As we embark on the beginning of second semester, we have been hit by one big challenge - lockdown. Being the end of school holidays and the first day back at school we were all so excited to be returning to catch up with our friends. However, with news of lockdown, we needed to quickly change the picture in our head of how to connect with each other in a positive way. Courtney and Mr Atyeo got straight to it organising online learning to enable us to engage and interactive with each other ensuring that the learning needs of all students, the Australian Curriculum and having fun were being met.
Given it was the beginning of the 2020 Olympics - which sounds funny given it is July 2021, we were given an interactive research project about the Olympic Games, including the history of the Games and Australian icons of the Games. We are hoping once free from lockdown, as a class we will have a presentation day of the information we have gathered. When back at school we can’t wait to get the chance to cheer home together the Australian athletes.
An activity Courtney and Mr. Atyeo set up to keep us connected and share how we were managing though this time was to ask a daily question. These questions ranged from favourite game to play as a family during lockdown, what would we change about school to what superpower would we want to possess during these tough times. Uno, hide and seek and inventing your own game were popular. An essential superpower included, time travelling and teleporting were popular! Luckily the majority of us did not want to change anything about school…..only to be there and not at home!
As part of the Poetry unit the students have begun, they wrote Acrostic poems using the word ‘Lockdown’. Here are some examples of what the students created:
By Angelina Flavel
By Ayesha Gupta
Living at home every day
Only allowed inside
Can't go places we want to go
Keeping safe is important
Disease is spreading
Outdoor isn't allowed
What are we going to do
No going to the movies with friends
By Luka Sorak
By Xavier Dela Rosa
By Archie Leigh
By Lucy Ung
In 5/6 White we are very aware of how lucky we as a South Australian community to have escaped the numerous lockdowns throughout Australia and the world. As a part of our Religious Education online learning we watched the Youtube story called Windows… This story was written Patrick Guest about his own experience of having to leave the family home due to his son’s Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Windows shows how five kids from different parts of the world connect and draw strength from their communities from behind the safety of their own windows.
Heart-warming, hopeful and surprisingly funny, Windows will resonate with families all over the world and become a valuable time capsule of what life was like in 2020.
Please check out the Youtube clip below and some of our classes’ pictures of what we want to see outside our window.
