PUPILS And Teachers Embrace Art Challenge To Give Greenock School A ‘Great Big Hug’

PRIMARY pupils in Greenock joined forces to give each other a ‘great big hug’ -– from the safety of their homes.

Children from Aileymill Primary and Nursery who are missing going to school and seeing friends and staff because of lockdown took part in an art and design challenge by drawing pictures of themselves with their arms outstretched.

Each image has now been put up at the Norfolk Road building to create a giant group hug around the school. Teacher also joined in and almost 140 drawings were submitted.

Catriona Miller, Aileymill head teacher, said: “We’re a really nurturing school and pride ourselves on that.

“The children are missing us and we’re missing them so we decided to do this to give the school a great big hug. It’s been really well received.”

Paper packs were made available from four local shops for children to collect and create their designs at home before handing their completed artwork back into the respective stores.

The colourful drawings, featuring pupils’ names and classes, were then picked up by staff, who laminated them and used tie wraps to put them up on the school fence for all to see.

Aileymill staff have also been producing a weekly video looking back on the week just passed and to the week ahead.

Councillor Jim Clocherty, Inverclyde Council’s convener of education and communities, said: “It has been, and continues to be, tough for all of us being separated from friends, family and colleagues and it’s particularly difficult for children to be away from their teachers and friends at school.

“This is an imaginative way for staff and pupils to continue to stay connected and for the young people to show their creativity through art and design.

“It’s uplifting to see the Aileymill community uniting in this way and adding a welcome splash of colour in the current climate.

“I congratulate education staff, pupils and parents right across Inverclyde who have done an incredible job in reacting and adapting to the lockdown restrictions.”

The ‘hug’ challenge is one of many initiatives from school staff to keep in touch with pupils and their families during lockdown and ensure learning continues while classrooms are shut.