Issue 13 • Summer 2017 e h T Leader Learning to Lead our Lives The Leader cellebrates the achiievements and experiiences of our students and chroniiclles the lliife of the schooll The Leader Issue 13 - Summer 2017 Student Art Paige Heaven Epiphany Morgan Annabel Birchall Hannah Hough Charlotte Berrow Becky Embling Gruffudd Drury Hannah Nugent Ellie Wise Charlotte Bicknell Sally West Annie Tattersdill Kate Salamon Chloe Barrett 2 The Leader Issue 13 - Summer 2017 Welcome Contents 2 Student Art Mr Alderton’s words resonate today, 3 Back to the Future 40 years later. We are thinking about 3 Editorial a year from now when our new 4 A Year in the Life... school will be nearly ready and we 6 Head Girl and Boy will be preparing to move. There will 7 Student Art be changes and, as Mr Alderton 8 Sporting Round-up says, change is life. 19 Student Art 20 MFL Roundup There are, however, constants, our 25 Duke of Edinburgh Awards school magazine and the wonderful 26 Confidence (and Voices) Soar! talents, skills and achievements of 27 D of E Gold Award our students continue to impress 27 Catching Up and excel across many fields, from 28 World Challenge Mongolia theatre, sports, music, drama, dance 35 Student Design & Technology Work and art to academic success and 36 MCS Eisteddfod entrepreneurial endeavour. We are, Jeffrey Alderton, the Headteacher of 37 Rydw i’n dwli ar Llangrannog! and will remain, a comprehensive Monmouth Comprehensive School 38 Let Them Eat Cake school, providing the opportunity for said, in the school ‘Celebration 39 Enduring Voices every child to shine. Our new school Magazine’, way back in 1977 40 Art Round Up building will make sure the beacon “Nobody knows what the next 10 41 News from our Geography Department of MCS shines brightly. 42 News from the English Faculty years or the next 25 years will bring. 43 Youth Speaks We only know that there will be Vaughan Davies 43 Sound Training change and that change is life”. Headteacher 2017 44 Totally Talented 44 Memories are Made of This 45 The Power of Reading in Learning 46 Rowing Update 52 Another year on Editorial 53 Student Design & Technology Work 54 Summer Learning Thank you Mr Davies, room for more 56 Science Update than my 37 words last year! 57 Engineering Project Welcome to the Leader 2017, full of 58 Bonjour Mickey exciting trips (musicians to New York, 60 Dobrý den water polo player to the Czech 61 Vocational Learning Republic), trophies won (including 62 Charity Matters Best Turned Out Cadet, Champion 64 Real Madrid Football Tour Beef Young Handler, Young MTB Bike 68 New York, New York…. Rider of the Year), numerous martial 69 Chartwells art belts awarded and lots of money 70 Italy Ski Trip 72 Music at MCS raised by students for a variety of 75 Drama at MCS charities. It has certainly been a year next year, please don’t hesitate to 76 Der Grüffelo to remember! contact me at the school - new support always welcome. 77 The Friends Association A big thank you must go to all our 78 Out of School Achievements So, cup of coffee in hand, sit in the sponsors, old and new, whose 86 Phoenix from the Ashes garden (weather permitting) and adverts make it possible to send this 87 Student Design & Technology Work magazine home, free of charge. If enjoy the exploits of our students. School Photography by Des Pugh, you would like to place an advert Wendy Baker, Editor Official School Photographer Apologies for any errors and omissions in this publication. 3 The Leader Issue 13 - Summer 2017 A Year in the Life... Well, here we are again, 12 months In October, a group of our students literally scaled the older but possibly no wiser! heights at the Skills Cymru Careers Event in Cardiff, scampering to the top of the climbing wall - not one for the We had a wonderful Summer Showcase where Drama faint-hearted! students performed a tremendously moving piece, A Tribute to Aberfan - marking the 50th anniversary of the disaster. Sixth Form students had a whirlwind trip to Lille - there and Our guest, The Mayor then asked for this piece to be back in 24 hours - well done Miss Wilcox, not a single one performed at the Savoy Theatre in October as part of the left behind in the rush! See page 22. Mayor’s Showcase. Two students from the Drama group We celebrated also performed a delightful item - The Return of the Great Christmas (only Houdini. on the last day, The Literary Festival was, once again, a success and students though!), with were delighted to meet, and listen to, Michael Morpurgo at our Sixth Form The Savoy in Monmouth. It was great to see the pop-up (elves) serving poetry sessions take place around the town - a firm favourite. lunch to the See page 39. younger students with our older One lucky family won the Ipad in the MCSFA Summer students wolfing Raffle, a fundraising event which raised over £800 - a big down Christmas thank you to those who bought raffle tickets. baguettes. Y7 students spent a wonderful day at the Cardiff Museum and Art Gallery to view the Quentin Blake ‘Inside Stories’ Exhibition. By the time the term ended, everyone was firmly ensconced in their new classes/offices in the T Block. Students received their exam results in August. Great results all round - well done to everyone. Before we could take a breath, we were back in School for the start of the Autumn term and building up to Awards’ Evening where it was wonderful to see former student, Roddy Thomson, present the prizes and give a memorable speech, reminiscing about his time at MCS and encouraging students to work hard and reach for the stars. 4 The Leader Issue 13 - Summer 2017 The Ski Squad had a wonderful time, judging by the tweets zinging through the atmosphere. I’m sure you spotted all the On June 12, our lovely Miss Snook, Faculty Leader of MFL, re-tweets on the website - a picture definitely paints a attended the German Embassy in London where she thousand words. More pictures to be found on page 70. received one of the German Teaching Awards 2017 from Sporting students have had a tremendous year, both in and German Ambassador, Dr Peter Ammon. The purpose of the out of school, as you will see from the Sporting Roundup Award is to recognise outstanding achievements by (page 8 to 18) and from the Out of School Activities (page individual teachers of German in primary and secondary 78 to 85). They really are a talented bunch! schools in the UK, to highlight and pay tribute to the work of Students from school travelled the world, from New York German teachers in the UK. We are delighted that Miss (our musicians - page 68) to the Czech Republic (our water Snook’s hard work and dynamic enthusiasm has been polo player - page 60) - you never knew where they might recognised in this way – quite possibly she was speechless – pop up next around the globe. on second thoughts, probably not!! Miss Snook was also quite excited to meet key speaker, John le Carré, as the The life-changing World Challenge trip to Mongolia (page picture shows. 28) experienced by our Sixth Formers gave them memories they will treasure for the rest of their lives and shows how And finally….. we have a new favourite who visits the school freely our students give of their time to make a difference to every week - Frank Furter - a lovely little dachshund who we someone else’s life. are tempted to keep!! Monmouth’s Got Talent was super-successful for our students this year with Ella Young, singing “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and Annie Porter, singing “ Only On My Own” (from Les Mis.) coming joint first. They were incredible! Our Y13 students bade farewell to MCS, dressed first in their hoodies then in their gladrags at the official function. A group of our students play for the Monmouth Town U14 football team and represented the Club in a national competition run by the FAW, in conjunction with The Champions League Final which took place in Cardiff in June. The team, including Callum Wood, Hywel Williams, Johnny Dunkley, Reuben Sutton, Harry Johnson, Hayden Morris and Emyr Pullen, reached the Final, playing Mynydd Isa FC from North Wales on the purpose-built floating pitch at Cardiff Bay. Some brilliant play by the Monmouth Town team saw them crowned Champions League Festival Winners. As a reward to both teams for reaching the Final, the FAW gave the teams complimentary tickets to the Women’s Champions League Final. Well done boys. 5 The Leader Issue 13 - Summer 2017 Head Girl and Boy As the year went on, the speeches and events just rattled by and started to become an easier part of the role. From Awards Evening to attending Joint Council meetings with HMSG and Monmouth School Council members, there was always something to do. It was great fun meeting the Head Boy and Girl teams from Monmouth School and HSMG and this made our last minute panic of organising In November, Emily and I were honoured Monmouth’s Got Talent Show that much to represent the school at the easier. After a couple of stressful and busy Remembrance Ceremony at the Cenotaph meetings we were able to put on an in St James’ Square. entertaining showcase of talent from the A highlight of the year was the Y7/8/9 three schools, whilst raising a staggering Eisteddfod.