Space and Time ~ project

In Term 1, the pupils were very busy making models, timelines and presentations as part of a Space project with Mrs MacNab, with additional work on Time with Miss Harrison. This project culminated in an Open Day organised for parents by pupils on Thursday 28th October 2010. The pupils also wrote articles for this term's newsletter.

School newsletters can be read at our website at www.eday.orkney.sch.uk .

Eday International Science Festival

This year Eday School hosted an outreach event of Orkney's International Science Festival. We were delighted to welcome Liz Robertson from Esso Science Education to our school.

Liz ran two interactive workshops for pupils and islanders. The first was a technology challenge, in which we made, tested and modified bandrollers, culminating with a great bandroller race! Congratulations to Craig, Louise and Malcolm who were the winning team.

The second workshop explored the properties of wax and allowed us to experiment with colour and design. Several members of the island fire brigade were in the audience, so all aspects of health & safety were well-monitored. All attending went home with a hand-coloured candle.

Thanks very much indeed to Liz for such a great day.

EcoSchools ~ Planting Trees

We are trying to improve the range of habitats in and around our school, and so the EcoCommittee wrote to Millcroft to ask if they could buy some saplings of hardy and native species so that we could extend the cover for migrating birds.

Ranger Gill helped us plant our 25 trees. We have put rabbit guards around them, and our relief janny Mick helped us free some of our other larger young trees from their cages.

Welcome Mrs MacNab!

In August 2010 we welcomed Mrs Fiona MacNab to our school. Mrs MacNab recently qualified as a primary teacher and has been working in mainland schools. She will be teaching at our school on Thursdays and Fridays.

As part of this year's St Magnus Festival's outreach programme, two musicians from the Scottish Symphony Orchestra visited our school. Alistair Savage (violin) and Iain Crawford (double bass) worked with children during the day, and at Alistair and Ian put on a concert for the whole island which included pieces performed with the children.

Our violinists played along with the musicians in the ballad "Old Hector", and then all pupils performed the North Ronaldsay Whaling Song, singing while playing the bodhrains, with fiddle and bass accompaniment.

Afterwards many islanders stayed behind to chat to the musicians and enjoy the delicious cheese and wine supper supplied by Eday Community Association. The event was recorded and became part of a Radio 3 broadcasts from the St Magnus Festival.