Reflecting and looking forward to the future!
In Religious Education this term, the Year 7 students have begun to explore the stories of the Bible, the different story styles and the different ways stories can be told depending on the audience. Students were asked to explore this themselves by retelling the story of their first day of school at St Aloysius in different forms to different audiences, to explore how these stories change depending on who is telling them and who is hearing them.
As I watched the students present their stories, letters, poems, and plays, I was suddenly struck by how far they had come. These were not the same students that walked through the doors that first day in February this year. Those students were shy, timid, and always getting lost. These students are loud, bright, and excited to get up in front of the class to share their work with others. Some retellings elicited fits of laughter, some were thought provoking and reflective. But each and every Year 7 has clearly come so far from where they started. I can only watch in awe at where they go next.
Please enjoy below a few poems the students wrote about their first day of school and their current day reflections on how much things have changed.
Madeline Vines
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Poem by Finn T and Ashton K, 7C
In the car, my head buzzes with hope and dread.
My mouth is parched like dried-up bread.
It‘s the first day, it isn’t a joke.
I feel as though I will choke.
I spy the front gate, within my sight.
My lungs are heaving, contract and tight.
A dozen kids running amok.
My heart continues to tick like a clock.
I exit the car, I hear the bell.
I proceed towards the gates of hell.
A dozen eyes look at me.
I feel as though a travesty.
We reach the hall.
The teacher stands tall.
His voice booms around the space.
Students want to escape from this place.
“Hello friend !” “Are you Ok?
The answer to what I pray
Then it all turned out all right
I came a long way from feeling fright
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Ashton’s Reflection:
School back then was terrifying. But after the first few days, it turned out all right. We all made new friends and got to know our way around much better. Looking back, I can see that that the world of school for everyone has changed dramatically since the first day, and will, hopefully, keep getting better.
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Finn's Reflection:
Looking back now, I can now see how far I’ve come. I’ve established a core friendship group, become class captain and have proved myself has a hard and resilient worker. I’ve been given the opportunity to play ACS Tennis, Cricket and even Chess! Overall, I went from being unsure to achieving my goals in the space of a few months. Today I would like to say “Thank you” To all of St Aloysius for making me and others feel at home and like we belong.
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Hannah S, 7C
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Beginning School
Scared, nervous, afraid, frightened.
New place, new things, new people, no friends.
Locker, timetable, laptop, heavy bag.
Finding things is a problem. Too many classrooms, not enough time.
Recess. Lonely. No one to sit with. Not enough time to eat.
Bell rings. Back to the torture chamber.
Lunch. Eat. Hide in the library and read.
Home time. Freedom. Dreading tomorrow.
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School Now
Exited, happy, joyful, elated.
Slightly old place, slightly old things, no new people, plenty of friends.
Locker, timetable, laptop, heavy bag.
Finding things is simple. Lots of classrooms, easy to find.
Recess. No longer lonely. Plenty of people to sit with. Heaps of time to eat.
Bell rings. Back to class.
Lunch. Eat. Talk to friends.
Home time. Freedom. Looking forward to tomorrow.
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