LEARNING REMOTELY

We have entered Week 7 as a whole new learning environment and I can’t express my thanks enough to the wonderful work that all staff, students and parents and carers have done to ensure that this transition to remote learning has been relatively smooth. Whilst there have been a couple of glitches these have been brought to our attention very quickly and students have been able to engage with their learning. We have been so very blessed to have enjoyed the school environment when 90% of the state was in lockdown. So let's make the most of our experience of learning remotely and look to develop new skills and connect with each other in new and exciting ways.

We are now moving into a second week of remote learning.

• Students are expected to be following their daily timetable and undertaking their lesson work at the time that their lessons are on. 
• Work should be submitted to the teachers as requested.
• Teachers will be ensuring that each student will be receiving feedback at least once a week.
• Parents will be informed if:
• Students have not completed their PALS wellbeing survey, a
• Are not engaged with their learning and 
• Not attending mandatory zooms (both PALS and Subject)

• If staff need to communicate with parents, they will be calling from their mobile phones. As such, they will be calling using ‘No Caller ID.’ If calls are not answered, staff will leave a message indicating that they will try and call again in a few minutes or may send communication to parents via COMPASS indicating that they have called, been unsuccessful and communicate their concern. 
• If you are uncertain of the guidelines ands expectations, please refer to those published to parents and carers. 

MANDATORY ZOOMS

• Years 7-10: One mandatory zoom meeting per week per subject
• Years 11 and 12: Two mandatory zoom meetings per week per subject

The mandatory zooms are an important part of the remote learning process and allows staff to explore the work being provided, clarify any expectations and support students with engagement. As mentioned, there are an identified number of mandatory zooms per subject. The subject teacher will identify the time and day for these zooms with your son/daughter/person in your care. If they are not present at these zooms, teachers will be communicating with families.

Students are expected to wear their school uniforms to ALL zooms.

• Years 7-10: Full School Winter Sport Uniform. 
• Year 11: Full school winter uniform
• Year 12: Full school winter uniform - students may wear their school jersey

If a student appears in the zoom without their school uniform, they will be asked to leave and return when they have corrected their uniform. Parents will be notified of this concern. 

At the end of last term Year 7 Semester 1 reports were emailed to their parents/carers. Some students have indicated that they have not seen their report yet - if you are having any problems accessing your child's report, please contact the school either by phone or email - info@sjedow.catholic.edu.au, and our amazing administrative staff will be able to help.

Educating your child is a shared responsibility between teachers and parents, hence it is important for parents to have conversations with their child about their learning so that they are informed. Talk to your child about their report; find out if there is anything they don’t understand or would like clarified. Is there anything you do not understand? What do they actually do in the many different subjects they participate in? What subjects do they enjoy? What subjects do they have an interest in? What subjects would they like to improve in?

In PALS we will be working with the Year 7 students to set goals around what areas of their learning they would like to improve on (after reflecting on their report) and how to go about achieving this goal. It would be good if you could discuss this with your child so that you can support them at home in achieving this goal. And in doing so (as the quote says) “….we can build our youth for the future!”.

I am so impressed with the number of students who have been engaging in extracurricular activities around the school and embracing the year group motto of “aspire not to have more, but be more” .

These extracurricular activities include visiting schools as part of the Indigenous Dance Group; developing their spiritual growth as part of the Youth Alpha group; having fun challenging their thinking at the Science Club or the SPLICED program; getting creative with the TED club or helping out at the Ag farm. We are very fortunate that the staff at St John’s provide the students with these opportunities to “be more”. “Aspire not to have more, but be more”.

ZOOM WORKSHOP

Last week Year Seven students attended a 'Zoom Workshop' hosted by our I.T Coordinator, Mr Mark Malady.

YEAR 7 RELIGION

REMOTE LEARNING PASTORAL LESSON

DIARIES

Thank you  to all the parents who have been signing the diary and encouraging your child’s diary use. Don’t forget the Diary Parent Treasure Hunt  - so your child can get an extra red stamp and you find out a bit more about the information available in the diary!

'Aspire not to have more, but be more'

Mrs Wendy Isemonger

Year 7 Coordinator

MILTON PARISH