Even though lockdown was tough for many people, some of our students have been doing amazing things! Here are some of their stories.

Tiffany Rawlins - Year 13 (written by Tiffany)

This lockdown period has been very unusual for everyone and hard on some but I made the most of it. During this time, I have spent every day reconnecting with my family. When my father first moved here from South Africa a year ago, my mother, sister and I had to stay behind until he had found a job to support us. We thought it would take around 2 months, but instead the whole process ended up taking 7 months. This was a really tough time because the whole family was split up. My father was here, my sister and mother at my aunt's and I was at some friends. Nine months later and we were finally able to come over to be a family again. So this time has really been amazing for us as a family, we were able to reconnect with one another with no distractions from the outside world.

I can imagine this time has been really hard for some families, us included. But, we decided to make the most of the time and enjoy the company of one another. It has made us stronger as a family unit and for that I am forever grateful. 

Aleida Long - Year 9

During lockdown, Aleida has been looking after her little brother and teaching him and doing various other things around the house to let her parents have a break. In the mornings when he gets out of bed, she puts on his favourite show, "The Simpsons", and lets him rest and calm down again before remote learning starts as he has autism and gets very hyperactive.

To take care of her own mental health, Aleida has been doing a lot more independent work (which makes her relaxed and less stressed about the current situation). Also, she has been cooking for herself a lot more, making her own breakfasts and lunches. She's determined to come out of quarantine a great chef, just in time for Rise And Shine - Food For Life Kete Wana option.

Bradley Haugh - Year 13

Bradley has been sharing his bubble with his mum, dad and older sister. Two things really impressed me about Bradley. He usually works quite a few hours a week at a part time job. However, with the lockdown, his employer has had to reduce staff hours. Bradley is in the lucky position that he doesn’t have to have this income to support his family, so he made the very generous decision not to work for the next few months so that others who need the money to survive can keep working. What a wonderful thing to do for his workmates!

Plus, there’s another silver lining to the lockdown for Bradley – he used to have a pretty bad fast-food addiction. With everything shut and no takeaways for weeks, he has had to eat much better, sorting out his health and making better food choices, and saving money at the same time. Ka rawe, Bradley!

If you have a similar story to share about a Hagley student, please let us know and we may publish it in the next newsletter. Email jenni.holden@staff.hagley.school.nz.