“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” ― Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

We are now fully entrenched in our Learn@Home program. Year 8 students have enjoyed sleeping in, being in their ‘comfort space’ while learning and having no boundaries during breaks. Teaching has changed and has brought with it, new and creative ways of learning. Below are models of cells created by 8D during a class. Their only stipulations were that they needed to be labelled and made out of things around their house. The possibilities were endless and the use of household materials to display their knowledge so imaginative it was an absolute joy to see their finished products.

Whilst we are enjoying a lot of things about being home, what we have found challenging is, being lonely, sharing a joke with a friend during class and having the view of a different class room each lesson. What I hope is that, as the quote above by the ever whimsical and wise Terry Pratchett suggests, we will come out of this with ‘new eyes’. With a new appreciation for the School, our class mates, our teachers and what school brings to us each and every day. Even those things that may have seemed irksome before can be greeted with a whole new perspective of appreciation; the team game after school when you’re tired, getting up early for band practice, that one class last period on a Friday.

I look forward to having a great Term 2 online with the students, and being able to see some of those ‘extra colours’ when we return.