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Documentary

May 17
1

Year 12’s in 2020

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We were going to do some photos for Emma’s Year 12 Formal, but it was cancelled. We are not even sure if there will be a formal this year:(
One of the things I learnt during this project was what a rough time the year 12’s were having here in QLD.
I learnt that back in 2008 they were the first year to do the compulsory prep year. They were the first group of Year 7’s to go into the High School system. And they are the first year to do the ATAR examinations (old OP system). Quite a lot to take in. Oh and I have heard quite a few are a bit upset they can’t get their learners (that’s another story).

So now I have finished rambling on… I asked Emma if she would mind answering some questions on her thoughts of this situation.
Some of it could be quite different now as she has had a week back at school.

How have you maintained your friendships?
I think social media and video calls etc have really prepared us for the distancing that we have seen. Maintaining friendships have been hard, but social media is really helpful.
How have you found Home School / Online Schooling?
Online learning is very difficult being in grade 12 as there is a lot riding on my last year of schooling, especially with the new ATAR syllabus and the complications on that. Home schooling is going to be tricky and there are lots of questions that have been raised on how we are going to deal with the last year.
Whats your thoughts on the Corona Virus?
Covid-19 is part of the coronavirus family that affects the lung and throat, it is highly contagious and lighter than air. It certainly is a scary virus that has literally gone viral and worldwide.
It has made so many people change their daily lifestyle and implementing social distancing laws and regulating the amount of people that you can see in that space of time.
What are you missing at the moment?
I really miss being able to see my friends and spend time with people outside of my immediate family. I miss being able to laugh and relax with them and I think that is something we won’t take for granted for a really long time.
What have you enjoyed during this time?
I am enjoying the time that everyone is not rushed and relaxing a little. It’s changing the mindset of a lot of people and motivating people to do things that they would never do. I’m enjoying the time to work on different mindsets such as growth mindset and keeping positive.

May 16
1

Wilson Family

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I rang Naomi and let her know what we had been up to. I wanted to know her thoughts on this project and if they would like to be a part of it. Naomi and her family are great friends of ours. I’ve known Naomi for over 20 years. I was there when she met Scott, funnily enough we both met our husbands at the good old Glad.
It is possible that Naomi didn’t really know what I was asking of her and the family. I am not the best at explaining and I wasn’t 100% sure at the time what I was going to do with the final result, and I kind of still don’t. All I knew was that I needed to document this time. Lucky for me, because it was me, she was happy to be a part of the project.

How would you describe what is happening right now with COVID19?
Surreal! There is no way we could have been prepared for the changes that this brought on and so suddenly.

How has this affected your family?
Not being able to see Mama and Papa or give them a hug just doesn’t feel right – I know Mum is feeling the isolation strongly. And not being able to see my sister & her kids during the school holidays when we would normally catch up is not good. Our little family unit of the 4 of us is much the same – if anything we are taking care to do more ‘fun’ stuff together.

What is one thing that has surprised you about this event? Positively or negatively?
Positive – we came up with a list of things that we wanted to do around the house if there was lock down – even though that hasn’t happened and we are both still working, the mentality of wanting to get it done means that we’ve been working through that together and the place is looking better than ever.
Negative – I have an odd sense of guilt at still working – and still going in to the office. (I just need to mention here that Naomi has a Human Resources business called Focus HR and they were super busy helping businesses navigate through this time) My business needs me, the clients need help, and so I keep going. We also need to survive as a business so we can keep employing people. It doesn’t stop the sense of guilt on why I’m not just being a hermit at home.

What is one thing you will always remember about this time?
I’m not sure yet to be honest! People going stupid over toilet paper!?!

What do you think is really important right now?
Staying calm – humans can be so stupid and rash when they get fearful and we’ve seen that with the bulk buying of groceries etc.

What have you done to stay in touch with others?
Phone calls, zoom – in particular trying to touch base with my business owner friends as I feel they need the moral support more than ever.

What is one thing that you miss right now?
Friday afternoon drinks with the team and being able to catch up with Sally & Anna – man that first drink together is going to be a good one! (Sure is and I can’t wait)

What have you been doing to keep yourself and your family busy?
As above – huge list of stuff to work on around the house – tearing down fences, mulching trees, cutting out the trees that died in the drought, pruning, re-sealing the deck, cleaning the kids clothing out, cleaning out the laundry cupboard, laying road base on the track – you name it, we’ve done it😊

Does COVID-19 scare you?
No

What is one good thing that you hope will happen after this is all over?
People valuing the ability to connect face to face again (we all use technology so much but hopefully now that we are being forced to do so, it will make us appreciate the real connections more)