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Wick High sets new record for Pudsey





French teacher Carole Darmady undergoes the Wick High equivalent of the stocks – but it’s all in a good cause. Picture: Matthew Thain
French teacher Carole Darmady undergoes the Wick High equivalent of the stocks – but it’s all in a good cause. Picture: Matthew Thain

A wide range of activities last week raised £4,501.12, with money still to come.

First up was a baking sale which raised almost £400 over the course of the week. Sixth year pupils and teachers baked confections including cupcakes, cookies, Pudsey cakes and chocolate cakes.

On Wednesday night, the school held its first pudding night. There were more than 60 puddings for people to try and, after a fantastic turnout, very little was left. It proved very popular, with people keen to taste all the wonderful puddings and participate in a quiz.

A silent auction was also held, which had prizes including a Pudsey cake and cinema and restaurant vouchers. The night was a huge success, raising over £700.

Back by popular demand was the “Gunk Dunk” where pupils donated money to see their ‘favourite’ teachers get dunked. Twelve brave teachers volunteered to be victims.

Anne MacBeath, depute rector, was the favourite and raised £77.40. Grant Mackenzie, depute rector and Carole Darmady, a French teacher, were also gunked with a rather suspicious-looking slop. This raised over £250.

S6 set themselves their own challenge to cycle and walk the distance from Wick to London. Pupils cycled from Keiss, Lybster and even Thurso to get to school to help boost the total. Twenty-three pupils left their homes at 6am to ensure that they were at school for 9am. Throughout the day, pupils also used treadmills, exercise bikes and pedometers to reach their target. By the end, pupils had travelled a whopping 836 miles, beating their target distance by more than 300 miles. This massive challenge raised over £1,500.

The highlight of the week was the annual concert held on Friday. The concert took a different format from previous years. There were videos and sketches filmed by S6. Particular high points were the school’s own soap opera West Banks Avenue.

Five brave pupils also made a parody of The Office depicting the members of the school leadership team, with John Coghill giving an outstanding performance as rector Tom McIntyre.

There were also several music videos including Wick High School shuffling; Jamie Bond; and Wick High School’s own version of the Spice Girls, The Nice Girls, who comprised staff members Norma Broad, Jill Gunn, Anna McBride, Lucy Bremner and Carrie Bennett.

The traditional S6 dance contained children’s television characters including Mr Blobby, the Teletubbies, Disney characters, the Chuckle Brothers and the Flintstones. A special mention should go to Scott Taylor, the depute head boy, for his leading role in the Gangnam Style dance.

There were numerous other events throughout the week that helped to raise money. A dodgeball tournament was arranged where S4 to S6 pupils took on teacher teams. The winning team consisted of Scott Taylor, David Dunnet, Christopher Green, Andrew Dunnet, Reece Byrne and Kobe Sutherland. Not happy with winning the tournament, the boys went on to cycle from Thurso to Wick.

School secretary Dawn Budge also raised money by wearing a Celtic football shirt for the day – a great sacrifice for a devoted Rangers fan.

Carrie Bennett, development principal teacher and teacher of history, said: “This year’s S6 did a wonderful job and the school couldn’t be more proud of them. They have been planning and organising the event for the past three months and I was delighted by the level of commitment and enthusiasm they demonstrated.

“They are an asset to the school and should be very proud of all that they have achieved. It was a fantastic day and I am extremely proud of all their efforts.”

Calendars showing the highlights of the day will be on sale in the school for £5. Special thanks must go to Matthew Thain, Chris Boxall, Claymore Dairy, MacDonald’s Bakery, Morag’s, Gail’s Giftbox, Wick Distillery and Thurso Cinema for all their help and support.

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Thurso High S6 take on the attire of some colourful characters.
Thurso High S6 take on the attire of some colourful characters.

This was raised by a dress-down day, sixth-year boys – Brady Rae, Calum Rosie, Alastair Boyd, Ben Leonard, Tom Ross, Liam Forbes, Connor Knox, Connor Youngson, Ross MacKay and TJ Brindle – getting their legs waxed and sixth-year Luke Greenfold getting his head shaved.

Scottish band Cherri Fosphate played in the assembly hall at lunchtime and cakes made by the sixth year were sold at breaks.

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Children performing at the Lybster concert.
Children performing at the Lybster concert.

A wide selection of acts was on offer, including musical instruments, singing, dancing, magic tricks and a martial arts demonstration.

There was also a baking and toy stall while Pudsey wrist bands and Pudsey keyrings were on sale.

Together with the proceeds of a small raffle, a total of £240 was raised for the charity by the event, which was organised by the school’s pupil council.


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