Prefects and their Associates’ share some feedback about their COVID-19 lockdown experience.
“The idea of online learning during lockdown sounded really nice and relaxing when it was first declared however it proved otherwise in practice. Along with many other students that I questioned, we all had similar experiences of confusion as to when the holidays took place, when schools were opening or if things were ever going to go back to normal. We also shared similar distractions during online learning, whether by social media, news about COVID 19 or just the warmth of our beds. Some students claimed it was lonely while others like ‘I’ with big families, felt like we could not get a minute alone. We went through a lot of positive and some negative experiences which created different memories. It really opened our eyes and made us see the importance of our school community and the positive impact it has on our lives. Anyway, I really enjoy being back at school and hope to never go back into quarantine/ lockdown. God bless.”
Emmanuel Madembo (Y13) with the help of Tino Mutsaka (Y10)
“We really appreciated the effort the teachers went to, to provide us with a positive online learning experience. We felt that we were more productive during the lockdown and valued the extra time with family.”
Hannah Jourdain (Y13) and Lydia Pavarno (Y12)
“I really valued the weeks we spent in lockdown as it gave me an opportunity – just when school was getting hectic – to slow down and focus on myself and my family. Whilst I am grateful for the experience of online learning, I really missed the social aspect of school and I am so stoked to be back. Being in lockdown taught me not to take school for granted and so I’ll definitely make the most of the last five months I have here.”
Macy Paki (Y13)
Lockdown was a *hopefully* once in a lifetime experience. I found it amazing how communities and friend groups were able to adapt to the given scenario through technology. It really showed how important technology is in this day and age.
Eva Ruiz (Y13)
“Online learning during lockdown was a very interesting experience. It pushed our ability to self learn and test our self-control when it came to being trusted to work completely online. Online learning had positives and negatives throughout our lockdown. It meant that we were in a more relaxed environment but not being face to face with our peers and teachers, deemed to be a struggle. A large part of our schooling is socialising and it is something that can change our everyday experiences in school. Without this, it felt strange and just wasn’t the same. Even though we got a lot of work done and the teachers were very supportive, it was hard not to be within the walls of school. It was also a lot easier to be distracted and it took a lot of self-control to keep focused. Overall, we feel that the teachers did a very good job working alongside us and supporting us.”
Elizabeth Martin (Y13) and Javen Newman (Y11)
“Personally, lockdown was a challenge as I struggled with motivation. It was incredibly easy to distract myself, and I was solely accountable for my academic progress. I am extremely thankful for my teachers as they had identified the struggles I was having and were eager to make time for me to discuss how I can further progress my productivity. Teachers were incredibly proactive in adapting to the new system of education. I value the time we had in lockdown, as it taught me to understand the importance of self-discipline, which is crucial for my future in university.”
Chrysolite Gali (Y13)
Lockdown was a new experience that taught me how to be more productive with my education. It was mostly a struggle to adapt to this new learning system but with the support of my teachers, they encouraged me to persist. I enjoyed and learned many things in lockdown but I’m more glad to be back at school.
Rowmesha Sekona (Y13)
During online learning, I learned that time was significant in learning, achieving my academic goals and creating memories. I needed to put a decent amount of time into reading information to have understanding and create broad ideas to answer my assessments, while cherishing the time with my family. As Charles Darwin said. “A man who dares to waste time has not discovered the value of life.”
Sachi Hermoso (Y13)