Check out OIC's festive season update!
Schools to host
virtual Christmas nativities, carol services and concerts to share with
communities
Orkney schools’
staff are pulling a Christmas cracker this year again to ensure children and
their parents enjoy a host of festive fun events in the run up to the holiday
season.
Given the ongoing high level of community COVID-19 transmission in
Orkney, nativity plays, winter concerts and other traditional in-person school
productions are off-limits again this year. But, far from the Grinch stealing
Christmas, school communities will be making sure no-one misses out.
Here’s a sneaky peak at the kind of festivities the bairns across Orkney
schools and some of the more vulnerable members of our communities will be
enjoying –
Dounby will be
doing a “Live from Bethlehem special radio broadcast” where the pupils will be
reporting live on the events of the Christmas story as they unfold. The special
broadcast will be beamed to families and is an event not to be missed.
They are also
decorating their main road facing windows with Christmas illustrations from
each class – so you can spot part of their festivities as you pass the school.
They are linking
with the local Rotary club to make extra special (but quarantined) festive
hampers for the residents of Smiddybrae and they are linking with the Christmas
goodies deliveries for all of their parishes (Birsay, Harray and Sandwick) to
make sure everyone receives a Christmas card and treat.
Glaitness School are planning some festivities which
take account of thinking of others and the environment. These include a
sustainable door decorating challenge for all classes using recycled materials
such as old wallpaper books. They will also have a reverse advent calendar,
collecting items to put under the Christmas tree in the hall and then donating
these to the local Foodbank.
They will be having “Festive Fridays” when pupils can
wear their Christmas jumpers if they wish.
St Andrews
Christmas celebrations include a school Christmas video, with each class
learning and performing a song with Mrs Jenny Keldie. There will be a range of
Christmas craft activities in each class, class parties and “jumper day”.
Burray and the Hope Schools will have a virtual carol
service in which class performances will be filmed and distributed to parents.
Burray will also have their usual Christmas decorating
event soon, when the staff spend an evening decorating the school ahead of a
surprise reveal the next morning.
Christmas movies will be shown in classes.
Children in the Hope will be making Christmas cards
for Braeburn Court residents.
At Stronsay Junior High School they will be filming
and recording music pieces with different primary and secondary classes to be
shared with parents. They are also going to decorate classrooms and do some
arts and crafts for Christmas within classes. They may also be taking part in
the island’s community-wide advent calendar window display.
Christmas at North Walls Community School will see
pupils working hard to prepare for their digital nativity, “Hey Ewe!”, that
will be shared with parents and the wider community through SeeSaw and digital
media.
Their P7 leaders will plan and deliver a Christmas
Party and P4-7 will attempt to break their longest paper chain record!
Their janitor lights up our school every year for the
children and the wider community and it is the winner of their Save the
Children Christmas Jumper Day, who has the privilege of turning them on. P1-4
are already super excited and can't wait to make their own decorations for
their many Christmas trees, including designing a decoration for a community
tree. This year's design challenge is linked to road safety and the use of
reflective materials.
The bairns at Stromness Primary School will feature in
a Christmas celebration to be shared with parents, and there will be festive
parties and activity afternoons.
Stromness Academy will have a Christmas door
decorating competition (see the photo entries from previous years). Their
traditional carol service will be filmed item by item and put out online this
year, and pupils will get to see it in their registration classes on the last
day of term, as well as participating in a Christmas quiz.
They are also hoping to take a group of pupils to sing
outside Hamnavoe House windows again.
Firth and Evie Nurseries are making decoration kits to
decorate their homes with their parents and carers. In both Firth and Evie
Primary Schools, they are creating Christmas videos which will include a
Christmas Carol sung by each class and an illustration of Christmas from each
class in their choice of media, which remains a surprise!
Shapinsay pupils will be decorating the school and are
practising Christmas songs and music. This will be shared with parents via
video. They will also be playing some Christmas games and at the end of term
making Christingles and learning about them, which will also be shared with
parents. Christingle celebrations are named after the Christingles that are lit
during the ceremony. Christingles are oranges wrapped in red tape, decorated
with dried fruit or sweets, with a candle on the top.
Kirkwall Grammar are already feeling Christmassy with
decorations up and pupils taking part in Christmas tree competitions.
They’re disappointed that the carol service cannot take place in the cathedral
this year, but it will be filmed in school and shared with the community
online. Towards the end of term, they will see the usual Christmas jumper
day, lights switch on, more Christmassy competitions and plenty of performances
broadcasted in the school.
Papdale Primary School are planning to film and share
a nativity with parents, alongside lots of other festive fun activities yet to
be confirmed.
Orphir, Stenness and Flotta will be having their own
internal Christmas celebrations by decorating the schools and having a
selection of Christmas themed activities and crafts. Orphir will be recording a
special “surprise” to be shared with parents/carers and Stenness Community
School will be switching on the lights of their community Christmas tree.
This is just a snapshot of what is happening, all
schools will be enjoying some festive fun and games.
OIC Executive Director of Education, Leisure and
Housing, James Wylie said: “While
guidance permits a range of activities within and across communities, guidance for
schools and nurseries remains more restrictive.
“Over the last ten
days or so we have seen how COVID-19 can interrupt learning as well as disrupt
our school and nursery services. We are keen to keep this to the minimum. As a
result, restrictions on face-to-face meetings and gatherings as part of the
work of the school will remain. Where essential small meetings will take place
and support services will continue as usual. However large scale, or whole
school, concerts and events, as part of the season celebrations, will not be
taking place.
“Many other local
authorities have taken the same stance given the spike in COVID-19 related
absences since the October break. There are pockets of infection in many
communities, and we want to play our part in trying to contain any potential
spread by limiting large in-person gatherings in schools.
“It’s not a
decision that was taken lightly as we realise that there may be some who are
disappointed, but we are very proud of how our school communities are, once
again, stepping up to ensure that no-one will miss out. They will be spreading
all the usual Christmas cheer – it will just be done in the classroom or
virtually. You can see the fantastic array of festive activities that our staff
are arranging to ensure they have a great time ahead of the holidays.
“The safety of everyone must come first. Let’s Step into Christmas and
ensure that the only thing coming to town this year is Santa Claus and not a
further rise in cases of COVID-19.
“We want everyone to have a good time, but remember the virus doesn’t
discriminate, it can target anyone at any time – the last thing any of us want
is for you and those around you to have to self-isolate and miss out on seeing
loved ones over Christmas.”
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