The five-day lockdown, which began from 11.59 pm, Friday, February 12, saw student learning impacted greatly from Monday to Wednesday this week, with schools required to return to remote learning.
With the announcement coming after 1 pm on Friday, schools had just hours to react to the news of the impending lockdown and what it would mean.
Benalla P-12 College and Australian Christian College Hume were two schools to move straight into remote learning from Monday morning.
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"We were dealing with this at 2 pm on Friday - we did our best to send students home with learning materials,” Benalla P-12 College executive principal Tony Clark said.
"Our senior secondary students were told to take their laptops and all their books home," he said.
"If they didn't have a laptop, they were given one.
"Online remote learning is fairly close to what they did last year.
"As for our other students - Prep to Year 10 - they were given work packs, including activities and learning materials."
Australian Christian College Hume principal Terry Harding said his teachers also moved fast to make sure students had the necessary supplies before heading home on Friday.
"Staff knew what to do - they had a 20-minute window and were able to quickly put resources together that would gainfully occupy students for the next three days,” Mr Harding said.
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With ACC's Year 7 students going straight into online learning, the school's primary school students are completing remote learning via books.
But if the lockdown was to continue past Wednesday night, Mr Harding said the junior years would move to online classes via the school's learning management system.
"We anticipate this could go longer than three days, so we are preparing for that,” he said.
"I've just said to staff to be prepared to make changes quickly.
"We'll work together and consider what we're doing at least for the rest of term.”
St Joseph's Primary School and FCJ College Benalla moved into remote learning from Tuesday, with Monday, February 15, instead designated a student-free day for teacher planning.
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St Joseph's vice-principal Leigh Symons said as per CECV (Catholic Education Commission of Victoria) and Sandhurst Catholic Education, St Joseph's was closed, except for children who were vulnerable and the children of essential service workers.
"Monday, February 15, is designated as a planning day for teachers to prepare for the following two-day lockdown and remote learning,” Mr Symons said.“Tuesday and Wednesday, February 16 and 17, are remote learning days.
"A variation of remote learning will be provided and will be achieved without digital devices."
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In a statement last Friday, FCJ College Benalla principal Joanne Rock also addressed her students’ return to remote learning.
“I know this will be distressing for some and it is extremely sudden and unexpected,” Ms Rock wrote.
“However, we managed remote learning extremely well last year and at the moment it is only going to be for two days.
“Let's remain hopeful that those of us out in the regions will return to ‘COVID-normal’ on Thursday of this week.”
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