THERE were spells and wizardry afoot at Buckie High during its annual S1 Spell Slam. The school library played host to the event, which was held to celebrate Harry Potter Book Day. Winning the top prize for working wonders with the wand was Master Spell Caster Courtney Clamp, with Kallum Aitchison and Finlay Wood taking the runner-up slots for their wizardly works. BCHS librarian Stephen Leitch said: “This has been the best year yet for the quality of the poems. “They were all excellent!” All S1s took part in the contest, with invitations being delivered to each class by a balloon representation of Hedwig the owl. From there, a shortlist of five spells from each class was chosen to progress. The 25 finalists were joined by more than 30 staff and supporters in the library to see who would be crowned Master Spell Caster. Contestants took turns to step forward and deliver their spell, in the form of a poem, to the assembled audience. The spell poems proved to be
fantastic, with props such as wizards’ cloaks, witches hats and a cauldron being used to enhance the performances. English teacher Grant Smith was even asked to stand in a frying pan as part of one of them. The poems were awarded points by a judging panel of seven senior pupils and staff for content and performance. After the spells were completed
the judges formed a huddle to dicuss who had performed the best. After some debate, the results were duly handed to Mr Leitch who then shared them with the audience. The event celebrating the life and adventures of arguably the most famous boy wizard in the world are a regular success at the school as S1 youngsters vie for the coveted title of Master Spell Caster.