Hi, This is Sarah Parish and I will be reading a story by Gareth Bateman, which she has contributed to Gratitude, a wonderful public art installation which commemorates and pays tribute to the incredible work of our key workers and reflects the stories and contributions of this unprecedented time.

‘FOR AMY – THE BUSIEST BEE’ BY GARETH BATEMAN

In normal life, dedicated deputy head teacher Amy Bateman is Gareth’s little sister – but the Covid-19 pandemic turned her into his hero. Amy is Church Crookham Junior School’s ‘busy bee’, on a mission to keep her pupils happy and their parents calm at this unprecedented time in their school lives.

‘FOR AMY – THE BUSIEST BEE’ BY GARETH BATEMAN

Amy is the beating heart of Church Crookham Junior School, a true leader – in her role, and in her personality. She’s always busy! Like a bee buzzing from flower to flower, she moves between classrooms and meetings, checking-in, supporting, guiding.

She prioritises the well-being of the children and the staff above her own. She’s always late home because there are governors to speak to, parents to see, staff to counsel. She’ll work weekends because she knows that social services need to review a vulnerable child’s progress in the coming week; she must write the best report she can, but there’s no time in the normal day to do it – and she won’t let that child down, not ever.

The pandemic added an incomprehensible layer of stress and complication to her already over-layered cake. She’s never dismayed, though; Amy finds a way to make the cake delicious, despite it all. She remains positive, always buzzing.

To help the children manage the overwhelming situation they face, she implements well-being activities. “Breathe,” she says, and the children relax. She keeps them connected to their school community and close to their tribe, refusing to let them be beaten by the abnormality of what they face. I’m so proud of our bee: always innovating and inspiring.

The school is a hub school, so some of the pupils stay home but the children of key workers arrive each morning. Amy keeps them all safe: she organises the bubbles, coordinates the rooms – she should add ‘logistics expert’ to her CV! Some of the children might be out of sight, but they’re never out of mind; she knows the most vulnerable might be the hardest hit, so she tackles the problem head-on – doing the lunch drops in-person, and using the opportunity to talk to parents and help the children. She makes sure there are enough laptops, and that struggling parents are supported. Day after day, she keeps buzzing.

All the while, those at home who love her – her family and partner – watch her, full of admiration but also worrying that there’s too much buzzing, that she needs to slow down. But she doesn’t falter, not once. From flower to flower our bee keeps hopping, leaving smiles and calm behind her, powered by some form of unwavering positivity.

We don’t understand where the energy comes from – we can’t fathom how she’s so selfless. And then we see how the children smile at her, how she inspires the enquiring minds of the future, how they laugh and giggle… and we get just a glimpse of where the energy might come from.

So this is for you Amy, the unstoppable deputy head of Church Crookham Junior School. I can only hope that my own children are lucky enough to have a teacher like you – the busy bee, buzzing relentlessly to add something very special to the school community and to the lives of all of us, who watch on in awe with unbridled gratitude.

Thank you.

Thank you for listening to this story. For more stories and information on Gratitude, please visit: www.thisisgratitude.co.uk