During our recent lockdowns, we profiled our seven head Prefects as part of our Lockdown Legends segment – something we started back in Level 4 lockdown last year. In the last edition of The Voice, we featured our Head Prefect and Deputy Head Prefect. Today we are proud to present our five House Captains talking about how they thrived and survived lockdown.
Paige Blake – Akoranga House Captain
When I heard we were heading back into lockdown, the first thing I did was respond to the messages I had received from my friends saying how shocked they were about the news. Although we were all upset that we wouldn’t be able to see each other this week, we have been making sure we stay connected through social media and keeping up to date on how each others’ days have been, which has been really nice.
Something I’m trying to do this week is to make sure I’m getting a good amount of sleep each night. I really want to utilise not having an early morning alarm this week to get refreshed for when we do go back to school. So, I’m focusing on heading to bed at a reasonable hour and trying not to scroll through my phone all night! The thing that makes me the happiest in lockdown is being able to spend time quality with my family. Outside of lockdown my younger brother and I are pretty busy with school and sport which means my family doesn’t often get time to just be together, so it’s been nice to hang around them these past few days.
Jumana Maash – Hauraki House Captain
I was watching a movie with my brother when I got the notification that we were going into lockdown, so I paused the movie and immediately called my parents who are currently on holiday in the South Island. Going into this without them was, admittedly, a little scary. However, I’m really grateful that I have my older brother at home with me making this a little easier (and emptying the dishwasher when I don’t feel like it).In terms of tackling something new, I’ve already started the tedious task of teaching myself how to crochet! So I’ll be spending a lot of my time this week rewinding youtube tutorials and getting frustrated at a ball of yarn. I’m aiming to make myself a nice top or perhaps a cosy blanket! The thing that I’ve enjoyed most so far is being able to watch the premier league games without worrying about being late for school or staying up too late. It’s always nice to be able to watch the whole football game without having to rush to the bus at half time 
(also doing schoolwork in sweatpants is another huge bonus!)
(also doing schoolwork in sweatpants is another huge bonus!)Ti’a Armstrong – Onewa House Captain
I was at work on Saturday night and told by one of my customers that we were going back into lockdown. I immediately thought, I’m not going to see my friends for the next 7 days which made me a little sad. But as soon as I got home I messaged all of my friends and family to keep in touch, as I know most of them struggle with being at home for a long period of time. This week my mum is super keen for me to join her for early morning workouts … I am not too sure about it but we will see how it goes!!Something I would like to try is to learn a new song on the guitar and perfect it by the time we get back to school. My greatest pleasure during lockdown is that I can keep in contact with my family around the world, as we have major time differences. Some live in Australia, the Cook Islands and London, UK. One of my favourite things about lockdown is that I can stay in my comfiest clothes all day, have free range to my pantry and fridge and being able to listen to Six60 all day with no interruptions!!
Abbie Clements – Pupuke House Captain
When I heard we were heading back into lockdown, the first thing I did was turn off my 4.30am rowing training alarm!! We have been intensely training in preparation for North Island Champs, which was supposed to be this weekend, and the MAADI Cup (nationals) – both of which we hope can still go ahead later on this month. This week I have spent a lot of time reflecting on the start of this year and getting excited for all the cool events coming up in 2021.As we are now officially in autumn, I have been looking back on memories from the holidays and thinking about how lucky we were to have a safe and covid-free summer! In saying that there are so many things to look forward to this year, I know many of us Year 13s have started to think about the ball: finding ball dresses, dates and more! One of the greatest pleasures of lockdown is having some extra time in the day to relax and spend time with family. If you haven’t already, I encourage everyone to go for a safe walk around the block with the people in your bubble, it’s a great way to get some vitamin D and take your mind off online school!
Aine Maloney – Wairau House Captain
As soon as I heard the news that we were going into level 3 I felt this instant rush of panic, thinking about my internals I had coming up and the weekend plans I would miss out on. My phone started to blow up but not in the way most hope for. It was frustrating to say the least. I then began to think about how my biggest worry is that I might not be able to see my friends this weekend or maybe that I might even get a little behind or lost amongst my school work.Recognising privilege is so important and I was again reminded to check mine on that Saturday night. We are halfway through and it really isn’t all that bad – I even get to sleep in! I was reminded of how truly lucky I am to live in New Zealand and to be provided with an online school system that works. So, I’m not frustrated but thankful!
My goal this lockdown is to finally get through all the books I wanted to, but said I had no time for. This week is for fictional reading – first up is ‘Girl, Women, Other’ by Bernardine Evaristo. I realised throughout this week that I really enjoy working at my own pace, setting my own schedule and allowing myself to dip in and out of habits. I haven’t worked out once and I don’t care – I am listening to my body and enjoying the natural break of being in lockdown.