ARE WE FIT FOR THIS?
HOW TO SURVIVE HOME SCHOOLING
IF Far North schools have to continue delivering remote lessons until the end of the term, the Greatorex family will thrive.
Kim Greatorex said her daughters Alexandra and Sophie, who are in Year 10 and Year 5 at St Andrew’s Catholic College, had taken to home learning with little complaint.
It might be just as well as the state’s Queensland Teachers’ Union threatened to have schools shut down if “too many” kids turned up to class or if schools were found to run short of cleaning products.
And it told principals that skeleton schooling – with schools only admitting the children of essential workers – may stretch beyond the five weeks already announced by Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace.
“If health and safety is compromised – whether by lack of hygiene products or too many students attending – the union will seek to have the operation of schools suspended until the safety issue is resolved,’’ Queensland Teachers’ Union general secretary Graham Moloney said.
But the Greatorex girls even wear their school uniforms for Zoom lessons – well the top part anyway.
“That’s the only thing that’s visible. I haven’t pestered them too much,” said Mrs Greatorex. “The kids are pretty self motivated so we didn’t have too much trouble getting them on board with what they had to do. Home learning was never going to be an issue for us.
“I work casually, but I’m not sending them to school.
“They are better at home, there’s no advantage to having them at school.”
Mrs Greatorex said she had not had to help the kids with any schoolwork even though Sophie had more bookwork and foundation learning than her big sister.
“Sophie is able to work efficiently without the distraction of the class.
“When she’s finished work, she’s reading more and helping me prepare dinner.
“After lunch, if she’s done her work she can draw, colour in, do yoga. She’s been choosing to do a puzzle and we’ve been doing that together.
“It’s been really positive for our family. We’re fairly active and busy so it’s been a nice chance to unwind and get an opportunity to do things we wouldn’t usually.”
Aside from some tech difficulties on Monday, the Greatorex family have nothing but praise for the school’s online learning system.
“The oldest can email teachers and the teachers have been really responsive,” Mrs Greatorex said. “Apart from some tech things I’ve had no greater involvement than I usually do. It will just get easier as the weeks go on.”