Blended Learning

Much has already been said and written about our return to Blended Learning over the last fortnight. In a busy few days of preparation, I was exceptionally proud of the resilience shown by our students, in particular our Year 12 Students who had to adapt to changes in their HSC Trial Examinations.

From letters home and a zoom with families on the first day into lockdown, assessments have now been completed via online learning mediums. The school has responded with speed putting in place processes and procedures to support the students. The flexibility of the year 12s is a testament to their character - as a year level, they are willing to embrace change and do their best in rapidly changing circumstances. 

My thanks to the careful coordination of our Blended Learning model by our College Executive Team who led our staff through changes in assessment and in addressing the pastoral and academic needs of our students. Many thanks also to the LOLs and year 12 teachers who led assessment changes responding to student needs.  

Year 11 are now also prepared for the Preliminary Exams to go online as the lockdown is extended past week 9. All students have received the timetable via email, it is also posted on The class of Year 11 2021 Google Classroom. Students and parents were invited to a zoom yesterday outlining the school processes.  The Year 11 Preliminary Examination period starts on Monday 6th September and finishes Friday 10th September. Year 11 Students will not be attending timetabled classes during this time. 

For parents who are once again adjusting and juggling blended learning, work and home life! I take my hat off to you for having to manage so much during this time – The school community really appreciates the difficult situation that we are all placed in and we thank you for your support of, and partnership with, our wonderful school. The pastoral care team has put into place a number of measures to support your child with organisation and processes including a homeroom check-in each morning. We are also limiting the expectations of the work set in the junior school. Another support mechanism is for staff to email parents if there is little or no engagement over the week by any child in their specific subjects. This is our way of letting you know what may or may not be happening from the teacher perspective. Parents who are seeking information about what is happening in specific subjects are reminded to accept the Google classroom invitations that have been emailed to you. If you have not turned off Google Classroom notifications, you will receive an email on a Friday that outlines the work from the week. If you need support with this, please contact the school.

As always you know your child best, and need to let us know if we can support you in any way. This contact home is to identify what the teachers are experiencing in terms of engagement and seek reasons for ongoing concerns.

How To Stay Positive About Your Schoolwork

It can be difficult to stay positive at all times about your schoolwork, particularly if you have challenges, whether they be personal or whether you are grappling with something like online learning.  When we allow pressure and stress to build we can get into bad habits and let go of good habits.  As a result, students can feel even more drained and exhausted.

The key to being positive and managing negative emotions such as anxiety and feeling down and depressed in any pressure situation including schoolwork and exams is to “fuel up”.  “Fuelling Up” is about boosting wellbeing factors in your life.  You need to boost the wellbeing factors in your BODY, MIND and EMOTIONS.

Considering our Blended Learning environment, I have included some information on the “home study environment” that may be useful to both parents and students - it will help with thinking about some of the environmental factors we can control.

TAKE A BREAK: Stretch, exercise and turn off the screen! We are on our computers for so much longer than we are used to. Play with a pet, garden, cook a meal or go for a walk rather than turning on the TV or Playstation. 

QUIET/PRIVATE: It is important that you have a space that allows you to focus and have quiet periods when necessary. Some students place a sign on their door when they need quiet time or else the family agrees together when the quiet periods will be.

DISTRACTION FREE: We all intend to be strong when trying to deal with distractions but the reality is that willpower is rarely enough. It is much better if the temptation is removed. In the periods when you are working on schoolwork, turn off IMs, and your podcasts, close Facebook, turn off your mobile phone and remove all distractions – not for the whole night, just the blocks of time when you are focusing on schoolwork. 

MUSIC: You can listen to music if you are doing work that doesn't require much effort or concentration. However, if you are doing anything that is difficult, requires effort, requires you to think, understand or remember information you should switch the music off. 

SUPPORTIVE CHAIR: It is really important that you have a comfortable and supportive chair. The chair you use should be comfortable and adjustable to reduce strain on your neck and shoulders. Your feet should sit flat on the floor with your legs at a 90-degree angle to the knee. 

GOOD LIGHTING: Natural light is preferable, but not always available. If you need to have a light on you should have both your room light and a desk lamp on. Try and avoid fluorescent lights. Have the desk lamp situated so the light is shining onto your work, not into your eyes.

CLEAR WORKSPACE: A cluttered workspace means you will waste time looking for things and become distracted by the bits and pieces in front of you. A clear workspace sets the tone for the way you will approach your work. 

VENTILATION: It is important to have fresh air and oxygen flowing into your room to help keep you mentally alert. If you are unable to open your window then take regular breaks where you walk outside and get some fresh air.

• CSO Learning from Home: Families Website 

• Blended Learning Time Guidelines

Year 7 Science have been investigating Surface Tension with Mrs Parkin.

Year 9 Visual Arts

Year 9 Visual Arts are currently doing the Art History Challenge HERE where people are recreating famous works of art. 

Year 9 Agriculture Technology

Mrs Stainlay's Year 9 Agriculture Technology students are studying soil. The students were given a task to assess the soil in their yard, and determine the soil type by making a soil ribbon.

Junior Religion Prayer walks and reflections

During Blended Learning our RE teachers have asked their students to do a prayer walk each week and record their reflections as acrostic poems.

Parent Support 

eSafety webinars for parents on online sexual harassment and image-based abuse

This webinar will help parents and carers to understand online sexual harassment and image-based abuse, (non-consensual sharing of intimate images). 

It is designed for parents and carers of young people aged 13-18.

It will cover: 

• the difference between online sexual harassment and image-based abuse
• how to report online sexual harassment to social media companies
• how to report image-based abuse to eSafety and when to report to police
• where to get support if you feel upset or worried about something that has happened online.

You can choose to attend the webinar with your teen or share resources with them afterwards from the webinar package.

Tuesday 24 August 12.30 to 1.30 pm

Tuesday 7 September 12.30 to 1.30 pm

Thursday 9 September 12.30 to 1.30 pm

Register

Reach Out Resources 

Telehealth is a way of accessing a health appointment from a computer or smartphone, from anywhere in the country. There are lots of mental health professionals who are able to do their job using telehealth, including psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors and social workers.

Why is telehealth a good idea?

In a telehealth booking with a mental health professional, you’ll receive the same service you’d receive from them in person. They will also have the same level of qualifications as someone you’d see in person. In fact, studies have shown that therapy done through telehealth is as helpful as talking to a health professional in person.

Here are a few reasons why seeing someone through telehealth might be a good fit for you: 

• You could have more options available to you than just the mental health professionals in your local area. 
• You could have a better chance of finding a professional who’s an excellent fit for you. 
• You could feel more comfortable in your own home than in a therapist’s office.

Since you won’t have to commute to a mental health professional’s office every week or fortnight, you’ll have more time available for activities you enjoy.

How to book a telehealth appointment?

• See your GP. You will have an opportunity to talk to your doctor about what’s going on in your life and about what you think might help. Your doctor will then offer their perspective and write up a mental health plan that will allow you to receive 20 sessions a year at a discounted rate with the Medicare rebate. 
• Book directly

For more information go to: https://au.reachout.com/articles/telehealth-and-more-getting-psychological-help-online

If your teen is experiencing mental health issues and is open to receiving professional help, these four steps to preparing them for a session with a professional will help them get the most out of it and make them more comfortable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k59r3-4ELRA

The Family Connect Service

$100 Creative Kids Vouchers 

Every child enrolled in school is entitled to a $100 voucher which can be used to purchase things like ART PACKS. These pre-assembled art packs might be a good way to give your children a break from online study and assist with their artmaking in Visual Arts.

These packs can be purchased online and delivered via post within a few days by:

1. Clicking on the link below or using your NSW App:

https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-creative-kids-voucher

2. Apply for a voucher (within minutes) and note the voucher number.
3. Search the web for “CREATIVE ART PACKS” and choose a supplier that accepts the vouchers and packs that best suit your child’s individual interests. See the example below:

https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-creative-kids-voucher