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how will my child be impacted by a term at home?

One of the most common concerns I have heard from families is asking, How can I prevent my child being impacted by COVID-19 and a term of remote learning? For each family I have spoken to, I have explained that I don't feel it's possible to prevent impact - this is a worldwide event, not quite like any other we have experienced before. When we look at major events throughout history, we know that they have impact, and this will be an event that I'd dare say we will all remember for the rest of our lives.

I think what many families are instead asking is, How can I prevent a negative impact? In some ways, this is perhaps a harder question to answer, as every family - and every individual within a family - is different. One thing I can say however, is that a positive and calm outlook (where possible) is a great help and putting things into perspective is a great way to achieve this. Here is an article written by John Hattie, a leading educational theorist and the chairperson of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, talking about the impacts of students not attending the school for a term. John is a hardworking man, driven by data and deeply committed to high educational outcomes for all students... if he's telling us not to worry, we should listen!

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