Schools across NSW have had a difficult few weeks, adapting quickly to at-home learning and remote excursions. After a few weeks though, schools have been given the all-clear to return to normal and are busily finding their routine again.
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The change comes just a week before school holidays, but students are excited to be back on campus.
Relieving assistant principal of Griffith Public School Lauren Brain said that online teaching had been a challenge but they had overcome it.
"Everything has their challenges, but we got around that. Just engaging everybody online and making sure that everybody was able to do that was a challenge," she explained.
"It was just adapting to teaching in a different style, the kids responded well to it but they're also responding well to being back."
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Annette Reginato from St Mary's said that it was a strange choice to come back with just a few days before holidays, but that it came with a lot of benefits to both staff and students.
"We did find it was an interesting decision but that said, for staff and students, it's been much easier to be able to support learning via the one platform. It's given us a chance to reconnect and keep that connection, a month can be a very long time," she said.
Ms Reginato said that online teaching had been good for education, but they had missed the other aspects of schooling like socialisation and community.
"What we're missing as a school is that interaction... the interaction with how they're going in a wellbeing sense as well as learning. It's just those chances to have that joy and things to look forward to, whether it's the school community or the wider community."
She was especially hoping that by the end of the year, the school will be able to hold the usual celebrations and milestones that will mark the end of a very unusual year for students. For now, students will be able to enjoy their holidays and come back to a school that's ready to get back to normal.
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