Dear Families,

I would like to start with an expression of thanks for your continued patience, courage and flexibility as we continue with remote learning in a challenging environment. The positive attitude and manner you bring to supporting your child/ren in their learning is a big part of how well our students have adapted to online learning. I have enjoyed the opportunities of seeing the students through online sessions and witnessing their sense of achievement when being able to successfully log on and navigate through the MSTeams platform.

I understand that unprecedented circumstances have led us to think very differently about the way we teach and how our children learn. For many of our students and families, this may have caused anxiety and will challenge the way we teach and deliver content.

As always, please be assured that I am in regular contact with Catholic Education who provide me with up to date information from ACT Health and Government. At this stage, in order to minimise further risk and spread of infection, students are to continue remote learning from home whilst we are in lockdown. I appreciate that some students of essential workers, where no adult will be at home to care for children, will need to access remote learning at school. The ACT government has been very clear that this time is quite different to last time.  If there is an adult working from home, or at home, the children must also work from home.

Teachers will continue to connect with their students, parents and colleagues via MSTeams, email, Google Classroom and Seesaw. The work your child’s teacher sets is important, but your family’s wellbeing is more so. Try to keep a routine and a dedicated space for school work, but don’t forget that much valuable and memorable learning takes place in “real world” situations.

Students are encouraged to work with you doing some particular hands-on activities eg: cooking, exploring outside or playing board games or cards together. The weather is stunning today and I would hope the children are outdoors as much as possible. This time away from screens is so important.

This Thursday is R U OK? Day. As one way of supporting student wellbeing, we will focus on wellbeing activities this Friday. Teachers will still hold their class check-ins and there still may be a little work to complete, but the bulk of the activities will be focused on students looking after their own physical and mental health. We hope that this may also give you a little reprieve from having to balance supporting your children at home while also completing your own work.

Thank you again for all that you are doing. Be comforted in knowing that we will pick up where each student is at when we are able to return to school. Our children will get through this and be OK. Each of you are doing a wonderful job in supporting our students to do this.

We all miss our students, their energy, humour and joy and look forward to when we are able to have students return to face to face learning at school.

Take care and God bless

 
Leah Taylor
Principal