STAFF from a Dyce school have been praised in a national School Superhero competition organised by Scottish fintech Miconex, alongside the Aberdeen Gift Card, to celebrate school staff.
Gillian Hewitt, deputy headteacher, Jenny Watson, headteacher, and lollipop lady Morag Rodger from Dyce Primary School were all mentioned in the awards. Sarah Hunter, whose son Archie attends the Aberdeen school said:
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“Mrs Hewitt is honestly amazing. Not only does she have her day to day work but she does so much more besides. During the period of home schooling we had, Mrs Hewitt arranged daily outdoor home learning tasks so the children weren’t sitting in front of a screen all day. The tasks were engaging, with colour walks, projects with the RSPB or an activity linked to a story.
“She was a Godsend with my youngest. He really struggled with the class Zoom calls. And so, Mrs Hewitt arranged one to one Zoom calls with him in the evening, to help him and give him encouragement with his reading. Mrs Hewitt has her own family, and her own work, this was her free time that she was using to support Archie. Mrs Hewitt would start each session off with a game to get Archie feeling comfortable, and then move on to the reading task. This was much better for him and he became much more confident with the home learning and his reading.
“I actually went to Dyce Primary School myself, with my two youngest children attending Dyce once we moved back into the area. Our new headteacher, Mrs Watson, has been amazing for the school and is always open to new ideas for developing the school, offering exciting opportunities for the children and making school a fun place to be. As an example, when the children were learning about the impossible, they suggested it would be impossible for a kangaroo to jump through the school. The next day, Mrs Watson jumped through the school in a kangaroo costume.
“The children usually have a residential but when this couldn’t take place because of the pandemic, Mrs Watson was supportive of the Parent Council arranging a festival week for the children, with a different theme for each day including an inflatable day, splash day, sports day and a silent disco. The children loved it. The entire staff team at Dyce Primary School are working hard to develop our school, it’s like a happy family.”
Another person that has been nominated for a School Superhero award is much loved local lollipop lady Morag Rodger who has her own Facebook page Lollipop Lady Morag. Sarah says every child at Dyce Primary School knows Morag:
“Morag has been a part of Dyce Primary School for such a long time, she is like our school lollipop lady auntie, always there with a smile and a kind word for the children and the families. I pass by earlier in the morning, and Morag is there waiting to safely cross the children to school and gives me a little wave.
“The children are always delighted to see Morag, she sees them every day of their school lives. If ever there’s a school event, like a disco, Morag will volunteer to help, and the children can’t wait to give Morag their homemade cards and gifts at the end of term. Morag is so well thought of, and it would be lovely to see her win this award.”
Headteacher of Dyce Primary School, Jenny Watson said: “We are thrilled to be nominated for the School Superhero competition. It is such a privilege to work at Dyce School and to lead such a dedicated and hard-working team. The Dyce Team all work together to make sure the school is welcoming and inclusive, and we are very proud of these nominations.”
All school superheroes are eligible to be nominated for an award, including teachers, teaching assistants, catering/lunchtime staff, administration teams, caretakers, coaches, and volunteers. One school superhero will receive a £50 Town and City Gift Card for their choice of over 60 schemes around the UK and Ireland, including 17 schemes in Scotland such as the Aberdeen Gift Card, with their school or class receiving a £250 cash prize.
Adrian Watson, Chief Executive at Aberdeen Inspired said: “We all know how hard school staff work but the pandemic has brought many additional tasks for schools such as remote learning, so it is fantastic to see these nominations come in for an Aberdeen school for school staff who successfully guided families through this challenging time. Gillian, Jenny and Morag have supported children with their learning, their wellbeing and their safety and I would like to congratulate them on their nomination. We hope to see more nominations coming in for Aberdeen school staff before the deadline.”
Families have up to 31st August 2021 to nominate their school superheroes who have made a positive contribution to their school community: https://townandcitygiftcards.com/schoolsuperhero
Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex and said: “The nominations for the staff at Dyce Primary School embody the spirit of the School Superheroes campaign, celebrating every team member, whether headteacher, deputy headteacher or lollipop lady, and how these individuals are going above and beyond to support children, create happy school memories and keep them safe. Congratulations to Dyce Primary School on your nominations, and we look forward to announcing the winning School Superhero in September.”
