Bulletin for Parents – October 2014 Welcome! Important Dates Welcome back to everyone at the start of a new school year. A special welcome to those pupils who are starting at Ysgol Dyffryn Ogwen for the first time and to their parents. We 27.10.14 – 31.10.14 wish everyone a very happy and successful year. Half Term Holidays Pupils’ Examination Success Once again it was a pleasure to celebrate our pupils’ success. The A Level pass rates were very 03.11.14 encouraging at all grades with the vast majority managing to secure their first choice course at School opens after University. A very high percentage of the year succeeded in achieving the Welsh half term Baccalaureate qualification, gaining a place in Higher Education as a result of this success. This success reflects the hard work of all the pupils and staff as well as their parents’ support. 18.11.14 Congratulations and best wishes to all of them. Parents’ Evening Yr. 8 Very good GCSE results were achieved again this year – with 96% of year 11 pupils achieving the equivalent of 5 A*-C grades. This is much higher than the average for Gwynedd schools. 02.12.14 We are particularly pleased too that no pupils have left the school without any qualifications. Parents’ Evening Yr. 7 19.12.14 - Last day at school before the Christmas holidays The best GCSE results were achieved by The best A level results were achieved by Elin Cain, Cai Dickinson and Nic Johns. Adam Hughes, Cara Thomas and Ben Roberts. Ysgol Dyffryn Ogwen Pupils’ Prize Giving The School Annual Prize Giving was held on Wednesday 18th September in the school hall. It is an opportunity to celebrate the successes of our pupils and young people academically, in their extra-curricular activities and for their attendance and effort with school work. Our guest speaker this year was Mr Dewi R. Jones – the former Head of Education for Gwynedd Council. Our guests were Mrs Beryl Orwig – the Dafydd Orwig Scholarship, Councillor Godfrey Northam – Chair of the Bethesda Community Council and Mrs Mair Leverett, Chair of the Llandygai Community Council. It was also a great pleasure to welcome the headteachers of the primary schools in the catchment area. After all, the pupils’ success is just as much a result of the work of the primary schools as it is of our work in the secondary school. The school would like to thank the following sponsors for their financial contributions towards the Prize Giving this year:- Jones & Whitehead, Electricians, Tregarth - DU Construction Ltd; Builders, Gaerwen – Welsh Slate, Penrhyn Quarry, Bethesda – Tony Davies, Plumber, Llanllechid. PRIZE WINNERS, 2013-2014 100% Attendance Prizes Reece Davies Nel Rhys Cai Williams Morgan Davies Nia George Joshua Hughes Sion Jones Elen Owen Dylan Robertson Ieuan Hughes Mari Jones Cadi Rhys Arwel Davies Manon Hughes Ben Jones Morgan Jones Huw Owen Year 7 Prizes :- Ella Baker Lowri Ford Meilir Griffiths Beca Nia Thalia Lichtenstein Cai Rees Williams Mia Richards Ceri Williams Subject Prizes:- Welsh (Sponsored by Mr & Mrs J H Evans, Tegfryn, Rhiwlas) Alys Haf Llinos Roberts English Kara Bullock Adam Hughes French Elin Cain Meilir Griffiths Music Jac Peall Mari Williams Mathematics Luke Crow Ben Jones Math Owen Science KS3 Owain Morgan Martha Evans Science KS 4 Cai Dickinson Rhiannon Llwyd Science KS 5 Cara Thomas Ben Roberts History Luke Crowe Bethan Hughes Geography Nicholas Johns Jasmine Jones Religious Studies Sara Evans Llinos Evans Physical Education Llinos Evans Gethin Williams Art Joshua Williams Dion Jones Hospitality Rhys Evans Sara Evans Child Development Lisa Francis Llinos Evans Design and Technology (Resistive) Jade Roberts Joshua Williams Information Technology Morgan Davies Cadi Roberts Progress Prize (Sponsored by the family of the late Wyn Davies, Bronydd Isaf, Llanllechid) Dewi Moses-Roberts Beca Bullock Llandygai Community Council Prizes Effort Yr. 7 Megan Williams Dafydd Williams Effort Yr. 8 Stephanie Owen Alex Welling Effort Yr. 9 Chloe Davies Tomos Gwyn Jones Effort Yr. 10 Daniel Evans Lois Owen Sports Champion of the Year – Year 7 Beca Nia Caio Hughes Cai Williams Sports Champion of the Year – Year 8 Sophie Ellis Esme Crowe Ben Williams Sports Champion of the Year – Year 9 Elin Owen David Florence Sports Champion of the Year – Year 10 Manon Hughes Harri Phillips Best Team of the Year Boys’ under 13 Rugby Team Cai Griffiths Joseph Bullock Pedr Owen Joshua Hughes Shaun Roberts Ben Williams Mathew Buchanan Gruffydd Roberts Sion Jones Sion Davies Kieran Briggs Jorden Roberts Kieron Bullock Osian Sanderson Dafydd Williams Joshua Dignam Caio Hughes Morgan Davies Jac Oliver Rhys Puw Best Performance at GCSE Cai Dickinson Elin Cain Nicholas Johns Best Performance at A Level Adam Hughes Ben Roberts Cara Thomas Carwyn Thomas Shield Sophie Ellis Athlete of the Year Trophy Sion Bullock Frank Rhys Jones Memorial Prize Bethesda Community Council Hannah Cook Scholarship Dafydd Orwig Scholarship A year and a half ago Hannah lived in Cai Jones Steffan Owain Adam Hughes Banbury in Oxfordshire, spoke only Steffan Owen Kyle Thomas Cara Thomas English and had no links with Wales. Now, having been in the Secondary Schools’ Language Unit in Porthmadog, These four are following courses in These two have now started on their she is fluent in Welsh and plays a full Coleg Menai that will lead to a specific courses in Cardiff University. We wish part in all the school’s activities. Quite craft in the future, such as a carpenter, you all the best. an achievement! plumber or electrician. Staff A warm welcome to the new member of staff who has joined us this term:- Miss Delyth Hughes – Mathematics Teacher Diaries All pupils in years 7-13 have received a personal diary in order to organise their work at all times. The diary is also an important channel of communication between the school and parents. We will use the diary to give you information about the following matters:- Homework Reports and Assessments Monitoring and tracking progress against targets Tutorial Interviews Letters for Parents Examinations/Controlled Assessments Attendance We would kindly ask you to discuss the contents of the diary with your child and to sign it each week. Holidays during term time The National Assembly has issued new guidelines that entitle schools to impose a financial penalty of £120 on parents whose children have missed 10 or more days without the school’s agreement. This includes holidays taken during term time. With the support of parents and staff, the school has worked very hard to improve the attendance figures and prizes are awarded to the class and the individuals with the best attendance. One thing that affects the attendance figures is holidays taken during school term time. In common with every other secondary school in Gwynedd, the governors have decided to allow family holidays of up to 5 days only in years 7-9, but no days at all in years 10 and 11. We are asking for parents to support us by not arranging family holidays during school term time. Punctuality All pupils are expected to be in school by 8:45am to ensure an orderly start to the day. We ask for parents’ co-operation with this, particularly at the start of a new school year. Pupils who arrive late in the morning or who are late for their lessons will be kept in at dinner time and then after school. Pupils’ Absence Regular attendance at school is essential if the pupils are to take full advantage of the educational opportunities available to them. In order to maintain and improve attendance levels at the school we would kindly ask you to contact us on the first day of your child’s absence. 1. Please contact the school between 8:30 and 9:00 on the first morning that your child is absent:- Telephone 01248 600291. 2. If the school has not received a telephone call between 8:30 and 9:00 o’clock telling us why your child is not at school, we will then try to contact the parent with a text message. 3. You are requested to note the reason for the absence in your child’s diary. Thank-you for your co-operation. Homework Club Free School Meals / School Uniform Grant We are keen to ensure that parents are able to claim the financial The Homework Club is open every Monday to Thursday assistance available to them, e.g. grants are available from the from 3:20 to 4:20 in a computer room. County Council to provide free school meals for some pupils and to help parents buy school uniforms. This is a great opportunity for pupils to get help with their Don’t forget that you need to renew your application each year. If school work. you have not applied before the end of term, you will be expected to pay for your child’s school uniform/dinner from the start of next All pupils from years 7 to 11 are welcome to attend the Club. term. Contact the Benefits Department on 01286 682689. Leaving the School Premises Year 7 – 11 pupils are not permitted to leave the school premises during the morning break or at dinner time. Our main concern is for their health and safety, for two main reasons: 1. It there was a fire in the school at dinner time, for example, we would not know anything about your child, who should be in school. 2. If your child left the school premises without permission and had an accident, we would like to make it clear to you as parents that the school would not be responsible for them.