MIDDLE SCHOOL
MS KATRINA STALKER HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL
ZOOM : ONE OF A RANGE OF DIGITAL PLATFORMS USED TO HELP BOYS STAY ENGAGED WITH THEIR LEARNING .
‘ IT PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM WHAT HAS HAPPENED ’
The positive attitude shown by the boys of the Middle School during this pandemic has been astounding . There is no doubt that this is , and has been , a difficult situation for everyone , but the boys , in particular , have displayed commendable resilience both as learners and in their ability to stay connected with their peers and teachers .
The teachers , too , have been on a steep learning curve . Zoom , Conference , and using the so-far untapped functionality of our Learning Management System , as well as a broad range of other digital platforms , have all been explored to keep the boys engaged with their learning . We have seen pets join classes , trick shots with basketballs , and online football challenges all used to good effect to rally the boys together in these unprecedented times .
We were fortunate to have our Year 7s and 8s back with us on campus for the last two weeks of Term 2 . The excitement and energy levels in the Quad , on the ovals and in the classrooms were palpable . We managed to hold our inter-form cross country competition over these two weeks , although in a different format to previous years . Sam Allen easily won the Year 7 2km event in a time of six minutes 55 seconds , while Harry Ward took out the Year 8 event in a slightly closer field , in a time of six minutes 59 sec .
The Public Speaking competition between forms was held online for the Year 7s and in ‘ real time ’ for the Year 8s . The calibre of the presentations was outstanding . The Year 7 boys spoke on one of two topics : ‘ Dream Big ’ or ‘ Think Big ’.
They spoke of our times , and how with perseverance and hard work they were halfway through the battle . They also discussed the importance for their year groups to dream big while expecting some failures along the way , and extolled the value of determination and imagination to reach one ’ s potential in order to achieve goals . A wise comment from one of our young boys still resonates : ‘ It always seems impossible until it is done ’.
Finn Guthrie ’ s ( Year 7 ) response to the question ‘ how are we to live in a time of crisis ?’ was followed by his inspirational response : ‘ It provides opportunity to learn from what has happened ’. In a closely-fought contest , Finn won the Year 7 competition with Sam Steele ’ s amusing speech a close second .
The same calibre of speeches was witnessed from our Year 8 boys . In first place , Sasha Pillay thoughtfully navigated the COVID-19 story , to offer a clear illustration of how something so microscopically little can induce such enormous problems . In second place was Harry Ward . Confident and natural in his delivery , he presented the idea that a seed represents uncertainty , and argued for the importance of careful nurturing to ensure that little things become great things .
As Term 3 was completely spent in isolation , a new competition was introduced using the Strava app . The boys competed against each other to see how far they could exercise within their 5km radius during one hour . It was also a race around Australia – at the time of writing Year 7 was in front of Year 8 .
They had managed this feat more readily than expected , and both were ( virtually ) on the North West Coastal Highway heading towards Geraldton . They passed through central Victoria , along the coast of NSW , around Queensland and across the Northern Territory . The Year 7s were at their overnight rest at Carbla , WA , and the Year 8s were just west of the Kennedy Range National Park .
While they may wish they were actually at these places , the challenge of exercising has certainly been met , even though their physical worlds have shrunk .
Importantly , the boys will have learnt from this experience of remote schooling . They will be more independent learners , which will hold them in good stead over the coming years . They will appreciate the importance of community and looking out for each other , and the many ways to stay connected with family , friends and school .
14 Great Scot Issue 160 – September 2020