A D A P T I N G
T O
A G C N H ChangeE L OVE Our Catholic Schools TS V. C AT H O L I C. E D U. AU
T E R M
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Executive Director’s Welcome
CONTENTS
Executive Director’s Welcome
2
Adapting to Change
3
Nothing is Normal
3
School in Profile
4-5
Embracing the Change
6-7
Innovation in Schools
8-9
Welcome to the Term 2 edition of the
support to students. We profile teachers,
Love our Catholic Schools Magazine.
students and parents who tell us how this
We did not anticipate to start this term the way we did, but I am so proud of
Catholic Identity is at the heart of
how our schools have responded to
who we are and our faith comforts us
COVID-19. I am very impressed with how
in times of crisis. In this edition, you
our schools have communicated with our
can read our Faith Response to the
families and how they stayed connected.
global pandemic and how the priests
It has been a challenging time, but I
in our diocese got tech savvy to stay
commend our school leaders and their
connected with their parish communities.
staff for being positive and resilient
Changes in Faith Leadership
10-11
Love Our Teachers
12-13
Love Our Students
14-15
Love Our Parents
16
members of our school communities.
Community Leadership
17
Term 3 Dates
18
COVID-19 has opened the door to some great discussions about how
I would also like to take this opportunity
we learn and stay connected with our
to thank our parent community for
families. One of the positives I take
embracing the home-based learning
away from this experience is that
approach. We feel blessed every day
it has shown me what a supportive
that families continue to recognise
and resilient community we are.
the Catholic school difference of faith and support for each child. Our
Changes in
whole experience has been for them.
promise to our students is to continue to deliver quality education in a safe environment which places value on
I hope you enjoy our Adapting to Change edition. Jacqui Francis EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
the development of each student. Love Our Northern Schools
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Love Our Southern Schools
20-21
Love Our Townsville Schools
22-25
This edition of our magazine will focus on how our schools have adapted to the changing environment. Our schools adjusted their approach to learning and teaching and I witnessed innovative
Love Our Western Schools
26-27
teaching ideas coming together as one. You will read about the collaboration between teachers to provide students an effective platform to learn and how
Cover:
our Guidance Counsellors adjusted their
Students from St Teresa’s College,
way of working to provide wellbeing
Abergowrie Townsville Catholic Education acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and future. All information and images are subject to copyright. No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored or transmitted without the prior permission of the Townsville Catholic Education Office. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information at the time of print, TCEO takes no liability for any errors, omissions or subsequent consequences on information within this publication. © Copyright 2020
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THANK YOU
Thank you to our staff and school communities for your continued support.
Adapting to
Change
A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE LEARNING AND TEACHING SPACE WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED THAT STUDENTS WOULD BE LEARNING FROM HOME. When the Federal Government
the diocese would need in order to
themselves available to respond to any
announced that students across Prep to
make the successful transition to an
requests for support from schools and
Year 12 would be learning from home,
online learning environment. Once a
continued to update the Continuity of
there was a sense that our schools
framework was established, the team
Learning site with additional resources
would be well placed to take up the
set about gathering quality online
when they became available.
opportunity to ensure continuity of
resources and other material that would
learning at home for all students.
be helpful to teachers and parents.
Over the past few years, Townsville
The Continuity of Learning site was
particular period: those things we want
Catholic Education staff, schools
established. In the site, the team
to keep, those things we want to let go,
and teachers have been committed
placed guidelines on how to make
the important things we need to teach.
to learning the benefits of Google
effective use of video conferencing,
Classroom as an effective tool to deliver
strategies to support students as
learning in an online environment. Many
they learn from home, and set up
principals and teachers felt comfortable
three sections providing advice for
in moving learning onto this platform,
teachers, students and parents.
knowing the students were familiar with how to navigate their way around the tool.
In looking beyond COVID-19, it is important to identify learnings from this
While we have now moved back to face to face learning, this experience has provided space and opportunity to reflect, review and refine.
From the beginning of Term 2, the Learning and Teaching team have
The Learning and Teaching team
maintained close contact with schools
undertook, as its first priority, to
to support the new home-based
consider what our schools across
learning environment. They made
The Townsville Early Years Leaders Network met regularly to consider ways to support the young people of Townsville as they navigated the uncertain times of remote learning due to COVID-19. Transitioning children back to school was going to be another time of resettlement, particularly for Prep students who had only spent a few weeks at school before things began to change. Using literature is a great way to engage students, which is why Learning & Teaching Adviser – Early Years, Nyree Buchanan wrote, Nothing is Normal, to give children a character who had similar experiences and feelings that they may have had over the past few weeks and could relate to. Using the story allowed teachers to have a discussion with their students about their experiences and how they were feeling, putting teachers in a position to support children's wellbeing as they transitioned back to school.
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SS CC HH OO OO LL II NN PP RR OO FF II LL EE ST TERESA'S COLLEGE – ABERGOWRIE
Staying connected with community As a Catholic boys residential boarding College for Years 7 to 12, St Teresa’s College offers students, in partnerships with their parents, a very complete and fulfilling educational experience. The College has served the needs of families since 1933 and has excelled over the past decade in supporting parents and communities to educate remote Indigenous Australian students from the Northern Territory, Cape York, the Torres Strait and even the southern Queensland area. COVID-19 restrictions for the St Teresa’s College community resulted in an innovative approach to delivering education. Due to travel in and out of certain communities being restricted, students were prevented from returning to the College. Many families
IN
loving
MEMORY
also faced the issue of having limited computers and internet access in their home communities, preventing studying online. The College’s professional learning community leapt into motion, developing integrated units delivered as hard copies with telephone support from staff members. This required a great deal of collaborative work, creative thinking and commitment.
Torres Weka 1992 – 2020
Mr Torres Weka was known around the College as the brother who had a gift for making others smile. He brought great joy to the community through his music and warm personality. His joyous spirit was infectious. Torres loved his work at the College, providing a supportive and listening ear to the young men. He was a wonderful role model who lived out his strong faith through his actions and music. He will always be a loved member of the Gowrie family and will hold a very special place in everyone's hearts.
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Here are some great initiatives that have been implemented during the global Coronavirus pandemic: LEARNING FROM HOME
HAPPENING AT HOME
To ensure equity for all students, teachers
The ‘Happening at Home’ Facebook
worked hard to co-plan integrated units
campaign was a wonderful online way to
around the central theme of ‘Environment
stay connected with students and their
and our impact on it’. Each week, ‘Learning
families while they were in lockdown. The
from Home’ packs were distributed to
College asked students to share photos
students and the College is very proud
and videos of what they have been doing
to see the consistent return of completed
and where they live. The feedback has
work. This approach has challenged
been fantastic and the staff loved getting
teachers to think differently about the
to know the students’ communities better.
way they deliver curriculum to students, and forced them to be creative in how specific learning needs are met.
STEd TV
From the Islands of the Torres Strait, to the communities throughout Australia, ‘Happening at Home’ offered the College community a wonderful way to stay connected.
One of the exciting initiatives that has come out of St Teresa’s College during this time of ‘Learning from Home’ has been STEd TV (St Teresa’s Education TV). The College wanted to ensure that students had access to a visual means of education that they could refer to when assistance was needed, which is when STEd TV was created. This platform has provided learning from home content to students that is professional, engaging and informative. Episodes were loaded onto the College’s Facebook page, where students accessed the content
COMMUNITY MENTORS
MESSAGES OF SUPPORT The College community has supporters
School Officers, Teaching and Residential
stretched far and wide across the country.
staff contacted students each week to
Artists, poets, dancers, storytellers and
touch base, encourage and help with any
comedians have shared messages
work that had been set. This process,
of support and encouragement via
as well as photos that the students
Facebook. Friend of the College, Boori
shared with the College of themselves
Pryor wrote a poem for the students called
working on school work with family
‘The Gathering’. He performed it with a
members, or around the home, has
message to keep strong by gathering
been wonderful in further developing
your words and allowing them to speak.
connections between school and family.
SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY
understand what their child was learning.
EMERGING LEADERS CARE PACKAGES
While Spielberg and Tarantino are definitely
The Emerging Leaders team sent out ‘care
Ingham and is home to many elderly
safe in their jobs, the Abergowrie staff have
packages’ to all students which included
people. With this in mind, the College
enjoyed creating episodes of STEd TV.
a pencil case and stationery items, an
decided it was important to connect
engagement booklet full of activities, a
with those who might not have family
packet of playing cards, math games and
close by, or those that were vulnerable
affirmation cards. The pack also included a
because of COVID-19 restrictions. The
wellbeing booklet prepared by the School
College conducted a letter drop, offering
Counsellors, and a packet of lollies!
assistance and support to those in the
Simone Cook shared weekly inspirational
The aim was to assist students to
local district. A team of staff members
videos to the College Facebook page
complete their school work at home
joined parishioners, Mr Tom and Mrs Eva
promoting wellness and connectedness.
and also give them activities that target
Duffy to drive through the Abergowrie
They shared their knowledge on how we
their wellbeing and mental health.
Valley to connect with each home.
when needed. Parents were also able to see the content and could then better
WELLBEING The area of wellbeing was a very strong focus for the College. Counsellors, Andrew Pollock, Michael Connelly and
can all get through these hard times.
Abergowrie is located 40kms from
The College community is stronger than ever and is looking forward to everyone being able to get together again.
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EMBRACING THE CHANGE
Must do, Should do, Could do. WRITTEN BY YEAR 1 TEACHERS JULIA SHAW, KYLIE DE DAUNTON AND JENI GILLMAN
Julia Shaw, Kylie De Daunton & Jeni Gillman
At Good Shepherd Catholic School, Rasmussen, we
was doing and to give them a sense of connectedness.
embraced the whole idea of learning from home. We
We could not contain our enthusiasm at seeing all
needed to get a quick handle on our goals, requirements
our hard work come together. We continued to stay
and expectations and so adopted the “Must do,
connected to the students by adding in personal videos
Should do, Could do” approach to help get us started
with messages, digital stickers and comments to their
– this meant we had to prioritise what must be done,
work. We honestly feel that those students learning from
what should be done and what could be done.
home were in no way disadvantaged during this time.
Our biggest concern about this whole new learning
This change has certainly allowed us to teach
experience was of course the social and emotional state
and learn differently with greater flexibility. This
of our students. We wanted student engagement to be
experience has not only given our parents a closer
a priority, but we also needed to be mindful of technical
look into how their child learns best, but it has forged
glitches, no internet access for some families, work confusion
a tighter relationship between school and home.
and the ability for parents to simultaneously help their kids at home as well as balance their own work commitments. Those who didn’t have laptops were given laptops and those who wanted hard copies were given hard copies. The response from our families was very overwhelming.
“As a parent, I thought the online learning experience was wonderful. It was very well organised by the teachers and staff. All the ‘how to’ information was emailed to me prior to commencing school work. This made our initial access and navigating the online
While we navigated this uncharted territory, we knew
classroom run smoothly. I loved that my son’s teacher
we were in this together, that we could rely on each
was quick to respond and helpful when I reached out to
other’s individual skills and wisdom to make this work.
her. What I found most rewarding was how connected
We then set up a clear weekly program, similar to what
the children stayed with their class. The interactive
we would be doing in the classroom but also achievable
lesson components mixed with the discovery of our own
in the home environment. We added in success criteria
backyard was lots of fun. We had a ton of laughs and
and learning intentions so parents knew what we
that precious time I got to spend with my child will forever
hoped to have achieved at the end of each activity. We
be cherished.” – Suzanne McDonald (Year 1 parent)
worked with our specialist teachers in Auslan, Music and PE and uploaded videos and activities so the children could engage in these lessons at home.
Now that our students have returned to school, we reflect and ponder what the message in all of this was for us as educators. This experience has allowed us
We have always jokingly referred to ourselves as “Team
to enhance our own pedagogy and practice. We now
Awesome” and this experience has only cemented
wonder, what is next for our delivery of education?
this mindset for us. We were in total awe of our level of
What new practices are we going to keep?
excitement. We were missing our students dearly so we wanted this time to be stress free and fun whilst delivering meaningful and memorable experiences for them all.
Students are growing up in a world where technology is a natural part of their environment so as educators we need to keep encouraging them to be adaptable, resilient
We decided Google Slides would be a wonderful way
and develop the skills to take active roles on this new
for students to upload photos and work samples so we
pathway of digital learning. It doesn’t matter what age
could see the work they were completing at home. This
the student is or what year level, it is possible and our
allowed all the students a chance to see what everyone
experiences have been nothing short of incredible.
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ST BENEDICT’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL
Reading Club
God in All of Life
ts.catholic.edu.au and send it to jwhalley1@stbenedic Take a photo of your family reading a fantastic prize! family will go into the draw for before the end of August and your
St Benedict's Catholic School, Shaw has implemented a school-based program to encourage reading at home, especially reading together as a family. They call it their 4B Club – Benny's, Books, Bed and a Bunch. The concept behind the 4B Club is for families to grab a book with family members and take it to bed for some shared story time. It was an overwhelming hit with many families getting involved and sharing photos of their reading time. Reading is such a powerful tool for relaxation at the end of the day and this model of family reading inspires children to engage in reading for enjoyment. Reading is a keystone for learning and helps inspire creative thinking, develop vocabulary and increase general knowledge.
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INNOVATION IN SCHOOLS
Our Schools Get Innovative! ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS DID A WONDERFUL JOB OF IMPLEMENTING CREATIVE AND EFFECTIVE WAYS TO CONNECT WITH STUDENTS DURING THE COVID-19 PERIOD. HERE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF THE FANTASTIC INITIATIVES APPLIED IN SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS.
St Joey’s Radio St Joseph’s Catholic School,
classroom teacher, and a weekly meditation
The online radio also included liturgies
Mundingburra has been using an
as a school with home and school joining in.
and weekly lunchtime discos with online
online radio platform called “Joey’s Live” to connect home with school.
“It was a great way to connect with home
playlists for the students at home.
and school, and try to maintain some of
It has been so successful that “Joey’s Live”
This included a weekly live broadcast
our routines that we normally have each
will be an ongoing feature at the school
for assembly run by students, weekly
week,” said Principal, Justen Orford.
with students scripting and organising
pre-recorded audio messages from each
Care Packs To ensure the wellbeing of all students was maintained during their time away from school, the leadership team at St Mary’s Catholic School, Bowen developed ‘Care Packs’ to send home via the post. Each pack was themed differently to include an ANZAC Day pack, Mother’s Day Pack and Rainbow Pack. Included in each pack were items for their prayer spaces, prayers cards, activities and a Principal’s Challenge. The students were required to create certain items and then to email the principal photos of their challenge. These photos were then posted to the school’s Facebook page to share the amazing work with all families.
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the radio schedule and live feeds.
INNOVATION IN SCHOOLS
Ahoy, me hearties During the COVID-19 period, St Francis
which generated great enthusiasm and
School, Ayr was taken captive by Pirates
excitement amongst the students and
in the Prep learning area. Class teachers,
provided great feedback from parents
Cate Eathorne and Estelle Hildebrandt
on how the children were learning.
created an innovative and interactive
The students loved the idea of pirates
“Choose your own adventure” unit of work
and showed great independence and
which students could explore whether
resilience during their quest to find the
learning from home, or at school.
missing treasure while learning key
Captain Eathorne directed the students
curriculum concepts along the journey.
each morning through a series of “quests”
Staying Positive While COVID-19 has altered many aspects
were encouraged to write about what they
of our lives, students at St Patrick’s
were grateful for on a ‘sun ray’ which helped
Catholic School, Winton willingly embraced
build a beautiful bright sun of gratitude
the new way of learning from home.
which was then displayed at the school.
The staff focussed their energy in a positive
This exercise showed students that even
direction by encouraging students to think
though COVID-19 changed a lot of things
of 100 reasons why they love the school
in their lives, they discovered that they
and write these on 100 hearts. The students
have so many things to be grateful for.
Celebrating Family St Joseph’s Catholic School, Mount Isa
still growing every day, and the school has
is very connected to their school family
been excited to include photos from their
as often, a lot of staff and students are
relief staff and from visiting Service Team
away from their families. COVID-19 meant
staff from Townsville Catholic Education.
that the school community was feeling isolated from their families, so as part of International Day of Families, which was celebrated on the 15th of May, the school created a staff family photo wall. The wall is
St Joseph’s Catholic School has a popular saying around the school, which has become more evident during these times, “When colleagues become friends and those friends become Joey’s family!”
Staying Active Brenton Place, PE Teacher at Holy Spirit Catholic School, Cranbrook focused on healthy bodies with an emphasis on fitness for students and their families during the home-based learning period. Using the school’s online platform, Mr Place created videos of simple circuits for children at home and at school. He also incorporated ‘family fitness’ activities such as walking the dog or going for a bike ride. A busy father of two young children himself, Mr Place was very conscious of the demands on parents’ time.
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CHANGES IN FAITH LEADERSHIP
A Faith Response to COVID-19 There is a restlessness
and social belonging. The studies
coupled with a desire to get
have shown that those who
back to normal since the
turn to faith in times of crisis,
introduction of restrictions
experience less grief later on .
during the global pandemic.
At Townsville Catholic Education,
At this time, families are turning
System Learning and Teaching
to scripture and faith rituals. They
Adviser – Religious Education,
reflect that scripture and prayer
Mary Mudge published daily
provides them with the courage
reflection videos on the
to get through the difficult times.
organisation's YouTube channel leading up to Easter. During
One of our school parents said
the COVID-19 restrictions and
“We turned to scripture and
isolation periods, it dawned on
we found Paul telling Timothy
Mary how lonely and alone we
in 140AD, ‘faith should give courage to stand fast against hard
could all feel in this new world.
times (2 Timothy 1:12) and Paul
“I saw parallels between the
stating that Jesus gave him the
journey of Jesus during Holy
strength and courage to “endure
Week and what the world was
all things” (Philippians 4:13)’.
about to endure because of
Our faith comforts us and in times of crisis it often flourishes. Faith
of the technology in our world
growth so we can be spiritually
and how it would be life giving
refreshed and emotionally and physically renewed to continue on.
participation of all people as a faith
courage to ensure all things. Research studies have shown that faith improves health, facilitates coping strategies, improves emotional regulation
for us in this time,” said Mary. We are at the beginning of the
Faith brings us together, it is the
God that gives us strength and
be lonely, despondent, in need of hope and love. I also thought
strengthens our inner spiritual
community in the whole work of
COVID-19. I saw that people could
road to figuring it out, trying, stumbling towards a new tomorrow and a new normal. One thing we must never forget is that God is with us while we are faithing into our future. Take a Sabbath break, faith is our comforter. Make time for ourselves, our family and our faith.
TO VIEW THE VIDEOS, VISIT THE TSV CATHOLIC EDUCATION YOUTUBE CHANNEL 10
Let us pray, MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU. MAY THE LORD LET HIS FACE SHINE UPON YOU, AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU. MAY THE LORD LOOK UPON YOU K I N D LY A N D G I V E Y O U P E A C E .
Amen.
CHANGES IN FAITH LEADERSHIP
Priests get tech savvy to connect with Parishes When the announcement was made
Fr Dave Lancini from the Good Shepherd
that all places of worship were to close
Parish in Kirwan has released regular short
as part of the restrictions to deal with
videos with reflections as a way of staying
the COVID-19 pandemic, all priests and
in touch. These videos have reached
parishes across Australia and the Townsville
tens of thousands of people with the first
Diocese had to find new ways of keeping
video shared more than 200 times and
in contact with their communities.
reaching more than 25,000 people. Fr
Bishop Tim met with priests via a Zoom meeting and asked them to remain in contact with their parishioners. “We must continue to minister our communities through these difficult times,” he told the priests. Some parishes offered Masses live streamed using their Facebook pages with some connecting to hundreds each day. “Over Easter, more than
Dave had a lot of people enquire about where they could see the video, so he created his own Parish YouTube channel to allow others to hear the messages of hope during these times of isolation. Bishop Tim wants people to know that during these unprecedented times our hearts have remained open and we have and will continue to reach out to others in our community.
1000 people watched many of the
“It’s important that we abide by
Easter Triduum celebrations with many
the directions given to us and we
viewing daily Masses from the Sacred
provide a COVID-Safe environment
Heart Cathedral,” said Bishop Tim.
for those who visit our Churches.”
YOUTUBE CHANNEL: MINISTERIAL REGION OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD 11
LOVE OUR TEACHERS OVER THE NEXT FEW PAGES YOU WILL HEAR FROM OUR TEACHERS, STUDENTS AND PARENTS ABOUT HOW COVID-19 HAS AFFECTED THEM AND WHAT ONLINE LEARNING WAS LIKE FROM HOME AND FROM SCHOOL.
Teaching is a beautiful job; as it allows you to see the growth day by day of people entrusted in your care. It is a little like being parents, at least spiritually. It is a great responsibility. – Pope Francis
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Teacher Profiles Early Years JESS CARROLL PREP/YEAR 1 & 2 TEACHER ST FRANCIS CATHOLIC SCHOOL, HUGHENDEN How did COVID-19 affect your teaching?
What was the team morale like?
A lot of consideration has been needed
I am fortunate to be part of a fun and
in deciding which topics and concepts
supportive team who helps each other
should be taught while learning at home.
out wherever possible. Everyone
Teachers have had to plan activities that
realises that schools all around the
only rely on resources from the packs
world have been impacted.
we sent home and common household objects. This changes many of the
What were the students’ attitudes like?
plans we would normally use when we
It has been a difficult time for many
have a wide variety of learning tools
students as the students at home miss
available to us in our classrooms.
their friends and those at school have
What did you implement to deal with the change to home-based learning?
had to adapt to most of their day being spent on a computer. Despite that, most students have tried hard and produced
As our main communication method
some great work during the term. I
for learning at home became Google
think they will all be pleased when
Classroom, I had to restructure how we
school returns to a semi normal state.
were using it to make it more user friendly when a large amount of information needed to be shared. I moved to a
What’s one thing you learned from this whole experience?
daily overview which contained all the
Not really a new learning, but it reinforced
necessary links for the day’s activities,
to me the importance of being part of
whereas previously we only accessed
a supportive community. We have all
our Google Classroom for specific tasks.
missed being together in one space to share learning, laughter, accomplishments and celebrations. I hope it helps people to be more appreciative of the small things in life and to focus on the good.
LOVE OUR TEACHERS
Primary School
have taken it on board and produced
students to go back and revisit or rewatch
videos to show students examples of
something and then practice that skill.
WENDY COOKE YEAR 3 TEACHER RYAN CATHOLIC COLLEGE, KIRWAN
how to complete some activities.
How did COVID-19 affect your teaching? I feel that it has brought a lot of our learning objectives back into focus as we rethink the content that we would like the students to
from this whole experience?
At the beginning, the thought of having
Teachers are more resilient than they
to set up for on-line learning was a
realise. Once you take a step towards
daunting task for most of the teachers.
facing your fears (i.e. using computers)
Many were reluctant but learnt quickly
you find that you are more capable and
how easy ‘Set up’ could be. Once the
have more skills than you think. It also
Google Classrooms had been set up
shows that whilst we think students are
teachers seemed to be more at ease.
proficient with computers, many of them
be aware of. It has also shown me that we
What were the students’ attitudes like?
need to give parents a different explanation
The students have generally enjoyed
for how we teach the skills students need.
using the computers. Many of them have
What did you implement to deal with
learnt IT skills and capabilities that they
the change to home-based learning?
wouldn’t otherwise have achieved for
I helped year levels across the Junior Campus (P-4) to set up Year level Google Classrooms. One of my favourite things was to show all the teachers ‘Screencastify’. It has been amazing to see how they
What’s one thing you learned
What was the team morale like?
are not. I would like to continue with some of the online learning activities especially for subjects like HASS, Science, Literacy and Numeracy so that I can have more differentiation within my classroom.
a few more months. For some students online learning has had them more engaged than they would normally be and they look forward to logging on each day, furthering their knowledge at their own pace. This platform also allows
What did you implement to deal with
What was the team morale like?
the change to home-based learning?
The morale has been very positive
To deal with the changes to home-based
with many teachers understanding the
learning I provided students with a weekly
challenges that everyone has faced during
outline of the main teaching and learning
this unprecedented time. Everyone has
activities that they would be experiencing
embraced the circumstances caused by
Secondary School
each day. Students knew exactly what
the virus as an opportunity to reach out
resources and learning experiences they
to fellow colleagues for support and to
LUKE MARANO BURDEKIN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL, AYR
online. Video tutorials were developed to
What were the students’ attitudes like?
provide students with modelled instruction.
The attitudes of students towards home-
Google Classrooms became an effective
based learning has been well received.
tool to collect evidence of student
Many of the students have spoken positively
work and provide individual feedback
about using new programs and applications.
How did COVID-19 affect your teaching?
would need to access for each lesson
upskill by collaborating with each other.
and also what they needed to submit
from the submission of worksheets and
What’s one thing you learned
Like so many other educators, the virus
photos of completed questions. Online
has caused me to reevaluate my teaching
meetings were utilised to maintain guided
practices and utilise online learning
instruction and collaborative learning
I have learnt that even in difficult times,
platforms within a short amount of time.
experiences by using shared google
the spirit of the school community will
It has allowed me to implement different
documents and the whiteboard program
thrive. We are all a part of the school
strategies and resources into lessons that
on student devices which allowed
community and we are all here to look
are engaging and meaningful for students.
students to collaborate in real time.
out for and support each other.
from this whole experience?
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LOVE OUR STUDENTS
Primary Student Profiles St Peter’s Catholic School, Halifax
St Peter’s Catholic School, Halifax
DENAE CONDON | YEAR 6 STUDENT
DEXTER BRITTON | YEAR 6 STUDENT
What was home-based learning like for you?
What was home-based learning like for you?
I was excited to see how online schooling would work.
It has been difficult at times but as I got used to
Learning how to use Google Classroom has been fun. I
it I have become more independent. It has also
enjoyed being back with some friends although the school
taught me to manage my time better.
was a lot quieter than it normally is. Having fewer students means that we all play together at lunch times which is nice.
What was your teacher like during this experience? Ms Spina is our great teacher and has stayed that
What was your teacher like during this experience?
way during these times. My mum got me started and
My teacher Ms Spina is working nonstop on her computer
also helped me be an independent person.
to make sure our online learning runs smoothly.
How did you stay in touch with classmates?
How did you stay in touch with classmates?
Every now and then I email my friends to ask about school work
It was fun to hear my classmates ask Ms Spina questions
and sometimes just to say G'day. Everyday Ms Spina would start
during Zoom check-ins and I liked working using the online
a Zoom meeting to talk about school work and ask questions
time table. Because we get all
and sometimes we can answer
our work done early, Mrs Spina
I N G
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each other's questions using N
the chat function on Zoom.
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for us which we all loved.
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organised afternoon activities
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Let us thank all those who teach in Catholic schools. Educating is an act of Love; it is like giving life. – Pope Francis
14
LOVE OUR STUDENTS
Secondary Student Profiles Columba Catholic College, Charters Towers
Columba Catholic College, Charters Towers
BREE-ANNA MEEHAN YEAR 12 STUDENT
JORJA LOCOCO YEAR 12 STUDENT
What was it like being at school at the start of Term 2
What has home-based learning been like for you?
when so many people were learning from home?
As a Year 12 student, home-based learning and having
I found that the first few days of Term 2 were quite
to adapt to an online learning environment has been an
overwhelming. We came back not knowing what to expect
interesting experience to say the least. Although completing
and we had to quickly adapt to what would become
work from home was daunting at first, I have developed a
the new norm for the following few weeks. The campus
higher level of independence and resilience as a result, and
was very eerie with so many students missing.
I am confident I am on the right path to completing my final year of schooling. Although we have all been physically
What were your teachers like during this experience?
distanced, learning through a virtual environment has
Our teachers worked tirelessly to ensure that our transition
brought us all together in exciting and innovative ways.
to online learning went as smoothly as possible. Of course, What were your teachers like during this experience?
the first few days did not come without their challenges; nevertheless, we worked through them. Every student
My teachers and all staff at Columba have responded
was given an abundance of support and reassurance
accordingly to the concept of completing schoolwork in
from our amazing teachers during our online learning
a virtual environment. My teachers have gone above and
period. Although online learning may not have been ideal,
beyond to accommodate their students’ needs and have
it has opened up many opportunities for our teachers
been very supportive during this challenging time. On top
to experiment with new online learning platforms, as
of that, my teachers have been regularly uploading work on
well as new innovative ways to deliver the content.
Google Classroom and Education Perfect, as well as holding weekly Google Meets to teach and catch up with students.
How did you stay in touch with classmates?
How did you stay in touch with classmates?
Our normal face-to-face interactions were replaced by the next best thing, Google Meet. This online platform allowed
Navigating online learning was one thing; finding different ways
all of us to stay connected with not only our teachers, but
to interact and stay in touch with my classmates was another.
our classmates as well. Outside of school hours, I kept in
I found that regularly messaging back and forth with friends
touch with classmates through apps such as Messenger and
and fellow peers was the best way to achieve adequate social
FaceTime. During our period of online learning, I found that it
distancing protocols. Having the ability to chat with friends and
was so important for our mental
classmates via social media and O
Google Classroom enabled us N
to keep in touch and keep up
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to date with each of our lives.
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those who were not at school.
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in on classmates, especially
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health to continually be checking
M
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15
LOVE OUR PARENTS
Parent Profiles NICOLE KOLB
solve independently which is certainly a positive learning outcome that has
Nicole has two children who attend
inadvertently arisen from online learning.
Southern Cross Catholic College,
The children were also encouraged to
Annandale in Year 6 and Year 8.
ask their peers for assistance if required.
How was the home-based
This was great for them to keep in touch.
Is there anything your child’s teacher did that impressed you? Both of my children’s teachers sent personalised ‘postcards’ to my children,
learning model for you?
What was the school like during this time?
The home-based learning model for our
Southern Cross Catholic College was very
online work. This was very special and was
family was very efficient. It allowed for
open and responsive. We were provided
really great for their continuing motivation.
flexibility in completing tasks so that it`
with information as soon as it came to hand.
could be managed around home life.
Most of the information was presented
The expectations of the students were
in video and written form which was
clear and the resources provided were
very effective. Not only did we receive
It has reiterated to us that school isn’t
helpful and appropriate. My children
information regarding dates/policy, but the
all about books/computers, it is so much
knew what they had to do, by when,
school ensured the ‘community spirit’ was
more. Community spirit within the school,
were encouraged to ask questions
not forgotten. They posted videos regularly
our faith and social connections are
and constantly offered assistance if
and the ‘Friends’ video ensured that we all
invaluable ‘lessons’ my children learn
required. My children learnt to problem
still felt connected and made us all smile.
at Southern Cross Catholic College.
LEONIE WINKS
make the whole process run more smoothly.
a new system, so were they, and I can’t
Leonie’s children are both enrolled in
What was the school like during this time?
Catholic schools in Mount Isa, Samuel
Both schools were fantastic with
is enrolled at Good Shepherd Catholic
communication, especially at the beginning
College in Year 8 and Hayley is enrolled
when we were feeling rather confused and
at St Kieran's Catholic School in Year 6.
out of our depth at times. We continually
What’s one thing you learnt
How was the home-based
received emails and phone calls from
from this whole situation?
learning model for you?
their class teachers, homeroom teachers,
From a parent perspective, we were able
APRE and principals, checking that we
to witness a more detailed version of the
were okay, and if we needed help with
curriculum that the kids learn at school
anything. These phone calls and emails
every day, and often we only see the little
were truly appreciated, especially knowing
bits they do as part of their homework.
that both schools were dealing with
Also, I am now very familiar again with
potentially hundreds of families a day.
Physical and Chemical changes as well
The turnaround time between sending
as BOMDAS (brackets order multiplication
an email and receiving correspondence
division addition subtraction), after
back from the schools was amazing, and
being out of school for 22 years.
Anything new (regardless of how old we are) is always a little daunting at times, and this was no exception, for both the kids and myself. Both schools had a very different home-based learning program, so it was a little overwhelming in the first couple of days, trying to wrap our heads around it all and ensure we were doing all that was required. Once we worked our way through the first week of learning, we all started to relax a little and enjoy the “new normal” for what it was. We also truly appreciated that both
quite often, within minutes of sending the emails, we had a response. Is there anything your child’s teacher did that impressed you?
schools were constantly adapting and
I think it’s very difficult to pinpoint any
changing the home-based learning program
one thing that they have done better than
to deal with what was not working and
another, as they have done an amazing job
quickly implementing new systems to help
all round. As much as we were learning
16
congratulating them on completing the
What’s one thing you learnt from this whole situation?
imagine it was easy. Every staff member that we dealt with at both schools were amazing, and working 100% of the time to do what they could to reduce family anxiety.
CHANGES IN COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
Wellbeing in our schools During the COVID-19 restrictions and
Loneliness (how to keep in touch with
school closures, our Guidance Counsellors
others when you cannot see them); Worry
sought out the most effective ways to
and Coping (what to do if you are worried
retain contact with students at risk and
and coping strategies) and Gratitude.
those students requiring additional social-emotional support during this time.
Simone Cook, Guidance Counsellor at
Helping your child in times of uncertainty
Gilroy Santa Maria College in Ingham sent
Children and young people respond
out a Wellbeing Calendar to students
in unique ways and it is helpful to
with tasks to do each day. She also set
recognise if your child is behaving
up Google Classroom pages for each
differently. Adults can play a vital role
year level in conjunction with the school
in supporting children and young
The development of a remote guidance
Pastoral Team. New wellbeing topics were
people through the experience.
counselling service using email, phone
shared weekly with activities for students
contact and Zoom video-conferencing
to partake in during the restrictions.
HELPFUL TIPS:
Guidance Counsellors Deb Jeffrey
• Offer your attention, patience
They liaised regularly with other dioceses and the education sector to ensure that we kept our pace with our state colleagues to best serve our students.
was established as a suitable means of supporting students and their families during restrictions. Staff were able to access a range of educational materials and professional development opportunities to equip them with the knowledge and online clinical skills that would make them most effective in supporting students and families during this time.
and Carmen Toohey, together with the dedicated Pastoral Care team at St Margaret
and love • Calmly listen to your child’s story
Mary’s College, Hyde Park have stayed
and encourage them to ask
connected with students via email and
questions to trusted adults
through regular Facebook posts. A Student Wellbeing Hub, developed by Michelle Kotzas, Assistant Principal – Pastoral and Guidance staff was made available
• Involve your child in decisions that affect them • Respond to questions
Here are some of the wonderful
through the College website. It provided
with clear, factual and age
wellbeing initiatives that were
students with a wealth of information to
appropriate information
implemented in our schools during
nurture their mind, body and spirit.
the home-based learning period:
At Columba Catholic College in Charters
• Reflect on past successes • Model positive ways to cope and
Guidance Counsellor, Christine Lewis ran
Towers, it was not only important to
Wellbeing sessions with students on a range
support students in boarding who had
of topics. Activities involved reading a story
returned to their remote locations during
and then doing a task. Videos of the story
the restrictions, but also those students
reading and activities were also shared
that were still attending school. The
with students via Google Classrooms so
Wellbeing room was open during lunch
that anyone from home could access this.
time to provide a place to connect with
OTHER WAYS TO HELP INCLUDE:
others during a time of change when
• Maintain daily routines
The key topics included Boredom busters (dealing with boredom at home);
prioritise some quality time together • Build hope and focus on 3 things you are grateful for
usual friendship groups were disrupted. • Stay social and connect with special people and loved ones • Get active – go for a walk, listen to music, play with a pet • Be curious and learn a new skill • Help others and have an “I Can” attitude • Plan some fun activities to look forward to during and after this time
17
Term 3 Dates First Day of Term 3
Monday 13 July
Catholic Education Week
26 July – 1 August
Schools Tree Day
Friday 31 July
National Tree Day
Sunday 2 August
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day
Tuesday 4 August
Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop
Saturday 8 August
International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples
Sunday 9 August
Feast of St Clare of Assisi
Tuesday 11 August
Feast of the Assumption
Saturday 15 August
National Science Week 2020
15 – 23 August
Indigenous Literacy Day
Wednesday 2 September
Father’s Day
Sunday 6 September
National Child Protection Week
6 – 12 September
Australian Citizenship Day
Thursday 17 September
Last Day of Term 3
Friday 18 September
We want to respond to the pandemic of the virus with the universality of prayer, compassion, tenderness. Let us stay united. – Pope Francis.
18
LOVE OUR NORTHERN SCHOOLS
Gilroy Santa Maria College, Ingham Although the start of Term 2 proved
Bolognese and Pesto. Each week, students
challenging with students being off
would upload photos of their wonderful
campus, the Food Technology students
cookery skills, which have been impressive.
were cooking up a storm in lots of Ingham kitchens. Year 9 students started the term cooking ANZAC biscuits, while paying tribute to the history and origins of how this iconic biscuit came to be.
Year 10 students studied yeast cookery this term and produced some wonderful loaves of bread. They also looked at the various combinations of how bread is used to make focaccia, pizza and calzones. Students
Year 9 students have also learnt the art of
investigated the scientific fundamentals in
making fresh pasta from scratch along with
the art of baking and how to perfect the
learning about the industrial food production
ultimate rise in cakes and sponge cakes.
of dried pasta, by exploring Italy’s Barilla factory in Parma. Students are learning about how to make pasta sauces including
for crowds and breakfasts. Students have come up with various dishes under
Our senior students are continuing their
these categories and impressed the
Independent Living Skills cookery tasks, by
school with their culinary skills at home.
cooking dishes related to soups, cooking
Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School, Ingham WRITTEN BY GRANT MARTIN - YEAR 6 STUDENT
Online learning this term saw
trip home on the bus or car and instead we
many changes come our way!!
could go out on the farm with mum and dad
At first, it was very different,
to feed the animals and muster the cattle.
exciting, and even a bit scary!
We also went to grandma and grandad’s
The thing I liked the best, was that we didn’t
to help muster their cattle into the yards.
have to wake up so early to catch the bus,
The hard thing was that we couldn’t get
and we could start our school day when
too close to our grandparents and that
it suited us. I enjoyed working outside
was something we found very tough.
on the back verandah with mum and my brothers, overlooking our cow paddock and the beautiful hill at the back of our farm.
Online Learning at home meant we spent a lot of time with family doing fun things like horse riding and relaxing. I missed my
The school work that was set by our
teachers and friends but found learning from
teachers was easy to understand because
home had its good points too!! We even
it always came with a video of our teachers
celebrated ANZAC Day at home! One day I
explaining what we had to do. In the
will get to tell my grandchildren this story!
afternoon we didn’t have to take a long
St Peter's Catholic School, Halifax At St Peter’s Catholic School, Halifax we
looked forward to the afternoons as they
and allows us to collaborate further,
found new skills, particularly in the use
participated in gardening, cooking, art, craft,
improving our motivation to learn.
of technology, which were developed
sport, STEM activities and board games.
and student resilience and independence
Afternoon activities deliberately did not
grew as students took responsibility of
involve screens. Teachers were rostered
their own learning. Online learning pushed
on once a week, ensuring they had time
them to think, learn and teach in new ways.
to plan for the remaining four afternoons.
Each afternoon during online learning,
Going forward we hope to use our
teachers were rostered to organise a
new learnings to develop our students
variety of activities which built knowledge
as 21st Century learners. Technology,
and skills in students from Prep–Year 6,
if used correctly, enables students
enabling younger and older students to
to work independently at their own
work together collaboratively. Students
pace, makes us more time-efficient,
19
LOVE OUR SOUTHERN SCHOOLS
St John Bosco Catholic School, Collinsville Like all schools, St John Bosco Catholic
as well as running small online catch up
School, Collinsville has worked hard to
sessions with students. Google Classrooms
adapt to the changes brought about by
were the first point of contact for most
the COVID-19 outbreak. The staff have
students each day and teachers have tried
embraced online learning and worked hard
to make things as easy as possible with
to make sure that all students were catered
instructional videos, hyperlinked documents
for and able to access what they needed
with lessons linked each day, and access
to continue their learning at home. Each
to online learning programs such as
week, teachers checked in with families
Studyladder and Reading Eggs. The staff
to make sure they were on track and to
adapted to all the changes and we would
see how everything was going. The school
like to celebrate all of them for their hard
chaplain also kept in contact with many
work and effort over the last few weeks!
of our families to support their wellbeing,
St Francis School, Ayr Students and teachers were wondering
The St Francis community is very excited
of the art complex that will cater for the
if an earthquake had hit St Francis
that work has commenced on a $5.2 million
needs of the 21st Century learner. Works
School, Ayr when they heard a huge
project which includes a new administration
are expected to be complete in early
rumble and felt a massive shudder!
building, new library and 6 new general
December ready for the 2021 school year.
No need to worry, it was only the beginning of building works!
20
learning areas. This will transform the school and expose a contemporary, state
LOVE OUR SOUTHERN SCHOOLS
St Catherine’s Catholic College, The Whitsundays At St Catherine's Catholic College, The
Small candles and crosses helped students
Whitsundays the teaching staff were
to set up their own prayer spaces as well as
working hard to keep the community
some Mother’s Day & ANZAC Day resources
spirit alive during our online learning
that they would normally have found at
phase. Initiatives such as House challenges,
school. During our online assemblies,
Thankful Thursdays and online assemblies
students were asked to nominate parents
have helped students to keep their
and carers for special Mercy awards for
connections to the school community. At the
their extra efforts during their time at home.
end of Term One, students were sent out care packs with items to help them set up their learning and prayer spaces at home.
In what has been a very strange time, the St Catherine’s Community spirit has remained as resilient and strong as ever.
St Mary’s Catholic School, Bowen This term has seen St Mary’s Catholic
Our prayerful life is fundamental to who
School, Bowen move in a very different
we are and the COVID-19 restrictions have
world to address the challenges imposed
not limited the Religious Life of the school.
by the COVID-19 pandemic. The school
The Year 3 and 4 classes led the school
staff have fully embraced the Online
in prayer for a virtual ANZAC Day Liturgy.
Learning Platform and have provided one
Parish Priest, Fr Thomas attended the
another with collegial support as we all walk
school in person, with all classes joining
side by side on the continuity of the learning
the Liturgy via Google Hangout. All families
journey. During the development phase
from home were invited to join the Hangout.
of the Online Learning Platforms, central
School life is different, yet what this time
to all teachers was the desire and need to
has clearly demonstrated is the sheer
maintain regular contact with their students
determination, resilience and flexibility
and families, making daily Google Hangouts
of teachers, who place children and their
a priority of our Learning Platforms.
families at the very core of all they do.
St Colman’s School, Home Hill St Colman’s School, Home Hill is so proud of our Prep students. They settled back into Term 2 and were engrossed in their learning. This group of students definitely value their education. Their teacher is amazed that some are already writing sentences with correct spelling and are able to complete simple mathematical word problems with the use of concrete materials.
21
LOVE OUR TOWNSVILLE SCHOOLS
St Margaret Mary’s College, Hyde Park not here; she missed her students.
Holy Spirit Catholic School, Cranbrook
the world by surprise. The changes
Ms Lloyd stated it was hard to maintain
Holy Spirit Catholic School, Cranbrook
to schooling and socialising are not
social distancing protocols because
teachers answered the call via a
anything I have experienced in my
as humans we’re naturally drawn to
Google Meet to prepare students
lifetime. The school environment
connect with each other. Teachers are
and parents for online learning.
changed dramatically from face-to-face
used to encouraging students to work
Laptops were distributed, desks
teaching to online learning. Ms Alison
together so it is unfamiliar to tell them
and chairs were made available and
Lloyd, an English teacher at St Margaret
to work separately. It was very fortunate
families were encouraged to borrow
Mary’s College, explained the impact of
that our school already used the Google
library books to ensure everyone
COVID-19 in the school environment.
platform which made the transition
was ready for the next five weeks.
BY E M I LY LO N E – YEAR 8 STUDENT
to school when the majority of the 795 members of our community were
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken
to online learning easier, although Ms Lloyd stated that it was not
teaching via video is interesting!
necessarily hard or easy to cope with
Learning Enrichment Teacher, Kirsten Logan facilitated a program to ensure
but it was certainly different. The main
Ms Lloyd’s hopes post-COVID-19
her students’ learning would be optimal.
difference being that most teachers
are that the world will rediscover
As a competent and passionate
join the profession because they like
the value of simple things such as
teacher, Kirsten knew that research
interacting and working with people.
making time to slow down and enjoy
has shown intensive, systematic and
She said it was very strange to come
connection with family and friends.
explicit instruction in word attack skills, sight words and reinforced reading on a regular basis is essential to develop independent readers. It was very rewarding and a lot of fun for students to have mum or dad sitting in the background or joining in with the lessons. Google Hangouts and Google Meets have been a huge learning curve for both the teachers, school officers and parents. Staff members, parents and students have worked together and been equally impressed with the Holy Spirit Learning Enrichment Program.
22
LOVE OUR TOWNSVILLE SCHOOLS
St Clare’s Catholic School, Burdell Teachers at St Clare’s Catholic School, Burdell definitely stepped outside their comfort zone doing things they never thought they would. From creating online dance videos to producing animated characters of themselves to teach! Teachers missed their students greatly and communication has never been so important. Students were able to get in touch with a teacher at any point through the school day via Google Classroom, phone calls and emails. Students continued to receive feedback on their tasks and it was wonderful to see so many photos of smiling faces enjoying their learning at home. Staff have ‘pledged’ to take forward a few ideas from the online learning experience into their everyday normal practice.
Marian Catholic School, Currajong Tuesday 26 May was National Sorry
The purple hibiscus is a symbol
members of the school's Kurrajong
Day and the students at Marian Catholic
for the Stolen Generation because
Kids group assisted Georgette Miller
School, Currajong placed paper hibiscus
it is found widely across Australia
and Miss Therese with the placement
flowers in their Indigenous garden.
and is a survivor. Its colour denotes
of flowers around the garden.
compassion and spiritual healing. Student
23
LOVE OUR TOWNSVILLE SCHOOLS
Ryan Catholic College, Kirwan By the time the State Government closed
They provided opportunities for students
during the day and engage in scheduled
schools in Week 9 of Term 1, Ryan Catholic
to strengthen core skills in a self-paced
synchronous (live) lessons with their
College had already created a Google
and self-guided manner. Parents were
teachers via Zoom or Google Meet.
site which would direct students and
encouraged to work with their children to
Each subject had a scheduled one hour
parents in an online learning and teaching
identify appropriate self-guided learning
synchronous lesson a week. Teachers
environment. Learning@Home@Ryan
activities and whole family engagement was
stretched themselves to learn new
was officially launched during the Easter
often possible. This included mindfulness
technologies in this setting. Everything
holidays. Whilst the Curriculum Team at
prompts and activities, lockdown diary,
from shared screens with PowerPoints,
Ryan engineered the site, the key creative
lego challenge cards, yoga, special
quizzes via Google Forms, Quizlet,
drive came from Assistant Principal, Graham
occasion projects for Easter, Anzac Day
Flipgrid, Education Perfect, Kahoot,
Joseph, in the design of a user friendly
and Mother’s Day, The Resilience Project
Screencastify and a liberal dash of
portal for parents and students to be able
@ Home activities and many more.
YouTube, was on the menu. The Maths
to know the expectations of learning at home. The portal was accessible via the College Website and enabled direct access to the students’ Google Classrooms. The key features of Learning@Home@Ryan was the suggested student timetable that set out the required time and subjects for each day. This clear recommendation of appropriate time for online learning, made time for work and play with afternoons recommended for supplementary programs which were also accessed via the portal.
Southern Cross Catholic College, Annandale Southern Cross Catholic College celebrated their Feast Day with a difference this year. As they were unable to gather together as a whole College, two movies were created for the students to watch. The Marian charism and a walk down memory lane looking at the history of the College constituted the first movie. After viewing this, all the students moved into family grouping to complete an activity around the theme of ‘Love’ that is being explored this year. The second movie then followed with the investiture of the new secondary student leaders and the running of the Mary Help of Christians Gift footrace. The highlight of the day was to have all students in the College, from prep to year 12, engaged in learning about the same thing simultaneously!
24
Senior students in Years 11 and 12 were directed to follow their regular timetable
Department even developed their own YouTube channel for students to access recorded Maths lessons on every subject.
LOVE OUR TOWNSVILLE SCHOOLS
St Joseph’s Catholic School, The Strand Without the Cross Country event this year,
some fitness and stamina in a fun way
St Joseph’s Catholic School, The Strand’s
as the emphasis is on having a go and
annual and very popular ‘Townsville 2
enjoying a jog. The first year level to reach
Cairns Challenge’ took on even greater
Cairns receives the coveted ‘Townsville to
significance in Term 2. This challenge is
Cairns’ trophy. This year students learning
usually a warm-up event for the school
from home joined students attending
cross country. Students run laps of the
school to participate in the challenge.
oval and record their laps. These laps are
The students did so well that when they
then added to a year level tally which is
‘arrived’ in Cairns, they turned around and
then converted to kilometres that have
ran back to North Ward. What an effort!
been run. This initiative helps to develop
St Anthony’s Catholic College, Deeragun Aquatic Practices (Applied subject) is offered in Year 11 at St Anthony’s Catholic College, Deeragun. To assist in its delivery, a wet lab has been constructed in the science area. Students undertaking studies in Aquatic Practices will use the lab to breed fish and undertake trials. Other science classes will be able to use the area to conduct experiments and observe the fish. Rebecca Mills is the teacher of Aquatic Practices and is very excited to have the use of such a great area.
Good Shepherd Catholic School, Rasmussen National Simultaneous Story Time took
the story of “Whitney and Britney Chicken
place on 27 May. Usually the students and
Divas”. Whitney was played by our Principal,
staff of Good Shepherd Catholic School,
Ms Scrase, Britney was played by our
Rasmussen gather together as a whole
APRE, Mrs Preitz and Dora Von Dooze
school to read the story designated by
was played by our Librarian, Mrs Cameron.
the Australian Library and Information
The students watched the performance
Association (ALIA). As they were unable
in their own classes at 11:00am and
to assemble this year they instead filmed
undertook activities relating to the story.
25
LOVE OUR WESTERN SCHOOLS
St Joseph’s Catholic School, Mount Isa Like all other schools across the Townsville
resource packs and Google Classrooms
Classrooms each day. The duo recorded
Diocese, St Joseph's Catholic School,
served the school community well during
videos as pilots in flight, newsreaders and
Mount Isa responded to COVID-19
this time and the creativity and dedication
Steve and Terri Irwin. Their videos were
challenges in many ways to support
of our teachers was inspiring. Our Year
well-received by students and parents
the learning and wellbeing of students,
4 teachers created a bit of fun for their
using our Learning@Home platform.
families and staff. Learning@Home
students in the morning greeting on Google
St Joseph's Catholic School, Cloncurry This year, due to the COVID-19 global
For those students attending school
pandemic, St Joseph’s Catholic School,
for their learning, there was a Mother’s
Good Shepherd Catholic College, Mount Isa
Cloncurry had a significant number
Day Stall at school as well where
Teaching & Learning at Good Shepherd
of students learning from home. This
students could purchase their gifts.
Catholic College, Mount Isa has been a
Another way the school adapted to
time of growth and development in a new
change during this time was by having an
online platform and what a journey it has
online ANZAC Day Prayer Liturgy which
been! The teachers at Good Shepherd
allowed students at home as well as at
have worked really hard to implement fun
school to be a part of this important prayer
and engaging online learning modules for
service. We remembered that, to live in a
students to complete on Google Classroom.
peace filled world, each one of us must
Students were able to login to Zoom
make the choice to be a peacemaker.
from their computers for their lessons.
opened an opportunity for them to try a few new things. For the first time they had an online stall for Mother’s Day allowing the students who were learning from home to purchase a Mother’s Day gift. An email was sent out with a catalogue and students were then able to order online.
They were able to keep in touch with their teachers and fellow classmates, as well as receive vital information and content for each subject. What a team effort it has been. Our resources are now easily accessible to students and parents at all times via Google Classroom. The learning also didn’t stop here for teachers. All staff meetings and professional development opportunities were conducted weekly via the Zoom application. They were able to share screens with one another to go through new and innovative teaching practices. This has been a great way for staff to stay up to date with one another while socially distancing.
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LOVE OUR WESTERN SCHOOLS
Columba Catholic College, Charters Towers This year, Columba Catholic College students continued to commemorate ANZAC Day and celebrated the lives of those who sacrificed themselves for the freedom of our country in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Although students were unable to march and pay their respects as a College, they
were able to remember this important occasion in a more unique way. Students in years 7 – 12 who were able to attend school made red and purple poppies which were then pinned to a large banner and displayed on the Mt Carmel Campus fence as a tribute to the men, women and animals who died during war. Students and teachers in the College community were invited to send in photos of themselves standing in the driveway of their home with a candle in school uniform as part of the RSL’s Light up the Dawn Commemoration. Lest we forget.
St Francis Catholic School, Hughenden The students at St Francis Catholic School, Hughenden are a resilient group of learners. The students took to home learning like ducks to water. They
St Patrick’s Catholic School, Winton
used their Google Classroom to stay connected to peers in the classroom and used their breaks
St Patrick’s Catholic School, Winton
On 26th May, the students were educated
to practice life skills and help out
enjoys being part of the community and
in the meaning of National Sorry Day,
on the family properties. From
taking part in community events. The
and to commemorate this day they
feeding the cattle, reading to
month of May was very busy with the
painted boomerangs. National Sorry Day
the horses and developing oral
whole school turning purple, in a show
is important to us here at St Patrick’s
language through the use of
of support for the Domestic and Family
because we can use it to remember and
walkie-talkies, students blitzed
Violence Awareness campaign. The
recognise our Stolen Generations. We hope
the change in learning platforms.
students even had a dress-in-purple day!
all Australians will take a quiet moment
However, all agreed, they are
to recognise the ongoing challenges
glad to be back in the classroom
for Indigenous Australians today.
with their friends and teachers.
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“better happier
LET NO ONE EVER COME TO YOU AND WITHOUT LEAVING
kindness face, smile
BE THE LIVING EXPRESSION OF GOD’S
eyes,
KINDNESS IN YOUR KINDNESS IN KINDNESS IN YOUR YOUR Mother Teresa
TS V. C AT H O L I C. E D U. AU