A word from DIRECTOR OF LEARNING DEVELOPMENT BEV PETTIT

The reality of remote learning is starting to become our daily norm. Students, teachers and parents are developing their routines and adapting to the new demands of learning.

We are deeply grateful to our dedicated staff who have modified their schedules to accommodate remote learning. They have shown care and consideration for all of our students.

While our students are missing the peer support and social interactions that occur during lesson times, they have checked in for their lesson times, been diligent in contacting their teachers for extra assistance and clarity and engaging with the work set for each lesson.

For our parents, this has been an interesting time as they try to juggle their commitments to their work, monitor online work and sometime having children at multiple schools. We appreciate being able to work with our parents and to develop some significant partnerships to ensure that our students continue to receive an excellent education.

Michael Gurian, the head of the Gurian Institute which does brain-based research on learning has three tips for parents during remote learning. Firstly, he highlights that the male brain goes into a rest state after about 20 minutes. In other words, they get bored really quickly if not engaged and stimulated. He advises that boys need to be active and moving which can be done by having a stress ball or fidget spinner.

Secondly, boys struggle with processing information, especially written instructions. They may need clarification to decode the teacher’s instructions and a strategy to construct their response. Gurian suggests that they break the instructions and their responses into smaller chunks and try to create a visualisation or story board of their response. While he highlights this as a struggle, we must also see it as an opportunity for our students to be building their skills in reading instructions and building resilience. In other words, to not give up when they are unsure but to keep looking for answers and guidance.

John Hattie, an internationally acclaimed educationalist, describes this as students “knowing what to do, when they don’t know what to do”. As a College, we have committed to give our students clear, concise instructions for each lesson and provided as much access to assistance as possible.

Lastly, Gurian highlights the importance food plays in preparing students for learning. He advises that they reduce their intake of high energy food, such as carbs, and replace this with high protein breakfast. This will help them to concentrate better and reduce their need to move as much.

We are feeling the support of our whole community during this time and know that we will emerge stronger and with a greater capacity for learning.

Bev Pettit | Director of Learning Development

A word from

YEAR 12 STUDENT MARCUS CHOW

Remote Learning

The new process of remote learning has definitely been an unexpected and completely different experience for not only students at CBC but for those across Victoria. Talking to a teacher through a screen while working from the comforts of home has undeniably taken away aspects of our regular school life.

The new concept of being able to stay home presents the dangerous opportunity for students to ‘slack off’. With school life and leisure normally being distinctly separated by location, the process of working at home has become a challenge for many students.

Personally, I took the first week to adjust to my new school life. The new level of independence and responsibility was clearly greater. Working at home really increased the potential of procrastination and it seemed harder to maintain focus especially during study periods. With technology so easy to access and no teacher behind our backs, it is much easier to get carried away.

However, the experience of remote learning should be used as an advantage. It poses a good opportunity to strengthen one’s independence and reflect on the responsibilities of a high school student. Without needing to waste a good hour or two on transport, we can spare a significant amount of time that can be put to great use.

Working from home can be very distracting. Some tips that I have found useful are following the same timetable you would have at school, allocating time to study and complete homework and leaving the screen and going out for fresh air during breaks.

It’s important to be able to work independently and take charge of your own studying. During independent studying, make sure to mark down struggles or questions and prepare them for your next class to fully utilise the small time you have with teachers. Otherwise, send an email which will shortly be replied to. As a senior student, take responsibility of your studies and acknowledge the importance of staying up to date. However, not only senior students but all students should be aware of the responsibilities they have and make an effort to not fall behind.

The new remote learning process tests the abilities of students to work self-reliantly and conscientiously. It’s an opportunity to revise and practice studying independently. It’s not to be confused with a longer holiday but should instead be seen as an advantage to practice the independence of senior studies as well as life beyond high school.

Marcus Chow | Year 12 Student

A word from

YEAR 8 STUDENT XAVIER ZANON

Home Schooling In My Opinion…

In my opinion home-schooling is definitely unique, to say the least. There are pros… and there are cons. For now, let’s focus on the pros!

I think we can all agree that working and learning from home is different. I went into this expecting torture but now, I see that it’s not so bad.

Home-schooling gives us lads a chance to step outside of our comfort zone and focus on what really matters and, no, I’m not talking about Gaming or Social Media or even lounging around in your PJs… I’m talking about education! From the second I put my uniform on and fire up my MacBook it's go time.

Home-schooling so far has been great considering that we are in some cases nowhere near each other yet we are still able to receive the education we deserve and still be able to chat with mates while we do so. During each class, we have all been working with a teacher one click away, so that when I’ve had questions to ask (and, boy, do I have plenty of questions) I get a response almost instantaneously. It’s almost like the teachers were hired for this specific time.

Yet another thing that I love is the fact that we are still offered remote music lessons. I think that is great!

Although, there are things I miss like seeing my friends every day and having the freedom to run around in the yard playing footy and whatnot. But when it comes to teachers there are some things I miss too! I miss having to listen to Mr Vass’ cringy but educational jokes, I miss Mr Orlando's down to earth teaching style and his high level of wisdom and I also miss Mr Pye’s banter with us all in class.

Home school may not be as great as a physical school to me, but it’s as close as we’re going to get. So it’s our jobs to roll up our sleeves and give it our best shot.

Mum, ‘Xavier, what time is your next class?’ Yikes, time to go. Where did I leave my laptop again?

Xavier Zanon | Year 8 Student

Lumina

Welcome to our first newsletter for Term 2 2020 as we navigate remote learning and working due to COVID-19. This newsletter contains stories from students, parents and staff of their remote learning experiences, and a message of hope for the future.

Issue 4 · 24 Apr 2020

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