FAQ's
General Information
What programs are being offered for the 2024-2025 school year?
Argyll Centre supports families who wish to enroll for the 2024-2025 school year and offers the following:
Online Learning for Grades 1-12 (synchronous & asynchronous)
Online Learning for Upgrading High School Students (4th & 5th Year)
Parent-Directed Home Education for Grades 1-12
In-person Caraway programming for Grades K-9
When you register, please indicate the program you wish to register from the list above. We evaluate the demand and offer additional programs at Argyll as necessary.
Argyll Centre is the only online learning site in Edmonton Public Schools.
Will Argyll accept new students for the 2024-2025 school year?
Yes, please see the link to the right to pre-register with Argyll. LINK TO EPSB SITE
For Caraway programming, please check the registration information on their site. LINK TO CARAWAY
What is the difference between parent-directed home education and online learning?
Both these types of learning take place at home.
Parent-directed home education or homeschooling: parents take on the sole responsibility of planning and teaching for the school year.
Online learning: Parents are learning partners and provide support to the student, however, a certified EPSB teacher plans learning activities, provides instruction and assesses the student.
Synchronous online: Live online teaching and learning that takes place during typical school day hours (for example 8:45 am and 3:05 pm). Parents are required as learning partners to support the child.
Asynchronous online: Online teaching and learning for elementary & jr high students comprises a live online meeting available each day and opportunities for small group teacher support. Parents have a high level of responsibility for scheduling the student’s day, supporting learning and the completion of assignments. At the high school level major summative assessments are to be completed on camera.
Do you offer online Kindergarten programming?
At this time, Alberta Education does not offer online Kindergarten programming.
What does a typical day of online learning look like in the live online teacher instruction (synchronous) program?
Online students will interact with their teacher and classmates in a structured learning environment. The opportunity to build connections can help students feel more supported and comfortable in adapting to online learning.
This format includes live online teacher instruction as well as directed activities and assignments that students complete independently. Teachers are responsible for organizing students’ schedules and monitoring their progress.
Cameras are required for online synchronous programming.
The live online teacher instruction (synchronous) program requires parents to take on the role of teaching partner, providing a high level of parental support and supervision, particularly at the elementary and junior high levels.
As a synchronous class, this course is designed with a common pace for all students enrolled here. Attending class is mandatory and crucial to learning the outcomes of the course with the support of a structured learning environment where students can learn alongside classmates and their teacher. Likewise, assessments are scheduled throughout the course such that students can understand how their learning is progressing, so they can get feedback and synthesize information, which are crucial components of the learning process. Assessments are also crucial pieces of information for teachers to adjust what happens next in the course, as they indicate readiness for future outcomes. When students miss an assessment, this begins to fall apart.
What does a typical day of online learning look like in the online self-paced teacher-supported (asynchronous) program?
Asynchronous programming allows a student to schedule their own day-to-day learning schedule while maintaining the expectation of daily online engagement. Students enrolled in this program will have the flexibility to work through their learning and not be restricted to the hours of a ‘regular’ school day.
Elementary & junior high teachers in the asynchronous program offer daily live sessions that students can choose to attend.
At the high school level major summative assessments are to be completed on camera.
To help you manage your time and ensure that you finish the course, deadlines have been established for assignments, assessments, and projects. We've found that without these, students often leave all of their work until the last week of the class. This creates both an unmanageable workload and undoes much of the learning that is supposed to grow over the duration of the quarter; that is, students miss out on opportunities to understand how their learning is progressing, and to get feedback and to synthesize information, crucial components of the learning process.
At the high school level, students still have the flexibility to schedule their own learning, but this ensures that they are engaged with their learning throughout the quarter timeline. Students who are not communicating consistently with their teachers or following through on commitments to complete missing work will be withdrawn from their course.
If I live outside of Edmonton but in the province, can my books be shipped to me? Do I have to pay and arrange shipping?
If you would like to have your books shipped to you, you will need to arrange it with the school, at your expense.
Registration
I don't know my (child's) ASN. How do I find that?
Head to this lookup service to find that Alberta School Number: https://learnerregistry.ae.alberta.ca/Home/StartLookup
Can I pre-register at Argyll for the 2024–2025 school year?
Yes, please see the link below to pre-register with Argyll.
Can I register for Argyll online learning if I live outside of Edmonton?
Yes, this registration must also be done by September 27th, 2024 click this link to pre-register with Argyll before September 27th, 2024.
Note: To access an education in Alberta, students and parents must live within the province throughout the 2024-2025 school year, as per the residency criteria outlined in the Education Act
If I enroll at Argyll for the 2024-2025 school year can I return to my previous/designated school half way through the year?
No. Enrolling in Argyll for the 2024-2025 school year will be effective from September 2024 until June 2025.
If I enroll at Argyll for the 2024-2025 school year can I return to my previous/designated school for the 2025-2026 school year?
If students/families choose to return to their previous Division school for the 2025-2026 school year (registration will open in February of 2025), in some circumstances (lottery schools, entrance criteria schools, programs of choice), their space is not guaranteed.
Can my child come to Argyll after September 27th?
If your child is registered at a school in EPSB, please speak to your school administration about programming needs. If you are not registered in EPSB, after September 27th, our registration is closed.
Parent Directed Home Education
What does a parent need to prepare to enroll a student(s) into the parent directed homeschool program?
Families choosing to enroll their child/children into the Parent Directed Homeschooling program are committing to this program for the entire 2024-2025 school year.
Families must submit a Home Education Declaration form for each child.
A Home Education Plan will also need to be prepared and submitted to Argyll Centre by September 29th, 2024.
Families are encouraged to refer to the Home Education Handbook (released by the Alberta Government 2022)
You may review more information on the Alberta Ed website
Do I receive financial support for my child/children in the parent directed homeschooling program?
Yes. You will have access to a maximum of $901 per student to support expenses associated with achieving the goals set out in your Home Education Plan. Please see the Supplemental Funding Guide for more information.
We continue to work with our Parent-Directed families and make adjustments to our Supplemental Funding Guide for the 2024-2025. This will be updated shortly.
Caraway Program
Where can I find more information about the Caraway Program?
For more information on the Caraway Program please visit their website
Can I register multiple children in multiple grades?
Yes, please visit this link to the right to pre-register with Argyll.
High School Online Learning
Does Argyll offer online upgrading for 4th & 5th year students?
Yes, this registration must also be done by September 27th, 2024. Please click the link to pre-register with Argyll before September 27th, 2024.
Can my high school student enroll in both the synchronous and asynchronous programs?
Yes, this is available for high school students based on course availability.
This is not possible for elementary or junior high students as subjects within the schedule fluctuate from day to day.
Will Argyll high school students follow a semester or quarter schedule?
At the moment we are planning for a quarter system for high school.
What are the program expectations for Physical Education online?
Students are expected to meet all curricular objectives in the Physical Education curriculum in an online environment. This can be completed in varied ways, including demonstrations of learning at home with documentation being provided to the teacher.
Can my child take courses at their designated school and Argyll (concurrently)?
For the 2024-2025 school year students who are registering at their community school will need to speak to their school administration for possibilities with concurrent programming after September 27th.
What are the technology requirements needed for online learning with Argyll?
Online learners require access to the following:
A computer with a functional web camera and microphone. This can be an external web camera and/or headset.
Tablets/iPads are not recommended as some of the functionality with Google Suite and other programs is lost due to processing speed.
Access to a reliable internet connection.
Note: if you require assistance meeting the technology requirements to attend Argyll, please contact the school.
How and when will I be notified to access my courses?
Before the start of the school year in September 2024 students will be contacted through their division email (this is the students @share.epsb.ca account). Students will receive an email invitation to a Google Classroom and welcome letter from their teacher(s).
When will Jr. High/High school students who have participated in pre-enrollment processes choose their courses?
After pre-enrollment ends (starts February 1 and ends on March 22) you will be sent information via email that will explain the next steps for course selection.
What does a full timetable look like for Jr. High students?
In EPSB, students in grades 7-9 are enrolled in 8 courses (including core courses, physical education, health and options courses).
What does a full timetable look like for High School students?
Alberta Education defines a full time online student as someone who accesses 35 credits per school year.
If I chose online with Argyll in pre-enrollment, can I make changes between synchronous and asynchronous learning streams?
Decisions between synchronous and asynchronous learning streams must be made by the end of pre-registration on March 22 2024.
Can I speak to an administrator on the phone or virtually?
Yes. If you have further questions after reading the FAQ or visiting our website, you are certainly welcome to call our school at 780-465-1299 and make an appointment with one of our Assistant Principals.