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HAPPY DAYS TOP DROP A CENTURY IN THE MAKING PAGE 4
VISITOR CONQUERS PARMA The students at Thorpdale Primary School were among many happy children to return to school on Friday. Pictured: Ruth Bates, Ruby Wesbury, Lincoln Murphy, Oscar Draper, Rydah Moore, Marlon Archipoli, Brax Mara, Samuel Jennings, Mason Whitehouse, Jordan Westbury and Reid Murphy. photograph zac standish By ZAC STANDISH
SCHOOL children were among the biggest winners from last week’s announcement of relaxed COVID-19 restrictions in regional Victoria as they returned to face-to-face learning on Friday. Having to convert to remote learning for the fourth time in just over 12 months, school hallways were once again desolate and lacking life last week as staff did their best to keep the community together from their own homes. Thorpdale Primary School
principal Grant Nicholas said it was exciting to welcome children back into the classroom. “It makes the world of difference to the kids and the staff (to be back), with COVID happening again it is just the sense of not knowing what’s happening that has an effect on the kids as they wonder ‘why are we off’’ this virus is not around here and they don’t know anyone that has contracted it,” Mr Nicholas said. “To them COVID is this mythical creature so being back at school it brings back that sense of normality to their life which is really exciting.”
He said morale was high on Friday morning as the kids made their way through the front gates. “We had to pump the breaks on them a little bit especially in the junior grades as they were bouncy, energetic and just so excited to be back,” he said. “It took a little bit of reminding them about the routine and that they know routine and let’s get back to that, so after that fast start everyone has settled in nicely and things are back to normal.” Secondary students were also thrilled to return to some sort of normality, with last week particularly unique for
those at St Paul’s as they embarked on mid-year examinations. St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School principal Cameron Herbert said the examination period ran well for most students working from home. “Most of the secondary kids had exams so that worked out well in the sense that we just conducted the exams online which was a new experience as they had to sign a stat-dec to ensure they were doing them without any cheating,” Mr Herbert said. Continued on page 3
WHAT’S ON THE BOX THIS WEEK - YOUR TV GUIDE INSIDE TODAY
JUNIOR FOOTY RETURNS IN STYLE VALLEY SPORT
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