Letter to parents: 2 April 2020

Dear Parents and Care-givers,

Thank you for your understanding during these times of the COVID-19 outbreak. This letter is in particular to those who have kept their children home, or who intend to do so next term.

Our desire is that the children who are at home are still engaged with their learning. When Term 2 begins, HCC will likely have some students learning at home and others in the classrooms. As parents, over the term break, keep up-to-date with the Health Department and, if there is no widespread community transmission of COVID-19, send your children back to school rather than keep them at home.

If there is a need to keep your children home, we all want that to be as successful as it can be. One of the best ways that this can happen is to create as much structure as possible. It is important to help your children feel like they are at school while they are doing their school work.

• Students need to get up on time so they are ready for online school
• Students will be required to do some learning each day
• We will mark the roll
• Morning check-in will be Home Group
• Some lessons will be live streamed over Zoom
• For Zoom lessons, students will need to wear a school uniform (PE, summer or winter) as part of the class. Teachers do not want to see students in their pyjamas or non-uniform clothes when they are part of the class. The students at school will be in uniform.
• Teachers will be available when their subject lesson is timetabled e.g. when it says Mathematics on the timetable, that teacher will be available, even if they are not Zooming
• Zoom lessons should not be in students’ bedrooms as everyone will see the bedroom
• Keep personal things out of sight
• Student participation will be monitored as best as possible
• Parents and other family members need to be aware of when the students are on Zoom, as everything happening in the home can be heard

We ask that parents help their children to make good decisions and stay connected to their learning. We are hoping to avoid big gaps in student learning. When students do join in, they might just find out that they like it!

Parents, we ask that you make a firm decision either to send your children to school, or keep them at home to learn. Please do not swap, sometimes at home, sometimes at school.

Thank you for your help with these things.

Blessings,

Mr Hopps
Principal