An update from our Head of Senior School
Over the course of the last fortnight, I’ve sent out a number of messages and had many conversations with our Senior School students and families, and I have been consistently impressed by the understanding and flexibility of the all students throughout this time. I hope our Senior School students have spent this week resting and allowing themselves space to relax and process everything that has been going on.
I understand there has been concern and apprehension around the prospect of missing classes, SACs, and exams. Please rest assured that our teaching staff have been working very hard to ensure the impact on your learning is minimal. The nature of this situation means that we are not the only school affected; there are students all across Victoria, and Australia, who are in a similar position and who share your concerns. At Braemar, we are committed to providing an effective remote learning program – including various digital platforms and online resources – that will allow us to continue teaching throughout the year, even in the event that isolation and school closures continue. Our Year 12 students have been contacted separately, but the message to remain positive and committed to learning and study is the same throughout all senior years. An update regarding VCE from VCAA has been shared later in this issue of the Buzz.
If you have any specific concerns, please get in touch with myself or your child’s subject teacher.
I urge all students and their families to maintain positive mental and physical health throughout the break. Wherever possible, I hope you can:
- stay active – get outside safely, get fresh air, enjoy our autumn weather;
- stay in touch – connect with your friends and extended family virtually, it’s important to stay connected despite being physically isolated;
- stay alert – read books, play games, solve puzzles; and
- stay calm – allow yourselves time to rest.
Michael Horne
Head of Senior School
An update from our Head of Middle School
The end of term always brings reflection – looking back on what we have achieved – and anticipation – looking forward to a well-earned break. I can honestly say that our Middle School students have done themselves proud over the past term, and especially over the past few weeks as we have dealt with so much unknown. They have been flexible and positive as we have navigated our way through the changing climate each day.
The theme in Middle School this year is KINDNESS. This has well and truly been demonstrated by our families’ generosity through the donation of essential items to support those in need. We are proud to have been able to support other families in our community by donating to the Gisborne and Woodend Foodbanks and the Kyneton Caring Community. They were all very appreciative of your generosity, as were we. I know students were looking forward to the annual Easter raffle, but they can now be proud and happy in the knowledge that they will bring a smile to a less fortunate child at Easter.
I urge you to follow the theme of kindness over the holiday break and look out for one another. I look forward to getting back in touch with you in Term 2.
Ros Shipp
Head of Middle School
An update from our Dean of Research and Pedagogy
As we move towards remote learning, I am particularly proud of how resilient our teachers are in a quickly-evolving landscape. Their willingness to trial all of the new technologies and experiment with ways to innovatively deliver their curriculum has been outstanding. We are lucky to have been using SEQTA as our online learning management system for years already, and we will continue to use this as our main platform for curriculum delivery.
Students have been provided with learning tasks that they are asked to complete over the holiday break, which have all been made available on SEQTA. We are grateful for your support in encouraging students to complete these activities.
Finally, as you may have heard, the decision was made by the COAG Education Council (which includes Commonwealth, state, and territory ministers) last week to cancel NAPLAN testing for the year. “The decision to not proceed with NAPLAN in 2020 has been taken to assist school leaders, teachers, and support staff to focus on the wellbeing of students and continuity of education, including potential online and remote learning,” the Education Council said.
Julia Padgett
Dean of Research and Pedagogy