How we all wish we could be together right now, running around the school grounds, sitting in a tight knit circle sharing a story with our friends, or just giving a mate a high five as we walk past. Alas, this is not to be, however staff at OLSCC are working incredibly hard to ensure our students from Prep all the way through to Year 12 can maintain social connectivity, even though we are physically distant. Each of the Early Years classes have had a “trial” Zoom session this week and the squeals of delight and expressions of joy from both teachers and students alike have been heart warming. We cannot wait to unveil the first day of our new look remote learning lessons for the Early Years this afternoon when we publish the first of our Canvas lessons. I know the students will enjoy following along the microlessons the teachers have been creating and videoing, and I am excited for parents to have such an intimate view of our teaching practices. 

Whilst there is a real buzz around the release of the next model of learning for us, it is important that all families approach the learning with common sense. The teaching has been prepared around an estimated one hour per day of English and one hour per day of Mathematics, however we know the reality of how this rolls out will be different in every household. If it takes your child much longer to complete the work, please allow them to do a little less, and communicate this to your child’s teacher. If you are having internet issues, try again at a different time! All of the Canvas lessons will remain available to you and can be revisited as many times as you like, at any time of the day suitable to you. If you need to print a resource and are having trouble accessing printer or ink, feel free to improvise! We are constantly encouraging the children to find ways to solve problems, and this would be a perfect “real life example” of that! Try and replicate the printable page yourself in a book! Can’t print that sight word activity? How about making one up yourself that matches it! Creativity, curiosity and resilience are all part of our College learning dispositions and adopting these attitudes will help us get through this “new normal”.  

Each class will also be participating in 4 x Zoom sessions across the week. Whilst joining in on these sessions will form part of our record of student attendance and engagement, we understand that some families may not be able to have their children participate in every session. If your child is unable to participate in any of the Zoom sessions, please be sure to notify your teacher via email or dojo so that this can be marked on our attendance records, just as it would be on a normal school day. 

If you are looking for more activities to keep little minds active, we are constantly updating the Remote Learning Extra Resources and Learning Ideas tab in the College website. 

Our website has a wealth of information and I encourage you to make it the first place you look when seeking further ideas for learning from home. It is a constantly evolving project, so check back regularly. Our wonderful specialist teachers, Mrs Lincoln and Mrs Garside, are updating this resource page every week with great ideas for physical activity and for visual art and music activities. Just today we gained access to the excellent Stempunks resources. The ABC TV site also has an enormous range of resources that can be narrowed down by year level and subject area. Enjoy losing yourself in these wonderful resources and keep your eye out for new ones being added all the time. 

Another important place on our website is the Counsellor’s Corner: 

Our College counsellor, Mr Luke Holmes, has gathered together some valuable resources around social-emotional wellbeing. Please note that content will be added to regularly, so check back each week for more ideas. 

Thankyou for your ongoing support of teachers as we work together for the learning of our youngest students. We are buoyed by your messages of support, thanks and encouragement, and we look forward to contacting you all again next week to hear your news and stories and see your smiling faces – albeit on a computer screen! 

Here are a few images of our remote learners and some of the things they have been up to this week.