Our Catholic Schools Term 2 2020 Magazine

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

19

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.

R

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L E A

organised afternoon activities

M

H O

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

L E A

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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

N

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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.

26

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.

27

“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