Scottish Catholic Observer

The community of John Ogilvie High School in Hamilton has paid tribute to the outstanding contribution to the school and life in the local community made by one of its senior pupils, Aaron Norton, who was recently presented with the Reamonn Gormley Award for endeavour.

The award was inaugurated last year at John Ogilvie in tribute to one of the school’s former pupils, who was tragically killed at the age of 19 in his hometown of Blantyre last February.

Special award

In agreeing to allow the school to establish the award, Reamonn’s parents, Jim and Anne, were anxious that such a tribute would recognise the efforts of a pupil who has given his or her talents and time for the benefit of those in the community, somebody who ‘made an impact on the lives of other people and who tried to make a difference.’

Eddie Morrison, headteacher of John Ogilvie High School, commented that this year’s recipient of the award, Aaron, ‘certainly fitted that description.’

Perhaps most significantly, however, after the death of Reamonn in February of 2011 and as a proud resident of Blantyre affected by the tragedy and the consequential anguish felt across the community, he became very active in the Keep Blantyre Safe campaign, attending all meetings and taking on promotional responsibilities for advertising aspects of the campaign to improve his community,” Mr Morrison said. “For all of these reasons, the school felt that this year the Reamonn Gormley award for endeavour should go to Aaron Norton.”

Community involvement

“From very early on in his school career, Aaron was determined to make an impact,” Mr Morrison added. “He was the centre of all things dramatic in the school. There was no show without Aaron, whether in full-blown productions like Bugsy Malone or in the numerous annual Burns productions in the school, where he entertained the school every February.”

Aaron has also been a mainstay of John Ogilvie High School’s radio station, entertaining the pupils at lunchtime and putting on charity discos for the school and the local St Ninian’s Primary School. As Mr Morrison explained, he also found time to perform the role of Santa Claus for John Ogilvie’s younger pupils.

The headteacher noted that there was, however, a ‘deep sense of gravitas’ with Aaron and he was an ‘excellent narrator’ for the school’s Holocaust Memorial Day events.

Presentation

John Fallon, from the Blantyre Knights of St Columba, who sponsor the Reamonn Gormley Award, presented Aaron with the shield at the John Ogilvie senior awards ceremony earlier this month.

A plaque of dedication to Reamonn, which hangs in the S5/S6 area of John Ogilvie High School, reads: “In the end, a person is only known by the impact they have on others.”

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