To say that this is unusual time for teaching and learning would be an understatement. Teachers, students and their parents are still in the process of adjustment and there remains uncertainty about what lies ahead. Our central goal in our approach has been to provide support to our students to the full extent possible in this new and changing environment, and as the situation and our understanding of COVID-19 evolves we will continue to tailor our approach with the wellbeing of our students, including their ongoing academic development, at the forefront of our decisions. To this end, whilst online teaching and learning is still in effect and for however long that may be, we will continue to provide structured lessons following student timetables, monitor student engagement in day-to-day learning, collect and mark student assessment, and prepare for end-of-semester reporting so that students and their families will know how they are progressing in their studies. We are also well aware, of course, that the experience of online teaching and learning is going to be different for every student. I would like to encourage you as parents and students to contact me (tbibbens@stedmunds.act.edu.au) if you have any questions or are facing any impediments to online teaching and learning that we might not be aware of. While we don’t at this stage know how the term will unfold, please be assured that we will continue to provide meaningful learning opportunities to our students and that our commitment to teaching and learning will remain as strong as ever.
Tim Bibbens
Assistant Principal – Teaching and Learning