Over the course of Term 2, I have enjoyed the opportunity each Wednesday to participate in an online Principals Chat with Heads of School from across the globe. What started as a small group of five friends, has grown each week to now 18 people from many countries all seeking shared thinking on how to navigate the Covid-19 crisis, and to fully understand the rapid shift to online education that has occurred across the globe.

Covid-19 has illustrated how connected we all are through common problems requiring new solutions across many professional sectors. We are, undoubtedly, working across international boundaries in a collaborative way. Today, education professionals and researchers across the world would argue that the pivot to online learning could change how we educate future generations. From redefining the role of teachers to unlocking technology, education is being transformed, as models adapt and evolve in response to the new circumstances.

Certainly, our weekly survey results at St Catherine’s have shown students have risen to the challenge, demonstrating to parents and teachers that they are capable, resilient, empathetic and self-motivated. At St Catherine’s, we have noticed the shift to remote learning has revealed that online ‘attendance’ is actually higher with some students, including those who are naturally quite introverted by character and find that logging on each day better suits their personal circumstances, and improved their engagement in classes in this forum.

The Alliance of Girls’ School provided research this week highlighting some of the advantages that could be encouraging greater online attendance including: the improved ability of gifted and special needs students to learn at their own pace, greater flexibility of study time with shorter lessons “chunked” throughout the day, and the option for students, freed from the early morning commute to school, to sleep later and adjust their study schedule to suit their optimal study time which, for many teenagers, is late afternoon and evening.

Christian Barnard, education policy analyst with the Reason Foundation, writes in the Washington Times that he believes that as classrooms reopen, “schools will seek to use this new knowledge to integrate the benefits of digital learning into their programs”. As he points out, “the traditional schooling model will continue to suit the majority of students, with research showing that most prefer to attend a school campus where they can interact with teachers and socialise with friends. In addition, most parents prefer a bricks-and-mortar education model which allows them the ability to work outside the home, as well as supporting their child’s education and wellbeing through the provision of face-to-face learning, extra-curricular activities, pastoral care, psychological support and connection with peers and friends.” However, Barnard argues that “integrating online learning into the traditional model will have many benefits from one-on-one counselling and tutoring to more flexible options for specific groups of students”.

I believe other benefits will range from higher quality online teaching materials and improved teacher collaboration, including across international borders, such as I have experienced this term, to a greater appreciation of the vital role that teachers play in educating and caring for the wellbeing of young people.

I am mindful as we reach the midpoint of Term 2, I was forewarned by colleagues abroad that this has been often recognised as a period of fatigue, frustration and struggle. And whilst we experience this discomfort, there is still a need for our students and staff to progress to another level as we step forward to a time when student assessment is undertaken, teachers’ marking load increases and Semester 1 Report writing commences. Essentially our care, trust and patience for each other must be visible at this time.

Our Gratitude Lunch held earlier today serves as a reminder that despite our discomfort, and in many ways the exposure of our vulnerabilities across a range of areas, we remain fortunate that Australia has not endured the high instance of illness caused by Covid-19 and the loss of life that we observe through media coverage, almost in a disbelief of the tragedy unfolding in vibrant and wonderful cities across the globe. I invite you to view the Gratitude Lunch presentation featuring heartfelt messages from our staff and students.

In the coming weeks, I ask our families to note the following events and key dates:

Thursday 14 May at 5pm – Let’s Talk Maths (Webinar)

The third in a Series of Let’s Talk webinar includes our Deputy Principal, Mr Robert Marshall interviewing Head of Mathematics, Mrs Angela Klancic.

Wednesday 27 May 9am-6pm – Parent-Student- Teacher Interviews for Year 10-12

Further details will be provided directly to the parents of daughters in Years 10-12 as to how to book appointments on this day. Please note, the Interviews will be conducted through MS Teams with access via your daughter’s school account.

Thursday 28 May, 6.30pm – Sporting Legends Dinner

The St Catherine’s School Foundation is proud to host this online event featuring a panel of sport legends and St Catherine’s dads – Lleyton Hewitt, Luke Darcy, Andrew Demetriou, Michael Christian and Christopher Tarrant. Please click here to register your interest.

Barnard, C. (2020, April 16). What will happen to education when [the] COVID-19 pandemic is over? Washington Times. Retrieved from: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/apr/16/what-will-happen-to-education-when-covid-19-pandem/