Ngā mihi ki a koutou,

This newsletter will give you a quick rundown of what to expect over the next few weeks and attempts to look a little further into the future.

Distance learning at Mount Maunganui College starts back on Wednesday 15 April. For the remainder of that week, students can expect to have contact with their teachers through video conferencing, Google Classroom and/or email. Staff will likely use the short week to start communicating with students and classes what the following weeks will look like as well as setting work.

To ensure consistency of access between teachers and students we are going to try running the regular timetable through Monday 20 April and period one on Tuesday 21 April. This will remove ‘clashes’ between subjects and allow students and teachers to plan the rest of the week. Alongside setting work, teachers will attempt to check in with their classes at least twice a week and will be available for support and give students feedback and feedforward on a regular basis.

Evidence indicates that distance learning is more likely to be successful when families actively support their children at home. This does not mean you have to have all (or any) of the answers and be the teacher! It doesn’t even mean you have to be the one to be contacting the teacher if your child needs support. Supporting your child’s learning means encouraging them to show some independence and take responsibility for their own learning. Be there when they need you but try to avoid leading them through their learning. Start by setting good routines and do your best to provide a quiet workspace. Help your child to take regular breaks away from any screens.

If you do need to contact someone from school, our website is a great place to start. Teacher email addresses are also on your child’s most recent report. If you are in any doubt, their year level Dean is another great contact.

Mount Maunganui College will be using Google Classroom, Google Hangout and school email for teaching and learning. If you are unfamiliar with any of these get your child to show you how they work. Ask the school for extra support if necessary.

Looking further ahead, the Education Minister has indicated that should New Zealand move to Level 3, schools may not be returning once the Level 4 lockdown is over. Once schools do open they may open with a staggered re-entry, perhaps certain classes, subjects or year levels. We are likely to have more clarity on this after 20 April.

What this means is that while the lockdown currently allows for eight further school days to be covered by distance learning, we need to prepare for the possibility of students experiencing an extended time away from school. It is important that we set routines and start the term strongly to limit any gaps in learning that may have to be addressed later in the year. We will need your support with this.

Mount Maunganui College will continue to reflect on how we are operating during this time and will work hard to ensure quality teaching and learning. If you are communicating with staff at the college be assured that information will be fed back through to school leadership which will help us to identify challenges and opportunities and support our cycle of review.

I wish you all the best for the remainder of the weekend and I am looking forward to a great start to term two under these unique circumstances.

Kia kaha

Alastair Sinton
Principal