FOR many students undergoing treatment for serious injuries and illness, the long term effects of being away from school make it hard for them to keep up with the workload.
This often means they fall behind the rest of the class.
One such student is Mount Gambier nine year old Phoebe, who missed over a term of school in 2017 after a brain tumour, and its subsequent removal, left her with seizures and the need for extensive rehabilitation and therapy.
“Upon returning to school after nearly four months off we noticed that Phoebe was having difficulties with maths and English,” her mother Karen said.
“The teacher reported that Phoebe was finding it more difficult to concentrate and her confidence took a real blow.
“It was when we noticed Phoebe was struggling that I reached out to the Ronald McDonald Learning Program.”
The learning program creates opportunities for children like Phoebe by pairing them with qualified teachers who supplement the work of their normal classroom lessons with weekly one on one tutorials.
Teaching is tailored to meet the needs of the child in consultation with the class teacher and the parents.
Phoebe was paired with Learning Program tutor Heidi James, who works with her once a week at her school to help her catch up on what she has missed.
“Tutoring has been fantastic for Phoebe, I can personalise her learning to incorporate her strengths and interests, which means Phoebe can experience success and enjoyment while catching up,” Heidi said.
“The best part is Heidi supports Phoebe with what she is learning in class so she is not only filing in the gaps, but keeping up with her peers,” Karen added.
Ronald McDonald House Charities South Australia educational projects manager Verity Gobbett said around 80 South Australian students were supported by the learning program per year.
“What we tend to see is the relationship between the tutor and the student being like that of a mentor and mentee,” she said.
“For Phoebe it is as much about rebuilding confidence in herself as a learner as it is about academic tasks.”
All services are provided free to families and schools thanks to the funding from generous supporters of Ronald McDonald House Charities.
