Second year pupils at Elgin Academy have marked Burns Night by sending a message of friendship and hope to a partner school in Ukraine, offering a small but powerful gesture of solidarity during an ongoing and devastating war.
The Moray school has been partnered with Hadiach Lyceum №1 in Ukraine’s Poltava region since September 2025 through the British Council’s UK Ukraine Schools Partnership Programme, with pupils and staff remaining in regular contact through letters, video messages and short films.
To celebrate Burns Night, the S2 English class, supported by teacher Jen Macdonald and librarian Shelagh Toonen, recorded a series of videos sharing the words and spirit of Robert Burns, including heartfelt recitals of Auld Lang Syne.
The videos were sent at a particularly difficult time for the Ukrainian school, which continues to operate under extreme conditions, including power cuts lasting up to 18 hours a day as the conflict continues.
Chair of Moray Council’s Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee, Councillor Kathleen Robertson, said the gesture showed the very best of Moray’s young people.
“This is a wonderful example of pupils in Moray showing compassion, creativity and international friendship, and everyone involved at Elgin Academy should be very proud of how they are supporting their partner school during such challenging circumstances.”
Head Teacher Neil Johnson said the partnership had already had a lasting impact on pupils.
“Our partnership with Hadiach Lyceum №1 has been incredibly meaningful for our pupils, helping them understand the power of connection, culture and kindness beyond borders.
“Sharing Burns Night with our friends in Ukraine allowed our young people to celebrate Scottish heritage while standing in solidarity with a school facing unimaginable challenges, and I am extremely proud of the care and commitment shown by our pupils and staff.”
You can watch one of the videos Elgin Academy pupils made for Hadiach Lyceum №1 here
