Term 4 News 2007/08
Photos updated and links working (hopefully!) - don't forget to scroll down for the photos from the Swan trip which we have finally had time to upload.
Lazy Days of Summer
Thursday 3rd July is the last day of school for the year and we will finish with our traditional end of term awards ceremony.
And then, hopefully, we're in for a beautiful summer holiday looking at views like this, the sun setting over Muckle Flugga at the north end of Unst.
Wind-down Days
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the last week will see us engaging in a variety of activities as we wind-down for the holidays. There may not be enough time to tell you about them all so here is a quick summary.
Most importantly, the old S1 and S2 will be off to the Town Hall in Lerwick to be one of many schools showing their climate change DVD, which was premiered at the School Open Night.
Older pupils will also be taking a turn at running the Tuesday teas in the Baltasound Church Hall, and many pupils will be baking on Monday.
On Wednesday there will be an Eco Action Day, working especially in the Sensory garden.
Other activities will include peat-cutting and a hill walk, Mad Lab, samba, canoeing and and loads more.
Open Night
On Thursday 26th June we had our Open Night, which was slightly different than usual. There were three main events.
Firstly, there was the premiere of the S1 and S2 climate change DVD.
Secondly, there were several musical items featuring Stuart on accordion, Chelsea on piano and Alan, Chelsea, Heather, Christine, Dione, Mark, Tighe and Katie on fiddle.
Finally, there was the space-themed fashion show.
For some photos of the Fashion Show click here and for some photos of the rest of the Open Night click here.
Sports Day
On Wednesday 25th June it was school Sports Day and it was another highly successful event. Special mention has to be made of Mrs Drakeford, who despite still being on maternity leave, came back to run things. What a star! For some photos click here.
Viking Trip
Primary 6 and 7 did a Viking project this year and you just can't do a Viking project without visiting some of the sites on the island. Fortunately we had a lovely day and headed off to see the Viking longhouses at Easting beach and Belmont in the morning, and the replica Viking longship Skibladner in Haroldswick in the afternoon.
Remains of Viking longhouses at Easting and Belmont
Inside and outside the Skibladner
Swan Trip
Apologies to anyone hoping to find photos of the recent Swan trip to Norway but it has been so hectic recently that keeping on top of everything going on has been almost impossible.
Anyway, as you can see, they made the papers in Norway, there are photos on the website of one of the Norwegian schools that they visited, in Dirdal (click here to see them and then click on 9).
Click on the name to see photos from Mrs Scott, Adam, Alan, Anna, Emily and Heather.
Police Station Visit
The Nursery visited the police station on Thursday 19th June - I hope none of them got handcuffed! For some photos click here.
Chroma are back
On Monday 16th June old friends Chroma came for a visit. They have already visited on at least three occasions before, teaching us about Odysseus and the tango. This time they were working on Petrushka by Stravinsky. For some photos click here.
Artist in Residence
From Thursday 12th June to Wednesday 18th June we have a visiting artist Anna Horne working with us. After sessions with the primary classes on the first day she has been working with Secondary and Primary 7 on a wearable art theme, producing space-themed clothes for a fashion show. Photos will follow - but only after the fashion show on the Open Night.
Anna Horne working with the lower primary class.
Animals in the School Grounds
Some strange animals appeared in the school grounds last week. What were they? What were they doing? All will be revealed soon (probably).
Making Music
Upper Primary were making music on Friday 13th June - quite literally as they were making their own musical instruments. They will be playing them at the fashion show on Open Night.
Visit from a Steam Engine
Another visitor who was in Shetland for the Classic cars show was this steam engine, nicknamed Little Dragon (because it comes from Wales). On Thursday 12th June it was brought up to Unst and it was brought to the school and the Unst Heritage Centre. It was built in 1860 and was used for threshing wheat. The engine wasn't used for moving itself around - it was taken from field to field by being pulled by horses!
Old Bentleys
On Tuesday 10th June we had an unexpected visit from some members of the Bentley Owners' Club. They were up in Shetland for the Classic Car show at Clickimin and decided (naturally) that they wanted to see Unst, and they came along to the school to show us their cars. It's just a shame that it was the first wet day of the term!
Bell's Brae Visit
On Monday 9th June we had a visit from 41 Primary 6 pupils from Bell's Brae Primary School in Lerwick. Primary 6 and 7 took them down to Burrafirth beach for the afternoon where we played rounders, did a scavenger hunt and did some beach art.
Swan update
The Swan arrived in Norway at 10 pm on Wednesday 28th May. Not everyone managed the crossing without spewing! The weather was fine and they spent the first day in Burlandet, playing football and joining in with some classes at a local school. For photos click here (lots of them so it might take a while to load).
Tigers in the classroom
These tigers invaded the upper primary classroom on the morning of Friday 30th May, and attacked another tigger and a big brother!
Moving On team puts in rabbit fencing
On Thursday 29th and Friday 30th May we had the help of the Moving On team from Lerwick who came and put up rabbit fencing around our planned sensory garden and our rig, once our headteacher Mr Spence and friends had put up a new improved fence for the rig. Volunteers from the community came in and helped as well, so thankyou to everyone who played a part. Now we can keep the bunnies out we can start planning our garden.
The Moving On team and some volunteers
Nightjar in school grounds
On Friday 30th May this Nightjar was sitting on the dike behind the plantation beside Trolla Water. It is the first one seen on Unst for 23 years!
Trip to Trondra
Those in the Primary who were not playing football or netball on Thursday 29th May went on a trip to the Burland Croft on Trondra and the North Atlantic Fisheries College in Scalloway. For photos click here (lots of them so it might take a while to load).
Football and Netball
On Thursday 29th May it was the Primary netball and football competition in Lerwick. With our small roll we had a combined North Isles team. The footballers had 4 from Unst, 4 from Yell and 2 from Fetlar, while there were 5 from Unst in the netball team and 3 from Yell. The results weren't very inspiring, but it was a good opportunity to play with and against some different players. Worse though, was the fact that, after almost 6 weeks without rain, it poured down in the morning and the footballers got very, very wet.
Swan departure
The whole school was at he Baltasound pier for the second time in a week on Tuesday 27th May, this time to wave goodbye to eight pupils and two members of staff who are away to Norway on the Sail Training Vessel Swan. There was a slight delay in departure as we had to wait for Hosea's lorry bringing a spare part from Lerwick, but they sailed away just before 3:30, with everyone on board hoping for a calm crossing. For some photos click here.
Excavations
We now have a replica archaeological dig in the school grounds. It is a trench that that has been dug in the corner of a field and then infilled with objects and soil. Robina Barton of the Viking Unst project was at the school on Wednesday 21st May and Friday 23rd May to work with Secondary 2 and introduce them to some of the skills and concepts involved in archaeological research. Unst has a huge resource of Viking-age. Pictish and other archaeology, much of it still completely untouched. For some photos click here.
Choices for Life
On Thursday 22nd May Primary 7 and Secondary 1 headed to Lerwick to attend the Choices for Life event in the Clickimin Centre. It is a drugs awareness concert, with live music, videos and drama. AS well as local band Kollifirbrolli, there was an appearance by Scotland's X Factor favourites, the McDonald Brothers.
Launch of North Star
On Wednesday 21st May the whole school headed off to the Baltasound pier to see the official launch of a new boat. It has been designed and built by a local business and they had a competition to name the boat that they are keeping to use themselves and as a demonstration model. Primary 6 pupil Dione Paul won with the name North Star.
The naming of the North Star
Unst v. Yell
On Tuesday 20th May it was the time for the annual football and netball matches between Unst and the neighbouring island of Yell. This year it was Yell's turn to host the events, so most of upper primary and many of the secondaries were off on the ferry in the morning and back after lunch.
The first games were the secondary netball, which was won by a strong Yell team, and the primary football, where despite going 3-0 down at halftime, the team fought back to earn a 3-3 draw. The primary netball followed and this time a strong Unst team gained a comfortable victory. the last event to finish was the Secondary football and this was a titanic struggle as, despite Unst going two goal up on three occasions, Yell pulled it back to four-all before Unst grabbed a late winner to nick it 5-4.
The victorious Secondary football team
The tenacious Primary football team
Unst and Yell netballers
Theatre Group
On Monday 19th May we had a visit from regulars Baldebane Theatre Group who presented a play on road safety to Primary 6 and 7.
Crossing the road with Baldebane
Musical Physics
On Tuesday 13th May the primary classes had a visitor who explained the physics of music, from making shakers to straw flutes and the excitement of putting tuning forks in water (!).
Voar Redd-up
Every year, we take part in the big spring clean-up organised by Shetland Amenity Trust or, to give it it's Shetland name, the Voar Redd-up. We cover the shore around Baltasound voe, so on Monday 12th May pupils of all ages were out doing their bit. Indeed for many pupils it was their second or third time out as many community groups take part.
Swan Concert
On Friday 9th May there was a concert in the Baltasound Hall to raise money for the Secondary trip to Norway on the Sail Training Vessel Swan. The concert was originally the idea of our French teacher Miss McCormick, who wanted to stage a jazz-styled concert as she used to sing at venues in Glasgow for many years, but it eventually grew to become a way of raising money for the trip.
Performers included the Unst Music & Dance Club, ZE2, Derek Spence, Alison & Ronnie, Da Young Eens, Andy Ross (who also donated the use of his digital baby grand piano), Jennifer McCormick and Michael & Marie, while special guest David Farrell came all the way from Glasgow and accompanied several artists on the baby grand.
It was a great night and the Swan sailors would like to express their thanks to everyone who organised, played or attended. A total of over £700 was raised. For photos click here for part 1 and here for part 2.
Glorious Weather!
We are coming to the end of yet another week of glorious weather with the sun shining from a clear blue sky almost every day. We have taken every excuse to get outside, working in the rig, playing with the water tray like the Nursery pupils seen above, or even painting outdoors like the lower Primary class.
Health Awareness
Everyone from Primary 6 to Secondary 3 headed across to Mid Yell Leisure Centre on Thursday 8th May to see a play with a message about smoking. The four actors gave an impressive performance, holding the attention of everyone there and getting their message across effectively. There are 4000 chemicals in cigarettes!
Lisa, Stacie and Angie in the play
Hockey, Football and Netball
Upper Primary have been to Brae twice recently. On Friday 2nd May there was a Hockey festival and on Tuesday 6th May there was Football and Netball coaching.
Lerwick Jarl and a baby Ryan
On Friday 25th April we had some very special visitors. Our PE teacher Elaine Drakeford came to visit us, with baby Ryan who is just 23 days old. He came and visited all the pupils, although he slept through most of it. (That's five photos with Ryan in on this page already!)
Mrs Drakeford's Mum and Dad also came to visit. Her Dad, Roy Drakeford, was Guiser Jarl in Lerwick this year, so he brought his Jarl's costume, while one of his squad members, Charlie Priest who lives on Unst and is one of the owners of the garage, also came along in his costume. You can see them both with the upper primary pupils above. It was the first visit ever by a Lerwick Jarl to a school on Unst, and we were given a plaque to commemorate it.
Rock Detectives
On Wednesday 25th April Upper Primary had a visit from the Rock Detectives. They brought lots of samples of rocks an taught us how to read the story of rocks, look at all the different ways they can be made, work out how sand is made and how to find oil.
Send Our Friends to School
On Wednesday 25th April we took part in what we hope will be a record-breaking biggest lesson ever, as people all round Britain and elsewhere took place in the latest project for the Send My Friends to School project with seeks to remind world leaders of their promise to allow every child in every country to go to school by the year 2010. People all round the world did the same lesson, learning about the reasons why some children cannot attend school, even though they know that learning is the way out of poverty.
Y Dance
We have four visits from Y Dance to look forward to this term. Here are a few photos of Upper Primary enjoying their first session on Tuesday 22nd April.
Neesicks Win Again
The Northern Neesicks swim team, which includes children from Unst, won the Beta league again on Saturday 19th April - for the fifth time running! Peerie Ryan Drakeford, the newest Neesicks member even managed to get in the photo (although he hasn't been swimming yet)! Karis Burns collected the trophy as she was the Team Captain. The results were 1st - Neesicks - 2nd South Mainland, 3rd - Delting Dolphins and 4th - Lerwick/Shetland.
A Big Welcome to Ryan
Here is Ryan James Drakeford, born 4th April, along with Joe, his Dad, and his Mum, Elaine, our PE teacher. Our congratulations to them all.
