Celebrating the Women in our lives.

Today is International Women’s day, a day where we celebrate those amazing ladies who have influenced our lives in ways we cannot even begin to describe. I am very lucky as I am surrounded by strong female role models both at work and at home, my wife and daughters are incredibly influential in my life, they make me think about things in new ways and also pick me up when I am having one of those ‘man days’.

At school, I have the pleasure of working with a team of female staff who positively influence the lives of our children every day. Recently, I took a family of two young girls and their mother around our school, during the tour they met a few of our staff, both male and female, all of whom spoke eloquently and enthusiastically about the subjects they teach. However, it was clear that one of our staff had left a particular impression on the whole family. At the end of the tour, the mother of the girls said to me “Do you know how amazing it is for my daughters to see a female woodwork teacher?” I said I did know, I went on to explain that I was very aware of the impact that Miss Aitken had on all of the students she teaches, but particularly the girls. Seeing a strong, confident and incredibly able professional teaching expertly in, what has traditionally been seen as a male-dominated environment, will undoubtedly leave a positive impression on, not just our girls but all of our students. I am fortunate to have Mrs Bishop, Ms Young, Mrs Hill and Ms Brown working closely alongside me everyday and helping me avoid obstacles that get thrown at me.

So, during International Women’s day, I would ask that we all take a moment to think about and, if possible, thank the women who have positively impacted our lives. If you can, give your mum, or your sister or daughter a cuddle and tell them how much they mean to you. I will certainly be telling the ladies who have helped shape me how important they are to me.

Have a great afternoon.

Paul Kelly
Head of Secondary
Sunmarke School