LR Peterlee Town Council Winter 2020 - Flipbook - Page 27
Local Interest
Dene Academy
At the beginning of April, the naonal
shortage of PPE prompted Dene
Academy’s Design Technology
department to take acon and help the
local community. Mrs CharltonLainè,
Miss Coyne and Miss Arrowsmith began
using the school’s equipment and spare
materials (including recycling students’
old folders) to make face shields. Mrs
CharltonLainè explained, “to begin with,
it took us a while to make them. We set
up a socially distanced producon line
and made them with polypropylene.”
As lockdown went on, students that
needed to aend school and other
members of sta all helped to make
masks. In total, 2368 face shields were
produced and delivered to a range of key
workers, including hospital sta,
community nurses, prison ocers and
delivery workers.
The teachers are part of a naonwide
Facebook group, the Design and
Technology Teachers Forum, which is on a
drive to make PPE during the Covid-19
crisis. At the me this arcle was wrien,
494,229 pieces of PPE had already been
made by Design Technology Teachers in
England. The face shields are also being
used by the sta at Dene Academy now
that the school has reopened.
In the leer it says “It was wonderful to
hear of the eorts of Dene Academy
Design and Technology Department in
producing PPE for the community and
frontline workers. In doing so, the
students and sta contributed directly to
the naonal response to the pandemic
and helped keep the virus under control.
Mrs Charlton-Lainè explained: “I wrote to
our MP, Graham Morris to explain the
eorts of Dene Academy Sta and
students and we were thrilled to receive a
response from the oce of the Prime
Minister, Boris Johnson recognising the
work we have done.”
I am sure this incredible act of kindness
was greatly appreciated by those that
received supplies and it is an inspiring
example of how communies are coming
together and supporng each other
through this dicult and challenging
me.”
Dene Academy Remembers
As subject lead of SMSC, (Social Moral
Spiritual and Cultural aspects of school
life) at Dene Academy, teacher Mrs
CharltonLainè wanted to create an
installaon so that each student could
sll take part in remembrance.
She said: “In light of the Naonal Covid-19
Restricons, I wanted to make sure they
sll had the opportunity to show their
respects and contribute to the Poppy
Appeal for the Royal Brish Legion. I
made a soldier to go out the front of the
school and on Wednesday 11th
November 2020, each class took it in
turns to go and put their poppy on to the
soldier. Over 630 poppies were added,
with all donaons given to a local group
of veterans who organised a ‘Stag on in
Remembrance’ to fundraise for The Royal
Brish Legion.”
'Stag on in Remembrance' observed a 24hour vigil from 11am Saturday 7
November to 11am on Remembrance
Sunday at the Terrace Green, Seaham
Seafront. Being 'On Stag' is Brish Army
slang for Sentry duty. The veterans, come
rain or shine; in one-hour snts, decided
to take it in turns to be on watch to
commemorate and honour their fallen
comrades who made the ulmate
sacrice, in the hopes it would get local
communies behind this year’s Poppy
Appeal.
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