Finding New Ways to make Progress
I am encouraged to hear about (and experience) the creative ways our staff are navigating their circumstances to try to find the best outcomes for students and families of the College.
It was incredible to be part of the Subject Selection Webinar last Thursday night, where our Year 8 and 10 students asked questions from their lounge rooms to members of the Senior Staff logging in from their homes scattered throughout the region. It was well supported with more than 140 families taking part. In combination with our first ever online subject selection platform and the virtual Parent Teacher Night, I really hope the Webinar has been a great help to students and families trying to make important decisions about which subjects to study in 2022.
I have also been heartened by the ingenuity of staff members like our Head of Visual Arts, Genelle Griffin, who had the foresight to put together provisions for Year 7 students to be able to paint and complete artistic endeavours at their homes, and also the resourcefulness to find a Covid friendly way to arrange a pick up opportunity for students whose art kits were at school in their lockers. It was a beautiful encouragement to all of our team here when as I packed an Art Kit into a family car, there was a printed message taped inside the boot which read ‘Thank You THAC, you are doing an amazing job!’ The ongoing and prayerful support of the families of the College for each other and for the staff has been such a blessing.
I have heard of some inventive ways that PC teachers have been remaining connected with their PC groups. Regular zooms to check in on the wellbeing of the students they are used to seeing every single school day have been such a nice way to remain in touch. Mr McCormack’s group get to enjoy the Wheel of Names to see who will be sharing their story or answering the next question and a number of other staff have found equally engaging ways to brighten the spirits of their classes. I particularly enjoyed having one of my students, Mia, host our classes daily zoom tutorial today. What a fine job she did checking in with the group about their day and their maths homework. Even presenting a perfectly worked solution to a trigonometry question for the class in real time on her virtual whiteboard!
I want to commend Year 12 Student Leader, Tristan Moledo, for acquitting himself so well on television this morning on the Today show. Tristan was able to articulate the challenging situation Year 12’s in the hotspot LGAs are facing and conducted himself so calmly and confidently. What a credit to our community he is!
I will bring a message to the Senior Students on Monday in an attempt to maintain momentum for the Blended Learning program for the duration of the extended lockdown. I hope this will be of benefit to you and your children. Let's get ready for another week. The weeks seem longer in lockdown, don’t they!