Selected school students in Queensland head back to class
Meet some southeast Queensland students who can’t wait to get back into class today. They have been homeschooled for weeks and now they, and their parents, are keen for Term 2 to officially begin.
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STUDENTS in Prep, Years 1, 11 and 12 head back to school today as the State Government makes a move to ease COVID-19 restrictions.
But according to the Queensland Department of Education there will be some changes in place though for those heading back to classrooms including no gatherings in or around school grounds or drop-off and pick up points.
Students will also be reminded to keep 1.5m distance from each other.
Despite the changes students, and parents, are excited about heading back to school.
Here is what they had to say:
RELATED STORY: Queensland students to start returning to classrooms May 11
Year 12 Iona College student Connor Minette of Wynnum West
How did you find online schooling? What were some of the positives and challenges?
Online schooling was beneficial because it gave me an opportunity to develop perseverance. In addition, it imposed the challenge of not getting distracted by social media.
Are you looking forward to getting back to the classroom? What did you miss most about
being at school?
I am looking forward to going back to school because I will be able to see mates I haven’t seen in a while.
Do you think online schooling has helped prepare you for the future or maybe
university/further study? If so how?
I believe online schooling has prepared me for university when there will be online lectures.
What are you looking forward to most about the final year of school?
I am looking forward to attending the formal and graduating.
WHAT YEAR 12 STUDENTS REALLY THINK ABOUT HOME-BASED LEARNING
Year 12 Mueller College student and vice-captain Ella Gynther of North Lakes
How did you find online schooling? What were some of the positives and challenges?
I really enjoyed online learning! I loved being able to work at my own pace. However, I
found that working alone, without that face-to-face interaction was difficult at times, due to
the fact that I am a tactile learner and focus better in a school environment.
Are you looking forward to getting back to the classroom? What did you miss most about
being at school?
For sure! I can’t wait to go back to school and finish my senior year at Mueller with the year
12 cohort. I definitely missed the social aspects of school the most.
Do you think online schooling has helped prepare you for the future or maybe
university/further study? If so how?
Online learning enabled me to acquire the skills to be a self-directed learner and improve
my time management that I will definitely use in university.
What are you looking forward to most about the final year of school?
It has been a challenge completing online learning as we have had to miss out on a lot of our
‘lasts’, for example; athletics carnival, camps and excursions. Hopefully, we will not miss out
on our end of year celebrations as well, after having completed 13 years of schooling, this
would be devastating for all year 12 students.
Prep Holland Park State School student Jacob Herde of Holland Park
(Answers are provided by Mum Deb Herde)
How did you find online schooling?
Day one not great but day two onwards was all good. Our school was so supportive with an email and official update from the principal everyday. The lovely ladies from reception and teachers were emailing us with encouragement and support each day. I felt like I was updated and included in times of uncertainty and that made all the difference.
Is Jacob looking forward to getting back to the classroom?
Yes, for Jacob in Prep it is really all about his friends and teachers. They have a lovely environment with fish and tadpoles and the room is covered in bright artwork.
Do you think online schooling has helped Jacob in starting his primary school years?
It surprised me how independent he is becoming at the young age with the laptop and moving from one section to the other. The programs were great with a lot of fun things for the kids like certificates, buying hats etc.
What are you looking forward to most about the Prep year of school? Is there something you hope is able to go ahead if COVID-19 restrictions are eased?
I think, at the moment, just seeing his friends, teachers and getting back into the classroom.
It will be interesting to see how we continue from here, in times of uncertainty and rapid change it is always good to put things in perspective and go with the flow. We are not teachers, but no one expects us to be.
Yr 1 Boondall State School student Victoria Graham of Boondall
(Answers are provided by Mum Kamini, whose Yr 3 daughter Elizabeth will continue learning from home until May 25)
How did you find online schooling? What were some of the positives and challenges?
Online schooling has been a challenge with everyone being home together learning, working and living for the last 6.5 weeks. It has been a very emotionally and mentally draining experience at times. Our children do not have screen time so we opted for our school’s “Offline Pack” which is a replica of the online content and supplemented it with the school’s virtual classes. The biggest challenge was finding a new routine for home learning and then keeping the kids focused while balancing getting through the learning content, working from home, running a house and ensuring everyone was safe, healthy and happy.
The positives have far outweighed the challenges! As parents we have a much better understanding of the Australian curriculum which seems a lot more relevant compared to what I remember learning in primary school.
How did your daughters find online learning?
Victoria liked using a screen during learning at home because she doesn’t usually have screen time, and she enjoyed seeing her friends and teachers on the tablet. She prefers learning with her teacher in a classroom as it is more fun. Victoria has loved having online show-and-share with her class via virtual video-talk classrooms.
Elizabeth did not like learning at home and prefers learning at school with her teachers and friends as she thinks it is easier to focus. She misses her friends and teachers.
Is Victoria looking forward to getting back to the classroom? What has she missed the most about not being at school?
Victoria is disappointed and a bit worried about not being home with her family but that was quickly forgotten when she realised she was going to see her friends and teachers which is what she has missed most.
How does Elizabeth feel about her sister returning to school while she stays at home?
Elizabeth was upset that her sister was returning to school to see friends and teachers while she had to stay home. She then realised that because her little sister was learning at school, she would have more mummy time to get her learning at home completed quicker which meant more play time afterwards.
How do you feel about having one daughter return to school and one still at home?
It is a relief that our youngest is able to return to school as a six year old requires much more support to stay focused compared to an eight year old. It will be much easier to focus on learning at home for one child while balancing work chores and the overall stress levels for everyone will decrease. Even though we were initially nervous about “should they go back”, the school has been amazing at implementing changes to keep everyone safe and well with social distancing and personal hygiene, even covering what our drop off and pick up will look like.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Despite how challenging learning at home has been, we feel incredibly lucky to be part of the Boondall State School community. The school’s focus has always been keeping kids safe, happy and moving forward in their learning. Led by Principal Mrs Sharni Tomkins, the staff have gone above and beyond to ensure both students and parents/carers/families are looked after both academically, socially and mentally. The weekly learning materials contain a mix of academic content plus lots of “fun” connected curriculum and speciality lesson content, with extension work if required.
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