Ross-shire reflects: 'Last year made us realise what’s important in life – and it is family, friends, hugs, sharing quality time'
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CARE home manager Jackie Macrae has gone through an emotional rollercoaster of a year during which the coronavirus pandemic changed life as we know it.
Innis Mhor in Tain won praise for the way it has tackled a challenge no one saw coming, keeping vulnerable residents safe while staging events that helped bridge the void created by an inability to see loved ones for months on end.
She said: “We’ve gone through so many emotions, from sadness to despair to worry. It’s just been an awful time for everyone, residents staff, and relatives. We’ve all had to change the way we live and the way we deal with things.”
Treating everyone as though they could be a carrier was emotionally and physically exhausting. A second spike after the initial lockdown was eased was “far too close for comfort”. But themed fun days linked to cancelled events such as Wimbledon, T in the Park and Highland Games kept residents happy and put smiles on the faces in the wider community at a time of great anxiety.
The atmosphere after the second vaccination was “buzzing” with tears of joy shed as the first indoor visits were permitted, bringing long-separated loved ones back together again.
Ms Macrae said the importance of teamwork, the understanding of relatives and the support of the wider community were invaluable.
The importance of looking after the elderly and vulnerable in the community is the take-home lesson for Invergordon Co-op manager Lorraine Davidson.
She said: “We made connections with so many who were unable to get out to do their shopping, get prescriptions, walk their dogs. We gave out books/jigsaws to relieve their boredom and just to see a friendly face for a quick chat.”
The community showed “a great amount of empathy and compassion in a time of great need”.
She said: “We are all so busy with our daily lives that we take so much for granted. Last year made us realise what’s important in life and it is family, friends, hugs, sharing quality time and being there for each other. Sometimes the greatest gift you can give is your time!”
"Never in my teaching career, which now spans 18 years in its entirety and five years as head teacher, did I ever think my school building would turn quiet and the hustle and bustle of pupils laughing in the corridors disappear"
South Lodge Primary head teacher David Hayes Macleod said: "Never in my teaching career, which now spans 18 years in its entirety and five years as head teacher, did I ever think my school building would turn quiet and the hustle and bustle of pupils laughing in the corridors disappear, but that is what did happen over the last year due to lockdown.
"What has amazed and impressed me so much is the rising to the challenge of all my wonderful staff and the wonderful staff in education as a whole to do their absolute very best to keep learning going albeit from home and remotely and still provide that support and security that teachers would normally provide our children in person.
"The staff had to think of new and innovative ways to keep children engaged, to keep learning fun so to keep engagement high and my goodness what wonderful, creative ideas materialised. From my school we were utilising video chats to provide all the children the means to meet together safely and virtually to still provide that social aspect of 'school'. Classes kept things like reading groups going again using video calls which allowed for more small group interaction between teacher and pupil. The staff were trying to think of ways to keep learning and education going and for this I am so eternally grateful to them all.
"I do now hope that this kind of remote learning due to Covid is now behind us as we move forward but this past year has really made me think about how digital learning can be used to enhance learning and experiences for all children no matter what background they are from and that even though my school is now full again of children that we can still use the tools that we have created over lockdown to keep enhancing the education for all."
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