Principal News
Dear Sacred Heart Community
Welcome back to Term Two with tomorrow being officially the first day of school for all our students. I sincerely hope and pray that you were able to enjoy some quality family time these past two weeks, and that you were able to forget even for a short time, about the health and economic challenges that we face both individually and as a wider community.
We have a small number of students whose parents continue to have work commitments thus needing to be at school. I will be in the school each day, and we have rostered on two teachers to supervise the students who will be with us. It is important to note that the students at school will be completing the same learning activities as the students using the distance education format from home. I am aware that eleven weeks is a long term, and that families working situations could change during this period. If you need your child to come to school, please inform us so that we can ensure we have the required number of staff in attendance.
I have been asked most appropriately by concerned staff, what we can do as a school community, to help those affected especially by the economic impact of the Covid 19 virus. Over these past weeks, we have been inspired by the heroic efforts of our health care professionals and they have so justly been championed in our media, for their deeds. Whilst in no way calling our staff heroes, I have also been inspired by their passion and diligence these past weeks and in particular this past week, when it became evident that school would not be reopening for this term. Their efforts to plan and organise learning for their students, your children, that is not compromised by the challenges of distance education has been unwavering. To answer the staff’s question about what we can do to support families affected by the economic impact of the virus; I believe if we can alleviate parent’s concerns about their children’s learning over this next eleven weeks, and ensure that we can do everything to create experiences for our students that are realistic, interesting, relevant with an appropriate level of challenge, then this in some way will help parents who have other challenges to face.
The staff are fully aware of the challenges that distance education will introduce to families. Can I assure you however, that even in the reality of a “normal classroom” no educational experience is perfect for all students and that gaps in learning occur. During this next eleven weeks, your children will continue to learn, develop concepts and understandings and most importantly, build upon skills they use in the classroom to inquire, research and solve problems. Yes, it will be challenge, but it will also be exciting as you with our guidance, offer your children experiences they have never had before. Experiences that will stand them in good stead for the next part of their learning journey when our school reopens.
Detailed below is an overview of the learning for each year level. As this is an eleven week term, please be aware that adjustments will be made to how the distance education will be implemented and we learn to make necessary changes to enhance our students learning.
Year Prep and Year One/Two
Content for this first week was organised by the teachers last term and parents picked up the packages of work for their children in the last week of the term before the holidays commenced.
As of Week Two, Bethany, Alexandra and Ann will deliver new content for their students on a weekly basis via a website (details of which you will get from the teachers in an email this week). Initially the teachers will be checking in with the students and their parents, by phone at least once a week, and this will be an opportunity for parents to ask questions and teachers to give feedback. If parents have additional questions and seek clarification about things that arise during the week, they can email their child’s teacher. The content for the students will cover amongst other areas, literacy, numeracy, religion, inquiry and the specialist areas.
Year Three/Four
As was organised with the students last term, the Year Three/Four students and teachers will be working using the Google Classroom to communicate the timetable, lessons, feedback and general information. All communication with students and parents will be done through the google classroom platform and email. Please be aware that not all work given to the students, needs to be completed online.
Denise, Marie and Belinda will put a timetable out for the students each Friday for the following week. It is the suggested timetable for your child, but we understand that you may not be able to adhere to it at all times.
The teachers, will be online in Google Classroom at 9am every morning and possibly in the afternoon (this is yet to be verified). If possible they would like to chat with each child in the morning at this time.
The teachers are aware that some children were away while the Year 3/4s were learning about the Google Classroom last term. If your child is having problems, we will contact them on Wednesday to get them set up. Please email Marie or Denise to inform us that you need a phone call.
Year Five/Six
As was organised with the students last term, the Year Five/Six students and teachers will be working using the Google Classroom to communicate the timetable, lessons, feedback and general information. Marty, Amanda and Jenny will put a timetable out for the students each Friday for the following week as has already been done for this first week of the term.
All communication with students and parents will be done through the google classroom platform and email. It is important for our Year 5 / 6 parent community to understand that teachers will be onsite (google classroom) from the following times, to provide support for your children with their learning.
Marty and Amanda Mon-Wed 9am-3.20pm.
Marty and Jenny Wed-Fri 9am-3.20pm
Yours Sincerely
Mark Tierney
Principal