Last week I received this letter from the Year 9 SRC Representatives, and thought you'd be interested to read this inspiring letter. Student voice is so important, and I would like to thank Grace, Ella and Natalie for taking the time to communicate directly with their peers. This letter shows leadership and deep understanding of recent Covid challenges.

Hi Middle Years Students,

We hope you and your families are well. It has now been confirmed that many of us will now be able to return to school on Tuesday, June 9. Due to the rather sudden restrictions enforced throughout this term we have not been able to attend school together. However, last term when we were all told that we were going to do a Remote Learning Trial, purely to see how successful it would be, it is safe to say most of us were excited. Little did we know that Remote Learning was going to become part of our new ‘normal’.

It is understandable that many of us have struggled with the changes to our everyday lives because of COVID-19. However, now that the toilet paper is returning to our shelves and it has been declared safe for us to return to school, we want to make it as easy as possible for all of us to try to get back into our old routines. Now that restrictions continue to get lifted, we may still be stuck in ‘lockdown mode’ and struggle with getting back to everyday things like school. But as things return to normal, there are still measures in place to keep us all safe when we return to school. As part of SRC we want your feedback on what we can do to help ease us all back into school routines. Below are some ideas of how to look out for each other and take care of yourselves:

Part of things going back to normal is that we all need to support each other. Still stay socially connected by using things like social media even once school has returned. It is guaranteed that some of us will not be returning to school this term (most likely to be SA and international boarders), so make sure they are not forgotten about.
Get into the habit of a morning and night-time routine that is good for you and will make it easier going back to school. Many of us have taken advantage of the later starting time by sleeping in, which is a habit that we will need to get out of.
As Mrs Bonnett said in assembly: if you feel behind talk to your teachers about it as they can suggest the best way to tackle things. They can only help you if they know what is going on. They have made it clear that we can send them a chat on teams or send an email if we are struggling. This also applies for homework. Try to stay on top of things. By using your record book this could make it easier to be more organised.
Although most sports are out of the picture for a while, we still have options to keep us fit. Circuits are great and so is running. For those who live in Hamilton, a jog around the lake is a great way to keep active, people from Port Fairy could walk along the beach, a walk around the block and for people on farms there is plenty of space for you to do some sort of exercise.
For us to all stay healthy we need to practise good hygiene. Things like coughing and sneezing into our elbows, putting dirty tissues in the bin, applying hand sanitiser, washing our hands, and practising good social distancing (1.5 m, no hugs, handshakes, etc.) will help to keep us safe. If you are feeling unwell it is important that you tell someone. It could just be a common cold, but it could also be something more serious like the flu or even COVID-19 (unlikely but possible).

Please feel free to email anything else that you find helpful in a unique time like this or anything that helps to ease us back into school. We value your opinions. Even when school has returned and there is anything that you think could be working better, say something. If you are really struggling, we are here to help.

Natalie Featherston, Grace Macpherson, and Ella Deland. Year 9 SRC Representatives

Julia Winter Cooke

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