ursa

Shared Responsibility

Some Families will view our shared responsibility program as providing “the best of both worlds” by combining parent directed home education with teacher directed instruction for chosen subject areas. Shared responsibility programming is ultimately flexible, allowing you to home educate your child while gaining access to the services and support of a teacher in delivering some programming. Delivery of the teacher-directed component could be online, onsite, or print based.

ursa Home Education Managers

Home Education Managers support our Parent Directed and Shared Responsibility families. In addition to being Alberta certified teachers, our Home Education Managers are experienced home educators. They know how to assist parents in providing a home-based program, while referring students to the appropriate ursa Subject Specialist for teacher directed instruction.

ursa Distance Online Teachers

ursa’s Distance Online Teachers (DOTs) are experienced online educators with specialized training in teaching subject specific courses. Learning the material along with a teacher who truly understands the content allows for a deeper discussion between all members of the learning community. Our teachers focus on meeting each student’s needs more than on simply getting through the curriculum.

ursa Students

ursa students may reside anywhere in the world and be in Kindergarten to Grade 12. As an ursa student, you want to pursue your passions, whenever and wherever they may take you, whether that be sports, the arts, specialized academic areas, travel, or….well…”the world is your oyster”. We’re here to support and serve.

The flexibility of online learning

One of the benefits of an online classroom is the flexibility that it provides. The world becomes your study space. The world becomes your classroom. With access to the Internet you can engage with your class and continue the learning journey from any location throughout the world. Should there be times when you are unable to attend the synchronous classes, materials are made available so that the learning can continue. Online learning makes distance transparent. Your teacher is always just an email or call away. With a low student teacher ratio you are always part of a global community of learners.

The support of a traditional classroom

A distance learning environment does not mean that students are provided a lower level of support. In many ways the amount of support for students is actually greater. Through the CANVAS Learning Management System, materials are provided that encourage and support student learning, and are available whenever the students need them. Multimedia materials, documents and guided inquiry are only a few examples of the resources that learners have at their disposal. Students can easily communicate with their assigned teacher through email to get assistance or clarification. Teachers also have office hours where students can meet with their teachers to get assistance as needed. All the supports of a traditional classroom are there, and more!

Applying to ursa Shared Responsibility

Online applications for ursa’s Parent Directed and Shared Responsibility Programs for the 2023-2024 school year for new families are now open.

We use SchoolCloud for online registrations for both Parent Directed and Shared Responsibility applications. To apply:

We strongly recommend using a computer or tablet rather than a mobile phone to submit your application online.
Families that do not have a SchoolCloud Parent Account, must first create one. Go to https://schoolcloud.ca/CreateUrsaAccount and enter your name and email address.
You will receive an email with a link to set your password. You will need your password to log onto SchoolCloud so keep a note of it.
The application process is easy. Go through each page, and enter or select the requested information. Always click on the green “Save’ button to advance to the next page. Some fields are mandatory. If you skip them the system will display a red error message to identify the missed information.
There are a number of green tabs for some fields. Click on the green tab and scroll down to make your selection.
You have a choice of programs: Parent Directed or Shared Responsibility. Parent Directed Home Education is 100% parent directed. Families choosing a Shared Responsibility Program select the courses delivered online for their student which can be between 20 to 80 percent of the program.
A copy of the student’s birth certificate must be uploaded to SchoolCloud. Scan or photograph the birth certificate for each student and have it ready to upload.
A number of questions are asked about your student and your experience as a home educator. These are to help us to know what type of support will be most helpful for your family.
After completing the application, you will have an opportunity to add an additional new student. Repeat these steps to submit applications for all students.
When finished, log off from SchoolCloud. This is done using the gear icon in the upper right corner.
The system will email you a copy of your application. Parents choosing Shared Responsibility Programs will also be sent additional forms to complete. Please return these to us promptly.
We will contact you if additional information is required to process your application.

For further information about ursa and how to apply, visit us on Facebook:

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