YJB students “express” themselves
Spring Term 2012 Volume 5
Three of our students from Year 7 have been chosen out of hundreds of entries from across North Wales to have their work published in the educational magazine ‘Clockwork Express’. Francisco Teixeira (7R), Olivia Jones (7Y) and Lucy Gatley (7R) were selected from hundreds of entries and were part of a winning team of 10 students selected to have their work put into production. Approximately thirty other entries from Ysgol John Bright Year 7 will be exhibited in the gallery at Techniquest along with the winners, between March 9th and March 31st. The students took inspiration from the life and work of notable female scientists and produced illustrated comic strips about them. The project’s aim was to inspire learning in all, promoting positive female role models and aspiration for girls which is creative and cross curricular. The students’ work will be printed in a special edition of Clockwork Express and go on display at Techniquest Glyndwr to coincide with International Womens’ Day 2012.
Message from the Head The spring term at Ysgol John Bright has been a very busy one. The staff have been working extremely hard and the students have been excellent in their approach to their learning. The contents of this newsletter will give families an indication of the many and varied activities that go on at the school making it a vibrant and exciting place to learn. I am delighted that the partnership between the school and the families in the community continues to go from strength to strength. Your support is very much appreciated. I hope that you enjoy the newsletter as we make every effort to keep you up to date with developments at the school. Best wishes for the Easter Break. W G Davies (Headteacher)
Sunset at Mametz SCHOOL DINNERS There is an increase in the price of school dinners as from 16th April from £2.05 to £2.10
We saw so many things such as The Menin Gate, British and German Cemetery, the Somme and Thiepval. Had a great time!!
Stephen Newens 9J This February Years 8 and 9 were given the opportunity to go to Belgium on a history trip. We went to look at trenches from the First World War and museums, showing us exactly what life was like during that period. The trip made you realise the suffering and awful conditions that soldiers faced every day.
Super Heroes An excited Year 6 from Ysgol San Sior came to Ysgol John Bright on Monday 16th of January to use the superb ICT facilities here to complete their Superhero books. This is the final stage of a writing project began in October of last year. The project’s aims are to improve literacy with explicit teaching of writing skills by a secondary English teacher working in partnership with the Year 6 teacher. Heavily embedded in the delivery of the scheme are fun and innovative assessment for learning and thinking tools that the students have already begun to use in other areas of their work. The Superhero genre has really grabbed the interest of the students, especially of the boys. The students finished books will be displayed at Llandudno library for the whole community to enjoy.
European researchers On January 15, eight Yr 9 students and two members of the English Department flew to the Basque country in Northern Spain. It was the first of four trips that make up the YJB Comenius Project, devised in Bilbao in November 2010 by schools from Wales, Spain and Germany. The project, entitled Puzzling Pieces of the European Puzzle, aims to achieve a number of objectives over the next two years: To celebrate differences in our cultures To discover our similarities To research the opportunities available to us, as Europeans The visit was a great success, with Welsh and German students staying with host families for a truly authentic experience. The students worked in multi lateral teams designing a project logo, before being taken out to the town of Ordizia and the surrounding countryside, where we able to visit a number of areas with great historical and cultural significance. See photos from the trip on our Facebook page, The European Puzzle (Comenius). The second visit of the project is planned for late April, where Basque and German students and their teachers will spend the week in YJB.
6th Form RAF Valley Visit Daniel Guy (12B) reports When we arrived at RAF Valley we were given a presentation and an insight into the careers available and what the job consists of. We were then given a talk about what life in the RAF is about and when “on tour”, what a soldier does. We then went over to the Search and Rescue Training Unit (SARTU). This consisted of a quick talk and a video on what the training programme involves and what you will get up to when training at RAF Valley. We were then shown the training helicopter that’s used on mock missions and afterwards shown an advanced piece of training equipment. The virtual training was made up of a two man team, a pilot and a member of the aircrew. This helps build knowledge of guiding the helicopter to a specific place and then a member of the aircrew would use hi-tech goggles to send the winch man towards a specific target.
Little Shop of Horrors at Venue Cymru Talented students from Ysgol John Bright, Llandudno took to the stage last month at North Wales’ premier theatre, Venue Cymru in a production of Ashman and Menken’s “Little Shop of Horrors.” Featuring a cast and crew of 125 students and a live band, Ysgol John Bright delighted audiences at Venue Cymru with their renditions of hit songs such as “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Downtown (Skid Row),” “Suddenly Seymour” and the unforgettable “Feed me!” The school has a long standing tradition of producing high quality musicals and this year was no different with the company being given a standing ovation by the packed audience on the last night.
Olympic Reading Award At Ysgol John Bright we believe reading can transform lives. Our mission is to inspire more young people to read more. Year 7 at Ysgol John Bright are all taking part in a reading Olympic challenge. To gain the Bronze Star 5 books are read and 5 fun tasks on the books are completed. The Silver Star is given to students who read a further 10 books and complete 10 challenging tasks. Avid readers can go for the highly regarded Gold Star whereby another 15 books and more advanced work is completed. This reading and work takes place during two tutor periods a week as well as at home. Students from Year 7 can also go along to the ‘Mad About Books’ club run by Mrs Pethig every Wednesday lunchtime. The project has proved to be a huge success.
Students with their awards
Dates for your diary 30th March
End of term
2nd April
Ski Trip departs to America
16th April
School begins
26th April
Year 10 Parents’ Evening
7th May
May Bank Holiday
9th May
Sixth Form Elections
10th May
Year 11 Graduation
21st May
External Exams begin
23rd May
“Moving On - Moving Up”
1st June
Year 13 May Ball
1st June
Half Term Week
Monday 2nd April
English - An Inspector Calls
Engineering MATHS g Business
Art
Studies
History
Product Design
9.30 – 12.00
Resistant Materials Child Development
ICT
Physics
Monday 2nd April
WELSH
Textiles
Textiles
ENGLISH HEROES
Business Studies
1.00 – 3.30
Engineering
Product Design
Resistant Materials
Child Development
Tuesday 3rd April
Art
ICT
WELSH
English – Hobson’s Choice 9.30 – 12.00
Business Studies
MATHS
Product Design
ICT
ENGINEERING
Business Studies
RE
Resistant Materials 1.30 – 3.30
Resistant Materials PRODUCT DESIGN
9.30 – 12.00
and
ICT
Engineering
DiDA
Geography
WELSH
WELSH
Wednesday 4th April
WELSH
ART
Child Development
ICT
Product Design
RESISTANT MATERIALS
1.00 – 3.30
Engineering
Music
Business Studies