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The concept of schooling for term 2 is going to be new for all of us - staff, students and parents alike. It is going to require us to think very differently about what is ‘The Norm.’ Please know that the learning that is taking place at school or at home will be as closely linked as is possible. Don’t worry about your child falling behind as creating a calm, predictable environment is the most important thing at this time. The learning taking place at home is about enriching existing understandings rather than introducing too much new learning.
Whilst it is going to be challenging juggling family commitments and that of your child/children, just know that we are here to support you every step of the way. Our staff are legitimately excited about the opportunities this situation has created. School administration is open for support over the holidays – we will also monitor Schoolzine and Facebook messages over the Easter holidays whilst our teachers take a well-deserved break.
At PDS we are very conscious of starting small and growing our ‘Learning at Home’ program together. So give yourself permission to start small knowing that we will build this approach as we continually review what’s working well and what needs to be refined. To start with, your child might only be asked to complete a couple of tasks per day but just know this will grow over time as we build on successes.
Start by co-creating a routine that will work for your entire family. This could be as simple as finding a comfortable space to work and ensuring you have all the materials you need to support your child’s learning eg, pencils, exercise book, device etc. A predictable routine for students and adults is important. Be realistic, co-create a routine that is achievable to start with eg, learning blocks that could involve a combination of online, offline, nature based or family based learning. Having learning blocks occur at the same time each day will be beneficial in the long run, but equally, try to find some fun and spontaneity in the learning day.
Spend time getting to know the IT platforms available and practice using these tools. We have provided links to a Padlet preview for primary families and a Teams trial for secondary students. Check in with your teacher whenever you need to during the term, we are here to support. If you have multiple children at home it would be great to use the expertise of your siblings to support each other. Take the pressure off yourself as a parent. We don’t expect parents to be teachers, we know that you support your child as best you can during these challenging times.
Finally, get outside as often as you can and appreciate your surroundings. Happy Easter and enjoy the school holidays.
Mat Grining
Principal
Mat Grining
Email: mathew.grining@education.tas.gov.au
The Secondary Campus office will be open during the school holidays from Wednesday 15 April 9am to 3pm. Our admin team will be contactable during this time by calling 6434 2222.
Reminder: a short survey will be sent out on Monday 20 April.
Although many of these questions have already been asked, due to daily changes in everyone's situations it is important we check again before the start of Term 2.
Primary Students - Kinder to 6
Term 2 schooling from home is going to be new for staff, students and parents alike. The learning that is taking place at school or at home will be as closely linked. We will be providing hardcopies of materials for those without access to internet at home. Creating a calm, predictable environment is the most important thing at this time. The partnership between the child, teacher and family is critical and communication between us all will be important as we support each other through this new way of learning. Listed below is some important information to help you prepare for learning at home for Term 2. We will be using Seesaw as the primary means of communication and Padlet as the means of sharing learning opportunities.
For more information on supporting learning from home, communication, timetables, learning resources and platforms please see our school website
Secondary Students - Year 7 to 12
During Term 2, Penguin District School Secondary Campus will support parents and guardians by leading and supporting Learning from Home and Learning at School. There will be consistent concepts and learning opportunities for all students. Timetables for each year level have been constructed to offer a wide variety of learning opportunities across all curriculum areas.
For more information on supporting learning from home, communication, timetables, learning resources and platforms please see our school website
For those students who do not have access to a device at home to support online learning, the school has a limited number of devices available to loan. You will need to complete a loan agreement upon collection. Please contact the school on 6434 2222 to organise a device to loan.
The secondary HPE team have put together 20 small tasks/challenges that we’d like you to have a go at during the school holidays – Can you tick off the whole sheet? Try for 1 a day. Or try to complete the whole list twice. See how you go. Keep moving and stay safe!
Message from Commonwealth Bank
The health, safety and wellbeing of our communities and our people remains our highest priority. Due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding coronavirus, the School Banking program will remain on hold. We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you informed with any updates including how we will be managing Dollarmite tokens for students.
In the meantime, here are some handy online resources for parents who wish to maintain momentum with their child’s financial education:
- Start Smart: these resources have been created to improve children’s money management skills, and is aligned to the Australian Curriculum and the National Consumer Financial Literacy Framework.
- The Beanstalk: offers videos and fun activities for children to learn about money.