Newsletter Term 3, Week 5 14 Aug 2020

We viewed images of iconic Melbourne city areas deserted and our hearts sank each day the numbers – we do not even have to explain what numbers – rose. However, human beings are remarkably adaptable, mostly, and I think the mood this week is more resigned and a little lighter. I hope this is the case in your homes. Philosophically, we realise that we know how to do this, so we are just gritting our teeth and getting on with it. There is no doubt that we all have COVID fatigue, which is a privilege compared to having the real illness. I am inspired by people who endured war and depression, who helped others and grew stronger and survived with a love of the world.

Throughout all of this, I have been speaking with Heads around this country and overseas. We have compared notes, shared conundrums, fears, self-doubt, challenges, part solutions, full solutions, worry about our students and staff and the questions to which there seem no answers. There is so much that we do not know, never have we felt this more. That is the new norm for all of us.

Here is what we do know:

• We all wish we could be back at School together;
• We want to go back to where we were pre-COVID;
• We want School to be like it was (but with some new things that we have learned through this);
• We all grieve and feel the loss of what was and what could have been this year;
• We have found some strengths we did not know we had; we have found some personal fault lines we did not know we had;
• We need to wear masks and keep physical distance, but it does not feel or look right for us as human beings;
• Young children do not and should not and cannot thrive forever with online learning as the only option;
• Children are more resilient than adults a lot of the time;
• It is harder to feel connected and motivated, but we are determined that as a staff we are, so that we can elicit that from our students;
• The School has excellent resourcing and staffing to do what we need to through this; we may not be perfect and a lot has been uncertain but we can operate in the grey, reverse decisions and make changes as some clarity has emerged in the mess, murkiness and endless government directives;
• Some people are afraid of getting sick or they are worried about their loved ones getting sick (elderly people, front line workers);
• We wish there was a vaccine and everyone could have it now;
• We wish our city could have kept the number of COVID cases down;
• We wish the footy was on at the G where it should be (it is just wrong that it is in Queensland, trust me they will not appreciate it as they should);
• Our creatives want to create together in real time with a real live audience;
• We know families rely on schools for education but also childcare;
• The work of teachers is more appreciated;
• What we understand about symptoms and the disease itself continues to evolve but much more slowly than we would like;
• Our Year 12s want to have proper 18th birthday parties (or any party for that matter);
• Our little children just want to play together or even alongside each other as they do when they are young;
• For those of us whose families do not live together, we are desperate to be together; for those who live together many would be desperate not to be together quite so much.

We are a resilient School. We cope with things and manage them. We can manage this. We have and we will continue to. But the days are often long. On Monday someone said to me ‘Have a good weekend’. It is like that in 2020. A warped time year, weirdly both elongated and contracted at the same time. And, frankly, it is exhausting. Screen time does that.

For me, most of the time I am a professional optimist. Personally, I am also. So, onwards we go! Week 2 nearly down, much learnt, beautiful moments experienced and some laughs had, despite all.

Warm regards
Mrs Marise McConaghy
Principal

However, this second wave of the pandemic is now also beginning to impact other areas of Australia and New Zealand. Riding this corona coaster and navigating the ups and downs of the current reality is proving to be confronting for many people. The coronavirus has turned our lives upside down with some students returning to remote learning and parents continuing to juggle the home environment.

The uncertainty of not knowing what will happen next may have an impact on many students and their families. There is a concern that mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and substance abuse, will increase, especially amongst young people. In the coming weeks, it will be vital for adult carers to reduce the stress levels at home and make life seem more manageable. As an adult carer, it will also be essential to look after your own wellbeing during this time. Ensure you make time to de-escalate your own nervous system and maintain your sleep routine, healthy eating habits, get some regular exercise and reach out virtually to friends and family.

In this Special Report, families are encouraged to embrace the guidance offered to help minimise the impact of this corona coaster. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback. 

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here are the links to the special report:

For ELC and Junior School families: https://junior-strathcona.vic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-riding-corona-coaster

For Senior School families:https://senior-strathcona.vic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-riding-corona-coaster

Mrs Jenni Farmilo, Deputy Principal

Sonya is a well-known speaker in this area across the country. She presents an authentic message, speaking the language of teens, to promote responsible and proactive behavior to minimise risk. Her online presentations were highly engaging and the feedback from students has been overwhelming positive. Below is a reflection from Lucy Schiffer in Year 11.

Sonya’s presentation was informative, full of humor and really engaging. I really enjoyed the inclusive nature of her presentation even though it was online. She used a charismatic approach to describe real life situations. I liked the many personal stories and the life lessons Sonya shared, they really resonated with me. All of the Year 11’s took a lot from Sonya’s presentation and her information and messaging will stay with us throughout adulthood. 

Event Title: Elevate Education – Time Management
Date: Tuesday 18th August  
Time: 6pm AEST 
Duration: 1 hour
Cost: Free 
CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT

This week has been no different. Most girls continue to work hard online – but their engagement and motivation fluctuates significantly. We are mindful of this as we build in a one off ‘Pop Up’ Day such as we have had today. Between now and the end to Term 3, there will be guest speakers, another Pop Up Day and a number of activities designed to break the routine of online schooling. In next week’s newsletter I’ll give you a detailed insight into our adventures today. I have had a thoroughly enjoyable time managing the logistics prior – including speaking to a fabulous group of South African experts from the company called ‘&Beyond’ to ensure that the guides would be well prepared.

Bethany K showing Bethany M her travel ticket!

Pre-trip planning meeting with our South African Safari guides.

Midway through the term (and only two weeks into Stage 4 lockdown) is a great time to check your daughter’s wellbeing. The Year 9 staff keep a close eye on each girl, but having a screen in between makes things more problematic. Sadly, evidence is now suggesting that self-harm and issues related to body image are more prevalent in our teens than ever before. Today in Wellbeing we shared Beyond Blue’s Self Care tips for Teens with the Year 9s. https://coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au/managing-my-daily-life/young-people-aged-14-25.html

These are practical strategies that many of you will already be suggesting. If your daughter is feeling a little isolated from friends, encouraging her to make a regular meeting time with a friend/s to accomplish a shared activity (play online monopoly, Words with Friends, a workout, a walk in the local area, watch a show together, drawing together, cook their families the same evening meal whilst Facetiming) can mitigate this feeling.

With many Envision businesses preparing to launch, you will also receive feedback on MyStrathcona about your daughter’s engagement, effort and motivation in Envision this term. This includes your daughter’s self-reflection of what she has learned. Pleasingly, most of the students are thriving when given the independence to manage their companies and recognise that they have gained numerous skills.

Take care,
Mrs Karyn Murray

Congratulations to the following students who are 40-80% complete on their sections:

Congratulations to Tamanna, Audrey & Ella who have completed the 3 sections!

Please click here to read the new updates for Duke of Ed.

Congratulations to all who entered the competition: 

Freya Batty, Rachel Glover, Sarah McNulty, Brooke Gosper, Chloe Tobin, and especially to Pippa Monckton, Meg Harrison, Micky Murphy and Micaela Perez-Torres for taking out prizes in the student vote.

Special mention does need to be made of Pippa, who organised the entire event, edited all performers videos and arranged the secret voting at the conclusion - great Leadership Pippa!

In the Junior School during our digital excursion we will journey to the ocean and take a deep dive to discover its many wonders. Following this provocation, a variety of science experiments and activities have been organised that relate to the sustainability and protection of our oceans.

Wednesday will be a day full of fun experiments and challenges. We look forward to seeing all of the photos and amazing creations.

Ms Lisa Miller, Head of Junior School

these tough times. I would also like to pray for you to keep all of Strathcona safe and secure from this virus. One last thing, Lord I ask that you keep us all happy and proud of ourselves for what we have gone through. Lord we would love for you to just keep supporting and encouraging us to never give up during these uncertain times and for us to come back to school all happy and excited to see and interact with each other and do things that we have missed for ages. In Jesus Name. Amen.

 Sarah Le Get (Year 8)

Did you see two of our Year 3 students on Sunrise earlier this week?

Our first ever Girls Unstoppable podcast was released this week, here is a sample of the podcast. To listen to the full podcast, click

Recent articles:

• Ms Sharon Turner, Junior School Psychologist has written an article for Kiddipedia about 10 tips to support your child’s wellbeing and keep them motivated during COVID-19.
  
• "Those of us on the inside know its special joy: the precious window of opportunity between the self-doubting, oft-misdirected energies of the junior secondary years and the aspirational anxiety of VCE. Every ancient culture knew that this is the time for initiation into adulthood and, indeed, this is also our lived experience in the classroom." write teachers Mrs Katrina Renard and Mrs Cathie Waldron in Idiom magazine highlighting the delight and fulfillment of teaching Year 9.

• "Over this period of remote learning in Term 2, 2020, a teaching and learning experience that none of us will ever forget, we have been asked to undergo education and all that we know in reverse, and from the end of a virtual platform." English Teachers Mrs Rhiannon Ward and Mrs Miranda Gazis write in Idiom.

• “Teaching financial literacy in the classroom is one promising way to improve the financial capacity of young women today. Equally, we encourage our students to talk about money with their parents at home”. says Head of Careers, Mrs Joanne Buckley in an article for The Educator. Click here to read the full article.

• "For us, it's about what we can do as teachers - facilitating learning and helping them when challenges arise," Director of Early Learning Centre, Mrs Jo Dowling says. "But, equally, understanding they are exceptionally capable of making decisions. In The Age newspaper.

To see more articles published In the Media, please click here.

Strathcona has just commenced the intake process for Year 7 2023 applicants. Our Strathcona Admissions Department is also actively enrolling for many levels in 2021 and beyond. Should you be currently considering Strathcona for your daughter in the future, be sure to submit your Application for Enrolment online to avoid missing out. Please email our friendly Admissions Department registrar@strathcona.vic.edu.au if you would like to know more.

Due to the current COVID-19 Lockdown Advice, the Uniform Shop will be temporarily closed. The decision to re-open will be reviewed on a weekly basis. Apologies for any inconvenience this causes.

If you urgently require second hand uniforms please contact Fiona White by email fwhite@strathcona.vic.edu.au for an alternative arrangement.

Please note that there are currently no second hand V-neck Jumpers, Hoodies or White Winter Shirts in stock.

To stay up to date with news, classroom learning's and other activities happening following us on the following channels:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StrathconaGirlsGrammar/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strathconagirls/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/strathcona-baptist-girls-grammar-school/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/StrathconaGirls

School website for news: https://www.strathcona.vic.edu.au/

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