The 2008 conference seminars are listed below.  Additional information on the seminars will be added as it becomes available. 

8:30 Session
 

• Character and its Formation According to Jesus - Dr. John Patrick
  

• The modern world often pays much more attention to conversion - the way we come to the commitment to Christ than to becoming a disciple.  Jesus sets out his principles in the Sermon on the Mount.  It begins with 'Truth in the inward parts' and proceeds through repentance and meekness to a passion for righteousness.  This in turn leads to the practice of mercy and a single-minded desire to do God's will.  The results are peace-making and, paradoxically, persecution.
  

10:30 Session

• Four Levels of Happiness - Dr. John Patrick

• In a world where sin is no longer understood, we have to start elsewhere.  The four levels of happiness is a way of looking at the different experiences people have in the search for happiness, passing from those experiences we share with animals, to the happiness of developing our abilities, to charity and knowing God.
  

• Understanding Your Career DNA (for teens)

• Attracting, training and retaining staff are the most important issues facing businesses today.  In this environment of global competition, uncertain economies and questionable work ethics, employees have more options available than ever before.  By understanding your Career DNA, you will be in a position to find the work you love and love the work you do.
• Jim is a communication skills specialist focusing on providing business and sales professionals the tools to develop more consistent business through communication-based selling.  Founder and president of AltiMark Business Group, he has been recognized as a Certified Sales Professional (CSP) by the Canadian Professional Sales Association.  Jim's customer service focus and his ability to develop client-centered relationships have allowed him to consistently meet and exceed the expectations of his clients.
  

• Highschool - The Gateway to Post Secondary

• Where do I begin?  Is this even a good idea?  Can I really do this?  These hard questions seem to come up in our minds again, as highschool approaches.  You have four years left.  Are you imparting what is most important to your students?  Diane will share the importance of teaching independent research, understanding the vital role of dialogue and reading the heart of your student through mentoring.  Learn how to equip your students with focused education rather than just the goal of graduation!
• Diane and her husband have been involved in educating their 5 children at home for the past 20 years.  Diane is eager to encourage parents on this homeschool journey, with all its joys and struggles.  She is the KONOS Area Representative, and brings her experiences with her as she speaks at various support groups, conferences and all-day seminars.
  

• Teaching Multiple Grades

• In this seminar Lois will attempt to pass along ideas, suggestions and tips for homeschooling in the practical reality of busy family life.  She will draw on her own experiences as well as the knowledge she gained from all the other homeschool moms who shared the process with her and kindly offered their suggestions through the years.  This seminar will attempt to encourage you with the things that seemed to help to achieve success as well as to share some of the difficulties and challenges that were encountered and what was done to work with those obstacles.
• Lois was blessed with a Christian home, a supportive husband and five active children.  She feels privileged to have been able to homeschool for eighteen years.  During that time Lois has been active in the local homeschool community.  For ten years she organized and directed a homeschool teaching co-op in which over sixty families participated, and also designed and directed a Homeschool Partnership Program which provided a classroom setting with experienced and knowledgeable teachers one day per week for homeschool children ages ten to thirteen.  During these years she has also found the time to enjoy reading, gardening, quilting, swimming and most recently scuba diving, and is now delighting in the next new generation with the arrival of her first grandchild.
  

• Project Wild

• Martha will use "Project Wild" nature awareness exercises, demonstrations, and role playing to facilitate actual observations on plants and animals which make up the wooded park behind Kanata Baptist Church.  Participants should dress for literal contact with whatever we find, including whatever spring growth and animal life is protected by leaf cover.  We will identify trees by differences in buds and bark, look for dens, nests, tracks and middens.  Martha suggests reading ahead in guides by Joseph Cornel, Steve Van Matre and Tom Brown, Jr. on sharing the joys of nature with children.  Magnifiers and field glasses are optional.  We will be outdoors rain or shine.
• Martha was born in New England.  She majored in Botany-ecology and geology (BS, MS) and was staff assistant at the Children's Nature Museum, Charlotte, N.C. and Worcester, MA.  She taught biology and earth science in the Vermont public school system before marrying a Canadian and moving north.  She has 2 children and has volunteered with Scouts and Guides and has offered a spring botany course for the City of Kanata called "Edible Wild" which has continued since the 1980's.  She is a member of the Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario, where contact with "Project Wild" reinforced her "hands on" approach to nature interpretation with both adults and children.
  

• Teaching Bible in the Homeschool

• The Bible is the most important book in the world.  Our faith is the foundation of everything we do.  How does one teach the bible to our children?  How does one keep it interesting and relevant to multi-aged children?  How do we pass on our faith and honour Deuteronomy 6:4-9?
• Esther and her husband have six children aged 3 - 17.  They have homeschooled all of their children.  They have the privilege of sharing every day together.  Her husband works from home in professional communications.
  

• Teaching A Child With ADD

• Lee-Anne will discuss ADD/ADHD (what it is and isn't), positive and negative traits of ADD (the gifts and limitations), ADD/ADHD functioning and coping skills (alternatives and support to medical treatment), and ADD/ADHD and education in the homeschool.
• Lee-Anne holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Anthropology from Carleton University and Masters degrees in Counselling and Psychology from Providence Theological Seminary.  She is a member of the Ontario Association of Consultants, Counsellors, Psychometrists and Psychotherapists and did her internship at Winnipeg Christian Counselling Group in Manitoba.  She worked at Phase in Family Support Services in Ottawa before starting her own Christian Counselling and Care service in Stittsville, ON.  She is married and a mother of three children ages 5, 2, and 2.5 months.  She is homeschooling her son for his first year in JK.
  

1:30 Session

• The Student Body of Christ

• It's interesting that the only picture the Bible gives us of Jesus between infant and adult is in the role of a student.  What might we learn from God's education example?  This session will offer helpful hints for structuring your homeschooling relationship and cultivating the love of learning for both teacher and student.
• Cory was raised in a very "religious" home and educated in the public school system.  Upon entering his teen years, he traded his plans to attend law school to initially pursue a career as a singer/songwriter and then various business interests.  Cory was dramatically converted to Christianity amidst the tragic death of a friend and it was an unthinkable family crisis that led him to attend Bible College where he graduated with highest honours.  After serving as a teaching pastor for a number of years, he then founded The Cross Current evangelism project and radio show and has since joined the team at HSLDA.  Cory's professional experience in corporate sales, pastoral experience teaching youth, young adults and adults and evangelism experience on the streest has enabled him to not only develop an innovative and persuasive teaching style, but also an ability to relationally connect with virtually all demographics.  Cory has a passion to creatively communicate truth and specializes in teaching applied apologetics, worldview, leadership and evangelism.  He and his wife Dawn are both from Halifax, Nova Scotia and currently live in London with their two homeschooled sons.
• 
  

• Nine Questions We All Have To Answer (for teens) - Dr.John Patrick

• The questions are very old:  Where did I come from?  Why am I here?  Where am I going?  How do I come to terms with death, particularly my own death?  How do I understand suffering?  How can I believe in justice?  What can I know?  What is it necessary to believe?  What must I therefore do?
  

• Teaching With the Brain in Mind

• It has been discovered that 50% of our population takes in information through the Right Brain.  Yet 90% of the available curriculum is presented for the Left Brain learner.  Diane will share how to unlock the learning potential, creativity and critical thinking skills your sharp, but struggling students need in order to master subjects in your homeschool.
• See biography:Highschool - The Gateway to Post Secondary.
  

• Getting Started - The Journey Begins

• This seminar is designed to help those who are just beginning the homeschool journey, those who have questions, or those who feel somewhat overwhelmed.  Reasons for homeschooling, goals for our children, content (what to teach in the early years), scheduling, and socialization are among the topics that will be discussed.  Some basic "do's" and "don'ts" will be covered.  There will be time for questions.
• Robin and her husband have 10 children from ages 27 down to 4 years old.  Four are high school graduates who are making it in the real world; others are of high school, middle school and elementary ages, with a pre-schooler in there as well.  Having changed approximately 56,400 diapers, potty trained 10 children, and taught 9 of her children to read, Robin is an experienced homeschooler who has a passion for encouraging other homeschooling moms.
  

• Canadian History Helps

• This seminar will deal with some questions on the teaching of Canadian history, such as:  Why teach Canadian history?  What to teach?  How to teach?  What materials are good?  What about evaluation?  What to do at different age levels?
• Vince teaches at Redeemer Christian High School.  He and his wife owned and operated the Home Works Home Education Supplies and Voyageur Publishing for 16 years, and have home-educated their four children since 1988.  Vince has also spoken at many conferences across Canada on a variety of topics relating to history, world view, and French language.  He is the author of a number of popular study guides on Canadian History and Geography, and the book A Truly Loyal Subject.  Currently he is working on a Masters of Ministry with St. Stephen's University, as well as a study of the relationship of Christian faith to culture through history and in the contemporary age.
  

• Let's Start A Co-op

• A homeschool co-op has many advantages for a parent who is teaching an elementary homeschool program.  Our leaders for this workshop will share about the dynamics of their homeschool co-ops, how they got started in them, the activities they have enjoyed, and answer your questions about starting one of your own.
• Heather began homeschooling in Australia and moved to Canada seven years ago.  She has been involved in three co-operative learning groups ranging in size from fifteen families to two families.  As a past member and president of the Barrhaven Teaching Co-op she was involved in planning and implementing a range of programs and activities.  Now involved in a smaller co-op she will share what she has learned and valued from both the large and small models.  Angie is a homeschooling mom of 2 girls ages 7 and 4.  She has been homeschooling from the beginning of her kids being school age.  Before becoming a mother, Angie worked with youth with Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship where she planned a number of events for youth and had a weekly interdenominational meeting for high school students at her house.  For the last 6 years, Angie has been quite involved on the Board of her community association in her neighbourhood.  She helped organize the local playgroup when her kids were younger, and has helped put together events and other activities in her community to help promote a stronger sense of community in her neighbourhood.

• Encouragement For Fathers

• A panel of dads will attempt to answer the following questions.  What is your family dynamic?  Why did you choose homeschooling and what are the goals of your homeschool?  What is your role, how do you provide support in your homeschool?  What is the most important aspect of a husband's role?  Share one of your homeschooling challenges and how you were able to resolve it?  How has this lifestyle benefited your family?
• Randall and his wife have four children, three of which homeschooled all the way through high school, with one daughter now enrolled online with the homeschool friendly Patrick Henry College and their youngest son just finishing 10th grade at home.  Randall is a journalist on Parliament Hill, providing for lively discussions around the dinner table.  He lived abroad for half his working life and met his wife in Saudi Arabia.  They are keen for their kids to grow in their knowledge of the Lord and in learning how to apply their worldview to all of life.
• Stephen was born in 1962, born again at the age of 12 and married to Karen in 1986.  He is blessed with four children:  Adam, Aaron, Kathryn, and Kaleb.  He is an Ambassador for Christ in the home, church, and the world.  An Elder, preacher, pastor and Sunday School teacher at Bethany Chapel in Winchester, ON he is also a Sparky Director at Rideauview Bible Chapel.  He works as a head custodian for the school board at Avonmore, ON to meet his family's needs.

2:45 Session

• Formation of Family and Society - Dr. John Patrick

• This talk is based on Deuteronomy 6 and emphasises the central role of teaching our very young children the stories of the bible which are morally consequential and therefore become the moral reference bank for the young.  Every child inhabits a story, the question is, which story?
  

  Taking It To The Streets (for teens)

• Cory is the founder of The Cross Current (TCC) evangelism project and host of TCC Radio.  Having personally street witnessed and open air preached to hundreds of people, he and his team equip people of all ages at all levels of personal evangelism to share their faith simply, biblically and effectively.  Like the man who built his house on the rock, this workshop promises to give you a solid Scriptural structure for witnessing in your world!
• see biography:  The Student Body of Christ.

• Leaving A Legacy

• "Homeschooling is hard work, but the rewards are plentiful."  You've heard that before, but will that really be the case when the last chapter of your homeschooling years has been written?  Diane will share some of her own homeschool journey, the joys and struggles.  Her story will inspire you to stay the course and renew your vision.
  See biography:  Highshcool - The Gateway to Post Secondary

• Enjoying Math

• Mathematics is not just a series of abstractions to be learned and formulas to be memorized.  It is about thinking, and about life.  It under girds all the sciences, and shows forth the beauty of God's creation.  This seminar will show how learning and teaching math can be enjoyable, and will provide some principles for parents teaching math to their children.
• Amy holds a B.Math Honours and M.Sc. from Carleton University, and is currently doing a Ph.D. at University of Ottawa.  She has worked six years as a teaching assistant at both universities, privately tutored, and has been a substitute lecturer for undergraduate mathematics courses.  She delights in helping others understand and enjoy math.
  

• Preparing for Post Secondary Education
  

• This seminar will look to explore concepts of university accessibility for home schooled students.  An overview of the Ontario high school curriculum will lead this talk in order to understand better the common forms of university admissibility.  From there it will explore the university application process, and some tips for home schooled students to attend a post-secondary institution.
  Joe coordinates recruitment for the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in Oshawa, Ontario.  He has been a part of Ontario's newest university since the doors first opened in 2003.  Since 2003, Joe has worked closely with the Ontario home school community to ensure that there are pathways to access post secondary education at UOIT.  He currently resides in Oshawa, Ontario.
  

•