriculum organized as well as wall space to hang informational charts. |
| How much time does DL schooling take each day? |
| Distance learning provides a great amount of flexibility in the daily routine, including the subjects covered, location, and time of day. However, just like in a regular school, it is expected that students will work on curriculum for 3-4 hours, plus at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity. It is important to establish a school routine for the family to follow. Your teacher is available to help set up your daily schedule and will make sure you are on track to complete the curriculum throughout the year. |
| What is the time commitment for parents? |
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Elementary students need lots of support when learning. Your teacher will touch base with your family regularly and provide feedback on assignments; however, your child also needs someone to provide feedback and support as they work. It is expected that a parent or other adult be available to sit and work with the child on a daily basis. Parents also have the responsibility to print resources and organize supplies for the day’s lessons. It is recommended that parents take a little time each night to organize materials for the following day. It’s a great idea to have your children help with this process. |
| How often does the teacher contact us? How often can we contact the teacher? |
| Your teacher will contact you for work samples as well as to provide feedback or more resources every 2-4 weeks (depending on the needs of your family). You may also see your teacher more regularly if you attend in-person sessions or activities. However, your teacher is there to support you so please contact them when you have questions or need help. |
| What does the K-4 program look like? |
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Our primary (kindergarten to grade 3) program is mostly paper-based and all curriculum resources are supplied by the school. We use a mix of workbooks, packages, and resources posted online for you to print at home (please let your teacher know if you need support with printing). We also provide online subscriptions for reading and math. Parents will need to submit work samples online or in-person as discussed with your teacher. Our grade 4 program is transitional - about half of the courses are done via paper and the rest are online. For online courses, lessons are viewed online and work is submitted online, but notes and assignments are printed and completed on paper. |
| What does the grade 5-7 program look like? |
| Our intermediate program is mostly online. Students view lessons, submit assignments, and receive feedback from the teacher through our digital platform. Courses are self-paced, though your teacher will help set up a schedule to keep you on track. A few subjects (such as art, ADST, and career) do not have online courses. For these subjects, your teacher will provide you supplemental resources or arrange other learning experiences. |
| Are there daily or streaming lessons? |
| Some teachers may choose to post video lessons or offer video conferencing with small groups of students. Your child will not have daily lessons with the teacher, either in person or online. Work is given out as units to be completed over the course of a few weeks. Your teacher will connect with you and your child regularly to help keep you on track with the supplied curriculum and make adjustments as needed for your child. |
| Are there any in-person classes or field trips? |
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We offer a variety of activities and outings in the Kamloops area. This may include small group sessions, physical activities, art lessons, science lessons, field trips, and more. We are working to organize field trips that follow the district’s COVID protocol. These activities are important to the student’s program because they provide the opportunity for students to participate in social learning experiences with their peers. These are not mandatory, but please plan to attend as many activities as possible. For students outside Kamloops, check local homeschool parent groups for similar activities. |
Contacting Us
Please visit the registration page and complete the online application if you would like to register with @KOOL. It will take some time to process all the applications and you may not hear back from us right away. Don't worry though - if you have completed the application and submitted the necessary ID, you will be contacted.
If you have already contacted us, it may take some time for a response as we progress through all of your emails and messages. Thank you for your patience.
We look forward to meeting all of our new families soon!
- For more information, please contact us at anytime.
- You may also wish to contact our office: 778-471-6061
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