Students staying strong during the coronavirus

WHEN year 12 student Heidi Bakker was elected co-captain of Saint Ignatius College for 2020, her message was one of hope, support and guidance.
Now in the face of adversity during the coronavirus, she says it’s more relevant than ever.
“I wanted to make a difference within the school, that’s why I went for the captaincy. I’ve always loved being a part of the community and putting my hand up wherever I can.
“I want to be a person for people to come to for support or if they need to talk. With everything that’s going on, my fellow captain and I put a message out to our Year 12 cohorts: keep persevering, keep doing what you’re doing, keep trying and pushing through.
“We wanted our peers to know that we’re all going to get there in the end and through this together, by supporting one another. It’s definitely going to be a different way of learning moving forward, but with the support of our teachers and the school community, I think it will work.”
It’s a sentiment Saint Ignatius principal Michael Exton agrees with, as his school awaits government directives.
“It’s very uncertain times, it’s hard to predict. The official communication is that school will start again after Easter, but at this stage we don’t know if that will be remotely or at school,” he said.
“We’ve been very conscious about communicating with parents and students about the situation, keeping them up to date and trying to be as upfront as possible.
“The college executives, teachers and I are doing our best to reassure parents and students we understand their concerns and anxiety around what the year will look like, moving forward.
“We’ve formed a crisis management team, so we can manage this situation and ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of our students and their learning continuity.”
Mr Exton has been teaching for more than 30 years and said the impact of the coronavirus was unprecedented.
“I know that word is used a lot, but this is unprecedented. The priority for us is ensuring learning continuity. Year 12 is a very special, memorable year for students and obviously that’s going to be affected by the current situation.
“It’s an important platform on their pathway forward – either TAFE, university or the world of work. We’re constantly monitoring the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and they’ve made it clear for schools to be agile and flexible, in terms of how we approach the delivery of learning and assessment.”
He said he’s been inspired by the way the school’s teachers and support staff are managing the situation, despite the uncertainty.
“Part of our preparation has been to develop protocols for teachers and students and have advice ready for parents (if and when we move to remote learning)”.
For now, Mr Exton encourages Year 12 students to follow the curriculum and teacher directives, complete assessment tasks and be in communication with teachers.
“They should review what they’ve learned so far and ready themselves for what’s coming. They should discuss with parents or guardians about setting up a good learning space, should they be learning remotely.
“I encourage any of our students, and students from other schools, to connect with their wellbeing office if they have any concerns or anxiety.”
For Heidi, as friends turn 18 and are unable to get their license, host a party or go out to the pub for the first time, it’s all about staying positive.
“Overall there has been a bit of disappointment, but we can’t do anything about it. So, we just need to move forward with a positive mindset, and should we go back to school, make the most of it,” she said.