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#IPCOnline A guide for students and parents
#IPCOnline
A guide for students and parents
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Contents A letter to our families .................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Student Guide to #IPCOnline ................................................................................................................................................... 3
Student well-being ...................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Preparing yourself for online learning ........................................................................................................................... 4
Online access .................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Let’s get started ............................................................................................................................................................................. 7
IPC Essentials .................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Student Expectations ................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Asking for help .............................................................................................................................................................................. 8
Parent and Carers Guide to #IPCOnline ............................................................................................................................ 9
Suggestions to help support your son ............................................................................................................................ 9
Setting up a suitable learning environment ............................................................................................................... 9
Establishing routines and expectations ....................................................................................................................... 10
Managing screen time and safety ................................................................................................................................... 10
A letter to our families Dear Parent and Carers
For fifty years, Ignatius Park College has prided itself on providing a holistic education for young men. This proud tradition will continue into our #IPCOnline Learning Platform. To assist our families in transitioning with us towards remote and online learning, we have developed this user guide to step you through the process.
Our teachers know firsthand how difficult it can be to make a teenage boy sit down and complete schoolwork for hours on end, let alone getting them out of bed at 8am on what they will consider a ‘non-school day’! Alternatively, there are some students that thrive in a routine and consistency. We have included either a suggested daily schedule or students may follow their timetable. We understand in these uncertain times that this may not be possible in every family, every day and that’s OK. Therefore, the learning experiences that are online are mostly versatile, adaptable and suit various learning styles. We have ensured flexibility by providing Weekly Planners, tasks or projects for each subject that your son studies. Each week’s set work will be due before the following Monday, enabling families to develop an online learning schedule that best suits them and their son. If your son is unable to complete his weekly tasks, please advise his classroom teacher via email when you are able to.
The College has rescheduled some of our curriculum, in particular assessment, to suit the move to an online learning environment. Assessment will be primarily assignment, research investigation or project-based. This will allow a smooth transition for students when they return to school. QCAA has provided some preliminary guidelines on the reduction of assessment for students in Year 12. There are some decisions that need to be made at the school level and, once this is finalised, we will notify students and families.
We will continue to provide academic support to students through STILE discussions and email. Pastoral and Well-Being support will still be available through our Pastoral Leaders and counsellors. We are also able to provide some IT Support to students who are experiencing difficulties with STILE in Term 2. Instructions on how to access these additional online services are included in the guide.
I am impressed with the curriculum that our teachers are developing for online delivery and this will help to maintain continuity of learning for our young men. Learning at Ignatius Park College has never been limited to the confines of a classroom and we encourage our families, where possible, to engage in real-world learning activities. Learning how to change a tyre, cook a meal, fix something or doing the washing and ironing are just some of the worthwhile life skills that would benefit the education of our young men.
Despite the unfortunate circumstances, we have an unprecedented opportunity for our College community to work more closely in partnership guiding our students into men of pride, integrity and commitment. We look forward to continuing to be your partners in learning.
Allison Elcoate | Deputy Principal – Curriculum and Data
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Student Guide to #IPCOnline Student well-being The world as we know it is constantly changing. This can affect your emotions and/or those of your family and friends. Looking out for each other is what we do here at Iggy Park! Your IPC Counselling Services team is here to support you to tackle difficult emotions and help work through problems you may be experiencing, which may, or may not, be COVD-19 related.
If you are worried about yourself or someone you care about, please contact your Pastoral Leader or IPC Student Counsellors, Ms Dannielle Charge or Mrs Val Derwent. If you already see one of our Counsellors, please contact them on their direct emails. They will get back to you within one (1) business day.
If you need URGENT help, please call 1300MH CALL (1 300 64 2255) or 000.
Additional Support Services: https://www.lifeinmindaustralia.com.au/support-for-those-impacted-by-adverse-events/mental-health-support-for-covid-19
IPC Counselling Support:
Preparing yourself for online learning In the event of a short-term school closure in Term 2, before you begin online learning, it is important that you read the student section of this guide carefully to prepare yourself for remote learning from home or another space. Set up a learning space In your home or the place where you will be staying, you will need to set up a space that you feel is comfortable to focus, learn and safe to be in. Ideally you will have your BYOD or school supplied (Year 12 students) laptop. This is not essential but will provide you with a better learning experience and access. You might need help from your parents or carers to get set up. If you do not have your BYOD or school laptop with you, the #IPCOnline platform can all be accessed on any device with internet access. Do you have internet access? #IPCOnline does require internet access, so if you have limited or no access, please contact the College Office for assistance. If you have a weak connection or limited data allowance, consider contacting your service provider for a temporary economical solution. Most major providers are offering increased data to support students to access online learning. Setting up a daily schedule or routine This is the time to sit down with your family to have a conversation about what best suits your situation. You may decide to: Use the suggested Daily Routine on the next page; Follow your regular school timetable as closely as possible; or Choose another format that suits your learning style and your family arrangements.
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Suggested Daily Routine The routine below is provided as a sample only. Not all of the suggestions will be suitable for you and your family.
8.00 to 8.30am Wake up, get dressed and eat breakfast. Clean your breakfast dishes and be sure to make your bed.
8.30 to 9.00am
Organise your study and space. Make sure that you have everything that you need for the day. Check your emails for updates on work or replies from teachers to your
questions. Check your timetable and #IPCOnline Weekly Planners to work out your
sessions for today.
9.00 to 10.30am
Work through your first two learning sessions for the day. Take a moment in the middle to stretch, get a drink of water and use the
bathroom.
10.30 to 11.00am
Take a break and have a snack. Do a non-computer based activity (outside, if possible).
11.00 to 12.40pm
Work through your next two learning sessions for the day. Take a moment in the middle to stretch, get a drink of water and use the
bathroom.
12.40 to 1.30pm
Make yourself something healthy for lunch. Make sure that you have enough energy to finish your day.
Complete your Let’s Get Physical Activity with Phunder session in IPC Essentials.
1.30 to 2.00pm Read a book or magazine of your choice. Preferably this is not a digital
book or online magazine – just the old fashioned paper kind.
2.00 to 3.00pm
Complete one last session for the day. If you have time, attempt one of the Suggested Independent Learning
Activities. Take 10 minutes to check off the items that you completed today, plan
for tomorrow and to send off questions to teachers via email.
Online access Accessing Email You can access your student email via Outlook on your BYOD laptop or online through any device at: www.portal.office.com. Log in using your school email address and password. Student email addresses are your school username, followed by the student email server address e.g. [email protected]
Accessing STILE STILE can be accessed online at: https://stileapp.com/login. Your login details will be your school email address (see above) and password. Accessing Microsoft Office365 and OneDrive Files You can access Microsoft Office365 and OneDrive on your BYOD laptop or online through any device at: www.portal.office.com. Log in using your school email address and password. Accessing Other Learning Platforms and Senior Textbooks You can access a number of other platforms during online learning, that you already access at school. All of the College online learning platforms can be accessed at: https://sites.google.com/view/ipclrc/e-learning/e-learning-platforms. Senior textbooks can also be accessed online at: https://sites.google.com/view/ipclrc/e-learning/box-of-books Accessing Files on the IPC Network – Connecting to the VPN – Year 12s only Accessing files on the IPC Network is done via connection to the College VPN. Once you are connected to the VPN, you will be able to browse the school drives (U: Home Drive and Y: Distribution). Please make sure you are connected to the internet / hotspot at home before you perform these steps. Do not log into your computer. If you have logged in, sign out before completing the steps below.
1. Before logging into your laptop, click on the remote connection icon.
2. Enter your school username and password and click OK.
3. At the end of your session, click on the network icon in the task bar, then click on IPC – VPN Connection and then click disconnect.
Technical Difficulties IT staff are available for your support to access STILE and other school online services throughout the normal school day. To access IT Support, email [email protected]. Please note that Helpdesk request emails typically take 24-48 hours, in normal circumstances, to be processed and assigned to IT staff. IT staff will contact you to provide assistance via email or a Zoom Meeting (request to be sent to your email).
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Let’s get started 1. Each Monday at 9am, check STILE and the IPC
College Website for your #IPCOnline Weekly Planners. For Week 1, a copy of this planner will be emailed to students and parents/carers. From Week 2 this will be available at: https://www.ipc.qld.edu.au/studies/online-learning/
2. Pictured right is an example of a Weekly Planner. 3. Log into STILE and Student Café each day to check
your sessions for the week. 4. Follow the College timetable or the routine you have
agreed upon with your family. 5. Attempt to have all set work completed and required
tasks are submitted before the following Monday. 6. Check off the completed work and, if time permits,
attempt some of the Suggested Independent Learning activities.
Monitoring completion of work Feedback will be provided by teachers on lessons and activities completed. Teachers will email students to remind them of incomplete work. Parent and carers will be notified if students are not completing the set-work or sessions
for each subject.
IPC Essentials School events throughout the week will continue as per your timetable, however, they will be a little different. These include Assembly, Liturgies, Pastoral Care lessons and Academic Mentoring. Our school events are an important part of what makes the Ignatius Park College community special and they help to bring us all together. All College events will be accessible through the IPC Essentials subject on STILE that is assigned to every student in each year level. It is expected: each Thursday students complete their Pastoral Care session; on a scheduled Day 4, students view the College Assembly in School Events; and complete their Academic Mentoring session that week.
Student Expectations Stay organised and have a plan to complete the set work each week with honesty and
integrity. If you are having difficulties with your set learning, please contact your teacher via email.
Talk to your parent/carer about notifying the teacher if you are unable to complete your learning sessions.
Create a positive and practical learning space that allows you to focus. Uphold the values of the school when using online learning platforms.
Asking for help Without being able to see you each day, it will be difficult for your teacher to know if you are experiencing difficulties with understanding a task, concept or what is required. It is important for you, during this time, to have the courage to seek out help. The best way to do this is with an email to your classroom teacher. Your teacher will likely be receiving a lot of emails and, although they will check their emails daily, circumstances may arise where they may not be able to respond the same day. When asking your teacher for help you need to: Be polite and respectful:
o Begin with “Dear” or “To” and address them appropriately e.g. “Dear Mrs Elcoate”. “Hey Miss/Sir” is not appropriate.
o End your email with “Thank you” or “Kind regards”.
o Consider that your teacher may be stressed or anxious at this time too.
Avoid sending your teacher an email for each question or activity. Try to find a solution yourself first. If you are still stuck, write down each question that you have and put this into one email at the end of the day.
As teachers will be reading many emails consider numbering your questions or using bullet points to make it easier for them to address each question.
Take your time and think about what you want to ask. You must be clear in your question or explanation of the difficulty that you are experiencing. Be specific e.g. “For Science, Session 2 Question 6 do I need to include the chemical or word equation for photosynthesis in my explanation?”
Some teachers will be available for Class Discussion via STILE at certain times. With family considerations of their own, this may not be possible for all teaching staff. Teachers for each year level will notify students when they will be available to help, using the Class Discussion tab on STILE. This may not always be your classroom teacher, as our teachers will be taking turns and supporting each other to answer student questions.
If you receive additional support from one of our Inclusive Education Officers, they will be available on email to help during this time.
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Parent and Carers Guide to #IPCOnline Suggestions to help support your son To support learning at home, you are not required to be a subject matter expert or educator. Your role is to partner with your son’s teachers to support their online learning.
You can provide support for your child by: establishing routines and expectations; providing a suitable space for your son to work in; monitoring school communications via email, College Website, social media and Parent
Lounge; checking in with your son often to help them manage, and pace, their work; monitoring how much time your son is spending online; and notifying your son’s teacher if there are circumstances where your son is unable to
complete his learning tasks for that week.
Student responsibilities during remote learning Student responsibilities include: monitoring STILE, Student Cafe and email communication often to check for
announcements and feedback from teachers; completing tasks with integrity and academic honesty and doing their best work; doing their best to meet timelines, commitments and due dates; being proactive in seeking help when they need it; engaging respectfully and appropriately in their communication with teachers via email
or class discussions in STILE; collaborating and supporting their classmates in their learning, if possible; and abiding by the school’s behaviour guidelines.
Monitoring completion of work Feedback will be provided by teachers on lessons and activities completed. Teachers will email students to remind them of incomplete work. Parent and carers will be notified if students are not completing the set-work or sessions
for each subject.
Setting up a suitable learning environment We recognise that every home situation is unique. Where possible, it is important to try to provide a quiet and comfortable learning space. Your child may already have a regular place for doing homework e.g. their bedroom, but this space may not be suitable for an extended period of time. For some families, having all children around one table may work best, whilst this might be more troublesome for others.
Where possible, extended learning should take place in a space that your family shares. For example, a lounge room or dining room. These spaces are preferable over a bedroom, where
supervision can be more challenging and can feel isolating for some students over time. Preferably, the learning environment would be a space: that is well ventilated and with adequate lighting; that has a strong internet or Wi-Fi signal, if possible; that can be quiet at times throughout the day; and where, if possible, an adult may be present or can monitor your son’s learning.
Establishing routines and expectations Unlike at school, an adult may not always be present to supervise your son. It is important that you work with them to establish and agree on a routine or schedule for each day. Some suggestions for establishing routines and expectations for online learning include: Make sure that your son is familiar with using their email, Student Café and STILE. Try to check-in with your son each day, preferably morning and night. Ask him:
o What are you learning or what did you learn today? o Do you have tasks due today? Did you get your tasks completed on time? o Are you OK? Do you need to ask your teacher for help or support? o Do you need help to make tomorrow a more successful day?
Regular check-ins throughout the day may also be appropriate. This will depend on your son’s needs and ability to stay focused or on task.
Keep normal bedtime routines on school days. Maintain your family or household rules, especially those around online access and social
media. Encourage regular exercise breaks. Options could include exercise videos on YouTube,
apps, dancing, floor exercises, yoga, walking around the backyard or using home exercise equipment.
Encourage healthy eating habits and drinking enough water. Some of the above suggestions may need to be adjusted to suit your family situation. It is important that you discuss and outline your expectations with your son before learning online begins.
Managing screen time and safety It is vital that you and your son try to maintain a balanced approach to online learning. Time spent using digital devices for learning should be broken up with physical exercise and offline tasks every hour. Many people, not just teenagers, can easily find themselves being distracted by other digital activities, such as games, social media and online shopping. Keeping to screen limits, having established routines and clear expectations can help to minimise this.
It is also important that, during this period of online learning, we maintain safe and responsible use of information and communication technologies. This includes: the appropriate use of digital platforms, privacy and information protection respectful online communication abiding by the school’s behaviour guidelines.
Remind your child to stay at home For parents who are working during this time, remind your son to stay at home, so that he can remain safe, minimise any potential exposure and practise social responsibility.
