Head of Campus
Misty morning at Blackhall
Welcome back DP students!
The mist on Tuesday morning imbued the Blackhall Kalimna grounds with an air of enchantment as teachers waited for the return of our DP students. Many of us have reflected on the nature of teaching over the past few weeks, reaffirming that human beings developing other human beings is indeed very human work.
Therefore, our capacity to use our human faculties directly impacts on our capacity to teach. So much can be conveyed and achieved in person that is limited through a screen. Returning to face-to-face learning lent a special energy on Tuesday that we hope to preserve.
My update today will have a focus on the visual; as much as I would like to capture the sensation of being on campus today, the pictures are far more eloquent.
As you can see from the photos, our Years 11 and 12 students were in great spirits. While we have all managed incredibly well in this time of distance, change and caution, the return of face-to-face learning was a great relief to students who are driven by visions of potential futures.
On Tuesday 9 June, we look forward to welcoming the students from Years 7 through 10 as they return to on-campus learning.
To more material matters, I am sure you heard about the recent Australian study finding children up to secondary age have a very low rate of infection, which lends credence to the government decision to declare schools as safe spaces for students and teachers when effective sanitation practices are in place.
Nevertheless, we are vigilant in our efforts to keep everyone safe. We have updated our Protocols for the use of BK spaces document to reflect the most current advice for hygienic workplaces and schools. These updates include:
- Sanitisers being available in all classrooms
- Restriction of the use of appliances (including no use of microwaves or sandwich presses)
- Provision of masks as requested
- Restriction of visitors on school grounds
- Sanitation and restriction of kitchen spaces
- Regular hand washing and/or sanitation
- Regular auditing of protocols.
We hope that, together, these considerations give families who still harbour concerns the reassurance that is needed to feel safe.
As always, we will keep you informed about any news from the International Baccalaureate regarding assessment and curriculum. We find ourselves in the very happy position as an IB Continuum School, with our policies of no grades for MYP, of being able to assess student capacities with flexibility, so that no student is disadvantaged by the current pandemic. Similarly, while VCE exams have been postponed, our Diploma Programme studies are back to full steam ahead and we will keep the community abreast of any developments in this area.
I leave you with this image of our school grounds. Greg and Emma have worked tirelessly while students have been away: painting, sanding, weeding and planting. We can’t wait for everyone to come back and spot the changes.
Dan Symons
Head of Campus