Monymusk School are WWF Green Ambassador Champions for Scotland!

Our summer term ended on a high this year! We had already been shortlisted in the ‘Inspiring Aberdeenshire - Best in Doric’ award and won the prize for the community who had become most involved in ‘Doric Wik’, as well as receiving a special mention in the Better Energy awards (winning £100), so when I received a phone call from Liz Rossall, WWF, saying we had been shortlisted to the final two schools in Scotland, for the WWF Green Ambassador award, I did feel that life could not get any better!

The email asking for applications for the award arrived a few months ago and, as I read it, I realised that we ticked all the boxes.  We didn’t have to do any more than we were already doing to meet the criteria.  GIRFEC and Sustainability are at the heart of our school, as we believe children will not learn until they feel happy, valued and supported.  Our sustainable projects have benefitted all the children but it has been very apparent that children with additional support needs of any kind, are particularly drawn to watching the eggs hatch, looking after the guinea pigs, cleaning out the hens, working in the garden, helping with the composting, spending time with our therapy dog and helping to look after the wider local environment.  I completed the form with no thought of winning, but I did feel satisfied that we were on the right track.

The WWF Green Ambassador award is run in conjunction with People’s Postcode Lottery.  We had no idea when the WWF and People’s Postcode Lottery teams arrived with their film crew a couple of weeks ago that we had won.  They had emphasised that we were one of two schools and I was personally thrilled we had got that far! During their visit they were shown round the school by pupils before delivering an assembly.  It was during the assembly that they showed a video from Ben Vogle, who announced that Monymusk School were this year’s winners!   In addition to a beautiful carved, wooden trophy we have been given £1000 to put towards our ongoing sustainable projects.  We plan to purchase a polytunnel to increase the variety of foods we can grow at school.  

Winning the award has been a very positive experience throughout the school and wider community.  Monymusk School is very fortunate to have volunteers and ‘friends of the school’ who help us in so many ways and they have felt very much part of this award, sharing our excitement!   

Gillian Watt
HT Monymusk School