During Term 4, the Year 6 class have been reflecting on their time in the Junior School and the special memories and friendships they have made.

They have produced mixed media artwork using paint techniques, stencils and collage. Extracts from their writing have also been added. 2020 has been different to what we expected but, despite the challenges, we have all had a fantastic year and are proud of what we have achieved as a class. Below is the Year 6 class poem, summing up their unusual final year in the Junior School.

Pandemic Poem - Written by Year 6

2020 started – a year like all the rest

Till a virus came upon us and put us to the test

By March news from around the world, shook us with all fear

It was not long till we realised this was not a normal year

Our teachers gave us lessons on how to wash our hands

As disappointed time and again, we cancelled all our plans

There was talk of toilet paper, vanishing from shelves

Stockpiling had begun, people kept it for themselves

Our world was twisted sideways, our life changed overnight

Yet, acting for the greater good, we did what’s just and right

Learning packs were handed out, lockdown was started

From our friends and classmates, sadly we were parted

Our parents were our teachers, not an easy feat

We saw our friends and teachers on screen on google meet

We walked, we baked, we made it through

Till back to school in level 2

School was weird, desks moved apart

Army lines, that’s just the start

When we were all in lockdown the danger tape came out

It wrapped around the lockers and fluttered all about

Soap and Sanitiser was slathered on our hands

Any touch or hugging had firmly now been banned

Line up everyone wash your hands

We don’t want Covid on Columba’s land

No more sitting on the mat, only long desk rows

We couldn’t even work in groups, this added to our woes

Spaced apart from everyone, sitting all alone

And if we even coughed or sniffed – the teachers sent us home

At times it’s been quite stressful but sometimes it’s been nice

At least with social distancing there hasn’t been head lice

We enjoyed 2020 fashion, wearing colourful masks

Seeing patterns and designs as we went about our tasks

All the things we looked to, the things we would have done

Spring service, PALS, the Mathalon – sadly we had none

Otago Champs Cross country it was cancelled too

We sighed and carried onwards - twas all that we could do

But in this most unusual year, we are proud of what we've shown

When faced with such adversity unlike we’ve ever known

We adapted, we helped, we showed our care

We even disinfected all the sports gear

We made our teachers proud and they supported us too

Our creative art made us happy and helped to get us through

We worked as a team, we kept a smile on our face

And we kept up our learning at a pretty fast pace

We’re in a time in history, that will be on the shelves

A tale to tell our grandchildren that’s greater than ourselves.

A time when we were children and had to leave our friends

To keep the community safe and bring Covid to an end

When times are hard, we've learnt to be strong

We know we can help when the world seems wrong

When we look back in future, we'll remember this and smile

We were the Year 6 leavers that went the extra mile.