Welcome to the Flexible Learning Portal

There is no longer any such thing as 'business as usual'.  We acknowledge that there are pressures on our families during periods of isolation - whatever the reason might be.  Over the last few years, we have found new ways to connect with our colleagues and support our learners. This looks different at each level of our school. 

The Team pages give you an introduction to what is available at each level. The Team pages are open to everyone so if students want to do more they can explore the other team pages. We also have Whole School pages to add to the learning experience - The School Library, Te Reo Māori, Music, Maker Space and Art.

What do we expect of Parents and Caregivers?

• The first priority is always to be safe and do what is best for your whānau

• To be kind to yourselves and not judge how you are coping compared with how you perceive others to be coping

• To be kind to others and not judge how they are coping compared with how you are coping

• Encourage your child to take part in the learning activities - you know what your child can or cannot handle at the moment, as well as what works for your particular situation.

• Prioritising your personal physical, mental and emotional health and that of your children

• Contact teachers via email if you have any questions - Google Meet learning sessions are not a place for questions

Parent Frequently Asked Questions

Dr Wendy Kofoed, Principal of Newmarket School, answered a number of Questions from Parents on a live chat run by Stuff. We have taken those FAQs and adapted them to our context. Scroll down for these FAQs

• Is home learning the same as home schooling? 

These are different terms, home schooling is when the responsibility for the learning rests with the parent.  Currently formal responsibility for most children’s schooling rests with the school and teachers, not parents.

• Should parents try to be teachers? 

Parents likely have enough to cope with currently without worrying about being home teachers.  Some families have experienced loss of employment and having the whole family at home.  Do what you can, whatever is manageable.  

• How do I make home learning manageable? 

The children are at home not school, so keep things simple, try not to overcomplicate it.  Don’t try to replicate a  school day or timetable, and allow heaps of flexibility during the day.  Start with a few tasks or activities a day to build routines and that everyone can manage.   Encourage children to dabble in projects, to read and play games, to bake, dance, sleep, play music, and if possible to chat with their friends online or on the phone. All of this is learning.

• How do I make home learning enjoyable? 

The home school experience should not be daunting, but enjoyable, happy, engaging and fun.  You want your children to tell their grandchildren about the great adventure they had during this lockdown with whānau, the fun, the experiences, the talk, the laughter, the silliness.  

• Is the learning that school has made available, the most important learning?

Looking back in a year's time none of us will remember the work the students completed, but we will remember how we felt. This time at home might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so use this time to make some great memories with children, and whānau. 

• How should I prepare for home learning? 

We have this new opportunity and the time to connect with children at home.  Maybe we focus on important life skills, help them learn to make a healthy lunch, work in the vegie garden, make their bed, or tidy the toy box.  Perhaps have things they could need for more traditional looking learning in one place, where they can access it independently, such as coloured pencils, paper, etc.

• What might home learning look like?

Maybe have an hour or two in the morning to complete some of the activities provided by the school, but change it up as you think appropriate for your child.  Your children are not at school so trying to keep to a full school routine will likely prove stressful for all concerned - you know your children, use that knowledge to gauge when to take a step back. 

• Should children have a timetable or a schedule of tasks? 

Children like routines, so some scheduled events or short lists of tasks, decided upon together, may be useful.  Give children some ownership of their timetable as this will help support their independence.  There are different suggestions available on the Distance Learning pages, depending on your child’s age.

Example timetables

• Should we work from 9am to 3pm on school work? 

Maybe do a few hours in the morning, watch a video from your teacher or support your older child to book a time to connect with their teacher on Google Hangouts but be flexible, and don’t worry if you don’t get through it all - celebrate what you do get through. Be mindful of the age of the children, this will determine how long they can concentrate on a particular activity or task. 

• Should we try to complete all of the activities provided by the teacher?

We have likely overdone resources provided, as we want to support you as much as possible, so pick and choose from what is provided. You know your child and the sort of day they are having, if it is hard or stressful, stop. 

• How should we manage the time? 

At school learning is usually broken up into short segments, with lots of breaks for movement, eating, creative activities, as well as some quiet and some noisy times, during the day.  So be flexible, build into the plan a range of activities and don’t try to do too much. 

• What happens if we can’t complete all of the activities? 

We would want parents to have quality time with their children, this is more important than what is taught. The success of home learning may be quite difficult for teachers to gauge, so do give them feedback about how it is going.  

• Should children have a say in a plan?

Give your children ownership of the plan, but help them with organisation e.g. first we are going to write a story about… then we will make some muffins for morning tea.  Don’t swamp children with activities, include a bit of writing, some basic maths and some creative activities.  Do what you can and what children can manage. 

• Where are the worksheets?

Your child will likely become bored if they have to complete a mountain of worksheets, we don’t expect children to do this at school. This is why we are not giving out lots of busy work. To provide variety and interest you could utilise whatever resources for learning you have available, like your kitchen, your garden, time to read, or play.   We want children engaged with learning and the idea of learning. They will learn heaps from whānau at home, what they do at school is just a different type of learning.

• Do young children need to do hours of work?

Trying to do a full school day for our younger students would be hard for them.  If they struggle to stay on task then just a few hours of activities in the morning would be fine.  Give them opportunity as part of this time to play and create. Sometimes you will only complete a small part of the day's plan, and that's OK.

• Can I let my children talk when they are working?

Encourage your children to learn how to listen as well as talk.  Listening is a skill and it needs to be taught. When out on your local walks, get children to listen for sounds around them. Make a game out of it. Listen to the lyrics in songs, and try to sing along. Children can often work productively and will enjoy chatting about what they are doing. 

• How can I involve whānau in our home learning?

Draw on the expertise and skills of the people your child is spending time with.  Maybe interview and record some of the oral history of your whānau. Or get aunty to make a video to show your children how to weave or knit. Share the load, use the technology to make those connections.

• Should I stick to the school plan? 

You are the best judge of this. If you find it too much, ease off. If you find it not enough look at the other team sites and see if your child would like to do some of those activities. It is your job as a parent to ensure your child does not get swamped by the range of tasks provided.  We do not want children to be anxious about home learning. 

• How much break time should kids have?  

Allow plenty of time for breaks and playing as this is good for wellbeing. Keep your own expectations in check, remember that while children are at school for six hours a day, they are only doing formal academic work for about a third of this time.   

• What sorts of other activities could we do if we are not connected to the internet?

How about making some tasty kai, having a go at building models, tinkering with bits and bobs, storytelling, spending time talking about family photos, designing treasure hunts, or weeding the garden ready for winter planting, or starting a home compost bin. Everything can be made into a learning activity. A number of our activities are not screen based.

• What other practical activities could I do with my children?

Children could do chores, like cleaning, tidying  and cooking.  Give them lots of opportunities for real-life learning, to learn skills that will help them (and you) now and later in life. Being at home all day presents a great opportunity to get your children regularly involved in household operations, to learn to manage themselves. 

• What else could I do to help younger children as part of their learning?

As younger children are working through activities it is very helpful if you listen to and talk with them.  As they talk with you they are building their vocabulary.  Have some conversations about what they are doing, what they like about the activity or task.  Ask them what they would do differently, or change, or what they might improve on next time. 

• Will my children get left behind? 

This time of home learning while in lockdown is just a small blip in a child’s overall time at school.  Teachers will pick up on the learning needs once schools are open.  Helping kids to develop important skills like oral language and listening would be a real help for teachers and these are easily managed at home. Allow children time to talk and listen, and play and connect with whānau. Strong oral language, and listening skills are really supportive of learning, and might even fast track your kids. 

• Should I supervise the activities? 

If you can, yes keep them company for some of the time while they are working, if you are reading your book, they will more likely read theirs.  You know your kids and what is possible.  Don’t worry about doing enough or not doing it right, we are all living in new times and there is no right way.  

• How should I manage if my children are getting stressed?

There won’t be much learning happening if children are disengaged or stressed. Relax and enjoy being with your children because out of that learning will happen, whatever this might look like for you and your whānau. 

• I like to be quite strict, is this okay? 

If a strict, structured, more formal  teacher-like approach works for your family, by all means try it.  If it turns to custard, try a gentle and more pragmatic and flexible approach.  Good luck, and remember the wellbeing of all is a priority in these stressful times. Please don’t use the Teacher as a threat… Saying ‘Wait till I tell your teacher about how you are doing…” puts us in a challenging position and doesn’t build learning relationships

• How do I manage home learning if I have 3 kids at different schools?

This comes down to the wellbeing of your children and whānau and what works for you. Take the lead from your children, and who needs the most support.  It could be a teanager struggling with NCEA achievement standards, or a six year old who just needs a cuddle and a story. We want you to do what works for your family - there will be many competing interests at home - parents working, other family members schooling. Remember that whatever you do it needs to work for you.

• How do I manage different timetables for each child?

Just get through as much as you can without being ground down by the stress of it all.  No two families will be the same, so maybe help each child create a learning plan and encourage them to work through it at their own pace.  If they are working on projects they enjoy this will help motivation to complete the activities.

• I  am a solo parent working from home, how can I manage home learning?

Have a conversation with your children, and try to negotiate a balance with their activities and your work time.  You might need to change your expectations about what you can achieve for work, and of working at home  in this challenging time.  Try giving children tasks they can manage when you are working, they might use putty, coloring books, sketch pads, Lego and puzzles if you need a bit of quiet. When you get to a morning tea or lunch break from your job, spend 20 minutes reading out loud to them, go for a walk, or have a noisy time.

• How should I manage my child's wellbeing?

Acknowledge that this is a difficult time for all of us, our emotions and frustrations, share your own mistakes, and be gentle to yourself and your children.  To motivate children ensure activities are manageable for them to achieve.  Children need to believe they can do the tasks, so acknowledge their perseverance, and try not to give rewards for completing activities.  Encourage activities that help them learn how to collaborate and help each other.

• My kids are always arguing - how do I manage? 

Take time initially and talk with your children, possibly setting up some expectations of how the home learning will work and how the family can help each other, especially if parents are working at home.  You might need to be more flexible, if they want to play with lego let them, it is not the end of the world.  If children have ownership of activities and tasks then this might  reduce the squabbling.  

• I end up yelling at my kids, what should I do? 

All parents have been there - even us teachers! Try to keep calm, it is not the end of the world if you can’t manage home learning, we are all trying to get used to this ‘new normal’ and our anxiety levels are through the roof. Please do not see the school Distance Learning Framework as a babysitting tool. Let the school know if you are struggling with tasks or are having difficulty getting through these. Think about how your actions make the relationship stronger - will the yelling deepen my bond with my child.

• How should I discipline my kids? 

Don’t set high expectations initially, everyone needs some leeway in these times.  Start each day afresh, keep calm, kids test boundaries at school just as they do at home. 

• What kitchen activities could children do?

Spending more time in the kitchen making healthy food would be a great outcome.  Let's see if we can re-educate children’s palettes with simple but tasty options.  Maybe boil some eggs and learn how to make a tasty egg sandwich from scratch.   Remember to talk to your children about the difficulties and changes we are experiencing because of the lockdown, this is an opportunity for all of us to do things more creatively.

• How long should kids spend on devices? 

Devices are a great tool to support learning, though balanced use and breaks are important.  You definitely need to monitor the time on devices, and break this up with kitchen, garden, physical, and more robust activities. 

• Are devices okay for use at home? 

It is good for adults as well as children to have time off-line during the day, try and sync this time with the kids.  Working at home is not the same as working in the office, just like home learning is not school. 

• What do I do if we live in a remote area?

We have some families in lockdown in some remote places! You don’t need to be connected to the internet all the time. Please do not feel pressure to join the Google Meets if you are not able to connect.

• How much supervision do I need to give my kids? 

We all need to be realistic of expectations for our children’s home learning time, and time spent on our own work.  We can not do now what we did prior to the lockdown starting.  We need to prioritise our time so that we can manage competing demands. You are all living life in your bubbles and you need to make it work for your family

• Will teachers think I am a failure at home learning if we do not get everything done?

Do what you can do, don’t think that other parents are running perfect home learning programmes, they are likely out in the garden with their kids, or walking locally, teaching their kids how to clean a bath, tidy a toy box, learn a new kapa haka routine, or make a silly video to share with whānau.  This is a National State of Emergency in response to a serious health crisis, nobody is judging anyone.

• What sorts of non-school activities should I prioritise?

This could be a chance to engage in wider learning, make up stories, memorise fun poems, sing karaoke, make movies, make things, play outside, write letters (on paper).  Encourage children to try and learn a new skill – juggle, play a musical instrument, learn to skip or cook. Talk to children about their ideas, read to them and discuss what's going on in the world.

• Will my kids get behind in their learning because of the lockdown?

Learning isn’t a race. Once we are back at school teachers will be pleasantly surprised by the learning gains the kids have made. We will see where they are at and we will help them to get to where they need to be next.

• How much exercise should my children have?

While they can do video exercises, local walks, runs and bike rides are also important for wellbeing and learning.   Seize the moment on the walks and get kids to be observant. Yes, spot the teddy bears and Easter Eggs but also the bugs, butterflies, or other oddities.  They will bring back a wealth of learning if they are observant.  

• Is it okay for kids to spend time playing? 

Play is an important and vital part of learning – a way to develop the imagination, engage in conversation, build relationships or work through anxieties.  We learn through play, and it is also a kind of work. So more play, less work, might actually be good for learning at this time.

• What is the most important thing I should be doing? 

Part of being at school is feeling safe and being cared for. The most important thing for home learning is not rushing through planned lessons but is making children feel loved, safe and reassured. So, hug them, talk and listen to them, enjoying some moments of silliness and laughter. Just take some time to be with each in these challenging times.

• What is the best outcome of home learning

That home and school can work together so that we each lift each other up and support each other in this challenging time. Be gentle with yourself, your children, and us at school. We are all in this together. Like you, our teachers are dealing with working from home and balancing the needs of their families. Enjoy your time together, be kind, respectful and persevere with keeping safe and well.