Basketball – Gairloch vs. Invergordon – On Thursday 26^th February, the senior boys team beat Invergordon High School. 52 – 27.

This was Jordan Gorman’s last game for the school and he rounded it off with a buzzer-beating three-point basket. This senior boys’ team have played together since 2010 and, while we’ll miss Jordan, there’s plenty of talent coming through for the future.

As well as representing the school Jordan was part of the U15 Scotland team in 2012/13. He has also played as a member of the Highland Bears and plans to continue training.

Jordan has left school to take up a Modern Apprenticeship with the international ICT company ATOS. He will be trained initially at their centre, opened in 2013, at the Forres Enterprise Park.

Travel and tourism trip to Dundee – As part of our course we have to look at tourism in Scotland. Dundee was chosen because lots of things are happening there to encourage tourists to visit. We left on Tuesday morning and on the way down we stopped at the House of Bruar which was really interesting as we got a tour from a lady who works there. She told us loads about the place and it was so big. We would recommend a visit on the way down the A9 but bring plenty of money!

On Wednesday morning we went to Discovery Point. The RSS Discovery is a ship that was built in Dundee and went on an expedition to Antarctica that took three years. Scott and his men studied the climate, wildlife and geology of Antarctica. It was Scott’s second trip to Antarctica on the Terra Nova when he reached the South Pole only to discover that Amundsen had got there first. We got a little talk in the conference room and then we were shown around the ship. It was very interesting but not as interesting as McManus Gallery and Museum that we went to in the afternoon. It had loads to see and was very big and filled with paintings, stuffed wild animals, ancient Egyptian mummies and Roman artefacts and many more things. It was fun to look around.

Click on the photo for more images of the trip

For lunch we visited a small cafe called Madigan’s, which is a lovely place. The person who owns Madigan’s used to live in Poolewe. We were really impressed with the cafe and liked the extra details, like the menus were inside old Blue Peter books. We would definitely recommend the soup!

On Wednesday afternoon, we also went to the Visit Scotland Information Centre and got some good information. The lady who talked to us was lovely and very polite and knew lots about the whole area.

We stayed at Dundee Backpackers Hostel for the two nights. It was cheap and right in the centre of the city – perfect because all the shops were around us. We all shared a room and had our own bathroom although the shower leaked.

We would recommend Dundee as a place to visit for a long weekend because there are plenty of things to see and do, although we were told the nightlife isn’t as good as Aberdeen. We weren’t sure what to expect since one of Dundee’s nicknames is ‘Scumdee’ but would say it was a nice city to visit and we would probably go again. It was a very good trip and we would like to thank Mrs Bulmer and Mr Gibson for organising it and accompanying us.

Exploring Careers in Health Event – This event on Thursday 26^th February gave five pupils from Gairloch High School the opportunity to participate in interactive health related workshops throughout the day. With the aim to raise awareness of all types of Healthcare Career options, Megan, Christie, Maia, Laura and Andrea made the most of the day by choosing to attend a range from the following workshops:

Allied Health Professions, Speech And Language Therapist, Diagnostic Radiography, Physiotherapy, Orthoptics & Optometry, Learning Disabilities Nursing, Midwifery, Dental Nurse / Therapist, Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Careers, Clinical Skills, Medicine & Medical Careers, Moving And Handling & Nhs Scientists

Our pupils came away with a much better understanding of Healthcare Career options. Thanks to Mr Milner for accompanying the girls.

Comic Relief 2015 – S6 organised a “Wear something Red” day on Friday 13^th March and collected £130 for Comic Relief. You can see photos on the school website.

S1 Bring and Buy Sale – We are very grateful for the support of parents, staff, Parent Council, local businesses and everyone who helped on the day, or by providing items for the sale and prizes for the raffle. The event was a great success and the pupils worked hard to raise funds to pay for their activity week in the Cairngorms this May.

By the time you read this the total amount raised will have been announced (£2200) on the local radio and on the website. You can also see photos of the event on the website. Thanks to Dr Caley for organising the pupils in preparation for the sale and all the further work involved in making the S1 Activity Week happen each year.

Click on the photo above and see other photos from the Bring and Buy

Eclipse / Rolls-Royce Science Day – Gairloch pupils recorded eclipse data as part of a broad scientific partnership on Friday March 20^th. The Science Day involved partnerships with University of Reading and the BBC, along with a visiting engineer from Rolls-Royce, Professor Barclay and STEM ambassador Jennifer Port from The Beatson Institute in Glasgow.

Through Gairloch High school’s participation in the Rolls-Royce Science Prize 2015, pupils used some of the equipment purchased with support of Rolls-Royce Science Finalist funding to make accurate recordings of weather conditions throughout the eclipse.

The school has sent the weather data to the University of Reading’s National Eclipse Weather Experiment (NEWEx), which looks at the atmospheric impact of a solar eclipse.

The school also hosted BBC reporter James Shaw. He worked with the pupils and interviewed them along with our Geography teacher, Miss Emma Smith. Gairloch pupils Joe Smith, Jack Wright and Isabelle Gallagher talked live on Radio 5 Live while Miss Smith’s interview was heard on the Radio 4 Today show (Friday 20th).

See more photos of the data recording and radio interviews here

S3 and Higher Geography pupils recorded data throughout the eclipse using weather meters. Between 9am and 10am, S1 pupils monitored temperature and cloud cover along with measurements of light levels (see graph). They had pinhole projectors made previously in science just in case the cloud cleared.

At 9am, S2 received a talk from eminent forensic scientist Professor Dave Barclay. The theme of the talk was “Good Science” and what that involves. After the talk S2 joined the S1 outside as the eclipse maximum approached at around 9.37am. By this time most pupils and staff took the opportunity to experience the event. Unfortunately no images of the eclipse were viewed from the school due to cloud cover.

After the eclipse shadow had passed S3 geography pupils started analysing the results gathered. They got some interesting results and the graphs generated a lot of discussion about what the evidence might infer about the effect of the eclipse on weather patterns. These graphs are available on the school website with annotated conclusions from the pupils.

You can see more of the S3 results here

Just before lunch Professor Barclay talked to S3 pupils in English class about being an author. Using science as a theme, he set the pupils a writing challenge. After lunch the pupils started planning their own story and he will return in around 10 days to investigate the results of their writing task.

Rolls-Royce engineer Neil Chattle is the school’s competition mentor and when he visited before, Neil gave willingly of his time to advise pupils on engineering apprenticeships. Pupils from S3 upward, who study technology and engineering courses in the school, met with Neil to talk about jet-engine failure analysis. Neil kindly brought some machined engine parts for the pupils to handle. Surprisingly some of the parts, which looked quite small, cost thousands of pounds to manufacture!  You can see some photos of the event here.

Meanwhile former pupil and STEM ambassador, Jennifer Port met with S2 pupils and continued the DNA analysis experiments started during her previous visit a few months ago. This time the pupils were learning profiling techniques and got the chance to practice lab skills. This session was similar to an event that Jennifer took part in at Anglia Ruskin University as part of our Rolls-Royce objective to spread skills to staff and pupils beyond the boundaries of our own school community.

You can see more photos of this event here

Head Teacher, John Port summed up the science day event: “Although the cloud covered the sun during the eclipse pupils stayed enthusiastic about collecting the important data for the scientists. The effect of the moon’s shadow did not dampen enthusiasm for the range of activities available to all pupils throughout the whole day. S2 will continue with their DNA profiling in class and I look forward to reading the fiction written by the S3 pupils. Meanwhile S1 pupils will be designing and building digital microscopes for future use in the science department by all pupils.”

As a follow up Eilidh MacDonald S3, Kai Johnston (S2), George Pickering and Callum MacDonald (both S1) were interviewed on Two Lochs Radio and it was broadcast on Wednesday evening (25^th March). Along with Miss Smith they talked about the science of the eclipse and other events such as making pinhole projectors and using light meters, geography data collection for the University of Reading, aerospace engineering, Professor Barclay writing crime fiction and DNA profiling experiments in Science.

We are planning another community evening for Tuesday 28^th April but booking your place will be essential. Details will be published in the next issue as part of the school news but we plan to include practical experiments and a chance for you to hear what our Advanced Higher pupils have been doing this year in Biology.

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award success – Gairloch had a surprise inspection of its DofE Operating Partnership Agreement recently. Miss MacAllister who manages DofE provision within the school received a glowing report. In 17 out of 19 indicators Gairloch High gained 1 on a 4-point scale. The two areas where we struggled were with partnerships with other groups and fundraising access both due to our remoteness – and this was acknowledged in the feedback. Congratulations to Miss MacAllister and all the adults who help with providing DofE opportunities to our pupils. Your support is appreciated.

PUPIL REPORT of S1 Bring and Buy Sale – On Saturday the 14^th March we held our S1 Bring and Buy Sale to raise money for our trip to the Cairngorms.  Thank you to everyone that donated prizes, let us put up posters, donated things to sell and who came along on the day.  The sale was very successful and we raised £2,170 in total.

We are particularly grateful for support from many individuals and the following businesses: Ross County Football Club, Landmark, Bridge Cottage Café, The Shieling, The Myrtle Bank Hotel, Gairloch Pharmacy, McColls, The Button Bothy, The Torridon, Gairloch Dental Practice, Forbes Garage, Kenneth Morrison’s Butchers, The Steading, Spiral, PNL Accounting, Sugar Croft Faerie, Whistlestop Café, The Treasure Chest, Shop at the Pier, Les Buchan, 916 Guiding, Mrs Banister (hamper) and The Badachro Inn (our apologies if we have missed anyone) – Quinlan, Melody and Isabelle (S1).

See more images of the Sale here

5×50 2015 – The Gairloch High School team is taking part in the 5×50 challenge again this year. The 50-day event started on Sunday 29^th March and we have 44 pupils and a handful of staff signed up. There are several ways to complete the challenge. Option A – the original way to do it, involves running, walking, cycling, swimming or rowing a minimum of 5km a day every day. Option B offers more variety and is calculated by time rather than distance. Challengers are asked to complete a minimum of 30 minutes of activity per day. This could be doing the same activities as in option A, but in addition includes exercise classes, dancing classes and martial arts for example. If this still seems too daunting, Option C is for pairs – do 5km a day on alternate days or 2.5km each, every day. Exercise logs have been distributed to challengers and it is hoped that these will be completed accurately over the 50 days so that Mrs Johnston can inform the 5×50 organisers of our grand total come the 17^th May. More information about the challenge can be found at www.5×50.org or at our GHS team Facebook page.

Basketball: Gairloch vs. Dornoch – The school hosted a game against Dornoch Academy recently. We mixed junior and senior pupils in a single team and lots of good play occurred. Unfortunately on this occasion Gairloch lost but well done Dornoch.

Higher PUPIL REPORTS of Geography fieldwork in Edinburgh – From 5^th to the 8^th of March our Higher Geography class of seven pupils and teacher Miss Smith took a train to Edinburgh to spend a few days looking at the geography and geology of the city. On this trip we were able to see the main differences and characteristics of the central business district and inner city, which aided our understanding of the Urban section in our course. Whilst we were there we had many outings arranged for us, Dynamic Earth, then an intense treasure hunt on the Royal Mile and finally to Holyrood Park and Arthur’s Seat with a ranger from Historic Scotland – Charlotte Kelman (S5)

On our first day in Edinburgh (Friday) we had planned to visit Dynamic Earth. The exhibitions were very relevant to what we were studying, including displays on soil profiles, rock formation, ocean currents and glaciation. We were also treated to the Dome Show, which was in a cinema where the screen was on the roof. This taught us all about the wonders of astronomy. The visit to Dynamic Earth was a huge success and the information learnt will help a great deal when it comes to studying for our final exams – Holly Morrison (S6)

See more images from the trip here

On the Saturday we met with Matt from Historic Scotland at Holyrood Park. He told us about the park and his job as a ranger protecting and maintaining the rare plant species by locating suitable plots of land and promoting their growth. We learned about the geology of the park as well as wider Edinburgh.

Holyrood Park sits of a mix of volcanic and sedimentary rock so we learned how to make out each type by looking for layers and particles to identify a sedimentary rock. We saw evidence for the fact that at one point Scotland sat at a much lower latitude as there were negative imprints of mud cracks which are found in dried river beds common in equatorial regions. We were also told about how Salisbury Crag was formed by a flow of magma moving through rock underground, forcing rock upwards. We were shown how the area was shaped by volcanic action as well as glaciation as evidenced by erratics left as the glaciers retreated – Alasdair MacDonald (S5)

The 4-day trip was worthwhile and enjoyable, having learned about Edinburgh’s geological past and its modern day layout. Our required mapping and write-up report were completed and we are all better prepared for the upcoming exam. We hope the Higher class next year get the same opportunity – Joe Smith (S5)

Study Club – Easter Study Club will take place this year during the holidays on Tuesday 7^th to Thursday 9^th April inclusive. Currently about half of S4 to S6 pupils have signed up to attend tutorials and work sessions during the holiday to prepare for their upcoming SQA national exams.

Important Dates – School closed for Easter on Thursday 2^nd April however Study Club for S4-6 pupils is on Tuesday 7^th, Wednesday 8^th and Thursday 9^th April inclusive.

School opens again for all on Monday 20^th April. This will include our Comenius visitors from Europe. There will be a Comenius ceilidh with lots of pupils and visitors involved on Wednesday 22^nd April in the Community Hall.

SQA national exam timetable begins on 30^th April.

Further details of events on the school website calendar.

Lord-Lieutenant’s Youth Award Scheme
for Ross and Cromarty, Skye and Lochalsh 2015 – Alasdair MacDonald, S4, was nominated and won the Helping Others category. Well done to Alasdair for the recognition achieved by this award.

Gairloch High School Indoor Rowing Team was commended in the Group Award as was the local ATC. Well done to all the adults who have encouraged and supported the local youth. It is good to see that dedication and hard work recognised by the Lord-Lieutenant, Mrs Janet Bowen.

The purpose of the Award Scheme is to recognise and celebrate the many positive activities and achievements of young people across Ross and Cromarty, Skye and Lochalsh. A full list of winners is available on the Lord-Lieutenant’s website.

Europe comes to Gairloch High School – On the 19^th of April, our Comenius friends will be arriving in Gairloch having travelled from Latvia, Portugal, Poland, Greece, Turkey and Finland. Unfortunately, our Spanish friends will not be joining us. It is going to be hard to match the hospitality, kindness and fun we have all had in their countries, but we are all going to try very hard to do so.

There are various events planned for the week, including a visit to the Kelpies, Loch Ness and (of course) a distillery. On Wednesday 22^nd of April from 7pm, there will be a Ceilidh in the Community Centre, and we invite all our friends and parents in the community to join us. We will be dancing the usual dances, but trying to teach the Comenius group how it’s done at the same time. On hand to provide entertainment will be the Gairloch Pipe Band, Mrs Browne’s Highland dancers, and C for Craic. A great night will be had by all. There will be a raffle, and any contributions will be very welcome. Refreshments will also be available at the interval.

GeoBus and Explosions – On Wednesday 25^th March two geologists from the University of St Andrews visited with GeoBus. This is an industry-supported project that aims to support earth science education in schools and has visited Gairloch in previous years. Kathryn and Carina worked with S1-S3 classes using fun activities to teach and build on the earth science in the Geography and Science curricula.

The S1 Geography class was treated to a minerals workshop – but first they had to find the minerals! They learned about panning and put their technique to the test fishing minerals out of a sand/water mix (our pretend rivers). They found minerals of all shapes and sizes, some which were more familiar than others. They sorted them and tried to identify them using the hand lenses and a mineral guide. We then talked in more detail about a few of the minerals – muscovite mica and pyrite – before each group picked their favourite mineral and shared it with the rest of the class.

The S2 Geographers have just started a new unit looking entitled “Explosive Earth” and there were plenty of explosions during the “Monitoring Volcanoes” workshop! Pupils set up their own experiments with party poppers and weights to simulate magma building in a lava dome. There were plenty of screams when the party poppers erupted! Groups then had to predict their next eruption and make a decision about when they were going to evacuate. There was only one group whose volcano erupted before they had decided to begin an evacuation! Other techniques that are used to monitor volcanoes were also shown including infrared cameras and seismometers.

Those who do Geography in S3 spent the afternoon learning lots about plate tectonics and the natural hazards that come with them. They looked at the evidence for continental drift, the nature of the mantle, the frequency and size of earthquakes, the explosive capability of different volcanoes, calderas and evidence of volcanism, volcanic gas and finally the issue of dealing with tsunamis!

Click on any of the photos above to see more taken on the day

Kin and the Community – Sara Johnston (S3) writes, “I am one of 6 young people from Ross-shire chosen to be part of this new exciting project run by Fèis Rois and funded by the Highland Youth Arts Hub. The project is inspired by the fiddler Duncan Chisholm’s ground breaking multimedia project, Kin. We will be supported by Duncan Chisholm as the Artistic Director to make a short film about 20 minutes long. This project involves composition and music making, ethnology and research, filming techniques, editing and narration. The film will include an old voice recording of someone talking about an interesting part of their lives, filming to go along with the voice recording and music composed by us. We have already been to the Highland Archive Centre and the School of Scottish studies in Edinburgh to try and dig out a fascinating old recording of someone from the Ross-shire area. The premiere of this project will be performed on the 4^th July in Ullapool at the MacPhail Centre. Whilst the film is running we will be performing the music that goes along with the film live.

Look at the Evidence evening – Tuesday 28^th April, 7:00-9:00pm

We are planning another opportunity for members of the community to try out some of the activities that the pupils have been involved in as part of the Rolls-Royce Science Prize. Visitors will have the chance to build on the DNA evening we held in November by carrying out DNA profiling, guided by pupils. It is hoped that former pupil and DNA scientist Jennifer Port will return to lead the session. There will also be the chance to try out some modern microscopy techniques and hear about senior pupils’ Advanced Higher projects. Because of the practical nature of the evening places are limited so please phone the school (01445 712275) to notify us your interest.     

Important Dates – School opens again for all on Monday 20^th April.

• There will be a Comenius ceilidh with lots of pupils and visitors involved on Wednesday 22^nd April in the Community Hall. All welcome!
• Look at the Evidence evening – Tuesday 28^th April, 7:00-9:00pm. Phone to book your place
• S3 Parents’ Evening is on Wednesday 29^th April.
• S2 reports will be issued on Friday 24^th April with the Parents’ Evening on Thursday 7^th May.
• SQA national exam timetable begins on 30^th April.

Swimming gala and beach clean up reports next issue.

Further details of events on the school website calendar.

Youth and Philanthropy Initiative – S3 pupils are taking part in the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) in the hope that they will learn to understand about philanthropy and charity through an experience of giving, which will highlight the positive impact they can have on their own community.

Pupils will research local charities they believe are best placed to make a positive change. They will learn how to assess the charity’s management, strategy, staffing arrangements and services. By meeting a representative of the charities, pupils will develop a real understanding of some of the challenges facing the community and will, we hope, be inspired to work to change society for the better.

Pupils will use their research to make presentations on the reasons that their chosen charity is most deserving of support. The team judged to have made the most compelling presentation will be given a £3000 YPI Grant to award to their charity. During this process, pupils develop skills in research, analysis, presentation, and communication, which all contribute to a pupil’s growth, and confidence.

We are busy organising a Charities Fayre for Wednesday 13^th May and want to invite as many charities that work in our local area as possible.  If you know of any charities (and these can be locally based, Highland wide or national charities), please can you contact the school and let us know so that we can invite them. (www.goypi.org)

S1 build bird boxes for Inverewe – As part of the John Muir Award Conservation Section all S1 pupils made bird boxes that will be sited by the NTS Ranger at Inverewe Garden.

S6 Rural Skills pupils Jake MacDonald and John Scott Macleod helped S1 with timber was supplied by Inverewe Garden. There are more photos on the website. Click on the photo to view them.

Easter Egg Hunt – The Gairloch Malawi Partnership fundraising team would like to say big thank you to everyone who supported and donated to the Easter Egg Hunt last term. We organised an Easter Egg Hunt for the Primary and the High School and we would like to thank the teachers, parents and pupils for their contribution. Along with other fundraising in the High School we raised nearly £300! We have now reached the £1000 mark since we started fundraising with our new team last November. All proceeds will go towards helping four pupils and two staff from Mlozi School in Malawi to come and visit us in Gairloch in the August.  See us on Facebook.

S1 Beach Clean – In spite of the poor weather S1 pupils spent a morning before the holidays cleaning up storm debris from the beach along the front. We encourage all pupils to learn about the worth of being involved in their community. We want them to learn the value of working with others to make their community better. The pupils are grateful for help from the local Council workers with equipment and uplift. It’s a pity that on this occasion, in spite of invitations from the pupils, no one was able to help the youngsters. Please consider showing support in future – an effect of an hour helping our pupils may influence them in a positive manner for rest of their lives.

Swimming Gala – Held at the end of last term the results are as follows: 1st – Tollaidh, 2nd – Maree and 3rd – Kerry.

Well done to Iain Nelson and Alasdair MacDonald who both won all three of their finals. Thanks to all the staff who helped Mrs Johnston manage the event at Poolewe – it was a very exciting gala for those involved.

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award – Innis Taylor and Siobhan Vickerstaff (both S6) and former pupil Róisín Somers have each completed their Gold Award. Well done them!

MSYP – Congratulations to Jamie MacLean (S6) who has been elected as the Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross. With the first meeting in June, MYSPs aim to make sure Councillors, MSPs, MPs and MEPs take account of the views of young people. Prominent campaigns currently include Votes at 16 and Poverty: See it, Change it.

Solving the Rubik Cube –Bruce Wiseman (S6) took part in an international competition in Edinburgh last month. Bruce came 28^th by solving a Rubik Cube in a best time of 38.24 seconds. In the ‘2 by 2 by 2’ cube competition he finished 17^th. Well-done Bruce!

Outdoor Certificates – Senior pupils Jake MacDonald, Neil McKenzie, Sydney Tippett, Connor Moore, James Aaron and Alasdair MacDonald have been awarded GO Mountain Bike Certificates as part of their Outdoor Education Course. James and Alasdair were also awarded NICAS level 2 awards for skills developed on the school climbing wall while Connor has NICAS Level 1. These two schemes allow the pupils to develop physical skills but also teach first-aid and self-reliance.

Europe came to Gairloch High School – On the 19^th of April, our Comenius partners arrived in Gairloch having travelled from Latvia, Portugal, Poland, Greece, Turkey and Finland. An exciting programme of activities was held culminating in a ceilidh in the Community Hall on Wednesday 22^nd April. A few tears were shed when our guests left on Thursday morning. This event brings to an end our second two-year project and we would like to thank everyone who has supported us during that time. We hope to have photographs and news available on the website soon.

Active School Coordinator Vacancy – The ASC position for Gairloch and its associated primary schools has become vacant. Please see elsewhere in the issue for the job advert. This is an important position for a graduate level applicant interested in the promotion of activity and sports participation amongst young people in the area.  Details here.  Application forms can be downloaded from http://www.highlifehighland.com or by telephoning (01463) 663800.

Important Dates – More details on the school website here.

– SQA national exam timetable began on 30^th April.

– May Day Holiday – Monday 4^th May.

– S2 Parents’ Evening – Thursday 7^th May.

– S1 Cairngorm week begins 11^th May.

Comenius Project 2013-15 Gairloch High School – In the week beginning 20^th April, Gairloch played host to the countries participating in the High School’s Comenius project. Staff and pupils arrived from Latvia, Portugal, Poland, Greece, Turkey and Finland. Unfortunately, the 8^th country involved – Spain – was unable to join us.

At the beginning of the week, the visitors made their presentations based on the Project Title –The Four Elements of Nature & Their Effect on Our Lives. In addition, activities were organised during the week, such as a beach barbeque, a traditional ceilidh, a walk up Beinn Eighe Mountain Trail, and a trip to Ullapool. Luck was on their side, as the weather was sunny and dry!

Everyone had a fantastic time, and the students from Europe were hosted by pupils in the school; friendships were made during the week which can last a lifetime. This week was the culmination of the project, which lasted for nearly 2 years. Over 20 pupils in Gairloch High School made trips to the 7 other countries involved in the project, and were also hosted by families there.

On the way from Edinburgh, there was time to make a visit to the famous Kelpies, and the first of many group photos was taken.

photo: courtesy of Jim Hunter

S1 Anti-Bullying Day – On Friday 1^st May all of S1 took part in an anti-bullying day. The aim of the day is to remind pupils of their rights and responsibilities when it comes to working together.

Pupils spent the morning taking part in a number of activities to get them thinking about the consequences of bullying and then they watched some videos with various types of bullying, discussing different people’s responsibilities and actions in these scenarios. The afternoon was spent making anti-bullying posters and bunting.

Click on the photo to see more from the day

S6 farewell – On their last day together at secondary school before their exams, S6 travelled to Wildwoodz with Mr Milner and Mr Bowker and enjoyed a day of paintballing. Much fun was had by all taking part in this successful trip.

Look at the Evidence evening – On Tuesday 28^th April, we held another opportunity for members of the community to try out some of the activities that have been introduced due to the Rolls-Royce Science Prize invovlement. Parents and guests had the chance to carry out DNA profiling, guided by pupils. Each of the groups produced a gel sample like the one in the photo, which clearly showed banding in columns B and D. This equated to a match between DNA found at the simulated crime scene (B) with DNA taken from one of three suspects(C, D, E). There was also a chance to try out some modern microscopy techniques and hear about Advanced Higher projects carried out this year. These involved investigations into the efficacy of Munuka Honey (Siobhan Vickerstaff) and the content of owl pellets (Sofie Banister).

Outdoor Education Partnerships – On Monday the 27^th April S5 pupils James Aaron & Connor Moore along with their Outdoor Education teacher Mr Sutherland joined Inverness College, UHI tutor, Nicki Diggins and her three Outdoor Pursuits students for a day’s mountain biking locally. The team showed the UHI folk some of our tracks by leading them around ‘The Old Road’ and through Flowerdale back to school.

Click on the photo of James above to see more from the day

This was another chance for our pupils to develop their confidence and skill while working with older students from UHI.

Important Dates – More details here on the school website.

• 21^st May – P7 Icebreaker Day
• 22^nd May – P7 Expressive Arts Day
• 29^th May – S1 Reports issued to parents
•  1^st June – INSET day – teachers only
• 2^nd June – S4/5 pupils return to school after exams

Next issue we will have a report of the S1 Residential in the Cairngorm National Park that took place between 11^th and 15^th May.

British Geological Seismometer – Some time ago the school obtained a seismometer (used to measure movements of the earth) as part of the Schools Seismometer Project, run by the British Geological Survey.    It has proved challenging to get all the pieces in place to get this working and recording data, but when Professor Peter Maguire, who has holidayed in the area for many years, contacted us to ask if he could help, we readily accepted.  He arrived with a range of additional equipment and gave up a good deal of his time to get it working.  We are very grateful for all the help that Peter has given in setting up the seismometer, and look forward to making use of it in many ways over the coming years.  It is sensitive enough to detect both small local events and larger events worldwide.  The image shows the vibrations picked up in Gairloch as a result of the most recent earthquake in Nepal.

S1 Cairngorm Week – Our S1 pupils completed their residential week at the Cairngorm Christian Centre in Kincraig recently and enjoyed a range of activities that build on cycling, orienteering and climbing skills developed in school. Thanks must go to Dr Caley who organises the week along with the dedicated band of staff who supervise and lead each of the activities as well as cook and babysit the youngsters. Many of the photographs taken throughout the week can be seen on the school website alongside photographs from previous trips.

Click on the photo to see lots more images from the week

YPI – Our S3 pupils are currently working on a programme called the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative in their PSHE lessons. They have been conducting research into social issues that affect residents in the local community and the charities that work to address these. On Wednesday 13^th May representatives from 10 charities visited the school to inform the S3 pupils of their work in our local area. These charities were Gairloch Community Car Scheme, Ileostomy Support Group (Highland), Befrienders Highland, Highland Hospice, Carr Gorm, Gairloch Heritage Museum, Ross-shire Women’s Aid, Dundonnell Mountain Rescue Team, GALE Action Forum and CLIC Sargent. Each group of pupils now has to choose one of these charities to research further and deliver a presentation on at the end of term. The group delivering the best presentation will win £3000 to award to their chosen charity.

Click on the photo to see more images from the meetings

Orienteering – During their activities week, S3 pupils enjoyed a morning of orienteering at Flowerdale. Everyone competed over two very different courses. The first was easy, with controls at all path junctions. Hector completed this in the fastest time, in just less than 10 minutes. Chris, Gregor, Sara and Max were close behind. The second course was much more challenging and required stamina and good map reading skills. Thanks very much to Guy Seaman who planned the courses, placed all the controls and gave pupils some top tips on the day.

Click on the photo to see more images from the event

‘The Apprentice’­ – S3 pupils, during the first two days of their Activity Week, were again this year involved in an event similar to the BBC programme ‘The Apprentice’. They spent two days working in teams to come up with an idea for a game, quiz or reality television show. Their ideas were then presented to the rest of the school. A panel of teachers and senior pupils judged the ideas based on their originality, potential entertainment value and likelihood of being commissioned. In addition, the teams’ presentations were taken into account. The year group took to this challenge well and it was great to see such a variety of ideas and high quality presentations. The winning team devised an international job swap programme. The judges were impressed by the trailer that was produced, the costings, the presentation and the concept overall. A television producer has been approached to view the presentations and give an opinion on the teams’ efforts.

Bronze DofE training – 22 of our S3 pupils are undertaking their Bronze DofE expedition this term. Training began on Wednesday 6^th May at Slattadale. The first task of the day was to pitch tents and some pupils have clearly had more experience of this than others! Everyone then joined in with the ‘kit check’ game. Next came cooking and, following a short presentation on safe use of the stoves, the pupils prepared a three course lunch. The groups had planned their menus in advance. We finished the day with mini-presentations from each person to the rest of their group on emergency procedures, first aid, camp hygiene, comfort and rucksack packing.

Click on the photo to see more images from the trip

First Aid – Once again at this time of year, pupils in S3 undertook a one-day First Aid course with Mr Cory Jones of Outdoor First Aid. For those involved with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, this provided training for their forthcoming expedition. For all, it provided them with the ability to cope with emergencies, extending the work done previously with on basic life-saving first aid. We thank Mr Jones for running this course again.

Scottish Indoor Rowing League – Our S1-3 pupils have done well in the Scottish Indoor Rowing League. Our school is fourth overall in Scotland at the end of Round 1.  66 of our 70 S1-3 pupils participated each gaining 1 point. Top 5 finishers gained more points and we have a few in that category, S1 Jasmine Brown 3^rd, S2 Amber Drummond 1^st, Scarlet Pickering 2^nd and Arlene Morrison 5^th. S3 Sara Johnston 1^st and Jade Moore 4^th.   Iain Nelson missed out on a top 5 spot by a couple of meters. Well done to all of the pupils who took part. (Update – we did even better in Round 2!  See next issue)

Primary 7 Icebreaker and Expressive Arts Days – These took place on the 20^th and 21^st May. The days are designed to allow the pupils, who will become S1 after the summer, to get a taste of High School in advance of August. These exciting one day events will be followed up shortly by another two days where the pupils will sample their 2015/2016 timetables.

Important Dates – More details here on the school website.

29^th May – S1 Reports issued to parents

1^st June – INSET day – teachers only

2^nd June – S4/5 pupils return to school after exams

UKMT Junior Maths Challenge – In April, the majority of S1 and S2 took part in the UKMT Junior Maths Challenge, which involves 25 demanding multiple-choice questions. Harry Dalzell, S1 came first with Morven MacLean and Amy Tattersall (both S2) joint second.  These three pupils will receive a silver certificate.  Also, in S2, Scarlet Pickering and Kai Johnston performed well and will each receive a bronze certificate. Well done to all the pupils who took part.

Gairloch High School v Plockton High School: MacPherson Cup – Second Leg – The S1-3 team welcomed Plockton High School to Gairloch on Thursday the 28^th of May. Gairloch dominated the first half, scoring the first goal through Chris Adam. The score going into the second half was 1-1 and it wasn’t long before Gairloch were ahead again with another goal from Chris Adam. Gairloch had numerous chances to add to this score, hitting the woodwork on three occasions. Plockton, who were trailing 4-1 on aggregate, raised the level of their game in the closing stages and scored two goals from free kicks. This ensured a nervy end to the game. Despite losing 3-2 on the day, Gairloch retained the MacPherson Cup, winning 4-3 on aggregate. Thanks to Neil MacKenzie for refereeing the game. Click on the photo to see more images.

Team: Max Conway (Cameron Walton), Roddie Wyatt, Connor Forbes, Matthew MacKenzie, Evan McPhail, David MacGregor, Hector MacLennan, Callum MacDonald, Sorley Street, Chris Adam, Joel Goldby

The first leg was held in Plockton on Monday 18^th May. After a hard-fought first half with no goals, David MacGregor opened the scoring for us early in the second half followed by a second goal from Joel Goldby – both fine strikes in to the corner of the goal. Plockton rallied and hit the bar twice in the later stages of the game but Gairloch defended well to win 2-0.

Primary 7 Pupils – On Thursday 4^th and Friday 5^th June P7 pupils attended High School for some timetabled classes and activities. They were also introduced to the Den. At the end of day on Friday they watched the last few minutes of the S1-S3 football match against Kinlochbervie before being presented with their school ties. We look forward to welcoming them back as S1 pupils in August.

S2 Geographers and the OS – S2 pupils have been refining their map skills and got creative, thinking up new Ordnance Survey map symbols. They have entered a competition run jointly by the BBC’s One Show and the Ordnance Survey which asked the British public to submit suggestions for 10 new map symbols including climbing centres, electric car charging points and even a new symbol for a toilet. The symbols had to be easy to identify and read on a busy map. Entries have now closed and a judge will pick the winning designs to be printed on the 2 million Ordnance Survey maps printed each year!

Indoor Rowing Round 2 – After the heady success of our pupils achieving fourth place in Round 1the National Indoor Rowing League last month we were delighted to find out that at the end of Round 2 the school has moved into second place. Only Hillhead High is ahead of us as we row for the third and final round this month. Each pupil who takes part in the competition gains a point with the fast five nationally in each year group receiving additional points. Those were – S1 Boys: 1^st Dylan Paterson, 4^th George Pickering and 5^th Tom Wood. S2 Girls – 1^st Scarlet Pickering, 2^nd Amber Drummond, 3^rd Morven MacLean, 4^th Arlene Morrison. S3 boys – 4^th Iain Nelson. S3 Girls – Sara Johnston, 2^nd Jade Moore, 4^th Carys Townsend, 5^th Carla Watson. Twelve schools remain in the league from across Scotland so a remarkable standard is being maintained by the girls and boys of Gairloch High. Well done to all! Round 3 results will follow soon.

Photography Workshop – Adrian Hollister, from the Perfume Studio, came into school on the 28^th of May, to work with pupils in S2 and S3, who are interested in photography.

After some instruction and discussion about what makes a good photograph, pupils were set tasks to accomplish in and around the school.  When their photographs were downloaded, we discussed what made them good or what could be improved.

Pupils then went down to the beach & graveyard to take more shots.  After they were downloaded, we all noticed the improvements that pupils had made since the beginning of the day, by taking Adrian’s advice earlier.  This included paying attention to backgrounds, getting up close to subjects, and thinking of the composition of the photos. Towards the end of the day, the pupils began some work on portraiture.

The pupils had an enjoyable day, and we are very grateful to Adrian for giving up his time for us. You can see some of the photos on the school website by clicking here.

Comenius Evening – 7.30pm Monday 22^nd June, in the multi-purpose hall. Our Comenius partners have reported a fantastic time here in Scotland in April. For our last Comenius evening, there will be displays from each of our partner countries, as well as refreshments.  All are welcome so please come along!

Important Dates – More details here on the school website.

18^th June – Sports’ Day weather permitting!
22^nd June – Comenius Evening 7.30pm
29^th June – Prize-giving 1.30-3.30pm
1^st July – YPI judging of 10 local charities
2^nd July – School closes for summer 1.30pm

Scottish Indoor Rowing League – Round 3 results – We have had another very successful result in the Scottish Indoor Rowing League. 78 pupils participated in this round and 16 managed to achieve national top 5 positions in their age group.

In S1, Jasmine Brown came 1^st, Isabelle Gallacher 2^nd and in joint 3^rd place were Becky Wilson and Isabella Wiseman. In S2 Morven MacLean was 1^st, Amber Drummond 2^nd, Arlene Morrison 3^rd and Scarlet Pickering 4^th. In S3, Sara Johnston retained the 1^st place she has held in all three rounds and Jade Moore came 2^nd.

With senior pupils back from exam leave, some S4 and S5 pupils were able to participate in this round for the first time. In S4, Eilidh Johnston was 2^nd girl and in the boys’ race, Joseph Stewart was 4^th while Lewis Powell came 5^th. In S5 Syd Tippett was 1^st, Mark Warren 2^nd and Joe Smith came 3^rd. Congratulations to all!

Gairloch High is the smallest school participating and yet we have finished in 2^nd place overall, only being surpassed by Hillhead High School in Glasgow, which had over 200 pupils taking part. After Round 1 we were in 4^th place and in Round 2 we moved up to second. Some of our national indoor rowing champions are pictured here.

The after school indoor rowing club will continue next session and we will be training hard to prepare for the Scottish Schools Championships in Glasgow in November. We hope to take a bigger team this year and challenge for individual medals and team trophies once again.  Thanks to Mrs Johnston for encouraging the pupils to participate.

S1-3 Football Result – Congratulations to the S1-3 Boys’ team who beat Kinlochbervie High School 11-1 on Friday the 5^th of June. Scorers were David MacGregor (4), Joel Goldby (2), Calum Copland, Callum MacDonald, Sorley Street, Roddie Wyatt and Matthew MacKenzie. This result rounds off three very successful games in the last three weeks. Thanks to Calum Nelson and Mark Warren for refereeing this game.

Photo taken by John Wood, Kinlochbervie High School

Sports Day Results 2015 – Cold, rainy, damp and great fun! Well done the pupils of Gairloch High School who participated fully in their events. Each pupil gained points for participation in up to four events for the House competition. In addition championship points were awarded to winners. The results were announced at assembly. There are lots of the photos on the school website – click on the image of the senior boys from Tollaidh in house colours to see more from the day.

Full results published here

House Competition – 1^st Place, Maree (297 points); 2^nd Place, Kerry (286 points); 3^rd Place, Tollaidh (272 points)

Staffing– There are significant staff changes taking place in the school. Ms Leitch retired at Easter. She has served pupils faithfully for many years as a member of the Learning Support Staff. Ms Mackison (PT English) and Mrs Newman (Learning Support) are both retiring this summer. Mr Avenel (French) is currently applying to further his teaching career in another school. Mr Johnston (Biology and PT Pupil Support) has been appointed as the Director of the new Highland Science Skills Academy. This post is a collaboration between the University of the Highlands and Islands and Highlands and Islands Enterprise based in Inverness. The combined years of experience and service provided by these individuals to the pupils of Gairloch High School is greatly appreciated and will be sadly missed. Proper farewells will be made at Prize-giving on Monday 29^th June (1.30-3.30pm) to which all parents and relatives are invited. Meanwhile the school community wish each of them health, success and best wishes for the future.

We are pleased that Miss Emma Smith will continue in post teaching Geography as a full time member of the teaching staff after competitive interview. Vacancies in Biology and English have been advertised and we hope to announce successful appointments soon.

Important Dates – More details on the school website here.

• 29^th June – Prize-giving 1.30-3.30pm
• 2^nd July – World Cup football competition in the morning – all pupils. School closes at 1.30

Dux of School 2015/2016 – Freya Baptist

Elizabeth Matthew Memorial Trophy – Bethan Townsend

Lauder Memorial Trophy – Innis Taylor

Harry Valentine Memorial Trophy  for Citizenship – Alasdair MacDonald (S4)

Neil Wilkie Memorial Trophy for Service to the School – Holly Morrison

Junior School Trophy for Service & Achievement – Sara Johnston

John MacGillivray Gaelic Trophy – Kenneth MacKenzie (S6)

June Davis Miller Award for Art – Charlie Bulmer

MacKenzie Targe for Creative Writing – Alfie Gudgeon

Doctor Hunter Cup for Piping – Fraser Wotherspoon

Lauder prize for Music – Freya Baptist

Albert Roux Languages Cup – Jamie MacLean

Sheona MacDonald Memorial Quaich – Max Conway

Library Trophy – Jasmine Brown

Mathematics Achievement Trophy – Freya Baptist

Science Achievement Trophy – Alfie Gudgeon

Social Subjects Achievement Trophy – Lucas Jackson

Drama Service Trophy – Carys Townsend

Clan MacKenzie Golf Trophy – Joseph Smith

Football Player of the Year – David MacGregor

Basketball Player of the Year – Sara Johnston & Referdinand Balanquit

Cross-country medals – (junior) Emma MacDonald & David MacGregor, Iain Nelson, Evan McPhail; (senior) Sofie Banister & Jordan Gorman

Widdows Shield for Swimming – Alasdair MacDonald (S4)

Click here for the names of the Athletics champions previously published.

Senior Athletic champions Connor Moore and Laura Russell

All S1 were presented with John Muir Awards achieved as part of their SMART Course.  A number of pupils from S1- S4 were awarded certificates of Personal Achievement.

Several pupils were also awarded certificates of perfect attendance:

Matthew Mackenzie – for the second year running

Morven MacLean

Lewis Brady

Anna Cameron – for the second year running

Referdinand Balanquit

Joseph Smith – also for the second year running.

Maths Challenge certificates

At Junior level: Best in School and a silver certificate goes to Harry Dalzell

At Intermediate level: Best in School and a bronze certificate is awarded to Mark McLean

At Senior level: Best in School and a bronze certificate is awarded to Bruce Wiseman

House Credits – All the different competitions that take place during the school year contribute credits towards the House Championship. However a significant proportion of the total credits are earned for their houses by individual pupils throughout the year.

This year, we have a brand new trophy for the pupil who wins the most credits, the Credit Quaich. In joint third place, with 29 credits each were Nadia Fenton for Tollaidh and Sara Johnston for Maree. In second place, with 30 credits is Iain Nelson, also Maree. Just one credit ahead, with 31 credits, the first winner of the Credit Quaich is Eilidh MacDonald of Kerry.
The pupils with the most credits in each year were in S1, Nadia Fenton, in S2 Scarlet Pickering, in S3 Eilidh MacDonald, in S4 Eilidh Johnston, in S5 Charlotte Kelman and in S6 Holly Morrison, so congratulations to all of them.

House Shield – The winning house gained 411 points, the second placed house 372 points and third place was 327 points. The winners of the House competition 2014-2015 are Maree.

During Prizegiving the new senior prefects were announced and presented with their badges. Details are available here.

In the Headteacher’s speech, Mr Port mentioned and thanked those staff that have either retired this year or are moving to new jobs. Mrs MacLeod, Ms Leitch, Mrs Newman, Mrs Campbell, Ms Mackison, Mr Avenel and Mr Johnston. All will be missed. Mr Port also welcomed new staff Miss Smith (Geography) and Dr Brindle (English). The appointment of a biology teacher is currently underway.

Mr Port once again gave his thanks to all the school staff for their unstinting dedication to the pupils and the work of the school. Ms Mackison was presented with flowers as thanks for presenting the prizes and Dr Caley also received flowers in thanks for organising the event.  All photos were taken by Miss Hunter.

A large number of photos of award winners can be seen here on the website.

You can watch the 5min slide presentation review of the year on Facebook by clicking here.

The Youth and Philanthropy Initiative encourages school pupils to find out about social issues affecting people in their local community and about the charities who are supporting those people.  Having done this, pupils (in groups) create presentations about one of these charities.  The presentations are judged and the best wins £3000 for their charity.

Following the Charities Fayre in May, six groups of S3 pupils have been busy preparing presentations on their six chosen charities – Befrienders Highland, Highland Hospice, Gairloch Community Car Scheme, Gairloch and Loch Ewe Action Forum, Ross-shire Women’s Aid and CLIC Sargent.  With £3000 at stake, their presentations had to meet strict judging criteria as well as being interesting, thought provoking, creative and involving all team members.

On Wednesday 1st July, Ann Sim from YPI met our six judges who included school staff, pupils and members of the local community, to brief them on the judging process.  S3 pupils then gave their presentations to an audience of staff and pupils and the judges.  While the judges deliberated, C for Craic kept everyone entertained.

It proved to be difficult decision but the group representing the Gairloch Community Car Scheme (Connor Forbes, Cameron Tallach, Gregor Vickerstaff, Carla Watson and Breah Stephen) were judged to have given the best presentation and were given a £3000 cheque by Bruce Alexander representing SSE (who are co-sponsors of the YPI in Scotland).  The group then presented the cheque to a delighted Christine MacIver!

Click on the photo for more images from the event

YPI grants over one million pounds to social service charities each year, 100% determined by thousands of secondary school pupils who have been informed and empowered through this multi-award-winning philanthropy project.  Gairloch High are very pleased to now be involved in this scheme.

Details of the awards and certificates presented at Prizegiving this year are available on the website along with a large number of photos.  Click here.

At the ceremony held in the school on Monday 29^th June C for Craic and Gairloch & District Pipe Band provided the music. We were also pleased to have the blessing of Reverend Dan Paterson, the newly appointed minister of Poolewe and Aultbea Free Church.

In the Headteacher’s speech, Mr Port mentioned and thanked those staff that have either retired this year or are moving to new jobs. Mrs MacLeod, Ms Leitch, Mrs Newman, Mrs Campbell, Ms Mackison, Mr Avenel and Mr Johnston. All will be missed. Mr Port also welcomed new staff Miss Smith (Geography) and Dr Brindle (English). The appointment of a biology teacher is currently underway. Mr Port once again gave his thanks to all the school staff for their unstinting dedication to the pupils and the work of the school. Ms Mackison was presented with flowers as thanks for presenting the prizes and Dr Caley also received flowers in thanks for organising the event.

During Prizegiving the new senior prefects were announced and presented with their badges. For 2015/2016 the Head Boy is Joseph Smith and Head Girl is Freya Baptist. Depute HB – Referdinand Balanquit, Depute HG – Charlotte Kelman. House Prefects were also announced and the full list is available here on the school website.

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award GOLD – This year we have reported that three S6 pupils Sofie Banister, Innis Taylor, Siobhan Vickerstaff and former pupil Róisín Somers are receiving their Gold Award. We can now add Luke Gorman, former Head Boy, to the list. Luke is currently studying at the University of Stirling. Well-done Luke!  You can see photos from Holyrood here.

Success in local Mod – C for Craic won the Fiddle Group competition at the Inverness Provincial Mod on Friday 19^th June.   Sandi MacLean won the 13-16 years Traditional Gaelic singing competition and also retained the Jessie Cameron Memorial Trophy for the second year in a row. Her performance was described as outstanding. Alasdair MacDonald won the 13-18 Accordion Competition and Sara Johnston was third in the Secondary Fiddle Solo competition. We have a very strong and able group of musical pupils at the moment and they continue to improve with the ongoing support of their tutors. Well done to all our winners!

Youth and Philanthropy Initiative – The group representing the Gairloch Community Car Scheme (Connor Forbes, Cameron Tallach, Gregor Vickerstaff, Carla Watson and Breah Stephen) were judged to have given the best presentation and were given a £3000 cheque by Bruce Alexander representing SSE (who are co-sponsors of the YPI in Scotland). The group then presented the cheque to a delighted Christine MacIver!  You can read more and see photos here on the website.

Water Week 2015 – S1 have spent the last several weeks in World Class learning about what it means to be water vulnerable. They’ve looked at the causes of having little, or unsafe, water and how it can affect daily lives. To reinforce this message, each group had to carry the amount of water they would usually use in one day (varied from 80-140L) around the 200m track. You can read more and see some photos from the event by clicking on the photo below.Drawing Competition – S3 pupils were asked to draw a toothbrush and toothpaste for homework. Local dentist Dawn Pickering chose the winners: 1^st – Roddie Wyatt, 2^nd – Arlene Morrison and 3^rd – Scarlet Pickering. The Dental Practice gave the winner an electric toothbrush and will display all of the drawings in the waiting area. Well done to the 3 finalists.

Hannah’s Hair – Hannah Wood, S3, has been growing her hair for a while now with the intention of donating it to the Little Princess Trust. This is a charity that makes and supplies real hair wigs to children who have lost their own hair due to cancer treatment. The average cost to the charity is around £350 to make a wig. Hannah had 15inches of hair cut off recently and has managed to raise £500 (and counting). Well-done to Hannah! You can find a link here on the school website to Hannah’s JustGiving page and perhaps make a donation.

End of Term Football – The annual tournament took place on the last day of term with the vast majority of pupils taking part. Click here to read about the event and see photos of each of the teams.

Important Dates – More details on the school website here.

• 17^th August 2015 teachers only INSET
• 18^th August 2015 Pupils return
• 7^th / 8^th Sept – NEW DATE for Bronze Expedition

Pupils in S4,5 and 6 received their exam results in the post onTuesday 5th August 2015.  A tense time for parents and pupils will for the most part be followed by relief.  Gairloch pupils have again achieved success above Highland and national averages.

In S4 all pupils have achieved awards in Maths and English as well as other subjects providing them with a sound base for future learning.  Several departments produced good results overall including English, French, Gaelic (learners and fluent), German, Maths, Modern Studies and Music.  S4 pupil Anna Cameron achieved an A grade in each of her 8 subjects.

In S5 half of the year group achieved at least 3 passes at Higher Grade with three pupils achieving 5.  One pupil achieved A in all five.  Results in Biology, Chemistry and Gaelic were particularly strong with a good number of A passes in Higher English and Maths.

This year we had notable success for several pupils in new vocational courses related to Travel & Tourism, Rural Skills and ASDAN.  These awards provide a broader range of qualification to all of our pupils giving business experience as well as academic training.

Gairloch High expects any pupil considering Higher Education to attempt Advanced Higher courses in S6.  One third of the pupils in S6 achieved success in these university level courses.    Several pupils passed two Advanced Higher courses and Sofie Banister achieved an A passes in each of her three AH subjects:  Biology, Chemistry and Art.  This year we have, once again, several pupils heading to University to study a wide range of subjects ranging from Engineering through the sciences to Classical History.

60% of S6 pupils were also sitting Highers following on from studies in previous years.  Two thirds of the year group achieved 3 or more additional Highers in S6.  This reflects an increasing trend in S6 of pupils broadening study and improving their award levels prior to seeking work or pursuing further or higher education.  Subjects showing particular success at this level were Biology, Chemistry and Gaelic.

Mr Port congratulates all pupils and thanked the staff whose hard work has supported such good results.  “While it is always the case that some pupils might be disappointed with some of their results it seems that overall Gairloch pupils have again had a successful year.  And some pupils have done very well attaining the qualifications required to gain access to their chosen University or career.

As always we will analyse the results in depth and look at how we can continue to provide the best support and encouragement for pupils as they make their way through the national exam system.”

New Staff – Miss Smith (Geography), Dr Brindle (English) and Dr Close (Biology) took up post this week as full time members of staff. Miss Smith is well known from her work last year. Dr Brindle has been teaching English at Dornoch Academy for the last few years. She has a PhD in Literature and has additional experience in Drama, SfL and Pupil Support. Dr Close is an experienced teacher with a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology. He has moved from St John’s RC High School in Dundee. Dr Close is also a qualified supervisor and assessor for Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions and a keen outdoor enthusiast. We are fortunate to welcome these three capable teachers and look forward to benefitting from their professional contribution to the school.

Exam Results – Pupils in S4, S5 and S6 received their exam results in the post on Tuesday 5^th August 2015.  Gairloch pupils have again achieved success above Highland and national averages.  The report published in the Gairloch Times was previously added to the website and can be seen here.

Gold DofE at Holyrood – At the beginning of July three of our S6 leavers travelled to Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh with families to receive their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards. The names of our three Gold Award recipients, Sofie Banister, Innis Taylor and Siobhan Vickerstaff, have been added to the Honours board in the Multi-Purpose Hall in school along with former pupils Róisín Somers and Luke Gorman, both of who have also been successful in achieving the Gold award this summer.

Click on the photo to see another from the day

Silver Kayaking expedition – During the summer holiday Eilidh Johnston, Fraser Wotherspoon, James Aaron and Jack McCruden planned to travel the length of Loch Shiel, supervised by Mr Johnston, then onto the sea at Loch Moidart. The weather has no respect for route cards, however, and the group had to deal with a full gale on the middle day. They took the sensible decision to sit out the storm and spent the day practising their bushcraft skills. The expedition assessor, Dr Close and also our new Biology teacher, was more than happy with the group’s decision-making and teamwork. All have passed.

Click on the photo to see more from the training expedition on Loch Maree

Maths Challenge certificates – The following certificates were issued to pupils at the end of last term:

At Junior level: Best in School and a silver certificate was awarded to Harry Dalzell (S1). Amy Tattersall and Morven MacLean (both S2) were joint second and received silver certificates and Best in Year. Kai Pickering and Scarlet Pickering (both S2) received bronze certificates.

At Intermediate level: Best in School and a bronze certificate was awarded to Mark McLean (S4).

At Senior level: Best in School and a bronze certificate was awarded to Bruce Wiseman.

Gaelic Writing Competition – Certificates were issued to Craig Collins, Amy Gudgeon & Cameron MacLennan at the end of last term for success in a national competition.

First Aid Certificates – S3 pupils were awarded their certificates for Emergency First Aid at final assembly last term.   They took part in of a one-day training course delivered in May by local trainer Corey Jones (Outdoor First Aid Ltd). Mr Bowker Dr Caley, Mr Hulme, Miss Smith and Mrs Downie were also presented with their certificates.

Important Dates – More details on the school website here.

• 21^st Aug – 1^st Sept – Malawi visitors
• 24^th – 28^th August – Gold DofE Expedition
• 29^th August – Community Ceilidh for our Malawi guests
• 7^th / 8^th Sept –Bronze DofE Expedition Assessment

Visitors from Malawi – The school is hosting 6 visitors from our partner school in Malawi. The group is led by Mr Winnex Chimtali, the Headteacher of Mlozi School, who people may remember from his visit to Gairloch in August 2010. This time, he is accompanied by his colleague, Mr Paul Banda, and by four of their pupils: Samson, Abdurashid, Ida and Ayisha. The boys are both 16; the girls are 13 and 12 respectively. They arrived in Gairloch on Thursday 20^th August and their last day here will be Tuesday 1^st September. This very exciting visit is a follow-up to the first visit by pupils from Gairloch to Mlozi School in October 2013. It is being funded partly by money raised at that time in the hope of a return visit, partly by money raised since then and partly by a British Council Connecting Classrooms grant secured by Mr Hulme. We are very grateful for all in the community who have supported our fund-raising events over the years to make these visits possible. Over the summer holiday, visits to Malawi by Mr and Mrs Johnston, Mr Hulme and Bethan Townsend have helped to prepare the youngsters for their arrival in Scotland. Whilst they are here, our visitors will be working alongside pupils in the High School and Primaries to learn more about life in Scotland and for our pupils and staff to learn more about Malawi. They will also be out and about seeing more of our beautiful area and getting involved in community events and activities where possible. On Saturday 29^th August, we will be having a ceilidh in Gairloch Community Hall so that everyone has a chance to meet our visitors, so please come along.

Mr Port and Mr Chimtali, Oct 2013, meeting with the District Education Advisor at Mlozi School. Initial discussions for the current visit began at this time

Malawi Visit – We started back with some additional staff and pupils in the school. Our visitors from Malawi arrived on Friday 21^st August, and by the time you read this they will have already returned to Malawi. During the period of their visit, Mr Chimtali, Mr Banda and pupils Ayisha, Aida, Samson and Abdurashid worked with our staff and pupils (both former and current) in the High School and also in the local Primaries of Gairloch, Poolewe, Bualnaluib and Kinlochewe.

A selection of the activities are mentioned below but if anyone wishes they can visit the school website and see many more photos along with additional details.

We started with Assembly that had music from the Pipe Band and C for Craic, singing by Sandi MacLean and Highland Dancing by Mrs Browne’s pupils and included a welcome in English by Mr Port and one in Chichewa by Mr Hulme. There followed a roller coaster of activities in school and across the community. The visitors took part in lessons in Art, Music, Design and Manufacture, S1 SMART, Science, PE, Hospitality, Maths and English.

Here is what Evan and Connor (S4) had to say: On Wednesday and Friday, the members of Mlozi School visited our Design & Manufacture class.  We decided to make bird boxes with 4 students from Malawi. We all used different machines and tools, like a saw, sanding machine, pillar drill and hand drill.  Each of us was given a set of plans to work from.  They picked up new skills and learned them very well.  We enjoyed working with the students of Mlozi and we hope they enjoyed it and learned something new. (Evan McPhail & Connor Forbes)

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.jsThey also went to Inverness with a number of the former pupils who visited Malawi in 2013. Our guests were interviewed on the radio, visited the museum and the Den and went canoeing with the Scouts. They visited the swimming pool and the market in Poolewe as well as the Duck Race. Some visited the Gairloch Show and attended local church services. //embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

It has been a great opportunity for our pupils to meet and work with children from a different culture and find out the things they have in common. We will all now have to consider what we have learned from the visit and decide the next steps for our successful Partnership.

On Saturday 29^th August we held a Ceilidh in the Community Hall.  Earlier in the day Mr Chimtali and the group were guests of Ross County football club. Mlozi football and netball teams play in Ross County colours and the club generously invited the six visitors along with some of our pupils to watch the match against Dundee Utd. It was a great trip with the group getting taken onto the pitch for a photo-shoot. And to top it all – Ross County won!

By 7pm people started to gather in the Community Hall for a very special evening of dance and music. The hall was comfortably full of adults and children and the Gairloch and District Pipe Band got the proceedings off to a grand start. C for Craic played and the Highland Dancers danced. The Malawian pupils also gave two displays of dance and performances were linked by lots of highland dances with music provided by Miss Hunter, Campbell Elder and Sid Garrioch. The Parent Council organised the refreshments and there was a raffle. Although the purpose of the evening was sociable the donations amounted to £725 and this will go towards keeping the Partnership alive.
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Thanks to everyone in the community who supported us during this visit. Mr Chimtali and his colleague Mr Banda have commented several times on the high level of hospitality and friendliness shown towards them.

DofE Success – Eilidh Johnston has successfully completed her Silver Award. Well-done Eilidh!

Miss MacAllister and Mr Sutherland led a Gold training expedition for five pupils (Freya Baptist, Deborah Connop, Eilidh Johnston, Calum Nelson and Joseph Smith. The four-day expedition took place during a very unsettled weather period with lots of rain and two days of misery brought about by hordes of midges. The pupils survived and picked up the necessary skills required to achieve successful assessment at Gold level expedition. The group were in the hills north of Black Bridge and had the opportunity to visit the infamous church at Croick where the names of cleared families can still be seen etched in the glass windows.  There will be a report by S6 Head Boy Joe Smith in the next issue.

Important Dates – Check out the school website or phone the school if you require information about events.

Comenius evening – On the evening of Monday 31^st August the Comenius club put on a final display of the trips they’d been on to the seven different countries. Playing throughout in the background we had a slideshow of photos taken during the week when the pupils and teachers from the seven other countries visited Scotland. Thank you to all those who came along and who made this a successful evening. Also to Kirsty Thistlethwaite for providing teas, coffees and cake.

Project Trust Honduras Fund Raising – S6 Prefect Nikki Goldby has raised over £740 in support of fellow pupil, Calum Nelson. Calum has been selected by Project Trust to spend a year in Honduras after he leaves school and he has been raising funds to support this venture. Nikki decided to help with a sponsored haircut. Last month she had 10 inches (25.4cm) cut off and collected over £740 to help Calum on his way. She also donated her hair to The Little Princess Trust. Nikki would like to thank everyone who made a donation. A very generous gesture so well done Nikki!

S6 Prefect Nikki Goldby – photo by Ashleigh Elder

University visit – A group of senior pupils visited the Open Day at University of Glasgow recently. Organised by Mr Milner and accompanied by Miss Smith it is the intention of trips like to inform pupils about the possibility of Higher Education. Pupils are encouraged to consider carefully both the academic and social aspects of leaving home to study no matter what institution they gain entry after leaving school.

Gold Duke of Edinburgh Practice Expedition – On Monday 24^th August, Eilidh Johnston (S5), Joseph Smith, Freya Baptist, Calum Nelson and Deborah Connop (S6) set out to the East Coast of Scotland to begin their 4 day hike towards the West. Andy Bowker kindly gave us all a lift to a small village called Croick, where we would begin our hike supervised by Mr Sutherland and Miss MacAllister. Heavy on our backs, our near to bursting rucksacks would be clamping on to us until Thursday afternoon! Croick was an interesting place, which included a historic church that had old messages, dates, and names scratched onto the glass during the highland clearances. Our first camp site was near Alladale Wilnerness Lodge. Here we had a chance to lighten up our bags by eating lots of food, but unfortunately, as always, the midges decided that things were going too easily for us. Out of nowhere, they swarmed over us and made anything hugely difficulty. Freya had no midge net, which was remarkable considering they were, as we all agreed, the worst we had ever experienced. The insects set the tone for the following day, when we walked to Deanich Lodge. A lovely building that stood out from the towering hills surrounding it. We hiked towards it and saw our teachers talking to men inside of a vehicle. We were told that this was a Bear Grylls survival location, which was being used by adventurous people from across the world to do all kinds of challenges. We felt quite pathetic having heard what some of these people had just done while we complained about how awful the midges were! But they were so very, very annoying! At Deanich Lodge we camped 2 nights, completing a small circuit around the area, and had a fantastic break from the midges so we actually got to eat and breathe normally for a while. Wind and rain was very welcome at this point. Calum and I, on the final morning, were praying not to wake up and look out of the tents window to see a billion black dots buzzing ready for us. Fortunately we were… fortunate, as there was a slight lifesaving breeze to keep them at bay. We were able to have bacon in peace for once. Eating as much as we could before the final leg. We packed up our tents, and walked towards Black Bridge, using our escape route due to bad weather on our planned exit route. Again, Andy drove all the way to pick us up and take us back to Gairloch, where there was a sure guarantee of a sea breeze. We all enjoyed the expedition, and didn’t feel too knackered. We all know our Qualifier will be much more demanding in both distance and location, but we are looking forward to making it as memorable as this one! Joseph Smith, S6

S4/5 trip to the Scottish Parliament – A group of S4/5 pupils along with two teachers travelled to Edinburgh to visit the Parliament on the 2^nd and 3^rd of September. During the visit to Parliament they sat and listened to the First Ministers Question Time. Some of the topics discussed included the police force, GPs in rural areas and the refugee crisis. After lunch they got a talk about the Scottish Parliament and then spoke to two MSPs, Rob Gibson (SNP) and Mary Scanlon (Conservative) who represent our local constituency. The pupils asked them questions about broadband speed and wind turbines in the Highlands as well as the refugee crisis.  They got different views on these issues from the MSPs. The pupils learnt a lot from the trip and had a very enjoyable time. Caitlin Mitchell and Carys Townsend Apparently the group had been flagged up on Twitter before they even left the building. //embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.jsBronze Duke of Edinburgh Assessment Expedition – On 7^th & 8^th September 4 groups of pupils were out in very ‘midgie’ weather being assessed on the expedition part of their Bronze Award. In spite of conditions all groups passed the assessment. The groups travelled between Dundonnell and the A832 via Achneigie and Loch a Bhraoin. You can view some photos, including route maps, on the school website.

Click on the photo to see more from the expedition – including route maps

Important Dates – Check out the website or phone the school if you require information about events.

• 21^st Sept – S2 monitoring reports issued to parents
• 24^th/25^th Sept – INSET Day – Staff only
• 5th Oct – S4 Work Experience Week begins and S3 monitoring reports issued to paren

21^st Anniversary of Gairloch High ‘New Building’ – On Wednesday 30^th September pupils and staff celebrated a special day. Assembly and cake for all to recognise twenty-one years since the official opening of the current building. There were also a few balloons! It is our intention to organise a special open-day later in the term and invite everyone in to see what the school currently offers. A lot has happened in 21 years!

Kayaking – Rural Skills and Activity Tourism pupils in S5/6 enjoyed a day kayaking with Conor Brown on Wednesday the 16^th of September. The day started with us meeting Conor at Shieldaig Lodge car park in the morning, we then helped with unloading the kayaks and canoes and had a briefing on how to use the kayaks and canoes safely.

We spilt into two groups and decided which group would be in the canoes and the other group went in the kayaks. Once we got onto the water Mrs Johnston took the kayakers off to do some skills and Conor did some different strokes and skills with the canoeists. Then we all met up again and played a game which tested all the skills. The first person to capsize that day was Joe soon followed by Kenneth. During the game Joe capsized twice. After the game we went on a short journey to Horrisdale Island, where we had lunch.

After lunch we swapped the boats, then set off back to Shieldaig Bay. Not long after leaving Joe and Kenneth managed to capsize one of the canoes, this was the first of many capsizes for the two of them. Once we got back Shieldaig Bay we all rafted up. We were then set the challenge of standing up in our boats and jumping. No one fell in doing this although it would have been easier for the people in the canoes as they are bigger and more stable than kayaks. For the next game we had to swap boats with someone. A lot of people fell in and the boats filled with a lot of water! We bailed out and headed back to shore. The final capsizes of the day occurred when Joe and Kenneth capsized again. Then Syd and Lewis C also went in – but for their first time through out the entire day.
Click on the photo above to see more photos

Thanks to Mrs Johnston and Mr Milner for organising this and also to Conor for working with us – Text by Eilidh Johnston  

These activities support a range of outcomes for the development of our pupils. Health and wellbeing is encouraged, team work developed and the group benefited from specialist expertise and training. The pupils engage in decision making that relies on building experience and considering health and safety and the assessment of risk.

Trip to Inverness College – On Tuesday 22^nd September pupils in the Activity Tourism and Rural Skills classes were accompanied by Mr Milner and Mrs Johnston on a trip to the new campus at Inverness College. They were met by Roz Thomas and Steven Rattray from Create – the Highlands and Islands Centre for Enterprise and Innovation. “We were given a tour of the new college building which we all agreed is a very impressive place. We met a few former pupils there who are all enjoying their courses and college life.” Our pupils have been busy over the last few weeks developing Activity Tourism – related business ideas as part of their course. Create run an annual Business Ideas Competition and the aim of this trip was for pupils to learn more about the competition and to prepare their entries for it. Should their ideas be shortlisted in the competition, the pupils will have to face a panel of judges in a Dragon’s Den style final presentation. To help them prepare for this, they took part in a workshop called ‘Presenting for Success’. Individually the pupils prepared and delivered a short presentation about 4 or 5 highlights from the last five years of their lives. They then worked in groups to establish what made a ‘Magic’ presentation and what made ‘Tragic’ one! The workshop gave them all useful pointers for future situations where they may have to present to an audience.

Travelling Gallery – Gairloch High School were very lucky to have the Travelling Gallery visit again on Wednesday 16^th September. An Exhibition called ‘Eyes on the Prize’ showing work from a selection of Scottish artists who have been past Turner Prize winners and nominees was seen by S1-S6 pupils, as well as primary school pupils. This Exhibition celebrates the first ever Turner Prize being hosted in Scotland at Tramway in Glasgow from the beginning of October – mid January. The Travelling Gallery Staff were extremely helpful in explaining the work to the pupils. The Curator, Alison Chisholm is a former Gairloch High School pupil. This was an exciting opportunity for our pupils to view contemporary art and we hope to have the bus visit us again next year. Click on the photo above to see more  photos

Scottish Schools’ Indoor Rowing League – Results for Round 1 of the Autumn League were announced last week. Gairloch High pupils are once again performing very well in this national competition. Every pupil who takes part is awarded a point and additional points are gained by pupils who finish in the top 5 positions for their year group. 897 pupils from 16 secondary schools took part. 74 pupils from Gairloch (more than half of the school) competed and 7 pupils gained extra points – S1 Lucy Hildrey (4^th), S3 Scarlet Pickering (2^nd) and Amber Drummond (4^th), S4 Sara Johnston (1^st), S5 Eilidh Johnston (3^rd), S6 Syd Tippett (1^st) and James Aaron (5^th). This gave us a total of 96 points and puts us in 4^th place overall. Congratulations to all who took part! Pupils hoping to make the team for the Scottish Schools Championships in Glasgow in November are currently training every Tuesday after school.

Young Ambassadors – Eilidh MacDonald & Iain Nelson have been selected for the sportscotland Young Ambassador programme for the Gairloch Area and will join existing ambassador Sara Johnston. Young Ambassadors is a programme for pupils in school between the ages of 14 and 17.  Their role is to motivate and inspire other young people from primary and secondary schools across Scotland to get involved in sport.  Written applications were invited from pupils which included a piece on why they would be good in the role and any previous experience they had in sport and working with others.  Applications were then short-listed and interviewed by Mrs Hildrey & Active School Coordinator, Fiona Downie.  Successful applicants Iain & Eilidh will now attend the annual YA conference in Inverness where they will take workshops & planning sessions, meeting some of the Olympic & Commonwealth athletes taking part in the day.

Highland Small Schools’ Football Tournament (North) – There has been after school football every Thursday for boys and girls this term. Numbers have been excellent and it’s been good to have girls attending this year.

We were able to enter four teams in the Highland Small Schools’ tournament, a seven aside competition for schools within the council area that have less than 250 pupils. Teams play two sets of fixtures with the two best-placed teams going on to face the best teams from the southern Highland small schools in the semi-finals. The S1 Boys’ and Senior Boys’ teams travelled to Ullapool on Saturday 19/9/15. The S1 team beat their Ullapool counterparts 5-0 in both games. The Senior Boys’ team were less successful but still have a chance of qualifying for the semi-final stage. Both teams will complete their fixtures in Dornoch on Saturday 3/10/15.

The S2-3 Boys’ and the S1-3 Girls’ team played their first set of fixtures in Dornoch on Wednesday 23/9/15. The S2-3 Boys’ team played six games; winning three, drawing one and losing two games. The S1-3 Girls’ team won one and lost two. Both teams will complete their qualifying fixtures in Ullapool on 29/9/15. Both teams have all to play for in terms of qualifying for the semi-finals. Members of staff who travelled with and coached the teams were been very impressed with their attitudes on and off the park.

The Poolewe Mod and the National Mod – A very good number of our pupils took part in the Local Mod on Friday the 18^th of September, a beautiful late summer’s day. The competitions proved to be very competitive with a lot of pupils travelling from Inverness and Dingwall, some of whom were preparing for the National Mod in Oban. Several of our own pupils will be taking part in the National Mod (10^th to 15^th of October) and we wish them well in their final preparation and in the competitions themselves. Gu math a thèid dhuibh anns an Oban!

Click on the photo above to see more  photos

Gairloch High pupils had a successful day at the Poolewe Mod and we understand that the results will be published in this issue of GDT. We would like to thank the Mod Committee for providing singing tuition in the High School. We were very fortunate to have Eilidh MacKenzie (a well-known Gaelic singer and Mod Gold medalist) working with some of our pupils: her tuition was very much appreciated and the results of her hard work were clear to all who heard the pupils sing.

Important Dates – Check out the website or phone the school if you require information about events.

• 5^th October – S4 Work Experience Week begins and S3 monitoring reports issued to parents
• 9^th October school closes at 3.30pm for October break
• School reopens for all on Monday 26^th

National Mod – We are aware of five pupils who are expected to take part in the National Mod in Oban. and we wish them the best of luck next week.  Prior to the main gathering four of our pupils have picked up top awards in Literature Competitions. Three first prizes and a second prize for work presented in advance.

Secondary Radio Programme

1. Eòin Cumming – an interview with John Alec MacRae – discussing the changes in Sand, Laide in the years between John Alec’s youth and Eoin’s.
2. ‘Gairloch High’ (Cameron MacLennan / Amy Gudgeon / Iain Tallach) – a news programme including reports on the General Election, IS, Nepal and sport

Secondary DVD Production

1. Eòin Cumming – a cycle along the Great Glen Way with information about various features along the way (eg the Caledonian Canal)

Literature (11/12 Years)

1. Eòin Cumming – short-story which can be read on the website here.

We will report on any further success but it is gratifying, as always, to see local talent recognised at a national level.  Well done to each of the pupils mentioned above.

Retirement – Mrs Rhona Rollo started working in the school in August 1983 and has, after 32 years, finally decided it is the right time to move on from her current post of Admin Assistant to the Headteacher. It is difficult for us to imagine the life of the school without Rhona. She has been a valuable and crucial part of the team. The staff and pupils wish Rhona all the very best and hope that released from the restrictions of work that she will enjoy a long and healthy ‘retirement’.

National Mod – We are aware of five pupils who are expected to have been taking part in the National Mod in Oban. Prior to the main gathering four of our pupils have picked up top awards in Literature Competitions. Three first prizes and a second prize for work presented in advance.

Secondary Radio Programme – First: Eòin Cumming – an interview with John Alec MacRae – discussing the changes in Sand, Laide in the years between John Alec’s youth and Eoin’s.

Second: ‘Gairloch High’ (Cameron MacLennan / Amy Gudgeon / Iain Tallach) – a news programme including reports on the General Election, IS, Nepal and sport

Secondary DVD Production – First: Eòin Cumming – a cycle along the Great Glen Way with information about various features along the way (eg the Caledonian Canal)

Literature (11/12 Years) – First: Eòin Cumming – short-story (which is available to read on the school website)

Well done to the four successful pupils. We will report on any further success in next issue but it is gratifying, as always, to see local talent recognised at a national level.

Senior Football – Gairloch senior boys went to Dornoch for the second leg of the Small Schools League football competition. Gairloch played very well and were a strong team throughout the competition. Gairloch just couldn’t finish the shots on goal though. Max Conway had a solid game in goals and conceded no goals. The other teams that were in the competition were Kinlochbervie, Dornoch, Ullapool A team, Ullapool B team and Farr. Gairloch drew 0-0 against Kinlochbervie, Dornoch and Ullapool A team. Gairloch won 4-0 against Farr and the goal scorers in that game were Kenneth MacKenzie, 2 goals, Mark Warren, 1 goal and David Macgregor, 1 goal. Gairloch won 3-0 against Ullapool B team and the goal scorers in that game were Calum Nelson, 1 goal, David Macgregor,1 goal and Lewis Campbell, 1 goal. Gairloch were unlucky in the first half of the competition in Ullapool but defiantly fought back in the second half of the competition. One thing that helped Gairloch throughout their games was that we had substitute players so everyone got a game and a rest. Gairloch don’t argue either unlike some of the teams, which helps! Overall Gairloch did extremely well we should be proud for how we played in Dornoch. Lewis Campbell S5

The Senior Boys will not progress however the S1 boys are through to the next round.  Two other teams including the girls have still to play their second round of games. Sports Ambassadors – Last issue we reported that Eilidh MacDonald & Iain Nelson have been selected for the sportscotland Young Ambassador programme for the Gairloch Area and will join existing ambassador Sara Johnston. Since then they have attended a conference, got the T-shirts and met some inspiring Commonwealth Champions.  Click on the photo to see more photos.

S4 Work Experience – In the week beginning 5^th October most of our S4 pupils were out on Work Experience. Some of the pupils work locally with builders, shops, primary and nursery schools and estates. We are very grateful for the support of every employer who works with us give pupils this valuable opportunity. In school we thank Mrs Flora MacKenzie and Mr Milner. Without their hard work this week would not happen as many pupils underestimate the effort required to organise a placement.

Jeans for Genes – A charity that aims to improve the lives of children with genetic disorders, care for their families and invest in research. Pupils (and staff) had the opportunity to wear their jeans and trainers to school in return for a contribution towards this worthwhile cause. A total of £230 was raised this year.

BBC Ten Pieces – S3 Music pupils, with Miss Hunter, travelled to Inverness on the 7^th of October to see the BBC film “Ten Pieces”.  This is an initiative, by the BBC, to introduce pupils to classical music.  The several showings of the film were well attended by schools (Primary & Secondary) throughout Highland Region. They had the chance to watch first class performances of music ranging from Haydn to 21^st Century DJ Music.  This event will be followed up in Gairloch by classroom activities.  The film was greatly enjoyed by all, and everyone had their own favourite.  Nicola Benedetti’s performance of Vaughan Williams “The Lark Ascending” was particularly memorable.

John Muir Discovery Award – as a result of participation in an Outdoor Learning Residential in the Cairngorm National Park last year, former pupil Connor Moore has been awarded a John Muir Award.  Connor spent five days in the Cairngorms last year and gave a presentation, on his return, to the S1 pupils talking about what he had learned.

Important Dates – Check out the website or phone the school if you require information about events.

• School re-opens for all on Monday 26^th

Blythswood Shoebox Appeal – Please support the pupils and help them fill shoe boxes for Blythswood. Pupils have been issued with leaflets and shoe boxes should be brought to school in the week we return to school.