New chapter for youngsters
Youngsters at Blairgowrie High School enjoyed the annual‘Freshers’week’at the Beeches Road school recently.
The popular event took place during the fourth week of the new term and saw first year pupils enjoy a range of group activities designed to help them get to know the school, their peers and teachers.
The activities, which took place both outdoors and in school, were themed around sustainability and global citizenship, with pupils encouraged to think about how they could make small changes to their daily decision-making in order to have a positive impact on the planet and the people around them.
The activities included a full day at the Scottish Outdoor Centre in Meigle, where the sessions focused on teamwork by learning how to communicate effectively and create solutions through fun tasks.
The science department took the pupils out exploring, measuring and digging for the John Muir Award, and in the art department pupils created house banners.
Caroline Lawrie, a Live Active coordinator, created a French scavenger hunt with the help of the languages department and there was also an inter-house litter pick competition.
And the week culminated in a ‘Freshers’ Fair’, where school and community groups showcased all the extra-curricular activities on offer for pupils.
Eleanor Rutherford, acting depute headteacher, said that the school was delighted to have a wide range of community groups at the fair.
She said: “The Rotary Club, community council, Strathmore Centre for Youth Development, Alyth Youth Partnership, the rugby club, the Climate Café and Live Active set up their stalls alongside a host of school clubs and organisations in order to let pupils’ from all years know about all the exciting opportunities on offer to them both in the school and the wider community.
“Pupils enjoying picking up the handouts, entering competitions and taking part in surveys about what they would like to see in their community.
“Exhibitors are now hoping that this enthusiasm will translate into pupils joining up for the clubs and groups on offer.”