ABOUT
When it Rains . . it pours! (Information, that is)
Be prepared for more than you ever wanted to know about Ontario university admissions for home schooled students and related content including how to home school for high school and still get into university and standardized testing as an alternative to a high school diploma.
All this is lovingly and painstakingly compiled by Sarah Rainsberger, who stumbled into a volunteer role with the Ontario Federation of Teaching Parents (despite being neither a parent, nor currently living in Ontario).
Sarah’s interest in promoting and supporting alternative models of education (stemming from her professional experience as a private tutor and co-founder/director of an accredited, private, alternative high school) led her into the homeschooling community. There she used her inside knowledge of school policy and administration to become a self-proclaimed “homeschool guidance/university admissions counselor.”
About this Site
Most posts are informal comments relating to current issues in home schooling (homeschooling, home-based education, unschooling, alternative education) and university entrance planning in Canada. Usually, these entries focus on Ontario university admission options for home schoolers, standardized university entrance tests such as the SAT and ACT as well as home-school-through-high-school options and planning.
Essential resources for homeschooling families will generally be found under the “Pages” section at the right side of the page.
Sarah Elsewhere on the Web
For the Rainsberger personal blog with entries relating to efforts in small-space, slow-pace, environmentally-conscious living as well as progress adjusting to small-town lifestyle, “Freedom 35″ early retirement plan and other random musings, please visit http://www.WeLiveHereNow.net
About Sarah (s a r a h @ r a i n s b e r g e r . c a)
Sarah Rainsberger is was one of Toronto’s best known and respected tutoring professionals. Sarah’s list of past and present clients includes children of television and radio personalities, artists, teachers, professors, doctors, businessmen and other high profile members of the Toronto community. Sarah has worked with child actors, elite athletes (baseball, soccer and hockey players, swimmers, dancers) as well as home schoolers and adult learners.
Sarah has been working in the field of education since 1989 when she began private tutoring as a part-time job in high school. She has an honours degree from York University (Glendon College) where she studied English, Math, French and Education.
Sarah has held senior administrative, teaching, and guidance positions at the high school level, and has tutored people of all ages, including university students and adults. She has tutored gifted students, students with learning disabilities. . . and just about everyone in between.
Sarah has devoted her life to helping students through their academic and administrative difficulties both at the high school and university levels. After appearing in a 2003 Washington Post article, Sarah was invited by the National Tutoring Organisation to seek accreditation as a Master Tutor, the highest level of tutoring certification world-wide.
Sarah now specializes in researching, writing and speaking about alternative academic options for high school-aged learners. Sarah currently publishes and maintains the annual “Home Schoolers’ Guide to Ontario University Admissions” report and, along with her husband Joe, funds a Home Schooled Admissions Bursary for first-year applicants to Glendon College, York University.
While she was based in Ontario, Sarah served as an executive member of the following volunteer organizations:
- OFTP (Ontario Federation of Teaching Parents) – Sarah provided research and reports on university admissions issues for home schooled applicants. Sarah acted as a liaison between university admission departments and the home schooling community and produced the annual “Ontario University Admissions Guide for Home Schoolers” publication in conjunction with her annual seminar at the Kitchener-Waterloo Conference.
- EDGO-TAGO (Educators of the Gifted of Ontario – The Association for the Gifted of The Council for Exceptional Children for Ontario) – Sarah was the first “Private School and Home School Liaison” for this organization which assists educators, parents, students, and other community members directly involved in gifted education in Ontario, Canada. EDGO-TAGO provides resources, networking, support and professional development for educators/parents of the gifted.
Sarah Rainsberger has written for and/or appeared in:
- HOME RULES (Ontario Federation of Teaching Parents’ official Newsletter; regular contributor)
- The Globe and Mail (Featured in Kate Tennier’s article Making the Grade Without Report Cards)
- The Toronto Star (Featured in an article about homework clubs)
- The Washington Post (Quoted in Oct. 21, 2003 article Keys to Hiring a Tutor: Know Goals, Find ‘a Fit’)
Note: This article has been reprinted, quoted and referenced in smaller market newspapers throughout the U.S. - Class Struggles (Featured in the Oct. 7, 2003 commentary “How Do You Grade Behavior?“)
- Southern Oregon Mail Tribune (Quoted in April 15, 2004 article Filling the gap: Parents increasingly hire tutors to help students over rough spots or lead them to new challenges
- The Oshawa Times (Sarah’s first place high school science fair project How Do Students Learn? was featured in her hometown newspaper, demonstrating Sarah’s interest in education even at an early age!)
- Journeys In Film — Sarah was a mathematics and science curriculum writer for this project, as well as the Canadian Curriculum specialist/Contributing curriculum editor for Journeys in Film Canada.
Sarah Rainsberger has spoken at:
- Kitchener Waterloo Home Educator’s Conference – University Admissions for home schooling students (April 2005, April 2006, March 2007, April 2008)
- Ontario Federation of Teaching Parents – Diversity in Education Conference – University Admissions for home schooling students (May 2007, May 2008)
- Rideau Valley Home Educator’s Conference – University Admissions for home schooling students (April 2005)
- Ontario Christian Home Educator’s Connection – University admissions for Home schooling students (April 2005, planned April 2008)
- Co-Keynote speaker at Educators of the Gifted of Ontario-The Association for the Gifted of The Council for Exceptional Children 2005 conference “Enrich and be Enriched” – how teachers can use quality world cinema to bring about cross-cultural understanding and media literacy in students.
- The Beach School, Toronto – University Admissions for alternatively-schooled students
- Rexdale Community Youth Centre – Featured Speaker on Alternative High School Education for at-risk youths
- Scarborough Ice Sports Centre – Aeros Elite Hockey Player Evaluation Development Camp – Featured speaker for SAT Information Session for parents and students (Summer 2004, Fall 2004, Fall 2005)
Sarah has been contacted for research purposes by: