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PANDEMIC PAPERS
BOARDERS VS BORDERS COVID-19 has hit a lot of families hard this year—financially and emotionally. Through it all, boarding families have struggled with their own issues. Border closures, and subsequent questions around whether students could still attend the College, presented a real challenge to members of the St Peters community but they’re still looking at the year in a positive light. C A SSIE T WEMLOW
publications officer
Plus Ultra | November 2020
T
ammy and Jason Elbourne, parents to The decision had mixed results for the boarders Joshua (Year 12), Gabby (Year 9) Elbournes. Josh, who is completing Year and Chloe (Year 7), live in Moree, in country 12, has missed out on a lot of celebrations New South Wales. Over the course of the year, and milestones that other Seniors have the family, like thousands of others around experienced in previous years. Compounding the nation, have had to deal with pulling this, was when he broke his leg during their kids out of school and managing Zoom a Rugby game – one of only four of the lessons. Unlike the majority, however, the shortened season – towards the end of Term Elbournes have also had to deal with living 3. Naturally, any parent would want to be in a telecom ‘black spot’, where coverage is with their child in such a situation, but for the intermittent. Elbournes, this was almost impossible with the firm NSW-QLD border restrictions. “We'd have Gabby on one side doing a [video] singing lesson and Chloe trying to do a Zoom “[Jason and I] quickly realised we couldn’t class. I think that was the norm for everyone, get to him,” Tammy shared. “We were given and they did really well. Our issue was not so exemptions to get over the border, but the much the At Home Learning, it was the lack of only way I could see him was when he was in internet that we struggled with immensely,” hospital.” Tammy told me during a phone interview. After all the back and forth applying for the As boarding parents, Tammy and Jason are exemption, Josh was out of hospital by the accustomed to being geographically cut off time it was granted—Tammy was denied the from their kids. Even so, the longer stretches right to care for him outside of the hospital. of no physical contact due to state border “We had to rely on [St Peters] families to closures, following the At Home Learning look after him and nurse him back to health,” period, were not something they anticipated. Tammy said. "And for that, a huge thank you In week three of Term 3, the couple made to the amazing families (the super mums) and the five-and-a-half-hour trip to Indooroopilly Josh’s friends who really looked after Josh like for parent-teacher interviews, and to help he was their own. We are forever grateful to prepare Gabby for Ironbark. That was the last them and the school." time the entire family was together (at time of Living through these trying times, it’s a wonder interview on Friday 11 September). Tammy can remain so positive and cheerful. “That’s over six weeks,” Tammy sighed. “It's “No, it wasn’t the best time,” she reflected, definitely the longest we've ever gone “but I wouldn't say it was the worst—we are without seeing them.” always glass half full kind of people. There's The mental strain has been hard on the always someone out there worse off.” whole family. At one point, Tammy and Jason On Wednesday 9 September, there was some considered bringing all the kids home but, light at the end of the COVID tunnel for the with Josh having only weeks of his schooling Elbournes. A class exemption was signed by left, and the prospect of a two-week governments to allow Tammy and Jason to quarantine period, the family decided it was collect their kids from the College and take best to keep him, and the girls, at school.
