A Week at Longreach School of Distance Education ! Part One

Week six of term saw us heading into Longreach for a week which included mini-school clusters and sports days for the boys, and 3 days of workshops for Home Tutors.

 It is over 700kms from the station to Longreach, on mostly dirt roads, so we stopped a few times for the boys and drivers to have a break. 

Our first stop was just after leaving the property road and joining the Bulloo Development Rd on our way to Eromanga. The boys took the opportunity to climb ' big red.' 

 Our lunch stop was half way to Longreach and just past a property called 'The Retreat ' on the Jundah road. The boys took the opportunity this time to wade in the river.

At LSODE the boys met their friends and classmates, and had a few days of school with their teachers. The year 4-6 children also participated in rugby and netball workshops and a round robin. We remained in town on Saturday and the boys joined friends in a tennis lesson in the morning and our Yr 4 boy attended a swimming squad class in the afternoon. Of course we spent this afternoon and a few others during the week at the pool enjoying the clear clean water. A welcome retrieve from the mid 40 degree temperatures.

At LSODE the children attending the sport workshops on Thursday were relieved from the heat when the sprinklers were turned on while they played skill games in the afternoon.

On the Friday the children participated in a rugby round robin at the local showground. The white flecks in the photo are grasshoppers disturbed from their feeding as the children play.

George and I attended workshops for early literacy, numeracy, and an excellent full day program advertised as Impact. The presentation was very well paced and targeted the "why" part of learning. Impact promoted both explicit instruction as well as inquiry learning. It promoted current information on learning and neuro-science. A very interesting area which I have been delving into for the last 12 years while working as a Special Education teacher and as a parent raising a child with learning differences.

The week was also an opportunity for parents and home tutors/govies to catch up and enjoy some adult conversation. For those like us who stay at The Quarters on the LSODE site it is a  very social week. 

Part 2 

Will include photos of the Longreach School of Distance Education Quarters and surrounds in Part 2. 

By Lynne