Learning and Communication Update

Teachers have been working hard throughout the week revising, investigating and exploring home learning. This has included thinking about ways of consistently supporting learning for students who have access to technology and those who don’t. Consistent communication platforms across the school K-6 has been a high priority for us so we can keep connected with all of our families in the same way.

Parents and carers, you are doing a magnificent job supporting your child’s learning at home. This is no easy task. We are teachers and have specifically trained for this role. Many of you are working from home yourself and are ensuring that your child is meeting the challenge of staying engaged in the home environment. This is not traditional home schooling – it is learning at home and there are so many elements to get right.

Communication

Seesaw

Over the last two years, a number of classes have successfully used the seesaw app as a way of strengthening communication between school and home. As a school we have decided to use seesaw K-6. So what is Seesaw???

Seesaw will be used :

K-2

teacher-parent: communication

teacher-student: communication, learning and feedback

All K-2 classes will be using seesaw for communication by Wednesday.

3-6

teacher- parent: communication

All 3-6 classes will be using the seesaw platform as a way to keep open communication between school and home. It is anticipated that by Wednesday, all of our families across the school will be connected to their child’s teacher by seesaw.

 

If your class is not on seesaw, please look at the links below and follow the instructions so you can become connected. Once you link up, the teacher will accept your request and boom, we are connected!

Seesaw links by class:

3T

https://app.seesaw.me/s/152-413-011

3/4K

https://app.seesaw.me/s/760-898-006

4D

https://app.seesaw.me/s/506-468-967

4F

https://app.seesaw.me/s/088-840-459

4/5J

https://app.seesaw.me/s/075-763-570

5/6B

https://app.seesaw.me/s/110-066-449

5/6D

https://app.seesaw.me/s/636-855-306

5/6E

https://app.seesaw.me/s/590-951-843

5W

https://app.seesaw.me/s/188-038-245

6A

https://app.seesaw.me/s/483-857-006

K/1C

https://app.seesaw.me/s/723-209-086

2/4B

https://app.seesaw.me/s/706-153-705

4/6R

https://app.seesaw.me/s/698-324-313

 

Download the Seesaw App:

Parents click or visit the following to download the Seesaw Application on your own device. https://web.seesaw.me/platforms

Google Classroom

Google classroom is a virtual classroom accessed through the Department of Education portal. Teachers 3- 6 will be using google classroom to support student learning at home and will also use it for students who are learning at school. This is new to us and these next two weeks will very much be about learning for us to help do our job better if this continues into next term. Your child’s teacher will use seesaw to communicate instructions on how to access google classroom.

Opportunity Class

Our two opportunity classes are regional programs. Mrs Winkler and Miss Auslebrook have continued to utlise the same digital teaching that students are familiar with. They will also be setting up seesaw so it is consistent across the school. Please contact these teachers directly if you have any questions or concerns.

Learning at Home

For everyone in our Illaroo Road school community, the last two weeks have been a completely new world at school and home. As a school, we have been challenged in developing ways to support learning at home and prepare for a long term continuity of learning plan that supports all 544 of our students. The teachers continue to work and learn with your children in mind.

Teachers have developed a new home learning framework for week 10. The framework starts on Tuesday 31st March. Again it is a combination of digital and non digital learning material. Students can also continue to work through the activities sent home last week.

Learning from Home is very different to Home Schooling or Distance Education. These avenues are often heavily supported, selected for very good reasons, and begin after a long consultation period. Learning from Home is new to us and you and these support mechanisms, for children and parents, are still being designed and implemented. These final few weeks of term is where our teachers are working hard to support a more disciplined learning structure in the home in anticipation of a longer term social distancing policy.

 

So for the next two weeks of school, take the time each day to read with your child, either you reading to them or them reading to you. Cook with your child, take walks or bike rides, do art, sing, play board games or do puzzles. Keep in mind we understand that you are most probably working from home yourselves. To support everyone’s wellbeing, these activities create learning opportunities in themselves. While we have provided a learning framework for this term, parents can do as much or as little as they determine is best for their child in this time.

I thank our whole school community for their support during this unprecedented situation. We will continue to work in the best interests of all of our students.

If you have any questions, please contact the office or your child’s teacher via seesaw! Jacqui Piggott