Simon grew up in Saskatchewan and attended public school through grade 12. He completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in pastoral ministry, spent two years working as an associate pastor, and then traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa to work in a home for abandoned babies. It was there that he met Grace, a beautiful WISDOM alumnus from Alberta. This was Simon’s first experience with a homeschooler, and after their time in Africa, he followed her home and married her a year later.
When their oldest child was 5, Grace began teaching him at home, partly because of her own positive experience, and partly because the family was moving frequently as Simon worked on his education degree at Trinity Western, and then pursued teaching assignments in Saskatchewan. When they moved back to Alberta in 2021, Simon and Grace enrolled their three school-aged children with WISDOM.
After teaching in Hutterite colony schools and public schools for 6 years, Simon felt a growing disconnect between how he had to teach in his role as a public school teacher, and how he got to teach in his role as a father and home educator. When the opportunity to work as a Facilitator arose, he leapt at the chance to combine his pastoral and teaching experiences in a job that God seemed to have been gently leading him toward all along.
Simon is most excited to come alongside parents and encourage them in their role as the privileged, fully-capable, primary educators of their children. He also looks forward to learning alongside other homeschooling families and helping them see the amazing purpose God has designed them for.
This year Simon and Grace enrolled their fourth and youngest child in WISDOM for Kindergarten. Their family loves to play games together, make music, take road trips, watch old TV shows, and explore and experiment in their wild urban yard. Simon doesn’t have a lot of spare time, but spends what he has cooking with his wife and trying to answer their children’s unending questions. He aspires one day to garden, write, and get back into hiking.
Simon Friesen, Wetaskiwin
587-222-1790
simon.f@wisdomhomeschooling.com
simon.friesen@gilbertineinstitute.com