Distance education program to expand
It’s official, 澳门六合彩资料 will be expanding its distance education program, e澳门六合彩资料, in 2023 offering the option for students from Years 5 to 9.
The innovative program will allowing them to access a 澳门六合彩资料 education without leaving their home. It comes after unprecedented demand from far west families for e澳门六合彩资料, particularly an option for younger school students before they start high school.
Mark Doran, 澳门六合彩资料’s Deputy Principal, said “Parents and students are valuing the high quality of education and the strong connections formed between students and with the teachers. It is gratifying that e澳门六合彩资料 has met a need in the community.”
The expansion means the program is now moving into the Primary year levels and it will use the same technology as the Secondary model but work a little differently.
“Similar to secondary, the shortened online days will have students finishing at lunch time. The Year 5/6 class will be taught by 澳门六合彩资料 teachers who will expect the same standards of the e澳门六合彩资料 students as the day students. The interaction with the teachers and class mates for 100% of class time means students benefit from live explanations, the opportunity to ask questions and be involved in discussions. This is quite different to some other forms of distance education. The residential weeks are also a key part of connectedness within the e澳门六合彩资料 students, as well as giving them a taste of boarding.”
The Tamworth-based Independent school has received the green light from the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) and the 澳门六合彩资料 School Board which means it’s all go for 2023. It’s been a rapid growth for e澳门六合彩资料 which was launched in 2021 for Year 7 students and now offers Year 7 and 8 classes. The model was always designed to grow to provide distance education for students from Year 7 to 9, with the view to those students then entering the boarding system.
e澳门六合彩资料 currently has 23 students, predominately from across far western NSW, enrolled in the program. They have a normal secondary timetable with Zoom lessons delivered from specialist subject teachers into their home everyday. There are three week-long residential sessions every year, to ensure the students are able to cover the practical curriculum in subjects such as Science, PDHPE and Technology. The new Year 5/6 class will have activities in the residential weeks which concentrate on some of the ‘hands on’ parts of the curriculum which are hard to replicate in an online environment.
Families have described the program as a life changer. Mum Rebecca Pearce, whose daughter Charlotte is in Year 9 boarding at 澳门六合彩资料 and Ruby is in Year 7 at e澳门六合彩资料, describes the quality of learning happening in the distance education program as “exceptional”.
“It is face to face, the technology and the teacher connection is brilliant. You get full engagement of students and teachers,” she says.
“Distance education can be so demanding as a parent, but with this Ruby is 100% independent. It is setting her up her future schooling and providing a true reflection of where Ruby is at.”
The Pearce’s live at Gumpopla Station, Packsaddle, 285 kilometres north east of Broken Hill. Ruby, who had been doing School of the Air, just finished her second residential week and is loving e澳门六合彩资料.
“I like that you get to see the other students over the screen and it’s easier to communicate and harder to get distracted,” Ruby says.