Celebrating Lochyside
LOCHYSIDE RC primary held an open week to mark the closure of the school as staff and pupils prepare to move to the new joint campus with Caol Primary and become St Columba RC.
There were guided tours of the school from June 20-23, along with tea, coffee and home-baking.
The event came to a close on Friday June 24 with a special mass with Bishop McGee and Fr Roddy McAuley, and a celidh in the evening.
There were also further tours on the Friday, as well as photographic displays and other memorabilia on show.
During the ceilidh the pupils and other community members gave all manner of talented traditional Scottish performances.
There was Gaelic singing by Gracie Henderson, Natalie Byrne, Michael O’Meara and Stuart Petrie, as well as by the school’s Gaelic choir.
Primaries five and seven both sang Scottish songs, while primary six played a tune on tin whistles.
Aine O’Rua played the clarsach and Hannah Olah played some flute tunes.
Angus Grant entertained on the fiddle and there were also accordion performances, the Lochaber Pipe Band and some Highland Dancing by JamieLee Laverty.
Speaking about the week’s events, head teacher Violet Smith said: ‘ We organised the open week to give people the opportunity to see round the school before it closes and look at memorabilia of our 52 years.
‘It was really successful and lots of people who came were former pupils, parents and staff. Some of our visitors were here the very first day the school opened.
‘We finished the week with a beautiful mass on Friday morning celebrated by our new Bishop, our parish priest Father Roddy McAuley and our former priest Father Michael MacDonald, and we had a very good turn- out.
‘We then had a ceilidh which was very entertaining, and everyone who performed has or had a connection with the school.’