Striking a balance

As we end Term 1, I would like to thank all staff, students and families for their efforts in continuing education in this remote learning environment. I appreciate that supporting students in completing high school learning activities and assessments is challenging. Some evenings I find myself supporting my kindergarten son at home with his tracing, cutting and pasting, craft, sight words, reading (The Invisible String and We’re Going on a Bear Hunt are the flavours of the week, and yes, I still have that bear song ringing in my ears now as a I type) and mathematics, and I find that maintaining his attention and motivation on school activities is sometimes a challenge. My main focus at this time, as I assume is yours, is to make sure we are able to come out the other end of this with our health intact. Sometimes playing, dancing, exercising or attempting yoga, watching TV and making a mess in the kitchen takes priority over school work, and this is fine and important. It’s all about striking that balance. It’s our job as teachers to address the gaps in learning for all students once school resumes normal face-to-face learning.

Developing a learning routine

It’s heartening and inspiring hearing the excited voices of students during a lesson containing audio conferencing elements, or seeing live discussions on class feeds. Viewing student work being submitted live online, following class discussions about various topics and reading supportive comments during class debates, all illustrate that some students are settling into a routine. Remote learning will take a while longer to perfect and lesson structures will be further defined in the coming term. Not all classes are utilising video or audio conferencing and the online learning platform is our focus. We have engaged with the preliminary feedback from the parent and student surveys and we are working on shaping our teaching and learning experiences to address the feedback, especially in relation to the amount of work students are expected to complete.

When will schools resume normal operations?

At this stage, we will commence Term 2 in this Learning from Home mode. We will resume face-to-face learning experiences once we are informed by the Department of Education. Students should aim to follow their KHS timetable whilst at home. April 27 is a School Development Day where online lessons will not operate. Term 2 commences on April 28 for all students in the Learning from Home mode.

The NSW Government is taking additional measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 through the community. To do this, parents and carers are strongly encouraged to keep their children home if possible.

Some people may not be in a position to provide supervision for their children at home. This could be because they are delivering frontline services to the community. Therefore, supervision is being provided by our school to ensure they can continue to carry out their work and support the continued function of society.

Let’s appreciate the sameness in things

I’m sure much will change and much will stay the same over the coming weeks, especially over the vacation period. New information relating to the COVID-19 health matter and its associated societal impacts will continue to evolve and our lifestyles will need to change, adapt and respond.

Conversely, much will stay the same, and it is this characteristic of sameness which I am finding to be prized amongst our students. In a time when the pace of change is so rapid, we develop an appreciation of things that remain the same, or give us a sense of predictability, and our school provides this sense of continuity. Our teachers will remain the same in dedicating themselves enthusiastically to our students and families, with the aim of continuing to provide the best learning experiences possible in this remote learning environment. Killara High School teachers will provide the same professional care, insight and passion for their classes that students would expect if they were here at school. We take pride in the stability our school provides, and it is this positive sameness that appears to be providing calmness in the minds of our young people within this dynamic climate.

We have seen many changes in education, and much I believe will stay as part of the school’s operations moving forward. The Learning from Home mode of education has forced us all to re-think the entire teaching and learning experience.

Year 12

We understand that these are challenging times and there is concern surrounding the HSC. Students are required to continue working towards assessments and to seek advice from their classroom teachers if there are any questions. NESA is regularly updating advice as circumstances change. Schools have greater flexibility in determining the nature of assessments and teachers are working on adjusting assessments to suit the remote learning environment. More information relating to school-based assessments at KHS will be shared early in Term 2, once teachers have finalised this process of adjusting assessment schedules. Students and families will be informed about these changes. The advice to students is to keep doing your assessments as required.

Performance exams

The mandatory group performance exam in Drama and the mandatory ensemble performance exam in Music Extension have been cancelled for 2020. Other performance exams will be modified if they breach mandatory social distancing requirements.

Major projects

This Thursday’s (9 April) meeting of the COVID-19 Response Committee at NESA will focus on major projects for Visual Arts, Design and Technology, Industrial Technology, Textiles and Design, English Extension 2 and Society and Culture. Information from NESA relating to these subjects will be released soon.

Mandatory work placement in VET

Students are no longer required to undertake NESA-mandated VET work placements. Please stay updated with NESA announcement by visiting this website

https://www.educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/about/news/novel-coronavirus

Best wishes and thanks for your continued support,

Robin Chand

Relieving Principal

Killara High School

End of Term 1 Update · 09 Apr 2020

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