Dingwall Academy pupils, staff and parents thanked for efforts after 'very difficult year'
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DINGWALL Academy rector Karen Cormack paid tribute to the efforts of school staff, pupils and their parents in responding to the coronavirus crisis.
She said: "Dingwall Academy would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has worked so hard and supported our online and in-school learning this term."
Pupils got involved in creating a short film to share their gratitude to teachers and support staff for their efforts whilst learning remotely from home.
Ms Cormack said: "First of all I want to say thank you to the teaching staff at Dingwall Academy who have gone to extraordinary lengths to make sure you can continue with your eduction."
She said some pupils had offered thanks for teachers marking work at all hours of the day.
"To prepare online lessons takes much longer than doing it at school. To mark online takes much longer than it does in school. And so to our teaching staff, a huge, huge thank you."
To non-teaching staff she said: "Lots of these people have been asked to do things they wouldn't normally be doing." This has included delivering materials and report cards to pupils at home. "I have to say the most common phrase I have heard is, what can we do to help and to keep our school running really well."
To parents and carers she said: "This has been really, really difficult and you have had huge demands made of you. You have supported home learning at home while dealing with everything else, your own work and family. And you have supported the school.
"In particular we are grateful for the trust that you have had that we are going to do the very best that we can for your youngsters."
To pupils, she said: "You have had so much taken from you over the last year and you have had so much asked of you. And you have risen to that challenge. You've had to work through some really, really difficult times and you've had to work in environments that you wouldn't normally be expected to work in and you've done it. A huge well done to you."
A film offers thanks to teachers and includes comments from pupils.
One pupil benefitting from learning support thanked staff "who have supported me and help me to grow and believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. They have helped me grow as a person and they have ensured my work is good and praised me when I needed it. I'm forever grateful."
A pupil, originally from Syria, said: "I will never forget this school. It is the best school ever."
Some had thanks for the support of friends: "They made me happy when I wasn't." Another said: "Thanks for caring about my health when I was overwhelmed with existence and school work."
All secondary pupils are due to return after the Easter break. Prior to that there was a phased return with a limited number of students in school at any one time.
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