Remote Learning Students
Year Eleven Literature Excursion.
Covid 19 has certainly made its impact on the excursion plans of Year 11 Literature. In late March we had intended to undertake a walking tour of parts of Richmond and Abbotsford that feature in the novel ‘Nine Days’, which we’d been studying. Instead, we had little choice other than to jump on Google Earth and navigate our way up Rowena Parade, where the fictional Westaway family lived, wandering through the precinct of St. Ignatius on Church Street and exploring some of the narrow lanes towards the Yarra River, before travelling ‘virtually’ to the Abbotsford Convent.
On the 9th of May, we were intending to attend the Yarra Valley Writers Festival, held at the Memo in Healesville.
Instead of braving the driving rain and intense cold, we were all tucked up in our individual homes, cuddling a variety of cats and dogs – as were the presenters and authors who featured in the festival. The event, however, was not cancelled, rather it became an online phenomenon. Alice Bishop, a former Healesville High School student discussed her anthology of short stories, ‘A Constant Hum’, which we are currently studying. Her work chronicles the impact of the 2009 Black Saturday fires on individuals and communities, exploring the way meaning, storytelling and history interact in the aftermath of devastating events. Alice has just been awarded the Herald Sun Young Novelist of the Year for the collection.
Being a part of this festival was an important experience for our Literature students, allowing them to gain insight into the creative process and ‘meet’ the talented authors we have in our midst. We are very grateful to Mrs. Mitchell for negotiating the online logistics of our participation.
Remote learning for us
It’s not a simple task to sum up our experience with Learning from home. Inspirational, resilient, frustrating, hectic all comes to mind. Our routine has changed. We have found we can get up a little later. We can make a cuppa whenever we like! Lunch isn’t squashed into our school bags. It’s more like a freshly toasted sandwich, smoothies, eggs or even French toast sometimes. There has to be some perks doesn’t there?
We no longer keep count of the weeks. The days are all rolling in to one.
I’ve been fortunate to remain working 3 days a week, away from home, while my four daughters in Year 12, Year 11, Year 8 and Grade 6 continue to hold down the fort. They have been mostly self-motivated learners who have required only a little motivation from me from the very start. (Thank goodness!) Being away from home and not being available to them as I would like adds an element of pressure. Trying to keep up with them and check to make sure they’re managing mentally and emotionally and making sure they have completed and submitted their required tasks (without nagging!) leaves me running on empty at times. The upside is this encourages my girls to ask for help from their teachers if they need to.
We have had our share of tears and frustration when things don’t make sense and many conversations around missing friends and what events we haven’t been able to attend. We have cancelled holidays and we’re very mindful of 18th birthdays and other celebrations we may need to put on hold soon.
There have still been plenty of laughs and loads of positive highlights. From teaching my parents how to Facetime or join a Zoom for us to be able to celebrate birthdays ‘together’. To sending colored pictures at Easter time to our local aged care facility to hopefully spread some cheer to the residents who are unable to have visitors. Getting up for ANZAC day’s dawn service in our driveway is without doubt an event we will never forget.
Thinking outside the box, with so many things we may have otherwise not considered and using some initiative has been rewarding.
It has been interesting having teachers on Webex calls most days, in our home, and us in theirs. I wonder how many teachers will wish they could use the mute button again when school resumes? It’s obvious how much effort has been put in for these kids to be able to learn from home. I recall the first day of remote learning, even though it was a great unknown to us all. The new program downloads, the usernames, passwords, everyone having access to a device etc I remember confidently saying “They’ve got this”. The support has been incredible. Despite being distant, we still feel connected.
Keeping on top of everything has certainly been challenging. Especially when the internet decides to be temperamental or the printer won’t work! (First world problems!) All the emails, messages and information has been plentiful. Taking it one day or one task at a time and trying our best is working for us. Some days are better than others.
Overall, we are grateful. Grateful we are safe and comfortable in our home being supported by amazing teachers. Being organized seems to be the key to staying on top of things and hanging on to the little bit of sanity we have left! There’s light at the end of the tunnel. We’ve got this!
Take Care. Stay Safe.
Kylie Short
School Council President
Learning from Home
Learning from home has been an interesting challenge. But it has also been a wonderful experience and I think for the most part we have tried to work together to make it a fun and enjoyable time.The first week was definitely the trickiest but the guidance, help and support from teachers at both Healesville High School and Healesville Primary School has been wonderful.
The hardest part initially was trying to make sure we had every email, app, program etc we needed on each device - that definitely made my head spin a little. Then it was grasping who had what tasks, WebEx meetings etc and when. To help combat this we established a daily schedule so we had a routine to try and stick to.
We found a good start to the day was half an hour exercise (usually gym workout) and then being ready to start school at normal time. We have also found that a bit of fresh air at lunchtime helps to get everyone in the right head space for the last session of the day. Usually a 1/2 hour dog walk/bike ride but there have also been some pretty competitive basketball shoot outs and the down-ball comps have been intense.
I have had to try and juggle my time between working from home and assisting with school tasks but it has been great to see the kids helping each other if they have completed their own tasks and help if it is needed. Billy had a 3D art task last
week and once Jack and Ruby had finished their tasks for the day they helped out. They all worked together really well and created a few masterpieces. With that said, there have definitely been days that have been more challenging than others. It has been a big change. Being isolated and socially distanced has had a different affect on everyone and that affect can be different from day to day.
We’re pretty proud of our family but also proud to be part of such a supportive and hard working school community. Thank you and well done to all teachers, students and parents - keep up the great work.
Bec Collins
What will you find?
What will you find, what will you see, to write about today?
Treasure hunting in your house,
Learning while you play,
Hunting colours, writing words,
And sentences you make,
A blue board game,
A pink puzzle,
A yummy slice of cake?
You take your time, to write your words,
You sound your letters out,
You concentrate, you check my screen,
you make me want to shout!
Well done! Good job!
I’m proud of you!
Just look at what you’ve done,
A whole page full of sentences,
And you wrote every one!
Chey Hughes
Music Captains
Get some fresh air!- Eliza Hoiles
Hey, my name is Eliza Hoiles and I am one of the three music captains this year. I understand that this online schooling experience is hard and very different to a normal week. During the week I love to go on walks with my mum and dog. We try to mix it up and go on a different loop every time however it is getting a bit tricky now! Doing this helps me concentrate on my work and lets my brain just relax and unwind. I recommend everyone to go on at least one walk or run (if you rather) each week and sit outside during “lunchtime” so your body can get some fresh air. I can’t believe I am saying this, but I can’t wait to go back to school!
A Year-twelves coping mechanisms.- Rosie Ferguson
Recently I had decided to pick up an easy and enjoyable hobby to relax and de-stress, of course with a very nice product at the end. Baking bread was my final idea that I had come up with. At the time, we had no oven as it had recently broken, so I had to improvise a little. This led me to baking in the barbecue, which was surprisingly effective and easy to do. Baking bread has been a great way for me to have some fun, all while still studying and doing school, and the process fits nicely around classes. It is definitely something I would say for other people to do if they want a rewarding and fun activity that is easy and fast.
Here’s the recipe I use:
(makes one loaf)
- 500g bread flour (recently there have been shortages in Coles)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 packet of dried yeast.
- 330Ml lukewarm water.
Combine all ingredients together roughly, and turn out onto a floured bench, and knead for around 8-10 minutes until the dough is stretchy and smooth. You can do this in a electric stand mixer with a dough hook if you have one. Once the bread has been kneaded, put it in a large lightly oiled bowl and cover it, and leave it in a warm place for around an hour. Once it has doubled in size, knead it again on a floured bench for about 1-2 minutes, then shape it and place it on a baking tray. Leave it to rise for another half an hour. Once it has risen again, you can put milk, and egg wash or flour on top if desired to make it a golden colour. Put it in the oven (or barbecue) for around 30-35 minutes at 220 until the bread is golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped on the bottom. Leave to cool and enjoy!
Practise and school homework- Taylah Chipperfield
Being in year 12 I have definitely struggled with doing online class, keeping up with homework and maintaining my practise routine. I’m sure I’m not the only one struggling with this change in normal schooling life, I suggest setting aside an 15 min block in your day to practise your instrument. By doing this, you will be able to play your pieces amazingly and with confidence, so that when we get back to school you will be prepared for the concert and band.
I’m looking forward to going back to school and playing together as a band and not doing band over the computer.
Year 10 Food Technology
Food Waste
Students completed a series of questions related to the consequences, causes and cost of food wastage in Australia. They were then given the option to select and implement a recipe to ensure there was no food wastage.
Tarkyn Nicolandos prepared Sponge Kisses - I am guessing these were very popular in his household! No food wastage!