Senior Student Reflections

Camps, Friends, Sports, Remote Learning ...

One of the new experiences I was looking forward to, was camping in tents, which would’ve been the first time I ever did that on a school camp. Thankfully, we still managed to incorporate this at Anglesea. The year group was split into three tent sets, and one group slept in tents one of the three nights. I was lucky enough to be assigned to the first night, however luck might not be the best word for it, as that was the rainy night. We ate around the campfire after that we did a devotion about how attitude equals altitude. Soon we went away to bed. And then it rained. The heavy drops hammered upon the canvas walls. The tents stopped the rain and the wind, but still water lined the sides. One side of the waterproof sleeping bag got wet, but the proofing worked providing a cosy warm zone to snuggle up. I heard afterwards that a few of the lower tents even flooded, but my tent survived. I also heard afterwards that, though sleeping outside, the next groups were sheltered. Finally, I thank all the organisers of this camp, and how they kept it going despite difficulties. I thank them for enabling us to have these experiences. Isaac Armstrong (7.16)

I had never been SCUBA diving and being able to do so was the pinnacle of my time there. I am sure there was not a single Year 10 student who came from that camp without some story to tell everyone waiting for them at home. Olivia Rogers (10.17)

I enjoyed camp because of the activities we did and because of the people we did them with and it ended up being the best camp experience I have ever had. Jack Driessen (10.18)

My highlight of the camp was going surfing; it was relaxing and peaceful being in the water but when it was time to catch a wave it was thrilling. Bailey Groves (10.4)

Being new to Oxley was a little nerve wracking, but everybody welcomed me, especially my new buddy. My biggest highlights were the House Athletics Carnival and EISM Sport which I looked forward to each week – at least that was until lockdown happened! My other highlight was school camp because it was full of fun activities and it was a good chance for me to get to know other people better, as it was in Term 1. We have done remote learning for almost half the year. It was hard but in the end we all got used to it thanks to all the teachers. Grace Downs (7.14)

2021 was meant to be the light at the end of the tunnel. It was going to bring everything back to normal. New year, new school, new friends …

When we reached the end of the tunnel and turned the corner there was no light, just a deeper and darker tunnel. The light of hope been turned off. 2020 had a sequel.

Reset! We had beaten 2020 before so we can do it again. We can find a new light, new hope. The first step was changing our mindset. This tunnel wasn’t darker it was just different.

We learnt to appreciate the smaller things, things we have always taken for granted… talking face to face, sport, friends, and even going to school (onsite).

Year 7 is meant to be a transition year. We are taught to be flexible. Go forward with confidence and grow. This year has ended up being a transition year in more ways than one. And now with post-COVID restrictions insight, bring on 2022 and Year 8! Blake Richards (7.17)

Lockdown has brought many struggles and challenges but also the chance to revaluate my perspective and outlook of the world. I feel immensely blessed to have such an uplifting network of friends during remote learning as their encouragement and support has allowed me to stay positive. I have enjoyed the freedom that has come with online school in terms of having more time to do thing I love at home, for example playing guitar or going for a run. It has not only allowed me to grow in these hobbies but also pick up new ones, for example, learning to build a table or change the oil in a car. I have truly missed the face-to-face interactions with friends and family and that sense of normality. However, I know that it is through these difficulties, that we can appreciate the times that we can see each other. Alicia Barker (10.17)

In remote learning, I have enjoyed how I’ve been allowed to take more of an independent role in my own learning. Admittedly, I have missed collaborating with my classmates, as it can be difficult to work together with the barrier of MS teams. However, I have found myself enjoying when teachers inform us of the weekly plan, and we approach our classes at our own pace. I appreciate the efforts all my teachers have gone to, to foster an encouraging, independent learning environment, allowing for lockdown to not be as stressful as it could be. Tahlia Watt (10.18)

Without a doubt the highlights of online learning were the sleep ins, lack of uniform and the 10-meter walk to the fridge, accessible 24/7. I would say that I definitely missed being in person for classes, because I don’t learn as well from home and find it difficult to focus at times. But, by far the worst part of remote schooling was not being in class with friends and not being able to hang out at lunch time, because let’s be honest, those are the only things that make getting through a seven period day even remotely manageable. Thomas Steuart (10.18)

Continuous lockdowns and remote learning were definitely not what I expected. However, this experience made me realise the importance of being resilient and connected with the community. Through online learning, I was able to develop my self-management skills, and I enjoyed the flexibility and independence of remote learning. However, missing out on face-to-face interactions with friends and teachers was also a challenge for many of us. Jenny Zhou (10.18)