Penyrheol Summer Newsletter 2013

Summer 2013 • www.penyrheol-comp.net

Penyrheol newsletter

Prom 2013 WE SAY GOODBYE TO YEAR 11 PHOTOGRAPHS AND REVIEW

Sports Day Results & Photographs

Event Updates: Summer Concert Prague Trip Florida Trip

PLUS: Important Dates Student Voice Charity Events Beyond the school gates & more

summer term

A message from the Headteacher

W

elcome to the se cond e dition of our N ew sletter to b e publishe d onl y on our website . Remember that if you would like a hard copy, please contact Reception on the number above and we will provide this for you.

It has been a spectacularly successful year for Penyrheol Comprehensive School. Not only did we achieve record GCSE results for the fourth year in a row in summer 2012, our 2013 Key Stage 3 results are also our best ever. Alongside that, our debating team were runners-up in the UK final of the bar Mock Trial Competition back in March. If you were able to attend our school production of ‘Grease’ in February or our two music concerts in December 2012 and July 2013, you will know what excellent events those were. By the end of this term we will have run six overseas trips this school year! Two of our Year 11 pupils have also gained scholarships to continue their education in private schools. We have superb talent at Penyrheol among pupils and staff. You can read more about some of this term’s successful activities inside.

For the first time ever in the history of the school pupils’ attendance broke through the 92% figure, 92.5% to be precise for the year up to June. Next year we need to improve again and break through the 93% barrier. If your child isn’t in school, they will be missing out on learning and falling behind their peers. Thank you for your support in ensuring that your children are in school as often as possible. On Friday 5th July we were able to take about 40 pupils from the catchment cluster from Year 5 to Year 11 to Thorpe Park for the day for free. This was their reward for achieving 100% attendance in the school year.

We have an exciting new initiative this summer with our first ever Summer School. This is taking place from 5th – 9th August for Years 9 and 10 and from 12th -16th August for Years 7 and 8. The event will combine learning with fun activities and there will be a free trip to Oakwood on the Fridays for pupils who attend during the week. The Summer School is by invitation only, so if you have received information about it, please sign up.

Next term we have our six-yearly inspection by Estyn and this will take place during the week beginning 16th September. Parents will have an opportunity to let their views about Penyrheol Comprehensive School be known through an online or paper questionnaire and through a meeting to be held by the inspection team at 5.00 p.m. on Monday, 16th September. Can you please ensure that pupils retain their exercise books and other work from the current academic year as inspectors will want to see this. We are confident that our school will achieve a very good inspection report.

Next year we will also be going biometric as a simpler way of administering our cashless canteen system. During the Autumn Term we will be asking you for permission to take thumbprints of all our pupils, so that these can replace the swipecards we currently use. The reason for this is simple: it is harder to break or to lose your thumb! The thumbprints will not be used for any other purpose and will be destroyed as soon as your child leaves the school.

The Summer Term ends at 1.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 23rd July. Before then we still have Sports Day on Tuesday, 16th July. If this warm weather continues, please ensure that your child comes to school with plenty of fluids and sun cream. Year 10 are on Work Experience from 15th July and Year 9 have an Enterprise Activity on 18th / 19th July. Monday, 22nd July is our Activity Day. I wish every parent, pupil and friend of Penyrheol Comprehensive School a restful and enjoyable summer break.

GCSE results come out on Thursday, 22nd August. We will be open from 9.00 a.m. for Year 11 and from 10.00 a.m. for Year 10. Next term we will be starting with two INSET days on 2nd and 3rd September, so the first day back for pupils will be Wednesday, 4th September.

Yours faithfully, ALAN TOOTILL Headteacher

Holiday Information

School for pupils will restart on Wednesday 4th September 2013 Bank Holidays 2014 18 April 2014 21 April 2014 5 May 2014 26 May 2014

Good Friday Easter Monday May Day Spring Bank Holiday

INSET Days 2013/2014 Monday 2nd September 2013 Tuesday 3rd September 2013 Other important dates to note 22nd August 2013 - GCSE Exam results available from 9am (Year 11) and 10am (Year 10) School Inspection - 16-20th September 2013 Staff News This term we say farewell to a number of staff: Mr D Holland (Maths), Mr J Hay (Cover Supervisor), Miss S Webb (Senior Science Technician & School Governor) and Mr W Morgans (Design & Technology Technician). The latter two members of staff are retiring, having worked at Penyrheol Comprehensive for a total of 87 years between them!

A full article is included in this newsletter.

School Canteen Following feedback from parents, please find below a copy of the pricing structure for meals available to pupils each day here at Penyrheol.

This price list is correct at time of going to print and may be subject to a small price increase in September 2013, but will hopefully provide a useful overview of how much your child may need on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Please also note, that if your child has recently left school, it may be advisable to check the amount they have left on their dinner card as they may be in credit. This amount can of course be reimbursed.

Welcome to Gwdihw Lane!

(Goody-Hoo)

Where, you may ask? Well, ‘Gwdihw Lane’ (pronounced Goody Hoo and meaning Owl Lane) is the name that has been given to the lane that leads from the school playing field to Brynteg Lane at the rear of the school.

Pupils were given the chance to vote for their favourite name from the four options:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Butterfly Lane Willow Walk Gwdihw Lane Appletree Avenue

‘Gwdihw Lane’ won hands down and once votes had been collected, a sign was made and erected at the entrance to the lane. The choice of name seemed so suitable, as a wise owl represents knowledge and in Welsh, sounds just like the hoot of the owl – A perfect choice!

Unfortunately, we are sorry to report that the sign was very quickly vandalised , but not to be deterred, pupils decided that another stronger sign should be made and erected in a slightly less reachable place.

Look out for the new sign coming soon!

Student Voice The latest Student Voice meeting was held in the Library Resource Centre on Friday 5th July 2013 and matters raised were as follows: E-Books Ms Murphy is looking at introducing E-Books to the school library and wanted a small working group to look at how they would work before the school commits fully. A selection of pupils from Years 7-10 volunteered and will meet with Ms Murphy in September Restorative Practice Mrs Dyche and Madame Tanner explained to us the importance of Restorative Practice and how they wish to introduce it at Penyrheol. This might include sessions within registration where pupils and staff discuss their feelings, which in turn leads to a better understanding of each other. This will be discussed in more detail at the next meeting and senior staff will be organising a training day.

Governor/Student Links We welcomed Mrs Jeffreys to the meeting who is the Business Manager here at Penyrheol and who in turn introduced us to Mrs Richards, who is currently the vice chair of the schools governing body. Mrs Richards was keen to forge a Governor-Pupil link in order that communication is improved and feedback can be acted upon. Student voice thought this was an excellent idea and suggested that once in a while they went along to the Governors meetings too.

Updates of previously discussed issues 1. Mr Phillips (Site Manager) said that additional benches have now been purchased and placed around the school following previous feedback from Student Voice 2. Mr Phillips reported that a report book is now available in each Head or Year office for pupils to record any health and safety issues in. These are checked by Mr Phillips on a weekly basis and acted upon. Comments may be left anonymously if required.

3. Pupils recently voted on whether or not hoodies should be allowed in school and the outcome was a resounding ‘Yes’! Student Voice felt that although this was a fair vote, it hadn’t been explained particularly well and were unaware that there would still be rules attached. Head boy Joseff Williams was keen that the rules should be made clear and the rules of wearing hoodies indoors should also apply to other outer wear like coats. The message at the moment was felt to be mixed and inconsistent.

Complaints Policy Mrs Jeffreys asked student Voice to consider how a pupil’s complaint policy could be better implemented. Feedback on this will be discussed in September.

AOB : 1. Mirrors were requested for the girls’ toilets in the annexe – Mr Phillips to investigate.

2. Year 8 pupils raised a concern about exam conditions. They felt that Year 7-9 exams should be held in the theatre rather than school classrooms to replicate serious exam conditions. It was felt that taking exams in classrooms was a little disruptive and didn’t aid concentration. Issues were brought to the attention of school governor Mrs Richards, who promised to take the matter further.

To finish, all the current serving members of Student Voice were presented with a certificate to say thank you for their contribution to the council, as new members will be duly elected for the new term. A full list of Student Voice members will appear in the Autumn Newsletter, along with a full list of the current board of Governors.

Summer Concert O

n a beautifully warm and sunny evening, the theatre was packed for this year’s summer concert which as usual was a complete delight!

The orchestra opened the evening with their rendition of ‘Palladio’ by Welsh and local composer Karl Jenkins and went on to play a selection (amongst other things) of James Bond themes. We had performances by the string, woodwind and brass sections and even the saxophonists were highlighted this year. A great mix of musical genres and of course a forum that displayed many different musical talents!

Both the Whole School and Junior choirs sang beautifully, with impressive harmonies. The junior choir sang a lovely ‘Adele’ medley which they clearly enjoyed and it was excellent to see how many pupils took part…growing in number all the time. The whole School choir sang a selection of Welsh pieces, A ‘Jersey Boy’ medley and ‘Caravan of Love’ to provide a varied and enjoyable programme.

The Chamber choir, consisting of Year 10 and 11 pupils sang three numbers, the highlight being ‘Jar of Hearts’ which was particularly haunting and beautifully sung.

...

As seen on twitter...

@davidbrayley “Fab summer concert at @ Penyrheol this eve. Never ceases 2amaze me the talent on show....all aged 11-16. Loved it all, esp Eli Jenkins Prayer” @dawnswans

ne of the highlights of the concert this year was a solo by Alexander O Murphy, who performed his own composition, written for his recent GCSE Music exam. There was a gasp in the audience as Mr Rogers announced that Alex had written this piece himself… a compliment indeed! Alex also sang a lovely Jason Mraz number called ‘Lucky’ with Elinor Evans (also Year 11) whose voices blended together wonderfully and again, the performance was particularly well received.

This would be the last concert that Mr D Holland (Maths) would join us for, as he leaves us this term to pursue his career as Head of Maths at another school. More recently remembered for his stunning performance as ‘Teen Angel’ in this year’s school production ‘Grease’, he will be sorely missed!

A special mention goes to the Year 6 pupils who joined us from our partner primary schools… what a lovely introduction to the school for them and a fabulous chance for us to see the talent that will be nurtured over the years here at Penyrheol.

It goes without saying that without the talent, help and organisation of Mr J Rogers and Miss L Morris, this evening would not have taken place and for the help of the peripatetic staff who always give their time for our concerts so willingly. A lovely evening that left us wanting more, which was Just as well, as the Christmas Concert was announced for the 18th December, another date for our diaries and one not to be missed!

Congratulations to everyone involved.

“@penyrheolmusic awesome performance from some talented kids tonight :) well done all xx” @AJTootill “Excellent Summer Concert this evening.

Well done Mr Rogers and Miss Morris. Orchestra and choirs were superb. Alex Murphy’s song was immense” @penyrheolmusic “Amazing Summer Concert tonight. We are blessed with huge talent in our school. You are a credit to @Penyrheol #proud”

Charity Fundraising Race for Life To help raise much needed funds in order to find a cure for cancer, a group of ladies (pupils and staff) from Penyrheol signed up as a team and ran the course at the Millennium Coastal Park, Llanelli on Sunday 9th June.

All of our team finished the 5k run between 25 and 45 minutes depending if they were running, jogging, walking or even skipping the course (as in the case of Olivia and Aimee-Marie!).

A total of £190 was raised in individual sponsorship – well done to all those involved!

Year 8 Fundraiser In aid of Ty Olwen and the MS Society Two pupils in Year 8 were extremely brave on the 1st May this year.

Jacob Jones (8H) and Courtney Thomas (8E) volunteered to have their beautiful heads of hair shaved off in aid of good causes and by charging people to watch, raised £172!

Jacob who recently lost his Grandfather to Cancer, donated his half of the money raised to Ty Olwen Hospice and Courtney chose to donate hers to The M S Society; a charity close to heart, as Mum suffers with Multiple Sclerosis.

A professional hairdresser was brought in and the event was filmed….proof the job had indeed been done, so many congratulations to both Jacob and Courtney for their efforts and who, by the way… both look great with no hair!

Year 9 Fundraiser In aid of Cancer Research

In order to raise money for Cancer Research, a few pupils from Year 9 organised a head and chest shaving event! Sam Morris and Levi Moon had their heads shaved and Mr M Luckwell, Head of Year 9, had his chest waxed! Apparently this was done without even a flinch as the hair was ripped from his chest!

Congratulations to all involved who raised a fantastic ÂŁ200!

Have you taken part in any fundraising activities?

Let us know and get your story in the newsletter next term!

Pupils with the collected Christmas Cards

Prague 2013

The aim of this trip was to allow students to gain first-hand experience of subject material that was relevant to their school studies and the National Curriculum. This trip was tailor-made for pupils in years 9-11.

Prague was an amazing destination that provided the children with inspiration and experiences that will hopefully stay with them for life. The emphasis on the overseas trip was educational and perfectly suited to students who were studying Art and History. The students benefited from having the opportunity to develop independence and discover another culture and language in a European city.

Our excursions included: • Visit to the Mucha Museum • Prague Marionette Theatre • Vitava River Cruise • Tour of Prague castle by night • Guided tour of the old town

We didn’t want to leave!

Art!

James Masters 11H and Taya West 11D

We both thoroughly enjoyed Prague. It is a beautiful city full of many amazing people, street performers and unique individuals who made the trip worthwhile.

The spectacular architecture took our breath away, from the range of Gothic to Baroque. Everywhere we looked there was beauty and art.

Prague is a great inspiration for art and it is definitely a destination for all artistic pupils. Great artists such as Mucha have broadened our minds and have influenced Taya’s love for art. We thank Mrs O’Keeffe, Mrs Kavanagh and Mr Hay for taking us.

We really loved it and didn’t want to leave.

P

rague has been one of the most amazing experiences ever! The teachers that organised the trip are amazing, some of the best in the school by far. I would definitely come back. Fantastic architecture! (But it was FREEZING!)

Shopping!

Kennedi Williams 10Y

T

he architecture was beautiful and the museums were fascinating. I really enjoyed the experience and the food was very nice.

Lucy Colarusso 11Y

L

oved it! It was a new experience with beautiful art and breathtaking architecture! They even had M&S, TGI’s, The Hard Rock Café and Mc Donald’s, it reminded me of home! It was amazing seeing and hearing all the nationalities and languages!

Jamie Lee Williams 9D

I

t was fun and cool. The buildings were awesome!

Prague was brilliant!

Callum Hearn 9D

P

rague was unbelievable! I loved it so much and it was stunning! Who needs sun when you have snow- eh?

Lauren Nulty 10M

Perfect landscapes Jazmin Jay Leonard 10D

Prague was amazing! It was a blast! We went on a tour around the city which was beautiful. We saw an astrological clock and the Prague castle. The landscape was perfect, especially after dark. I’d definitely go back to Prague again!

The old town was beautiful Caitlin Thomas 10Y

Prague was one of the best places I’ve ever been. The old town was beautiful and we went on some amazing tours. The teachers were really nice and it was freezing.

Lovely architecture, amazing, cool!!! Enjoyed it, the hotel was good.

Sam Roche 9D COLD!!! Good tours, awesome shopping and amazing teachers to go with. Awesome trip. (PS don’t buy as much as I did!)

Gabrielle Seager 10C

After 87 years it’s time to tee off!

At the end of Summer term 2013 we will be saying farewell to our longest serving members of staff; Miss Sue Webb (Senior Science Technician & School Governor for 12 years) and Mr Wayne Morgans (Design & Technology Technician).

Between them they have worked at Penyrheol for an astonishing 87 years and to mark this wonderful achievement, our school council, ‘Student Voice’ decided it would be a nice idea to interview them for the newsletter, so that we may all read about their times here at Penyrheol and their plans for the future!

The interview with Miss Sue Webb was conducted by Dena Davies & Scott Davies (Year 7) and both Jack Bowen & Abby Thomas (Year 7) interviewed Mr Wayne Morgans.

Interviewers: How long have you been working at Penyrheol?

Sue: About 47 Years now.

Wayne: Nearly 40 years. I started on the 8th October 1973 at the age of 23!

Interviewers: How has it been, working with the staff and pupils at this school?

Sue:

I have loved it! I feel very fortunate to have worked with some terrific science teachers and the pupils have been fabulous.

Wayne: Very pleasurable and something I am going to miss.

Interviewers: What has been your most memorable moment?

Sue:

The two fires…On both occasions it was very upsetting, but the first time, I watched the fire spread and saw the tower block fall. It was awful but nobody was hurt thank goodness. I couldn’t believe it happened a second time, but seeing the school re-built into the wonderful school it is now was nevertheless quite exciting.

Wayne: The nicest memorable moment was when I first came to Penyrheol. I had previously worked in industry and working in a school was a totally new concept and way of life which I loved.

The worst moment however has to be the two fires. The first fire was a shock but I found the second fire even more upsetting as I knew what the consequences would be. The worst bit was seeing it the following day, completely gone. It was disturbing seeing it all wrecked and I found it quite emotional.

Interviewers: What have you enjoyed the most?

Sue: Working with so many different people. Not just the staff, but the pupils too.

Wayne: Working and helping the children, it has been very rewarding.

Interviewers: Sue:

Why did you first want to work in Penyrheol?

I had just left Gowerton Grammar School for Girls and I had really enjoyed Science. When the school was first built in 1973, I grabbed the opportunity to apply for a job and have been here ever since!

Wayne: I disliked my old job and was on the lookout for a new one, when the school was built. I applied immediately for the job and got it!

Interviewers:

How do you feel about retiring?

Sue:

I am actually quite sad to be leaving and I am going to miss all the lovely people I have had the pleasure of working with.

Wayne: I have mixed feelings. I am looking forward to it, but I know I am going to miss the buzz of the school.

Interviewers: What are your plans for the future?

Sue: Wayne:

To learn to play golf!

Golfing, Fly Fishing and on rainy days ancestry!

The Year 7 pupils thanked Miss Webb and Mr Morgans for their time and wished them both good luck in their retirement. As they shook hands both Sue and Wayne commented how lovely and professional the interviewers had been and that they were a credit to the school.

What a lovely way to end their time here at Penyrheol.

I am sure we all echo the best wishes of the Student Voice representatives and thank Sue and Wayne for their incredible 87 years at Penyrheol.

Good luck on the golf course!

Poverty This term, the R.E Department have been studying Poverty and the pupils have written some excellent poems on the subject. Mrs Picton (Head of R.E) is keen to share some of them with us.

Life isn’t always what we see, A perfect world is not to be, A birth into poverty is luck supreme, A life of poverty is a rare dream.

Death around the corner, No one left to mourn you, Your brother and your sisters, All have met their end.

Of the human ignorance, We’re almost in despair, Racism, racism is everywhere, You give a human sorrow or hate, And now look at their sorry state.

No food left on the table, Your mother is not able, To cook a nice warm meal, Before you go to bed.

So many stories to be told, Almost all forgotten or untold, Poverty is in the bone, For those of them who have no home.

In our human world it does not belong, Seeing as racism is so wrong, The racists in their ways are so very small, To have them amongst us is a blight on us all.

Poverty and racism are a not choice, What people are doing with their voice, They lead countries into war, Not knowing what they have in store.

Angharad Lake 9E

The sun beats down, No smiles, just frown, Wipe the sweat off your brow, This work is just too hard.

And when the day is gone and done, That’s another battle won, Between you and St Peter.

He hasn’t claimed you yet.

So please, just please be grateful, And know that you are able, To have water on tap, And not walk 500 miles.

And when you moan that life is not fair, You don’t like the colour of your new hair, “I have nothing here to wear!”

When your wardrobe is full.

Think of someone else instead, Who doesn’t even have a bed Somewhere warm to rest their head.

So just think of that.

Megan Coslett 9E

Is living with poverty fair?

Every night praying for it to end having scraps of food drinking dirty water which makes us ill living on the streets or in hot deserts Crying every night is that fair?

I wish the world was fair we have hardly any clothes to wear we are scared that we will always have to live like this what is life?

Are close friends and relatives dying every day fair?

When others have food, drink, clothes, homes and medicines when we have nothing to survive on it makes us sad, to think we are not good enough to live in this world What are Christmas and Birthdays?

We have no presents when others do we only ask for food and clean water I would love a safe place to sleep at night without the fear of beatings I would love people to feel what it’s like for us, not in a cruel way, but so people can help us.

Some of us never get to see our children growing up because life isn’t fair

It’s the 21st century, The world has advanced in many ways, yet poverty still cries.

Looking at the little boy with tears in his eyes, Desperately searching for love, food and good clothes We all know what it clearly indicates and shows, Poverty.

It haunts me, and part of me wants to make a change and the other me wants to forget, but I can surely bet It’s something one with a good heart wouldn’t do!

If it takes some sacrifice, I’m ready But is the rest of the world?

I see poverty in a rich man trying to find love.

I see poverty in a well-educated man who lacks modesty.

I see poverty in a literate man who lacks respect for the poor.

I see poverty in a selfish man who wants more.

The world is still struggling to keep itself together, Because there is, Poverty.

Madison Jones 9E

Hannah Bennewith 9E

School Production Announcement!

Our next school production will be the fabulous musical ‘Honk’ – A re-telling of the Ugly Duckling story. Make no mistake, this isn’t the traditional version, this production is a musical comedy full of great songs and a very funny script.

This year the production will take place 21-24 October 2013 and not in February as in previous years, so please make a note in your diaries, as we would hate for you to miss out!

The cast have already been chosen and will be learning their parts over the summer holidays. Main rehearsals begin in full force on return to school in September.

Tickets will be available from school reception at the beginning of October and we sincerely hope to see you in the audience.

Jack Morris – Child of Courage Earlier this year, Jack was nominated for ‘ Child of Courage’ as part of the Evening Post Pride Awards and we are thrilled to announce that he came joint first!

13 year old Jack was born with the very rare condition of Core Myopathy which leads to Muscular Dystrophy and this affects only one in a million children. Despite having very limited mobility, Jack always remains upbeat and positive and is eager to get involved in all aspects of school. Jack was even a T-Bird in the recent school production of Grease! Pictured below, is Jack having heard about his original nomination and his mum at the final award ceremony… a very proud moment!

Jack has recently been off school to undergo a huge amount of surgery and as ever, remains positive and motivated Congratulations to Jack for his award and we wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back at school soon.

Side by Side

by Karina Dove, Head Girl (10Y) This year our school took part in the ‘Side by Side’ performance at The Grand Theatre, Swansea on Wednesday 9th May, organised through Gower College, Swansea.

Five secondary schools from all around the City and County of Swansea took part alongside our very own Penyrheol! We spent the day rehearsing and had an opportunity to watch each other’s performances which was really interesting.

We had a short break between rehearsals and the actual performance, which was fun as we had a chance to chat with some of the pupils from other schools and the college.

Eventually it was time to perform and each school took its turn. Penyrheol were proud to close the show with a snapshot of songs from our recent and hugely successful school production of ‘Grease’ which included musical performances of ‘Summer Nights’, ‘There are Worse Things I Could Do’, ‘Hopelessly Devoted To You’ and finally ‘Greased Lightning’. The stage was full of energy throughout the evening, fuelled by song, dance and musical drama from all six schools and Penyrheol dazzled the audience!

This event was a great opportunity to bring the schools from all around Swansea together to share their talent and the theatre was filled with an audience that left with smiles on their faces.

The night could not have been such a success without the hard work and effort of all those who helped to put it together and our thanks go to all the staff involved and of course Gower College for inviting us to perform!

A really fun evening that I hope to be part of again next year!

100% of a Rollercoaster Ride!

Over 40 pupils from Penyrheol Comprehensive School and the feeder primary schools were taken free of charge for a trip to Thorpe Park in Surrey, this summer. The pupils earned their places by having 100% attendance at school and enjoyed their day at the fun theme park in the lovely warm sunshine whilst their friends were still at school!

This trip was so successful that it is being offered as an incentive for pupils with 100% attendance again next year.

A Night at the Os Year 11 Prom 2013

Despite the rain, this year’s prom was a great success and didn’t spoil the array of amazing coloured dresses and suits. Dresses long and short, Suits traditional and retro, a few in trilbys and a couple of boys in kilts added to the spectacle and ALL the pupils looked amazing!

Coaches departed at 6.30pm and delivered the year group to their Oscar themed evening at The Manor Park Hotel in Clydach, where their entrance was accompanied by our resident lounge pianist (Mr Rogers) playing show tunes!

It was an action packed event that not only included a lovely 3 course meal, but also live music provided by some of the teaching staff, including Mr Benney on drums, Mr Rogers on Guitar and Mr Thomas on Keyboards. The musicians were joined later on by of three of the Year 11 boys, Luke Dyche (Guitar), Alex Myles (Keyboard) and Alexander Murphy (Vocals/Guitar) for three more songs.

Pupils danced the night away, pausing only briefly for a fun Oscar giving ceremony where a few members of staff and pupils were awarded very light hearted mini Oscars…

And the Oscars went to...

Heart of Gold

Deeana Vaughan Watkin

Funniest Student The Better Late Than Never Award Biggest Drama Queen Most Likely to End Up on Reality TV Couple Most Likely to Marry Best Ginge The Next Lord Sugar Most Likely to Perform in the West End Most Likely to Play at Glastonbury Best Accent Best Newcomer Down With the Kids Best Head of Year

Sam Matthews Joe Kelly Ellie Evans Katie Clayfield Scott Rees and Sally Miller Nick Devoy Lewis Beck Alex Myles Alexander Murphy Mrs Sara Morris Mr Damian Benney Mr Darren Holland Miss Sarah Collier and Mrs Tara Tate

This year, two pupils were also awarded the honour of being Prom King and Queen and wore their crowns and sashes with pride!

Prom King Prom Queen

Leon Kissick Ellie Jones

scars The room at the Manor Park was beautifully decorated in black and gold and thanks go to Miss Collier and Mrs Gwyther for organising the event!

All pupils received a DVD of photographs set to music that represented their time at Penyrheol – A lovely keepsake!

To add even more fun to the proceedings, pupils were able to enter a photo booth, where they donned silly hats and used the props provided to take crazy photographs, which eventually would complement the formal photographs taken earlier in the evening.

The pupils behaved immaculately throughout the evening (as usual) and Coaches departed at midnight to return to school.

All that’s left, is to say farewell to Year 11 and wish them all the very best with their exam results in August and of course their chosen college courses or career paths.

Thanks to everyone involved for making the evening so special.

Exam results will be available on Thursday 22nd August 2013 from 9am.

Photograph reproduced with kind permission Always & Forever Photography. Tel: 01554 820014

News from the P.E. Department Boys P.E. News Football: This season saw 3 of our 5 year groups reaching the Swansea Schools Football SemiFinals, so well done Years 8, 9 and 11!

Individual Achievements: Stuart Nicholas (Y11) has recently finished the rugby season by being involved with the Welsh Under 16’s squad.

Ashleigh Harries (Y10) has recently been offered a full professional football contract with Swansea City Football club when he leaves school next summer…What a fabulous achievement!

Alex Lang (Y8) continues his development as a promising young goalkeeper having just finished a successful season with Swansea City under 13’s.

Swansea School Boys Football: A number of our pupils have been involved in the Swansea Schools Football squads this season - Alex Lang , Lewys Edwards , Ben Jones, Callum Francis, Dylan Goddard, Joshua Harwood, Luke Jones & Ashleigh Harries. Well done boys!

Rugby: A number of our pupils have also been involved with the Swansea Schools Rugby setup this year - Liam Kissick , Llewellyn Richards ,Kallum Dennis , Matthew Richards , Sam James & Nathan John.

Athletics: Notable individual performances from the recent ‘Afan Nedd Tawe Schools Athletics Competition’ involving over 20 schools were: Nathan John a very close 2nd in the U16 100m and Alex Lang a good 3rd place in the U14 300m.

For updates on fixtures and PE information, follow us on Twitter @penyrheolPE.

Florida Trip And a special mention to the 50 young boys and girls who recently came on sports tour to Florida. As always the pupils represented the school fantastically and enjoyed some very competitive sports fixtures, winning one and losing one rugby game, winning the one football match and coming a close second in the netball match. More information in this newsletter.

Girls P.E. News Athletics: Pupils were involved in both the County Championships, where Holly Hurford (8H) was selected for the relay in the forthcoming Welsh Championships and The County interschool where a good number of pupils in Year 7-10 made the finals.

It was also pleasing to see a number of girls competing in the recent Swansea Harriers trophy meeting. Well done girls!

Rounders: Weekly practices for girls were well attended, in preparation for the County Tournaments and we were therefore very disappointed that the matches were cancelled due to inclement weather .

5 x 60 Dance Festival July: A group of year 7 pupils practiced weekly thoughout the year and gave an excellent performance during this event.

Tamzyn Baglow, Jenna Davies , Shannon Howard, Molly Thomas, Dena Davies, Kirsty – Lee Hall & Holly Edwards all danced beautifully ala g and were a credit to the school. g

n mi

Inter-form 8 & sw r7 im a e

Y

Full sports day review in this newsletter!

A n excellent effort was made from all the competitors and the atmosphere was exciting as forms from Years 7 and 8 competed in the pool.

Well done to every pupil that took part and in particular congratulations go to the winners!

Florida To What a fantastic experience!

This year’s sports tour really was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. To visit such an amazing country with your mates (and a pretty cool set of teaching staff!) . . . to play your favourite sports against American teams . . . to visit some of Florida’s most exciting attractions (including Disneyland, Universal Studios, Wild Florida and Blizzard Beach, to name but a few) . . . every second was memorable!

It all kicked off when we left the school swimming pool car park at 2am on the 28th March.

It was cold. There had been snow the previous week and the hour was ungodly, but we all made it and were in high spirits!

We were due to fly at 10am from Heathrow to Miami and so tried to catch a few zzz’s on the bus but were generally too excited. When we arrived at Heathrow we had enough time to check-in our luggage and grab ourselves a ‘Full English’ before taking off. Lovely jubbly!

The flight took about 5 hours, but the time ‘flew’ – quite literally. There were movies, games and music on-board to keep us entertained. Happy days!

When we arrived at Miami we had time to pick up our luggage and meet our coach driver, George, who would be taking us to our final destination – Westgate Resorts, Orlando, Florida.

By the time we finally arrived we were well and truly whacked but perked up when we saw our rooms. Personal hot tubs, king size beds, and wall-mounted T.V.’s – not that there was much time to watch them. The hotel also boasted ten different swimming pools, poolside snack bars, a mini-golf course, basketball courts, and lots more. A good night’s sleep was much needed to make sure we were bright eyed and bushy tailed for the morning.

On day one, we went for breakfast at our local ‘Denny’s Diner’. They had a great selection of cereals, cooked breakfasts and pancakes. Our waitresses were amazing and so we returned every day to set ourselves up with a hearty first-meal-of-the-day. After fuelling up we left for Blizzard Beach.

Tour 2

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This is one of the prime water parks in Florida and had lots to entertain us . . . huge water slides (including a twelve story vertical drop slide!), lazy rivers and wave-powered pools.

After a day of fun and sun we were spoiled with a trip to watch Orlando Magic (Orlando’s premier basketball team) in action. What an experience! The stadium was humungous, the players were awesome and the atmosphere was electric!

The next day was a day of fixtures and chillaxing by the pool. The girls had a hockey match lined up and our Penyrheol boys played the Miami squad at rugby. They won 35-19. Result!

Better still the ‘social’ after the game was extremely generous. Pizza’s, cans, cakes and the chance to chat and spend some ‘down-time’ with the other players – and their adoring female fans!

Day three was set aside for shopping in one of Florida’s biggest malls. Some fab bargains to be found in Hollister, American Eagle, The Vans Store, and Abercrombie and Fitch to name but a few. That evening the girls had a netball match lined up with a semi-professional American team. After the ‘official’ match the boys donned some bibs and both teams mixed for a fun friendly. What a unique cultural experience that was!

Next on the itinerary was a day at Wild Florida. A real taste of Florida ‘outback’ where we explored the Everglades in search of wild alligators and snakes – we saw plenty of them too! Here we also had a chance to see lots of other captive animals and wildlife close up. We even got a chance to hold Oscar – a three month old alligator who was happy to be handled by friendly visitors. In the evening the boys had a football match scheduled in Lake Sylvan. Another victory and another great ‘social’.

The next day was a full day at Universal’s Island of Adventure. WOW!! American’s really know how to do theme parks. The Hulk was probably the scariest ride I’ve ever been on!

A truly terrifying experience but one I’d do again in a heartbeat. Universal had it all – from the thrills and spills of giant roller-coasters like The Hulk, to breathtaking stunt shows like The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad, to unbelievable virtual tours like The Spiderman Experience and The Wizzarding World of Harry Potter.

Next up was a well-earned day of rest before a final rugby and football match. And yes – more ‘socials’!

At last, the grand finale – Disneyland! Enough said.

All-in-all the tour was a complete success and an experience that will stay with pupils and staff for a lifetime.

When’s the next one Mr. C?

Sports Day News Leigh Halfpenny Tells Pupils - ‘To Achieve You Need to Believe’!

At last a sports day with sunshine!

This year the sun shone gloriously for our annual sports day as pupils from years 7, 8 and 9 took part in an array of track and field events.

Each event was monitored by school staff and of course the maths department were responsible for the scoring! Mr Hyndman and his geography department ran the tuck shop, with funds raised; going towards the trip to Iceland… That’s the country not the frozen food shop!

The day ended on a real high note as we were thrilled and proud to welcome one of the world’s best rugby players to the school. Hot off the heels of his trip to Australia with the British & Irish Lions, where he was named man of the series, Leigh Halfpenny returned to his very own comprehensive school to present the winning athletes their trophies.

Leigh gave a short speech to the pupils who were hanging on his every word and it was appropriate that he mentioned the importance of the school motto…’To Achieve you have to Believe’. Without self- belief, Leigh said, he wouldn’t have been able to achieve the success he now enjoys and encouraged the children to follow their dreams and ‘go for it’!

The children behaved impeccably all day, but quite rightly were very excited to see Leigh and once the presentations were over, swarmed around Leigh, eager to get an autograph!

The results of the events are listed below: Year 7: Year 8: Year 9: 1st Place – 7D 1st Place – 8H 1st Place – 9U 2nd Place – 7E 2nd Place – 8R 2nd Place – 9D 3rd Place – 7Y 3rd Place – 8Y 3rd Place – 9R Best Athletes of the Day: Year 7 – Jack Thomas & Mollie Quick Year 8 - Jack Cousins & Courtney Bevan Year 9 - Matthew Richards & Tiana Rees Congratulations to all the winners and well done to everyone who took part.

A special thank you to Leigh Halfpenny for giving his time and for making the day and extra special one!

Bar Mock Trial An experience to remember

by Bethan Cairns I

haven’t always been interested in law. Regardless of this, for some unknown reason I auditioned for the magistrates’ mock trial team in year eight. I’m not sure of the reason that caused the whole team to become hooked by the experience, maybe it was the adrenaline rush that consumes you when you stand up in a real court room, or the fact that you are doing it with some of your best friends, it could even be the moment when Ms Jones looks at you with anticipation as you get ready for your next battle in the courtroom. Either way, I continued to be part of the team right up until I left school.

Although magistrates mock trial is an excellent starting point, in year ten, the members of the team became old enough to be part of the bar mock trial. This is when it becomes serious. Gone are the days where you are against a meek twelve year old, you are now facing sixth formers and college students. But don’t be fooled, some may seem intimidating with their full beards and deep voices, but they don’t have Ms Jones on their side with her expertise and her intimidating glare, they’re no match for her, I can assure you.

You may believe that the most nerve-racking part is doing your bit in court and to my own surprise it most certainly is not. Amazingly, the most worrying part is when you are sitting in the public gallery waiting for your team to get up and perform. You may be a nervous wreck, but it’s all worth it because there’s nothing that feels greater than when your team wins the feud in court. Although it can feel like a mini victory when the jury vote goes your way, this does not give the game away which makes the competition even more utterly unpredictable.

But, bar mock trial is not all about standing up in court and proving the guilt (or innocence) of the defendant. Some of the courts that we have been able to visit have been nothing but breath-taking. Many are so eerie with the old jails just underneath the ground you are walking on.

Bar mock trial is an experience that is once in a life time and although you have to work hard every day, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. Thanks to the amazing team I was part of and the hard work of Ms Jones we were able to beat numerous schools and almost come out on top.

I haven’t always been interested in law, but I most certainly am now.

CHESS CLUB Every Wednesday

Chess Club meets every Wednesday during term time from 3.05 p.m. to 4.05 p.m. in G5.

It is open to all – complete beginner or grandmaster!

This year we have concentrated on building pupils’ chess skills through practice and some coaching. We are very fortunate to have an expert local chess player, Mr. Daniel Wilmot-Stoyles, running the club and bringing his expertise to help improve our pupils’ skills.

Please come along and join us if you would like to learn to play chess or if you are someone who has played before. If we can get enough good players together, we will be able to run a school tournament and enter competitions.

Beyond the School Gates

Many of our Penyrheol pupils are involved in outside school activities. If you would like to shout about it...here’s your chance!

Gymnastics

Congratulations to Danielle Griffiths (7D) , whose team from West Street Gymnastics Club recently won Silver in the NDP British Acro-Gymnastics Finals in Stoke-On-Trent.

Swimming

Sophie McCallum (8R) has achieved the national qualifying times to compete in the British National Swimming Championships this month. We wish Sophie the very best of luck!

Athletics

Well done to Holly Hurford (8H) who has made the County Athletics Team!

Community Shield Award

Thomas Peek (10C) has just been awarded the prestigious ‘Community Shield’ as a reward for the amount of hours he spends working voluntarily for The St. John Ambulance.

Thomas has volunteered the most hours this year, an amazing 92 in total so far!

Thomas is a voluntary cadet in the Loughor area and is thrilled to have been awarded this prize in recognition of his hard work and commitment.

Basketball

Tia Walker has now been made Captain of the Welsh Under 16s Basketball Team. She has also made the Under 18s squad and has been told she’s totally on course to be competing in the 2018 Commonwealth games.

What a fantastic achievement!

Radio Star Cara Evans (10Y) volunteers on Prince Philip Hospital radio and co-hosts her own show on a Sunday night. She has been on Radio BGM (the name of the station) since January 2013 and she loves it!

Nam inum alia adicia Am ipsapid mi, eici Tem faccum vendaeped.

Nam inum alia adicia Am ipsapid mi, eici Tem faccum vendaeped.

Sport? Drama? Charity? Music? Dance? Chess?

Whatever it is you do... let us know!

We encourage both pupils and families to let us know about pupils’ achievements out of school so we can give them the credit that is clearly due to them! Please pass any information to Ms A Murphy via school reception.