How the children of Cobargo are moving on from a year marked by bushfires and a pandemic

It's one of a series of projects the Year 5/6 class has worked on this year to help them process what happened over the summer.

They have also written and illustrated a book that charts the beginning of the school holidays through to the destruction caused by the fires, as well as the aftermath.

Campbell Kerr's Year 5/6 class faced a series of disruptions this year, from bushfire flare-ups at the beginning of term one to a temporary shift to online learning because of COVID-19.

He sought advice from the school counsellor before starting work on the book, recognising it could be painful for the students and their families.

"I always knew it was going to be a raw story full of heart and soul and I think the first time I actually sat down and read the story from front to back, I just had to take a moment and just sit there and sort of take it all in," he said.

He says it has been heartening to see the students helping each other through a difficult period.

"Looking at each and every page, it's not about looking at a two-dimensional page for me, because I saw what went into that page," he said.

"I've seen tears, I've seen pats on the back, I've seen support flowing across the table from kids that don't always usually work together.

"And so when I look at the book, it's a window into my students as well."

Full article here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-27/year-on-cobargo-black-summer-bushfires-recovery-children/13006836