Keills Primary School

On the 21.6.21 we interviewed Amy Swanson our cook and an ex pupil.

The teachers were Mrs Birtwell taught P1 to P3 and Mrs Valentine taught P4 to P5 with Mrs Woodrow and the Head Teacher taught P6 to P7.

When Amy went to school started at the same time as us.

Mundells was the transport when Amy was little and the village looked the same as now.

When Bunnahabhain School closed all the pupils went to Keills and when Amy was In P6 there was 11 in her year.

At break the games were skipping and football.

By Kara P5

On Thursday 10th June we interviewed John MacKellar. He was invited by one of our P7 students who is called Owen.

He told us a lot of good information. Did you know that when John was younger there was only six boys and three girls in school? When he went into P5 – 7 Mr McKechnie was his teacher.

His other teacher Mrs McPhee took her spotty dog to school and they played with him in the playground. They did concerts and singing instead of pantos.

When John was in school there were only nine schools on the island. Back then if they were bad they got the belt and a chalk duster thrown at them.

By Owen and Calum, P7.

On Monday the 14^th of June 2021 we interviewed Neil McEachern. He used to be a pupil at Keills Primary School.

In the old school building in Keills they had no running water, so they had to go to the well in Keills, but before that they had to go to the water tank up at Persabus. In Keills there were 8 houses plus a school. In the old school building there was an open fire.

In 1947 school meals started. There was no Parent Councils. In 1958 they started building the new school and in 1959 they opened the new school building.

In the school at that time there were 15 pupils, one teacher and a lunch lady. He was the only one in his year group.

In 1961 the new Bunnahabhain School was built and the old school building was turned into a teachers house.

Thank you for reading,

By Ava and Scarlett

On Monday the 7^th of June P4-7 interview the family at Persabus they came to school here in the 90`s.

When Donald came to school here there wasn`t that much students there was about 16-18 pupils when Donald was in school. Their Head Teacher was Mr Mckechnie who taught P5-7 in the big class.

When Duncan came to school here there was 36 pupils in the school. Mrs Harper taught Duncan and Cairistiona and still teaches here to this day.

Cairistiona went to gardening club and painted the big container in the play-ground.

They didnt have much technology when Duncan was in school Donald didnt have any and Cairistiona just had the smart board.

By Calum and Owen.

We interviewed Paul Graham on Thursday 3.6.21. He came to this Primary School when he was little. He works at a distillery.

Paul Graham helped us figure out that Keills School opened in 1965.

Over 10 primary schools were on this island but some have been destroyed.

Back then the playground was just a big slope. Kilmeny school closed in June 1971 and mostly Pre 5s came there and p1-7 went to Keills. The school cook then was Mrs MacLean.

There was 5 staff in the school back then. We have 12 staff in the school now. We learned the most important skill is being kind.

By Ryan and Ruan P4

On the eighth of June 2021 we interviewed Mr & Mrs Stitchell for the history of Keills and the surrounding area.

We learnt that the school was built in the late 1950’s. There was no Pre-5 unit, they had to go to the Gaelic College, Newton and then Keills! The school times were nine o’clock AM to four o’clock PM.

They told us that Bowmore High School used to be called Bowmore Secondary School.

The Stitchells also informed us that there used to be a shop in Bunnahabhain.

We found out that Bunnahabhain School closed in the 1980’s.

We also learnt that Caol Ila Distillery was as founded in 1864.

We found it interesting that Ballygrant had a water wheel that they used to grind grain.

By Arthur P5.

On Thursday 27.5.21 P4-7 interviewed Mrs Carmichael. She taught here in Keills Primary School from August 1971 – April 1978.

There was only two teachers and twenty to thirty students in the school. There was no Nursery (Pre 5) when she taught here. There was no television or computers at the time, they used blackboards instead of whiteboards.

Students had to bring their own toys to school so they had something to play with a break. Sometimes there was sheep and cows in the playground from the field next door. They did more math sums. For homework they did reading and spelling. They didn’t do much maths as homework. There was a parents night once per year in June.

They had a singing teacher and a choir and they also had an art teacher.

For lunch everyday they did grace the students. The favourite desert was brick (Chocolate Cracknel). There wasn`t any modern foods.

They did a lot of outdoor activities like walking to the Lily Loch and picnics at Kilmeny.

By Ava and Calum (P7)

This week, we have written to former students and staff, as well as important members of our local community, including our new MSP for Argyll and Bute – Jenni Minto.

Here is an example letter. We wrote them on school letterheaded paper in cursive writing.

Dear Mr MacEachern,

My name is Miss Leys and I am writing to you from Keills Primary School, with the pupils in Primary 4 to 7.

Our school would be especially grateful if you could please allow us to interview you for information about our school’s past. In addition, we want to learn more about the history of Ballygrant, Keills, Caol Ila and Bridgend and the local area.

We are very keen to interview former pupils and staff as well as people who live in the local area. Everyone in P4 to 7 would be delighted to have the chance to interview you through Google Meet.

Our school is requesting this information from you to help us build a timeline of our history to put on our classroom wall. Another thing we would like to do with what we learn is share it on our new Keills Primary School website.

If you would like to join us for an interview, on Google Meet, you can contact our teacher Miss Leys on 01496 840657 or nicole.leys@argyll-bute.gov.uk

Thank you for reading our letter. We would be very appreciative of any help you can give us, and we look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely, Keills Primary School

We emailed the Editor of the Ileach to request space for an article in the next edition. Here is a copy of what we made together as a class.

Greetings fellow islanders and Jura community. We are Keills Primary School and we are learning about our school and local community history.

Our school would be incredibly grateful, if people from Ballygrant, Keills, Caol Ila and Bridgend could get in touch with us. We are very keen to interview former pupils and staff. Everyone in P4 to 7 would be delighted to have the chance to interview people through Google Meet. Or you can send us a letter with your stories or share old photographs with us.

As pupils, we would be thankful if anyone could give us photographs and information about our school and community history.

Our school is requesting this information from you to help us build a timeline of our history to put on our classroom wall. Another thing we would like to do with what we learn is share it on our new Keills Primary School website.

If anyone would like to send us a letter to share photographs or information or be interviewed, our address is Keills Primary School, Port Askaig, PA46 7RQ. Our phone number is 01496 840 657 and our email address for photographs or facts is enquiries-keills@argyll-bute.gov.uk

Thank you for reading our article. We would be very appreciative of any help you can give us.

Yours sincerely, Keills Primary School.