Welcome to SCIDES - a school selected to be a provincial online provider for 2023
Welcome! We are thrilled that you found your way to our website. Let us introduce our school to you:
At South Central Interior Distance Education School – SCIDES – we offer Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-12) courses, as well as courses for adult learners. We’re a fully funded, public, and accredited BC school located in School District 58. Our programs and courses are free for BC residents; tuition fees only apply for international students and may apply for some courses for adults who have already graduated.
SCIDES is an online learning (OL) school, meaning most of our students are primarily at a distance from our teachers, whether they are studying online at home, within another educational facility, or anywhere else with an internet connection. Online learning students completing their studies with SCIDES will receive their British Columbia Dogwood graduation diplomas (we celebrate over 50 graduates, of all ages, each year!).
Among all the educational opportunities schools in BC have to offer, online learning is one we feel very excited and passionate about. We believe it is an excellent way to get a quality education that’s personalized and fits into your life. At SCIDES, we offer elementary and secondary students the opportunity to personalize their learning and have full control of their own educational paths. Adult learners have the chance to upgrade, graduate or take additional courses without ever stepping inside a BC face-to-face high school.
A comprehensive list of online courses allows you to choose and design a program that is both flexible in delivery and supportive of your unique learning style. We provide the materials, resources, planning, reports and personal support required – you choose the program that best fits your life, whether it is full-time or cross enrolment with a face-to-face school. Our staff at SCIDES is always available for our students, and also works hard to build relationships with educators at cross-enrolled schools to ensure the best experience for you.
Our students come from a wide range of experiences, and our mission is to create a personalized learning environment for anyone, anywhere, in any situation! We support elite athletes, gifted learners, adult learners looking to upgrade, families abroad for both work and travel, and students with learning disabilities, injuries or with an illness that prevents them from attending regular classes – and most importantly: students and their families, who want to take charge of their own educational path.
We look forward to connecting with you!
Message from the Principal
Why Online Learning?
September 2022
Now that our lives have adapted to living amid Covid, and vaccinations and other measures have helped schools return to more normal practice, some might be wondering why students and families choose to achieve their education through online and distance learning. I would like to share some of the answers I know to that query.
Choice and flexibility are the first things that come to mind. A “regular” pace for school sees a student engaged in learning for anywhere between 4 – 6 hrs/day, five days a week. With SCIDES, students and families can choose which hours and which days best suit their needs. It’s your birthday, let’s take today off! Your athletic schedule doesn’t match the bricks and mortar schedule? No problem. You or your child are not “morning people”? Why force learning into a time that isn’t best for you? Families tell us these things all the time and this is one reason they come to us. Perhaps there’s world travel in your life, you have a major trip planned. Online learning fits into that. While families must be BC residents ordinarily, they can be away for several months and still keep up with their children’s education. All it takes is a computer, wifi, and a plan. Of course, good communication with your teachers is a necessary part of that too.
SCIDES is a 12-month school, we have teachers working year-round and we are always here to help. This also means that students in Gr. 10 – 12 can work to advance their learning, maybe even graduate early if that makes sense. There is so much flexibility learners can work with to achieve their goals! Our Academic Advisors are here to assist with that planning.
Another reason so many are looking toward online learning is for the individual attention their learners receive. As a staff, all of us at SCIDES focus on our students one at a time, addressing and adapting to their needs as best we can. SCIDES is proud to let you know that, at the high school level, we strive to return marked work within 2 school days and provide feedback that promotes understanding and offers opportunity to improve. This enables students to keep moving forward and build on their understanding. Primary students (K-3) participate in one-to-one Joyful Literacy sessions with their teachers via zoom. Many of our staff have “zoom rooms”, times in which students can just pop in to ask for help during the week. Students with designated needs are fully addressed by our Student Support Services. We discuss and plan ways to best meet their needs, keep families as part of the conversation, and, when possible, support these students with things like tutoring, speech pathologists, and other activities that support their Individual Education Plans.
As much as the individual attention is appreciated, we also know the importance of bringing people together. Around the school as a whole, we are all looking for ways to engage our learners in group events so that they can also learn from and with each other. Virtual field trips, participation in Truth and Reconciliation Ceremonies, STEAM week, and scavenger hunts are just some of the things we’ve done to build community.
Finally, sometimes students and families turn to online learning because of challenges in their face-to-face schools. It is nothing short of joyful when I see a student change from someone who could not continue and learn in their previous situation, to someone who shines in their online environment. Perhaps it is that now school feels safer, done from home amid people who support them. In other instances, it may be that the student’s face-to-face school does not offer courses they are looking for. We can help fill the gaps.
SCIDES is an accredited BC Ministry of Education public school. Our curriculum meets every standard and post-secondary institutions often refer their students to us if they need upgrading. Discipline to do the work, communication with your teachers when it’s needed, and keeping a regular pace are the keys to success here. We encourage you to think about making online learning a part of your 21st Century school plan.
Mrs. K. Goetz, Principal
