Return to onsite learning at St Mary’s

Tuesday saw a return to onsite learning at St Mary’s and it was great to see and hear the students around the campus again; schools can be lonely places without the students.

The students were welcomed with a chance to catch up with their friends after nine long weeks away from school, followed by a quick meeting with their Learning Mentor to ensure any questions they had were answered before they began their classes for the day.

As the students reacquainted themselves with the routines of school, it was apparent that they were very glad to see their friends and relished the opportunity to socialise with each other in person.

It will take some time to ease back into the groove of learning onsite, for staff and students, so we aim to take things gently over the coming weeks to ensure we are all supported and achieving our best.

We know the students and staff have experienced huge changes to their lives over the last few months and acknowledge this has been a very difficult experience for some. In light of this, we ask parents to talk to their children about how they are managing the return to onsite learning and communicate any concerns or questions with the relevant member of the CMC team, most likely your child’s Learning Mentor in the first instance.

It’s a return to the classroom like no other. Our Pastoral Care Directors, Mr Matt Smith and Mr Len Watson, recommend the article Seven things for a smooth transition back to school-based learning by leading clinical psychologist Andrew Fuller, who outlines his seven priorities to help their journey.

This challenge has been a great impetus for bringing parents closer to their child’s learning and forming a closer partnership with the school. We hope this strong relationship continues to grow, as we know it is in the best interests of the students that we work together to see them achieve to their potential.

We look forward to the full cohort of Year 10s returning on Tuesday 9 June. This will be another milestone that helps bring some ‘normalcy’ back to our lives as we continue to confront the COVID-19 challenge together.

Mr Ben Fitzpatrick, Deputy Principal – St Mary’s