Scots School Albury 2022 captains reflect on testing times of COVID-19

That and the special dinners the family would share when their dad returned home to Mansfield, Victoria from his FIFO job.

And while the Scots School Albury boarder and 2022 school captain always joined in the dinners online, it was never quite the same.

Mitch and co-captain Thalia Cross, from the Indigo Valley, spent up to three months at a time in lockdowns at the Scots School boarding house since 2020.

And even though it was their choice to stay, both admit it was challenging being cooped up with fellow boarders for extended periods and missing loved ones at home.

Mitch, 17, admits there's a "lot we've missed" because of COVID-19.

Sport, social and school events, performances and presentations; that's particularly been the case for outgoing Year 12 students.

In many respects it's been a brutal rite of passage into adulthood.

Cancelled milestones and treasured traditions are just some of many impacts COVID-19 has had on final year students, according to a Monash University study.

The study into the experiences of Year 12 students in 2020 found social activities and celebrations that symbolise the completion of school - valedictory dinners, school formals and 18th birthdays - are not just about enjoyment but also help students stay motivated and manage their stress during a high-stakes year.

The final year of secondary schooling is an intense and important one for many young people and in 2020 and 2021, Australian Year 12 students had to deal with the added disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research from the Faculty of Education at Monash University found the necessary arrangements for COVID-safe learning, such as home schooling and cancelling in-person events, added an extra burden to the normal challenges and stresses faced by Year 12 students.

The national study surveyed 241 Year 12 students between May and September 2020 and collected insights into how they experienced learning during an extremely disruptive year.

Students shared information about their experiences and how these changed circumstances meant this important and symbolic final year was very different to what they had expected.

The findings also indicated the changed arrangements of schooling had far-reaching impacts on the many aspects of learning for those in their final year of school.

Lead researcher Dr Fiona Longmuir says productive social interactions and clear expectations contribute to positive learning relationships, which are important for final year students.

"Our findings indicate positive social connections, access to timely learning support and motivational and celebratory milestones that accompany the hard work of year 12, are valuable not only for understanding how final year students managed in difficult circumstances but also as an insight into teaching and schooling practices," Dr Longmuir says.

The ways students fared throughout the year varied, yet most reported hardship as a result of the disruptions.

"Some students felt that the significant challenges would impact their overall achievement, while others were disappointed by the missed opportunities, celebrations and rites of passage that symbolise the completion of compulsory schooling and this impacted their motivation and emotional engagement with learning," Dr Longmuir adds.

"I feel like the lack of having things/events to look forward to and 'bookmark' weeks is getting very tiring and makes me feel demotivated," one participant said.

"With events like formals and valedictory events cancelled or being moulded to fit social distancing, it feels like we're missing out on important things that other year groups got to experience."

Scots School Albury principal Mark Geraets agrees senior students have missed out on many typical rites of passage.

"The final two years (of Year 11 and 12) are so vital and it goes well beyond academics," he says.

"It's the stage for life; a key transition point into adulthood and life beyond school."

Sport has been a "major area" impacted by COVID-19, according to Mr Geraets.

"It's where they learn to socialise, to vent, and to expel energy," he says.

"But whether it's sport, music, or drama and performance, these young people are at the top of their game at this age and to a large extent opportunities have been robbed from them."

From kindergarten to Year 12, schools have gone above and beyond to re-schedule or re-create alternative formats for events on the calendar.

Scots ran a home sports challenge, its Kinder-Year 2 production was "cut into bits" and transformed into an online series and the Year 6 major exhibition is now a combined carols and grandparents' event in December.

"You really adapt to what you can do," Mr Geraets says.

"We've delayed and postponed where we can; the Year 12 graduation ball will go ahead in December - with dancing - so we'll get a bit back there!

"We had the muck-up day on Friday and it was a heck of a lot of fun."

Mr Geraets says one of the "beautiful" things he has witnessed is the resilience of young people.

"This generation is saying well we know life is fragile and flexible ... and they make the most of whatever happens," he says.

"This experience will equip them for future challenges."

Thalia had about an hour to pack up and say goodbye to her family before the borders closed last year.

Like Mitch, she opted to board at Scots during lockdown and loved it so much, she's now a weekly boarder.

"It was a very quick transition," Thalia admits.

"But my education was important and I really wanted that in-person learning experience.

"The first few weeks I felt like I was on holidays but then I started to miss home.

"I missed my horses and not being able to ride; my mum sent pictures of her working the horses, including my little rescue pony."

Looking back, Thalia says "I wouldn't change anything".

With a great cohort of students, teacher access at her fingertips and learning mentors checking in on her wellbeing and study time-tabling, Thalia says she was well supported during a "tough time".

It helped that older sister Tabitha (who graduated in 2020) was also boarding at the time and had "luckily" managed to get her licence.

"What I have gained is so important - I've learnt resilience and independence," Thalia explains.

Mitch says COVID-19 has taught him to be "self-driven" about his learning.

"I also learnt what I needed to stay on top of things - having a break was a priority; I'd get out and go for a run or a ride," he says.

Mr Geraets says the sense of uncertainty in Albury-Wodonga over the outbreak of COVID-19 cases is palpable.

"The pressure is phenomenal," he says.

"The last few weeks almost feels like we are the test case for a rampant increase in COVID-19 and schools have been left to deal with it.

"There is added administration stress with schools required to do contact tracing ... it's mind-boggling logistically."

Working Sunday to Friday, there's not a day under 12 hours for the Scots leader and he suspects this is the case for most principals.

Scots is one of the few schools that hasn't closed in the past few months.

"I feel for my colleagues, who have gone down two or three times," he says.

"And the daily pressure for teachers and parents - the constant insecurity around the current position - it's incessant."

But our mighty teachers keep doing what they have to - "and they do it so well", Mr Geraets says.

The next hurdle to clear is the start of Year 12 exams on Tuesday.

"They'll be running the gauntlet so there's absolutely no contact," he says.

"We've got to get them in there safely so they can finish this year with a flourish."