DLITE-ful and Rural teachers celebrate
DLITE Graduates 2021 from left to right are as follows: Lindsay McGarry, Rachel Buckley, Lindsey Anderson, Melissa Maclean, Judith Munro, Karen Gunn, Kelly Gorman, Laela Winkelmann.
RLTT Graduates 2021 from left to right are as follows: Karen Ross, Anna Choinka, Emma O’Donnell, Lynne Jedan, Sheila Lall, Vicki Anderson, Shirley Brown, Debbie Robertson.
The DLITE (Distance Learning Initial Teacher Education) and RLTT (Rural Learn to Teach) PGDE graduates celebrated together at two unique events on Saturday 19 June 2021.
The graduates met with their own cohorts in socially distanced company to celebrate their achievements of becoming Highland teachers and will join the Probationer programme in August 2021.
Eight DLITE Graduates and eight RLTT Graduates were joined by Aileen Mackay (Leadership and Empowerment Workstream), Holly Ross (Development Officer) and for the RLTT programme, Jill Shimi (Senior Lecturer University of Dundee) who joined the celebrations virtually.
Chair of the Education Committee, Cllr John Finlayson said: “Each of these Probationers-to-be has worked extremely hard over the course of the last eighteen months, with the added pressure of working through a global pandemic, including during lockdown which caused schools across the country to close.
“This has made a challenging programme of study even more demanding and each and every one of them has risen to the occasion, tested their strength of character and resolve, and ultimately got on with the job of learning and teaching. It is testimony to their integrity, skills, ability and sheer determination to have gained their qualification and now embark on the next part of their journey into teaching.
“It is delightful that each of the four areas in Highland now has dedicated ‘home grown’ local teachers. I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of myself, the Education Committee, and The Highland Council to congratulate all sixteen graduates and wish them all the very best in their future careers.”