As the primary educator for your child, you will be making the decisions about when they learn, and how they learn, while they are “Learning from Home”.

Work will NOT be in the form of “worksheets” rather it will be a continuation of what students have been doing in school. In the junior school, our learning design focused on project-based learning in Ako and Connected Learning Modules lends itself easily for students to continue learning from home.

Due to the time of year, the priority for teachers will be on the academic achievement of senior students. Work will continue at the usual pace and senior students are expected to attend virtual lessons at the normally timetabled time.

When you are making decisions, don’t be afraid to think outside the box or be creative with your child’s learning. As an example, if you want to forgo the Maths work set by the teacher and play a game of Monopoly or Cluedo instead please do so - both of these games cover lots of numeracy and probability skills, or spend time outside planting a garden instead of doing some Science work or research a new sport or invent one yourselves instead of PE and Health work, the list is endless

Parent responsibilities during "Learning from Home":

Provide support for your children by:

• establishing routines and expectations

• defining a space for your child to work in

• monitoring communications from teachers

• beginning and ending each day with a check-in

• taking an active role in helping your children process their learning

• encouraging physical activity and/or exercise

• checking in with your child regularly to help them manage stress

• monitoring how much time your child is spending online

• keeping your children social, but set rules around their social media interaction

Students are not:

• expected to work 5 hours a day on school-work

• going to be online all day

• expected to be stuck indoors all day

Student responsibilities during "Learning from Home"

These responsibilities should be adjusted according to the age of your child:

• establishing and/or following a daily routine for learning

• identifying a safe, comfortable, quiet space in their home where they can work effectively and successfully

• regularly monitoring digital platforms and communication (Email, Its Learning, Google Classroom/Sites, Hāpara Workspace, Google Meet.) to check for announcements and feedback from teachers

• completing tasks with integrity and academic honesty, doing their best work

• doing their best to meet timelines, commitments, and due dates

• communicating proactively with their teachers if they cannot meet deadlines or require additional support

• collaborating and supporting their classmates in their learning

• seeking out and communicating with school staff as different needs arise.

Well-Being

Being confined to home for an extended period of time can cause stress and conflict. Tips for looking after your children during lockdown include:

• Talking to your whole family about what is happening. Understanding the situation will reduce their anxiety.

• Help your children to think about how they have coped with difficult situations in the past and reassure them that they will cope with this situation too. Remind them that the lockdown won't last for long.

• Exercise regularly. Options could include exercise DVDs, dancing, floor exercises, yoga, walking around the backyard or using home exercise equipment, such as a stationary bicycle, if you have it. Exercise is a proven treatment for stress and depression. There are a number of videos on the Staying Well page of this website which may be of use.

• Encourage your children to keep in touch with family members and friends via telephone, email or social media (where appropriate).

• Contact details for our school wellbeing practitioners is available on the Staying Well page of this website and the contact details of numerous external organisations can be found on the well-being page of the school website.

Communicating with your child

We encourage you to start and finish each day with a simple check-in. These check-ins need to be a regular part of each day and start straight away. Not all students thrive in a remote learning environment; some struggle with too much independence or lack of structure and the check-ins help keep them on track.

In the morning, ask:

• what are you learning today?

• what are your learning targets or goals?

• how will you be spending your time?

• what resources do you require?

• what support do you need?

In the afternoon, ask:

• what did you learn today?

• acknowledge one thing that was difficult. Either let it go or come up with a strategy to deal with the same problem if it comes up again

• consider three things that went well today. Why were they good?

• are you ok? Do you need to ask your teacher for something? Do you need help with something to make tomorrow more successful?

These specific questions matter because they allow your child to process the instructions they have received from their teachers and help them organise themselves and set priorities. Older students may not want to have these check-ins with parents (this is normal!), but they should anyway.

Communicating with teachers

Teachers may be communicating with your child during this period using Google Meet. They will be emailing or communicating using Google Classroom and Hapara Workspace.

Teachers will have set times where students can chat with them online and they can deliver face-to-face meets (lessons or small groupwork).

It is important for you and your child to remember that teachers will be communicating with dozens to more than 100 other families and that your communications should be meaningful and short. You may also need to remind your child to be patient when waiting for support or feedback. It is also worth remembering that teachers also have their own children's educational needs to deal with at home and are under huge pressure to deal with multiple demands during lockdown.

Managing screen time

Screen time refers to the amount of time a user spends on a device to access on-screen activities.

There are limits as to the amount of time everyone should spend online, but the amounts and the rules for screen time vary by age.

Video conferencing and social interactions using video do not count towards screen time.

The following recommended screen times (excluding video conferencing) are based on the recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics:

• Age 6 and above: no specific screen time limits, but screen time should not affect physical activity and face-to-face interactions at home and school. Consistent limits on screen time are also very important.

Some screen time activities such as online socializing and gaming can be very immersive. Make sure that non-school activities are limited in length.