Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

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Roderick Bridges
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1 Christmas Issue 2018 Carol Service On December the 18 th our annual Christmas Carol Service was held at Tabernacle Chapel, Efail Isaf. Various soloists, choirs, two guitar groups as well as harp duets and trios gave performances and for the first time ever, there was a performance by the primary schools cluster choir. Carol Singing for the Elderly On the last Wednesday of term, pupils sang carols for the elderly at Garth Olwg care home. It was a pleasure to hear some of the audience joining in with the singing! The first week back will be: Week 2 Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Half Term Dates Start Finish 1 (Autumn 2018) 4/09/ /10/ (Autumn 2018) 5/11/ /12/ (Spring 2019) 7/01/ /02/ (Spring 2019) 4/03/ /04/ (Summer 2019) 29/04/ /05/ (Summer 2019) 03/06/ /07/2019

Christmas Jumpers The pupils looked very festive in their Christmas jumpers and

Congratulations to Nia Brooke for coming first, to Jordan Bolohan for coming second

Food Bank As a part of year 11 s Community and Citizenship project, pupils studying

bank. The campaign was extremely successful and was a perfect opportunity for

This allowed them to fully realise the impact that a campaign like this can have on

They were extremely proud of the work that they achieved.

September this year and already the pupils have been hard at work.

help the homeless, by organising Christmas dinner for them over the holiday period

As part of the charity drive, KS5 and staff members collected items from the

2 Christmas Jumpers The pupils looked very festive in their Christmas jumpers and hundreds of pounds was raised towards Save the Chidren. Congratulations to Nia Brooke for coming first, to Jordan Bolohan for coming second and Millie Davies for coming third in the Christmas jumper competition. Food Bank As a part of year 11 s Community and Citizenship project, pupils studying the SWEET course have collected and prepared over 200 items for their local food bank. The campaign was extremely successful and was a perfect opportunity for pupils to meet with volunteers. This allowed them to fully realise the impact that a campaign like this can have on a great number of families. They were extremely proud of the work that they achieved. Crisis at Chrismas The school s Health and Wellbeing Council was set up in September this year and already the pupils have been hard at work. They choose to support Crisis at Christmas which is a charity that raises money to help the homeless, by organising Christmas dinner for them over the holiday period between Christmas and New Year. As part of the charity drive, KS5 and staff members collected items from the charity s wish list to be distributed during the Christmas events. (Jo Leonard a representative from the charity) visited the school on the 14th to collect the items and was blown away by how much had been donated. The council would like to thank everyone for all their support and for contributing to such a worthy cause and thinking of others at Christmas.

The Youth Parliament is the new way for young people to voice their opinions on things that are important to them in Wales.

3 Efan Wins the Election! The school is proud to announce that Efan Fairclough will be the first Welsh Youth Parliament member for Pontypridd. Here s what Efan had to say: In November, I was elected to the Welsh Youth Parliament. The Youth Parliament is the new way for young people to voice their opinions on things that are important to them in Wales. It s a stage for us to have our voices heard on issues that are to do with young people. There are 60 members across Wales. 40 of them have been elected in their regions and a further 20 have been elected to represent organisations. 22 young people stood for the Youth Parliament in our area, which is double the regional average, and many more voted. I m very thankful for being elected to the Youth Parliament and I m very much looking forward to go to the Youth Parliament to represent the young people of Pontypridd. I decided to stand for the Youth Parliament in the summer because I feel very passionate about a number of issues, for example: the environment, the Welsh language, and equality. The three priorities that I have for the Youth Parliament are to have a single-use plastic free Pontypridd and Wales, cheaper and easier access to gyms, leisure centres and public transport for young people in Pontypridd, and for Pontypridd s young people to have equal chances to achieve their dreams as Wales more prosperous areas. I also hope to improve Welsh language revision resources for Welsh and English schools, take action against global warming, and debate in favour of votes at 16 to improve our democracy. This is the first Youth Parliament in Wales history and I m very proud to be a part of it. I hope to meet with our Assembly Member, Mick Antoniw, soon to discuss some of the issues I believe are important in Pontypridd. I would also like to contact other schools in Pontypridd to ensure that I represent them too. Our first regional meeting will be in Swansea in January, and our first full meeting as a Youth Parliament will be before half term. If you would like to discuss anything with me, please get in touch. This is an amazing opportunity and I m very thankful to everyone who voted for me in the election and to everyone who supported me. Radio Gartholwg We have started a new venture in the Media and Drama department. Marc Griffiths, from Cymru FM came to the school on the 14 th of November and held a workshop with members of the sixth form on how to Edit radio shows. Now, there is a club for years 7-13 who have been planning and preparing for our first Radio show. We aim to create a programme once a term to reflect on whole activities. Listen to our first show on Cymru FM s website and Twitter.

Patagonia Trip On the 20 th of October we were lucky enough to be one of 24 members of the Welsh youth organisation Urdd Gobaith Cymru who embarked on an unforgettable trip to Patagonia.

In addition, we spent time with local people of all ages from elderly groups to young people and children in schools and colleges.

Over 200 applied to be part of the trip this year, and each successful applicant was expected to raise 2,575 by a variety of means in order to fund the trip.

4 Patagonia Trip On the 20 th of October we were lucky enough to be one of 24 members of the Welsh youth organisation Urdd Gobaith Cymru who embarked on an unforgettable trip to Patagonia. As a group we spent two weeks following a programme of special activities that had been organised beforehand. We visitied the Andes, the National Park, Porth Madryn and Buenos Aires. In addition, we spent time with local people of all ages from elderly groups to young people and children in schools and colleges. We got to taste some asado, hosted concerts as well as competing in the Chubut National Eisteddfod as individuals and as a choir. Over 200 applied to be part of the trip this year, and each successful applicant was expected to raise 2,575 by a variety of means in order to fund the trip. A whole lot of fun was had whilst holding a wide range of fundraising activities to raise money, including gigs, twmpath dances, concerts and a car wash. Visiting Patagonia was one of the most amazing experiences of our lives. We will treasure all the special memories we have made in Patagonia. We really have met some special people that will be lifelong friends. This trip has really made us appreciate our Welsh language and culture when so many people are putting so much effort into learning our language and traditions half way across the world. We would like to thank the Urdd for organising and promoting this trip. But more importantly, we would like to thank everyone at home and the surrounding area for supporting and making it possible for us to trave to Patagonia, and to promote the use of the Welsh language in a small community let s keep the language alive! Congratulations to Llew Jones Year 12 who has been chosen to go to Patagonia next year with the Urdd. Pantomime! Today Year 7 went to see the Branwen pantomime at the Muni Arts Centre. It was an energetic and funny show from start to finish, with the characters communicating and dancing with the audience. When the curtains opened, we saw shadows on the stage. Then, we saw all the characters singing Paradise by George Ezra. The show was full of current songs like Trwy dy lygaid di by Yws Gwynedd, and even Baby Shark! In the story Matholwch, the King of Ireland, came to Wales in order to marry Branwen. Branwen told Matholwch that she was a mermaid, and the two of them fell in love. Then Matholwch realised that she was the princess, and the two of them married. But Efnisien was cross that they had married without his permission, so he cut Matholwch s horses tails, ears and tongues. There was darkness and thunder and lightning every time Efnisien the baddie was on stage, and we all booed! Branwen was blamed for this, and she was locked in the kitchen. A bird was her only friend, and she taught the starling to speak. The bird flew back to Wales with a message for Bendigeidfran. Then Bendigeidfran, Nisien and Broc Môr, the silly servant, went to Ireland to fight and save Branwen A fo ben bid bont! But Efnisien arranged for soldiers to hide in sacks in order to attack Bendigeidfran.But the panto had a happy ending, and Branwen and Matholwch fell in love with each other all over again. We all had a fantastic time!

Celfyddydau r Garth London Trip On December the 11 th, 43 pupils travelled to London for a three day trip

The trip included a visit to the London Dungeons as well as some free time in Hyde Park s Winter Wonderland

The pupils watched two spectacular musicals, Dreamgirls and Everybody s talking about Jamie.

how to imitate fighting scenes-an experience they thoroughly enjoyed. Another enjoyable trip!

excellent trip. By Abigail Prothroe and Amelia Hughes.

the last week of term. We spent an exciting two days getting to know the city.

buildings in addition to taking photos of such a vibrant city.

5 Celfyddydau r Garth London Trip On December the 11 th, 43 pupils travelled to London for a three day trip arranged by the Music and Drama departments. The trip included a visit to the London Dungeons as well as some free time in Hyde Park s Winter Wonderland and Covent Garden. The pupils watched two spectacular musicals, Dreamgirls and Everybody s talking about Jamie. A stage combat workshop was given by a professional tutor and a West End producer where pupils where taught how to imitate fighting scenes-an experience they thoroughly enjoyed. Another enjoyable trip! This experience will be treasured forever and we are very grateful to the teachers that arranged this excellent trip. By Abigail Prothroe and Amelia Hughes. Birmingham Trip As part of the Expressive Arts department, we had the opportunity to visit Birmingham during the last week of term. We spent an exciting two days getting to know the city. This was an excellent time to explore the city s modern architecture and the traditional Greek style buildings in addition to taking photos of such a vibrant city. We went ice skating and took a ride on the big wheel on our first day before visiting the German Christmas Market to see the stall lit up. We took some incredible photos of light in the darkness. During our trip, we spent time in Birmingham s museum as well. This was a great opportunity to look at a variety of art varying from traditional painting to the main exhibition on modern art through protest Women Power Protest. By Morgan Evans.

Humanities St Fagan Trip Despite the wet weather, year seven enjoyed the opportunity to visit St Fagan s open air museum during the last week of term.

area. Particular focus was paid to the change in housing, shopping patterns and religion.

They also visited Rhyd Y Car terrace from Merthyr Tydfil to explore the effects that the Industrial Revolution had on nearby towns.

Languages Trip to Glan-llyn The Year 12 Welsh Class went to Glan-llyn recently where they had a range of lectures from famous poets and lecturers.

There was a feast of entertainment in the evenings with Candelas performing on the first evening and a very funny Talwrn y Beirdd (a Welsh poetry slam)

It was a great experience for the pupils as they enjoyed through the medium of Welsh with 150 fellow pupils from throughout Wales.

Visit included a tour of the haunted house along with workshops giving us a taste of Tudor and Stuart life.

6 Humanities St Fagan Trip Despite the wet weather, year seven enjoyed the opportunity to visit St Fagan s open air museum during the last week of term. Pupils were able to apply their knowledge from their Humanities lessons this term in order to explain the changes that have happened in their local area. Particular focus was paid to the change in housing, shopping patterns and religion. Pupils were able to visit iconic historical buildings such as Siop y Gwalia in order to explain the changes in shopping patterns. They also visited Rhyd Y Car terrace from Merthyr Tydfil to explore the effects that the Industrial Revolution had on nearby towns. They were able to investigate the differences between Church and Chapel in preparation for their lessons after Christmas. Languages Trip to Glan-llyn The Year 12 Welsh Class went to Glan-llyn recently where they had a range of lectures from famous poets and lecturers. They were also fortunate enough to visit The Ysgwrn, Hedd Wyn s new revamped home in the beautiful Trawsfynydd. There was a feast of entertainment in the evenings with Candelas performing on the first evening and a very funny Talwrn y Beirdd (a Welsh poetry slam) on the second evening. It was a great experience for the pupils as they enjoyed through the medium of Welsh with 150 fellow pupils from throughout Wales. Trip to Llancaiach Fawr At the end of November, year 8 pupils were transported back in time during a visit to Llancaiach Fawr manor house. Visit included a tour of the haunted house along with workshops giving us a taste of Tudor and Stuart life. We learnt of Tudor banquet etiquette, the gruesome surgery of the Middle Ages and made plague bags filled with dried mint, sage and lavender. Unfortunately, we didn't have any time to visit the gift shop. Maybe next time! Have you registered yet? Schoolcomms works far more intrinsically with our on-site school administration software and we hope that this will allow us to improve our links with parents. Information will continue to be sent via , text or preferably via the free app available for download called School Gateway.

Cycling in the Geraint Thomas Veledrome We had the opportunity earlier in the month to

It was an amazing experience to cycle where Geraint Thomas had started his cycling career

I had not cycled in a veledrome before but it was fun and a lot steeper that I first

The trip was unlike anything I had been on before and everyone who worked there was

Sporting Success Congratulations to the Year 7 and 8 Girls Football team for winning the

Congratulations to Joseff Edwards, Year 7 for winning the Truce European Cup in Belguim

Congratulations to the Year 9 and 10 Girs Football Team for winning 9-1 v Lewis for Girls

7 Cycling in the Geraint Thomas Veledrome We had the opportunity earlier in the month to visit the Geraint Thomas Veledrome. It was an amazing experience to cycle where Geraint Thomas had started his cycling career as a young boy. I had not cycled in a veledrome before but it was fun and a lot steeper that I first thought. The trip was unlike anything I had been on before and everyone who worked there was lovely and it was a great experience. By Caitlin Vincent. Sporting Success Congratulations to the Year 7 and 8 Girls Football team for winning the South Wales 5 a side competition. Congratulations to Joseff Edwards, Year 7 for winning the Truce European Cup in Belguim with Cardiff City Football Club earlier this month. Congratulations to the Year 9 and 10 Girs Football Team for winning 9-1 v Lewis for Girls School in the second round of the Welsh Cup. Congratulations also to Megan Bowen who represented the Welsh under 15 football team in Newport and to Eliza Collie who represented Rhondda Cynon Taf under 14s. Congratulations to the Year 8 Netball team for reaching the quarter finals of the plate competition in the Urdd National Games. Unfortunately they lost 7-6. Well done also to Year 9 and 10 who played well and won 4 games and lost 1.

Christmas (Spring 2018) 8/1/18 16/2/18 4 (Spring 2018) 26/2/18 29/3/18. The first week back in January is Week 2

Christmas (Spring 2018) 8/1/18 16/2/18 4 (Spring 2018) 26/2/18 29/3/18. *The first week back in January is Week 2* Carol evening This year s carols evening was a real Christmas event. We were treated to performances of some of our favourite Christmas songs by harpists and guitarists, readings, and a powerful drama