Page 83 - Herioter 2021

April fool! Instead of teachers giving pupils an iPad for Dress up as George Heriot and go about your
learning, hand out eye pads.
daily activities; don’t acknowledge that you
Rearrange objects around the classroom.
Put a whoopie cushion on pupils’ chairs. are wearing a costume and act like everything
is normal; talk in ‘old’ English and spend your
With Term 2 ending on a half-day on April day wandering around like you normally would.
1, pupils in S2-2M were asked to create April Eva Cozzi (S2)
Fool’s day pranks specifically for Heriot’s. A Lucie Edwards (S2)
selection is below. Teachers switch classes and act like nothing has
happened. Hide in a turret and make drumming sounds
Put hats on the statues and decorate them. When the teacher enters the classroom, all the and generally scary noises throughout the day.
Put Sellotape under the teacher’s mouse so children have already started working. This will really scare the people who know the
they cannot use them. Say the the the word the after the every the word story of the drummer boy, and when people
Lock the chairs to the lowest setting so the. ask where you were, don’t acknowledge
teachers have really low seats. Act like there is a fly in the room. anything that happened and say you were in
Swap classes with your siblings. Speak in #hashtags. class the whole time.
Amy Clark (S2) Lily Langley (S2) and Christina Yan (S2) Martha Trotter (S2)

curricular initiatives included introducing the Sara enjoyed travelling with P4 pupils to York
pupils and staff of the Junior School to Philosophy on a number of occasions and was a reassuring
for Children (P4C). Her drive and enthusiasm to presence during the pupils’ first residential
help the pupils develop their creative and critical experience. She was also a key member of the
thinking is now clear to see throughout the Junior School staff team on numerous trips to
Learning Enhancement curriculum. The success Holland with P7 and has many stories to tell
of this can not only be measured by the many about these adventures!
philosophical conversations that can be heard So, what will Sara be remembered for? The
daily amongst the pupils of the Junior School but janitors will most likely remember her for the
more notably through the noteworthy accolade seemingly never-ending Amazon deliveries of
of the Learning Enhancement Department picture books that they had to drop off to her
becoming the first school in Scotland to office. The Learning Enhancement team will
achieve SAPERE Gold status for the teaching of remember her best for her open-door policy,
Philosophy. This will be a lifelong legacy and one her love of stationery and her endless supply
of which Sara should be immensely proud. of cake. Some parents may remember Sara for
Philosophy aside, Sara also introduced the her fondness for using minstrels to explain the
pupils and staff to the benefits of mindfulness benefits of mindful eating. Visitors to the school
to relieve anxiety and develop good mental will remember her tendency to greet anyone and
health and wellbeing habits. Supporting the everyone with a hug (this was undoubtedly the
mental health and resilience of the pupils in hardest restriction of the pandemic for her!). But
her care was always a priority for Sara. Her most importantly, the pupils will remember Miss
appointment as Principal Teacher of Pastoral Gordon for always greeting them with a smile and
Care in 2017, alongside her existing role in a word of encouragement.
Learning Enhancement, ensured that the pupils, Sara leaves us to take up her new role as
parents and staff of the Junior School were on Deputy Head of Stockbridge Primary School. It
Ave et Vale the receiving end of her wealth of knowledge, goes without saying that Stockbridge’s gain is
experience and compassion when it was most
undoubtedly Heriot’s loss.
Sara, your unwavering care and support for
needed.
Sara Gordon the school and set up sewing clubs for P6 and everyone within the Heriot’s community will be
Sara enjoyed participating in the wider life of
sorely missed and we wish you the very best of
P7 pupils, helped to run the Kids Investigating
Christianity lunchtime club and was an avid luck for the future. We will always have cake!
Sara Gordon joined Heriot’s in August 2012 supporter of the Junior School Ski Club (in spite Mrs Katherine Duncan and Miss Linsey Waddell
and from her very first days it was clear to the of the often Arctic-like conditions at Hillend!). Sara Gordon left Heriot’s in April 2021.
whole Heriot’s community just how special a
person Miss Gordon was. Her warm, caring and
enthusiastic nature meant that pupils, staff and
parents alike sought her advice and wise counsel
regularly over her years in the Junior School.
Sara graduated from the Northern College
of Education in Aberdeen in 1998 with a BEd
Honours in Primary Education and following this
began what was to be a varied and rewarding
teaching career. She joined Heriot’s in the newly
created post of Principal Teacher of Learning
Enhancement from Albyn School in Aberdeen
and quickly set about making her mark in her new
school and new department.
The most notable of her many successful
You are never to young to be a philosopher, Sara Gordon tells Nursery pupils
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