Dear Parents/Carers,

As a valued member of our College community, I would like to update you on our planning for Term 2. Our exceptional teaching staff have been working incredibly hard to prepare for all possible scenarios moving forward. Genesis will begin school operations for Term 2 on Monday 20 April. The Queensland Government will inform schools during the school holidays as to what form school will take at the beginning of Term 2. Should the College be closed at the beginning of Term 2, we are well prepared to deliver education for your child/ren in the home. Genesis@Home is our platform for this scenario, and we are excited about the wonderful learning and opportunities this will provide for students at Genesis.

SO, WHAT IS GENESIS@HOME?
Genesis@Home seeks to continue to provide the exceptional levels of learning, care and support for families in a package that can be used from home. Our vision for Genesis@Home is to provide so much more than simply learning in an online form. We believe that some of the valuable aspects of a Genesis education include the community connection, networking, high level of support including pastoral care and encouragement as well as the personal touches in life learning such as encouraging a sense of service and growing young people in Christ-likeness. Therefore, Genesis@Home seeks to bring these elements together in a package that your child/ren can engage with from your home.

YOU CAN FIND GENESIS@HOME AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATION
https://www.genesis.qld.edu.au/genesis-at-home/

Please take some time to become familiar with the many wonderful resources available on this site and note the various methods that will be used to deliver learning to your children.

WHAT WILL GENESIS@HOME LOOK LIKE FOR PRIMARY STUDENTS?
Our Genesis@Home digital learning experiences aim to provide flexible and engaging learning for our Primary children throughout the day from Prep to Year 6. Parents will receive a daily email by 8:15am (Monday to Friday). This email comes from the classroom teacher and will include directions to all work to be completed that day.

Prep to Year 2 – Due to the unique nature of Lower Primary learning, Online learning in the Lower Primary Year levels will be supported by physical resources our staff have designed and collated. Every student in Prep to Year 2 has a Learning Resource Pack made for them, which is designed to support learning for the whole of Term 2.

This Friday, 3 April, the Prep to Year 2 learning resource packs will be available for collection from your child’s classroom between the hours of 8:00am and 1:00pm; or during the holiday period, packs can be collected from the College Reception. If you cannot collect the physical pack, a digital version of the pack, including items you would need to source will be provided in an email to you this Friday. Using the survey link below, please indicate your details, and resource pack collection preference. Please complete a new form for each child in Prep to Year 2.
Prep – Year 2 Resource Pack Collection survey

For Year 3, 4 and 6 students – all of your daily schoolwork can be accessed through Showbie, your online digital learning platform. Your teachers in all subjects will run classes through Showbie.

For Year 5, who have been working this year in Microsoft Teams and OneNote – likewise, all your learning will happen through these programs.

We have provided a daily routine plan on the Genesis@Home website; however, in Primary we are not following the school timetable, so please be flexible and feel free to adapt this schedule to meet your family’s needs.

Above all, we are in Primary school, so remember, learning should be lots of fun, and not be a burden; and if it gets a bit tough, the Primary Leadership Team, Learning Support Staff, Classroom and Specialist teachers will be in regular contact with you, and are here to support you every step of the way.

WHAT WILL GENESIS@HOME LOOK LIKE FOR SECONDARY STUDENTS?
Our Genesis@Home learning platform is built upon the strengths of Genesis that we hold dear, and shaped by online learning research and experience. We will continue both a highly personal and supportive experience and maintain our high academic standards.

Students will be engaged in a normal timetable, from Form at 8:30am right through to classes finishing at 3:00pm. We will come to you at the start of each lesson via video (using the Teams platform) to explain what needs to be covered and explain the learning being undertaken. We will deliver the best blend of online delivery whilst maintaining the interpersonal connections that bring the best out of our students.

Personal Development and Christian Life have been set as independent study. Students’ teachers won’t be checking in, as we are asking parents to get alongside their children in these lessons. We think this is a great opportunity for parents to engage in some serious discussions about character, integrity, faith and wellbeing as a family. All learning expectations, sequences and video will be stored on each class’ OneNote so students can catch up should circumstances prevent them from following their timetable timeframes. If you do not have access to the internet during a campus closure, could you please contact us to discuss your circumstances?

FINANCIAL HARDSHIP
We understand that these events do have the potential to create significant hardship. Families of our College who have had their employment directly impacted by COVID-19 are encouraged to contact the Finance Department early in order to discuss your circumstances.

As we enter the Term break, I wish you God’s blessing and protection for the weeks ahead.

Blessings,

Paul Sterling

Principal