Rise from the ashes must wait as bushfire school goes online
Clifton Creek Primary was finally ready to reopen for term 2 on Wednesday after it was destroyed by raging bushfires in December but after COVID-19 dealt the school a new blow its students are set to launch into remote learning from home.
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The school that burned down in the summer bushfires was finally ready to welcome back its students — until the coronavirus hit.
Clifton Creek Primary was destroyed as fires raged across Gippsland in December, with its 10 students forced to begin the year at a nearby campus.
But the tiny school on the hill was all set to reopen for term 2, with new portables, landscaping and land cleared of debris.
“The kids were really excited,” principal Sue Paul said.
But the community has suffered another blow, with their new buildings to remain closed as schools across the state transition to remote learning because of COVID-19.
The students of Clifton Creek will on Wednesday be among more than one million Victorian pupils to begin the term learning from home.
“The students were disappointed. They were really looking forward to getting back to Clifton Creek,” Ms Paul said.
“But we’ll get on the other side of this and be back.”
Mitchell Clancy, 12, said the news they wouldn’t be able to return to Clifton Creek felt “surreal”.
“Bushfires were one thing, but now we wouldn’t be able to go back to our school,” he said.
“It felt like we were having a bad streak.”
The year 6 student spent his Easter holidays creating his own puppet dinosaur and other sculptures out of materials he found at home.
And while he managed to keep himself entertained over the break, he confessed he was “a bit unsure about online learning”.
Sisters Aimee and Emma West had differing views about their school’s closure.
Emma, 10, felt “sad, mad and fed-up” while Aimee, 7, said she “stays happy knowing it is going to be OK soon”.
With students taking part in school from their homes, the Department of Education’s deputy secretary David Howes called on employers to be understanding of workers who have children at home.
“We’d just hope for an understanding from employers about the demands,” Dr Howes said. “We’d appreciate that, and the teachers and schools will as well. This is a whole of community effort that needs to be made.”
Dr Howes said parents were not expected to teach their children, but they were asked to help establish a routine, provide a space that students could learn in, and offer their kids encouragement.
“Not everything is going to work,” he said. “And if it doesn’t, parents can help by suggesting to their kids that it would be a better day tomorrow.”
He said students’ mental health and wellbeing would be a “critical focus” this term.
“I think the risks are higher of students disengaging, of getting bored,” he said. “It will be harder, and wellbeing will be a particular focus.”
Ms Paul said while this term with students working remotely would be “a big learning curve”, she knew her resilient pupils and their families would get through.
And when they do, they’ll finally be able to return to school on the hill, in its bush setting, and play games with classmates at lunchtime.
“We’ll get there eventually,” Ms Paul said.
WILD RIDE TO NORMAL LIFE TAKES A SHARP NEW TURN
PRINCIPAL SUE PAUL
With knuckles white from clinging on, I am still here on this emotional rollercoaster. I am still here thanks to an amazing team of people along for the ride, all buckled in tightly, feeling the desperation of the descents and smiling excitedly as we reach each peak. Our carriages are being pushed up those steep ascents by the heartwarming support from all corners of the globe. It has been a long ride and certainly one we could never have predicted.
Clinking glasses at our staff Christmas dinner, we celebrated the many successes of 2019 and excitedly talked about plans for 2020. Had anyone said our cherished little school would burn to the ground and a virus would bring the entire world to a grinding halt within weeks, I would have laughed and said, “Write that book!”
But here I sit, reflecting on those two real and devastating events. The fallout of the virus has hindered work towards rebuilding for when students can return. Despite these blows, with all the support we have had we will get there.
We are all now fighting a new battle — one that brings many challenges to the table for educators, students and carers alike. But we are not alone and it is a challenge that will pass. The day will come when our school bell rings in the start of a new day at Clifton Creek Primary School — the amazing little school on the hill that offers a unique education in a picturesque setting. And on that day, my heart will shine!
REBECCA WEST, PARENT OF EMMA, 10, AND AIMEE, 7
It first started for us in November 2019. An exciting new beginning in the beautiful countryside. It was to be a new adventure for our two young daughters as they began their journey at the quaint and totally unique Clifton Creek Primary School.
Then in late December, the bushfires came and unleashed their fury on our small community, claiming our beloved school. The loss was hard to fathom, but the news that our school would be rebuilt was a huge relief to everyone. We were to be back at our little school at the beginning of term 2.
Our daughters were so excited after all the trauma they had been through so it was hard to tell them they would not be returning because of COVID-19. It was such a blow to our already fragile girls, who were looking forward to getting back to a normal life.
Learning from home is going to be the new way of life for a time. I am sure it’s going to be challenging, with some hiccups along the way. But I know there will be plenty of support from our two amazing teachers, one of whom is the principal.
The only question I have is will my daughters do their schoolwork as willingly for me as they do for their teachers? I think not!
Aimee, 7, says she “stays happy knowing it’s all going to be OK soon.”
MITCHELL CLANCY, 12
When I heard that our school had burnt down, I was shocked. It didn’t seem real and I didn’t really believe it until I saw the demolished site. Nicholson Primary School welcomed us into their school community, but it was like staying at a friend’s house. I felt welcome but it wasn’t home.
We finally received news about when we would return to Clifton Creek and I never thought coronavirus would mean we wouldn’t be able to go back. As time went by, the threat of the outbreak grew and we had new rules, like using hand sanitiser whenever we entered a classroom.
Then my family received a message from our principal telling us school was finishing early and that we might be learning from home in term 2. It all felt kind of surreal. Bushfires were one thing, but now we wouldn’t be able to go back to our school.
I know that with help from my teachers it will be OK but I’m a bit unsure about online learning. One of the main reasons I love Clifton Creek is it’s out in the bush. There is heaps of land to run around and to play games on at lunchtime. I’ll really miss that. Although all these bad things have happened to our school, I know that we will all get through it together. There will be a happy ending.
REVAN DAWES, 7
When my school burned down I felt sad. Then the school got rebuilt. I felt happy. Then COVID-19 messed it up. I felt sad again, because there’s no school friends and no bus.