Advice for Parents / Carers

Parent / Carer Responsibilities

As parents/carers, you can provide support for your children by:

  • establishing routines and expectations
  • defining a space for your child to learn and where you or another adult is present and monitoring your child’s learning
  • monitoring communications from school and teachers
  • taking an active role in helping your child process his/her learning
  • encouraging physical activity and/or exercise
  • checking in with your child regularly to help him/her manage stress
  • monitoring how much time your child is spending online
  • setting rules around your child’s social media interactions
  • communicating with the school if your child is unable to participate in the learning at home
  • Guidelines for parents using video conferencing for remote learning

Student responsibilities

These could include:

  • establishing and/or following a daily routine for learning
  • identifying a safe, comfortable, quiet space in their home where they can focus effectively and successfully
  • regularly monitoring the school’s communication to check for announcements and feedback from teachers
  • completing tasks with integrity and academic honesty, doing their best work
  • doing their best to meet timelines, commitments, and due dates
  • communicating proactively with their teachers if they cannot meet deadlines or require additional support
  • collaborating and supporting their classmates in their learning
  • seeking out and communicating with school staff as different needs arise
  • Guidelines for Students Using Video Conferencing for Remote Learning

Establishing routines and expectations

Your school should provide your child with a schedule or timetable for their learning. This will include regular breaks for activity, eating and drinking. In the activity breaks, it is important that students get up and move around.

From the first day you will need to establish routines and expectations. You should use the timetable or schedule provided by your school to set regular hours for school work.

Keep normal bedtime routines for younger children and expect the same from your older primary and high school-aged children too.

It is important that you set these expectations as soon as remote learning is implemented, not several days later after it becomes apparent a child is struggling with the absence of routine.

Communicating with the school and teachers

Make sure that you know how the school and your child’s teachers will be communicating with you and check that channel regularly. Teachers may have set times where students can chat with them online and they can deliver video lessons.

Teachers may be communicating with your child during this period using video chat applications such as Google Hangouts Meet. They may also be emailing or communicating within a learning management system such as Google Classroom.

Communicating with your child about their learning

We encourage you to start and finish each day with a simple check-in. These check-ins need to be a regular part of each day and start straight away. Not all students thrive in a home learning environment; some struggle with too much independence or lack of structure and the check-ins help keep them on track.

In the morning, ask:

  • What are you learning today?
  • What are your learning targets or goals?
  • How will you be spending your time?
  • What resources do you require?
  • What support do you need?

In the afternoon, ask:

  • What did you learn today?
  • Acknowledge one thing that was difficult. Either let it go or come up with a strategy to deal with the same problem if it comes up again.
  • Consider three things that went well today. Why were they good?
  • Are you ok? Do you need to ask your teacher for something? Do you need help with something to make tomorrow more successful?

Inclusive Education

The inclusive education/support staff in your school will still be working with the teacher to ensure students have access to appropriate learning in a way that is suitable for your child’s needs.

Advice has been provided around accessibility for all students within the online learning platform.

Support staff will be available to consult if there are issues with online learning access, specific to your student.