Principal
Parents should all be aware that the transition back to school is underway. Transition is an interesting word for me. I recall many years ago a very wise priest and counsellor told me that times of transition in our lives are never easy. Over the years this statement has proven to be true in my lived experience.
At the College we are now working through the details of the staged return of students commencing with our Year 11 and 12 students next Monday. While we are universally pleased to have the boys back with us, after all they are the reason that we are all here, there is a significant amount of planning required to make this transition back to school as effective and efficient as possible. The return is not as straightforward as one might imagine and the College Leadership Team is working through these details. This COVID-19 era means we have had to rethink certain school practices that we have largely taken for granted.
The details of the next two school weeks will be advised in a further COVID-19 update to parents tomorrow. While the Year 11 and 12 students return to day to day schooling, our students in Year 5 to 10 will continue in NC@home mode for a further two weeks, subject to Queensland Health advice. A positive step but one that also presents challenges, particularly for our teachers who are doing such a magnificent job.
Last week I detailed for you some of the essential principles upon which we based the NC@home program. Critical factors for us in the delivery of the program have been:
- the collaboration and collegiality of our staff
- consistent and clear communication across the College
- being adaptable to frequent changes
- the integrity of our technology to support the program
- leadership at all levels of the school
In the coming two weeks we will continue to be mindful of these factors as we work through the next stage of our staged return to school.
In conclusion, I am looking forward to sharing my lunch with 101 parents and fellow members of the CLT today. The response has been terrific and the questions posed by parents are important in assisting everyone’s understanding of where we are headed from here. This online gathering is just another way for the community to remain connected during this time of transition.
Mr Peter Fullagar
Principal