Boarding 

I was asked to share my experience of the COVID-19 pandemic and found it hard finding the words to describe how the lockdowns, restrictions and the constant long drives between home and school, actually affected me as a student, daughter, sister and friend. Each person has experienced a shift in their routine and has had to try to understand how, why and what caused this tedious virus and has had to cope with not knowing when it will ever end. 

The uncertainty caused by the pandemic has been one of the most testing, relaxing, excruciatingly boring and exhausting experiences, as I am sure all of us can appreciate in different ways. Things changing by the minute, always feeling like you’re the last to find things out, normality having a completely different meaning to what it did prior to this pandemic and overwhelming feelings of detachment and segregation from friends and extended family. 

As a student from Sydney who commutes regularly to Rural NSW, during COVID, complicated would be an understatement. But the efforts of both the boarding and day school staff have provided such a great amount of support through the extra restrictions and they have gone above and beyond to continue contact with all students whilst we were in Remote Learning.

Although relaxation quickly turned into boredom, and boredom quickly turned to frustration – there is a certain feeling of support despite being in solitude. I consider myself and the extended Kinross community extremely fortunate to be able to continue face to face learning, to have shops open and to have co-curricular activities continuing as normal. Driving through Orange, after seeing the same four walls for weeks on end and seeing the amount of cases surge daily, felt like a parallel universe. I realised that people wandering around aimlessly, sitting in restaurants and people occupying tables and chairs outside of cafes became slightly foreign after Sydney’s eerily empty streets and roads were a constant reminder of what seems to be a perpetual series of lockdowns. 

The Kinross Wolaroi faculty, students and the families of each member of this community have shown an immense amount of resilience, encouragement and strength – which all allow us to continue staying positive and motivated, both in and out of the school environment. Treat each other well, be mindful that this isn’t easy for anyone and stay safe! 

Holly Dwyer, Year 10