Forres Academy Prizegiving

Forres Academy pupils at their annual prizegiving ceremony

FORRES Academy head teacher, Laurence Findlay welcomed staff, pupils and parents to the school at the end of term to celebrate achievement and success at the annual prizegiving awards ceremony.

At a time, when the media is reporting everything from financial meltdown and international unrest to natural disasters and general doom and gloom, he said it was a time to celebrate achievement and the future for young people.

“It would appear that there is little for us to celebrate,” said Mr Finlay. “Closer to home we are faced with the closure of RAF Kinloss, ever dwindling resources, the threat of industrial action in many sectors and a genuine fear about the kind of future that society can offer our young people.”

However, he said that young people’s achievement and success was worth celebrating because they represent a brighter future and have demonstrated they have the knowledge and the skills to find the future solutions to many of the local and global problems the world faces.

He said Forres Academy aims to ensure that students leave school fully equipped with all the skills and the knowledge base they will need to compete and succeed in an ever more complicated world, to help make society a better place and come up with long term solutions to problems facing modern society.

“We need to think and act differently which will require a completely new skill set and knowledge base,” he added. “Our challenge is to consider how well placed our students are to survive and thrive as effective, responsible twenty-first century global citizens.”

He extended his congratulations to the award winners, who he said, through hard work, tenacity and commitment, have all achieved great things.

He also wished pupils who were leaving all the best for the future and thanked Forres Academy staff and the school’s wider partners from the community.

ROTARY

Guest speaker at the event was local businessman, Ian Widdowson from Beaver Travel, who also helped celebrate the school’s links with Forres Rotary Club, which has allowed pupils to take part in a number of projects instigated by local rotarians.

For full story and list of prizes see this week's Gazette