Student voice and learning from home
Learning from home is a new adventure for lots of educators and learners. Our friends at the Victorian Student Representative Council (VicSRC) say that student voice is more important than ever as we work together to make remote learning work for everyone.
VicSRC has published a set of resources, including ideas for educators to encourage student voice and engagement inside and outside of the (virtual) classroom.
Download the resources from the Student Voice Hub website
Learning from home: PV media comment
PV's Executive Officer Gail McHardy was interviewed on ABC 774 this morning, talking to Virginia Trioli about the home learning situation in Victorian schools. Along with Dr Ben Jensen from Learning First, Gail discussed the importance of parent engagement, a partnership approach and relationship-based education in meeting the challenges of remote learning.
Free parent resources
Free parent resources to help you support your child's learning, on the Federal Government's Learning Resources website.
Practical, everyday tips and ideas focused on primary school literacy and numeracy skills.
Simple ideas designed to be part of everyday life with your child, whether you’re reading, playing, shopping, chatting, gardening, cooking, or just hanging out together.
Examples
Foundation Year
30 articles including:
Online soccer training program
The Melbourne Victory soccer team has created Kick it with Victory, a 4-week online train-at-home program.
The program includes daily videos with skills and exercises, all designed to keep you moving at home. It has 3 levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced.
It's free and open to all.
Get started on Melbourne Victory website
Autism and ADHD: free short courses for parents
YarraMe School is offering free online courses on autism and ADHD for parents.
Autism for Parents
ADHD for Parents
This short course, aimed at parents and educators looks at the definitions and charecteristics of ADHD, causal and contributing factors, its impact in the classroom, assessment tasks and adjustments.
See the YarraMe website for more information or to start a course.
Federal 'interference' over schools: PV comment
"On Sunday, the Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan accused Victoria's premier of taking a sledgehammer to the school system because Victoria has been slower than other states to reopen classrooms.
Mr Tehan later conceded he'd gone too far. But parents' groups say this has only created more confusion for families..."
This ABC Radio report includes comment from PV Executive Officer Gail McHardy. Gail said the interference from Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan has added to parents' confusion and is not helpful.
Listen to the report on the ABC website (3 min 13 sec).
Parent helpdesk - children with complex needs
In response to COVID-19, YarraMe School has established a Help Desk for parents and carers to assist in supporting primary-school children with complex needs who are learning from home. .
YarraMe's Parent Help Desk can assist with:
- understanding your child's behaviours
- providing personalised one to one telephone consultation with a special education teacher (see request form below)
- discussion of a pathway for the family to seek formal diagnosis of learning disabilities
- discussion about behavioural support strategies
- advice on setting up learning environments
- providing targeted resources
- referral to external services
The purpose of this service is to provide parents and carers with the opportunity to discuss your child's behaviours, which may be impeding their ability to learn at home.
Sometimes, the Help Desk can help parents and carers to successfully navigate potential intervention pathways for their child.
Please note: this service is currently limited to families whose children attend Victorian State Government Primary Schools.
Learning from home resources from Reach Out
ReachOut has a big range of helpful resources for students, parents and teachers coming to terms with remote learning.
A few examples:
- Apps to help you study at home
- Self-care, managing stress - online learning activities
- For parents: how to help your teen and look after yourself
ReachOut is an online mental health organisation for young people and their parents.
School Councillor training goes online
The face-to-face training previously available to School Councillors has moved online because of the COVID-19 restrictions.
There are 5 modules:
- Governance
- Strategic Planning
- Finance
- Policy & Review
- School Council President
This video gives an overview:
See the Education Department web page for details
Year 7 enrolments for 2021
The Education Department has made the following announcement for parents of Year 6 children:
"Due to remote and flexible learning arrangements currently in place, government primary schools may be unable to distribute the 2020 parent/carer pack to every year 6 family in hard copy from the start of Term 2 2020. Therefore, adjustments to the statewide year 6 to 7 timeline have been made. These changes give parents and carers an increased timeframe to return the application form."
The revised due date for the Year 7 application form is Friday 29 May.
See the Department's "Moving from primary to secondary school" web page for more information.
