OFTP

Benefits of OFTP membership

By joining the Ontario Federation of Teaching Parents, you enable a collective voice for the homeschooling community in Ontario, and provide support for the work OFTP does on behalf of homeschooling families across the province.

See below how membership can benefit you individually as well — and your children too!

To join OFTP, renew your membership, or unsubscribe your automatic payment, choose among the following options:

Already a member? Consider volunteering!

OFTP is run entirely by volunteers like yourself. Whether you have lots of time and energy or only a little to spare, there's something you can do to give back to the community of OFTP homeschoolers and help keep our organization strong and proactive. Find out where your help is needed and how you, too, can volunteer for OFTP.

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Benefits of OFTP membership

 

Discounts for OFTP members

These are only some of the discounts that are available. Make enquiries with businesses and organizations using your OFTP membership card and let us know if there is a willing supplier not yet listed.

For information on how to obtain discounts that require a special code during online payment, see the OFTP Members Discounts sheet. If you are a member and have not yet received your sheet, or need an updated one, please request it through the yahoogroups, the hotline, or by contacting one of the administative volunteers. Your membership status will be verified before providing you with members-only information.

 

Drawing lessons with Jane Freeman - Orleans, Ottawa East, Navan and Cumberland areas

Jane Freeman is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design, and Lakeshore Teacher's College. She offers Private Drawing Lessons for children and adults, designed for the student's individual interests and abilities. Lessons are available to families living in the areas around Orleans, Ottawa East, Navan, and Cumberland. They are 1.25 hours long and given in the student's home.

"Because this is a skill that requires concentration, I would ask that only students who truly wish to learn to draw take the course. My method of teaching is very much a one-on-one approach. I believe that people expand their creative thinking when given personal guidance and encouragement. This especially applies to those who really want to learn to draw, but feel they don't have the 'talent'."

Subjects include: perspective, illustration, drawing for projects and cards, cartooning, faces, figures, and more.
Regular cost: $35.00 per session, for one-on-one lessons for a single student; $75.00 per session for a group of 6 students.
Discount for OFTP members: 2 siblings of similar age and interest get two-student sessions for the price of one student; groups of 6 get $15 off.
Group size is limited to 6 students of similar age and interests.

Contact Jane at jetfreeman@ (add hotmail.com to complete the email address) or 613-834-1402.

 

Darwin the Dragon Reading Program

Minna Trower, creator of the Darwin the Dragon reading program, is offering OFTP members 25% off the retail price of most of the available materials. To access the Special Offer, get the special URL and login from one of the volunteer OFTP administrators or ask for it on the OFTP members-only yahoogroups.

Darwin the Dragon Reading Program (and Vowel First Method, its equivalent for adult learners) is a method of teaching the basic skills of reading to students with learning problems, including dyslexia. A highlight of the Program is that it was designed to be presented by people who lack a background in teaching - e.g. parents in particular. To accommodate this feature, the Guide contains clear teaching instructions, detailed lesson plans as well as specific tutor-training instructions and exercises.

abcofreading.com

 

Toy stores on Cumberland (Toronto)

"About 6 months ago I was shopping on Cumberland between Bay and Yonge (in Toronto). There is a toy store on the north side that accepted the OFTP card for a discount and a toy store in the plaza on the south side that gave me a discount for announcing I was a homeschooler." [November 2005]

 

Bongo World

www.bongoworld.com
Email: info@ (add bongoworld.com to complete the email address)
Phone: (613) 296-6252

Online shopping for unique educational toys. OFTP members receive a 10% discount (contact the OFTP website manager for the discount code). Print catalogue also available. Ottawa area shoppers can pickup their orders. You can subscribe to the BongoClub newsletter for exclusive savings and promotions and to get updates on new toys and products.

 

Canadian Automobile Association (CAA)

The Canadian Automobile Association provides reduced rates on all their Membership Programs for OFTP members. Call 1-800-341-2226 and mention you are a member of the Ontario Federation of Teaching Parents to receive Corporate Rates when you join or renew your membership at CAA.

Benefits include Insurance and Travel Services, and Emergency Roadside Assistance.

For further information, please contact Anthony Carroccetto at 416-998-0427 or ac1@ (add caasco.ca to complete the email address).

 

Chapters - Indigo - Coles

Chapters, Indigo and Coles bookstores offer a discount card for frequent buyers. Called iREWARDS, the card is normally $35/year. Teacher discounts of $5 are available to homeschoolers when they have verification of their status as home educators. The OFTP membership card is accepted as verification. Present it when you buy or renew your iRewards card and you will pay $30 for the annual fee of the card. The card, in turn, is used to receive discounts on your purchases as follows:

10% discount on all books and audiobooks at Chapters, Indigo, Coles, SmithBooks, World's Biggest Bookstore and The Book Company stores in Canada, except during selected promotional periods.

5% discount on all books and audiobooks (except used and out-of-print books) at chapters.indigo.ca.

 

EcoParent magazine

www.ecoparent.ca
A magazine and online community for Canadian parents wishing to make informed decisions and better choices for a sustainable lifestyle. OFTP members get 20% off the subscription price. For the discount code, see the OFTP Members Discount sheet or ask on the members-only yahoogroups.

 

The Learning Tree Educational Store

www.learningtreecanada.com
Cumberland Shopping Square
3300 Fairview Street, Burlington, Ont. L7N 3N7
Tel./Fax: (905) 319-2690, Toll Free: 1-866-319-2690
Email: info@ (add learningtreecanada.com to complete the email address)

OFTP members get the 10% teacher discount. Great selection of resource books, manipulatives, educational games, etc. from major publishers. You can place orders by telephone, fax, email or letter or visit the store, or you can shop from the manufacturers' catalogues online.

 

Medieval Times

Medieval Times is a family-friendly dinner show inspired by 11th century feasts and jousting tournaments, which ties in with the Ontario 4th grade curriculum on medieval history but could also be relevant to the study of music, production, and dramatic arts. In a castle-style decor, a medieval-style meal * is served by waiters in historical costume while diners eat with their hands (for historical authenticity) and watch the jousting, horsemanship, swordplay, and other games of skill presented by the Knights in the centre stage.

* vegetarian, kosher and halal versions are available upon request

Educational matinees also include a 30 minute interactive seminar, bird of prey meet & greet and demonstration. There is also a bar, dance floor, Hall of Arms displaying medieval artifacts and a medieval torture museum.

The Medieval Times Toronto Castle is offering their educational group discount to OFTP members even when attending a matinee performance as a family rather than a group of 15 or more students. The regular (non-group) price is $63.95* for an adult, $40.95* for a child under age 13, with children under 3 admitted for free if they sit on an adult's lap and share a paying guest's meal. The educational group price is $29.95* per person for a matinee. (Evening performances can be attended at the group rate of $35.95* per person only if in a group of 15 or more attending together. The OFTP discount for individual families applies only to the matinees.)

* plus taxes, processing fee, and gratuities

For more information about the show and for show times, visit www.medievaltimes.com. For educational resources (teaching aids and activities), visit Educators.MedievalTimes.com. For information on how to obtain your discount when making your reservation, see the OFTP Members Discounts sheet (or ask on the members-only yahoogroups).

 

Michael's craft store

OFTP members are eligible for the teacher discount at Michael's craft store using their membership card. If you encounter doubt from a cashier, you can let them know that their head office confrmed this would be sufficient.

 

Ontario Science Centre

In May 2008, the Ontario science Centre extended a limited-time discount offer to OFTP members: one full year of membership for $15 off of the regular price.

Regular 1 year Family Membership: $120, OFTP price: *$105*

Top benefits of OSC Membership:

Offer expired May 31, 2008. Mentioned for illustration purposes only. We hope the OSC will extend a new offer from time to time.

 

Owlkids

OFTP members receive a subscription rate break from Owlkids: get a yearly subscription (10 issues) for $26.00 (regularly $34.00). These are their publications:

Chirp —Ages 3 to 6

chickaDEE —Ages 6 to 9

OWL —Ages 9 to 13

To obtain the special discount code, see the OFTP Members Discounts sheet or ask on the members-only yahoogroups.

 

Scholastic Book Club

Homeschoolers can obtain discounts on Scholastic books by running a school-market book club. To run a book club, you will need an account number. Scholastic requires a signed letter of verification stating that you are homeschooling your children. The letter should include the number of children and their ages. The OFTP issues letters-of-good-standing to its members for use in these kinds of situations. (i.e. when it's not possible to show the OFTP membership card in person). Send the letter to: E. Mills Scholastic Canada Ltd., 175 Hillmount Road Markham, Ontario L6C 1Z7. For customer service, call 1-800-268-3860. See their website for details on how the club works: www.scholastic.ca

 

OFTP is a member of the Ontario Federation of Independent Schools (OFIS).

We hope that you can join us to support the valuable work of the Ontario Federation of Teaching Parents.

Quick links:
. Socialization . Curriculum . Letter of intent .
. Teaching methods . Learning styles .

. OFTP Kids . OFTP Teens .
. la FOPE: nos pages pour francophones .

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. A brief history of OFTP . OFTP initiatives . OFTP activities .
. Decision-Making Agreement .
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