Eucalyptus House
It has been a busy term in Eucalyptus House. Remote learning for most of Term 2 certainly forced all of us – teachers and students – to adapt to an exciting and challenging new way of working.
For teachers, working remotely prompted us to think more about adapting our teaching for future challenges. How can we take the best elements of our practice and make them work in an entirely different setting? How can we adapt with ever changing technology to ensure our students achieve their best possible outcomes?
We had some fantastic examples of this in Eucalyptus. Ms Sherry and Mr Pruysers took PE to new heights online, while Mr Fernando and Mr Thompson live-streamed a dissection of an eyeball in junior science!
Our student leaders, guided by Azalea S and Glenn R, worked tirelessly to keep a strong connection to Eucalyptus for the rest of our students, with their efforts culminating in an inspirational video message.
While many of us in Eucalyptus enjoyed the flexibility of being able to work from home, most students (and teachers!) were happy to return to school. Our students in particular truly demonstrated resilience, a strong connection to school and an incredible work ethic. Well done, Eucalyptus!
Mrs Evelyne Katsoulis
Eucalyptus House Leader
From Your Eucalyptus House Captains
Azalea S
Hi, guys. It’s great to have you all back, and watching everything slowly go back to the way it was. These past couple of months were extremely difficult for all of us and I’m sure we can agree that it has been the toughest and the biggest eye opening Term 2 that any of us have ever experienced. Nevertheless these past few months of remote learning have been a learning experience that has allowed us to all grow independently and also created stronger bonds with our teachers.
During online learning, the House Captains and SRCs had weekly meetings through Google Classroom, where we discussed how we could support our fellow Eucalyptians. We decided to make a video message for the students so that they could refer back to it for support and reassurance that we will get through this difficult time.
Returning to on site learning was a challenge but we were extremely grateful to have the extra support from our friends, teachers and Eucalyptus House Leadership Team. Our House Leadership Team welcomed us back with a PowerPoint of all the new rules that have been applied so that we can maintain our health and safety. They also arranged individual meetings with each Year 11 and 12 student to check up on them and see how they are adapting back to on-site learning.
When the Year 7s, 8s, 9s and 10s returned to school, the House Captains and a few Year 12s decided to decorate the House for the students to make them comfortable upon their return.
Glenn LR
What a year it has been so far. Starting Term 2 at home was an unreal feeling for all of us and probably a difficult one too. The transition to remote learning was very different but knowing the Eucalyptus students, they have been showing unbelievable commitment to their learning, demonstrating great attendance results.
Not being able to do that much from home for most part of the term had put us leaders in a sticky situation. Our Eucalyptus SRC Leaders and House Leaders had made use of the spare time and have decided to make a video to supporting our fellow peers by mentioning “We will come back Stronger than ever, Stay Strong!” It was done wonderfully and put smiles on the students' faces.
As remote learning came to an end for the Year 11s and 12s, we would say it was a great experience for everyone but being back at school and being able to see familiar faces of students and teachers was a better feeling. The second stage of the staggered return saw the Year 7s to 10s back to school, and we leaders, teachers and fellow Year 12 students set up decorations throughout the house and welcomed back our Eucalyptus community, which saw happiness and joy on their faces as they returned. We were just glad to have everyone return back to school and is back to the ‘new’ normal.
As the term is coming to an end, we would love to thank all the Eucalyptians for all their efforts during the term and hope to see this continue on for the rest of the year. Vamos Eucalyptians!
