A great big hearty welcome to all our users. I am Shanelle da Costa, a homeschooling parent of 3 children. My eldest 25, my middle child 18 and my youngest 11. Yes, I clearly had nothing to do with the planning! My eldest daughter obtained her Civil Engineering degree, my middle son is currently busy with his AS and A levels and my baby, well lets just say I still have a long way to go with this beautiful little surprise package, keeping me on my toes daily!
I am a subject specialist (as some refer to me) on the Cambridge Curriculum and I assist parents and tutors alike to transition from other curriculums to the Cambridge Curriculum and assess the students to ensure that they enter on the correct level, ensuring that all possible gaps, detrimental to their studies, are avoided. I present seminars across South Africa assisting and couching parents through private consultations and seminars educating them on the curriculum.
My journey with HeartGuardian started when a friend approached me to assist her with her website as she was moving into a different direction. I started assisting and arranging a few seminars and once she opted out of HeartGuardian I offered to take the site over not knowing what use I would have for it or what I was going to do with it. What I did know was that I had to take it over.
Little did I realize the journey and new season my Father in Heaven had planned for me. Before even realising the journey playing out in front of me did parents start knocking on my door for assistance and advice. This great calling of assisting and being gifted with the gift of being a merciful giver took over my life and I was able to live out this great passion of helping other parents on their homeschooling journey and Cambridge journey.
I soon realised that our homeschooling and Cambridge journey was eventful to say the least for a reason. This reason was to share my experiences of the past 8 years with parents alike and ensuring that they did not have to make the same mistakes and blindly follow misleading advice in more than one way.
This is by far one of my greatest passions and you will often find me in tears or exploding with rage when I hear about the advise parents are given on their homeschooling journey; with my own son in mind; realising the detrimental after effects this advice could have on a family and every single student. Meeting these beautiful students realising that they too have been wronged by the system as well as by parents unaware of the correct paths.
The one thing I did realise only recently was the biggest message He wanted me to receive was to “Guard my heart above all else, as it is the wellspring of life”! And oh goodness what a journey it was for me to finally understand and take this bible verse to heart! Sometimes it takes us a while, but in the end YHWH will always ensure that we get there. I thank my Father for this precious journey He has chosen for me and I love and enjoy every second of this season.