Creative ways to stay connected

Elise Blacher

— Tarremah Steiner School

TARREMAH Steiner School teacher Elise Blacher has been sending handwritten notes to her students, recording audio files of stories and putting together packs of books and craft supplies to keep students’ spirits up during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Huntingfield K-10 school is structured so that a teacher stays with the same group of students for six years.

This means teachers form a strong bond with students and their families.

Ms Blacher teaches Class Two — a class of 24 seven and eight-year-olds — and most have been learning from home in recent weeks.

Her class doesn’t use technology for learning, so she has been coming up with creative ways to stay connected with students, like posting handwritten notes and emailing sound files of her reading books that parents can play to children so they can hear her voice every day.

Student Billy Hawkins and his family nominated Ms Blacher, of Coningham, as a Top Teacher, saying: “She is the essence of sunshine and we cannot wait to see her again.

“What a brilliant job all the teachers are doing, but in my mind, there is no one better than Elise Blacher,’’ the family said. “She is just gorgeous.

“She records stories for the class each night and posts them each personal letters.

“In a grade that doesn’t use technology, Elise has made us all feel incredibly connected with her little handwritten notes to the kids.’’

Ms Blacher said it was wonderful to hear such glowing feedback from families at the school, which had about 250 students.

She has been involved with Tarremah for 18 years — both her children attended the school, and she began teaching there eight years ago.

“It’s a long journey with the same group of children and families,’’ she said.

You become like part of the family I guess. You get to understand each child and their family really, really well.’’