Thank-you message from the Education Minister
To all principals, teachers and education support staff in Victoria, thank you!
Preparing students for return to school
The Sunday Herald-Sun published an article yesterday titled 'How parents can prepare students as kids return to classrooms'. The article quoted PV Executive Officer Gail McHardy and included some tips provided by PV. The article is behind a paywall but you can read it if you have a Herald-Sun subscription.
From the article:
Parents Victoria executive officer Gail McHardy said there was a level of anxiety, mixed with excitement, as schools resumed for preps to Year 3 and Year 11 and 12 students tomorrow.“We all need to be open to dialogue between home and school about how best we all manage the transition back effectively,” Ms McHardy said.
Return to school: a trauma informed approach
"All adults are doing heroic efforts to buffer their children and students. I see a lot of anxiety about how children are coping and worry over the potential long term consequences of this academic disruption. What I want to highlight is the need to take into account the potential emotional responses our children will show upon their return to school..."
This article from clinical psychologist Dr Tara Quinlivan of Raft Psycholgy in Melbourne explores some strategies that parents might use to help their children in the transition back to school.
VCE exams and results
"VCE students will begin their exams in early November and have results by the end of the year, the state government has announced."
This article from the Age reoprts on Education Minister James Merlino's announcement today of the arrangements for VCE exams and results.
Trial, turbulence and transition: back to school-based learning
Clinical psychologist Andrew Fuller has published another of his useful guides for parents on how support their children through the 'trial, turbulence and transition' of the COVID-19 crisis.
This time Andrew focuses on the return to school-based learning. He sets out some priorites, how to plan for and help students through the transition back to the classroom.
Download 'Transitioning to in-school learning' guide
Return to on-site schooling: instructions are on the way
Keep an eye out for instructions about the return to on-site schooling. The Education Department and your children's school are working hard to finalise the details and communicate them to parents. We'll keep you updated as information becomes available.
We're listening... tell your story
Parents Victoria is already hearing stories from parents about the impact of remote learning on their children, some about problems and some very positive. If you want to share your experiences, specifically about the learning from home/return to on-site schooling situation... we're listening!
We have the opportunity to pass on parents' responses to the Education Department, so let us know how things went for you and we'll put your stories and experiences together and pass them on. What went well? What were the big problems for you? What could have been done better?
We're keeping the format wide open - no questions, just tell your story.
Email our office with your experiences
Helping kids with the transition back to school
"With school resuming in most states after weeks of lockdown, many kids will be busting to see their friends and get out of the house.
But for some, the thought of returning to the classroom is enough to induce a bout of anxiety..."
This article from ABC Life has some useful advice for parents, from teachers, counsellors and anxiety experts.
Read the article on the ABC website
Keeping safe in cyberspace
Susan McLean from CyberSafety Solutions is running a 10-week series of free videos and Facebook Live events on how to stay safe in the online environment.
The presentations include:
- Internet facts vs fiction
- Duty of care (for educators)
- Cyberbullying
- Screen time
- Sexting
- Laws and legislation
- Risk and Reality (Facebook Live event)
Staged return to on-site schooling: official advice
The Education Department has created a special web page with information on the staged return to on-site schooling in Term 2.
The page covers:
- What the 2 stages of return mean
- Health, hygiene and physical distancing
- Drop-off times and access to school sites
Many decisions will still be made at the school level to reflect local conditions, contact your school for further details
View the Staged Return web page for parents
