December 10, 2024

Dear St Michael’s Parent…

REA NKALA

Just to share with you the newest update regarding Covid-19 at St Michael’s School. Two Grade 11 learners tested positive over the weekend. Their last day at school….

PARENTS AT ST MICHAEL’S and other schools have become used to receiving these emails. Semester interviewed a few girls who have had the virus and who had to isolate to find out what it is really like out there….in there?

A Grade 6 learner contracted the virus from her mom. ‘I was shocked when I heard that I had Covid, I was scared that I was going to die. I know that children do not get it so badly, but one hears so many stories.’ She is very happy to be healthy and back at school again. She says that being in isolation was an unpleasant experience. She couldn’t move around as freely as before, and she felt terribly lonely. ‘I had to stay in my room all day.’ Her symptoms were dry cough, sore throat, and sinus sickness.

 A learner in Grade 5 says that she contracted the virus from a family friend. Her brother had it first followed by her mother, which led to her getting it.

‘Isolation was terrible. I couldn’t go anywhere. All I did was stay in my room and hope for the best.’

She found all the work on ClassDojo, so she could catch up and, in the end, she was fine when she got back to school.

Both girls are glad that they survived because so many people have not. The isolation was worth it even though it was horrible being closed in their rooms that entire time but at least the illness was not passed to their peers or teachers.

These are the feelings of most girls who have had to isolate, so, even though sleeping late and staying in your PJs all day is fun, everyone misses school and is glad to be back when it is over.

COVID-19 does not stop St Michael’s girls, however….

Mr Giel Duvehage takes Khanya Sephoko in Grade 5’s temperature. Sanitising and scanning have become the new normal. Photo L Selesho