Tag Archives: S2

S2 fish and wool Trip

Uncategorized, Wider Achievement, , ,

The final topic covered in HE for S2/the new S3 was fishing and agriculture. In class they learned the different species around Shetland and about the seafood sector as well as looking at wool and the Shetland dairy for agriculture. They looked at the huge range of jobs available in each sector and the personal qualities required to be successful in these careers.

On Monday they had a visit to the fish market, Pelagia and the Wool broker in Lerwick organised with support from our work experience organiser Emily Von Tonder who also arranged funding for the transport. It was a great opportunity for the pupils to see the importance of fishing and wool to the local economy and learn about their recognition and impact worldwide.

Our first stop was the fish market, Norma Anderson explained the dutch auction to us and how the fish was auctioned around the world. The bairns could watch the auction take place through the window and on a screen. Norma also spoke through the timeline of fish being caught and brought to market. Miranda took the bairns through to the market to see how fish was landed and with plenty of landings in, they saw a range o species including monkfish, haddock, cod, lemon sole, halibut as well as different sizes.

It was interesting to hear about the different jobs in the market, the competition between boats and buyers and the importance of working hard and having pride in your work to build up a good reputation for your boat.

Next was a whistle stop tour of Pelagia, with herring and mackerel being out of season it was a good chance to have a look around the empty factory and machinery used to process fish. Three of the four adults accompanying the trip were former fish factory workers and were surprised at the changes inside factories and the increase of machinery and technology over the years.

We had a quick look in the -20 cold store before going outside to see where the fish is pumped ashore, see and hear about the factory in Bressay as well as future expansion works.

We had time to walk around the piers and look at the different boats berthed at the piers before having lunch back at the fish market in the auction room. Norma kindly provided the bairns crisps and a twix and pupils enjoyed having their own mock auctions, you never know, some might end up back working in the fish market in some capacity in a few years time!

After lunch we headed up to the wool brokers and had a fascinating insight into the history of Jamieson and Smith’s. Oliver Henry spoke to the bairns and showed off various fleece colours and grades before going through a timeline of wool products, each with a story to tell.

It’s been a really interesting day and certainly makes you feel proud of our world famous produce and appreciate even more the fish on your plate and the wool in our jumpers.

Some comments from the bairns.

It was cool to see inside Pelagia.

I enjoyed looking at the fish in the fish market.

It was good going for a walk around the pier to see the boats.

I thought the way they did the fish auction was interesting.

Hearing about the history of the wool broker was interesting.

STEM visit – Drones

Science, Uncategorized, , ,

S1 and S2 were visited recently by Emma Chittick from Skills Development Scotland, who delivered a Drones Workshop to engage pupils in STEM subjects by applying them to the world of work. S2 pupils commented that “we learned teamwork/communication skills and being observant along with being able to drive the drone” and learned “what jobs were involved with drones.”

All participants thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the challenges and activities! Most of the pupils had never tried flying a drone before and all agreed they’d definitely like to do it again. An S1 pupil commented “my brother has a drone and I’m going to ask if I can have a go flying that now”. Another said “I really enjoyed it, it was so cool especially when we got the drone to do flips”.

An S2 pupil commented that “We learned what drones can be used for, and how they help us.” After the session the classes had a discussion imagining all kinds of handy uses for drones in the future – the most popular one being the delivery of Chinese take-aways to Whalsay!

Special thank you to Emma for visiting with the drones and delivering a fun and engaging lesson to promote STEM skills and careers.

Shetland Science Fair 2024

Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Science, , , ,

For the first time since 2009, the Shetland Science Fair returned to the Clickimin Leisure Centre! S3 and S2 pupils from all Shetland schools were invited to participate in a mixture of different activities to capture the interest of learners, presented by various groups within Shetland and by some visiting guests.

 

S3 travelled to Clickimin to meet in with other learners from throughout Shetland for the first day of the event. The Whalsay pupils were split into two groups and joined Sandwick JHS pupils in working through some of the different workshops. As well as learning new information in the workshops, the pupils were using problem solving skills and taking part in groupwork throughout.

S2 travelled to Clickimin on the second day of the event and joined learners from Baltasound JHS and Mid Yell JHS in working through the different workshops. These are all faces they will come across again in the Hostel in a few years time, if they continue into further eduction at AHS.

 

In the Activity Zone, learners were split into smaller groups rotating around different stations. Pupils learned about peat restoration and excavation from the Nature Scot Peatland Action group, which included learners having the opportunity to operate a realistic simulator to practice their excavator skills. UHi Shetland provided a Blue Sector VR experience, which allowed users to experience typical workplace tasks from the aquaculture and fish processing industries. Pupils also demonstrated their creative engineering skills in a Lego challenge, aiming to build the fastest wind powered vehicle.

Glasgow Science Centre provided a Spacejunk workshop where pupils explored their potential future in Scotland’s space industry. Pupils used their coding skills to safely navigate a satellite’s trajectory through space, avoiding space junk and other satellites along its journey. They also learned about the diverse careers available in the space industry, from engineers and programmers to mission controllers. Pupils really enjoyed this workshop!

In the Fit Lab, Glasgow Science Centre provided a range of fun, interactive exhibits, which tested reactions, balance, measured heart rates, brain focus, flexibility and loads more. The pupils (and staff) were fully engaged for the whole session. There as even an “Aw” when time was up!

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh ran the Fieldwork and Biodiversity Workshop. Learners discovered the importance of fieldwork in understanding and protecting plant biodiversity. Pupils had the opportunity to enhance their practical biology fieldwork skills, exploring real-world contexts to learn about the RBGE and find out some ways to take action against biodiversity loss.

Laura Moss Education ran the Wilderness Survival Workshop, providing a hands-on experience into the science of survival! Pupils learned how to purify water using only materials found in the wild by creating their own water filtration system. They then were taught how to safely whittle wood with a knife to make a peg or hook. All learners were highly focused during this task, acting responsibly for the safety of themselves and others.

Glasgow Science Centre also ran the Powering the Future Exhibit. They provided a range of engaging energy-themed exhibits to address topics related to energy supply and environmental sustainability. Pupils learned how we can be smarter with our use of energy by exploring different forms of renewable power, including an excellent demonstration of nuclear power using table tennis balls and mousetraps!

The Exploring Energyscapes workshop gave an insight into archaeology, run by Archaeology Scotland. Pupils learned about the use of Magnetometers, and how a dig site is chosen.  Pupils then learned about mills found in the Quendale area and got to design and test their own water mill design. Pupils were also shown artefacts of archaeological finds from Shetland and Orkney.

 

All attending staff and pupils from Whalsay school reported that the event was a huge success, and that they were delighted to have the opportunity to experience relatable learning within the community from knowledgeable and experienced members in their respective fields.

Feedback from the organisers was that the willingness to participate and the good behaviour of the Whalsay pupils had been noted. Everybody agreed they’d had a great time and when asked if they felt this visit was worth the journey and effort, the answer was a resounding YES!!