'Pride' for new Buckie High duxes
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THE coronavirus pandemic may have run a horse and cart through the school year, but there was still time for a sliver of normality to return at Buckie Community High School when this year's two duxes were unveiled.
It was the perfect start to the holidays for Erica Wood, the S5 dux, and Amber Smith, who claimed the S6 crown. As the girls received their medals and certificates at a small, socially distanced presentation outside the school last Wednesday from rector Neil Johnson, it also brought the curtain down on a year which, since March, has seen schools closed and, for senior students, exams cancelled.
Mr Johnson revealed how it was touch and go at one stage that even a limited ceremony would be able to go ahead.
"We were thinking at one point we wouldn't be able to get the medals made in time," he explained.
"The company we've used for years was on furlough but they opened up and thankfully we were able to get the medals for the girls.
"Amber and Erica have both been extremely conscientious and hard-working, but they've been involved with a lot of things outside the classroom, including charitable work, clubs and part-time jobs. They've been excellent at managing their time – the school work got done first and everything else fitted around that.
"Amber went to our link school in Tanzania two years ago and Erica was supposed to go this October, although that obviously won't be happening. She did a lot of fund-raising work in preparation for the trip.
"We're every proud of them both; Amber has now left school and we wish her all the best and we look forward to seeing Erica back in August."
The usual end-of-term prizegiving ceremony, as with many other events, has fallen victim to the Covid-19 lockdown. However, Mr Johnson said that award certificates had been sent out and it was hoped to hold some sort of virtual celebration in the new school year.
With classes halted in March to try and stem the spread of the coronavirus, teachers, students and parents have all had to adapt to a new reality where learning is based round online tools rather that face-to-face contact in school.
Mr Johnson's pride in his staff, the students and their families was obvious.
He said: "It's been unprecedented, to say the least, and I hope we never have to go through anything like it again.
"It's been very difficult and the staff have worked very hard to change things.
"We had previously dipped our toe in online learning, but this has forced us to to dive right in. Microsoft Team and Google Classroom were originally meant to be add-ons not the main means of teaching.
"Our staff had to learn how to teach pupils then teach each other how to do it; no-one was taught how to do this before the lockdown. They have coped admirably and have been leading national workshops sharing what they have learned in a very short space of time. All of the staff have worked massively beyond their expected hours, with our part time staff basically doing full time hours for no extra pay.
"It's important to remember there was no run up to any of this, before we knew it we were closed and we've all had to learn on the job. We've all greatly missed the interaction with the kids and with our colleagues, too.
"I'm hugely proud of what the staff have achieved. Many of them have also had to look after and homeschool their own children while working as well – as the parent of two young children myself I can fully appreciate what this means."
The steep learning curve has extended to the parents at the students, too.
"If anything, the lockdown has served to underline the vital importance of the relationship between teachers and pupils," Mr Johnson continued.
"Young people are social animals, whatever some may like to say about them being wedded to digital technology so not being able to meet their friends has had a huge impact not only on them but on their families.
"Both parents and pupils have had a steep learning curve as they adapted to the roles they've been thrust into.
"For the senior kids, it's been rollercoaster. Before the shutdown they'd been preparing evidence to bank for their exams so there was a feeling of waste when we shut on March 20. When it became clear this was going to be a long-term situation it was a case of 'What do we do now?'.
"In response to this we pushed the timetable change forward a month – a major undertaking in its own right – so we could get started on new courses. We needed to get the pupils learning new material or we risked losing engagement with them.
"Teaching new material online is a whole different ball game, especially as we weren't allowed to use two-way video links, which many teachers found frustrating.
"Everyone has been amazing in adapting to this, I take my hat off to everyone involved."
Senior students are set to receive their results on August 4 as expected, although the grades will be based on school-based assessments as opposed to exams. The appeals process, discontinued a few years ago, will be reinstated for this year.
As things stand, the plan is for schools to go back in August as close to normal as possible, including no social distancing, although the blended learning option remains waiting in the wings should there be another coronavirus spike.
However, the online experience proved positive in many ways.
Mr Johnson added: "I think it's fair to say things will never be quite the same after all this.
"However, the immense progress which has been made on using digital platforms for learning has been amazing and blended learning could remain an option that would ideally suit some pupils' circumstances."
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