Covid-19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: Tauranga schools launch into online learning

Schools are rolling out online learning for students in the Bay of Plenty this week.

Many staff members found themselves working over the weekend delivering devices to families and preparing hard copy material for students.

A Covid-19 update from the Ministry of Education sent to all schools last week said staff were able to go onsite and prepare hard pack materials and devices.

And contactless delivery to homes was the "preferred method" for getting materials to the majority of learners.

An exemption was granted so that parents, caregivers or students would be able to enter a school site to collect materials or devices in limited circumstances.

Arataki School principal Shelley Blakey said parents were able to borrow school iPads and collect hard copy learning packs for students on-site on Monday morning.

Roughly 100 people turned up throughout the morning to pick up learning resources, with the hard copy learning packs proving more popular.

Activities for students included art, singing and movement alongside core subjects like reading, writing and maths.

While learning was important, Blakey reiterated whānau wellbeing was the main priority over lockdown.

"Parents don't need to worry that their child is going to fall behind - we will look after them when they come back to school," she said.

Arataki School Principal Shelley Blakey. Photo / NZME

"If providing some work supports the family, and the children can get on and do that relatively independently, then that is great.

"But if nothing can be done, then that is what they have to do to get through this unexpected lockdown.
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"When kids come back to us we will do our job, find out where they are up to and teach them from where they are at."

Te Puke Intermediate School principal Jill Weldon said they did not "rush" into home learning last week, and would distribute devices and hard packs to students in the coming days.

"We gave our people permission to reassure, rest and relax into the level four scenario again," she said.

"Our team have been Zooming their crew that are connected online to check in, as well as loading up tasks and learning onto Google Classroom."

School staff would be distributing roughly 120 school devices to students with wi-fi, and 40 packs of hard copy work to learners without any internet connectivity.

Weldon said whānau, students and staff were "phenomenal" at managing home learning.

"The most important thing is balance. Some school learning and some home learning, with loads of family interaction and kindness."

She said the biggest challenge with lockdown was the cancellation of events and it was a "massive disappointment" that the AIMS Games had been cancelled for a second time.

"A large group of our students were all set to compete and experience the best sporting event in NZ for intermediate-aged kids."

Rotorua Girls' High School Principal Sarah Davis. Photo / NZME

Bay of Plenty principal Sarah Davis said it was more difficult for some students to participate in online learning due to a range of factors.

This included device sharing between family members, a lack of internet connectivity and quiet space, students working from their phones and having to care for other siblings.

Despite the structured timetable of online lessons at Rotorua Girls' High, Davis said teachers were required to be flexible and understanding.

The majority of teachers would be using Google Classrooms and Zoom to interact with students.

"Girls operate off an entirely different way of thinking. It is less systematic than at school, when students moved from class to class," she said.

"We need to be more flexible in terms of the expectation we have on the girls."

It would also be important for teachers to manage students on an individual basis when regular school returned.

"Some students would have struggled to have done much - they are looking after younger ones, they haven't had access to work. Others are roaring away, ready to go and able to take on the next task," she said.

"The ability to work quietly in a space can be really compromised. We are carrying on the best we can."

Her message to the community was "not to worry" if there were circumstances that changed the normal process of learning.

"A lot of our students will be doing the best they can - but whether they can turn around and generate a piece of work is unknown."

The Government has announced home-based care was available for the children of essential workers who were unable to make alternative arrangements.

Learning from home

Mount Maunganui mother-of-four Lee Martin said lockdown so far had consisted of juggling rooms and devices so that her children were "in the right place at the right time".

Martin, who was also working from home, said her oldest three children had their own Chromebooks and her 10-year-old daughter borrowed a device when needed.

Despite her children "self-directing" the majority of their learning, Martin said she spent lots of time keeping tabs on them during lockdown.

"They all have different calls at different times with different teachers - and even some of the after-school stuff like my daughter's drama class is going to be online. Her music lesson is going to be online," she said.

"And there is a little bit of time that goes into keeping an eye on the clock to make sure everyone is where they need to be."

Learning in lockdown are Ririnui siblings, from left, Tay, 16, Belle, 10, Luca, 14, and Lane, 12. Photo / Supplied

Two of her sons took the initiative over the weekend to move desks into bedrooms in preparation for online learning, she said. The family of six would rotate between these rooms when on face-to-face calls.

"We have the main living room and kitchen but that tends to be quite noisy."

Learning aside, Martin said she was keen to "bring back the old-fashioned jigsaw puzzle" this lockdown with her kids, alongside taking time to breathe and enjoy the outdoors.