Virtual School Begins
Posted on Wednesday, January 13, 2021Dear Parent/Guardian,
Today we properly return to school albeit virtually. Thank you all for collecting the books yesterday so promptly.
Teachers have been preparing for today since the government announcement. Our hope is that we can meaningfully engage with the children and progress through the curriculum until we get back to school.
This situation is the worst case scenario. From a teaching point of view it is extremely difficult.
In the senior room, I am aiming to have the children engage directly with me as they are old enough. That is why I have so many Zooms with my class. I will not be teaching in those Zooms, they are more check-ins with the pupils to push them to keep up with the work. I am also preparing pupils for the next few years in secondary school and this independence and accountibility is good practice. It should also be one less child to worry about in families with younger children.
Each classroom in our school is entirely different. The pupils are at a different developmentmental stage and their concentration span is different also. Pre-recorded videos that parents can access at a time that suits, can pause and re-watch are the most effective for teaching right now. We are very aware that in the Junior and Middle classrooms, the children will need a lot more parental support. The Zoom meetings are a vital link for the child to see their teacher and interact with their class and very important that your child can attend if at all possible.
Finally, it should be noted that we are living through a pandemic. You do your best, you know your child best. Do what you can, ask the teacher for guidance, that's our job!
We will be keeping school hours for pupil/parent contact and are available at the end of an email.
Parents should also realise that these videos and posts take hours to record. We will be recording and preparing during school hours and well into the evenings and weekends. I have a duty of care to the staff (myself included) to keep a work/life balance and recognise that us teachers are also going through the pandemic.
I wish us all the very best of luck today beginning our second term virtually. As always I am available for any issues that may arise [email protected]
Kind regards,
Éilis Treacy
School Principal
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