Page 8 - Education Feature Issue 2 2021

21 century learning is what we do best!
st

Brescia House School, a sisterhood of balanced, brave and brilliant young minds...

By Mr Kyle van der Merwe Last year was a very exciting time for the pupils, staff, parents and suppliers in our
Brescia House School community. continued journey through this pandemic.
rescia House School has been Mrs Loredana Borello, Head of the High Sanitising stations have been installed at
recognised as a Microsoft Showcase School said, “I am in awe of our teachers every entrance, every classroom, bathroom
BSchool since 2013. Effectively and our students. What they have achieved and office, and a strict cleaning routine and
integrating technology into our learning in such a short space of time is quite awareness has become part of our DNA and
is what we do at Brescia and it’s in our remarkable.” From the moment lockdown social evolution.
classrooms where the real magic happens. commenced until the physical reopening of
Pupils from Grade 4 to 12 have their own schools, no academic time was lost. We know it is through these efforts that we
laptops as part of the school’s one-to-one have managed to continue to be together
device programme and our pupils are very As a Microsoft Showcase School, Brescia in the same physical space. This notion is
familiar with using Microsoft Teams to access House School has had the best players in the central to our educational successes, as
and submit their work online for assessment. field and Microsoft Teams has been key to being together on campus – our home away
The COVID-19 pandemic allowed us to shift this. It provides a secure platform for pupils, from home – encourages team spirit, helps
gears and take our classrooms and learning parents and teachers to interact. Girls from shape listening skills and facilitates other
to the next level. Grade R to Matric are using this daily and important communication skills. Pupils are
seamlessly to engage with their learning. This more likely to engage in lively discussions
Without the Head of Innovation and ICT, is a student-centred platform which has been when in a physical classroom with their
Mrs Lyneth Crighton, and her passion for used in conjunction with other Microsoft classmates and are also able to engage
integrated learning, and the upskilling of staff products, including OneNote and the Office in collaborative learning. The school’s
and pupils alike with regular IT training as a 365 suite. Not only have our lessons been understanding and implementation of an
strategic initiative, this would not have been able to shift gears and spaces, but the use integrated approach offers the best of both
such an easy task. of technology has enabled us to stay true to educational paradigms.
our Catholic ethos, facilitating assemblies,
Brescia has been on a forward trajectory services, meetings and prayers all through Keeping our sisterhood central to our
when it comes to the leveraging of technology the platform that is TEAMS. serviam and pedagogic ethos, Brescia
to optimise the learning space. The school’s House School has achieved the balance of
Innovation Committee brings together a It has been business as usual on campus face-to-face contact and blended learning,
range of teachers who have an interest in and the school operations team, led by the leveraging technology to prepare our girls
IT and its application in the classroom. This School Covid-19 and Operations Manager, for navigating the ever-changing, digital
process has been a whole school initiative, Mr Paul Matthews, has worked continuously and social complexities of the 21 century
st
making our school exactly what young girls to keep our school safe and sanitised. A learning landscape.
need to optimise their learning in our digitally monitoring and information-gathering
distracted age. We have worked hard at system has been put in place, and an internal Mr Kyle van der Merwe is a Senior English
growing digitally discerning and innovatively COVID-19 education programme linked educator, Global Ed Committee Member, and
charged young minds. to our school app has continued to assist Innovation Strategic Team Member.

Education | August 2021 | 6