Head Pupil Awards
Saul and Mareesa have carried out their roles and responsibilities to an exceptional standard and been excellent student leaders within the St Ninian’s Head Team. In guiding and supporting a team of 10 Deputes they have not only developed their own leadership capabilities but helped to develop the leadership capabilities of those within the team. This is a process which began in S5 when both students (and several members of the Head Team) undertook the school SCQF Level 6 Leadership Course. By sharing the various responsibilities equally amongst the team, they allowed each Depute to represent the school and lead different initiatives school wide initiatives. Both students also achieved the SQA SCQF 6 Leadership Award in S5.
In extremely challenging circumstances they have ensured that everyone in the year group remain connected and are kept fully up to date. They were instrumental in setting up a year group social media page and have managed this throughout the year, including lockdown. By checking in with people they have ensured young people have a dedicated forum to share their voice and they have worked hard to maintain high levels of morale and a positive mental health and wellbeing. They have supported staff to ensure young people are support academically (through our S6 Mentor Programme) and in co-curricular events (such as being judges during the virtual YPI Final, consultations on the new leisure centre).
Both have contributed very generously to the wider life of the school – Saul is a highly accomplished violist and has been a member of the school and ERC Schools Orchestra. He has also played golf for the school winning ERC awards, and local club tournaments. Mareesa has represented the school in the Scottish Schools’ National Ski Championships and spoke on behalf of young people at the Cardinal Winning Education Lecture and afterwards met the Deputy First Minister, Mr. John Swinney.
As committed leaders of their faith they have worked with staff to ensure young people still have access to Mass and Religious Services, representation at the ERC Remembrance Sunday service, and members of our Muslim community are fully represented in our school. They assisted in the preparation of virtual events which have been shared online with pupils and their families.
During August 2020 both Saul and Mareesa coordinated a team of S6 pupils to act as stewards for pupils in S1 making their Confirmation (250 young people); without this support these Services could not have gone ahead.
Upon their return to school they have ensured that school life return ed to normality as much as is possible. They have encouraged senior students to assist at clubs when they can and have worked alongside their peers to prepare year group photographs, yearbook, and leaver hooded sweatshirts.
I am in no doubt that the hard work and dedication of Saul and Mareesa to lead and guide the team around them has enabled the pupils (both younger and senior) to experience a very good level of school life in what has been an incredibly challenging year.
Saul is going to Strathclyde University to study Accounting and Mareesa is going to Aberdeen University to study Scots law. Both are highly accomplished linguists (Spanish and French).
Finally what marks out Saul and Mareesa ( along with the S6 Student body) is the manner in which they have expressed in their service to others their appreciation for what they have received and generously sharing their gifts and talents to support and encourage others.
