Head of Junior School

Head of Junior School

COVID-19 Update

These are unprecedented times for us all and I am grateful to our Redlands staff for their unwavering commitment and flexible thinking as we continue to respond accordingly to the ever-evolving COVID-19 landscape. I also thank the many parents who have passed on positive feedback on the School’s communications and actions in response to government and health authority guidelines.

As regularly communicated, we continue to review and initiate measures to look after the wellbeing of students and staff and I applaud and acknowledge the students’ proactive responses, resilience and understanding of change in this unique situation that we are all faced with. In particular, we recognise that the necessary cessation of all cocurricular and sporting activities has a significant impact on the everyday life of the students and I would encourage families to continue to try to cultivate these passions outside of School in this interim period.

Like many in our community, I have family overseas and it is easy to be consumed in a 24 hour news reel watching how different countries and industries across the globe are dealing with the Coronavirus and its trail. Worrying and trying to support loved ones, particularly for many parents in the Gen X and Gen Y brackets who have children and parents to consider in equal measures, is hard and I wish all in our community and their extended family all the very best at this time and moving forward.

Junior School Remote and Online Learning: Friday 20 March

As you will be aware from the letter of 17 March (also on Redlands Pulse), our Junior and Senior Campuses (Preschool-Yr 12) are closed tomorrow to allow us to run a whole school day with remote and online learning. Our teachers will be at school to deliver and oversee these lessons and the students will learn from home.

This remote learning arrangement will enable us to refine our remote learning processes and also support students who are currently at home and not able to attend school, either through illness or parental choice to keep them at home for a range of reasons.

Please note the following points of information to support this trial process tomorrow:

  • All students will be assumed to be present for learning on Friday unless parents notify the class teacher that their child is unwell via the normal process of contacting the class teacher and the Junior School Absences email.  
  • Students are strongly encouraged to follow their normal morning routine and expected to get dressed into appropriate clothes for learning.
  • Find a space at home that supports your child to learn at their best and still be close to you or whoever is looking after them.
  • Please do contact your child’s teacher if you are having any difficulties or our IT Support team.
  • Limit distractions when your child is learning.
  • Encourage regular breaks from learning for them to eat, stay hydrated and be active.
  • Students and families should revisit the ICT Student Responsible User Guidelines on p16-18 of their Student Planner.

There have been increasing articles providing support for families in the event of school closures and of the many I have read, this article from Dr Katie Martin is one that I wanted to share with parents as it provides a range of practical activities which also aligns with some of our thinking on remote and online learning.

Student Wellbeing 

As precautionary measures are implemented to reduce and prevent the spread of COVID-19 within our community, our students may increasingly be aware of and impacted by the situation. This may lead to feelings of anxiety and uncertainty. Rather than avoid conversations at home, parents are encouraged to keep the lines of communication open to reassure their children, dispel misunderstandings, provide developmentally appropriate information and focus on positive messages.

This special report from Michael Carr-Gregg at School-TV provides advice and support for parents on how to best approach the topic whilst supporting their children’s wellbeing.  In addition, parents might find this article from UNICEF useful as it provide tips to help comfort and protect children. Involving them and encouraging self-efficacy can assist children to feel a sense of control and purpose.

In response to children’s questions and fears, our classroom teachers have also been provided with a range of resources including picture books, animations and fact sheets. If you have concerns about the wellbeing of your child please feel welcome to contact your child’s teacher, our Dean of Students, Mrs Kourakis, or one of our School Counsellors, who also available as support.

I encourage all parents and carers to regularly refer to the designated COVID-19 page (please link) on Redlands Pulse for the latest information and additional resources for parents to support children’s wellbeing at this time.

Student Arrival and Departure

With no activities currently in place before and after school until further notice, please be reminded that students should arrive to school at 8.00am and be collected at 3.20pm. We had a large group of students playing unsupervised on the oval from 7.40am yesterday which presents a number of concerns.

Parents and Carers on Campus

In the current climate, parents are asked to minimise time on the Campus at both drop off and collection time. Please avoid congregating on the School grounds after the morning bell has rung and leave the Campus promptly after the end of the day. Your support and cooperation with this measure is appreciated.

Yr 6 Camp

Further to my extended comments about Yr 6 Camp last week, which was very fortunate to have taken place, the School was grateful to the Australian Government generously contributing funding of $20 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs, which is duly acknowledged and paid directly to the School upon completion of the excursion.

This has supported the opportunity for our students to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy. The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education.

Vacation Care – Important Information April Holidays

Please refer to the letter that was emailed to OOSH families yesterday about the cancelling of Excursions/Incursions for the April holidays. This letter can be located on Redlands Pulse (OOSH) and under the COVID-19 page. At this stage, Vacation Care will go ahead as planned. Any questions or concerns should be directed to OOSH and NOT Flexischools.

Farewell, Mrs Fellowes

Next Tuesday is the final day for our Head of Preparatory School, Mrs Audrey Fellowes. In our campus leadership roles, Audrey and I have worked closely over the last three and half years to build a stronger Junior Campus and I am grateful for her support and collaboration in this time. Regrettably, I know a number of farewell events have had to be cancelled as we restrict larger gatherings but as she returns to Queensland to take up the Head of Primary role at Clayfield College, I wish Audrey all the very best in this new adventure for her and her family.

Mr Ari Guha
Head of Junior School
aguha@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9953 6022