ADVICE FOR PARENTS
Welcome to Huntingdale’s Home Learning Portal. We hope that this will be useful in providing you with some information to help make remote learning successful! We thank all parents for being open to the concept of remote learning and ask you to also be patient and aware that we too are learning something extremely new in a short period of time.
Remote Learning - What does that mean?
Remote learning is learning that happens off the school site, in the family home with guidance from teachers and with support from families. It can happen online or offline.
Realistically, remote learning cannot completely replicate the classroom experience, particularly as human connection is fundamental to the teaching and learning experience for primary school children.
Home Learning is unchartered waters for most of our families.
In providing a home learning program we understand that everybody's home life and circumstances during these challenging times is different.
However, routine is crucial for your child's learning and for their wellbeing. While teachers will provide a guide for a daily learning schedule, you will need to sit with your child and work out a daily schedule that can be followed, so that they know what to expect each day and get into a routine with their learning. We recommend that you maintain set wake up times, eat breakfast together and chat about your plans for the day. Eat well and enjoy your meals together as a family.
Remote learning will happen on school days (not the holidays and not the weekends or curriculum days). No additional homework tasks will be given other than children reading to their parents.
We have provided planning in reading, writing, mathematics and Japanese as a base and provided resources for this learning. In between learning blocks we recommend students have a break, move around or do physical activity, have play time or do helpful jobs around the house for the family.
However, we understand this may be too much for your family, particularly if you are working from home yourself and/or have multiple children. We also understand that you may need to share devices among your children to use as this may present challenges. You will need to balance this the best you can.
Do the best you can! Only do what is possible in your circumstances and communicate this to your child’s teacher.
Most of all look after yourself and your family in these times.
Define the physical space for your child’s study
We encourage families to establish a space or location where their child will learn most of the time. It should be a place that is comfortable, has access to writing materials and paper and have a strong wireless internet signal, if possible. It should be a space where your child can work and concentrate effectively with no external distractions. Make sure you have plenty of light to see what you are doing.
Providing assistance in your child's learning
Ideally, parents or carers, or even older siblings should be available to help explain concepts to their child and to check in with them about the activities they are engaged in. The teachers aim to set activities that children should be able to complete fairly independently.
Monitor online behaviours
Remember to monitor your child’s learning online and that they are accessing appropriate websites. Discuss with them safety when being online, for example, not giving personal details.
Communicating With Other Families
It is important that your child is able to keep contact with their classmates and friends during this time. Parents may be able to safely set up communications with other families using Skype or FaceTime, or even a quick chat on the phone!
Communicating With Teachers
You can contact your child’s teacher using the See Saw app. Teachers will be monitoring communications on this app from 9.00-3.45pm. The frequency and detail of these communications will be determined on a needs basis. We ask parents to remember that teachers will be communicating with many other families at the same time and that, while they love to hear from you, communications should be essential and succinct. Remember to also check FlexiBuzz regularly for news or notifications from the school.
As per any other school day, teachers also have planning time, meeting times, lunch, breaks and other duties (such as leadership duties etc.) that are also taking part behind the scenes. From an administrative perspective all teachers have multiple roles they are fulfilling, including - like yourselves being parents of children who are remote learning themselves, carers for elderly, dealing with illness and dealing with many of the same issues that you will be at home.
Learning Outline for Students: Timetables and Schedules
Teachers will be engaging with learning and teaching online from 9-3.45pm - Monday to Friday.
Part-time staff will be engaging with the learning platforms and communication on their designated work day.
Aides have been assigned to classes and individual students.
Principal Ruth Biddle, Assistant Principal Naomi Mori-Hanazono and Administration staff Gill Penfold and Rosella Dossi will be available during those work hours.
By 9.15am class teachers will send out a communication of some kind – video, audio, direct message on See Saw, Google Classroom or FlexiBuzz.
Feedback and Conferencing
Our teachers will aim to give timely and effective feedback to students on their work. This however will not replicate what happens in the classroom! Some ways in which feedback may occur from teacher to student:
- Annotating work (In Goggle Classroom for Years 5-6)
- Providing verbal feedback via voice message one student at a time.
- Writing comments on See Saw about work
Some ways in which feedback may occur from student to teacher:
- Students recording themselves reading a book and uploading it to See Saw
- Students creating a voice message on See Saw
- Receiving feedback from their teacher, making the changes and re-uploading work.
Program for Students with a Disability and feedback:
Aides have been assigned to children to give support and feedback and to discuss work and well-being.