Home schooling begins for Bec and Poppy
26 March 2020, 5:59 AM
Rebecca and Poppy Andre embark on the home schooling adventure.Rebecca Andre thought home schooling her daughter Poppy would be a nightmare when she considered it a few years ago. But now, she’s enjoying the experience, after deciding to keep Poppy (9) at home this week, rather than send her back to school at St Carthages, in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.
Rebecca is one of many Lismore parents in a similar situation at the moment, who are entering the brave new world of home schooling their children.
“We were waiting for ages for the Prime Minister to talk about schools, but he didn’t, so we took our own action and I decided to keep Poppy at home,” Rebecca said.
“If she went to school, she might get coronavirus and bring it back to me. Kids have less boundaries – they lick things and share band-aids and hats and the virus lives outside the body for days. It’s more difficult to protect them from contracting the virus, and the teachers are also at risk of contracting this from our children.
“If they were washing hands and testing temperatures every day like in Singapore, I’d send her, but I don’t see any strict guidelines being followed.
“There are five kids in Poppy’s Year 4 class still at school. It’s harder for parents who are health workers or retail worker to home school – I knew I could, so I felt a responsibility to do it.”
Rebecca said the support and resources from Poppy’s teacher was instrumental in keeping Poppy engaged and studying.
“He is a wonderful teacher - I texted him on Sunday and he sent me an interim lesson plan for the week with details of activities to do each day,” Rebecca said. “Without that, I couldn’t think of how to keep her not bored and doing things.
“I’ve heard parents say they don’t want to teach the curriculum, that it’s too stressful, but I found it good.
“Each morning, we have a family activity. Today, Poppy had to draw a bird, show me and write about it in her journal. I have to participate and make comments.
“Tomorrow, she has to make a fun menu and creatively present it and boss me around to cook it.
“I feel like I’m playing at teachers, like when I used to boss my brother abound – and I’m going to have to relearn maths again on Friday – I’ll feel like back at school. They do things differently now and don’t learn times tables in Year 3 like I did.”
Rebecca said the transition to home schooling for her was an easy one because she already works from home as a virtual office assistant and Poppy’s father is a computer technician.
“So, we are set up for online learning and have the computer technology and know-how,” she said. “If someone is not technologically set up, or the internet fails, it could be hard.
“Poppy’s teacher is teaching online too and he broadcasts a video of him reading a novel he reads the kids in class, then the kids answer questions.
“We also go onto Google classroom activities and print things out, so it’s like Poppy is in class.
“We are going great guns at the moment, Poppy struggles a bit and we niggle at each other sometimes, but she’s quite relaxed at home now and she is conscientious about her studies.
“It would be so much harder for people living in the cities like London, isolated in tiny apartments, where they can’t even go outside for a walk. Here, we have a yard and veranda and trampoline. “
Director of Catholic Schools, Sally Towns, said in a statement to parents that “schools remain open for parents who need to send their children to school”.
“For those who choose to keep their children at home, take your time to understand and consider what learning at home will look like for your family. We understand you have a lot on your plate and we all need time to adjust,” Sally said.
She also acknowledged that some children might struggle with the transition and encouraged parents to work slowly to encourage their children to learn and make them feel “safe, comforted and loved”.
“Children are just as worried as we are right now. Not only can they hear everything that is going on around them, but they can feel our constant tension and anxiety. They have never experienced anything like this before," she said.
"Normally the idea of being off school for weeks sounds fantastic, but most children know that this situation is not normal and the abrupt changes to all their usual routines and activities will be unsettling.”
She also acknowledged that behavioural issues may increase with children.
“Whether it’s anxiety, or anger, or protest that they can’t do things normally - it’s a natural response to your child’s changing environment,” she said.
For Rebecca and Poppy, it could be the beginning of many months of home schooling while the pandemic plays out across the globe.
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