For Aoife: The Rookeries Carleton Junior, Infant and Nursery School join in Williams Syndrome Day

Tuesday was November 7 2023 – a date marked as Williams Syndrome Day as it corresponds to the area of deletion of the #7 chromosome, 7q11.23, that signifies Williams Syndrome, a rare congenital disorder that occurs randomly and affects around one in 18,000 people in the UK.

Aoife has Williams Syndrome and the school says it was extremely important that on this special day the pupils and staff at the school gather together to show their support of Aoife and her family, whilst raising awareness of this unknown syndrome.

During the day children researched and made informative posters, took part in yoga, decorated t-shirts to wear on #WSD and were able to have their face painted.

Staff got involved and aimed to cycle 71.123km, but they exceeded their own expectations and cycled 223km as part of the fundraising activities.

Children and staff gathered in the playground and sang ‘Fight Song’ and ‘Let It Go’ to mark the end of a fantastic day, and to show their unity and support for Aoife and the wonderful work done by Williams Syndrome Foundation, raising £612.14.

David Dunn, acting headteacher, said: “Inclusivity is woven into the fabric of our school community, we believe wholeheartedly that every child is a unique individual with their own talents and abilities.

“Days like this offer us the opportunity to raise both awareness and understanding of these unique aspects of children’s lives and we planned a wonderfully engaging day of activities that all link to Aoife’s interests."