The school (through The North Ronaldsay Trust) were recently successful in securing £14,995 from the Healthy Island’s Fund for the purchase and construction of a Polycroo polytunnel.
The materials for the Polycroo arrived on the boat at the weekend and it was an exciting day yesterday with construction beginning in the playground.
Phoebe created a diagram of the site.
The digger preparing the site.
A coin, thought to be from the 1920s was dug up.
North Ronaldsay has been recognized as a Dark Sky Island and an International Dark Sky Community by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA).
It was exciting being part of the panel and group hearing the live announcement (as part of Orkney International Science Festival) at the community centre on Friday 3rd of September.
See the full story North Ronaldsay’s Dark Skies Gain International Recognition – International Dark-Sky Association (darksky.org)
We feel lucky to be taking part in the fantastic Treoir Voar Virr Project and working with the very talented Traditional Fiddle Player and Composer, Eric Linklater and Piano Player and Artist, Jen Austin. During Eric’s visit last month we explored some of our local place names, traditional folklore stories and composed our own music inspired by mythical creatures such as fairie folk, water horses and selkies.
Here is a recording of it, we’re really pleased with how it sounds – hope you enjoy listening to it too!
Thank you to Eric and Jen! We look forward to developing our ideas further in the new year when they next visit.
We’ve really enjoyed making friends with Papay School over the past year. We meet up with them by video each week, and we had a really lovely visit to their school in June. This term we were delighted to welcome them over to North Ronaldsay School to show them our school and island, enjoy some learning together and for a peedie harvest home.
The two days were packed full of fun with highlights such as making harvest bread with Louise Palmer and dancing organised by PE Teacher, Amy Smith made extra special with live fiddle music from Councillor Heather Woodbridge.
A huge big thank you to everyone who took part and made it such a fun couple of days and special thanks to The Lighthouse Cafe and North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory for all the delicious food.
TWO DAYS WITH PAPAY
On Tuesday 26th and Wednesday 27th October Papay School came to visit North Ronaldsay School to see each other and to have fun. Robin, Phoebe, Isabella, Ezri, Lottie, Alexander, Jakey, Louise, Mrs Smith, Heather, Mr Ross, Mrs Cursiter, Mrs Scott, Miss Mcleod and Mrs Craigie and all took part.
Tuesday 26th October
First, we went to pick Papay up from the airport and we walked back to the school. We played Lego and after break we set up the drum kit. After lunch we made harvest bread with Louise, it was fun and the dough was sticky. For lunch we had burger and we all had dinner at the Bird Obs.
Wednesday 27th October
We had Mrs Smith and we were doing PE and dancing. For lunch we had soup and sandwiches and some crisps and fruit. We played in the hall a little bit.
The best bit was having fun! We were all tired after that two days, everyone had fun.
Hello and welcome to our online Christmas Shop! This term we have been learning about our world and ways to take better care of it and we decided to find out about and make some eco-friendly Christmas crafts. We have made 7 different products which are made out of recycled, local and sustainable material where possible, to raise money for our school fund and we will also make a donation to an environmental charity. To make a purchase please email us on admin.northronaldsay@glow.orkneyschools.org.uk.
Happy Shopping!
Robin, Isabella and Phoebe
Festive Fairy
This fairy is ideal for the top of a Christmas tree. It’s made from a wooden dolly peg, paper and card – with a little sparkly ribbon too. It is approx 6cm (w) and 15cm (l). £3.50 each
Sparkly Star
A beautiful decoration to hang up or put on your Christmas tree. It’s made from recycled cardboard and eco-friendly glitter. Approx 13cm (w) and 20cm (l). £2.00 each
Christmas Spice Pot Pourri
This smells so good! Dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks, dried wild flowers and pine cones combine to make an amazing smell. Approx 45g. £3.00 each
North Ronaldsay Willow Wreath
This 10 inch beautiful fresh wreath is handmade made from North Ronaldsay willow, leaves and pine cones and finished with a hand tied recycled ribbon. Not all exactly the same. £9.00 each
Lavender Bag
Hand stitched by the children at North Ronaldsay School and made from recycled fabric and ribbon. Filled with dried lavender. Each in different fabric. £4.00 each
Christmas Heart
These are beautiful to hang on a tree or use as a decoration. Made from recycled fabric and stuffed with waste North Ronaldsay wool from the wool mill at the lighthouse. Each in different fabric. Approx 11cm (w) by 15cm (l). £4.00 each
Wildflower Plantable Seeds Card
An eco-friendly card handmade sustainably using recycled materials and native British wildflower seeds.
This card can be planted after use to become a pollinator-friendly mini meadow – just add compost, some water, and some sunshine.
The card has been made using our own handmade plantable paper here at North Ronaldsay School using seeds exclusively mixed to support bees and other pollinators.
We can deliver on North Ronaldsay. We can post items also. We take cash or cheque.
The Burray p6/7s enjoyed different exciting outdoor activites at Burray Primary School on Tuesday 7th and Wednesday 8th September.
ARCHERY
First we arrived at Burray on Tuesday morning, then we went into the hall to start our award. After that p6s went down to the archery and p7 went raft building. Archery was fun and exciting and I shot the arrow into the red section!
Me doing archery.
RAFT BUILDING
Next, the p6s went to raft building and the p7s went to archery. First, we had to put on a wet suit, it was boiling! We had to put on a bouyancy aid and helmet and then we went in the sea to cool down. Next, we built a mini model of our raft and tried out different designs. Then we built the actual raft and tested it out. It floated! Some people fell off the back though when we were splashing.
This is us in our raft.
CLIMBING TOWER
On Wednesday we worked on our award booklet first and then went to the climbing tower – it was the scariest ever but I got to the top! It was 9 metres high. I was proud of everybody in my group.
Me and my friend Andrew on the climbing tower.
PADDLE BOARDING
Our last activity was paddle boarding and it was fun, everybody fell off! Once we fell off and got back on we started jumping off! Standing up was really hard because you thought you were going to fall off.
Paddle boarding was my favourite activity and I also really enjoyed archery. It was the best two days because it was really fun and nice to be able to try all the activities.
Thank you Chris Jex and the outdoor team and Burray school for a great couple of days.
BY ROBIN KERSLAKE
Phoebe and Isabella made a chocolate beetroot chocolate cake using beetroot from our school garden.
What you need:
Ingredients
250 g cooked beetroot
60g cocoa powder
250g light muscovado sugar
200g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp milk
150 g butter
3 eggs
equipment:
x2 baking tins
baking paper
electric whisk (a spoon will do)
scales
bowl
tablespoon
teaspoon
Method
2. Wash your hands.
3. Weigh out and mix the ingredients.
4. Peel the beetroot and weigh out 250g.
5. Grate the beetroot and mix it in with the cake mixture.
6. Split the mixture in half and put into each of the baking trays.
7. Cool the cakes when they come out of the oven.
8. Ice the cake if you want to.
9. Eat and enjoy!
We incubated Brahma eggs and they hatched on Tuesday 25th May.
Some important things we learned about using an incubator were…
Hello, this is our North Ronaldsay Sonic Postcard we made with Mr Duncan, our music teacher. We hope you enjoy it! There’s the sea, sheep, hens, the wind and the plane. We have taken photos to go with our sounds which we will post here at a later date.
On Outdoor Classroom Day, Thursday 20th May we went on a trip to Kirkwall.
We got the bus from Kirkwall Airport and got off at the hospital for a play in the hospital play park.
Me and Ezri loved the swing!
The roundabout was super fast!
I went down the fireman’s pole, I felt scared at first but I kept doing it over and over again and it was fun!
We went to Shearer’s shop and enjoyed saying hello to Jake the cat. We bought some bird seed for our bird table in the play ground.
We went to Wellpark Garden Centre. I chose some beetroot seeds.
This is me choosing some plants for my wheelbarrow garden. I accidently bought some yucky pineapple mint that smells of pineapples – I really do not like pineapples. I thought it said peppermint on the label.
We visited the polytunnels at Orkney College and did some planting with Clive Chaddock. This is us looking at the spring cabbages and seeing how they grow. It was lovely and warm in the polytunnels.
This is me and Jakey planting bean seeds.
We were planting some beans and breaking the soil up so there was no lumps. Me, Alexander and Alfie worked well as a team!
These were the pots that we had just planted.
We had our lunch in Tankerness House Gardens.
Me, Alfie and Alexander are all eating a mint choc chip ice cream from the Daily Scoop. The best bits were the ice cream and meeting Alfie, Alexander and Jakie! I also really liked planting things in the polytunnels.
Ice cream at the Daily Scoop!
On the way home French TV people came with us and were filming the pilot.
A big thank you to Clive Chaddock for showing us around the poly tunnels and gardens at Orkney College and planting seeds with us.
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Making the first cuts.
Phoebe’s 