Newsletter Spring Term 2013

School for the 21st century at the heart of the Llantwit Major School Charity Success

and students of the Science Department for all their hard work. hard their all for Department the Science of students and equivalent. ….STOP in results 95% Science year at PRESS....Best last A*

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Students and staff at Llantwit Major comprehensive school have proved Well the staff to done once again that we are always keen to help charitable causes. Last year we managed to raise £555 for each of our chosen charities which were; Ty Hafan, Children in Need and Sport Relief. This year we hope to raise even more for the good causes we have chosen. Money will be raised for Bobarths - a local cerebral palsy charity, Hope for Justice which works to stop human trafficking and Water Aid. The school also opened its

doors for a senior citizen’s tea party on the 12 December, where pupils - provided an afternoons entertainment and produced Christmas hampers as or C early Christmas presents for senior members of our Llantwit community. Article written by Laura Smith Head Girl. (Pictured: George Lee, Zoe Roberts, Laura Smith and Yegor Young). Pupils entertain Llantwit Senior Citizens at Christmas Tea Party

On Wednesday 12 December members of our local community, both young and old, came together for Llantwit Major School’s annual Christmas senior citizens tea party. The event gave pupils in the school an opportunity to invite local senior citizen groups to school for an afternoon tea party that included a variety show, performed by pupils of the school, and then climaxed with the giving of Christmas hampers to all invited guests.

Year 10 Health & Social Group baked the cakes Form classes in all year groups created 40 elaborately designed hampers after collecting appropriate products to fill them with. Pupils studying BTEC Health & Social Care created and served all the food and drink for the event. The entertainment of dance, gymnastics song and musical accompaniment was also provided entirely by pupils. A special mention should go to pupils in forms 8MAM and 11ST who won the ‘best overall best hamper’ and ‘best designed hamper’ prizes respectively. Music Department News!

A very cold but none the less very welcoming St ’s church was the scene of the annual Christmas Carol Service on 11 December.

Despite the cold, pupils from Years 7 -13 enthusiastically performed a variety of seasonal songs and instrumental pieces to a packed congregation. The Music Department would like to thank all the pupils who braved the weather at both the rehearsal and the performance to perform so well. A special thanks to all the staff who gave of their time to sing, play or read in the service.

The following day, a number of our pupils also went on to perform a selection of pieces as part of the entertainment during the Christmas lunch and hamper presentation for local pensioners. Students ‘Smash’ their Welsh Baccalaureate! “Well done year 12-you smashed it!” This was the message from Miss Rhiannon Carr leader of learning of the Welsh Baccalaureate to her enterprising year 12 students.

The Fayre was a resounding success as the students exceeded all of our expectations. “The enthusiasm and commitment they have shown to ensure that this event was a success is a true reflection of their strength of character. I know they gained and learned a huge amount from this experience and I’d like to pass on my thanks to everybody who contributed in any way. The list is endless”.

Local businesses were very generous, school staff were supportive and of course huge thanks go out to all the people who came to support us on the day. We shall be celebrating our achievements during an assembly on Wednesday and we’ll also be inviting in representatives from both the Children’s Heart Foundation and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust as these are the chosen charities who will receive the profits from the enterprise.

Many thanks to the Spar, Coop, Toymaster, Sunkissed, Major Nails, The Off Licence, Greggs, Coop Pharmacy, Boots, Health Conscious, Pastures Green, Peace and Hope, Ben’s Barbers and The Hair Studio and the Rotary for their very generous donations.

Dr Browne, headteacher commented that he was “delighted that the sixth form students had put such an effort into making the fayre the success that it was and also that their efforts would be rewarded in forming part of the accreditation for the very valuable Welsh Baccalaureate qualification that they are all undertaking”. Fundraising Presentation

“Thank you so very much,” was the message from the representative of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and the Children’s Heart Federation. Both guests were welcomed to the senior assembly on Friday 22 January where they were each presented with a cheque for £350. Our proud year 12 Welsh Baccalaureate students were well applauded for their record breaking fund raising efforts in December which was all part of the Llantwit Major School Christmas Fayre.

This Welsh Baccalaureate event provides our students with the opportunity to experiment with entrepreneurial skills, explore the mechanics of working with others and raise much needed funds for charities. We’re sure that both the Children’s Heart Foundation and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust will have plenty of ways of using their donations and we would like to thank Carolyn and Chris for attending the assembly.

So our current year 11’s who have expressed a desire to join our buoyant 6th form have a formidable target to beat. Anybody who is considering a learning journey through any 6th form would be well advised to look at the opportunities available to you at Llantwit Major School. The Welsh Baccalaureate programme is going from strength to strength. The implementation of the grading scheme will ensure that each of you receives the grade you’ve worked so hard to achieve; be it A* to C.

Please see Miss Carr if you have any questions about this qualification and the real hands on experience it offers. It’s highly valued by employers and gives you a real sense of achievement as you tick off each challenge you achieve. Yr 11 Health and Social Care

Our wonderful year 11 health and social care girls have raised funds for Oxfam. They saved up their spare change over the past couple of months and have managed to raise enough to provide a gift of water for 20 people. Well done girls!

More successful fundraising by the PTA

The PTA have been working hard to raise extra funds to support developments for pupils within the school. The members have recently been running a café at the school’s parents evenings, and ran a teddy tombola stall at the 6th Form Christmas fete. The involvement of pupils in supporting events has been significantly increased via the work of 6th Form pupil Lantianna Darter. Lantianna helped with the promotion of the collection of teddies through the Geography department, and is recruiting pupils to serve staff during the parents evenings. The most recent donations have gone to the music department for a new drum kit, and to the Geography department to buy more field work equipment (eg laminated local maps, flow meters and clinometers).

As part of the continuing Eco work at the school we are running another Bag 2 School collection on Monday 8 July and any donations will be gratefully received. Please save your unwanted clothes, bags, shoes and soft toys and bring them to the school either in a ‘Bag 2 School’ bag or any plastic bag. Bags can be brought in to the school’s main office anytime in the week before collection. Art Pupils design new school flag!

Last year a group of talented Llantwit Major Art pupils were offered the opportunity to work with professional graphic designers from United Graphic Design from Bridgend to create a new school flag. The Art students used their creative skills in ICT and design with guidance from United Graphic Design to develop and produce the final successful outcome now flying proudly in front of Llantwit Major School.

ROTARY YOUNG CHEF SOUTHERN WALES FINAL! Local young chef, Chelsea Dawes of Llantwit Major School has won a place in the next round of the Rotary Young Chef competition.

A tightly fought contest for the Southern Wales District was hosted by Builth Wells High School. Jodie Jackson (sponsored by the Builth Wells Club) was declared the winner and Chelsea Dawes (sponsored by the Rotary Club of Cowbridge) the runner-up. Both competitors go forward to the Regional Final to be held at Rugby College on Saturday 16 March to com- pete for a place in the National Final.

Chief judge Peter James who owns the Drover’s Arms Restaurant in Llanwrtyd Wells and runs the J & R cookery school, commented on the excellent quality of the meals prepared and added, “Careers in the catering industry should be seriously considered by some of the contestants.” Rotary District Governor Bob Lewis echoed Peter’s comments and said that the students and their parents should be very proud of what they had achieved.

Some examples of Chelsea’s winning dishes over the last two months! Pupils show off their baking skills for Children in Need

Congratulations to the pupils in the Home Economics department who worked really hard on Friday making and selling cakes in aid of Children in Need. Staff and pupils all agreed that the cakes were delicious and their efforts were rewarded by making a grand profit of £132. Well done!

World Book Day

The English Department celebrated World Book Day on 7 March. Year 7 were invited to take part in activities organised by the English Department, including a Readathon and Fancy Dress competition! A fantastic array of characters arrived at school that morning: Pirates, Elves, Vampires, a Pokemon, a character from Little House on the Prairie and even ‘Gangsta Granny’! Staff also enjoyed the opportunity to get into character as ‘Lucy’ from Peanuts, Draco Malfoy (Harry Potter), Effie Trinket (The Hunger Games) and The Queen of Hearts! Judges were faced with some difficult decisions when it came to selecting the winners. After much deliberating the prizes were awarded: 3rd prize - Jayden Rees (a Mario Brother) 2nd prize - Isabelle Richards (Captain Jack Sparrow) 1st prize – Fraser Prior (Gansta Granny) Pupils also brought their favourite books to school and discussed them. A lot of fun was had by all. A ‘thought provoking’ visit by the GSUS Trailer

From the moment it arrived on site, it caused a stir. Taking up a large central stage in the middle of the playground meant that it had a prominent position and could not be missed! Pupils were asking questions straight away and were itching to get on board and to get involved.

The GSUS Live Trailer is a purpose built mobile classroom which introduces Jesus’ teaching on the themes of Fear, Forgiveness and Rejection. The aim of ‘GSUS Live’ is to enhance students’ understanding of some of the key teachings of Jesus.

All pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 had the opportunity to spend an hour on the Trailer at some point during the week and we also invited the Year 6 pupils from Llanilltud Fawr Primary School to come up for a session. Being fully interactive and including the use of 3D, pupils were engaged the whole time and even returned during their lunchtimes to have a second go!

We are most grateful to Matt Lewis, Schools Worker for the Christian Council for the Schools in Wales and his team of dedicated volunteers from local churches for making this available to us. They had undergone considerable training and had to deliver five sessions per day, and also led assemblies to the whole school during their time with us. The presentations and assemblies were always thought provoking and were adapted to suit to the age and ability of the pupils.

We would like to wish the GSUS Live trailer and the volunteers taking care of it over the forthcoming weeks all the very best as it visits other secondary schools in the including: Barry Comprehensive School, Bryn Hafren, St Cyres and Stanwell.

Mrs Marged Williams

RS Leader of Learning A ‘thought provoking’ visit by the GSUS Trailer

Comments from pupils:

“It was good to feeI like I was helping

someone.” “I loved the GSUS Live session! I Nia, Year 8 pupil. thought everything was fun and I really enjoyed the 3D movie. I am really grateful for having had

the opportunity to spend a lesson on there.” Samantha Year 8 pupil.

“ It was a fabulous experience and I envy those who are yet to have a go as I would love another chance to go on it again!” “I found the GSUS Year 7 pupil Live very interesting and it taught me how to help people and how to solve my own problems.” Javan, Year 8 pupil.

“I thought the GSUS Live was an inspirational experience. It showed us how to deal with problems that we will face in life.” Nichol, Year 8 pupil.

“Awesome” Harry, Year 9 pupil.

Thank you to all those parents who have signed up to Parentmail. I hope you are finding it as beneficial as we are.

If you have not yet signed up, please contact the school on 01446 793301 to obtain your child’s personalised code. We can also assist you in the process should you wish.

ParentMail is our new home/school online communication system which provides a reliable method of ensuring that you receive information sent out by us, within minutes of us sending it!

. No more trawling the bottom of your child’s school bag! . No need to ask what happened to 'that note'! . No more missed Parent's Evenings or other important events!

In addition, future benefits will include the facility to pay for school trips and events on line, giving you the facility to be able to monitor how much has been paid and eliminate any discrepancies. ParentMail is FREE to parents, and your name and email address is all that is required to register and get started. They guarantee to keep your details private. ParentMail is advert and spam free!

Please register as soon as possible by visiting the ParentMail2 website and entering the personalised code highlighted on your letter. https://www.parentmail2.co.uk Parent/Pupil Information Gwybodaeth Rhieni/Disgyblion

Can parents ensure that they provide appropriate authorisation when their child needs to leave school for a medical appointment, either by letter, telephone call or email. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

A reminder to keep the school up to date with any changes in parent/ Please encourage your child to guardian contact collect their Examination certificates details (in particular from the main office in school street. mobile telephone At the moment we have certificates numbers) in the event available back to 2008 although we of an emergency. are only obliged to keep them for up

to one year.

Certificates can be expensive to obtain from the examination board at In order to maintain the a later date. Therefore, please utmost concentration for urge your sons/daughters to pick both teacher and pupils, them up as soon as possible. lessons will only be disturbed in emergencies.

Please respect this and restrict any messages to that of an urgent nature only.

For up-to-date information check out the school website on www.llantwitschool.org.uk Geography Department News Adran Ddaearyddiaeth Newyddion

Pupils brave the elements at Llantwit beach

An enthusiastic team of geographers from years 11-13 from Llantwit Major School headed down Llantwit beach to investigate how people impact upon, and manage our river and coastal landscapes.

Students braved the December elements to develop fieldwork techniques along the Colhuw brook, where they carried out various forms of data collection and evaluation. “It was really interesting because we generated data on cross sections, and we worked out the velocity of the river. We can also now work out the river discharge” Ben Owen Year 11.

Mrs Jane Jones, Head of Geography said that one of the aims of the day was to “develop the invaluable skills of data collection and numerical reasoning which is of growing significance for all secondary schools”.

Pupils were encouraged to identify the physical and human causes, and risks of flooding, which is such an important local issue central to the community of Llantwit Major. Students were encouraged to develop techniques to measure the impact of people on the coastline, using a variety of geographical techniques and thinking about risk assessment issues. Matt Sanderson (Year 11) commented ‘ I can now use a clinometer to measure gradient, and from that I can draw a beach profile. These strategies can help planners to measure changes to the environment and calculate cost benefit and risk, and manage our beaches”. Sophie Jonas said “It was a really interesting day, and we were able to apply the knowledge from the classroom to the outside world. Especially to the topics which affects so many people in the local area”.

Geography Department News Adran Ddaearyddiaeth Newyddion

Links with Atlantic College

This term we have started an exciting partnership with students from Atlantic College. Some Year 9 pupils have been fortunate to be involved in a fortnightly workshop run by Atlantic College students focussing on culture, stereotypes and global citizenship. The pupils have been thoroughly engaged in discussions and activities that have enabled them to explore global issues and inter-cultural studies. The partnership is one we have been keen to establish for some time and we are looking forward to continuing these links in the summer term. We would like to extend our thanks to Atlantic College for this opportunity.

PTA Disco

Once again, the PTA and Eco-Club joined together this February to stage a successful FairTrade Valentine’s disco for KS3 pupils. Armed with cheesy disco tunes, our resident DJ James Williams had the crowd up dancing all night – he even had Mrs Nelson busting a move and waving her glow sticks in the air!

Thank you to Year 12 students who volunteered their nail-painting and tattooing skills; not forgetting their piece de resistance by jumping on stage and leading the crowd in the Macarena! A superb fun-filled night was had by all and we are grateful for the continued support of the PTA. The night was a huge success with £200 raised towards ESDGC ventures and eco-issues. At the moment, the vote is veering towards sponsoring a mountain gorilla after the inspirational David Attenborough programme ‘Africa’ recently aired on TV touched the heart of many pupils – watch this space for an update! Geography Department News Adran Ddaearyddiaeth Newyddion

FairTrade Fortnight It’s been a busy few weeks! FairTrade issues have always been at the forefront of our global citizenship lessons and this fortnight gave us the opportunity to really hit the message home. With activities such as a Year 12 coffee morning, a debate on FairTrade chocolate vs. Non-Fairtrade chocolate, a teabag taste test, a penalty shoot-out and a KS3 fancy dress fun run; we have been highlighting the importance of purchasing FairTrade items across the school.

Supported with engaging lessons on ‘less economic developed countries’ small scale farming issues, pupils have been given the opportunity to explore the unfairness of world trade and question the role they play. They have developed a global conscience and really thought about the interconnectedness of the world. Many have signed an online petition to put an end to world poverty and ‘marched’ on Downing Street.

We hope they have persuaded some of you to ‘switch’ to FairTrade too! Well done all on a successful fortnight! Keep striving towards taking that ‘step’ and making trade ‘fair!’ Geography Department News Adran Ddaearyddiaeth Newyddion Improvements to Garden

We were recently successful in securing a £50 Homebase voucher to improve the school garden. Over 280 applicants from across Wales were successful in applying for free Homebase vouchers as part of Keep Wales Tidy’s ‘Have a Wild Weekend for Wales’ campaign.

Funded by Welsh Government, CCW and Homebase, the aim of the campaign was to encourage groups to create new wildlife habitats to improve local biodiversity by undertaking small practical projects to benefit native species.

Volunteers from Year 9 rolled up their sleeves, got back to nature and gave local wildlife a helping hand. They planted three fruit trees (1 plum and 2 pear) and 36 assorted spring bulbs to encourage and attract more diverse species into the garden. It was great to see so many pupils get involved in this project. ‘Have a Wild Weekend for Wales’ has enabled us to make a huge improvement to the biodiversity of our garden and hopefully this will benefit the local bee population as well as provide pupils with a stimulating environment in which to learn.

Developing financial literacy and numerical reasoning Guided by the new Welsh Literacy Numeracy Framework, we have been focussing this term on developing financial literacy and numerical reasoning at KS3. Year 7 pupils in particular have put their estate agent hats on and produced some outstanding floor maps and brochures. Their use of formal voice and persuasive writing has been phenomenal and has been sent off to other schools across Wales exemplify rich tasks. Year 8 have also been honing their numerical reasoning skills this term. Liaising with the maths department, they used a range of development data to generate some great thought provoking puzzlers that even had some of the geography teachers scratching their heads (no names mentioned!) These skills will continue to be developed next term – well done all! An interview with our Austrian Language Assistant - Silvia Eder

The MFL department welcomed the new language assistant Silvia Eder to the school in October. Silvia has been working mostly with Year 13 but also with other Year 10 and Year 11 pupils helping them to further improve their German. Silvia is in fact from Austria and on her first day working in the school Year 13 pupils were more than happy to ‘interrogate’ her and find out more about her.

Interview with Silvia Eder How old are you? Age: 27 Where do you live in Austria? Very near Salzburg. Do you have any hobbies? Yes, skiing, running, mountain biking, climbing. (Sporty then!) What are you favourite foods? I love pasta, noodles, pizza – everything Italian! What is your favourite colour? Green What are your favourite school subjects? Maths, PE, Music What work do you do at home in Austria? I am a primary school teacher teaching everything including German, Maths, Eng- lish, PE and Art. Do you have any brothers and sisters? 2 brothers Have you travelled much? Yes, I’ve been to Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Spain, Turkey and now WALES and the UK!!! What are your first impressions of Wales? It’s my first time in the UK and in Wales. It’s great here. The weather is okay, similar to Austria. The sun shines every day!! ‘Es gibt kein schlecht Wetter. Es gibt nur schlechte Kleidung !!’ What are your first impressions of Llantwit Major School? It seems quite big. Everyone seems to be nice and friendly. I’ve seen a few MFL lessons which were very interesting! Past Pupil Success

Llantwit Major School is always proud of the achievements of its past pupils and is pleased to congratulate Tom Sutch, pictured receiving his BA with Honours Acting (Performing Arts) from Sir Paul McCartney, LIPA Graduation.

We are sure this will serve as inspiration for many of our pupils.

At Llantwit Major School we take great pride in celebrating the success of our pupils and GOLD AWARD - Molli Allen (8KE) have such pleasure in sharing this. At the Outstanding piece of writing “My last beginning of the Spring term, staff members Christmas” (English) were asked to nominate a pupil who had produced an exceptional piece of work or SILVER AWARD - Megan Brown (9JD) who had performed remarkably in their subject. We had numerous nominations from Superb piece of research into “What all different year groups and for many is Pi?” (Mathematics different reasons. After a rigorous judging session by Dr Browne and the senior BRONZE AWARD - Callum Reed-Spargo leadership team, we are delighted to (12RN) Outstanding research and announce this terms winners……. poster design into “Natural Law” (RS)

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners of this terms awards.

Exchange Student Xenia compares life in Germany to life in Wales My name is Xenia Strocka, I am 16 years old and from Berlin, Germany. Right now I am doing my exchange year here in Great Britain, which lasts ten months. It started August last year and will finish in June 2013. You will now read what school is like in my home country.

A normal school day in Germany starts for me by, getting up at 7 o’clock, having breakfast and getting changed. But I put normal clothes on, because we don’t have any school-uniforms or a dress-code at all. We can wear whatever we want. After I get ready, I catch a public bus to go to school. We don’t need school buses in Berlin because, you can get to school easily with the public transport or by bike. The first lesson starts at 8 o’clock and lasts 45 minutes like every lesson. After the second and the fourth lesson we have a break for 20 minutes, which we can spend inside and outside. When the bell rings for break time, everyone is literally running to the Kiosk to buy some snacks, sweets or pretzels “Brezeln”. Every student wants to be the first person at the Kiosk. So there is a big crowd in front of it and no queue like here.

My school doesn’t have an actual canteen, where you can sit in and have your lunch. Usually we have it after school at home. Our school is always open at school time. So we don’t have these special keys you need here sometimes to get into the different school blocks. There are no blocks at all. The whole school consists of one building.

Brandenburg Gate (ger.: Brandenburger Tor)

Charlottenburg Palace (ger.: Charlottenburger Schloss) Exchange Student Xenia compares life in Germany to life in Wales The german subjects are all in all pretty similar to the british ones, with the difference that we have Latin and Italian, but for example no ChildCare or nutrition. The marks are also different. We don’t get letters as marks, we get numbers from 1 to 6, where 1 is the best and 6 is the worst. The students in Germany visit the secondary school from year 7 to year 12, one year less than the students in Britain, because all the stuff you are doing in 13 years, we are doing in twelve. So I was last year in year 10, now I am year 12 and when I come back I will be year

11, because I have to repeat a year. In the end Television Tower+Museum Island (ger.: Fernsehturm+Museumsinsel) of year 12 I will do my final exam in Germany, which is called “Abitur”. It is comparable to your A-Level. In my home country we only have timetables for one week and not for two. This was for instance my timetable in year 10 (to compare with your year 11): Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 8:00-8:45 Latin Physics Drama Maths Biology 8:50-9:35 English Physics Drama Maths History B R E A K 9:55-10:40 Maths Ethics German Arts Latin 10:45-11:30 Maths Ethics German Arts Geography B R E A K 11:55-12:40 Drama German Chemistry Biology PE 12:45-13:30 PE German Chemistry Geography PE 13:35-14:20 History English English Latin

At Christmas we have a Christmas-fete as well. Every form has their own store and sells some self-made toys, german Christmas-cookies “Plätzchen”, gingerbread etc. But the difference is that we spend the earned money for trips and not for charity-actions. My school does not do any charity -actions at all. We also don’t have assemblies twice a week. When there is any important information, we get it as a letter or a notice on the blackboard. So this means we don’t have any assemblies at all. All in all I like it here very much. It is nice to get to know a different type of school system and to have in general a change for a year. The biggest change for me was wearing a school-uniform, to see everyone is looking the same was in the beginning really unusual. But now I am used to everything. I am glad that I have a couple of months left. Link to my school in Berlin: http:// www.uvh-online.de/willkommen/ PE Department News

Charlotte York – Double Gold Medallist! Great news from the British International Karate Open in Crawley. Vale Karate competitor and year 9 Llantwit Major Pupil earned two gold medals in the U-16 Girls Shotokan Kata and U-16 Girls Open Kata! Competition was extremely tough. The first category in to which she was entered was Shotokan, and all went so well in the first heat until an uncharacteristic wobble while landing after a jump in the penultimate move on her opening Kata, which made the crowd gasp as she had nailed it until then. Even so Charlotte was strong enough with the rest of her sequence to have secured the next round.

After that she didn’t look back, composed her nerves and ultimately went on to win the Gold medal in Shotokan discipline. With her confidence brimming, she went into the under 16 Girls Open Kata category, where lots of different styles of karate are used. She convincingly got through the first round, and again didn’t look back as she absolutely nailed her next Kata, which ultimately scored her the most points and yet again another Gold medal! Da iawn Charlotte! Llantwit Major Gymnastics Success!!

Llewelyn Brown and Cameron Davies recently competed in the Welsh championships tumble and vault final representing Cardiff and the Vale. The competition consisted of three tumbles and two vaults and was contested by schools from all over Wales.

Llewelyn Brown competed in the U14’s category and after a hard day of competition, he finally was able to stand up on the podium with a gold medal dangling around his neck along with the other members of the team. Cardiff and the vale U14’s are this years welsh schools champions! Cameron Davies also competed, but in the U19’s category. He was also able to medal! Cardiff and the Vale, yet again, took the top stop on the podium. Both the boys were very proud to represent the county team and happy to come away with a gold medal. PE Department News

Despite the cold weather Llantwit year 10’s and 11’s moral did not falter and the team gained 2nd place at the recent netball tournament held at Whitchurch. The squad of 11 and netball coach Mrs Rees attended a mixed year 10 and 11 tournament on Thursday 17 January. They planned to play 4 games against other Cardiff schools in an attempt to top the score sheet. One of the teams didn’t turn up and so the Llantwit girls were up against just 3 teams from St Illtyds, Llanishen and Whitchurch.

The atmosphere was buzzing and chatty as the girls got ready for their games, practising their passing, warming up and stretching. The team looked professional in their black skorts and matching netball tops ready to take positions for their first game. The girls not on the court sat on the side lines ready to cheer on the rest of the team and show their support. The first game was against St Illtyds, a close game that did not deter the girls. It took a short time to get into the game but after a while the girls got into their stride, shooting was on form and defence was working hard, leading at half time, it was vital that this lead didn’t slip. Determination led to a good win of 10-7 against the opposition with an international player. After a quick switch around and strategy talk a fresh team was ready on the court to begin the second game, Llanishen, antici- pated to be the most difficult match. Llantwit worked hard to keep up and to try to beat the Cardiff team, their efforts not fading, however, Llanishen excelled and managed to beat Llantwit 9-5. Having lost one match and won one match, first place couldn’t be gained as Llanishen had won all of their matches. If the team were to win this last match, they could secure second place. The final team were put together and got into position on the court for the last time, this time against Whitchurch. The team by this time were getting tired but still made an effort to secure a win. After half time the team were leading, this only needed to be kept up to win the game. As the second half began, Whitchurch managed to catch up with Llantwit despite their efforts and left the match at a draw of 4-4. Before pulling coats back on to warm up and return home, it was revealed that the combined efforts of all of the team had led to them placing 2nd, a well earned achievement. Well done to all of the team. Llantwit Major Gymnastics showcase a huge success!

Llantwit Major School hosted a community gymnastics showcase on 31 January for pupils in both the local primary schools and the comprehensive. Pupils from Eagleswell, Llanilltud Fawr, St Illtyds, St Athan and Llantwit Major School along with children as young as 4 years old from Vale Gymnastics put on a mesmerising show for spectators, each taking to the gym floor to perform their routine. Llantwit Major Schools gymnastics development programme has been recognised by national sporting agencies as ‘outstanding’, providing pupils from local primary schools with expert coaching, the opportunity to perform and compete. As a result of this continuing programme the school currently has some outstanding gymnasts who most recently have won a number of awards in national competitions. In total over 85 pupils took part in the evening showing that gymnastics in Llantwit Major is flourishing and that the Olympic legacy is strong in the Vale of Glamorgan. The schools would like to thank the local community for their support. Over £450 was raised to allow schools to purchase new gymnastic equipment and ensure that school sport can continue to be a success.

YR 8 Netball team - Winners of the Vale Netball Tournament!

The YR 8 Netball squad from Llantwit School went into the tournament as favourites being last years winners. They performed excellently to beat all their opposition with very convincing results. The results were : v ST Richard Gwyn 17-0, v Stanwell 14-3 and v Cowbridge 11-3. The squad were very pleased to retain their trophy and look forward to playing in the Cardiff/Vale tournament next week. Photo: From left Erin Baker, Georgina Watts, Rachel Reilly, Rhian Fleig, Heather Bowkett ( Capt) Bethany Barrel ( vice capt) Cerys Thomas, Chloe Holehouse, Nicole Jones, Rhiannon Parry. Pupil Report by Lauren McGloughlin— Year 7

On 31 January Llantwit Major Comprehensive School hosted a gym and dance showcase in the school hall. The show was started off with a jaw-dropping performance from the senior tumblers who showed off their amazing tumbling skills. The event was attended by former pupil Nathan Mullet’s Vale Gymnastics elite gymnasts with ages ranging from 4 to 13 years. Showing a high level of skill they performed their varied routines including floor, tumble and vault.

The local primary schools were invited to attend the event and I am happy to report that four local primary schools St Athan, Eagleswell, St Illtyds and Llanilltud Fawr all attended with large groups of enthusiastic gymnasts showing high levels of skill with a notable individual performance from Llanilltud Fawr Primary School’s Erin McLoughlin.

The comprehensive school participation included a year 7 solo artistic display by Sophie Birkin, a rhythmic pair display by Lauren McLoughlin and Freya Paul and an artistic pair display by Holly Price and Nicole Allison. The year 7 team comprising of Ellie Aspell, Lauren McLoughlin, Freya Paul, Holly Price, Caitlin Spargo, Jaimie Morris, Nicole Allison and Alisha Hayes also treated everyone to a polished routine having just returned from the Welsh comprehensive school gymnastics finals where they won a team silver medal.

Year 8 artistic gymnastic pairing Ellie Wride and Anya Trudgeon and year 9 pair Bethan Wride and Megan Aspell both displayed impeccable floor routines. A boys group consisting of Luke Burnage, Ben Burrows, Sam Snaith, Steffan Bugler, Llewelyn Brown and Luke Beattie, performed a highly energetic tumbling routine with an impressive pyramid to finish!

The dance elements of the show were beautifully brought to us by year 11 girls. Alice Ryan performed a unique contemporary dance. Sophie Lee performed a graceful classical ballet solo, Lucy Tregidon and Alannah Goss performed a moving contemporary ballet.

To round the evening off the year 10 GCSE class performed their superb routine showing style, speed and elegance.

Altogether, the evening was a resounding success. Thanks to all the participants and coaches for a wonderful evening showcasing local talent and to all the people who supported the event, and last but not least the PE staff and PTA helpers of Llantwit Major Comprehensive School who ensured the event ran smoothly.

PGL Netball Weekend

On Friday 8 March year 7 & 8 teams, participated in the PGL Netball weekend in Swindon. On Saturday they played matches and even though most of the year 8 team had injuries they won all four matches, only conceding two goals placing them in the cup finals. The year 7’s also had a very successful day putting them into the finals on day 2.

On Sunday they woke up early facing challenging matches. Despite the freezing cold weather the year 8’s managed to win the first two matches taking them through to the final.

The year 7’s put up an excellent fight in the semi-finals but lost to the eventual winners of the tournament, finishing in a very respectable 4th place. The year 8 final was against Knights Academy who were a very strong team from London. They were very nervous especially as the goal keeper was 6ft 2. It was a very evenly matched game with the Knights leading 3-2 at half time. In the second half they upped our game and drew level 4 all. With only a few seconds to go they managed to score the winning goal, which made Llantwit Major year 8 PGL cup winners 2013. Well done and congratulations to all who took part! Pupil Biography - Ellie Atkinson Welsh middle distance runner Achievements- 2012 1500 – 12 July 2012 SIAB Schools International 3rd (1st Celt) (Welsh team)

1500 – 4 July 2012 - Aviva Welsh school championships – 1st place

1500 – Welsh Championships – 1st Place

1500 6xraces in McCains young athletes midland premier division – all 6 won

1500 – Cardiff and vale schools county championships – 1st

XC – Siab Schools international XC 6th (First Celt) (Welsh team)

XC – Apr 2012 – Virgin Mini Marathon, London – 8th place (First celt) fastest welsh girl all ages (Welsh team)

XC – Welsh schools championships – 1st Place XC – Welsh National championshipss – 2nd Place

2013 – to date XC – U20 McCain cross challenge (Welsh Team) – 1st place

800i – Welsh athletics Grand prix – 1st place (currently fastest time Wales this year)

1500i – International open – Vienna (representing wales as U20) – 3rd currently fastest girl in GB

XC – Welsh Schools championships – 1st place

1500i – Wales v England international invitational (U20) – 3rd place – new PB 4min.30

Year 11 news!

Even during this busy time for year 11’s, some of the year group are managing to fit in some excellent achievements in and out of school. Well done! Engineering Award George Barker has recently won an Engineering Award in Barry College for his excellent achievements and effort towards the subject. He was selected for the award out of his class and for his effort has received a certificate and a cash prize. Well done George!

Prom news!

Most of the year 11’s will have

been invited by now to attend

the year 11 prom on 28 June

2013. More details to follow. Make sure you collect as many

points as possible to ensure your

place at the prom. Hope you can Military Prep competition all make it! Callum Howells was chosen by The Military Prep College to compete in a Military Prep competition. He has been selected from 200 students and will be competing against 16–19 year olds. The College were keen for everyone to know how well he is doing and that it is a huge achievement for him to be picked to compete. Well done Callum and Good Luck!

Year 10 Students have a Successful Work Experience

During the week 4-8 February, all Year 10 pupils undertook work experience.

Whilst some accessed their placements via the Careers Wales database, many others organised their own placements both locally and as far afield as Staffordshire. Examples of placements included primary schools, architects, leisure centres, MOD St. Athan and a whole host of others.

On returning to school when asked to comment about their placement, Josh Goldby said “ My experience placement was brilliant because I was working with large aircraft helping to fix them ready to be flown again.”

Matt Cleave who had a placement at Owens Motors was really excited when asked replying “it was really good because I got a part-time job out of it which I started last week in half term. They have also offered me an apprenticeship when I leave school.”

I have received so many positive comments from both employers and students and I would like to thank all those businesses who have provided our pupils with such a valuable insight into the world of work and the experiences they gained whilst on placement.

Tom Winter who requested a placement within the Science depart- Mrs L Gallo ment at Llantwit Major School Year 10 Pupils’ Work Experience Report

Circuit Teacher Training

It was an important week in the lives of Llantwit’s year 10 pupils as they received, what was for some, their very first taste of life in the world of work. Whilst some went further afield, our decision lead us to Llantwit Major School where we would pursue our ambitions as ‘wannabe’ P.E teachers. From the very start of the year in the GCSE P.E lessons, we had been inspired by the wide range of prospects available to those who had a career in physical education and so such an opportunity could not be missed! We had but one question: just how broad was the spectrum of possibility in this field? It is a well-known fact that primary school pupils in the Vale often carry their sporting talents through to comprehensive school as a result of the extracurricular activities offered at primary school level. Aside from the standard schemes of work, many pupils often have outstanding gymnastic prospects, for example, which could be nurtured onto the professional stage however to what degree are they aware of the basic health and fitness information which could aid both this process, and their lives in all aspects?

As part of our work experience with the P.E Department at Llantwit School, we had been entrusted with the planning and deliverance of a lesson on health and fitness to three of the six Vale primary schools’ year 5 and 6 classes: Llaniltud Fawr, St. Athan and . The lesson was to last 1 hour 15 minutes and consist of an enthusing warm-up, an invigorating circuits session and an informative discussion, all of which would aim to better the pupils’ understanding and knowledge of health and fitness. On the first of this two day experience, we planned the lesson to the best of our abilities, considering health and safety, lesson outcomes and the necessary resources to deliver a successful lesson. Even with the use of a lesson pro-former, this proved reasonably difficult as we had never had the experience of teaching this age group, however the practice session at the end of this enlightening day gave us more confidence in our lesson and most certainly a good workout!

Year 10 Pupils’ Work Experience Report

It was an early start on the 6th of this winter month with final preparations underway before our first stop of the day at Llaniltud Fawr Primary which would be followed by St. Athan and finally, Rhoose. Though the setting out of equipment was a dauntingly nervous process with our efforts lying before us, our confidence grew as the day progressed; we realised just how much the work experience had taught in such little time. As the pupils entered, the look of fear on our faces could be reflected right from their eyes. Despite this, Mrs Coleman’s experienced influence soon allayed any worry about the outcome of the lesson and so our voices became more projected as the sense of success found its way to us. After having introduced ourselves, the warm-up was begun and the feeling of nostalgia flew over as laughter and joy spilled from the simple game- a feeling which continues to live in the memory. With this, the pupils were prepared for the circuit- consisting of the simple shuttle-run and press up through to the more advanced tricep dip and bunny hop- all of which were completed with the utmost of determination and effort. As they repeated the circuit, we challenged them to improve upon their rep scores and totals which indeed they did which much satisfaction and triumph. To conclude the session, we questioned the pupils on various aspects of health and fitness as they warmed down and we were pleasantly surprised with the amount of information they were able to recall from our lesson.

Overall, we feel that the two days of preparation and teaching went extremely well in that the pupils appeared to both enjoy the lesson which we had planned, as well as learnt the useful information which we had aimed for the lesson to give them. Also, we had gained a great deal of satisfaction from the lessons and the experience was gratifying in every sense- a chance for which we are extremely grateful for being afforded to the P.E Department at Llantwit Major School and Mrs K Coleman. Most of all, we now have the answer to our question; the spectrum of opportunity in the field of physical education is indeed as broad as the future it provides!

By Richard Dangerfield & Kierney O’Dare Religious Studies Department Holocaust Memorial–Day Visit to Poland

As you are all aware it was Holocaust Memorial day on 27 January. To mark this occasion, on Wednesday 27 February myself and two sixth formers, Josiah Newcomb, and Callum Nixon, were invited by the ‘Holocaust Educational Trust’ to visit two concentration camps, and the only remaining Synagogue in Oswiecim (Auschwitz), Poland.

The aim of the visit was to gain a deeper understanding and awareness of the holocaust in the hope that more people, especially the younger generation, will stand up and speak out about intolerance, injustice, prejudice and discrimination, after all ‘knowledge is bigotry’s worst enemy’. The visit brought home the reality of the genocide. It is easy to read books and to see figures about the holocaust but these do not always make us fully aware of the horrific evil that man has performed on fellow man. After the liberation of the camps in 1945 a very clear message was spread across the world - ‘Never again’. Unfortunately genocide has not ceased to exist, and sadly it continues today. Bringing understanding and empathy to a new generation is essential if we are to learn lessons from the past, as George Santayana said “The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again.”

I feel very lucky to have been given this experience. However, no words can fully describe what I saw or felt. The message however is very clear - we must all learn to accept differences and to be tolerant of others. All people are individuals and all life has purpose.

Mrs S Griffiths, Teacher of RS

The entrance to the gas chamber. There was no exit. Religious Studies Department Holocaust Memorial–Day Visit to Poland

Josiah and Callum walking throught the famous Gates to Auschwitz One. The sign reads 'Work will set you free'

One of many gas chambers. Millions were murdered in this room.

The skylight to the gas chamber. Cans of Cyclone B used for killing in Gas Cyclone B was thrown in through Chambers here.

Suitcases. Usually a sign of happy times. Here another reminder of death. Reports & Photographs from two students on the Holocaust Memorial Day

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" -George Santayana, circa 1905

If there is one thing that should never be forgotten from our history, it is the holocaust and the murder of nine million innocents during the Second World War. Callum Nixon and I had the opportunity to visit the Nazi death camp, Auschwitz, and learn about the events leading up to and culminating with the holocaust. We visited not only the main camp itself, but we also visited the synagogue in the town nearby, Oświęcim.

Auschwitz as most know it is made up of three different camps. Auschwitz One is the now the museum for the camps. Auschwitz Two, or Auschwitz-Birkenau, is the death camp and it has been left a ruin as memorial for those who died. Auschwitz Three, or Monowitz, was right next to the IG Farben chemical plant and functioned as a slave-labour camp.

We saw the refurbished Auschwitz One, and the frightening artifacts recovered; the piles of shoes, hair, and prostheses, but perhaps most chilling was the heap of used canisters of Zyklon B used in the gas chambers. We saw the memorial next to the ruins of the gas chambers in Auschwitz Two and we paid our respects. We walked into the “barracks” where over a thousand prisoners were kept at one time. We stood in the guard tower overlooking the railroad and the vast expanse of the camp. One of the lessons we learned from this trip was to see the victims as human beings like you and I. Oftentimes we state the numbers of those cruelly murdered without thinking that each and every one of them was a person with hopes, dreams, fears, and a potential for great things. We learned to “re-humanize” the victims of the brutal tragedy.I speak for both of us when I say that this trip and the lessons learned will never be forgotten. My Thoughts: Perhaps one of the most poignant moments of the trip was when we looked at an exhibition of photos collected from the photo albums of the victims. I saw family pictures, and couldn’t help but see my own family reflected in them. I thought, “What if my family had been alive at that time?” I was also given the opportunity to do a reading from the poem “We are the Shoes” by Moshe Szulsztein. I really enjoy poetry in all forms and so it was wonderful to have the chance to read. It is also a very meaningful poem to me and it was fantastic to be a part of a service in front of my peers from other schools. Josiah Newcomb

We are the Shoes: Moshe Szulsztein We are the shoes, we are the last witnesses. We are shoes from grandchildren and grandfathers From Prague, Paris and Amsterdam, And because we are only made of fabric and leather And not of blood and flesh, Each one of us avoided the hellfire

Josiah reading during the memorial service Reports & Photographs from two students on the Holocaust Memorial Day

Callum’s Thoughts:

I am not a very emotional person, so I never thought that I would be affected by this trip. But there were a few things that truly moved me. One of the things that I was affected by most was a room full of travelling cases that the victims were carrying to their death. Each case had a name and an address because they were told that they would be able to collect their things after a trip to the “shower”, which we learned was actually the gas chambers. Hoards of shoes signify the enormous loss of life

The sheer scale of the camps was also startling as we went up into the guard tower that is directly over the railroad. From the tower you could see where the victims were registered, as well as the gas chambers and the converted stables where the innocents were kept. Callum Nixon

The wall where thousands were Prisoners stripped of essentials shot. Notice the blocked such as glasses. windows - blocked because these were the rooms where cruel experiments took place.

The toilets. 300 people would have 40 seconds at a time to go to the toilet.

Eisteddfod 2013 “A HUGE MIX OF ENTERTAINMENT” “CYMYSGEDD ENFAWR O ADLONIANT”

The school celebrated its annual Eisteddfod in fine style on Friday 1 March – St David’s Day. Years 7 and 8 enjoyed a full day of competition co-ordinated by the Welsh, Music & Drama departments, and the programme was packed with students keen to get up and sing, dance or play musical instruments.

As ever, ‘The Battle of the Bands’ was eagerly anticipated and was one of the highlights of the day. Mrs Davies & Mrs Davis would like to thank all those who helped make this such a successful event, including: Mrs Vanessa Hall, Miss Jones and Mr A Williams (Adjudicators), Mr Keith Holmes (Music Technician), Dr Alter, Miss Brown, Miss Stewart & Miss Woolf.

Thanks also to Sixth Form Technicians James Williams & Dan Lewis for leading the backstage team of Lewys Morgan, David Thomas, Rhys Bugler, Will Hougham & Charlie Neale.

This year’s winners were Llywelyn on 518 points. The winner of the Eisteddfod Chair was Macey Newman Lewis Yr 7. The winners of the Shield for Best Entertainers were the Sugardudes Yr 8 The winner of the Shield for Most Dedication was Erin Hayes Yr 11 The winner of the Cup for Best Overall Performance was Yegor Young Yr 13

Yegor is the first student to win the Cup twice. He also won the Cup when he was in Year 9 in 2009. MAE PAWB YN EDRYCH YMLAEN AT YR EISTEDDFOD NESA: DYDD GWENER MAWRTH 7 2014: FRIDAY MARCH 7 2014 Eisteddfod 2013 “A HUGE MIX OF ENTERTAINMENT” “CYMYSGEDD ENFAWR O ADLONIANT”

An enthusiastic crowd support

the entertainers

Llantwit’s Celebration of Welsh Culture! - Report by two Yr 9 Students

On Friday 1 March, Llantwit Major School’s Eisteddfod was staged by the teachers and pupils, celebrating St David’s day with a fantastic show of all the school’s talent. Among the audience you could feel the excitement waiting to see competitions as the four different Houses (Llywelyn, Glyndwr, Hywel and Madog) prepared to battle for the Eisteddfod Cup and Shields. Good sportsmanship was shown this year with everyone showing enthusiasm towards the performances, clapping and cheering for the performers. The junior gymnastics kicked off the competition, won by the extremely flexible Lauren and Freya, swiftly followed by the senior gymnastics won by the talented Bethan. The drama performers showcased fun and humour in their performances, rewarded by the claps and cheers of the crowd. Some of the most cheer raising acts were those from the girls’ solo performance. The entertaining Erin came in second whilst the amazing pitch perfect Holly came in first. Next were the amazing dancers with joint first Sophie and double act Lucy and Alannah. The junior solo singers were another highlight of the Eisteddfod - all with great voices but won by Caitlin. The senior group performances involved singing and instruments in an amazing combo won by Dan, James, Alice and Megan. Senior boys’ vocal performance was another strong competition, where anyone of them could have won. In third place was Dan, in second place was the great James but in first place with a sensational performance was Yegor. The girl’s vocal solo was another strong suit with Rosey’s great performance in third, the incredible Nia in second but in first place was Shannon’s perfect and emotional rendition of ‘Hallelujah.’ Without a doubt one of the best sections of the Eisteddfod was the Battle of the Bands with bright lights, loud music, smoke, electric guitars and the audience’s cheers of appreciation. In third came the brilliant Feedback, whilst in second was the marvellous Bandter and finally in first place was the wonderful Stiff Richard. To end the day of applause we saw the Chairing of the Bard ceremony where Macey from year 7 was praised for her hard work. The prizes for Most Dedicated Performance: (Erin’s humorous song and acting combination), Best Entertainers (Sugardudes’ fun rendition of ‘One Pound Fish’) and best Overall Performance ( the singing and dancing Yegor). Finally the results of the day’s events were calculated to work out the totals for each House. In fourth place was Hywel, in third place was Madog, in second place was Glyndwr and in first place, by just two points – Llywelyn. Everyone stood with pride to sing the Welsh national anthem as the day’s celebration was over. Everyone seemed to enjoy the day and all that had been achieved. A pupil from 7DH called Carys who performed with the drama group said this about performing “It was nerve wracking. I felt scared at first but after I performed I was happy.” Eisteddfod 2014 is on 7 March. See you there! Jodie George and Dafydd Jones Year 9

Key Dates Spring/Summer 2013

25 Mar-5 All Easter Holiday

Apr W/B 8-19Apr Year 10 Year 10 exam fortnight 8/4 11 April 4-6.30 pm Year 8 Year 8 Parents Evening

1 May 1-3.00 pm Year 7 Passport Presentation

W/B 6 May All May Day Bank Holiday 6/5 7 May Year 7 NFER Testing 22 May 6.00 pm PTA PTA Meeting

27-31 May All Half Term W/B Sports Day (date to be deter- 3/6 mined nearer the time) W/B 17-21 June Year 12 Work Experience 17/6 17 June Yr8/9 Years 8/9 Exams Fortnight W/B 1/2 Jul All Alternative timetable – PSHE 1/7 2 Jul Year 4 Year 4 Transition Day 3 Jul 8.30-3 pm Year 6 Transition Day

3 Jul 6.00 pm Year 6 Transition Day Concert W/B 8-12 Jul School Drama Production 8/7 10 Jul 8.30-3 pm Year 5 Transition day

12 Jul Reports to Parents

15/7 15-19 Jul All Year 12 Enterprise/Community Week/ Welsh Baccalaureate Week

19 Jul Last day of term

We believe that

People are our greatest asset

We are therefore committed to …

 Setting the highest expectations to secure excellence in teaching & learning  Providing a stimulating, challenging, personalised curriculum  Celebrating individuality, success and achievement at all levels  Developing dynamic and meaningful partnerships with our wider community  Securing a safe, collaborative and caring ethos for all  Resourceful use of ICT to enhance teaching & learning