8:15am I woke up. I usually get up at 7am every morning for school which could sometimes make me a little tired, but I got a full 1 hour and 15 minutes extra to sleep. This is very helpful when after school activities eg Dance, Drama and singing lessons are 30+ hours each week. I had time to have breakfast, shower, stretch, get dressed into appropriate yet comfortable clothes and got everything ready for my first day of online schooling at home. 

8:50am is when my first class started. Each lesson I log into that subject via Google Classroom and see what the teacher has for us to complete. I started the day off with double History so I went to my History Google Classroom and the teacher put classwork up for the morning lesson. The teacher also put some new guidelines up so everything runs as smoothly as possible with the new changes. We were to write ‘present’ under the ‘work to complete’ each lesson. I completed the classwork without feeling too pressured. At 10:30am it was time for recess. I had a yummy morning tea that my brother had made me. 11:10am is the start of Period 3. This period is to help mum around the house when she is at work. I loaded the dishes, made my bed, practiced some dance routines and made mum a cup of tea. With time going by so fast, it was now 12:00pm and it was time for Period 4. 

For Period 4 I had science. My teacher had put a link up for a video chat using Google Hangout. We spent 30 minutes on the video chat listening to the teacher explain to us about fossils and she even somehow managed to show us her screen which had the textbook chapter about Fossils! Through the video chat, we could write questions in the chat section which the teacher could respond to so we wouldn't be talking over each other. After the 30 minutes we got off the video chat and had work set on Education Perfect. This took me through till the end of the lesson which finished at 12:50pm. That means lunch! I made myself some noodles and had a rest before class started back again for Period 5 at 1:30pm.

For Period 5 I had Drama which is one of my 200hr electives. For this period we started off with a video chat using Zoom. The teacher explained to us what we would be doing for the lesson and we were to get into groups and perform our monologue that we have been working on to each other. After 15 minutes, the call ended and into the video chat groups we went. One by one, we performed our monologues and gave each other positive feedback. We also talked about our group scripts. 

2:20pm is the last period of the day. Period 6. For this period I had Music which is my other 200hr elective. For this lesson, I logged onto the Music Google Classroom and my teacher had put the work to complete for the day’s lesson. We were given theory to do and myself and a few of my friends in that class went on a video chat and worked through it together. In the last 10 minutes of this period, I went to my piano and continued writing a song I have been working on. After school hours finished, I had an online dance lesson with my ballet teacher. I put my ballet uniform on and off I went doing my very first online dance lesson. I used a chair as my Barre and I did the whole lesson in my living room. It was awesome!

Overall, I loved doing online schooling. It wasn't stressful. The school was very well prepared. I am so lucky to be a part of such an incredible school. I could still ask my teachers questions with ease. The day went so smoothly and I loved it! 

Emily Hodges

Year 10 at Bishop Druitt College