Easter Bunny makes a special appearance in Keiss
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Ten-year-old Alexander Mackay helped lift the spirits of people living in Keiss during the lockdown by taking on the role of the Easter Bunny.
The Keiss Primary School pupil was spotted hopping round the village delivering about 40 small eggs to a number of local residents on Easter Sunday.
"I applaud the effort the kids of Keiss are making during this lockdown," Alexander's teacher, Gillian Munro, said.
"The community spirit in Keiss has been exceptional – there is something very special about it."
She explained that the children have been helping elderly people in the village and those that are self-isolating with chores such as walking dogs and putting bins out.
Some of the pupils have also been painting stones and placing them around a number of doorsteps in the village.
"They have pulled out all the stops in Keiss – I think it brings out the best in folk," she said.
"They are pretty exceptional. Kids sometimes get a bad press, and it is just nice I think to say what they are doing – these kids are putting everybody else before themselves."
Miss Munro received her egg personally from Alexander a week before the Easter holidays, on the day all the schools closed due to the coronavirus crisis, along with presents of tulips and daffodils from some of the other pupils.
The P4-7 teacher was also given toilet rolls from one of her class as she had happened to mention she had given all hers away to other people.
Alexander's mum Vicky explained that at Easter her son normally delivered eggs round the three hotels in the Caithness Collection run by his dad, Andrew Mackay.
"We just thought it would be fun if he dressed up and delivered the eggs around the houses," she said.
The family would also usually have a big Easter egg hunt at their home and have raised money for charity in the past.
Alexander said: "I just went to people I knew and friends. Some children got really excited at the windows.
"It was quite different because it was our village instead of people I do not know in the hotels – it was nicer."
As well as delivering the eggs, the P6 pupil, who is also a Highland dancer, found time to dance a Flora Macdonald's Fancy – a video of which can be seen on the Norseman Hotel's Facebook page.
Pointing out that it had been a very difficult time for the children in general, Alexander's teacher said: "The kids have been very positive and very inventive in their online learning. For kids this is really, really challenging but they are trying to keep up people's spirits."
Miss Munro, who lives in Wick, has been busy getting resources ready and uploading a daily timetable for the pupils who are due to get back to their online learning on Tuesday after the Easter holidays.
She explained that Alexander's mother Vicky had sent photographs of him doing his Easter Bunny rounds in Keiss on through Seesaw, an interactive program used in schools allowing parents to access their own child's digital portfolio.
The teacher had asked parents to upload photos and videos of the different ways the pupils were learning while at home using the app.
Alexander is among the pupils looking forward to getting back to their interactive studies.
