It was wonderful to see the girls back at school this week after being away for the past few months. They all arrived with huge smiles on their faces, eager to see each other and their teachers – in person!

All measures put in place have worked well. The temperature checks, while daunting at first, have become a new routine, and the girls are enjoying being back in the classroom, engaging face to face lessons with their teachers. Many are feeling a greater sense of security with social distancing between desks and the measures in place for sanitising desks and handling equipment.

The sound of the School has returned! There is now laughter, giggling, girls calling to each other, squeals as they play their games, chatter as they make their way to play areas and girls responding to and asking questions in class. Schooling has returned to normal at Barbreck once again. It was also delightful to see parents at drop off and pick up times.

We would like to thank you all for the wonderful support you have shown us and for the support you have provided your girls during online learning – we know it has been hard but well worth it. I have heard so many examples of parents supporting their girls from printing off worksheets and participating in dance sessions, to being the production manager when filming weather reports and driving to parks to undertake orienteering activities. We are truly appreciative and know that our girls are in a much better position with their learning because of our combined commitment to work in partnership.

Thank you also for ensuring girls arrive at their allotted times. A number of staff are required to take temperatures but they must be back in class ready to teach at 8.30am, so punctuality has become important for us to maintain our new routines – again thank you!

As we move further into the school year, restrictions may change and ease but for the present we want to provide a high level of care and hope that you can appreciate we are acting in the best interests for the health and wellbeing of the girls.

Keeping the Best from our Online Experience

The past few months have seen a significant shift in the way the teachers at St Catherine’s teach. We had just adopted the explicit teaching model using the ‘I do, We do and You do’ approach when we were faced with the need to deliver this online with pre-recorded segments, set work, activities and assessments. Our teachers transitioned to new technologies such as MS Teams, while work was being carried out at school behind the scenes with the development of the School Box Portal as a new ‘go to’ for students in the Junior School. These moves saw plans progress quickly towards greater use of technologies with teaching and learning, and use of the School Portal as a digital platform. Our aim is to keep and progress these aspects of online learning and teaching.

Over the next Semester, the staff will be using the portal more to set work for the girls to do at school and while at home. To this end, the girls will continue to take their iPads or laptops home so they are able access the portal to undertake this work.

As you would have seen during the lock down period, the portal is able to provide access to rich learning, real life examples, films, diagrams and photographs, that all enhance and deepen the learning experience.

The Senior School has protocols in place for the use of devices at home and I would be interested in parent feedback about what parents feel would be suitable protocols for the Junior School girls to follow. If you have ideas, please email me at kmcardle@stcatherines.net.au.