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Joeys at Home – With Charlie Redwin

Year 12 student Charlie Redwin, shares with us an insight as to how he is handling continuing to learn from home.

Name: Charlie Redwin
Favourite subject: Modern/English
Favourite sport: Cricket
Favourite meal at school: Chicken Schnitzel

What do you miss most about being at Joeys? The structure of the day and boarding school. There is something very special about living with the majority of boys in your year and having those shared experiences like attending and supporting the performances, games and competitions of the younger boys .

In hindsight, what did you take for granted before the lockdown? The benefits of being able to switch off from the tribulations of the day and to do something as simple as pass a footy or have a chat with blokes in the year group.

What have you learnt about yourself, through Offsite learning? I’ve learnt the importance of staying positive and attempting to only control the controllable and to keep things in perspective. I think having that ability to be intrinsically motivated to succeed has been an important aspect of the offsite learning process.

How have you maintained your focus and motivation whilst learning offsite? I’ve certainly had to make more of a conscious effort to remove distractions at home- putting the phone away etc. I have also spent more time looking into life after Joeys in terms of university applications and career paths. Having a more tangible end goal to work towards has made it easier to dedicate myself to studies and to realise the importance of working through these circumstances and setbacks to succeed.

What advice would you pass on to a boy in Years 7 and 8? Take every opportunity to get the most out of all aspects of Joeys. Use setbacks to motivate personal success.

Favourite meal you have had at home? Dad makes really good burnt toast.

What has been your favourite part of continuing to learn from home? The opportunity to learn how fortunate we are at school- particularly in regard to study regimes and relationships with peers. In saying that, learning from home has given me an opportunity to prove to myself that whilst the structure at school is great, replicating that discipline at home is almost more impressive.

What personal traits will you better utilise when you return to Joeys? Self-determination to succeed in academic goals both individually and as a cohort. Very much looking forward to being able to work collaboratively with other boys in the year again.

What part of your normal day are you missing the most? The feeling of belonging to something greater than yourself and being absorbed in a culture that fosters great friendship and life skills.

What does being a ‘Joeys Boy’ mean to you? Belonging to a community of likeminded individuals who are bound by unanimous experiences and commonly held attitudes and beliefs.