From the Acting Principal

The leadership team and staff continue to support our students and their families through Lockdown 7.0 this week – a total of 27 weeks (112 days) to date.  When there is a large degree of uncertainty around our day to day living, it can challenge even the most resilient of people.

Our Baimbridge College community views these remote learning periods as positive opportunities, not setbacks. A chance to strengthen our partnerships with families and let you know how much we care about outcomes for our students. When we are outside our comfort zone, growth happens. It doesn’t happen alone, rather it develops from the support we receive from those around us. Staff have had to adjust, grow and solve problems to interact in the online space. It hasn’t all been successful, we learn from mistakes and feedback just like our students. It is our hope that when students see their teachers learning and encouraging growth, they become motivated with a desire to do the same.

This past month we have continued to develop our online connection with families, facilitating subject selections, parent teacher interviews, learning support programs, music tuition and student support services online. There has never been a better time to help students develop problem-solving skills, perseverance, and grit to achieve their goals and support their families. This could be an incredibly fruitful time for students to learn skills that will serve them well into adulthood. While a 100-year pandemic takes time to be controlled, our attitude and approach during remote learning can most definitely be controlled every time we sit at the keyboard each morning.

Clear communication is critical in the absence of regular face to face. Not all students will thrive in remote learning. Teenagers develop their identity through social relationships and the complexity of these relationships does not always translate well into the online space. Families who are concerned about changes in their child’s behaviour and strongly encouraged to seek support early from Year Level Coordinators by contacting them through Compass.

The following resources have been published to support families during remote learning;

• HeadSpace Tips for parents and carers during lockdown – Vikki Ryall, Executive Director of Clinical Practice - YouTube (3 mins)
• The Royal Children’s Hospital hosted a panel of specialists last week Supporting children's mental health during the pandemic and beyond - YouTube (60 mins also available as a podcast)

As we head towards the end of Term 3, this is a particularly challenging time for all our Year 12 students who are working remotely in preparation for final assessments. 

To every one of these students, the Baimbridge College family are here to support you. Work hard, be determined, and reach out to staff – we want to see you succeed.

This newsletter provides an opportunity for us to showcase pride in our Baimbridge College identity and celebrate the positive achievements made by our students.

Take care and stay safe.

Yvette Colquhoun

Acting Principal