Head of Campus
We care a lot!
Welcome to Week 3 of distance learning in a progressive setting! This strange new way of learning has slowly eased into a steady pace, not without its challenges and trials, but definitely less alien than it once was. The adaptability of our school remains one of our most brilliant virtues, which has been proven yet again in the face of change.
Another consistent element is our dedication to learning of all kinds, in myriad ways and for all individuals. We don’t yet ‘have it right’ on a number of fronts and are committed to ongoing improvement. The journey would be far more difficult if we didn’t have the incredible patience and generosity of our school community. Thank you to so many of you who have reached out to us with concerns, affirmations and pearls of wisdom.
Ongoing communication
An important consideration in this time has been communication. We want to avoid information overload, but we don’t want to be silent in response to changing circumstances and needs. We want the whole school to have clarity around our approaches, and where people can go for more information when they need it.
To this end, we have tried to limit communication to Compass as a central portal and a few key documents. This way, parents, students and teachers know they can reliably go back to the same locations, rather than searching through a torrent of emails and news feed statements. As with any time of change and challenge, key information always bears repeating!
Our Preshil Distance Learning Plan: Blackhall Kalimna is the key document, seeking to answer all vital questions for students, teachers and families in a succinct form. An infographic summary of this document is also available in this newsletter.
Complementing this are two supplementary documents: the Protocols for the use of BK spaces document explains how people should keep each other safe while on site and the Timetable for Synchronous Classes highlights which classes students can expect to have online.
One thing I want to emphasise at this point is the desire for feedback, especially at a classroom level. All of our teachers are working hard to be supportive, accommodating and responsive to student needs. Please get in touch with the subject teacher if you feel that you need extra support with a task or you would like to negotiate an assessment task or learning experience so that it better suits your current situation.
Teachers are ready to answer your requests during school hours and in a timely manner. If you are struggling to get in contact with a specific teacher, please email me to let me know.
New approaches to Information Nights
While we were unable to go ahead with our scheduled Information Nights in the latter weeks of Term 1, our innovative DP Coordinator, Kavita Mathai, and MYP Coordinator, Natalie Kunst, have been thinking creatively about how we might achieve the dynamic pizzazz of being on site to an alternative presentation. We get excited when discussing how the International Baccalaureate works in our progressive setting! We want to be able to answer all your questions and to afford students and families lots of time to make thoughtful decisions about their future learning.
We are currently planning on holding these on the previously advertised dates in May and July. Stay tuned for more information.
We hear you
We want you to know that we have valued the feedback we have been given by the community. With the responses to our recent survey, as well as the incredible generosity of communication on the phone and email, we have a much better chance to make this the best place it can be.
Because of this feedback, in a very short space of time, we have been able to achieve a lot! Some of these improvements include:
- Increased efficiency of attendance procedures
- Affirmation of teacher one-on-one support in response to student needs
- Effective channelling of communication, especially feedback to teachers
- Coordinators’ support for students in need
- Simplification of online platforms (this one is ongoing!)
- Provision of in-person support on campus
- Increased videoconferencing security (Zoom).
We are changing, adapting… evolving…
One of the most magnificent changes is how some of the sparkling features of our school community have moved into online spaces!
We now have three pretty new Instagram communities! Amir Tatai has taken his wholesome presence online, updating regularly with wellbeing guidance and reassurance at @howwellisyourbeing. Karoline Kuti has adapted the physical performance spaces to the Preshil Music page @preshilmusic, showcasing the incredible and gorgeous talent we are privileged with here. Emily Nancarrow, our effervescent and bountiful educational resource-master, offers up @preshillibrary for all of your escapism and research needs, celebrating the life-changing power of literature.
Lastly, I am so excited to commend the new smorgasbord-style Electives program to you. No doubt there will be more about this incredible offering in subsequent newsletters, so I encourage you to go and see what’s on offer! No one has any excuse for being bored in this pandemic anymore!
Dan Symons
Head of Campus