Academy mark pandemic with tree avenue planting ceremony

St George’s Academy invited guests to witness the final two of 14 lime trees placed in the school field by pupils to make an Avenue of Remembrance to the: ‘sacrifice, effort and achievement’ of local, national and global communities.

Pupils of all ages recited poignant and insightful poems they had written on the subject and how the virus had impacted on their lives, all selected in a competition from 100 entries and engraved on oak plaques next to the trees.

The avenue also features six benches, each inscribed with inspirational phrases chosen by staff to support positive mental health, such as ‘stay positive, work hard, make it happen’ and ‘it’s not about being the best, it is about being better than yesterday’.

Principal Laranya Caslin said the academy raised more than £2,700 to create the Avenue of Remembrance. Part of the sum came from a non-uniform day, from which proceeds were split between the project and the Young Minds charity. Parents were invited to contribute further, raising more than £1,000 in response.

“One thing the pandemic has taught us is the power of community and how much we can achieve when we come together,” she said.

On the avenue she commented: “As it grows, the hope is that some students will find it useful as a quiet place during break time and older students will use it as an outdoor revision space in the lead up to exams.”

The idea began at the end of 2020 when it was suggested to plant trees for the pandemic for Eco-week. “We already have many trees in our grounds so we wanted something to really stand out,” she said. “Then the idea of a literacy competition, positive mental health and quiet reverie all grew out of that and more opportunities came out of it the more we thought about it.

“We do feel like we are coming out the other side and it is nice how a lot of the poems ended with thoughts of hope and coming into the light. There were some interesting insights into the children’s perspectives who also recognised the great sacrifices, opportunities and things we have learned and will keep.”