Head of Junior School

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Week 5 Information

Of course, we remain highly vigilant and as everyone returns next week, you will have seen the letter sent to all families this morning outlining additional details and our continued safety measures for this return.

There are three key points from the letter that I wish to highlight below and I ask that families to pay particular attention to:

1. Please do not send your child to school if they are unwell in any way.
2. All student timetables will revert back to the normal class timetables, which you will have a copy of from the start of the year. Online resources will continue to be available on Google Classroom for those families who may prefer to keep their children learning from home at this time.
3. Drop off / pick up arrangements and schedule – PLEASE adhere to the listed times –

Reconnection

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”  Robert Frost

Next week sees us return to full On-Campus Learning again exactly two months to the day since the School moved to Remote Learning. This period of time will go down in the annals of global history but we will all take away personal stories, reflections and memories from this time too. As I shared with students in one of the first virtual assemblies last term and in a subsequent Note Day, this time was an opportunity for us to grow through this experience rather than simply go through it, which I know many in our community have done so.

In our virtual staff meeting this week, we reflected on many aspects of change in teaching and learning during this time and part of our next step will be to assess and consider what we might now do differently moving forward as school resumes in its usual format. In particular, the shift and adaptability to Remote  Learning led to a rapid growth in our integration of technology, but there were also other new ways of thinking and nurturing student collaboration and wellbeing that teachers shared with colleagues.

Teaching has always relied on the important partnership between school and home but never more so than in these last two months and we should stop and reflect on the outstanding job that everyone has done to continue learning at home for the children. As Mrs Smith, our Dean of Teaching and Learning reflected, the time has allowed us to pause and learn many new things. How many of you took time to bake and without realising it were applying the skills of measurement that are an important part of our Maths curriculum? Many of you would have spent time in the garden and discovered all sorts of ecosystems at work. We saw many more children out learning to ride a bike and watched as many families cycled around the neighbourhood. And, in my own family, we learnt and appreciated that being bored was okay.

In amongst it all, we also realised the irreplaceable significance of interpersonal connection in our lives but especially in schools. Learning is a social activity and it has been a joy to see the warmth amongst students and with teachers in this past two weeks of gradual personal reconnection. The benefits of the human element of schools have never been more highlighted these past months and we look forward to seeing everyone again together from next week.

And, when there is time to pause and consider entire countries shutting down overnight and unprecedented societal change, I hope that you might reflect on how your child or your family has grown in the last two months, what personal memories you might take away and what changes you made in your lives that you plan to keep going.

chaplain

Uniform shop

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