Today, as I was busy researching and getting ready for some of my clients this week, I 'happened' to check Facebook, where a colleague of mine, and the author of a blog called Terri's Teaching Treasures happened to post this inspiring video.

Upon doing some research on this topic, I’ve found a new credit that you can claim in 2011.  Many of you will be familiar with the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit (click on the link here if you want more information on that).  This new tax credit is effective in the tax year of 2011 and subsequent years.  It is called the Children’s Arts Tax Credit and can be used to claim up to $500 for each of your children under 16 years of age.   Please look at the website for detailed information, but the basics are here:
Eligible Programs – (each program has a specific percentage of eligible activities required)

• A weekly program (min. 8 weeks long)
• A five day long program (spring break programs/summer programs may apply here)
• An 8 week program offered by a club or organization
• An 8 week or longer membership in an organization

Eligible Activities
“Eligible activities will include an activity that:

• contributes to the development of creative skills or expertise in artistic or cultural activities;
• provides a substantial focus on wilderness and the natural environment;
• helps children develop and use particular intellectual skills;
• includes structured interaction among children where supervisors teach or help children develop interpersonal skills; or
• provides enrichment or tutoring in academic subjects.”

This is definitely something worthwhile checking out.  Please let me know if you need additional information on your receipts, or a yearly receipt made up and I’d be happy to help!

In the past three posts, we discussed the background to the new BC Math Curriculum, the new courses that are available and why they seem so different than the previous curriculum.  There are many resources  to help your child through Math 10 and 11 (all pathways) and here one that is Ministry of Education recommended, and actually has many resources within it!

LearnNowBC
Put together by the Ministry of Education, this is a great website for learners of all ages, but so far I’ve found it most advantageous for your core courses from grades 9-12.  You will need your child’s PEN (Provincial Education Number, found on report cards or available from your school’s secretary *note: not their student number).  Signing up is easy, and as it is a government run website is safe for adults and children alike.

The two main things I really like about this website are (accessed by choosing Study Centre, then Online Tutoring):

From here, you can click on "Online Tutoring' and you get this screen where you can choose the grade and course, as well as three tutoring options!

My two favorites are the the Live Tutor and Charged up for Math and Science (the yellow lightning bolt).
Live Tutor – a chat and whiteboard based one-on-one tutoring program.  Available from 6-10pm Sunday thru Thursdays!  Here, you receive FREE live tutoring by both teachers and university students.  Live Tutor is also voice and video enabled so you can have a conversation with your tutor instead of having to type everything down. (below is a picture of a conversation I had while trying out the service.  I did not have voice/video enabled on the computer I was using)

Charged Up for Math and Science – Put out by the Campbell River School District, these are online video modules taught by a certified teacher.  Each video comes with a slideshow where the teacher writes in examples, notes and tips.  This is excellent for those visual learners who need a bit (or a lot) of extra help.  You can stop, fast-forward and repeat each lesson as often as you need.  How often can you do that in class?!?! (below is what a lesson looks like)

By exploring the LearnNowBC website you will find many helpful resources for both parents and students alike!  Whether you have a student nearing graduation, or a parent who wants to keep in the know, this is a great website that we should all have bookmarked!