When the COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside down, principal Aaron Moon knew it would take more than a pep talk in the school newsletter to lift the spirits of his students.
At St James’ Primary School in Muswellbrook NSW, like all other school communities across Australia, increased levels of stress and anxiety were starting to show on the faces of the children.
“To ease the students' anxiety while either learning at school or home during this time, we began implementing a variety of initiatives to, hopefully, help them feel at ease and boost their spirit,” Moon told The Educator.
For students at school, this has included staff greeting them with a funny wig on when they arrive at school in the morning, playing music and blowing bubbles during the lunch break.
“For those at home, we have posted various 'challenges' online such as building Lego projects, skipping or even getting a biscuit from their forehead to their mouth with no hands,” Moon said.
“We just wanted the children to remain engaged, learn and have fun. It's that simple”.
‘The response has been amazing’
Moon initially organised a shout out for the initiative from an author – Matt Cosgrove.
“From there I thought that I could try and get a few more. The response has been amazing,” he said.
“So far, we have had authors, state and federal MPs including the NSW Premier, NRL players, NBN news presenters, a Wallaby and even a zookeeper from a wildlife park in America prepare messages for our students”.
In reaching out to the celebrities, Moon asked them to say hello to the students and to share their thoughts on the importance of learning as well as being fit and healthy.
“I wanted the students to see that no matter who you are, we're all going through a similar experience due to COVID-19,” he said.
“I am so grateful that these people have taken the time out of their busy lives to do a shout out to the kids. I am ever thankful for that”.
Moon said the reaction from the broader community has far exceeded his expectations.
“When we implemented our parent drop off procedures, some families seemed a bit worried about the change. Having our staff greet them in the carpark, dancing and wearing wigs soon took their minds off their issues,” he said.
“The families are also loving the shout outs. We've had some of our students ask for shout outs from Delta and Pink….. I'm not sure if I can get them!”
Prioritising clarity at a time of confusion
The school has also helped deliver clarity to its parent community at a time of mixed messaging by governments.
“As the school's leader, I have prioritised clarity in messaging and have been impressed by how well our staff and students have handled the evolving situation,” Moon said.
Another pressing issue has been the sudden transition to remote learning for many students who have been kept at home for their own safety due to the rapid spread of the deadly virus.
St James’ Primary School introduced a dedicated home-learning page to assist students of all ages, and their families, transition to learning from home. The page acts as a ‘one-stop-shop’ that includes a vast trove of resources, instructions and ideas.
“We've also made a range of resources available to our families to pick up from school, including home-learning packs and stationery,” Moon explained.
“The school's Facebook page has been a great tool to engage families in two-way communication”.
The platform enables the school to provide timely updates that are easily accessible, as well as opportunities for staff and students to share what they've been doing, and a forum to discuss the home-learning activities.
No child left behind
The Diocese of Maitland Newcastle is also well aware of the significant financial impact COVID-19 is having on its families.
“Our number one priority is to support our families through this crisis and ensure their children have as much stability in their education as possible,” he said.
“We've written to families outlining options to access fee support in the form of deferring payment or, requesting a school fee concession”.
Moon said it is the school’s policy that financial hardship should not prevent a child from attending.
“No child will be denied a Catholic education because of a family's genuine inability to pay the required fees,” he said.
“We've asked our families that if they are experiencing difficulties, to contact us, and we will sensitively and confidentially do what we can to support them”.