We are Person-Centred

ARE PERSONCENTRED

WE

MS KIERYN BATEMAN

IN RESPONDING TO CRISIS, WE TOOK CRITICAL CARE OF OUR COMMUNITY.

Steering a large organisation is complex and challenging on any given day. How, then, does one respond to the multiple, conflicting needs of such an organisation in the midst of a global pandemic? How does a school uphold its moral imperative to provide clarity and stability to students and parents when the world around them is in a state of flux?

In March 2020, as communities across the world were thrown into chaos, these were the precise questions we faced. Like any organisation, we grappled with the flood of information that we were navigating on a daily, and at times hourly, basis. At the core of the Loreto Normanhurst mission is a holistic approach, as we encourage each student’s fulfilment of her academic and personal potential in an atmosphere of freedom, care and respect. It was this mission that was at the centre of our decision-making at every step of the crisis. We made the decision to initially send our Boarding students home, and then, shortly after, to move the students of non-essential workers to our virtual learning plan – FACE Online. FACE Online ensured that all student assessment and learning activities in the online platform were delivered via common Learning Management systems and Zoom video conferencing, as we were committed to maintaining our FACE Curriculum incorporating Faith, Academic, Community and Extra-curricular. Our staff were indeed required to be agile, and to pivot rapidly to a remote learning approach. Due to our existing processes and ICT structures, we were able to respond effectively and efficiently in providing our community with clarity and consistency. But what of our shared mission that each student is encouraged to meet her personal potential? How did we make sure that our students maintained healthy, robust and authentic relationships with their teachers and peers while engaging in a remote manner? We ensured that students still had access to their Advisors and Tutors via Zoom, as they continued to conduct 1:1 conversations and Tutor group meetings in order to maintain connection and demonstrate the imperative of nurturing human relationships in the domain of wellbeing. Assemblies headed online, and Music Festival choir rehearsals continued virtually under the leadership of House conductors. Our Student Council made us smile by sharing their lockdown hobbies and home-grown social justice tips via video. Our Pastoral Care team launched our 2020 Time Capsule and encouraged students to share their ‘View through my Window.’ Our Sport Department kept us moving with home workouts and interhouse fitness challenges, later crowning our Queen of the Track at a re-imagined Athletics Carnival. Having a unified message and clear modes of communication were imperative. But one-way communication was not enough. Constant evaluation was crucial to ensure our people felt heard and valued in the midst of a crisis. Fortunately, we were in safe hands, as our community is formed in the Ignatian tradition and already prioritises reflection and discernment. When responding to the crisis, we adopted an iterative process of evaluation, reflection and response, using the metaphor of an infinity loop to guide our path and listen to our community. Is there a silver lining to our experience of this crisis? There must be if we are to emerge stronger and wiser. We have experienced communal learning and growth, as our common values, existing structures and mission provided us with a platform that offered a stable pivot-point. Indeed, the Loreto Normanhurst community should be proud that we have built such platforms to lean upon during times of crisis; it is now time for us to celebrate this and emerge from the mire with pride and faith in our communal strength.

LEARNING IN LOCKDOWN

LEARNING IN LOCKDOWN; SISTERS ELIZA AND TESSA LET US IN ON WHAT IT WAS LIKE LEARNING REMOTELY BACK HOME.

Eliza, Year 11

Tessa and I live on a farm just outside Wee Waa, North West NSW, around 600km from Sydney. We breed emus, cattle and occasionally grow crops on our property. Being sent home midterm came as a bit of a shock after being informed about the guidelines the school needed to undertake due to coronavirus. It took us a few days to get accustomed to the process of online learning. With intermittent internet at home, it was difficult at times, but Loreto made it easier with ongoing communication and support.

Tessa, Year 7

This year I began my journey at Loreto Normanhurst as a Year 7 boarder. It was a big change from running around on the farm to rushing up and down the stairs around the big Boarding School. I was at school when I heard about COVID-19. When I first got home, I was very excited to see my family and pets. The next day was full of experimenting and testing different working routines. Sitting at our ‘veranda classroom’ every day was very different to normal, but I got used to the new routines of online learning and keeping in touch with my friends.