Our Teaching Hero – Finalists
TERRI WILD
Terri has a very special talent of being able to work with and get results from children with very profound learning needs. Our children have a lot of health needs as well as there learning needs and she is able to get reactions from children no one else can. She uses music a lot of the time playing the flute and other instruments it’s amazing what she gets from these children I have seen children locked into their own world or very distressed respond to Terri’s music lessons. A lot of the children have limited vision and hearing impairments but she gets them involved using instruments that cause vibrations. She is very patient and gives the children lots of time to process what is going on around them. We do wheelchair dancing that they love we have lessons where we use drums. another of Terri’s specialities are her sensory stories we have travelled the world she uses some fantastic props for the children she can get kids to vocalise that are normally non vocal. Terri is also a team teach trainer and is very good at behaviour management in school Also it is a joy and privilege to work with Terri her lessons are always really good and the children get so much from them. I feel it would be so special if Terri got through to the pride of bury to recognise all the wonderful work she does with these very special children and I honestly think Terri is unaware of what a special person she is. As I stated before not many people have the ways and skills Terri has with these children, she gets so much from them and their faces light up when they hear her voice. I think she would be a very worthy person the be in the finals of pride of bury.
MRS JOANNE PAGLIUCA
Joanne is my sons Teacher at Elms Bank and has been for 3 years now. Elms Bank is a special needs School. My son has Autism and Joanne is his form teacher and teaches English to the Students at Elms Bank. She is an amazing teacher and helps each and every child she works with progress to their highest potential!! She has made a huge difference to our son and many other pupils who attend Elms Bank and my son thinks she is a superstar. She has helped my son particularly to control his meltdowns better, communicate, to write amongst many other things! from a child who was unable deal with the transition from primary to high school 4 years ago and was placed in special provision class he is now doing exams and work experience and planning to be a gardener and he is not the only one - she is a fantastic teacher and deserves a nomination. Mrs Pagliuca is a special lady who does not see autism in her pupils and helps them achieve what seemed impossible to many families.
My mother has taught me many valuable things throughout the years. But if anything, she has taught me that determination, passion and hard work is a key to success. Through the many obstacles she has faced through the journey to reach her teaching career, she has never backed down from a challenge. Although her hard work and determination has played a big part in her success, one main factor has been clear throughout and that is her love for her pupils that has kept her going. The in explainable joy on her pupils faces when they have achieved something, minor or major, that they never thought they could have achieved or the continuous love and connection she feels with every individual pupil in Elms Bank (the feelings are also mutual). Her belief in her pupils has stretched them to accomplish their full potential and more, as well as teaching them lifelong skills that will guide them after they finish at Elms Bank. I know that she will continue to flourish as her ideas and potential will continue to shine. However if one thing is clear, Joanne Pagliuca is truly a teaching hero and an inspiration to many.
SUZANNE GARFORTH
Family one: Suzanne has been my son's SENCO support for the past few years as he has difficulties with ADHD and an Attachment Disorder. She has worked hard over a long period getting to know him and what helps him and what she can do to support him at School. She formed a good relationship with him and he started to trust her and was able to go to her whenever he needed help and she would go above and beyond to make sure that the support was put in place for him. He has struggled with anger over the years and she has tried various strategies with him to help him when he gets angry and be able to calm himself down either by himself or with support. She has made sure that he is okay at the end of each term when changes were happening and again at the start of each term to make sure he settled back into class and supported him in making friends and becoming more confident in himself. She not only supported him but she also supported me as a parent at all times of the day and even over holidays. The constant support is always there and nothing is too much trouble for her. She emails during the holidays to make sure all is okay and keeps in contact with myself if there are any issues at school that may come home with him and vice versa I would email her to let her know of any difficulties at home that may spill into school to make sure that he is always supported. My son has always struggled to trust people and Suzanne has never given up helping him to trust her and be able to go to her whenever the need arises so that she can help him understand what it is that is bothering him and what she can do to help him. She has done lego therapy with him and Volcano in my tummy and given him strategies to do at home to help him when he can't cope and works alongside me at all times, nothing is every too much trouble for her and I certainly can't thank her enough for the time and dedication she has shown to him over the last few years. Suzanne has the perfect gentle nature to be able to sit with him calmly and chat away to him and help him understand what it is that bothers him. He now goes to her freely whenever the need arises and has so much trust in her something she fought hard to get. He is leaving Woodbank Primary this year and her and her team are supporting him through the transition period to High School so that he gets all the support and help he needs to move forward and I know that both he and myself are truly going to miss her hard work and dedication that she has put in over the years. I feel that Suzanne needs to recognised for her truly hard work and dedication and this is the perfect time to do this. I know speaking to other parents of SEN children at the school they all feel the same. Suzanne is truly deserving of recognition for this award for her hard work and dedication to the SEN children at Woodbank Primary School. She recently sent a card to my son wishing him good luck at High School so that he would know that even though he is not at Woodbank anymore he is still thought of which she said she knows is really important due to him having an attachment disorder. He was really happy to receive the card and said “wow she remembered”.
Family Two: I would like to nominate Suzanne Garforth as she has provided our family with fantastic support over the past few years. I have a son with autism and she has guided me through all the relevant SEN information and helped me get him the support he needs both in school and other areas. She is always on hand to help with any issues, even in the evenings and days off and she is a true asset to Woodbank School and to Bury not only is she professional and excellent at her job but she is also easy to deal with on a personal level and she really listens to any concerns and you feel relaxed speaking to her as she puts you at ease with her kind manner. She truly deserves to be recognised.
Family Three: Suzanne Garforth supports two of my children at Woodbank and she also helps with my other two children who don’t attend Woodbank. She emails me during the holidays, in the evenings, weekends and rings me. She has worked hard to build relationships with my children and not only does she support them she supports me also. I feel that she goes totally above and beyond what is expected of her. She really is a great asset to the school and I feel she truly deserves to be recognised.