The HOMESCHOOL E-CONVENTION 2020 starts today! The link to watch the Keynote videos have been emailed to all ticket holders. Please email convention@homeschoolsingapore.sg if you have queries.
Led by Connie Chua (Homeschool Convention 2018 speaker), the KEYNOTE is the main message of the Convention.
7 speakers. 10 mins each. Moving from an expat’s perspective to coping with a special needs child to dealing with failures and tips for the long journey ahead, the 2020 KEYNOTE is going to fill your heart.
Meet our KEYNOTE SPEAKERS :
Grace Suryani
“ACCEPTANCE”
Grace is a mother of 3 children age 8, 5 and 2. She grew up in Jakarta and moved to Singapore after marriage. She has a love for history (esp Chinese History like 孙子兵法，三国演义 and all Chinese ancient drama series), peranakan culture, music and education methodology. In her free time she likes to read, play piano, binge watch Netflix or sew. She and her family currently stay in NUS Sheares Hall as Resident Fellows.
Ding Zhen Xin
“LEARNING AS A FAMILY”
Zhen Xin has taught kids aged 3-18 for 20 years in a variety of settings. When she started homeschooling her children, she realised she had been teaching from a textbook approach. Together with her better half, Sze Siang, they view education as learning from life, for life. Though there are good and bad days, Zhen Xin and Sze Siang are thrilled to be on this discovery journey with their 4 children aged 0 -10 years old.
Jonnansical Boo
“BEING COLIN’S MUM”
Jonn is mum to an active 10 year-old boy who is full of imagination. She coached recreational and competitive ice-skating for a number of years before she became a stay-at-home mum. She believes in pursuing life long interests. Science Explorers (SE) was created for her son with special needs. Originally created as a safe environment to work on his socialising skills, SE has become an inclusive group for children of all backgrounds and asynchronous abilities through science, crafts, friends and play.
Kalsum Harun
“HOMESCHOOLING WITH GRIT”
As a teen, Kalsum thought that she would never be a stay-at-home mum but she became the first amongst her friends to “retire” before turning 30. As a young adult, she decided that she would never be a teacher. Then, five years ago, she shocked her family of educators by deciding to teach her own. Taking on a never say never attitude this time, she went from drafting legislations and policies in her last job at a government Ministry, to reading extensively on education and pedagogies. Today, Kalsum homeschools her three children (aged 3 to 11) wherever her husband’s work takes them. They spent most of 2018 worldschooling. She successfully roped in her husband to take on some homeschooling roles even as he is a full-time academic. She is thankful that her family has been able to direct their own educational pursuits while caring for elderly members of the family. Kalsum is drawn towards the Classical Education approach but even as her ideals are constantly challenged by practical considerations like the PSLE, she relishes the flexibility that homeschooling brings.
Daphne Pang
“FREED BY FAILURE”
Daphne is a mother to three sporty boys, aged 17, 14, and 11, who keep her on her toes and educate her in post-millennial memes. With 18 years in PR, branding and marketing in the corporate world behind her, she decided her time would be better invested in her toddlers. The family has now been homeschooling for 11 years, she’s been through four PSLEs (yes, you’re trying to figure that out right now), and she calculates she has at least eight more years to her homeschooling graduation. Meanwhile, she is treasuring this season of redemption of her own education. When she’s not slogging through Latin, helping equip students with communication skills, or unleashing her inner grammar Nazi, she is most often in the kitchen, baking mostly to bless.
Cassandra Shepherd
“UNDER CONSTRUCTION”
Cassandra hails from a farming background in New Zealand, and is in her 9th year living in Singapore. She had worked in the Military, Agriculture and the Banking Industry, before choosing to become a full time parent. She graduated from her homeschool journey last May, just over 15 years from receiving her Certificate of Exemption to homeschool her eldest son (now 22 and studying Computer Science at Waikato University in New Zealand). Her twin daughters, 19, are enjoying a gap year, in which Abigail completed a 7 month Internship with The Institute for Cultural Communicators, based in Nashville TN, during which she served as ICCs Media Producer, and Jessica teaches in the ICC Online Academy and is the senior editor for the Homeschool Gazette. Having been homeschooled herself for several years, Cassandra is passionate about the freedom to pursue delight directed learning amidst the lessons real life offers a family on the homeschool journey.
Catherine Tan
“CLASSIC DOS AND DON’TS”
Catherine coaches and tutors her 4 children who are now age 24, 18, 15 and 11. At first, homeschooling was out of the question. She had a promising banking career she loved. After suffering from a stillbirth which left her reflecting deeply on how she intended to nurture her children, she courageously embarked on this bumpy yet exciting journey. With absolutely no teaching experience, Catherine explores different curricula and educational pathways to enable her children. After 11 years of homeschooling and juggling special projects while in the midst of several crises, she will share the mistakes she made in the hope that others will be aware.