Island pupils hone their skills at virtual sports
Pupils at Tobermory High School incorporated a lockdown theme into their recent virtual sports day.
As well as digging out their red, green, and yellow t-shirts, representing Ulva, Staffa and Iona Houses, face paints, toilet rolls and wheelie bins were also utilised at this year’s weeklong competition.
PE teacher Miss MacGillivray explained: ‘We didn’t want this year to be any different and we certainly didn’t want COVID to stop us having some fun. The sports day committee put their thinking caps on and decided to run a virtual sports week. Students and staff nominated house captains to lead the way and the preparations began.’
Students signed up for competitive and fun events via Google Classroom, and staff provided instructional videos on how to carry out the events at home. Word quickly spread throughout the communities of Mull and it was not long before streets were lined with green, yellow and red bunting and signs.
Pupils from P7 to S6 participated in a variety of activities, from the more traditional 5k run, triple jump, and long jump, to the inventive and enjoyable binball, sock sling, toilet drop and tin can alley.
‘This brought out the more competitive side of staff, family members, and even pets,’ added Miss MacGillivray.
‘There was also a relay, which involved students creatively putting together six videos of individual students doing a 100m sprint on the spot to produce a team time!’
Students were awarded a house point for every event they participated in, with bonus points for those finishing first, second, and third in each event. Photographs and videos of themselves and their families competing were shared through Google Classroom.
Miss MacGillivray continued: ‘This generated a strong sense of community spirit and togetherness, even though we had to participate virtually and in isolation from one another. The competitiveness between our three houses was still very much in evidence.
‘A huge thank you goes to all of our students and their families who participated in the event, and were such great sports. Thanks, too, to those in the community who showed support in Tobermory and beyond. Finally, thank you to all the staff who made this event possible, and whose contributions were outstanding support and encouragement for our young people.’
Final scores: 1, Ulva 292; Staffa 247; 3, Iona 227.
‘A huge thank you goes to all of our students and their families who participated in the event, and were such great sports’