Heading back to class is different for these families and they wouldn't change a thing

With backpacks in tow and new shoes on their feet, more than 60,000 children in Newfoundland and Labrador went back to school last week.

But for some families, the back-to-school season looks different from the traditional first day of school photos lining social mediaand they wouldn't have it any other way.

During the 2023-24 school year, 274 families opted to homeschool their childrena decision that surged in popularity during the lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020-21, 545 families homeschooled in the province.

Amanda Mckelvie was one of those parents who made the leap, but when lockdowns lifted, she decided to continue educating her three boys at home.

"We liked it and we just kept going," Mckelvie told CBC News.

Back to homeschool

In comparison with the traditional K-12 system, Mckelvie likes the flexibility homeschooling offers her family. She said it's made her family closer.

"My kids are close, they're friends with each other because they spend so much time together," she said.

Their school day starts with reading aloud. Then they will learn about history or social studies with varying levels of workload per grade.

After a short break, the boys work through their individual core subjects like math and science.

At lunch time, Mckelvie said the academic portion of their school day might be finished but homeschooling involves teaching beyond the books.

"One of the lovely things about homeschooling is that it's not like you go over here to do school and then you have the rest of your life. Education is not just the book work, it's your whole life," she said.

For example, if Mckelvie is teaching fractions, she might bake with her kids to show the measuring of ingredients. If they're learning about ecosystems, she might take them on a nature walk.

"I find homeschooling allows that kind of holistic learning to happen a little bit more naturally and organically," she said. "It's very easy to incorporate everyday life into your education when you homeschool."

In St. John's, there is a community of families who homeschool that meet regularly for field trips and activities.

"Every Friday, there'll be swimming lessons," Mckelvie said. "In the past we've done things like the planetarium at the Marine Institute or the Geo Centre or the Commissariat House."

WATCH | Why homeschooling works for this family:

St. Johns mom says homeschool gives her family flexibility and brings them together

10 days ago

Duration 0:28

Even when COVID-19 lockdowns lifted, Amanda Mckelvie decided to keep her three boys at home for schooling. She said the benefits for her family include a less rigid learning schedule and a tighter bond between her sons.

The cost of homeschooling varies. The Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Education has a curriculum available for free. The price of alternate curricula vary, according to Mckelvie.

"Homeschooling is flexible so you can make it work on any budget," she said.

They might not need shiny new backpacks and a brand-new outfit for the first day of school, but Mckelvie said her family is happy with their decision to homeschool.

"They love their homeschool groups, so they're excited to get back."

Private school

In downtown St. John's, going back to school is slightly different for Jacob Brennan's family. His two children attend Lakecrest Independent Schoolone of five private schools in the province.

During the 2023-24 school year, 1,732 students attended private school in Newfoundland. There were 128 students at Lakecrest, where tuition for one child is over $13,000 a year.

Despite the price tag, Brennan is happy his kids are part of that number.

The school might be small in comparison with some public schools in the area, but he sees Lakecrest as the best option for his children's K-9 education.

"We decided to invest in our kids' lower primary years because that foundation of learning is so important," Brennan said.

With challenges like increasing violence, teacher shortages and large class sizes impacting the public system, he said, Lakecrest creates an exception.

"Those types of challenges that we hear about inside the public schools system are not present in Lakecrest," Brennan said.

At the independent school, class sizes are small and the teachers and students know each other. He said the learning environment fosters confidence, self-motivated learning and mutual respect.

"It's very much fostering the independence of the child and the relationships between each other and the relationships with the outside world, and how they should be respectful of each other and other people," Brennan said.

While his kids wear uniforms and their education comes with a price tag, Brennan said, for those who can afford it, the investment in private education is worth it.

"Don't necessarily look at the tuition as a cost because when you factor in that the school supplies are included, the uniforms, you don't have to do back-to-school shopping," he said. "The tuition is so much less when you factor in all of those additional savings."

When Brennan first visited the school in 2018ahead of sending his son to kindergarten, he knew it was the one. While he says his kids will likely attend public school for their high school years, he's glad their back-to-school season is slightly different.

"When we left, my mom was just in tears and saying, 'I wish there was a place like this that you could have went to school when you were young,'" Brennan said.

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