This week, we commemorated ANZAC Day in the Senior School with invited guest, Flight Lieutenant Mark Medwell, an aerospace engineer from the Royal Australian Airforce, who kindly provided a pre-filmed copy of his Address that was initially scheduled for Assembly in the School Hall.

ANZAC Day is recognised as a day for all Australians to remember. Remembering connects us with the concept of sacrifice – the sacrifices made by the young men at Gallipoli, by the men and women involved in WWII, by the young people who participated in the Vietnam War and those who have lost their lives in conflicts in the Middle East.

One way that nations symbolise the very many individuals who have lost their lives in war is through the acknowledgement of the Unknown Soldier – an individual who represents the many people who have been lost in war. In 1993 Australia’s Unknown Soldier was entombed in the Hall of Memory at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. When this body was interred the then Prime Minister, Mr Keating spoke about the remains of the man we call The Unknown Australian Soldier.

“We do not know his rank or his battalion. We do not know where he was born, nor precisely how and when he died. We do not know where in Australia he had made his home or when he left it for the battlefields of Europe. We do not know his age or his circumstances – whether he was from the city or the bush; what occupation he left to become a soldier; what religion, if he had a religion; if he was married or single. We do not know who loved him or whom he loved. If he had children we do not know who they are. His family is lost to us as he was lost to them.

 We will never know who this Australian was. Yet he has always been among those whom we have honoured. We know that he was one of the 45,000 Australians who died on the Western Front. One of the 416,000 Australians who volunteered for service in the First World War. One of the 324,000 Australians who served overseas in that war and one of the 59,000 Australians who died on foreign soil.

He is all of them. And he is one of us.”

(Paul Keating, Remembrance Day Speech Transcript, 1993, http://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/keating.asp)

Mr Keating’s words capture the meaning of ANZAC Day and help to answer the question why do we remember? ANZAC Day is all about people, people who lived and breathed; who laughed and cried like we do. People who may once have sat in a school assembly like our students do every week (albeit it at home this Term). People who had hopes and dreams of doing things with their lives just like we do. That is why we remember.

COVID-19 Survey and Feedback

Thank you to the parents who completed our School Survey; we will continue to email a survey every Friday afternoon. Parents, in addition to our students and staff, are invited to provide feedback on four key items that we are seeking information each week. The questions will vary from week to week. The survey must be completed by 1pm on Sunday as the Leadership Team discuss the results and trends on Sunday evening and respond with any changes deemed necessary for the forthcoming week. For example, this week a timetable change provided new a ten-minute break in the Senior School between lessons 2B and 3A and was implemented from Monday in response to requests by girls on the survey.

The survey feedback was certainly very positive with high levels of engagement described across the School and for many a sense of relief and joy from the re-engagement of teachers and peers in the online classroom. Of most concern, as expressed in the survey, was the level of increased screen time and whilst our teaching approach is a combination of asynchronous and synchronous learning, the girls tend to remain at their desk completing tasks even if required to do so off-line. This is in addition to continuing with more screen time by connecting with friends socially at morning tea, lunch and after school. These are considerable adjustments for young people. Parents are encouraged to create some family time during the evening, at dinner and over the weekend which is completely device free and hopefully this will assist in countering the increased screen time that is necessary for School.

I provide the following responses to questions raised through the survey and in the VCE Webinar on Thursday evening:

When will students be allowed to return to the campus?

The School will be guided by the Victorian Government with regard to the decision to re-open the campus. Currently, we provide supervision for a small number of children in the ELC and girls in Barbreck and the Senior School. The School is currently making preliminary plans as to what a return to campus may look like and how we would successfully manage the expected protocols, such as social distancing, temperatures checks, students and staff who travel to school by public transport and boarding accommodation. Our priority will always remain with successfully returning VCE students to the campus first.

Will the rescheduled Parent-Teacher Interviews for Senior School occur in Term 2?

The School is currently working through the logistics of rolling out the Parent-Teacher Interviews that will need to occur online. We are expecting these interviews to occur in the latter half of the Term for Senior School parents. In the first half of the term, Heads of Year are reaching out to every parent for a conversation about their daughter’s transition.

Online Co-curricular Programs

This week, I enjoyed an opportunity to attend a Year 10 Debate online as coordinated by our Debating Coordinator, Mrs Mary-Anne Keratosis. A very real debating scenario was enabled with the channels chat rooms in MS Teams, creating opportunity for teamwork for the Affirmative and Negative Teams. The girls’ preparation of their debating speeches was certainly evident with well-developed and beautifully articulated arguments presented. I also quite simply enjoyed being back in their company.

I congratulate all our Co-curricular staff who have creatively approached new ways to deliver music lessons, sports training, musical rehearsals, chess club, public speaking and debating programs all via online mediums. Many of our Clubs are also still running with the Environment Committee in the Junior School continuing, Writers Club commencing each lunchtime on Day 1 and the Duke of Edinburgh pursuits still enabled. Our students are encouraged to be actively involved in the spirit and life of school, just as they would be if they were on campus.

Accepting Uncertainty

I often think about the effect that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on families and households who are now spending so much more time together. I encourage parents to hold regular meetings, set boundaries, anticipate conflict and decide how to manage it. Routine and structure is valuable, especially for children. Be honest with them about what is occurring and how you are feeling. Keep children occupied and involved, and get their input into planning daily routines, household chores and family activities because that will help give them a sense of control, which is important for their emotional wellbeing and mental health.

In fact, maintaining a sense of control is vital for everyone. With an unprecedented event like this, the feeling that we are losing control can be very strong and it is important that we do everything we can to maintain what ‘bits’ of control still remain within our power. Beyond this, adopting the mantra to “accept uncertainty and normalise distress” will help families, and in particular VCE students, to cope with the personal and learning challenges so unexpectedly presented by COVID-19. Equally as importantly, accepting uncertainty and normalising the distress we are feeling provides opportunity to model flexibility, adaptation, innovation, resilience, leadership and optimism to all family members.

Over the course of Term 2, we will implement a series of information seminars for parents. Look out for the Let’s Talk advertisements.

On the social calendar, we are also looking forward to hosting the St Catherine’s Gratitude Lunch on Friday 8 May, 2020. This event is an opportunity for our students to say ‘thank you’ to special women in their lives – mums, grandmas, aunts, teachers, treasured friends. The Gratitude Lunch will start with a special presentation streamed to all participants, via a linked email. All event enquires can be directed to Meredith Taylor, Advancement Office.

Term 2 Calendar Amendment:

Friday 8 May will also serve as mid-term break for all students from their scheduled classes and provide teachers some much needed collaboration time to continue development of online academic programs and assessment.

In closing, I remind the School Community that our SCOGA Executive remain active members of our community at this unprecedented time. SCOGA is offering the following services of The Blue Ribbon Angels and the Babysitting Service. Any Old Girls or current families who are seeking further assistance or support are encouraged to contact SCOGA who are here to support the School Community. They can be contacted by email scoga@stcatherines.net.au.