Student Reflections on COVID-19

Students were given the task of completing some reflective writing on the impact that the Coronavirus has had on their lives. They were encouraged to record some thoughts and feelings, as well as some of the details about their new world both at home and at school.

By keeping a record, students living through these unprecedented times, may one day look back at their reflections and attitudes.  

Mrs Liz Tobias

Teacher of English

Riley Sterenberg (7 Riley)

Covid 19

Just as the golden flames danced across the state

And had wreaked havoc throughout the cities and towns

A new enemy was created.

An unspeakable force

Called COVID19.

Coronavirus.

Families once happy, locked up inside.

Heroes are working

On an antidote

For those infected

And those locked away in the dark.

Schools shut down

Cities bare and barren

Will there ever be an end?

Zoe Turpie (10 Frew) 

Quarantine has been an experience like no other. It has its challenges and benefits.

When my family and I first heard about the virus we were all joking around on New Year’s Eve about drinking Corona and eating bats and getting the virus.

Then the end of Term One came around and everyone started panic buying and it was all over the news. Lockdown was fast approaching.

The last week of Term One was cancelled because of Coronavirus and it was time to start social distancing.

This is when it really hit. This virus had made its way into the Bendigo community. The challenges of this quarantine are not being able to see family and friends, not being able to go out and do your daily activities such as sports and hobbies, not being able to just go out and go for a day of shopping, and not being able to travel.

Not being able to see family and friends has been a big challenge of mine.

I am usually a very social person and see and catch up with people regularly but now it is not something I can just plan to do. I have to organise to talk to them over Facetime and other social platforms.

Sport usually plays a big part in my social life. I miss going and playing basketball with my friends. I was unable to play finals in basketball due to Coronavirus. Sadly, we came runners up due to our position on the ladder, which was quite disappointing due to our hard work throughout the season together as a team.

Energy Breakthrough plays a major role in my life as my family is very involved in the team and I enjoy going and racing representing our school in Victoria as well as South Australia. Training is also a major part of this sport and I really miss being able to go and socialise with all the kids in the team from all different years in the school whilst getting in the trike and getting to ride around and stay fit and healthy. However, there are some benefits to this situation, because my family is so involved in the Girton racing team we have been able to look after two of our trikes at home and ride them out around where we live as a form of exercise and enjoyment.

Another positive to this situation is being able to bond as a family and getting to know everyone better and understand everyone. My family has made times every weekend to have a zoom call with all our relatives to keep up to date and make sure that everyone in the family is coping well with the virus, especially my auntie who is a nurse and is right in and amongst the virus working in the hospitals and looking after those who are in need of medical treatment during this time.

The main thing that has been affected during this time is schooling. We have all had to adjust to working from home. It has been a struggle and a new experience for everyone. There are four of us working from home and it was a struggle at first to try and get everyone into a routine as we all work at different times and have different breaks. My brother and I are doing schooling in our rooms, my dad is in the living area and is constantly making calls throughout the day, my mum is working in the lounge room and is regularly having zoom meetings with the staff at school.

This has been a good learning experience for everyone and will always be remembered.

Cortez Smith (10 Aherne)

When the virus was first heard of, they did not think much of it. They thought It would pass.

They thought it would not affect them.

It did not go away and then they started to worry, to take notice of It.

But they were too late as it had already escaped its compound from where it had come. It would reign terror on those who were more fragile or vulnerable.

It would conquer one city after another, then countries.

Its power knows no bounds, but that of isolation.

Until such a powerful chemical created by a few of them to save them all, or at least the ones who are vulnerable, isolation is the most powerful tool in their arsenal.

Isolation is not perfect though; Isolation has a toll on them all.

Isolation may bring safety but with isolation there is usually despair.

The cold, dark loneliness of isolation corrodes many of them from the inside.

The feeling is mutual though, the isolation is unhealthy if among too many for too long and must be kept in check.

If not in check then it might start dissolving their mental health.

If they do not keep their mind clear and their spirits high it will be too much to handle in the eye of isolation and it won’t be their only undoing.

A 10 Frew Student

We are experiencing something that we never imagined would happen in our lifetime.

We have never experienced a time where we cannot freely do what we want to do, or go where we want to go, or see who we want to see. The small stuff that we had taken for granted is no longer available. This time has been an emotional rollercoaster and we are all trying to get through it.

My parents pulled me out of school two weeks early because they thought it was not very safe for us to be at school. At the start when I found out that all my friends were still going to school I felt like I was trapped in my own house. It was a very emotional few days.

I didn’t fully understand how serious Coronavirus was for two reasons. Firstly because I had not been personally affected by it so I didn’t know how serious it was.

Secondly, I didn’t understand why I could not just see my friends and do what I would normally do. I had never been in a situation where I wasn’t allowed to do or go somewhere. After the government decided to close schools I felt relief, as if I wasn’t the only one in this situation.

The weekend before we went into official look down, my parents wouldn’t let my family go to a family friend's gathering with a couple of our other close friends. I was mad and angry that my family had to stay home while I saw them on social media all together having fun. The next couple of days when lockdown became official I talked to my friends every day but talking to them on social media or by calling is not the same as being with them.

I had a few days where I really didn’t want to do anything or even leave my house and distanced myself from the people I cared about.

Then I had a turning point where I knew I needed to work on myself. I started to exercise every day by doing workouts and doing family walks. It was a nice way to leave the house and get some fresh air.

Initially, my family and I were all struggling with not having a normal break from each other. At the end of that week, we all got into the Easter spirit. The Easter weekend was relaxing and also fun and it made that hard week go out the door, and we reset.

The day before school came and in my mind, I didn’t feel like I had even had a holiday. I hadn’t seen anyone other than my family for over a month and I didn’t really want to go back to school.

The first day was very tiring and I was not really prepared for the hardship of school. The days have become easier as I have got into a routine.

Although so far this has been quite an up and down experience emotionally, everyone is getting through it. It is not an easy time in our life but everyone is experiencing this in some way or another. I just think about how lucky I am that I have not lost someone that I cared about.