Assistant Principal News

Our International students

2020 - Our lives look and feel unrecognisable. We have had to teach and learn in new ways. We have been pushed out of our comfort zones. We are scared. And some days, we want new families. We have been living in lockdown with our families for what seems like a really long time. 

On those days, I ask you to think about a group of about 80 students from China, Vietnam and Cambodia who are living in Australia with people they may have met only this year. These students have not seen their parents and siblings since January. They may not see them for another 6 to 8 months, or longer if borders do not open. 

They have homestay families and I know that our homestay families have looked after them and ensured that they are not lonely, as much as they possibly can. They are worried about their families and friends back home – their countries may have high infection numbers, or maybe their healthcare system is not as advanced as our one. They have no idea when they will be allowed to visit mum and dad at home, hang out with their siblings and eat what mum has cooked.

And yet, they keep trying. They complete their homework, they ask questions in class, they ensure that they get some exercise, they try to build relationships with each other, with their teachers and with their homestay families.  I am in awe of their courage, resilience and energy. I don’t know that I could have done this at their age. There are days where I struggle to do this now! At my age!

One of these students could be a classmate.  Maybe we could make it a point to check in with this classmate and ask them how they are going.  We could ask about their families. We could just remember that while it may not seem like it, we are lucky that we are stuck in this lockdown with our families and siblings, in a country that is our own.

Jasvinder Kaur

Assistant Principal