Welcome to Term 2 and a learning environment that looks very different to what we have experienced before.

I would like to thank the teachers sincerely for all the work they did in preparation for moving to Learning@Home. It was not an easy transition and much time and effort went into ensuring that the learning of our students could be maintained.  Since Term 2 started, that work has continued and has included supervising classes as well as the use of technology to contact students and provide them with the opportunity to interact with their classmates in learning conversations.  At school we have had anywhere between 35 and 60 students each day and classes have continued for these students.  The school officers – Miss Badcock, Mrs Wilson, Mrs Barker, Miss Grasso and our SBA student Lara Beckett - have been invaluable in the support they have offered the students and the teachers during this time.  Parents have also played a huge part in the success of the past two weeks and the teachers on the Primary Campus would like to thank you all for your support.  In our weekly staff meeting, we reflected on the positive way in which parents have embraced the current situation despite perhaps feeling anxious.  We sensed this in some conversations early in Week 1 but as the days have passed, that feeling doesn’t seem so prevalent.  If of course you are experiencing any difficulties with the Learning@Home program, I do encourage you to contact me or the class teacher.

The number of photographs and emails we have received throughout these two weeks has reinforced to us the multiple ways in which children learn when they are not at school.  From cooking, to constructing with Lego, to describing the seasons by looking at the trees, to playing board games, there are so many possibilities for the children to be involved in learning opportunities – sometimes without even realising.  I look forward to being able to share these photographs with you in future editions of the Primary Campus newsletter.

All parents will be aware that we are adopting the research and practices around Visible Learning in order to develop more independent learners who are resilient in the face of challenge. You may have already had a conversation with your child about their understanding of the Learning Pit. In essence, the pit describes our feelings and thoughts as we are challenged by learning experiences and the skills and resources we would use to get out. The quickest way to move beyond the pit is to jump over it ie. for someone to provide the answer to the challenge for us. However, this does not promote effective learning. When faced with such a situation, children - and adults - will gain more from the experience if they are involved in 'productive struggle' - that is, the inner-self talk, trialling different scenarios, looking for resources to assist them, verbalising their thinking, reflecting on previous experiences etc. As teachers, we have had to learn not to provide answers too quickly but instead to ask questions such as, "Why do you think that?", "Have you thought about ....?", "What strategies have you tried?" and "What might happen if you did .....?". In this period of learning at home, we would encourage parents not to be too quick to provide answers. Whilst you may not feel comfortable with this, it is what the children are familiar with at school and it is going to help to build successful, independent and resilient learners now and in the future. Also, do not be preoccupied by the need for the work to be ‘perfect’. We ask the children to try to do better than they did last time and in that way, the focus in on individual growth, not perfection. Let them make mistakes because learning from mistakes is very impactful.

God’s blessings.

Sarah Yates
Assistant to the Principal Primary