Primary School pupils continue with online classes

Primary School pupils continue with online classes

March 2020 saw our schools turn upside-down with the COVID-19 pandemic and measures that were put in place to slow down contagion. Our staff quickly mobilised and got onto online teaching platforms. Students continue working on their assigned daily tasks, sent via email by 8:00am, ensuring content is the same for all. The below are just a few key highlights:

• Email sent daily by all teachers by 08:00 across all preps including handouts, PowerPoint presentations with or without voiceover, links, virtual platform invites, etc

• Recorded lessons

• Class dojo – here a class community is created, mostly used by the prep 2s – an excellent way reaching students, and loved by parents and guardians (link for reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzzb5cmNoc0)

• Virtual live lesson – using Teams, Zoom, Webex, Class Dojo – besides the normal lesson delivery, live lessons are used for class meetings, storytelling, show and tell, class assemblies, and singing

• Teachers have also explored creative ways of sending the students a recorded reading lesson

• Some teachers are joining LSEs in a one-to one session with a student on a statement or students with a difficult family background

College works well underway

College works well underway

Parallel to the reality of lessons in the virtual world and the many missed opportunities for students, another reality has taken over a good number of local schools, and ours too – maintenance works, which everyone would have considered unthinkable at this time of the year.

March, April, May and June are months usually overflowing with activity in schools. At St Aloysius’ College, students populate classes, corridors, sports facilities, the church and the inner and outer grounds while preparing for activities such as Parents’ Days, Talent Night, Festalwiġi, field work outings, graduation, annual examinations and many others, making it almost impossible to mention them all.

All this activity been replaced by maintenance works which is quite a first at this time of year. Currently the upgrade of classes that was planned for the summer months is nearing completion, an infirmary is being set up and the installation of a new lift as well as the upgrade of the old one are at an advanced stage.

Obviously the maintenance works are but a fragment of the overall puzzle that will hopefully see the eventual return of normal schooling activity in the secondary school.

At the moment a lot of uncertainty reigns. Many questions remain unanswered and actual operational decisions need to be taken along with clear indications given by the relevant authorities to ensure the health and safety of everyone.

All considered we are all looking forward to what will hopefully be a normal opening of the coming scholastic year.