Life before lockdown
I only started at Habs in September, and although I was very excited it did seem daunting. Only one other person from my primary school was going, so at first I was nervous, but everyone was very welcoming and I found my feet within a week. I really like the amazing sports facilities there. I have been able to try out many different sports and I really enjoy the different opportunities they open up for me.
Month one
When I heard that our school was closing for lockdown, I was a bit upset I wouldn’t get to see my new friends. But I was also excited for a new experience. During the first term, we were set work in every subject and we were assigned worksheets to complete through the lesson. Our teachers were online during lesson time to answer any questions we may have had.
Then the school added live lessons with the teachers online, and this is how we do the majority of our lessons now. I am still trying to adjust to this new way of learning but I do think that I am being taught new things every day.
Month two
It has been difficult not being able to socialise with friends and family, but in a way lockdown has felt like a break from my usual hectic life. I have had more time to pursue my passion for baking. I now bake on a much more regular basis for my family, and have become quite skilled! In fact, I have entered a national bake off, and have passed the phone and video interview, and baking and presenting.
I’ve also been taking part in Figtree Learning’s online sessions on Sundays. They have been really good fun and I’m enjoying learning new things outside of the school environment. I had to take the 11-Plus to get into Habs, so I’ve also been helping Figtree prepare some answer sheets for the maths 11-Plus, that they can use with the less fortunate students that they support through the Figtree Foundation. It is really nice to be able to use my experience and my time in lockdown to do something positive for others.
Month three
It was my twelfth birthday last week, and although I was sad not to celebrate with my friends, I think I actually got more attention from everyone over Zoom! The end of lockdown still feels like a long way away, but I’m looking forward to seeing all my friends and I can’t wait to start a new year back at school.
In the meantime, I’m happy that the weather has been so great, so I’ll be trying to make the most of the sunshine and spending as much time as I can outdoors over the coming months.
