From the Chair
I hope you’re all enjoying your new-found freedom under COVID-19 Level 2 and that you’ve been able to hook-up with family and friends again. It certainly reminds me how important daily routines and interactions with other people are to us all.
Things have been busier than ever at SeniorNet with a whole raft of online Workshops being run during (and beyond) Lockdown. Without exception, they’ve proven popular with our members and I suspect a welcome distraction from one’s own company! Over 300 people have taken part in Zoom Meetings since we started back in late March.
Our Committee met last Thursday and it’s been agreed that The Learning Centre will remain closed for the next few weeks. Taking into account all the complex factors, we’ve scheduled to reopen for onsite Courses and Workshops in Term 3 and planning is already underway to ensure a safe environment for everyone attending.
Gosh, I don’t recall a Global Pandemic and nationwide Lockdown being included in the SeniorNet ChairPerson’s Job Description! What a month it’s been so far – thankfully New Zealand, unlike many other countries appears to have taken decisive action early enough to make a difference. Please stay safe, stay at home and we can save lives.
We’re well into Term 1 now and it’s extremely pleasing to see that our class and workshop numbers have bounced back to the point where most are almost or completely full. I know this can be a little frustrating for those who miss out on a place but rest assured, when demand is this high, we will always schedule the course or workshop again. Our goal is to help as many of our members as we can to improve their technology skills and if that means running a course or workshop over and over again, that’s what we’ll do.
I hope you all had lots of relaxing time over the summer break. By the time you read this, Term 1 will be in full swing at SeniorNet with several courses and workshops already completed. Our Open Days were very successful and we have a number of new members joining us this year – many of whom we’ve already seen at the Learning Centre. Our Tutors are also all rested and rejuvenated, keen to share their IT knowledge with you in the friendly, low-stress learning environment we call SeniorNet Kapiti.
We all have problems on our computer from time to time – yes, even the “experts” get screen lock-ups occasionally. Those of us who’ve been working with computers for a long time have a mental list of things we try first.
