So here we are at the end of 2021. One thing that stands out for me is that whatever I share in a newsletter will most likely be something that a huge majority of people world wide will identify with in some way. So there’s that, we not alone!

A quick glance over the year.

Been in, ‘shut in’, has resulted in productivity in a few different ways.

We moved the entire printing operation to the city (we are based in the KZN Midlands, so we are country dwellers) running the printing operation from the country was not going to be do-able with the climate as it was, so the big move of printers, trimmers etc. happened in early 2021. We are so very grateful to the team that helped to make this possible, we could not have kept up the service and supply to families had this not transpired.

The number of people helping at Oikos was dramatically reduced between 2020 and 2021, however, due to the printing operation moving to the city, we were able to press on and we managed to keep the wheel turning. We have achieved this by changing a few ways we function, such as working remotely as well as from Oikos base.

Running expenses increased by 40% but as fast as that was happening we were turning every stone to bring costs down and some of our service providers helped in this regard by reducing monthly bills, for this we were very grateful as it resulted in us being able to keep the end cost to the families down wherever we possibly could.

So keeping the service and supply in place for families has been the focus however we also managed to produce a few audiobooks and videos. These productions continue to happen as we are looking ahead to keep providing support for families even when the unbelievable and unexpected surprise us.

Talking of surprises !!!

I shared on a recent podcast Ep 95 - A Story - https://oikosfamilypodcast.simplecast.com We had a huge surprise recently when we discovered some young men (ages 13/14) had broken into the production studio and stolen some gear. In spite of this we hope to continue producing during 2022 so that we can keep the audiobooks coming (most especially the Dr Jay Science Through History series). The first book in the science series was produced during 2021 and its our hope to be continuing to produce these so that they will be available to families, even when other supply is difficult to achieve, such as printing books, importing and courier deliveries.

We do hope to keep recording the podcasts and we also started a Patreon page in 2021. https://www.patreon.com/oikos This was created for a few reasons with the overriding purpose being to continue to provide support to families. In fact I eventually was able to produce a series which has been pressing on my heart for many years and that is the testimony of my journey through cancer. Although this may not seem relevant, due to the profound impact this journey had on our family, which resulted in us reviewing many areas of our lifestyle, I felt that as we had learnt so much it should be shared. So that too happened during 2021, the production of the Abundant Life Series which is currently available to watch on the Oikos Patreon page.

As this newsletters title is ‘A Glance Over the Water’……I am going to stop here as I could possibly write another book to share the fullness of 2021 but instead I’m going to leave you with this.

Matthew 6:33 Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness and all the ‘things’ will be added unto you.

And this….Thank you to each and every family who has visited the Oikos online store and made a purchase. Every single cent has helped us to keep moving onward and upward in spite of the extreme circumstances which we faced during 2021. And also, deep appreciation for those who have contributed through either being an Oikos Patron, or donations, or helping assist us in reducing costs, you all know who you are, each and every one…..thank you, thank you.

And now..........we trust and hope, that as we head into 2022, we will be continuing our support to families in whichever possible.

OCTOBER 2021

AUDIOBOOKS now available to add to your Oikos basket on the Oikos online store.

Between now and then (whenever ’then’ may be!) we are making all the audio books on the Oikos site available for purchase right here. Meaning you do not have to go elsewhere to proceed with the purchase to attain the audiobook of your choosing.

We have been trying to get this in place for a few years now, and even though we have continued producing the books we have not been able to offer them to you directly on the Oikos website - until now. You may have seen the audiobooks on the Oikos online store but if you wanted one you would have been re-directed to purchase it elsewhere, eg: google play.

It is going to take some time for us to have all the audiobooks we have produced available directly on the Oikos online store but we are going to be working on it every day from now until they are all there for you. 

What is even more exciting is that as we make these audiobooks available I’m going to give away 10 free per title. This is the best part because it means that you could have the opportunity to listen to one (or more) of the audiobooks without having to consider the cost.  I am excited about this because i know that these books contain such valuable content (that is why we have produced them) and now you can listen to them while driving or washing dishes…..etc.   

I will put the giveaway codes notice here, and on the Oikos Facebook page as they become available.

Lastly, to spot which of the audio books are available directly through Oikos, the blue button which says ‘add to basket’, are the ones which can be purchased and paid for on checkout on the Oikos online store. The blue buttons which say ‘purchase’ are those that can be purchased via another platform that sell audiobooks. 

Currently this audiobook is available for you to obtain for free. 

The Kings Daughter and other Stories for girls.

https://awesound.com/a/the-kings-daughter-and-other-short-stories?code=ABgiftTKD 

All you need to do is click on this link then fill in your name and email and you will be able to start listening. Happy listening. I hope you are blessed.

R300 SAVING - On ALL KONOS manuals and R200 SAVING on ALL KONOS time lines.

On Sunday 27 June i was pondering on how we can help more families when it occurred to me that KONOS is such a valuable resource for soooo many reasons….here are just three.

1. It is a huge saving in that it is all the social study subjects wrapped up in a ‘parent manual’ that teaches all ages at the same time - meaning one does not need different grade levels and different subjects for each child in the family, hence this resulting in huge savings.

2. Because all the social study subjects are wrapped around the focus being the training and building of character it adds value. Well we think so, as we place more value in character training than in knowledge gaining!

3. KONOS Workshop - offered for  free in a video series, for anyone to watch. With the current pandemic crisis i was thinking of ways in which we can help families by reducing the stress load they may be in, and so again, KONOS comes to mind. Parents are sometimes concerned that KONOS will require too much of them in way of planing and sourcing other resources and so on, that is why i made the KONOS Workshop video series to assist parents in this regard.

As mentioned, the above is but 3 reasons, there are many more. But now, 28 June, 2021, with our President (SA) putting the country onto alert Level 4 for the next 2 weeks i have realised even more why i had such a strong prompt to remind parents of what we have to help them. 

So following on from that prompt, and in response to the Presidents address of going onto Alert Level 4, we now feel lead to offer R300 off the price of any KONOS manual (volume 1, 2 or 3 and KONOS H.O.W, volume 1 & 2) and R200 off the price of the time lines (be it KONOS 1,2 or 3 and KONOS H.O.W. 1 & 2).

We are offering this saving during the course of the next 2 weeks 28 June - 12 July 2021, and then when the crisis of the current Alert Level 4 is reviewed and assessed we will do the same with this offer to save on KONOS.

So where to from here?

1. I would suggest you being by watching the first couple of episodes on the KONOS Workshop - most specifically Episode 3 on 'How to Choose your KONOS Manual.'
2. Once you know which volume of KONOS best suits you then you can proceed to the Oikos online store to purchase it and apply the coupon code - KONOS300 - for the manual or - KONOSTL200 - for the timeline.
3. While waiting for your KONOS manual to arrive you can work through the KONOS Workshop videos to equip and prepare you for gaining the full value from KONOS living.

When writing this i had the following thought, ‘Perhaps i could encourage parents to do the unit on Joy and Cheerfulness found in Volume 3 - the Red KONOS Manual, or maybe the Trust unit would suit at this time, or perhaps Patience would be a character trait to focus on.’

So you see, while we wait, and trust and grow in patience maybe KONOS can help you as a family to have fun while developing and training character all together. Now another thought comes to me, ‘Why not play games together, family board games…..this time can be one where we seize the opportunity before us, which is rare and may never come around again, so this time could be considered to be a very precious life altering time for the good….i shall pray and hope for such.”

We hope, as we feel sure you do too, for a wonderful year.

We also hope that we can continue to serve and support you in your journey with your family at home.

Please do remember that we continue to ‘create’ for you: videos, audio books, podcasts, resources and so on.

We have taken the lockdown time during 2020 to be an opportunity for us to do productions for you which we are placing on the Oikos YouTube page. We hope for them to be encouraging, inspiring, supportive, helpful….or whatever it is that will help you.

Oikos YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/user/oikosfamily

We share this with you at the start of the year as a reminder that the reason for the Oikos YouTube channel is there to help you. We know that when a new year starts there is a natural focus on what books to get so we do not need to encourage you to focus on that but perhaps a prompt to not forget about the help that is being made available to you will be helpful.

You can also contact us via email or ‘chat to us’ on the site….we are here to help.

Keep safe, keep smiling, keep strong

Abundant blessings

the Oikos Team.

Because we are making books for you we would like to encourage you to, 'grow a tree'.

If you have received seeds in your Oikos order, we hope you and your children will enjoy this project

You may have received either little acorns from the Sawtooth Oak tree variety or seeds from the Henkels Yellowwood tree variety.

Here are some fun facts.

The Sawtooth Oak tree.

Did you know...

Uses
The primary use for this species is as a wildlife food source. It is also a good shade tree.

Description
Sawtooth Oak is a large species, reaching a mature height of 21m. The leaves are similar to those of the chestnut but are smaller, 10-20cm, and have pointed teeth. The acorns are also small in size, about 2cm long, and are enclosed in cups. Approximately 2/3 of the nut is covered by the cup. Trees produce about 300 acorns per kg.

When planting acorns, plant them about 2cm deep. The seedlings should not be transplanted until they reach 30cm or more, in height.

Hopefully you and your children will do some further fact-finding on the Sawtooth Oaktree and learn the best way to plant the acorns and take care of them.

An exercise in patience while you wait for your oak tree to grow!

The Yellowwood tree

We hope that this festive season will be a blessing to you all, even with this being the end of a dramatic year, such has never before been known, we do trust that you will be able to enjoy the festive season and that you and your family will be blessed throughout.

We would like to thank you for your support through the challenging times of 2020 and we sincerely hope and pray that 2021 will see us being able to continue supporting and serving you.

Oikos websites will remain live and active during the festive season however the daily ‘chat to us’ on the website and order processing will stop as from the 18th Dec and re-open on the 4th Jan 2021.

You will be able to continue to browse and place orders during the 18th Dec and 4th Jan. however orders will only be processed, packed and then couriered to you after the 4th Jan. 2021.

From the 4th Jan. 2021 the orders will be processed in date order starting with the first to leave Oikos in 2021 being those placed from the 18 Dec. onwards.

We shall continue to be active on the Oikos Facebook page and Oikos YouTube channel so we do hope you will be able to follow the support offered there.

Please keep safe, keep smiling and keep strong

JOY=Strength

Abundant blessings to you and your loved ones.

Currently, we are in the process of some developments regarding Maths-U-See digital access

With regard to the digital Maths-U-See developments, we will keep you informed through the website and Oikos Facebook page. Right now, this is still a work in progress.

We have been informed by Math-U-See USA that due to the many challenges currently, as well as various other complexities, they will only be developing the digital version for South Africa to be offered through Oikos in 2021.

While we wait we can be praying for them all as they traverse their way through the global crisis.

Math-U-See USA sent us this question, and their answer, to help families with the physical DVDS'

10. Our computer was recently updated to Windows 10. Now we find that we can no longer play the Math-U-See Instruction DVDs. Do you have an updated file that we can download to continue using this program?
11. Yes, you’ll need to install a video player to use the DVDs on your Windows 10 operating system. One option that has worked successfully for other customers is found at www.videolan.org; download the VLC media player. (Please note, this is a third-party website and Demme Learning is not responsible for the content.)

I hope this is helpful to you in the interim.

blessings

The Oikos Team

March 25 - 2021 Update from Math-U-See - USA

Hello Sonja,

International customers are unable to purchase directly from our store website unless they have a US billing address and are only purchasing the DP and that would be the exception.

International customers will call us to place their order. We prepare a PayPal invoice and then fulfill their order. If they mention they are a SA customer we will direct them back to you for the SA edition and manipulatives. If they want to purchase the DP from us directly we will offer that to them but all SA editions and manipulatives are referred back to you.

Everything that we have in our DP will also be in the DP we are creating for you to offer your customers since we are hosting and supporting that. You will have access to providing the DP to your customers which we will review at training

Question: Regarding LLTAL Gold, World Literature. How important is it to have the specified publisher version of the additional novels

Answer: You do not have to use the specified versions of the literature for the World Literature course. The lessons are not tied to any specific version. There are many translations of The Odyssey, some harder to read than others. We suggest that you review a few to find what works best for your student. We do recommend No Fear Shakespeare because of the modern translation, but it is not necessary for completing the lessons.

A story you should read regarding this.

A few months ago we heard the news that we would not be able to import the Math-U-See manipulative blocks. This of course was a great concern, so we prayed. We prayed most specifically for the Math-U-See team in USA because they were dealing with a supply shortage which had multiple ripple effects on them and the people. So we prayed.

When our (Oikos) stock of manipulative sets starting running low we started praying for you, the parents whom we serve and supply these resources too. A few months later i wrote a letter to share the sadness of us no longer being able to supply the blocks. The day i was going to send that letter i received word from Math-U-See USA that they could send us some (50 to be exact) block sets. These block sets are referred to as IBK’s. (Integer Block Kit). We were delighted that we would be able to keep supplying you but we did continue to pray as we wondered what would happen when the 50 IBK’s, which we were now able to get from USA, were sold.

This part of the story is where it hits the parents……sadly. Although we have managed to get more IBK’s in stock the cost to do so has resulted in a price increase of 25% !!!

We are saddened by this reality but we had to make a decision…25% increase or no IBK’s. We were so very glad that Math-U-See USA were able to supply us with the 50 IBK’s so we accepted the increase and began the import process. Now however we are faced with the decision once again as we are able to receive another 50 sets but once again the price increase will be 25%.

So this letter is to inform you that we have decided to proceed with getting more blocks so that we can continue to supply you with this valuable resource but we will need to increase the price of the blocks, so as to be able to import these blocks. We have managed to adjust the increase to be 21% instead of the 25% that we have incurred. (Truth be known, the increase to Oikos was significantly more but we were so heart sore to add even the 21% to the blocks. We now trust and hope that we can sustain these increases)

Signing off with a bitter sweet feeling in my heart. Happy that we can keep supplying you and sad about the increase.

What is the difference between KONOS HOW Vol 1. and KONOS HOW Vol.2?

• Year Planning
• Goal Setting
• Portfolio Development
• Order of study
• History
• Art
• English Studies
• Bible Studies

What KONOS HOW Vol. I Covers:

• History
• Art
• English Studies
• Bible Studies
• Latin

We understand that the new payment system is different to the old, but we assure you that it is just as reliable, as well as being even more secure than before.

The changes implemented on our site are to do with EFT payments, as (in the past) they have been a huge security problem, as well as adding a time-delay to order processing.  Because of this, we implemented the SiD Instant EFT Payment method.

If you are unsure about the security measures in place, could we ask you to follow this link, as it will explain it more efficiently than we could via email.

However, we have also added a way for you to pay via your debit card.  As long as the card is either MasterCard or VISA, you can pay using the PayGate "Pay via card" section.

This video shares a personal testimony which we hope will encourage and help you.

Please watch this video which is a personal testimony of living with illness.

Please watch this video which shares about the value of family board game time.

If you still have questions feel free to contact us at [email protected]