Issue 9

A Special Message From the Principal

2 April 2020 E d u c a t i o n Q u e e n s l a n d

Inside the Gate

Important Dates to

Remember

6 - 17 April

Easter Vacation

20 April

Term 2

Commences

Dear Parents and Carers,

Due to the Covid 19 virus, the College is currently in a Student Free mode as directed by the Premier of Queensland and the Prime Minister. At the end of the Easter break, this situation will either be better, the same or need greater action. We will know which of these outcomes eventuates by Monday, April 20 when schools are scheduled to return.

Please take the time to read the information from Mr Parker that is included in today’s newsletter

You will be notified via the main media outlets, text message and Facebook about how we will proceed in Term 2.

In the event that the current Student Free Mode continues in Term 2, Teachers have been preparing resources for our students to use on the E-learn platform. Every student in the College has used the E-learn platform and is familiar with how to access it.

There are more details about this below from Mr Parker Head of Department Maths, Science , IT and Agriculture. I would like to commend Mr Parker and Mr Brett Monahan, our IT Technician, who for the last 2 years have introduced the BYOD program (Bring Your Own Device) and the E-learn platform at the College. We are very well prepared for online learning thanks to their efforts.

I would also like to commend the teachers who have spent the last 2 years learning how to use this platform, loading tasks and ensuring our students know how to use this platform. We are far ahead of many schools in this respect.

I appreciate the efforts of Parents and Carers who have been able to purchase a BYOD machine for these purposes. The specifications for purchasing a device for school use are located on the college website in the Curriculum Tab/ Bring Your Own Device Tab/ BYO Laptop FAQ document (right hand side of the page).

P A G E 2 I N S I D E T H E G A T E

Due to the current nature of the Student Free Days, the College has been able to procure a small supply of very outdated machines and will make them available to students to borrow during Term 2. These are older machines and cannot connect to the school platforms but should work in the home environment. If you are interested, please contact the office in Term 2.

I would like to thank the many parents and carers who contact me by email and telephone to say how much they appreciate the work a particular Teacher has been doing for their child. The impact of the virus has brought into sharp relief just how important the face to face teaching of our children is and how much our Teachers do for our students every day.

Please see later in the newsletter a frequently asked questions section.

I wish you all a happy and safe Easter break.

Theo Bellas, Principal

Important Information from Mr Parker (Head of Maths, Science, Information Technology and Agriculture)

As we prepare for the possibility of flexible and distance learning in Term 2, the staff at Burnett State College have been hard at work developing resources and processes to ensure our students’ educations continue smoothly. Some information for you in the event the school is partially or fully closed beginning next Term is below.

eLearn eLearn is the online learning platform that BSC has been using extensively for the last several years. Students login into eLearn using their usual school username and password. Teachers will be uploading all class work and resources onto eLearn and the students will be able to access this from home, provided they have an internet connection.

Email In the event that eLearn experiences technical difficulties, teachers will email their class with all work and resources each week, so the students can still access these learning materials. You will be notified if there is a problem with the E-learn site and we need to use standard email instead. This work will go to the students’ school email address.

Resetting Passwords Education Queensland passwords automatically expire after 10 weeks. If your student’s password expires, they will need to update their password. They are able to do this themselves, provided they remember their previous password. Click on the HELP tile on the website.

P A G E 3 I N S I D E T H E G A T E

How to Access We have placed tiles on the school website (https://burnettsc.eq.edu.au/) to give you more information on how to access eLearn, school emails and changing passwords (changing password information is available in the “help me” section). You may click on either tile to learn more about eLearn, school email or other common issues. These tiles include contact information if you have any difficulties.

Offline Learning If your student will not be able to engage with online learning (no internet at home, etc.), you have the option of receiving a physical package of paper resources mailed to you for your student to work through. Please phone the school office at the beginning of Term 2 on 4161 3888 if you wish to receive paper resources. This option is only available for students with no internet access.

Please be aware that the teachers will be available through email to communicate with your child at their normal

timetabled times in Week 1, Day 1, Term 2.

(Email addresses are included in this newsletter)

P A G E 4 I N S I D E T H E G A T E

Frequently asked questions

Will parents be required to educate their children while they are away from school?

Should schools be unable to re-open to students for the scheduled commencement of Term 2 on Monday 20 April 2020, plans will be implemented to support home-based learning. Parental/carer supervision of at-home learning will be required—depending on the age, capability and type of learning tasks the student is undertaking.

If at-home learning is required, schools will provide parents and carers with guidance on appropriate learning activities.

Please note that the work available below is an additional option to the work set by the Burnett State College on E-learn.

A dedicated website is also available for parents to support learning at home in the event of a prolonged school closure. Education Queensland provides two-week units of curriculum resources that align to the Australian Curriculum. It provides a sample of activities to support students to continue their learning, as well links to a range of high -quality public learning. These online materials will be progressively added to over coming weeks. Parents are encouraged to talk to their child’s teacher to ensure that any at-home learning aligns with the school’s approach.

https://learningplace.eq.edu.au/cx/resources/file/6f953822-eb08-473b-9f36-f5637af98019/1/resources/swp.html

Online learning from home. How will online learning impact on my child's education?

While the virtual classroom environment will be new for some students, most Queensland state school students already have experience of working online.

To further prepare for home-based learning, teachers have been increasing the use of online

and printable materials to prepare for any scenario in which there is widespread or prolonged

disruption to normal school operations.

My child does not have access to a computer or the internet, how can they participate in online learning?

For students and families who do not have access to devices or the ability to print documents, schools will make a paper offline option available upon request.

P A G E 5 I N S I D E T H E G A T E

Teachers will work with families in this situation to ensure the student is not disadvantaged.

These materials may be in the form of school-based textbooks, printed worksheets and other resources.

How can I best support my child’s online learning?

For parents, supporting children to learn from home during interruption to normal schooling can be a daunting task. The following general tips may help:

Be patient—learning takes time. Create a space for your child to work without distractions. Encourage your child to maintain a study pattern comparable to a normal school day

program. Prepare meals and snacks as you would for a normal school day to assist in maintaining a

study pattern. If you can, make sure your child has access to equipment and stationery required for

home learning — pens, papers, computers (including internet access), printers, etc. Monitor deadlines for lodgement of assignments with the school. Maintain communication with your child’s teacher by email—ask questions if you are

unsure about any aspect of your child’s learning.

Student assessment. What will happen to student assessment?

The impact of COVID-19 on assessment will depend on which stage students are at in their schooling.

The National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) that is normally sat by students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will not be held in 2020 due to disruption caused by COVID -19.

For children who attend a Kindergarten program delivered by a state school, families will be able to access materials to continue their child’s learning at home supported by the school.

For students in Years 11 and 12, the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA)

has long-established protocols that cater for illness or disruption to assessment processes in

order to minimise any disadvantage or impact. Impacted schools will work with the QCAA and

any affected students through these protocols. More information is available from the QCAA

website.

Will this mean that all students will have to repeat the grade next year?

No. If alternative home-based learning (through paper-based, virtual and online curriculum

delivery) is required for part of the school year, assessment and reporting will take into account

the widespread disruption in learning. Although the full impact of COVID -19 cannot yet be

predicted, there is no plan for widespread ‘repeating’ of year levels.

P A G E 6 I N S I D E T H E G A T E

Mr Bellas Theo principal@burnettsc.eq.edu,au

Mr Adams Stephen sadam54@eq.edu.au

Mr Bahnisch Chris cxbah0@eq.edu.au

Mr Bricknell Barry bbric2@eq.edu.au

Miss Chapman Millie mchap195@eq.edu.au

Ms Conard-Rohayem Endayha econa10@eq.edu.au

Ms Conroy Fran fconr1@eq.edu.au

Mr Cook Michael mjcoo1@eq.edu.au

Mrs Coulson Tanya tcoul18@eq.edu.au

Mrs Cowen Marian madam111@eq.edu.au

Mrs Darlington Leisa ldarl6@eq.edu.au

Mr Eskdale Declan deskd0@eq.edu.au

Ms Fenton Carol cafen0@eq.edu.au

Miss Geddes Robyn rgedd2@eq.edu.au

Mrs Gibbs Nicole ngibb10@eq.edu.au

Miss Hall Tamika tnhal0@eq.edu.au

Mr Henderson Kyle khend171@eq.edu.au

Mr Kemp Russell rkemp13@eq.edu.au

Mrs Leaf Deborah dleaf4@eq.edu.au

Miss Morgan Kelly klmor2@eq.edu.au

Mr Parker Gregory gpark65@eq.edu.au

Mrs Parkin Joy jxpar26@eq.edu.au

Mrs Skinner Jenni jskin28@eq.edu.au

Teaching Staff Email Addresses

Please be aware that the teachers will be available through email to communicate with your child at

their normal timetabled times in Week 1, Day 1, Term 2.

P A G E 7 I N S I D E T H E G A T E

P A G E 8 I N S I D E T H E G A T E

This week we have featured some of our

hard working staff

Left: Joanne Bradshaw - one of our

amazing cleaners who is doing great

work in difficult times. We appreciate all

the cleaners and the HUGE effort they

have all been putting in at the moment.

Above: English and History

Teacher, Mr Chris Bahnish

Left: Special Needs Teacher,

Mr Michael Cook

P A G E 9 I N S I D E T H E G A T E

GALE EBooks

is your instant reference library

online.

To access Gale Ebooks

1. Open the Burnett State College web page - https://burnettsc.eq.edu.au

2. Click on the “Facilities” tab

3. Click on the “Library” tab

4. On the right hand side of the page you will find “Gale Ebooks”

5. Once opened the required password is - library (all in lower case)

Ensure you make use of this very helpful tool while working from home!

Left:

Hospitality,

Home Ec and

Industrial

Skills

teacher, Mrs

Carol Fenton

P A G E 1 0 I N S I D E T H E G A T E

P A G E 1 1 I N S I D E T H E G A T E

P A G E 1 2 I N S I D E T H E G A T E

P A G E 1 3 I N S I D E T H E G A T E

QKR App - What an Easy Way to Pay and Purchase

Put money onto your Tuckshop account or order the food specifically, purchase and order uniforms, pay your school fees, pay for excursions, pay for your Year 12 Graduation ticket and much more! Tuckshop transactions are to be completed by 8.00 am if they are to be available to your students on that day.

Download the app onto your phone and follow the prompts or alternatively pop into the office for a quick lesson. It really is very easy.

Burnett State College in association with Burnett State College P & C have chosen to adopt the QKR application.

Better for parents

Make faster, more convenient payments from a secure mobile app anywhere and at anytime.

Website payment alternative for parents and carers without a smartphone or tablet.

All purchases including tuckshop , fees, laptops, excursions etc. can be made using the app.

Pay direct from a credit or debit card without pre-loading funds to a third party account.

Track transactions easily with online receipts.

Winter is on the Way!

Get ready for the cool weather

Winter uniform polar fleece jackets are available for purchase from

the school office - $32 each

We currently have a range of second hand jackets of varying sizes

and conditions that we are selling for $15 each. Please come into

the office and ask about these if you are interested.

Students are also permitted to wear a plain bottle green jumper with

No colours, logos or piping .

I S S U E 9 P A G E 1 4

P A G E 1 5 I N S I D E T H E G A T E

For Your Diary and Assessment Due Dates

Date Year Level

School Event or Assessment Item Details

6 - 17 April ALL Easter Vacation

20 April ALL Term 2 commences

BSC Tuckshop Menu

Wraps

Chicken/Ham $8.00

Chilli Tender $8.00

Toasted Wraps $8.50

Sandwiches

Egg and Lettuce $3.50

Chicken $3.50

Chicken and Cheese $3.50

Ham, Cheese and Tomato $3.50

Corn Meat and Pickles $3.50

Tuna $3.50

Toasted Sandwiches $4.00

Hot Box

Riblets $2.80

Pies $4.00

(Plain, Peas, Bacon + Cheese,

Potato, Curry, Mushroom, Pepper)

Sausage Rolls $2.50

(Beef, Chicken + Cheese)

Chilli Tender $2.00

Kent Tender $2.50

Garlic Bread $3.50

Pizza $2.00

Meals $5.00

Rotating menu advertised weekly

Honey Soy + Rice, Thai Chicken and Rice

Curried Prawns + Rice, Spag Bog,

Sausages + Mash, Beef Casserole,

Wombok + Chicken

Salad Rolls

Chicken, Ham, Corn Meat $5.00

Salad Bowls

Med $4.00 with meat $4.50

Large with egg $4.50

Large with egg & meat $4.75

Hot Rolls (when available)

Chicken or Savoury Mince $5.00

Gluten Free Meals

Sausages $3.00

Nuggets $2.00

Drinks

Water Sml $2.00

Med $3.50

Lrge $4.50

Flavoured Milk Sml $2.00

Lrge $3.20

Juice Sml $2.00

Lrge $3.20

Softdrink (Sports Day only) $2.00

Powerade (Sports Day only) $4.50

Desserts

Ice Creams from $1.00

Cheesecakes (Slice) $3.00

Chips $2.20

Lollies (Sports Day only) $2.50

Chocolates $2.50

Mini Chocolates $ .50