DRUMMOND REFLECTS ON AN AMAZING YEAR
Every June, Drummond Community High School holds an annual Celebration of Achievement.
Last week’s event brought together award-winning students from all years, plus emotional school leavers and their parents … of whom I was one, writes David Sterratt.
In her speech (see pdf at foot of page), headteacher Jodie Hannan (right) invoked Dr Seuss: ‘When you stop and look around, this [school] is pretty amazing.’
Among this year’s highlights were:
- a winning poetry entry in the national Sky Arts competition;
- the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze expedition;
- a team winning the Bentley Hyperloop competition and first prize of a trip of a lifetime to Singapore;
- an S2 art collaboration with Edinburgh College and business, culminating in an exhibition at the Fruitmarket Gallery;
- a student becoming possibly the first female Sikh DJ in Scotland;
- retaining the gold medal for volleyball at the Portobello beach games;
- whole-school events raising over £2,000 for various local charities across the year;
- the fantastic first Drummond’s Got Talent show;
- senior pupils running clubs for their peers;
- participating in the Lothian Disability Sport football competition;
- various and numerous projects with the National Galleries, Botanic Gardens, and the Pilmeny Intergenerational group;
- Scottish Maths Challenge winners;
- and teams of pupils running Christmas and Easter cafes.
Heads of School Angel Douglas and Maha Arif (above) spoke warmly of their time at Drummond, in particular how the teachers had enabled them to achieve their ambitions. Their affection for the school and their fellow students was clear, and the audience appreciated it.
The prizes recognised achievements academic and non-academic, including Saltire Awards for volunteering.
https://twitter.com/DrummondPE/status/1138547170683039745
This year, the Dux was awarded to Mhari Dickie, who’ll be going on to the University of Edinburgh to study Architecture. Proximae accessit was Maha Arif, who will be also be at Edinburgh, studying Medicine.
Concluding her speech, headteacher Jodie Hannan returned to the mighty Dr Seuss ‘because sometimes the simplest words say it best: “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”’