Somerset Lifetimes 2020

Headmaster FROM THE

Craig Bassingthwaighte Headmaster It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity. So begins the Dickens Classic, The Tale of Two Cities. More than a few years ago, he perfectly described the experience of this year. As I write, we are still betwixt the best and the worst, between belief and incredulity. I hope that when you read this, the best and the belief are clearer. We have tried to capture something of that experience below. What is certain is the only thing that matters, the Somerset Community emerged stronger having faced this adversity. It will continue to be an interesting journey made infinitely easy by those who share the load. COVID-19

On 27 January we posted our first notice to parents and caregivers with information about the Coronavirus. On 22 May, we welcomed our students back to the College. In that time, we followed the advice provided by the Queensland Government and Queensland Health, sharing relevant information with the College community when updates were available. The College Board supported my recommendation to provide financial assistance to families by way of a significant discount on fees for Term Two. Casual staff were paid for shifts that were cancelled until the end of Term One while the JobKeeper Scheme was initiated for all staff. We provided supervision for students of parents who are essential workers. Online learning was investigated and Somerset@Home was born. Teaching staff were educated in the use of

From the Headmaster

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Zoom technology and classes resumed online. To say Somerset@Home was very successful is an understatement; the programme will lead to new initiatives in teaching and learning at Somerset. The staff have been instrumental in the success of the programme.

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