STUDENTS are being encouraged to make staff at Dyke House Academy “super proud” after the coronavirus impacted the usual education routine.

Even though the vast majority of students are staying at home to help reduce the spread of the disease, they are still being rewarded for positive actions.  Northern Education Trust has adapted to the impact of coronavirus by continuing a celebratory event across all Trust academies, where students show off their good work to teachers and parents on Proud Thursday.  All students are being encouraged to send photos, videos or documents that they are most proud of. Examples will be published through the Academy website and on social media.

Year 7 student Hannah Wilson was the first to have work acknowledged after writing to residents of Charlotte Grange Care Home to help keep spirits up while they can’t have visitors.  Twelve-year-old Hannah, a former Stranton Primary pupil, said: “I heard my aunty talking about an appeal on Facebook asking for people to write to residents of Charlotte Grange.  I decided I would like to get involved because I thought it would be a nice thing to do as I had finished my school work. I am also going to write to other nursing homes and I will include some pictures to brighten their day.”

Other students have already emailed their work to the academy for Proud Thursday, while staff have got involved too by sending in videos of themselves completing fun challenges. Staff have also worked with a small number of the children of key workers during the coronavirus crisis to produce some fantastic work worthy of Proud Thursday.

Adam Palmer, Dyke House’s Principal, has got involved in his own personal challenge, by taking 12 attempts to hit a golf ball into a bucket from ten yards – a standard beaten by former student Jack Ainscough soon after.  The videos can be seen on Twitter here and here, along with many others

Mr Palmer said: “Northern Education Trust have set up Proud Thursday online, providing an opportunity for any students at home to share their fantastic pieces of work.  We want to see anything they are doing at home with their family – it can be work related to subjects at school or perhaps ways they helping those most vulnerable in the local community.  It was launched last week, and the first email we received was from Hannah, who we are super proud of, and everyone else who gets involved.  Every person who sends something to Proud Thursday will receive an email back from a member of SLT congratulating them on their work and the best ones will get a prize in the post.”

* Any students with work/activities they are proud of should send an email by Thursday at 1.30pm to [email protected]