26 March, 2020

Staff at Lumen Christi Primary School in Churchill are keeping school spirits high as they prepare for the possibility of remote schooling.

When school finished on Monday afternoon students were sent home with a ‘remote learning showbag,’ which was personalised for each student’s individual learning needs. The bags contained a range of curriculum-based materials as well as social and emotional distractors, such as pavement chalk and colouring materials to keep students engaged.

The Principal of Lumen Christi Primary School, Mr David Cooper, said the partnership between home and school has always been important, but remote schooling will change this relationship dynamic.

“Remote schooling offers parents the opportunity to connect more closely with their child’s education and students the chance to take more responsibility for their own learning. This will encourage them to be self-driven and inquisitive,” he said.

“School staff have put a lot of effort into developing these customised showbags, giving parents and students something tangible to take home with them. Teachers have also been innovative with their lesson planning, filming videos that students can watch via YouTube.”

Lumen Christi Primary School is among 44 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Sale that started school holidays early to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) within the region.

Director of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Sale, Ms Maria Kirkwood said all Catholic schools in the Sale Diocese are working hard to provide students with a sense of normality.

“We are living in unprecedented times, but our focus remains the same, to provide all students with a quality Catholic education where they’re guided by the light of Christ. We are confident we can continue to do this, while also ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our school communities.”