The back story...
Earlier this year, Puddle Ducks Bristol & Bath was shortlisted as a finalist at the prestigious Bristol Life Awards. It was an incredible evening and one that led to an unexpected and incredibly special connection. We met Eve - Bristol Pride Festival Director and our Star Teacher judge - at the Bristol Life Awards - and everything that happened next was rather wonderful.
We were sharing a table with Bristol Pride, both there as finalists, and we got talking about community, about children, about what really matters. And when we asked if Eve would consider being our Star Teacher judge this term, she said yes without hesitation.
Crowning our Star Teacher for the Summer Term
This term we received 170 nominations from our families dotted across Bristol, Bath, Somerset, Wiltshire, and South Gloucestershire - each one a personal story of why their child's teacher makes a difference.
Eve read every single one. It was not an easy task, stating that it was 'almost impossible to pick one winner'. But after much deliberation Eve chose Emma. And here is why:
"I chose this winner because of the mention of helping children to believe in themselves and understanding the individual needs of each child. Water can be so scary for young children, and they will all need different ways of being encouraged to feel confident and with learning to swim you need to believe in your own abilities and have the confidence to trust yourself! This is absolutely the sort of person I would want to be teaching my little one to swim." 🌈🦆
On Sunday we surprised Emma mid-lesson - arriving at her pool wearing a rainbow flag and rainbow fan courtesy of Eve - and the reaction was everything.
The winning nomination selected by Eve was from Mum Sophie and her two swimmers Ellie & Maisie.
“Emma deserves this award because she has made such a huge impact on our family through her kindness, patience, and genuine care. Emmas created such a warm and welcoming environment. She goes above and beyond every single week to make each lesson fun, encouraging and personal. Her enthusiasm is infectious and she celebrates every small achievement in a way that builds so much confidence.
What makes Emma truly special is how much she genuinely cares. She takes the time to understand each child individually and supports them with such compassion and encouragement. Emma doesn’t just teach children to swim, she helps them believe in themselves. The confidence, happiness, and progress we’ve seen because of her has been incredible, and we honestly couldn’t imagine a better teacher.”
Emma - from every family whose child you have taught, every milestone you have celebrated and every moment of confidence you have quietly built - thank you. You are exactly what Puddle Ducks is about.
Congratulations. 💙🌈