All posts by Mrs Davidson

I am an experienced RME teacher in East Dunbartonshire currently acting PT responsible for Wider Achievement at Lenzie Academy. Using my experience, enthusiasm and past knowledge of educational research to re-engage teachers and pupils alike
#iwillweek, community engagement, impact

School Captain – Character Role Model values volunteering

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Volunteering has helped me build positive relationships with people of different ages as well as boosting my confidence and self-esteem.

Being a member of Lenzie Academy’s Sports Council has provided me with many volunteering opportunities, including involvement with Active Girls Day and a Sports Fair. It has allowed me to work with pupils from S1-S6, through meetings, coaching clubs and sports days. I have completed a Netball Leadership and Officiating course. This course involved learning how to lead netball sessions and coach others. Completing this course gave me the opportunity to volunteer in different primary schools, by taking netball sessions and umpiring netball games at primary cluster events. This has developed my team building and leadership skills.

I have also volunteered at FNL Youth Club; whose membership ranged from children Primary 7 to 3rd year secondary. My volunteering experience has helped me to achieve the role of a Young Ambassador in 4th year and Active Schools Captain in 5th year. This meant I was a role model for sport within Lenzie Academy and it was my duty to inspire others to volunteer and increase their involvement within the local community.

This year, I am volunteering in a French classroom, this is beneficial for my communication skills and will help me in my future career. I am also a School Prefect; I help with the running of the school. I have also been appointed School Captain. My role is to liaise with the Captaincy team and represent my school at key events, for example, helping to organise charity fundraisers and the school yearbook.

 

Representatives of sports volunteers

I will continue to volunteer in the future as it is an excellent way to make new friends, it is great fun, and personally, putting a smile on someone’s face is a very rewarding feeling, as you know that your volunteering has made a difference.

#iwillweek, community engagement, impact

impact for a young person – Hannah

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@antibullyingpro trained
Lenzie Old Parish Come and Sing dementia friendly singing group
At the Anti bulling Café Coatbridge High

I volunteer at several different places and groups. I help at the Brownies, because it’s fun and it’s something that appeals to me. I love young kids, they’re so interesting and always have a different way at looking at things which can sometimes be more mature then what i would have said. I’m a health and well-being mentor / anti-bullying ambassador. I do this because I want to help people and when you make a difference it makes you feel good. I believe what we do benefits the students and helps to improve the environment within the school. I love to volunteer when I can not only because it looks good on a CV but because it helps others. Making others feel better and even helping them in a small way is rewarding and more important. I would encourage everyone to volunteer if they have the chance. It makes you and others happier and it will help our community become a better place.

#iwillweek, community engagement, impact

The impact of LACE

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LACE’s #iwill pledge is to “encourage as many of our pupils as possible to work with others and for others”. The impact of this is threefold

  1. LACE has raised the profile of our pupils’ community engagement both in school and in the local and educational community. Having a central system which facilitates youth social action through establishing contacts and drawing common themes together means that we are more open to opportunities for our young people to work with and for others. By connecting with youth organisations where some of our young people already volunteer we are able to recognise and celebrate those achievements and also signpost other young people to the opportunities that they may have otherwise missed. It also enables community groups who wish to engage with young people a way in and much of our intergenerational work has been developed through an identified need in the community rather than being led by the school. This ensures the youth action is not tokenistic but meaningful and sustainable.
    school values

    EDVA intergenerational event
    Youthwork and Fairtrade Lenzie working with LACE

    working with others for Fairtrade
  2. The impact on the school community is that more events that exist within the school calendar have been able to be coproduced by young people themselves. Pupils in the senior phase have more chances to peer lead activities and our House system is strengthened by the opportunities for whole school events led by House Captains and participated by members of their house.
  3. The impact on the individual pupil is that being able to “give something back” becomes a key driver in many of our pupils’ lives. This means that engagement with charities is not just seen as something to do with non uniform days and donating pounds but ( as one of our S3 pupil’s did after establishing a connection with the charity Bumblebee babies) spending 200 hours knitting tiny baby hats or standing outside in the rain and wind coaching 8 year olds in football skills. By S6 all of our pupils are encouraged to give up some of their free time to help other people and this may range from 1 period a week supporting younger pupils in a subject that they enjoy to encouraging everyone to buy Fairtrade goods at parents’ evenings, spending an afternoon a week in a community café or charity shop, acting as a classroom assistant at a local primary school, teaching in the local mosque or Chinese group, coaching a myriad of sports from Athletics to Zumba or supporting adults in the local dementia friendly singing or the neurological unit. The fact that they will have plenty to write on their personal statement is not the aim- many of our pupils need adult mentors to remind them to include all these activities as it is so embedded in what they do, they cannot imagine it has any great significance in how people see them. The aim is to illustrate our school values – compassion, respect, tolerance, inclusiveness, embracing change, high expectations, ambition and continuous improvement which together help our pupils feel safe, happy and fulfil their potential as members of our wider community.
#iwillweek

In and out of School – #iwill

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Kate is one of our intergenerational volunteers who have trained as Scottish dementia friends and have taken part in Come and Sing at Lenzie Old Parish church – the dementia friendly singing group.

However out of school Kate is a leader at the local Rainbows where she helps each Thursday night with the group activities.

Working with both older people and younger people really helps Kate to develop her communication and people skills whilst also benefiting her local community.

#iwill is #iwinwin

sense perception training
#iwillweek, Platinum

Seizing Opportunities – Suzy

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I have already spent almost 200 hours volunteering in various groups. I was in the final of YPI when I was in S3 and although our group did not win for Beat Scotland ( which upset me a bit) I was able to speak at the Scottish Learning Festival about the whole process and why Beat Scotland is such an important charity. This was really important for me as at the start of YPI, I did not even like going into a room with too many people. Volunteering on behalf of other people gives you confidence.

I think it is important to help people because it not only benefits you but it also benefits the people you help. For example when I went to Lenzie Old Parish Church’s games club on Thursday afternoons,  that was really beneficial to the older residents as without the club they could have been lonely. You also got to hear all their stories which gave you a glimpse into their lives.

When I organise Dyslexia awareness week I have to develop my confidence in order to present to all the different primary schools and to work with the other pupils who are also presenting. As I am dyslexic it is something that I think is important. If someone like me had visited my class when I was in Primary school I think it might have helped me to realise I was not so different from anyone else. I think it just shows that you think in a different way and that’s okay.

In the future I would like to continue to work on dyslexia awareness and supporting pupils in the Pupil Support department maybe also volunteer with The Tennis Aces as it looks a lot of fun.

Lenzie Old Parish Thursday games club
#iwillweek

#thepowerofyouth

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Monday 18th   Prioritise.

Show why youth social action is important to your organisation’s strategy.

Tuesday 19th    Offer opportunities.
Promote young people as leaders & decision makers.

Wednesday 20th  Work in partnership.

Showcase important partnerships supporting young people to make a difference.

Thursday 21st     Evaluate impact.
Highlight the benefits of youth social action to young people, organisations & communities/society.

Friday 22nd  Recognise.

Say thank you to young people for the impact that they’re making.

#iwillweek

The Fair Trade Committee

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The Fairtrade committee met on Monday lunchtimes and are working to keep Lenzie Academy’s Fairtrade Achiever status. So far this year they have represented the school at Lenzie’s  25years of Fair trade event and promoted Fairtrade at the P7 open evening.

One of the committee expressed her opinion of the benefit of volunteering

I enjoy volunteering because it allows me to help others. It’s a great way to meet other people and make new friends. Through volunteering I have become more involved in the local community and have improved my confidence loads. Volunteering is a great thing to do and is very rewarding.

#iwillweek, Platinum

#iwill pledges and action 2019

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Volunteering– Kiendi Searle-Mbullu 

 https://thetennisaces.co.uk/

I started volunteering with the Tennis Aces in 2018 as I started my Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award and needed to complete 6 months of volunteering to gain my award however I continued to volunteer as it gave me so much more than just my award. 

The Tennis Aces is a non-profit, voluntary, organisation formed in 2015 that gives adults and children with additional support needs, a community and a group of friends to be part of and with on a weekly basis. The group plays a variety of sports such as basketball and netball however the focus is on inclusion and friendship through sport, not playing sport and consequently making friends. 

This is what I’ve discovered through my time and this is why I’ve stayed on. There are few things that are as enjoyable as seeing people included and making friends is so special to me. To also see this through sport is amazing because I have been heavily involved in sport my whole life so to see people of different abilities enjoying it and finding it beneficial is very moving. This for me is what volunteering is all about- seeing the development, progression and joy people get with your aid.