HUNTER principals and teachers have spent the weekend counting down to their schools once again feeling "joyous", as students start to make the staggered return to face to face learning from Monday.
St Joseph's Merewether principal Karen McGinlay said her staff were "really excited". "We actually get to see these children in person rather than just little faces on the screen," said Ms McGinlay, who is expecting just under half of her 393 students to attend on Monday. "There have been a few tears shed by teachers, particularly when they get off their Zooms with their class, because it's so artificial and they're so far removed from the children," she said. "When you're out on the playground or do go into classrooms, children are always sharing stories, whether they've lost a tooth, have a new puppy, want to show you their work, or that they can skip fast now. That's been missing. Yes it's hard work, yes, we feel like pulling our hair out at times, and yes, it's challenging, but a school environment really is a joyous environment."
Thousands of students will return to classrooms this week for at least one day. This follows six weeks in which the state government asked families to keep children at home if possible, although schools remained open for children of essential workers and those with no alternative care arrangements. Ms McGinlay said 75 children attended on Friday, down from a high of 102 last Monday and up from a low of around 20 before the holidays.
The government has told state schools to develop their own models for staggering the return and to only have 10 students per classroom. Many are sending year 12 back for up to five days per week. Various schools are using year groups, while some including Kotara South Public and Tighes Hill Primary are using sport houses. Others are using surnames, splitting classes or a combination of models. The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle has a framework to guide the return, but given principals autonomy to devise plans to suit their circumstances. St Joseph's Primary, Gloucester, has 30 students and will return full-time from Monday. All diocese year 12 students will return at least four days per week. Independent school models have varied. Hunter Valley Grammar brought all students back on April 28, while Macquarie College has kindergarten and years one, 11 and 12 returning on Monday and other grades on May 18.
Ms McGinlay said her school had chosen for kindergarten to year two to attend on Monday and Tuesday and years three to six to attend on Wednesday and Thursday. All students will learn from home on Friday. She said this model would allow teachers to reconnect with their own students and re-establish routines. "To have all the children come back in a class, they get to see their classmates, they see them in person and there's that reassurance of 'Everyone's okay, my friends, my classmates, we're all here', because we have not seen each other for so many weeks now," she said. "Research has shown that one of the top worries for children through this is the safety of their family and friends. This gives them reassurance that if this is what's happening, the world must be going okay, it's not all doom and gloom."
She said the school was following the Prime Minister's advice that social distancing was not required among students, so they will be taught in normal class sizes and rooms. She said the school will still spread children out as much as they can, reduce group work, keep windows open, increase cleaning and provide soap, hand sanitiser and hand towels. She said at first, school would not be what it was before COVID-19. "We'll have to allow time rather than go straight into the teaching," she said. "We know there will be some things we have to do slowly. Children will need to have time to socialise with their classmates, to talk, to express themselves, for the teachers to re-establish routines and procedures." Teachers may have to revise what students learned from home.
NSW Secondary Principals' Council executive member Mark McConville said high schools faced a "massive logistical task", organising students to move between classrooms for different subjects with different teachers. He is principal of Toronto High, where students will assemble in the quadrangle before each period, for staff to determine how many are present, split them into groups of no more than 10 and assign casual staff if needed. The school has markers for social distancing. Students will wipe desks and chairs with disinfectant before each lesson.
