From the Head of Junior School

As I write the first eLink of Term 2 I hope that our students and parents are beginning to find a routine that is working for them as we move toward the end of the second week of home learning. It has been a challenging time for all of us. I know parents are working extremely hard to make this work for their children while also maintaining their own work commitments. Our staff, teaching and non-teaching, have shown incredible commitment to ensuring that we can still provide excellent opportunities for our students. After some minor technical issues at the beginning of last week we have been able to consistently connect with our families online through the class Astra pages and video conferences.

The feedback that we have received so far is that the work structures provided works well for some families who have the capacity to support their children in undertaking all of the tasks that are available. Other families have let us know that they are not able to complete all of the work given their particular circumstances. Earlier in the week I provided a message that reinforced that it is quite alright to do what you can, when you can. If it works for you to follow the program as it has been provided, that’s great. If it has been a struggle and causing stress, please reduce the workload to what is manageable. Your children will not be disadvantaged in the long term. Whenever it is that we return to school, we will be adjusting the curriculum to reflect this. The situation that we are in is unprecedented but I can assure all of our families that our children will not be disadvantaged in the long term.

As you know, last week, we committed to giving parents a formal opportunity to provide feedback about your remote learning experience. We do this in an effort to ensure that we are doing our best to meet everyone’s needs. The survey is now open and can be accessed at:

https://astra.girton.vic.edu.au/survey/intro/1306

Finally, I would like to thank our students for the way in which they have embraced the challenge of learning online. I have seen numerous examples of the work they have produced, how they have adapted to use the resources that they have at hand around their home and how they are staying connected with their teachers and with each other. I, like all of our staff, look forward to the day that we can have all of our students back on site but, until that is possible, I am heartened to know that our students are making the best of the situation that we are in.

Mr Donald Thompson

Head of Junior School

Music

"Beethoven turns 250 years old this year! Students were sent an image of Beethoven with the idea to do something interesting with Beethoven and to share the moment by sending in a photograph. It will serve as a record of how we spent our time when we stayed at home to learn."

Mrs Laura Dusseljee

Head of Junior School Music

Art

Art over the last two weeks has been very different for the Junior School students. Students have been amazing! They have made Art work with things they already had around the house. They have looked at different artists and answered questions about their Art work. Students and parents have been really adaptable and patient. I have really enjoyed seeing what students have created at home.

Parents, carers and students are all working out how to submit their work on Astra and I really appreciate everyone trying to do this so I can see the work. Please do not hesitate to contact me by email if you have any questions or concerns.

Mrs Nic James

Teacher of Art

Bears on Chairs... and Caves: Year One

Year One students have been putting their Mathematics and Technology skills to the test by making a chair for Father Bear that can hold 1kg as well as bear caves to keep their furry friends safe.

Year Three

3D wanted to have some fun! So, we decided that it would be a fantastic idea to have ‘Fancy Dress Friday.’ Students attended their first Zoom session dressed in crazy outfits. We had lifesavers, ninjas, party dresses, and the entire cast of the Wizard of Oz in attendance. We even had one schoolgirl that was far too old for Grade Three!

Mrs Erin Moss

Teacher of 3D

Year Four Japanese

"Look what happens when you ask Year 4 students to come up with creative ways to learn their Kanji days of the week."

Mrs Maria Krelle

Classroom Glimpse: Year Six

In case you are wondering what types of activities students are undertaking during remote learning, and whether this intersects with their current view of the world, the following classroom experience demonstrates just this.

Some of the Year 6 students (in class with Mrs Katherine Meadows) were asked to watch a three minute YouTube clip called “Tumbleweed Tango”. Those interested can view the clip here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwEzH-FCIxQ

Students were asked to respond to the wordless clip from a range of perspectives, and many interpreted what they saw through the prism of the current Coronavirus pandemic. There are some wonderful connections between the clip and how young people see others experiencing the pandemic.

Inclusive Education

The Inclusive Education Team in the Junior School have been busy adjusting the MiniLit and MacqLit classes to provide remote classes for their groups. The students have responded well to the new style of delivery of these programs. Fortunately, the MultiLit team have provided additional online resources to support the students and teachers. The students in these sessions are congratulated for the way they have adjusted to online sessions.

Mrs Belinda Vernon

Head of Junior School Inclusive Learning

At School Activities

Students enjoying the sun and social distancing with chalk drawing at school.

Teacher Reflections

WHAT A DIFFERENCE ONE WEEK MAKES!

Picture this - Day 1 of remote learning, first ZOOM session with twenty Preparatory students. The session commences with 20 smiling faces, all eager to speak after a 3 week absence. There is great excitement and constant chatter so eventually, if I hope to achieve anything, I have to MUTE them all. Before we can launch into the lesson a student heads to the fridge to show me his Easter eggs. I can see his tiny figure in the distance, searching eagerly for the eggs. Another student starts to cry as she has lost her texta and another child wrestles his brother to prevent him from joining our ZOOM session. Yet another child can see himself on the screen so he starts to flex his muscles and present us all with endless gym poses. All this, whilst another wants to share the delight of lost teeth so puts her beautiful smile up close to the camera to share the view of her mouth. We can almost identify her tonsils. Yet another shouts “I’ve gotta go Mrs Beks” and she simply vanishes. I later learn that her mother cut her finger and was rushed to emergency for stitches. I continue to do my best to deliver a quality Literacy session and push on. Next session I introduce a non-fiction text about Fawns (F being our focus letter) and I ask the students if they know what a fawn is. Puzzled faces look back at me, but I am not deterred and choose a student who confidently replies, “It’s like a prickle you get in your finger. Roses have them”. Yes….that would be a thorn. I contain my laughter, over-pronounce the word again and say “great try but watch my lips when I say it for you”. We eventually get there and share a story about a small deer.

Fast forward an extremely productive week and I can now deliver a full half hour Literacy session, via ZOOM, to children who listen, respond, participate enthusiastically and complete the work. Not only have they mastered this new platform for teaching and learning, so have I. It was equally as difficult for them as it was for me but we have all adapted and achieved success. The full credit here, however, goes to the amazing parents and families who are supporting the children through these unusual and challenging times. The parents and carers deserve a clap (as we say in the Prep room). I’m extremely proud of the progress made by the students in just over a week of remote learning and we are all so appreciative of the parents and carers.

Mrs Josie Beks

Teacher of Prep M

A WEEK LIKE NO OTHER

A week like no other in my teaching career has drawn to an end. It was not for the amount of time spent Zooming, solving technical login problems or managing time tables but for the connectedness felt online with my students.

The saying “we are all in this together” rings strong with our current situation. The online platforms we have and are using is providing my cohort of Year Four students with a great opportunity to access knowledge, seek clarification and most importantly maintain wellbeing and connectedness.

It was a week like no other. I saw pet goats, dogs, cats and even chooks. This allowed my students to connect back with me and their peers in the virtual world and to feel like their home environment was valued and an important part of our new learning experience. Pedagogically speaking it was a week that provided so many new teaching experiences that one could not get in any professional development or University.

Through strict Zoom protocols, we did our normal, Numeracy, Spelling and Literacy and had time for many laughs along the way.

This next week will be a challenge but I am optimistic about what is evolving, about the opportunities to connect again with students and in many cases parents also.

Our Emotional Intelligence focus this year is all about Empathy and understanding perspective and I think we are attempting to live and model this in our approach to online learning.

The wellbeing of our students is of the utmost importance and supporting it is a priority. Our students are doing a terrific job and having fun along the way and nothing says that more than this screenshot below:

Mr Paul Flanagan

Year 4D Classroom Teacher

Lord Somers: A camp for all seasons