Covid Assembly at Kia Kaha primary school

Thursday School Journal

Everyone is very excited at Kia Kaha primary school because summer is coming.

Summer is nice because you can wear your jandals and swim and eat a Trumpet and get wasted at a festival and hook up at New Year’s.

Everyone is also very frightened because wherever you go, the Covid might have got there already and got the tent site next to yours.

Ms Barry has called a Special Assembly.

It is happening outside on the netball courts just in case someone has a Covid.

Everyone is sitting two metres apart.

Jason keeps shuffling nearer to the girls.

Jason thinks it is funny to make them scared they will get a Covid from him.

It is not funny.

Ms Barry looks at Mr Brown.

Ms Barry nods her head at Jason.

Now Mr Brown is talking quietly to Jason.

No one can hear Mr Brown.

They do not know he is saying,

for the last time you little twerp cut it out.

Ms Barry says,

When you are feeling worried about something, it can be good to talk about it.

Ms Barry says,

Sometimes you will find that the scary thing that is happening in the world is not as scary as it feels inside your head. 

Ms Barry says,

Does anyone have something to share about the Covid?

Jayden puts up his hand.

Jayden says,

At church online yesterday Apostle Brian Live From Home said that God will protect us from the Covid so don't you worry about no dumb vaccine and don't forget to put another 20 dollars in the collection plate after the next song you can do it by credit or debit card.

But we didn't have a spare 20. Are we going to get the Covid Ms Barry?

Ms Barry smiles kindly at Jayden.

Ms Barry says,

No Jayden, that’s not how Covid works. It’s also not how God is supposed to work. But we can talk more about that in social studies.

Amelia puts her hand up. She says,

Mum said to Dad last night ‘Billie Eilish is coming next September’ and Dad said ‘no point booking, then. We'll still be at Level 3’ and Mum said ‘God you’re such a downer Matthew.’ Will we still be at Level 3 then Miss?

Ms Barry says,

Maybe, Amelia but you know what? The more people get vaccinated and the sooner it happens the sooner most of the problems go away. So let’s hope everyone gets vaccinated as fast as they possibly can.

Sophia says,

Miss, but is that right that getting vaccinated will make everyone better because Mum was reading out to us from Facebook last night that the vaccine is poison and Jacinda is Hitler and there is going to be a public trial and people will get hanged.

Leah and Tori and Ben start crying. They do not like it when people get poisoned and they really like Jacinda.

Ms Barry says,

Sophia, do you remember when we talked about Stranger Danger and you said you didn't believe it because who would give away their sweets when they don't even know you?

Sophia nods her head.

Ms Barry says,

Well Facebook is like Stranger Danger. It is someone who pretends to be your friend but they are not really. They are a bad friend. None of that is true, what your Mum read out.

Sophia smiles. Leah and Tori and Ben have stopped crying.

Thomas is whispering to Justin. Ms Barry looks at Thomas with her serious face.

Do you have something to share, Thomas?

Thomas says,

Well, yesterday Dad said to Mum ‘oh you mean vaxxed gee that’s a letdown babe I thought you said waxed’ and she said to him ‘FFS Craig grow up you know what you can make the dinner tonight for once in your life’ and then she said ‘I’m going for a long walk’ and she went out the front door but then she put her head back in and said ‘Oh and did you and your buddies get any work done at all today or was it just more brainless bants on Zoom?’

Ms Barry says,

Thank you for sharing, Thomas. Please say hi to your Mum and tell her I said I’m always here for a text.

Jenna has her hand up.

Jenna says,

Miss, my Dad goes on Twitter at night and swears a lot. Last night he said ‘well they've given up obviously and we're all going to get it now.’ He was in a really really bad mood. I hate it when that happens.

Ms Barry says,

Jenna do you remember that time we put a runner bean plant in a cupboard and shut the door for six weeks and it grew really tall trying to find the light but it was all skinny and white and sickly?

Jenna nods her head.

Ms Barry says,

Well maybe you should try and get your Dad to come outside after dinner a bit more. Tell him you want to enjoy the extra daylight we have now. And while you’re out walking you could say something to him like ‘Dad I see the vaccination rates have picked up again. Do you have an opinion about what this might mean and does it give you any quiet confidence?’ And then let him talk for an hour, like he's talking on Twitter, only with normal people.

Jen says,

Thank you Miss. Hey Miss, but what if he doesn't have an opinion?

Ms Barry smiles and says,

Everyone on Twitter has an opinion about everything, Jenna.

Cameron has his hand up.

Ms Barry says,

What would you like to share, Cameron?

Cameron says,

Miss, last night Mum and Grandad were arguing about Covid and whether it's just the flu or not and Grandad got a photo off the internet and it was horrible it was a girl with like a million lumps all over her face like a golf ball or something and he said ‘That's smallpox and you see what that did to the girl’s face that's what Covid does to your lungs and that's why a vaccine is such a good idea, do you get it now?’ and Mum started crying. Is that true what Grandad said, Miss?

Ms Barry says,

Yes Cameron, it really is.

Cameron says,

I don't think I want to get a Covid Miss.

Ms Barry says,

I don't want you to get it either, Cameron.

Justin says,

Miss, Mum’s new friend Jonathan said that everyone is going to have a Covid encounter by Christmas. What’s a Covid encounter?

Ms Barry says,

Well, Covid is going to find its way into all of us. Maybe not before Christmas but sooner or later. The important thing is that if you have the vaccine it can’t do horrible things to you.

Everyone has their hand up now. They all have the same question.

Emma asks,

Miss, can we get vaccinated, like, right now, like, today?

Ms Barry says,

Sorry Emma. Children under 12 can’t be given the vaccine yet. Until you’re allowed to get it, you just have to hope that all the grown ups get the vaccine so that it doesn't spread so fast and get to you.

No-one has their hand up now.

Everyone is thinking about the girl with the scary face, and the grown ups.

It is very quiet.

All you can hear is the Tūī in the trees, and the radio on the building site next door.