Please see communication from Mr Stewart Smith, Head of Senior School:

• Update from the Principal (Monday, 9 August)
• Term 3 Remote Learning - Mr Stewart Smith
• Update from the Principal (Monday, 2 August)
• Digital Chapel: Believing through Doubt (friday, 6 August)
• Essential Workers

Other important documents:

• Sample Daily Schedule
• QCAA's Frequently Asked Questions (Year 12)

These helpful documents outline the different responsibilities, recommendations and requirements for online learning at Northside. Please ensure you read through them prior to engaging with online content.

Student Guide. This document is specifically catered for Senior School students, addressing student expectations, studying suggestions and overall wellbeing.	Parent Guide. The parent guide for Senior School students outlines what parents can expect for their students, from an online teaching format.

Google Classroom
Google Classroom has been used by many teachers for a few years and should feel familiar to a Senior School student. The primary purpose of Google Classroom is to streamline the process of sharing files between teachers and students. Within the Google Classroom are multiple classes, including all a student’s subject classes, a Year Level class and possibly extracurricular classes. Google Classroom has a variety of features that allows teachers to add classroom content, assignments and questions as well as feedback on student’s progress. Google Classroom is accessible via the students’ Chromebook.

Google Meet
Google Meet is a video conferencing platform. You may have used something similar such as Skype or Zoom (especially in recent times), which allows for classes to have face-to-face interaction with each other and their teacher. Google Meet is accessible via the students’ Chromebook.

Education

• Northside Christian College Secondary Library - Research Databases (eLibrary, STEM), Encyclopedias, ClickView (video library), Open Access Resources, eBooks, online Library catalogue
• Box of Books - Digital textbooks
• Google Scholar - Peer reviewed articles. See also Open Access Resources in Library webpage.
• MyBib - Citation builder. Log in using College username and password.

Parent Resources

• Tips for home schooling
• How to turn your home into a school without losing your sanity
• 9 tips for creating the perfect study space
• COVID-19 and your child

COVID-19

• UNICEF’s guide on how to talk to your child about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
• A Child Mind Institute article on Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus

Even before COVID-19 affected our College families, Northside had signed up to be a part of the Black Dog Institute’s landmark research initiative, the Future Proofing Study which is a longitudinal study starting with our Year 8 cohort in 2020 and tracking their progress until they are 18 years of age. The Future Proofing study examines how best to prevent depression in young people. It is the biggest and most comprehensive scientific study of mental health amongst young Australians yet. Now, more than ever, we are grateful to be a part of this unprecedented research.

We deeply care about how our students and families deal with the many emotions and experiences that the coronavirus has created. We understand that this is a challenging time for us all. Please reach out and talk with your class teacher or Mr Laurie Bell (Head of Student Life) if you are feeling affected by these circumstances, and speak with your parents or family members too.

Students:

• Emotional: Beyond Blue have a helpful article on how to look after your mental health during the current situation. Here are some other great mental health resources: BiteBack | MyCompass | ThisWayUp | Moodgym | The Brave Program
• Physical: Make sure you take time to keep active, whether in your lounge room or backyard. Australian guidelines recommend children aged 5-18 years have at least one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. And at least three days a week, this should include activities that strengthen muscles and bones. Here is a great home fitness workout video and channel from a P.E coach!
• Spiritual: We encourage our students to continue to connect in with their churches online, through live stream/pre-recorded services. Make time to speak with a Pastor, youth group leader or friend from church to update them on how you're going and to connect. Why not download the Bible app, which includes devotions, the ability to share verses with friends, and other helpful features.
• Health: Please refer to the below for relevant health advice;
  - Queensland Health advice and information
  - Metro North Public Health Unit (07 3624 1111)
  - 24/7 National Coronavirus Health Information Line (1800 020 080)
  - 13HEALTH (13 43 25 84)

FAQs:

Q: When does my child need to study?
A: Every student and family situation is different. Each day the student is expected to visit their subject classrooms for the day, and complete the tasks allocated to them.

Q: Who do I speak to if my child is struggling?
A: Just like school on campus, please contact your relevant subject teacher first for subject specific help, or reach out to your form class teacher or Year Level Coordinators for more general help.

Q: How long will online learning last?
A: Northside Christian College will continue to follow the advice from the Queensland Government on school closures, and will continue to offer digital learning opportunities for students whether schools are open or closed.

Q: What if my child is sick/unwell?
A: Contact your child's form teacher to let them know they will be 'away'. The subject tasks and content covered can be caught up at a later date, when convenient.

Q: Will teachers be available during lessons for questions from students?
A: Teachers will be available to respond to student’s questions during their timetabled classes with their students. Students can ask questions via email, Google Classroom stream, or face to face via Google Meet. If a teacher receives a question from a student before their scheduled class, they will try to reply as soon as possible.

Q: How will teachers deliver the subject’s content?
A: Subject content delivery methods may vary between subjects. A typical approach would involve read, watch, do. Students would have some material to read, a video to watch about the content and then work to do. Teachers can also run a Google Meet with their whole class or smaller groups within the class where face to face discussions can occur.

Q: How will teachers check if the students are completing the work?
A: Google Classroom has a feature that allows teachers to ask questions, and the teacher can set a due date and time. Students need to provide an answer by the due date and responses are recorded and collated. Teachers have other online resources like quizzes, Google Forms and Google Sheets where teachers can monitor student’s progress. Google Meets allows for video conferencing, where students can show the teacher the work.

Q: Will the students follow their timetable?
A: The students will have work set for them in their Google Classroom each morning by 8:30 am for the classes they have that day on their timetable. Students can work through the day’s work as they determine. However, students will need to be available for Google Meets if their teacher schedules a Google Meet in their timetabled class time for that day.

Q: Will assessments still be expected?
A: Assessments will still be occurring. Type of assessments may vary to accommodate remote learning.

Q: How does my child get access to the practical elements of their subjects?
A: Where necessary, senior students may be invited into school in small numbers to complete practical elements of their subjects. Examples could be and not limited to mandatory science practical’s, using music composition software and art room materials.

Q: Are parents allowed to contact teachers?
A: Parents are always welcome to make contact with their children’s teachers. Due to the teachers varying availabilities, email via the Parent Lounge is a good first option.

Q: Does my child need headphones?
A: Headphones would be preferable if the student is working near other students or siblings when watching class content on a video or participating in a Google Meet. Headphones also help prevent audio feedback when engaged in a Google Meet.

Q: How do I print from Google Classroom?
A: You can print from your Chromebook using most printers that connect to Wi-Fi or a wired network. Click through to the Support page from Google to set up your printer.

Despite not being able to meet together in person, or in gatherings, we can still find ways to do so digitally. Our social media is a great way to do this, or write an encouraging message on our note board below.

Follow our accounts and tag us on social media (with parental permission!), as we continue to share the great things happening in our community:

Facebook | Instagram | Youtube | Linkedin | Instagram (sport)