Read more to hear about our Stage 6 Practical Days and our virtual party for DE Kindergarten students.
Stage 6 DE Practical Days
Luke Reifler
We love it when we have the opportunity to gather our Distance Education students for in-person events, to build community and connection while learning together. Throughout Week 8 and 9 this term our campus is hosting Year 11 and 12 DE students for the Practical Days that are part of their HSC studies in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Music and Industrial Technology Multimedia. This is the first year we are offering Physics and Music, so it is particularly exciting to see these new opportunities being presented.
For the DE students taking these classes, it is quite an adventure to move beyond their usual study-from-home routines and locations to come to the practical days. For many of the students, Marsden Park is an unfamiliar part of Sydney and they arrive here with a mixture of anticipation and wonder. As they are surrounded by the expanding campus facilities and the dynamic and vibrant community, they experience many new things and meet teachers and classmates they have only known online.
The practical days are full to the brim with learning experiences that are vital to their HSC course progression and personal development. I give my congratulations to each of these brave students for embarking on this adventure and embracing the challenges as they come along.
DE Kindergarten virtual party
Luke Reifler
Our youngest Distance Education students, in our first year of offering Kindergarten, have been looking forward to Milo’s surprise birthday party for weeks. Milo the Monkey is a key character in the Kindergarten lessons and on Monday of Week 8 it was time for his virtual party. Mrs Peisley, with the help of many others, had gathered a menagerie of animal plush toys to (almost) cover the entire alphabet. Attending the alphabet party, along with Kindergarten students joining online by video, there was an Alligator, Bear, Cow, Dog, Elephant, Frog… right through to a Zebra.
Each of the Kindergarten students on the video call had a wrapped present for Milo that they opened on screen and told the class about, describing what letter sound it started with, for example B for book. Mrs Peisley then surprised Milo and the class with a chocolate cake that Mr Reifler added R, r, raspberries to, Miss Dawson added D, d, doughnuts to and Mrs Peisley added P, p, popcorn to.
It was a fun and memorable virtual party that was an absolute highlight of the day for all involved.
