THEAC 2023 Spring Newsletter

Isn’t it lovely to wake to the chirping of birds outside and an explosion of colour in the garden?!  Spring!  It is such a magical time of the year.  As we crawl out of hibernation after the Hobart winter, it’s so nice to see people embracing the blue sky and warmer days by bursting onto the walkways, bush tracks, walking the beaches, and pottering in their gardens!  It is amazing how much a blue sky can reenergise your body and mind.  Spring is such an exciting time.  With it, Spring brings new life and new beginnings, renewed energy levels and enthusiasm for all those tasks considered too hard during the colder months.  It’s such a special time of the year where we witness the flowers poking their heads out, the blossom filling the trees with puffy pink and white dots, new life frolicking in the paddocks, and where the smell of freshly cut grass represents the beginning of the BBQ season!  I love Spring even more so because of what follows-Summer!  The thought of months lined up consisting of gradually increasing warmer times, blue skies and longer days certainly brings a spring to one’s step!  

Spring brings with it new opportunities, new beginnings and presents us with the freedom to get out and about more in the warmer air.  Spring is a time to declutter, not only our house and the garden shed, but our minds.  If there is an aspect in your program that just isn’t working, Spring is a good time to stop and reassess your learning goals and re-set.  It is not a problem to veer off track from your original plan in your HESP; in fact, flexibility to adjust in accordance with your child’s needs is a good thing.  There are always going to be moments within your programs where it just doesn’t go to plan.  A change of course can present many new learning opportunities.  If you are feeling a little stuck and your child does not seem to be engaging well, don’t feel as if you are lost within your program, wander off course for a couple of weeks and grab those learning opportunities that Spring brings and delight in watching your children engage and grow.  You may be surprised by all the learning avenues that appear from doing so!

It continues to be a busy time in home education.  We currently have 1466 students enrolled in home education from 868 families across the state.  This is an increase of 29 students entering home education since the Winter newsletter in June 2023.  We welcome these new families into the home education community. 

On behalf of THEAC I would like to thank Caroline Norman for her years of service to THEAC.  Caroline was a valued member of THEAC, and we appreciate her time and commitment to the home education community over the past 3 years.  We wish you all the best Caroline and thank you for valued input during your time with THEAC.

Please remember to save the date in your calendar for two Diverse Learning Needs seminars we are offering in October then November.  Alison Hopwood will be presenting on October 23 at 7pm followed by Catherine Silcock 2 weeks later November 6 at 7pm.  Keep an eye out for registration details in the coming month.

Last newsletter we addressed the need for keeping a good record of your program to enable you to write a detailed HESP the following year.  I can’t emphasise enough the importance of keeping good records, it really does make HESP writing easier.  The way each home educator keeps a record is different and that is fine.  You need to tailor it to suit your needs and circumstances however, there does need to be a record kept.  HESP writing is important as it is the first stage that a Registration Officer views your program.  Having to ask for more information only delays the process of the Registration visit.  It is important that you submit a new HESP each year that is individual to each child.  While there certainly are parts of the program that can be similar between siblings, the learning outcome for a child of a different age will be different and this needs to be outlined in the HESP.  If you are using an online program, you also need to be able to clearly identify how you are overseeing and evaluating the program.  It is not acceptable to insert the purchased online program’s information into your HESP, it needs to be written in your own words.  As a home educator in Tasmania, you are the person responsible for creating your child’s program and for overseeing and evaluating it.  I would like to take this opportunity to remind you about the wonderful resource the OER published last year titled ‘Understanding the Standards’.  If you have not seen this document, please contact Donna on 62777 2548 (north) or Nick 6165 5414 (south) to request a copy.  This booklet really helps to breakdown what it is that the Registration Officers are looking for in your HESP and has been put together to help make HESP writing a less daunting task.

As we speed into the final months of the year, we wish you every succuss in your programs.  To all those approaching the end of their time in home education we wish you all the best in your final months before you embark on the next chapter in your lives whether that be formal school for years 11 and 12 or, for those who are finishing year 12 in home education, for whichever pathway you are choosing to take next.  Enjoy the last few months of your education at home and take the time to thank your educators for all the time and effort they have put into creating programs full of learning opportunities for you.  Appreciate your differences, your passions and focus on your strengths and respect your unique abilities as you move forward into the next pathway in life.

Enjoy the road your learning takes you on and cherish the memories you make along the way!

Denise Cox

THEAC Chair