Banknock pupils take to their doorsteps to ‘reach for the stars’

A group of Bankier Primary schools have organised a social media flashmob-with-a-difference in which everyone taking part will sing and dance to the same tune in front of their homes at 7pm.

The ingenious wheeze is calculated to ensure social distancing and nobody has to leave home to take part – and aims to show it’s still possible, just, to safely take part in a morale-boosting group activity outdoors.

The scheme, flagged up in Banknock by Tracy Morris – whose daughter Holly is at Bankier Primary - has won the admiration of school principal teacher Pam Webster, who praised the community spirit and initiative being shown by her pupils.

She said: “For many of our pupils the school is a safe place providing food and nurture which they are unable to access at the present time.

“Reach For The Stars is our school song, and seems so fitting in these times of uncertainty!

“I feel that glimpses of positivity like this highlight the importance of school to a small community”.

Tracy thought it a good way of showing solidarity in difficult times, and also a suitable time to remind of a song some will remember from when they graduated from university as nurses back in 2010.

Its key line is “Reach up for the stars, climb every mountain higher”, and has struck a chord with local residents on social media – some of whom have made it plain mums and dads will be joining in too.

One wrote: “I am just gonna dance like nobody’s watching - wave my hands in the air like I just don’t care!”, and another said: “I’m practising my moves already”.