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- From the Principal
- Special Holiday Clean
- Logging into Chrome
- Logging onto Google Classroom
- Logging into Seesaw
- Logging onto Essential Assessment
- Letter from the Bishops of Victoria
- From the CEM to Parents re: CV
- Window Refurbishment - 25 March to 24 April
- OLOL Athletics Day - Postponed
- School Education Board AGM - Postponed
- Easter Raffle
- Welcome to the world Alura Biviano!
- The Importance of Free Play - Wellbeing Article
Thank you for the overwhelming amount of gratitude we have received on the ‘Home Learning Packs’. I have an exhausted staff who are very ready for the holidays.
I wish to outline the purpose of these packs.
We have sent the ‘Home Learning packs’ home so that you are ready to support your child with their learning in the event of a school closure. As Mr. Podbury put it a “Break the glass in the event of an emergency” measure.
If you use the packs before the school is officially closed that's fine too but there will not be further lessons etc created by teachers and available to students until two weeks (three weeks for Foundation / 1) after we have closed. I hope you understand that while schools remain open the teachers' role is to prepare, plan and teach the curriculum in the classroom. We can support online learning but classroom learning is the priority. The teachers cannot be expected to run actual classrooms and virtual classrooms at the same time.
If you are choosing to keep your children at home we have provided many links to sites that the students are familiar with that should keep them engaged. As well as that the Catholic Education Office [CEM] has just shared a great Home Learning Site. This page has been established to support school students and parents access digital resources that can be used to support learning at home. Resources include sets of self-directed learning activities that can be provided to students in the form of a Word document or as a printed workbook and activities parents can do with younger children. We have been told that the page is still in development and there is a CEM team working hard to get all the resources together.
Many of you in your responses have also mentioned how grateful you are for the normality and calm at the school. Thank you for recognising that. When the rest of society in particular supermarkets feel like armageddon the school continues to provide routine, care and above all else learning.
God Bless you all,
Francine
In order to do everything we can to minimise the spread of CV.
The school will undergo a special cleaning and sanitisation process during the Easter holiday break. All tables, chairs, doors, handles and high contact surfaces and equipment will be cleaned and sanitised.
Logging onto Chrome
In your Chrome browser click the circle to sign in to your child’s Google account. Click the sign in button and follow the links. Ensure sync is also on as it will link all students bookmarks to Chrome. If you cannot find the circle to sing in, go to www.google.com and click the sign in button.
How to sync on home device
1. Open google chrome. If you do not have google chrome you will need to download the google chrome app. It is free.
2. On the top right corner there will be a ‘sign in’ button. Click on that
8. All bookmarks should now appear at the top of your page. This will help students access Google Classroom, Seesaw and Matific.
Google Classroom
Google Classroom is available through a web browser or you can download the app from the app store.
1. Search Google Classroom in your web browser. Click the first link in the search feed.
Seesaw
Seesaw is available through a web browser or you can download the app from the app store.
1. Click the Seesaw link to log into the classroom. Click the 'I'm a student button' to log in.
Logging onto Essential Assessment
Essential Assessment
Essential Assessment requires a web browser. If you are using an iPad, you can access EA by using the Safari web browser app.
1. Google Essential Assessment in your web browser. Click on the first link that appears in the feed.
From the CEM to Parents re: CV
We are aware that it has caused concerns for parents, staff and students.
Because the health and safety of school communities is our highest priority, the school’s decision to stay open is based on advice from the Australian and Victorian Chief Medical Officers.
Currently, the advice of Dr Brett Sutton, Victorian Chief Health Officer, is that ‘pre-emptive school closures are not likely to be proportionate or effective as a public health intervention to prevent community transmission of COVID-19 at this time’.
When advice from the Chief Medical Officers changes, we will communicate those changes to our school community.
We continue to actively monitor developments and are working closely with the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria Ltd (CECV).
The CECV is partnering with the Victorian Department of Education and Training, and Victorian Department of Health and Human Services to ensure our practices reflect current advice and support the needs of our school community.
Our Lady of Lourdes is receiving regular updates from the CECV, and ensuring school leaders and staff are aware of coronavirus reporting and management practices, and are well-placed to respond as circumstances change.
The school’s leaders and teaching staff are committed to ensuring that learning remains available to students as part of all students’ entitlement to access the Victorian curriculum.
Schools have plans in place to support students to learn from home but, while schools remain open, the emphasis will be on the learning and teaching currently in place in the classroom.
The methods students will use to access this learning will be a school-based decision, and will vary according to need and context. We already have localised resources and ideas for supporting the students’ learning from home.
Please contact the school directly to discuss educational continuity options.
Should you have any concerns relating to school operations, or the health and safety of students, please do not hesitate to contact your school.
Catholic Education Melbourne
Window Refurbishment - 25 March to 24 April
School Education Board AGM - Postponed
The School Education Board AGM scheduled for Tuesday 24th March has postponed to Tuesday 26 May 2020.
Key dates for the Easter Raffle are:
Monday 23rd March – Final Day for Easter egg donation
Friday 28th March - Raffle drawn at 11.30am in the school hall
Thank you for your generosity.
- Parents and Friends Committee.
Welcome to the world Alura Biviano!
Our warmest congratulations to Nonna Marg on the safe arrival of her gorgeous granddaughter Alura. Alura was born on Thursday 12th March and she is Marg's third grand daughter.
The Importance of Free Play - Wellbeing Article
WELLBEING ARTICLE
Angelique Gabriel- Wellbeing Leader
Dear Parents and Carers,
I was lucky to participate in a recent Professional Development program facilitated by the founder of the Peaceful Kids program, Georgina Manning. We explored the learning that we teach your children at OLOL, particularly the importance of mindfulness, empathy, gratitude and emotional literacy (themes that are similiarly reflected in the Resilience Project curriuclum).
One aspect of my own professional learning that resonated with me was the importance of enbaling children to have time for “free play”. While the benefits of structured extra-curricular activities are valuable and teach children a range of important life skills such as: social interactions and responsibility, allowing children to engage in undirected, “free” play is invaluable to their mental health.
This concept particularly resonated with me as we are currently approaching a time of uncertainty regarding possible home learning. It is so important for children to continue their learning from home with the tailored activities that teachers have planned. It is equally important to use this unique experience to enable children to explore and use their imaginations through free play. Below I have attached the article by First Five Years, which interviews Georgina Manning on this topic.
The Importance and Benefits of Free Play
by First Five Years, interview with Georgina Manning
Meet four-year-old Hannah. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays she goes to preschool and afterschool care until her mum picks her up at 5.30pm. On Thursdays, she has swimming followed by ballet. Fridays is soccer and art class at the local library. Saturdays are for soccer games and playdates while on Sundays, it is almost always someone’s birthday party.
Now Hannah’s parents aren’t expecting her to become a prima-ballerina or a soccer star or to be voted most popular in school. Hannah’s parents just want the best for her, want her to be happy and fulfilled, and want to make sure that she has every opportunity open to her.
Hannah’s parents are feeling the social pressure to keep their daughter busy, but is it actually good for Hannah?
It seems we have a current parenting culture of filling every hour of every day with interesting things for our children. In my work with families, most parents say they feel a pressure to keep up with other families that provide these extra activities and feel like they are not doing the right thing or giving their child the best opportunities if they don't put them in a range of activities.
The pressure to keep children busy
Counsellor and psychotherapist Georgina Manning, Director of Wellbeing For Kids, says there is an increase in children doing more out of school activities now than ever before.
“Parents are running children around from activity to activity and filling every spare moment with extracurricular activities,” she says.
“It seems we have a current parenting culture of filling every hour of every day with interesting things for our children. In my work with families, most parents say they feel a pressure to keep up with other families that provide these extra activities and feel like they are not doing the right thing or giving their child the best opportunities if they don't put them in a range of activities.”
Georgina also notes the pressure the extracurricular activities is putting on families.
“The pressure on parents to keep their children 'busy' is enormous and it is not working for the parents and not working for the children.
“All it is doing is putting enormous stress on families and families are left exhausted, stressed, anxious and irritable with little time left to just be in the moment or nourish the things that are important.”
Georgina says the decrease in free play can also lead to children losing out on valuable life skills and even potentially affect their mental health.
“It is really important that children learn to problem solve for themselves and if adults are hovering over their children every minute of every day, we are dis-empowering our children, and this has catastrophic consequences on their mental health.
“Children never learn to direct their own lives or think for themselves which erodes the development of self-efficacy.”
What is free play?Georgina explains that free play is play which is not directed by an adult in any way, but where children choose activities or games that interest them.
“This may include adults setting up the tools so kids can be engaged in their own play such as having art materials, Lego, or building materials around for children to investigate and explore.”
Free play, she says, is where “the child directs the play and there is no expected outcome from an adult. Examples of free play are playing in the garden, dress ups, singing, making a bug catcher, creating a cubby house, building with Lego, drawing, playing with toys using imagination, exploring the garden, creating a puppet show, role playing, being silly with friends, blowing bubbles, rolling on the grass, jigsaw puzzles, playing with pets etc.”
Georgina notes that screen time is definitely not free play and that screen time actually takes valuable time away from free play.
“Research shows that when children are using their imagination or in the state of wonder of their natural environment, just playing for the sake of playing without any expected outcome from an adult, then their brains are refreshed and rested,” she says.
“Children need to rest their brains regularly and by taking children from activity to activity, this only stresses children, leaving little time for this vital play time. Not only is this vital for children's mental health and overall wellbeing, but essential for development of social and emotional skills.”
Parents can get involved in the play too, says Georgina, as long as they aren’t directing the play, but rather playing with their child and letting their child take the lead.
How much free play should kids have?Georgina says there is no set amount of time parents should ensure their children are dedicating to free play. Instead, she recommends looking at the child’s weekly schedule and seeing how much time they really have to play. “I often get parents of primary aged children to reflect on their child's week and create a visual of the week, putting in school time, homework, after school activities and screen time. Then parents can see clearly what time is left for free play.”
“Parents are often really surprised to learn that there is very little time left in the day for their child to just play and to rest their brain. For preschoolers, having a mix of social interactions with peers and adult play, mixed in with some extra activities is a great mix for this age group."
“As preschoolers usually have a lot more free time than primary aged children, then it can be more beneficial for children to have a few extracurricular activities, however, these don't necessarily need to be a class or something that costs money.
“Catching up with other families and meeting in the park for a picnic in nature can be an extracurricular activity or going to the local library and listening to story time or choosing books for the week is also a valuable activity.
“If children are in day care then having time each day when they get home to just play without adult direction is vital as well as the parent/child playtime.” Should we ditch extracurricular activities completely?Georgina says that extracurricular activities can have their benefits.
“I do believe that team sports are very important for children to participate in and this would be one activity I would recommend for children. However, it is vital the focus is on fun, joy, enjoyment and healthy competition rather than the focus on creating sport stars or to be better than other children."
“This takes away the fun for children and the experience to look after each other and the chance to develop empathy. It can also create unnecessary stress for children if they are pushed to always be 'better' and 'win' - this automatically takes the children out of mindfully being in the moment of the activity.”
Georgina says that activities can help to teach children valuable life lessons. “If children are enrolled in an activity, then they need to see the term or year out in that activity to teach children persistence, grit, commitment and to manage difficult emotions. Particularly if children are in team sports, they have a responsibility to others as well."
For children who struggle to make friends or who have become too comfortable spending hours in front of a screen, Georgina recommends that extracurricular activities and playdates can be beneficial for them.
Free play ideas for families
- Playing in the garden
- Dress ups
- Singing
- Making a bug catcher
- Creating a cubby house
- Building with Lego
- Drawing
- Playing with toys using their imagination
- Exploring the garden
- Creating a puppet show
- Role playing
- Being silly with friends
- Blowing bubbles
- Rolling on the grass
- Jigsaw puzzles
- Playing with pets