End of 2020 Term 2
27 July 2020 · 8 min · as at 2020-07-27
Gershom Aitchison (host)
Listen to the episode on iono.fm · MP3
Episode analysis
Analysis by AI, drawn only from this episode; every point links to the moment it rests on.
In this episode, Edu Inc headmaster Gershom Aitchison explains the arrangements for the last week of Term 2 at the school, a mainstream independent school in Fourways, Johannesburg. Reports will be emailed on Thursday and parent-teacher meetings held online on Friday, and school photos are postponed. He describes the August holiday, including winter school for Grade 12s, and the rotating-cohort model the school has submitted for Term 3. He notes that details depend on COVID numbers and regulations. He closes by reflecting on three months of online teaching.
Key ideas
- Gershom says ISASA guidance indicates the school closures apply to public schools, so as a private school Edu Inc will remain open and follow its plan. [00:39]▸
- Reports are emailed on Thursday and Friday is set aside for 15-minute online meetings with teachers, booked through a Google Calendar link on the school website. [01:01]▸ [01:01]▸ [01:38]▸
- Thursday follows a Friday schedule so that one last assembly can take place, and school photos move to the first week of next term. [02:04]▸ [02:25]▸ [02:35]▸
- For Term 3, Gershom says the school envisages rotating cohorts. It is debating whether cohorts attend for a week at a time or one day a week. [03:20]▸ [04:03]▸ [04:19]▸
- He says the decision depends on COVID numbers, government legislation, Department of Education decisions and the exposure of staff and students. [03:29]▸ [04:35]▸
- Gershom credits early planning by school leadership with giving students continuity and an assured routine during Term 2. [03:37]▸ [03:39]▸ [03:51]▸
- He argues that the self-discipline learners have had to build during online schooling is a lesson no school can teach. [05:52]▸ [06:40]▸ [06:50]▸
Booking an online parent-teacher meeting
- Go to the Edu Inc website and click the resources link in the top right-hand corner.
- Open the document called 2020 T2 Report Collecting Meeting with Teachers.
- Click the Google Calendar hyperlink next to the teacher's name.
- Choose a 15-minute slot, type your name in and book the appointment.
- Be logged in to a Google account; without one, email the teacher to set up a time.
As described in the episode: [01:01]▸ [01:38]▸ [01:51]▸
Lessons
- Parents without a Google account need to email the teacher directly to arrange a meeting time, according to Gershom. [01:51]▸
- Gershom stresses that plans remain fluid and that the school must stay flexible while COVID conditions change. [03:29]▸ [04:53]▸
- Gershom reports that running precautions on campus for three weeks gave the school useful metrics and worked well. [05:27]▸
- Gershom tells learners that what they are learning about how they study and about self-discipline is among the most valuable lessons of the year. [05:52]▸ [06:40]▸
Who it's for
Edu Inc parents and learners who need the practical arrangements for the end of Term 2 in 2020, the August holiday dates, Grade 12 winter school, and the school's current thinking on Term 3 attendance during COVID-19.
Facts stated in the episode
- Online parent-teacher appointment slots are 15 minutes long and are held using Google Meets. [01:01]▸ [01:38]▸
- Grade 12s have winter school in the last two weeks of August. [03:00]▸
- Teachers return on 31 August; students start Term 3 on 1 September. [03:10]▸
- Most students have a four-week holiday in August. [03:10]▸
- The rotating-cohort plan for Term 3 has been submitted to the Department of Education. [04:03]▸
Questions this episode answers
- Is Edu Inc closing after the government's school closure announcement?Gershom says ISASA advised that the announcement applies to public schools, not private schools. Edu Inc will remain open until ISASA instructs otherwise. [00:39]▸
- How do I book a parent-teacher meeting at Edu Inc for the end of Term 2?Go to the resources section of the Edu Inc website and open the 2020 T2 document. Click the teacher's Google Calendar link and book a 15-minute slot while logged in to Google, or email the teacher if you have no Google account. [01:01]▸ [01:38]▸ [01:51]▸
- When will Term 2 reports be sent out?Reports are planned to be emailed to parents on Thursday afternoon or evening, so that Friday can be used for online meetings with teachers. [01:01]▸
- Are school photos still happening this term?No. Gershom says the photos planned for Tuesday are postponed to the first week of next term. [02:04]▸
- Is there school on the last Friday of Term 2?No. Thursday is the last official teaching day and runs a Friday schedule so that a final assembly can be held. Friday is reserved for parent meetings with teachers. [02:25]▸ [02:35]▸
- When does Term 3 start?Teachers return on 31 August and students start Term 3 on 1 September. Grade 12s have winter school in the last two weeks of August. [03:00]▸ [03:10]▸
- Will students be on campus in Term 3?The school has submitted a rotating-cohort plan to the Department of Education. Cohorts might attend a week at a time or one day a week, and much teaching will likely continue as it has this term. [04:03]▸ [04:19]▸ [04:53]▸
In their own words
Longer stretches of the conversation, word for word from the transcript, turn by turn.
How reports and online teacher meetings will work
Note (AI): Gives parents the practical steps for booking a 15-minute Google Meet with a teacher, and the revised schedule for the last week of term.
Gershom Aitchison, host · [01:01]We are planning to have reports emailed to parents Thursday afternoon, Thursday evening, so that parents have Friday where they can make appointments to come and see their teachers. These appointments will be done online using Google Meets. To schedule an appointment to see a teacher, you need to direct yourself to the Edu Inc website. In the top right-hand corner, there is a link for resources. Click on that. …
Read the full passage (340 words, 01:01-02:46)
Gershom Aitchison, host · [01:01]We are planning to have reports emailed to parents Thursday afternoon, Thursday evening, so that parents have Friday where they can make appointments to come and see their teachers. These appointments will be done online using Google Meets. To schedule an appointment to see a teacher, you need to direct yourself to the Edu Inc website. In the top right-hand corner, there is a link for resources. Click on that. And in the resource section, there is a document called 2020 T2 Report Collecting Meeting with Teachers. When you open that document, you will see all the teachers' names listed on the left-hand side, and in the very next column, there's a hyperlink to a Google Calendar that you can click on, and it'll take you through to the teachers' appointment slots, which are 15 minutes long, and you can choose a time, click on there, type your name in, and book that appointment. You will need to be logged in into a Google account to do this. If you do not have a Google account, you need to please email the teacher so that they can set up the time for you. So what that looks like for the rest of the week is the following. Tuesday, we were meant to do school photos. That is not going to happen this term. We are going to postpone it and push it out into the first week of next term. Hopefully things change a little, and we might have opportunities to do school photographs. For the rest of this week, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the learners will be doing normal school hours following the schedule, with the exception of Thursday where we are going to do a Friday schedule instead of the Thursday schedule so that we can fit in one last assembly before the end of term. That means that Friday there's not going to be any school. The last official school day with teaching is going to be on Thursday. Friday will be reserved for parent meetings with teachers.
What Term 3 attendance may look like
Note (AI): Sets out the rotating-cohort plan submitted to the Department of Education, the options under debate and the factors that will decide them.
Gershom Aitchison, host · [03:20]I have to say that a lot of the questions that parents are asking is about what term three looks like in terms of student attendance on the campus. I'm going to sound like a stuck record in saying that things are very fluid at the moment, and we need to remain flexible, but what I can say is that three and a half, four months ago, the leadership of …
Read the full passage (418 words, 03:20-05:36)
Gershom Aitchison, host · [03:20]I have to say that a lot of the questions that parents are asking is about what term three looks like in terms of student attendance on the campus. I'm going to sound like a stuck record in saying that things are very fluid at the moment, and we need to remain flexible, but what I can say is that three and a half, four months ago, the leadership of the school looked in a crystal ball at what would happen with COVID over term two. And looking at the numbers increasing as they have, looking at the potential second shutdown of schools, I think that we've done very well in anticipating what it looks like for our students and our teachers and making sure that there's a continuity and that there's an assurance in the routine that we are offering the students. What we envision for the third term is that they are going to be rotating cohorts. That's what we have submitted to the Department of Education. Those rotating cohorts essentially are a group of students based on the needs for them to be at school, and right now we are debating whether the students come on the campus for a week and then take two or three weeks at home, come back on the campus for another week, take two or three weeks at home, or if they come on to campus as a cohort for one day a week. There are a lot of moving parts in that decision, that being the COVID numbers, government legislation, decisions that the Department of Education are making, as well as the exposure of our staff and students to the COVID virus. So I cannot give any concrete information right now. I'm hoping to give more concrete information at the end of August in preparation for September, October, and November, but it is very likely that a large portion of the teaching will continue as it has this term, with the students coming onto campus in a very controlled manner. Once we have a clearer idea of what Term 3 looks like, we will communicate the needs of the school to the students and the parents so that we remain compliant with the government regulations, the Department of Health regulations, the Department of Education regulations regarding COVID. What has been very useful is having the metrics on campus for the last three weeks. As we have been able to enact those precautions, and it has worked very well.
Headmaster's reflection on Term 2
Note (AI): The headmaster assesses three months of online teaching and thanks teachers, parents and learners. He frames self-discipline as a lesson learnt from experience.
Gershom Aitchison, host · [05:52]I'd like to take a moment just to reflect on this term. I feel that it has gone very, very well. I know there are always glitches and hiccups, but I cannot believe the three months have gone so quickly. I cannot believe the level of engagement from my teachers as a teaching staff in overcoming all the challenges of assessment online, of teaching online for a solid three months, …
Read the full passage (232 words, 05:52-07:05)
Gershom Aitchison, host · [05:52]I'd like to take a moment just to reflect on this term. I feel that it has gone very, very well. I know there are always glitches and hiccups, but I cannot believe the three months have gone so quickly. I cannot believe the level of engagement from my teachers as a teaching staff in overcoming all the challenges of assessment online, of teaching online for a solid three months, and I'm very, very grateful to the parents who support us and are making sure that their learners are studying from home and that they are doing school from home. And finally, I'm very, very grateful to the learners for being open-minded in engaging in something that they had no idea they were capable of, had no idea when we started this year that this is what it was going to look like. But what I can say to you as learners is that what you're learning about yourself right now, what you're learning about how you study and how you engage, and the self-discipline you are having to learn and impose on yourself, these are lessons that no school can teach you, only the experience of life. They are probably one of the most valuable lessons that you will learn this year. I'm proud of everybody, and I want to thank you very much for making Term 2 a great success.
Quotes
“This week is going to look a little different, as every week this term has felt and looked a little different.”
“I'm going to sound like a stuck record in saying that things are very fluid at the moment, and we need to remain flexible,”
“the leadership of the school looked in a crystal ball at what would happen with COVID over term two.”
“I'm very, very grateful to the learners for being open-minded in engaging in something that they had no idea they were capable of,”
“these are lessons that no school can teach you, only the experience of life.”
“I'm proud of everybody, and I want to thank you very much for making Term 2 a great success.”
What was said, by topic
End of Term 2 arrangements
“Typically in the last week, parents would come in on the Friday and collect their reports and have meetings with the teachers.”
“Tuesday, we were meant to do school photos. That is not going to happen this term. We are going to postpone it and push it out into the first week of next term.”
“with the exception of Thursday where we are going to do a Friday schedule instead of the Thursday schedule so that we can fit in one last assembly before the end of term.”
“That means that Friday there's not going to be any school. The last official school day with teaching is going to be on Thursday. Friday will be reserved for parent meetings with teachers.”
“our grade 12s have winter school in the last two weeks of August, and they're aware of that. It'll look a little bit like what the block teaching has been like in the last three weeks of July.”
“for the rest of the students, it's going to be a four-week holiday, with teachers coming back on the 31st of August and the students coming back to start term three on the 1st of September.”
COVID-19 school planning
“The information that we have received from ISASA is that it is for public schools and not for private schools, and as such, as a private school, until further instructed or guided by ISASA, we'll remain open and execute the plan that we have put in place.”
“three and a half, four months ago, the leadership of the school looked in a crystal ball at what would happen with COVID over term two.”
“I think that we've done very well in anticipating what it looks like for our students and our teachers and making sure that there's a continuity and that there's an assurance in the routine that we are offering the students.”
“What has been very useful is having the metrics on campus for the last three weeks. As we have been able to enact those precautions, and it has worked very well.”
Online parent-teacher meetings
“We are planning to have reports emailed to parents Thursday afternoon, Thursday evening, so that parents have Friday where they can make appointments to come and see their teachers. These appointments will be done online using Google Meets.”
“there's a hyperlink to a Google Calendar that you can click on, and it'll take you through to the teachers' appointment slots, which are 15 minutes long, and you can choose a time, click on there, type your name in, and book that appointment.”
“You will need to be logged in into a Google account to do this. If you do not have a Google account, you need to please email the teacher so that they can set up the time for you.”
Term 3 rotating cohorts
“What we envision for the third term is that they are going to be rotating cohorts. That's what we have submitted to the Department of Education.”
“right now we are debating whether the students come on the campus for a week and then take two or three weeks at home, come back on the campus for another week, take two or three weeks at home, or if they come on to campus as a cohort for one day a week.”
“There are a lot of moving parts in that decision, that being the COVID numbers, government legislation, decisions that the Department of Education are making, as well as the exposure of our staff and students to the COVID virus.”
“I'm hoping to give more concrete information at the end of August in preparation for September, October, and November, but it is very likely that a large portion of the teaching will continue as it has this term, with the students coming onto campus in a very controlled manner.”
Reflection on online learning
“I cannot believe the level of engagement from my teachers as a teaching staff in overcoming all the challenges of assessment online, of teaching online for a solid three months,”
“I'm very, very grateful to the parents who support us and are making sure that their learners are studying from home and that they are doing school from home.”
“what you're learning about yourself right now, what you're learning about how you study and how you engage, and the self-discipline you are having to learn and impose on yourself, these are lessons that no school can teach you, only the experience of life.”
Episode notes (as published)
From the episode notes published with the podcast.
What's happening the last week of Term 2? Headmaster Gershom Aitchison How will report collection work and what about school photos? Edu Inc website · Facebook (Public) · Facebook (closed group) · Twitter (closed group) · YouTube · Review us on Google
Every quotation and passage on this page is copied word for word from the episode audio transcript and linked to the moment it was said. Quotations are never written or altered by AI; topic labels, passage notes and the episode analysis are AI-generated. Guest details come from the published episode notes or the guest's own words.