Hear that? That's the sound of a collective sigh of relief from parents who've been coping with kids in lockdown and managing home learning.

Finally, kids are back, or almost back. School at school is on again after various length lockdowns in NSW, Victoria, and ACT, and sporadic closures in other states.

It's been a challenge. It has been up to families to do a lot of the heavy lifting in lockdown. Many of us have struggled at times keeping all the balls in the air, but thankfully that juggle is about to get a lot easier.

There's also a collective sigh of relief from most kids as life returns to more normal learning and socialising alongside their friends in the classroom and beyond. It's been really hard on them.

But we hope we can now enjoy some time without disruption. High vaccination rates and lockdown fatigue have brought us to this point, and we can again begin to look forward. 

There are still a few hurdles in the way. This year's Year 12 cohort have had so much to deal with over the past 18 months, many sitting delayed exams...the usual rites of passage disrupted or abandoned. And we know that we are only beginning to realise the mental health impacts on all kids. We've included some advice in the newsletter on how to support children as they transition back to school.

The relationship between home and school has changed forever. Parents have been far more engaged in what kids are learning and have come to understand their kids as learners better. The support of teachers and parents has been vital in keeping kids on track, and the support of parents and teachers will help kids deal with the anxiety many of them are experiencing.

If COVID has taught us anything, it's that teachers and parents working together benefits kids. Keeping the relationships built over the past few challenging months, will help kids settle back into school and life post-Covid. 

Teachers, schools and the whole education community have done a remarkable job during remote education. The professionalism and dedication of educators has shone through. World Teachers' Day next Friday (October 29) couldn't have fallen at a more apt moment this year. It's a chance for everyone to celebrate our wonderful teachers and build an even stronger bond between parents and teachers.

Good luck to all the students, teachers and parents transitioning back to the classroom.

Jenni Rickard,
APC President