[avatar user=”Mark” size=”thumbnail” align=”right” /]
Dear Staff and Parents,
We are getting a lot of feedback from our parents and students about how they are going with our new learning paradigm. No-one can predict the future, but recent news about the spread of the virus seems to indicate there is hope that we, as a nation, are flattening the curve. This is fantastic news from a public health perspective. It does mean, however, that there is the distinct possibility that the current situation in terms of schooling could carry on for some time.
Remote Learning
We have been preparing for that very possibility. Over the course of the last week we have:
- Been preparing new learning kits for our Primary students that will cover Term Two;
- Been preparing week by week plans for our Secondary students that cover the rest of Term One and are now covering weeks in Term Two;
- Been preparing Google Classrooms for our Secondary stdents which will house our work for the coming Term and include other resources;
- Held several Google Meetings (videoconferences) with our VCE students trying to help set them up with work (which will also get rolled out to lower groups in various ways over the coming weeks);
- Started work on an online Secondary Maths program designed to be used from home across multiple year levels which we are looking at using in Term Two for students in Years 7 to 9 (possibly even 10);
Needless to say we are enormously grateful to our staff for their incredible efforts over the past few days and to our students for their adaptation to the new situation. And we are very grateful for the work being done in all of our households to help keep the education train chugging along. Nothing in the current environment is ideal, but together we can make this work.
Scheduled mass Pickup and Drop Off of work (mainly for Primary)
We have been doing a lot of work these past two weeks so that parents can pick up new units of work for their children for Term Two on Friday OF THIS WEEK (ie the 3rd April 2020). We also have some materials for some Secondary classes for those of you coming to pick up work. (Don’t come if you don’t have Primary students – we’ll mail it to you.) What we would like to see happen is that parents work out how they are going to get our packs of work for their Primary-aged children. It might be someone else picks it up for you, it might be a parent comes around and picks it up at some point in time on Friday. We have included some instructions on what we want to see happen on Friday on the next page.
Directions regarding pick up and drop off of work
- Once you know who you are picking up work for, please contact the Office once you are close to the school and let them know which students you are picking up work for;
- When directed, drive into the College’s ‘Kiss and Drop’ zone. You will either be asked to get the work from the relevant tables or we will deliver the packs to you;
- If you haven’t contacted us beforehand, you will be directed into another holding area until we are ready for you;
- If you would like to drop off work done over the past fortnight for correction by the teacher, please have the work clearly labelled with the student’s name and their classroom (eg John Smith Year 4).
- We will get you to place the work into a relevant container.
- We then ask you to drive out of the College as quickly as possible. Be aware someone else will probably be waiting to come into the school.
Under no circumstances is there to be any gathering of people inside or immediately outside of the school during this time. We understand you might see people you haven’t seen for a while, but we do not want to see any parents gathering in groups anywhere near the College. Remember the significant fines that now apply to gatherings of more than two. We will only be allowing one car through at a time, so please be patient with us. And remember to phone ahead so we know you are coming.
Dropping Off Work Completed (at other times)
Getting regular feedback on how your child is performing is fundamentally important. We encourage you to either post work to the College if that is convenient, or feel free to drop work off at the College in the drop box which will be situated on the verandah near the main Office doors. The top gate (ie the one closest to Reception) will be left open throughout the holiday period. If you come into the school at all through this gate, we ask that you circle around the drive way, park in the kiss and drop area, and wait until you are the front car in the line, then come up and post your parcel, then drive away. The next person in the queue (if there is one) would then move their car to the front of the queue and drop of their work etc. There should never be more than one person on the verandah – or out of their car – at any one point in time please. The gate will be open all night. We are fully responsible for ensuring we comply with the Government’s social distancing requirements and we full support their policies.
On Wednesday and Thursday of this week we have containers laid out on the verandah during school times (up until about 5:30) into which work can be placed. We ask you to follow the same procedures as those listed above (if the lower gate is closed). Obviously, all of the above applies for as long as Government restrictions allow it to apply. Keep informed about Government restrictions. If the gates are locked, things have changed. If you have the ability to do it, you can also email work to our teachers.
Supervision of SACs
Unfortunately, the completion of SACs is going to require staff to ask students in Year 12 (in particular) to have their computers turned on in front of them and to hook into a Google Meeting so our staff members can watch students completing the SAC. There are some SACs this week. If students wish, they can come to school to complete the SAC. Students will be placed in various places across the school to keep them apart.
Thanks – as always – for your continued support. God bless and keep safe.
Mark Stanton
Deputy Principal