As the term draws to a close, it is timely to reflect on the wonderful learning that has occurred over the past four weeks in our Learn@Home program.

A range of in-home program offerings were provided to our ELC children via our mystcatherines portal pages, project books and learning packs. The children have engaged in home-based inquiries and research in relation to Australian animals and native plants, Indigenous symbols and storytelling, lifecycles of animals, kindness, feelings and emotions and the seasonal changes in nature. They have enjoyed a range of art-based experiences, cooking, yoga and meditation, sewing and weaving, clay sculpture and some fascinating science experiments.

It has been wonderful to observe the children’s familiarity, confidence and skill with using Microsoft Teams grow, through the offering of live learning experiences on this platform. Over the past four weeks the children have participated in a number of classroom learning meetings with their educators and peers per week. They have also participated in specialist sessions in Library, Physical Education, Music and French. Their confidence as speakers and listeners has grown in this forum, as has their ability to navigate the software.

The beautiful Spring sunshine invited the children to engage in outdoor learning. This has included many nature walks and scavenger hunts collecting natural materials which were later used for developing mathematical learning in relation to counting, sorting and classification. Outdoor obstacle courses were also created as the children engaged in physical activity.

The success of the Learn@Home program can be attributed to our parents’ commitment to facilitating and supporting their children with the various learning tasks and educational experiences. We thank you for embracing the program and supporting your children with their learning.

One very important aspect of our ELC program that the children will have certainly missed is the opportunity for social interaction and collaborative learning with their friends. We look forward to the children re-commencing their classroom programs when possible and when Campbell House is once again filled with the sounds of laughter and learning as the children re-connect with their peers and educators.

We wish all ELC families a safe and relaxing school holiday break. This will be a great opportunity to switch off from technology, embrace the additional time outdoors each day and enjoy the Spring sunshine.