Storytime resource

An innovative resource produced to assist Learning from Home delivery in Catholic kindergartens operated by Catholic Education in the Diocese of Rockhampton has proven very popular this term.

‘Storytime’ is a series of 24 professionally produced videos featuring staff from the Rockhampton Catholic Education Office reading books, acting out stories with puppets and animals, and performing sing-along songs with accompanying actions.

The videos have been added to teacher resources to help provide meaningful learning experiences for children in Catholic Education’s 10 kindergartens in Rockhampton, Mackay, Bundaberg, Emerald, Springsure, Blackall and Biloela during Learning from Home delivery.

CEDR’s Early Learning and Care Consultant Tracey Novak said the resource, which has been well received by teachers, complement the Learning from Home program that has occurred over past weeks.

“Kindy teachers have been very positive about Storytime. It’s been well used during live group time Zoom sessions and with children attending kindergarten on site,” Mrs Novak said.

“In particular, the story ANZAC Biscuits was a great lead in ahead of ANZAC Day and Going on a Bear Hunt has linked well with the community teddy bear hunts happening during social distancing restrictions where kindergartens, businesses and homes have set up teddy bear displays for children to spot while out and about,” Mrs Novak said.

Diocesan Director Leesa Jeffcoat contributed to the ‘Storytime’ suite providing two stories for the collection and said the project was extremely rewarding.

‘It was certainly a fun project to be involved in, but more importantly the videos have proved a valuable Learning from Home resource for our Kindergarten teachers,” Miss Jeffcoat said.

“Storytime is a clear example of the creativty and collaboration that has characterised Catholic Education’s response to the pandemic restrictions,” Miss Jeffcoat said.

Miss Jeffcoat said Storytime was just one element of the dedicated advice and resources collated to enable teachers to access great ideas that correlate with Catholic Education’s principles and vision for deep, purposeful, curriculum-aligned learning.

“The transition to Learning from Home went very smoothly which is a tribute to the planning and hard work of staff in our kindergartens, schools and the Catholic Education Office,” Miss Jeffcoat said.

 “To achieve the delivery of meaningful learning for our students in such a limited time frame and in such extraordinary and challenging circumstances says a great deal about the talent, professionalism, dedication, skill and the sense of Mission that is clearly evident within the ranks of our Catholic Education family,” she said.

Miss Jeffcoat said school communities were very much looking forward to the planned return to face-to-face learning as students in Kindergarten, Prep and Years 1, 11 and 12 head back to the classroom on 11 May with the remainder of students returning on 25 May.

Boarders from The Cathedral College Return to Learn

Tuesday 12 May 2020

 The Cathedral College Boarders Lincoln Pickering, Thomas Creed and Eli Bird (L to R) are happy to be back in the classroom after three weeks of ‘learning from home’ ended for Year 11 and 12 students last week.

The boys, from Middlemount, Raglan and Springsure, returned to Boarding Sunday afternoon with other Boarders in Year 11 and 12 after the College satisfied strict Queensland Health regulations ensuring Boarders’ safety.

College Principal, Mr Alexander said the College worked closely with Catholic Education and Queensland Health to meet all requirements reducing the risk of the Coronavirus infection.

“We are now working towards being able to welcome the Year 7 to 10 Boarders when school reopens for them,” he said.

“Education is essential.  We want all our students to be able to attend school and not be disadvantaged because they are Boarders,” he said.

Of the 1300 enrolled students at the College over 180 are Boarders.

“To meet requirements our Boarding staff were trained in strict and frequent cleaning practices, and all aspects of Social Distancing”, he said.

“We are very fortunate to be blessed with caring and dedicated Boarding staff who have met these new challenges with enthusiasm and where the welfare of our Boarders is their primary concern,” he said.

Mr Alexander said welcoming the Boarders is a continuation of the care when students were learning from home.

“Several Boarders from rural areas had poor or limited internet access. Our Online Learning department assisted by arranging access to better internet coverage at local Catholic primary schools.  We are very grateful for this friendship” he said.

Staff at Holy Spirit College Mackay make Scrub Caps

Staff at Holy Spirit College, Mackay, have taken to their sewing machines to make scrub hats for our essential health and medical workers. Whilst these scrub hats are not classified as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), they are helping medical staff by containing hair away from their face and generally lifting their spirits.

Mrs Carolyn D’Anna, Campus Minister, coordinated the scrub hats sewing group at Holy Spirit College.

Mrs D’Anna said, “The idea of sewing scrub hats for medical workers came from an Australian Facebook Group, Sewing Scrub Caps. We wanted to bring joy, love and laughter to our medical workers during the COVID-10 pandemic.”

Holy Spirit College recently delivered 128 scrub caps to the Mackay Base Hospital for use in various wards and the ICCU.