Adapting to new ways and methods
Recently I listened to an interview where a scientist was talking about the swift parrot (also known as the red-faced parrot) and how there was an amazing occurrence recently, with a sighting of the parrot at Picnic Point near Toowoomba. The interest was high as it is not normally found in this area – only when there have been environmental changes.
The parrot only breeds in Tasmania and then flies across Bass Strait to forage on the flowering eucalypts in open box–ironbark forests of the Australian mainland. They are nomadic, spending weeks or months at some sites and only a few hours at others, determined by the supply of nectar. They tend to stay in south eastern Australia from Griffith-Warialda in New South Wales and west to Adelaide in the winter. So why the change???
During dry years, when the eucalypts flowering is poor, Swift Parrots are forced to travel far and wide to find sufficient food and may congregate into large flocks at sites where it is available. In 2020 they were forced to change their pattern as the bush fires in Victoria and New South Wales destroyed much of the vegetation they would normally forage on.
Schools have been no different as they have had to adapt to new ways to deal with the current situation.
To reflect on what new methods have been used and if they are worth keeping, we did a Capture, Cleanse and Weave activity. We captured all the new methods/routines we have initiated due to COVID; our next step is to reflect on ones we would like to continue with or remove the ones we would not like to keep going forward and then finally weave these new ways into our 2021 planning.
During this time our staff have identified skills that they and our students have used to work through the changes- innovative, resilient, problem solver, persevering, creative, optimistic. Many skills identified in our St Peters Springfield Graduate Tree.
The development of these skills has been seen with our 2020 Prep students. Starting at a new school, then within a matter of months they were interacting with their teachers in online learning (many at home), then back to school with very different routines in place. One routine that changed and they adapted so well to is Kiss and Go where they wait patiently for Prep staff to arrive, then carry their bags across the oval to the classrooms and organise bags in their lockers to get ready for the day. This is then in reverse in the afternoon. From this there has been an increase in their resilience, perseverance, independence, confidence, organisation and responsibility.
Many parents have had favourable comments about Zoom as an alternative to parent teacher meetings as it can fit in with their busy lives. In the past it has been difficult to find times suitable to staff and families for meetings, so this presents an additional option to face to face.
There have been many other opportunities presented over the year that will be woven into our 2021 teaching and learning year to ensure our students and families have the best from the past and present.
Debbie West-McInnes
Head of Primary
