What unprecedented times we currently find ourselves in! Coronavirus fills every part of the day at the College. We are listening to what the Government is directing and ensuring we are appropriately responding, we are working with staff in preparation for offsite learning and supporting and skilling them so that they are confident and ready should we move in that direction, we are assessing the access girls will have to technology to enable them to work offsite and exploring ways we can be sure they are all supported. Likewise, I would imagine you are equally disrupted. You may have very different work arrangements in the face of social distancing, self-isolating and healthy hygiene regimes. Some of our families may well be under pressure due to reduced work hours, loss of income and trade and vulnerable health of self or family. I can’t imagine there would be any part of our community that hasn’t been affected by this pandemic.

I would like to assure you that we are a community that cares for each other. If you are feeling under stress or pressure due to changes in your circumstances, I would like to encourage you to let the College know and we will do what we can to support or ease the burden. We will all get through this crisis and when it is finished we need to be able to rebuild and restore the balance.  So please contact the College if you have concerns.

Last Tuesday we celebrated St Patrick's Day. It was the most discreet celebration of 17 March I can recall. Due to the Government restrictions, the assembly was cancelled, which meant we missed the beauty of the Irish dancers and Year 12 received their badges in their homeroom instead of in front of the whole College. In spite of this, I must commend the girls on how resilient they were in managing the restrictions. We gave out green cupcakes just before lunch and they were so excited and appreciative. One of the staff played Irish music whilst the cakes were handed out and the girls were dancing in appreciation.

You will have received my letter informing you of a pupil free day on Tuesday 24 March. At present, in most subjects, teachers and coordinators are populating their class Canvas page with course work and resources for the girls. They are reassessing assessments and exploring different ways of delivering the learning. In amongst the busyness of the day to day, some of the more complex skills and then testing are not covered. For this reason we believe a full day of PD will be very beneficial.

Staff will use this time to upskill on a number of applications that they will use should we begin instruction offsite. I appreciate your support of this extraordinary day. If your daughter needs to come to the College, supervision will be provided, however she will be working independently during the day as lessons will not be provided. Girls have work in their Canvas files that they are continuing with. This is not a holiday for the girls.

In the event that we transition to offsite learning, the establishment of a daily routine is very important. As parents, you can support your daughter by:

• Being familiar of the routine and supporting your daughter in following these
• Identifying a quiet space for her to work
• Monitoring communications with teachers
• Checking in on how she is processing her learning
• Encouraging physical exercise and activity
• Monitoring how much time your daughter is spending online

Further information about the online learning will be sent in the following week.

I would like to acknowledge the work of the staff at the moment. Whilst a number of other professions are able to work from home, teachers and support staff, like health care workers, are required to stay at work so that children can stay at school. They are fully supportive of the students and very keen to make a potential offsite learning environment work for all. We are very grateful for such dedicated and professional staff.

Sadly, we have had to postpone our Mass which would have happened last Wednesday and our Ball which would have been held this Saturday. This is disappointing as each event had had 12 months of planning and preparation. Whilst we will not be able to stage a ball again this year, which means there will be no new income for the Scholarship Fund for 2020, we are hoping we may be able to have the mass later in the year. Regrettably, the year is shaping up to be one that will be remembered for the events that never happened due to a series of unprecedented catastrophes that impacted on many people and their lives.

I will finish this week’s edition with a short reflection on pandemic which was recently provided by the GSE Mission Team.

Blessings

Sue Lennox - Principal 

Prayer for a Pandemic

May we who are merely inconvenienced
Remember those whose lives are at stake.
May we who have no risk factors
Remember those most vulnerable.
May we who have the luxury of working from home
Remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent.
May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close
Remember those who have no options.
May we who have to cancel our trips
Remember those that have no safe place to go.
May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market
Remember those who have no margin at all.
May we who settle in for a quarantine at home
Remember those who have no home.
As fear grips our country, let us choose love.
During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other,
Let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbours.
Amen.