Learning for Ararat students will evolve once again, as a second lockdown period forces students into remote learning for the rest of Term 3.
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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrew announced on Sunday that all regional students would be required to go back to flexible and remote learning from Wednesday.
Today (Monday, August 3) is a "normal" school day and Tuesday will be a pupil-free day before the new rules come into effect.
However, specialist schools will remain open, and certain students of parents who are working will have the option to go to school and be supervised.
Ararat North Primary School principal Rick Elliss said he and his staff are busily preparing for the switch.
"Unlike the first lockdown (in March), we don't have the luxury of time to prepare for remote learning," he said.
"Our teachers are reassembling the pupils' home learning kits for them to take home this afternoon.
"They are madly gathering resources for the kids, which is a challenge because we don't have a massive amount of stationery in town.
"Tomorrow, the teachers will get back into the headspace of remote learning.
The principal spent the morning calling parents to see what the school could do to help make the transition as smooth as possible.
"Overall, the vibe of the school community is positive," he said.
"Every parent I have spoken with today is glad we have taken the time to check in with them."
Mr Elliss is no stranger to curating an online learning environment, having worked as a distance education before becoming a principal.
"We are fortunate to have a good LMS (learning management system) for our students - uEducateUs and Study Ladder.
"We are more confident this time around because we have made the necessary adjustments to our delivery.
"This might be when we time the classes, how long do they last, or how the learning groups are put together.
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"Staff were realistic about putting together impactful learning experiences, knowing that families have variable resources available to them at home.
"We focused on the three central core values of our school: literacy, numeracy and wellbeing.
"We want to be practical about their learning while keeping our kids happy and safe."
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Ben Fraser
Ben is the Editor with the Wimmera Mail-Times, Stawell Times-News and Ararat Advertiser. Ben is the former chief of staff at the Portland Observer, a qualified teacher, and an Leadership Great South Coast alumni (2019).
Ben is the Editor with the Wimmera Mail-Times, Stawell Times-News and Ararat Advertiser. Ben is the former chief of staff at the Portland Observer, a qualified teacher, and an Leadership Great South Coast alumni (2019).
