Today we were very lucky to have Built Environment – Smarter Transformation – BE-ST (http://https://www.be-st.build/) in school.

Two ladies travelled up from their Innovation Centre in Blantyre to come to visit our school and others. The sessions covered Retrofit, Passivhaus and Digital Construction.
Thanks so much to them for coming to our school – it would have been hard for us to get all our pupils to them.

Here a few pupils on the Passivhaus Taping and airtightness workshop, are learning how to correctly apply an air tightness membrane to an internal wall face and airtightness tape to a ‘window’ reveal.

An excellent opportunity to learn industrial standard skills and to get an insight into what is happening in terms of zero carbon building. It was also great to hear from them that Shetland firms are already adopting alot of zero carbon measures.

On Wednesday 17 May 2023, nice weather saw the return of sailing as part of our school curriculum.  Pupils in S1/2 Wider Achievement and S3 PE classes were given the option to take part in sail training on Picos.

Picos are a great way to learn to  dinghy sailing.  All pupils get the opportunity to to rig the dinghy, learn to use to the wind to sail around the Voe and a few had to learn to right them and clamber back in, a little colder and wetter!

Thanks to Graham Hughson who patiently manned the safety boat.

 

On Friday 5 May 2023, our S1 class hosted an event to celebrate the new King’s coronation.

They baked cakes, decorated the dinner hall, organised for Peter Wood to play at our dance.  On the day they served, cleared and managed to get everyone to join in the dance.

They even managed to surprise us all with guests of honour, Prince Charles and Camilla!

Brilliant, fun-filled afternoon!

 

 

Last week the Mid Yell Primary Department enjoyed a visit from the Glasgow Science Centre.  They learned about ‘Disgusting Digestion’ and had great fun watching the journey that our food goes on after it enters our mouths!  Pupils also had the opportunity to take part in a range of activities that explored how our bodies work.  We all had a very enjoyable morning!

Lower primary class walked to the beach to do a species count.

31 species of living creatures were counted including:

• crabs
• butter fish
• lots of birds
• anemones.

Our P6/7 pupils (Yell & Unst Primary Schools) are off to Loch Insh Outdoor Centre.

Amazing event supporting pupils to practice their performing skills in front of an audience.

Well done to all performers!

I was selected to go to Strathclyde University on 26-27 January 2023 for the Engineering the Future for Girls Programme.

When I arrived at the Uni I was put into group F with Amy, Lucie, Rosie, Lana, Lily, Maria and Abby, we got to be friends.  During two days we learned about different areas of engineering:  Civil & Environmental, Mechanical & Aerospace, Chemical & Process and Biomedical.

For each engineering area we were first given a presentation about what it involved and then we did an activity.  For civil & environmental engineering we had a build a bridge out of spaghetti and loom bands.  All the activities were like that and we had to work as a team.

For each engineering area we got to meet new people.  They told us about the job and how they got there – the college/university they went to and the subjects they studied.  All of them said maths and physics are very important subjects for every engineering areas.

I learned that if you study at Strathclyde you can do a years work experience to get practical experience eg in biomedical engineering you could go to a hospital or company that makes prosthetic limbs.

I really enjoyed my two days and the people I met.

If anyone gets the chance to go I would recommend it.

On Wednesday 25th January 2023, S2 & 3 travelled to Brae High School to meet with local employers to discuss the importance a learning a second language.

There were lots of local employers there, including:  Frankies Fish & Chip Shop, Total Energies, Harper Macleod, Cooke Aquaculture, Shetland Arts,  all had stories to share when having a second language had been useful.