Autumn 2012.pub - Learn @ Caerphilly

St. Cenydd School Newsletter
October 2012
Four pupils from the Specialist Resource
Base had the experience of a lifetime
when they attended The Paralympic
Games 2012 in London. The group
accompanied by Mrs Press from the base
and Mrs Rawlins from the PE
Department travelled to London on
Wednesday 5th September and stayed
overnight at the Premier Inn, an ideal
location adjacent to the Olympic Park
and the Westfield shopping centre.
We witnessed some outstanding
performances, especially from many of
the visually impaired athletes. These
included the women’s 100 and 200
metre sprints. Our pupils were in awe of
the guides that ran alongside the
athletes during the events.
We also saw the Irish sprinter Jason
Smyth in the 100 metre qualifying heats,
he went on to win the final as the
fastest Paralympic over 100 metres in
history. We were privileged to see
Hannah Cockcroft, the wheelchair
athlete who went on to win GB’s first
gold medal on the track and Bev Jones
from North Wales winning the bronze
medal in the discus.
To complete the day we toured the
remainder of the Olympic Park and
armed with our souvenirs we left
London exhausted as we boarded the
bus to return home. A fantastic time
was had by all. Memories of the visit
will remain with us for a long time to
come.
Mrs M. Press
Issue 6
Pupils arrived at the Olympic park very
early on the Thursday in preparation for
the track and field events. The
atmosphere inside the stadium was
electric. They were fascinated with the
Olympic torch and the enthusiasm of all
the spectators cheering each event.
The most outstanding memorable event
had to be the final of the men’s triple
jump for the visually impaired. You
could hear a pin drop as the 70,000
plus crowd sat in silence as the guides
shouted instructions and clapped their
hands to guide the athletes to run in a
straight line and hit the take off board.
Autumn Edition
Paralympic Dreams
From Caerphilly
To The Roof Of The World
Page 2
It’s hard to believe that a year has gone by
since a group of intrepid students from St
Cenydd Community School set off on a
remarkable expedition to Nepal. They were
accompanied by Mr Kilcoyne and Ms
Newnham from the school and by Mrs.
Anthony from Ynys Hywel Outdoor Education
Centre.
The group had worked for more than two
years prior to the expedition on a two year
skills development programme run by World
Challenge. This included preparation and
planning by all team members, involving
raising funds to take part as well as
researching and planning their itinerary. The
team members took part in a variety of fund
raising events, ranging from raffles and
quizzes to bag packing in local supermarkets.
I would like to thank Tesco at Upper Boat
and, particularly Asda in Caerphilly for the
support they offered the group. I would also
like to thank Mrs Press and the signing choir
for their fund raising support by carol singing
in the foyer at Asda, Caerphilly.
The training events involved a series of
mountain walks starting with a pleasant
afternoon walk up the Sugar Loaf (Mynydd
Pen-y-fal 596 metres) and ending with a
weekend trip to Snowdonia during which the
whole group reached the summit of Snowdon
(Yr Wyddfa 1085 metres). This was an
impressive team effort and no one caught the
train! The campsite at Hafod Cottages was a
huge success and the breakfasts were
memorable! We all learned a great deal about
poultry farming that weekend! In fact the staff
thought they would have to check the bus for
additional feathery passengers.
Cooling Tired Feet At Llyn Ogwen
It’s Behind You! Snowdon
We also took part in several walks in the
Brecon Beacons. On the final walk the team
not only reached the summits of Corn Du (873
metres) and Pen y Fan (886 metres) but also
went on to go up Cribyn (795 metres) and
back along the narrow path across its northern
face and climbing up to Pen y Fan again before
coming back down to the minibus. All that in
one day! This was excellent preparation for
the group’s trip to Nepal and also gave them a
taste of the beautiful mountains that we have
in Wales, some of them practically on their
doorsteps!
Page 3
The Monkey Temple overlooks Kathmandu
and there are monkeys everywhere! They
wait by the side of the steps up to the
temple hoping for snacks from the passers
by. They also eat the offerings left at the
many shrines in the temple complex. The
temple is overlooked by a large stupa with
the eyes of Buddha painted on it.
Pen y Fan - Twice In One Day!
The actual two week expedition involved
several phases including a challenging trek
and a school / community project. Whilst on
the expedition itself, team members were
given the opportunity to further develop
their leadership skills by taking it in turns to
lead the group, as well as rotating other
roles, for example taking responsibility for
organizing
the
transport,
food
and
accommodation.
On our first day in Kathmandu we walked to
the Buddhist temple of Swayambhunath,
better known as the Monkey Temple. We
enjoyed walking through the narrow streets of
Kathmandu and the group had their first
experience of Kathmandu traffic, butcher
shops, holy men trying very hard to get
money from them and, of course, the
monkeys.
First Day In Kathmandu
The Stupa At Swayambunath
(Monkey Temple)
There are also many market stalls on the
site selling a variety of jewellery, masks and
paintings. Some of us went to the café there
and ordered our first Lassi of the trip. A Lassi
is a refreshing yoghurt drink served in the
region. The walk back down the steps was
just as full of monkeys and the group
enjoyed being able to take some lovely close
up photographs of the monkeys.
Monkey Eating Temple Offerings
Page 4
The next day we left the hostel at 8.30 a.m.
and hoped to catch a flight at 12.30. The
airport was very busy as many flights had
been cancelled the previous day because of
the weather. Our flight time was further
delayed but we eventually left at about 4
p.m. Mr. Kilcoyne and 2 of the group were
booked to catch the flight immediately after
ours. The flight was on a 19 seater plane and
some of the group were anxious about flying
in such a small plane. We encountered some
turbulence during the flight and the cloud
was building and getting denser as we flew.
The pilot announced that we were going to
land. I didn’t think it looked like Lukla and
we were told that we had landed at Phapphlu
which is a small dirt airstrip that is regularly
used if Lukla closes because of bad weather.
tarmac and everything! We were met by
Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa, our sirdar (local leader),
with some of our porters and taken to the
guesthouse. Lhakpa suggested we wait till
lunchtime before starting our trek as we were
hoping that the rest of the group would arrive
by then. We spent the morning walking
around Lukla. Some of the group found the
airport fascinating and some of them were
thrilled to find a Starbucks there!
Not Lukla! Pilot Negotiating Our
Transfer
Religious Mani Stones
I then had to decide if we should stay in
Phaphlu or return to Kathmandu. The weather
was getting worse and the pilots promised
that we would be picked up first thing the
next morning, weather permitting. They also
arranged for the 3 other members of the team
to join us in Lukla the next morning. In the
meantime the owner of a tea house in Phaphlu
had arrived and assured us that we would be
able to stay the night there and that they
would be able to cater for us. We stayed at
the Shangri La tea house where we managed
to get a message to Mr. Kilcoyne to let him
know what had happened.
We set off after lunch without the three who
were still in Kathmandu but we had decided to
camp at Phakding (2623 metres) to give them
a chance to catch up with us if they arrived in
the afternoon. They caught a flight in the
afternoon and arrived in Phakding at 7p.m. It
was a good gentle start to the trek as they
were trekking at altitude.
The team were keen to take lots of photos of
the religious mani stones and all the stunning
views as we walked. We met a number of
‘yaks’ or dzos on the trail and the challengers
were very good at stepping to the correct side
of the path and letting them go past. Although
we were camping the food was excellent. We
were fully catered for with three cooked meals
a day. We were woken every morning with a
hot drink before most people had got out of
their sleeping bags! We were also able to buy
soft drinks, tea, biscuits, crisps and chocolate
in Tea Houses en route.
As we had had a shortened first day the
True to their word Tara Air came back for us second day trekking was long and tiring (10
at 7.30 the next morning and we made the hours for the slowest trekkers).
10 minute flight to Lukla. Lukla airport, at
2804 metres, was luxurious for us by then –
Page 5
Suspension Bridge Near
Phakding
The trail was quite easy at first and involved
crossing several suspension bridges which
they enjoyed. We had to go up a long, steep
section up to Namche Bazaar which we found
difficult, particularly as we gained altitude.
The suspension bridge before the ascent to
Namche Bazaar is high and over a steep
valley. Some of the group were quite nervous
crossing this bridge but others enjoyed
walking high over the gorge with the prayer
flags streaming in the wind.
Lhakpa Sonam Sherpa had suffered from
meningitis which had left him deaf. He now
Page 5
makes
his
living
taking
beautiful
photographs and running the Sherwi
Khangba Centre. He made us very welcome
and enjoyed the group singing the Welsh
national anthem before some of them
watched the rugby match on his television.
We had a slide show to help us to learn
more about the area. Lhakpa Sonam
Sherpa is a keen environmentalist and was
thrilled when he was able to photograph a
snow leopard about 40 minutes walk away
from Namche Bazaar. He had worked with
an international group setting up cameras
which will be collected later in the year to
see how many snow leopards are now in
the area.
Namche Bazaar is the unofficial capital of
the Sherpa area of Nepal and is built in a
high natural amphitheatre. The altitude is
3,420 metres and the Tea House we
camped at was higher still, 3,700 metres.
The group coped very well with the effects
of being at such a high altitude.
Namche Bazaar Unofficial Sherpa Capital
Lhakpa Sonam Sherpa lighting the
yak dung fire
We stayed at the Sherwi Khangba Centre
run by Lhakpa Sonam Sherpa who had
worked for many years as a high altitude
sherpa and was a friend of Edmund Hillary.
The following day was a planned ‘rest day’
which at that altitude means you walk up a
bit higher but then come back to sleep at
the same altitude. We walked up the hill
behind
Namche
Bazaar,
past
the
Syangboche Airstrip which can only have
very small aeroplanes or helicopters landing
there. The cloud lifted at times and we had
views of Lhotse and some of the Nuptse
Wall but no views of Everest itself.
Page 6
Lhotse and Nuptse are part of the Everest
group of mountains. We had glimpses of
some of the nearby smaller peaks which
were very beautiful.
We returned to the tea house for lunch and
a visit to the museum that the owner,
Lhakpa Sonan Sherpa, has built up there.
He also has an impressive collection of
photographs
and
records
of
Everest
summiteers. Later in the afternoon we had
free time for exploring Namche Bazaar.
Some of the group came back with some
very amusing hats. They enjoyed haggling
and were able to buy far too much fizzy pop
- Mountain Dew - and chocolate. We saw
our first pure bred yaks in Namche Bazaar
as it is too warm for them lower down. The
weather deteriorated and it rained in the
evening.
We had planned to continue to Tengboche
the next day but the worsening weather
made us think again. I woke up at 5.30 to
the sound of rain and the cloud was the
lowest we’d seen and I didn’t think it was a
good idea to continue. So the group had
their first lie in! After a good hot cooked
breakfast we decided to stay at the tea
house and see if the weather improved.
Some of the group went in to Namche
Bazaar after lunch to buy some more
souvenirs. When the adults were in Namche
Bazaar we noticed that the weather was
improving. We met up with the students
who had gone shopping in Namche and
went back to the tea house. We decided to
walk up to the viewpoint near the tea house
(about 10 minutes away) to see if we could
get a view of Everest. Only a few of the
group wanted to go which was a pity as we
had beautiful views of Everest. There was a
cloud inversion in the valley and the light
changed to give us a fabulous sunset on
Everest. The students who came with us
were really pleased that they’d made the
effort. We went back to the tea house. The
skies cleared and we star gazed for a while.
It was the first time most of them had seen
the Milky Way and shooting stars. The
temperature dropped quickly. There had
been quite a lot of fresh snow on the high
peaks and I heard two or three avalanches
on the high peaks during the night.
Everest, Lhotse & Nuptse
Page 7
The next morning we woke up to ice inside
the tents! We’d also been adopted by a dog
that was asleep against my tent, much to the
amusement of the team! We went back to
the viewpoint before breakfast with the
whole team. The views were clear but not as
colourful or spectacular as the evening
before. We set off on the trek back to
Phakding after breakfast. Saturday is market
day in Namche and we walked through the
very crowded market on our way out of the
town. It was fascinating to see the variety of
fruit, vegetables and other goods on sale.
People come to Namche from all over the
Sherpa region for the Saturday market.
The following day we walked from Phakding
to Lukla and returned to the tea house we’d
camped at before we left. We had lunch and
then were allowed to visit the gompa
(Buddhist monastery) in Lukla. Lhakpa said
that the guesthouse owner is the ‘chief lama’
(holy man) of the gompa and so he was able
to arrange for us to be shown around the
gompa. The group loved the artwork and the
statues. It is all very colourful and dramatic.
the president of the MCAF, the Mother and
Child Art Foundation, and gave leaflets to
everyone to explain the work they did. He
also told us that he would be looking after us
during the project phase. Bishnu took the
money for the project materials sent by
World Challenge together with the school’s
donation of US$ 428 from us in dollars as he
would be able to get a higher exchange rate
than us. He said that he would meet us at
the hostel the next morning and that he
would buy the microscopes and equipment
that the teachers had asked for. We were
able to provide quite a lot of this equipment
and there was some money left over from
the US$428 to be spent as the school staff
wished. Thank you again to everyone who
donated to the non uniform day to support
this school project.
Our Welcome At Ganesh Secondary
School
The Successful Team Back At Lukla
The following day we flew back to Kathmandu.
There were no delays as the weather was
beautiful and we had views of many of the
famous Himalayan peaks, including the
Anapurnas.
Jeevan Lama and Bishnu Yonjan came to our
hostel in Kathmandu to brief us on our
project work. Bishnu introduced himself as
We arrived at the school on the day it was
closing for Divali. Some of the teachers and
pupils stayed to welcome the group and the
challengers really enjoyed meeting the local
young people. We were greeted with flowers
and made to feel really welcome. We gave
the teachers the microscopes and other
equipment we had bought and they were
very pleased saying that they would be very
useful for their students. They also thanked
everyone at St Cenydd for their generosity.
The team were asked to paint the stairwell
and the front of the ground floor classrooms.
They were also asked to draw a Welsh and a
Nepalese flag on the front of the school.
Page 8
We then returned to Kathmandu where
everyone really enjoyed shopping in
Thamel. Some of the challengers became
adept at haggling and went home with
some bargain presents and souvenirs.
Nepalese & Welsh Flags Painted At
The School Entrance
The school is in a rice growing area near
Bhaktapur and the local people were busy
harvesting the rice and getting ready for
Divali. We had left the Buddhist highlands
of Nepal and were now in the predominantly
Hindu valley around Kathmandu.
The Hindu Temple Of Pashupatinath
We booked a bus to make the most of our
last day in Kathmandu. We went to the
Hindu temple of Pashupatinath first. This site
is one that we found interesting but we also
felt as though we were intruding as there
were some cremations taking place while we
were there.
Divali Offering On The Day Of The Dog
It was Divali so we only saw a few of the
local children but they did manage to have
games of football and volleyball. One of the
children took some of us for a walk around
the village and we saw the dogs with their
garlands and offerings and the decorated
cows. It was great for us to be there and se
how Divali was celebrated. Everyone was
very friendly and welcoming and we were
asked to take photographs which we will
print off and send back to the school. The
local people included us in their celebrations
and we were visited by two groups of
revellers in the evening. Some of the boys
were even encouraged (bullied) into joining
in the dancing by one of the local ladies!
The ‘Monkey Man’
at Pashupatinath
Page 9
It is a very important Hindu temple and as it
was the most important holiday in Divali there
were many local people visiting the site.
There was a very impressive ‘Monkey Man’
posing for photographs and the usual sadhus
(pilgrims) were there too.
Returning to Kathmandu we went to
Bodhnath in the afternoon. This was a lovely
end to our sight seeing day for those who
wanted to take in the atmosphere or those
who still wanted to shop. It is a huge
Buddhist Stupa built in Kathmandu by
Tibetan refugees fleeing from the Chinese.
Although Nepal is the only official Hindu
state in the world, Buddhism still thrives
there. The huge stupa of Bodhnath is an
iconic image of Nepal and the yellow lotus
petal design below the eyes of Buddha are
seen through hundreds of colourful prayer
flags.
We ended our expedition in style at Kilroys
Restaurant in Kathmandu. It is a famous
restaurant in Nepal and many celebrities and
statesmen have eaten there. It was set up
by an Irish chef and serves traditional Nepali
food as well as a range of British food. It was
a good end to the expedition.
A Temple In
Bhaktapur
Spinning in
Bhaktapur
We then went to Bhaktapur which everyone
loved as they were able to do some more
shopping. It was interesting seeing all the rice
being dried in huge heaps in the streets. It
felt ‘medieval’ because the rice harvest was at
its height. We also saw the potter’s quarter
and some of the group were fascinated by an
elderly lady using a spinning wheel.
The following morning we packed and got
ready to go to the airport for our flight
home. We were given the white scarves,
blessed by Buddhist monks, to mark our
successful expedition in the Khumbu Valley.
We were thanked for all we had done in the
school and they hoped that we would return
one day.
Ms L. Newnham
The Buddhist Stupa
Wearing Our Prayer Scarves
at Bodhnath
In Kathmandu
Got To Dance 2012
Page 10
St Cenydd School again had over 30 dance entries in Sport Caerphilly’s version of the
television programme ‘Got to Dance.’ This began in May of 2012 at Bedwas School where
St Cenydd competed against Bedwas, St Martin’s School and Lewis Girls’ School. The 3
judges from Creazione Dance Company gave feedback on performances and marked all
entries out of 40 points.
There were also qualifying rounds at 2 other schools in Caerphilly Borough to choose the
top 30 entries to compete in a final in June at Blackwood Miner’s Institute. Fortunately,
St Cenydd School had a11 of their entries through to The Got to Dance Final 2012 and the
evening itself was a success. All dancers from St Cenydd who represented the school at
both the qualifying round and the final were a credit to the school for their commitment,
effort and level of performance. Moreover, the finalists were outstanding and presented
themselves exceptionally well, on and off stage.
The results were also very pleasing, Second place was awarded to Abbie Davies and
Carys Evans, year 9 for a Latin American medley joint with another St Cenydd dancer
Jasmine Jones who performed a slow dance. The winners of Caerphilly’s Got to Dance
Final 2012 were Leanne Bullock and Jasmine Jones who performed a contemporary duet..
Roald Dahl Phizz Whizzing Quiz
On the 12th of September the
LRC held a whizzpoppingly
excellent ‘Roald Dahl Quiz’ for
year seven and eight to
celebrate Road Dahl Day. This
was on the 13th September
(which is also Roald Dahl’s
birthday). It is a day to
celebrate all things Dahl; from
his books to his films. There
w e r e
t h r e e
scrumdiddlyumptious rounds,
which even Mrs Evans the
librarian joined in!
The first round was all about
Roald Dahl, there was a
gallimaufry of questions such
as when was Roald Dahl
born? where was he born?
‘Cardiff’, what his teachers
thought of his writing? ‘poor’.
This round was one of the
hardest swishwifflingly brilliant
rounds for the contestants’.
The second round was all
about Roald Dahl’s books,
such as what was his first
book? ‘The Gremlins’, Did he
write books just for children of course the answer was no,
he wrote many books for
adults, such as his short story
range called ‘Tales of the
Unexpected’ which was
turned into a very popular TV
show.
forgetting the chocolate
cake) but the overall winner
was Casey Barnard, with Mia
Williams (from 7S) following
close behind.
Everyone had a
whizzpoppingly great Roald
Dahl day experience !
The third round was a
‘General
Roald
Dahl
Knowledge’, at the end the
scores were totted up and
the winners announced surprisingly it wasn’t Mrs
Evans, even though she had
just made a Whipple7S Winners
Scrumptious display on him!
There were certificates and
Casey Barnard & Mia Williams
Roald Dahl books for all
those who took part, (not
Page 11
National Junior Games 2013
Seven pupils from the Specialist Resource Base travelled to Stoke Mandeville on October 2nd to take part in the National Junior Games 2012. All the pupils were from year 8 and had the opportunity to participate in a number of Paralympic sports ‐ track athletics, field athletics, swimming, basketball, tennis, badminton, bowls, pistol shooting, snooker and many more. They stayed at the Holiday Inn in Ayslesbury for the 3 nights away from home and school. The pupils who took part were Josh Waite, Jake Weston, Rhys Jones, Daniel Davies, Louis Davies, Chloe Brooks and Faith Evans ‐ can one of them be a Paralympic Champion of the future? Page 12
Celebrating Shakespeare in Stratford!
On a cool September day, forty
pupils from Years 9-11 headed
for Stratford –upon-Avon to see a
performance of Shakespeare’s
“A Comedy of Errors.”
And what a performance it was!
The opening scene plunged us
into a prison cell, where a
character was tortured, his
head forcibly held under water
until he confessed! This dark
edge encompassed pure farce
and slapstick as two pairs of
identical twins lurched deeper
and deeper into double trouble.
The physical humour
compensated for the
occasionally complex language.
It was a real pleasure to see
pupils roaring with laughter at
an extended metaphor which
compared a generously
proportioned woman’s body to
a globe, and all the countries
therein!
Apart from school parties, the
theatre was full of elderly
foreign tourists getting their
compulsory fix of Shakespeare.
A couple of elderly Americans
looked alarmed as our party
occupied its seats, but later
commented on the politeness
and good manners of the group!
After three hours in the theatre,
a boat trip on the Avon was
enjoyed. It was a chance to
entertain the citizens of
Stratford with our own St
Cenydd’s got talent team. It
was enough to rouse
Shakespeare from his grave.
Jane Tucker
English Department
Page 13
Fantasy Football
The 2011/2012 Schools Fantasy Football finished in
May.
The
competition
organised
by
the
Maths
department ran for just under eight months. The 138
teams taking part were created by both pupils and staff.
The overall winner was Zac Moore, 10Y, with a score of
384 closely followed by Matthew Eccles, 9C, with a
score
of
366.
As
well
as
providing
a
fun
competitiveness within the school, the league has
proved to be a useful tool. It has helped to teach about
budgeting, tactical moves with player exchanges,
decision-making and spotting opportunities. Some
pupils have proved themselves to be very good
managers!
Triple A* Ratings’ For St. Cenydd Students
GCSE results this summer at St Cenydd School were very pleasing. Nearly 60% of the year 11 pupils achieved 5 or more A* ‐ C grades with a number of exceptional individual results from pupils, such as Bethan Crowden , Scarlet Drucker, Charmaine Crook , Sam Stevens and Jasmine Jones, to name but a few. One of the top achieving pupils was Sophie Rees who gained 6 A* grades , 5 A’s and 4 B’s and is currently studying Geography , Geology , History and R.E. Sophie’s ambition is to study either History or Geography at University . One very happy family on results day were the Knight family. Triplets Bradley, Emily and Rachel between them bagged 8A *’s, 12 A’s, 16 B’s and 7 C’s ! All three have returned to the Sixth Form at St. Cenydd and have begun studying for their AS examinations. It is no surprise that the triplets have achieved academic success as they were dedicated and well ‐ motivated students from the start. They have played a full and active part in all aspects of school life. The triplets are also very talented sports people; Bradley has represented the school in rugby, whilst both girls have played netball at County level and Emily has represented Wales netball at under 15 and 17 level. The triplets all have ambitions to attend university after completing their A level studies. Congratulations to all the pupils who achieved their GCSE results Emily, Bradley & Rachel
Emily, Bradley & Rachel A* For Staff Too!
I’ve really enjoyed studying A ‘level
photography but it hasn’t just been
about art. I learned about the history of
photography, learned how chemistry
was so important; using chemicals to
develop my own film in the dark room,
and I also made use of some straightforward maths calculations to help me
set the camera’s correct apertures,
shutter speeds and ISOs. It wasn’t just
point-and-shoot.
Did you know that the first permanent
image made by a camera "View from
the Window", at the estate of Le Gras
near Chalon-Sur-Saône was taken by a
Frenchman Joseph Nicéphore Niépce
back in 1826 on a chemical-coated
metal pewter plate – it took 8 hours of
exposure! Can you imagine trying to sit
perfectly still with a smile on your face for
that long - almost 2 full days of lessons.
Another Frenchman, Louis Jacques
Mandé
Daguerre
reduced
the
exposure time to ‘just’ a few minutes.
On August 19th 1839, at The Institut de
France his new Daguerreotype process
was revealed to the world and "the
birth of photography" was proclaimed.
(Daguerreotype cameras were the
ones where the photographer would
Page 14
drape a big black curtain over himself
and the camera). This was to become
the
first
'practical'
process
of
photography. He developed images
using a mercury vapour; mercury
heated to very high temperatures
which
was
obviously
extremely
poisonous and dangerous – don’t try
this at home kids! The major drawback
with his process was that images could
not
be
re-produced;
the
daguerreotype process only produced
a single image, if you wanted 2
photographs you had to use 2 cameras
side-by-side.
An English mathematician and a
contemporary of Daguerre; Henry Fox
Talbot,
then
developed
another
process. His calotype process was a
significant milestone as an unlimited
number of prints could be made from
‘negatives’ and further developments
in the history of photography were
based upon this.
In 1888, an American bank clerk George
Eastman invented flexible, unbreakable
film which could be rolled. He massproduced a small box camera, The Box
Brownie.
Photographers no longer
needed to carry boxes of plates and
toxic chemicals around. His plain boxshaped camera cost $25; it was small
and was set by pulling a string. Once
the last picture had been taken, the
entire camera had to be returned to
the factory where the film was
developed. The prints were sent to the
owner and the camera returned,
already loaded with fresh film.
You
might have heard of his company, he
called it Kodak because he thought the
letter ‘K’ was strong and incisive.
On the course you also have to use film
cameras then process and develop your
film in the dark room. An old-fashioned
process but really enjoyable, seeing your
images appear right in front of your eyes is
amazing. Mostly you learn how to use all
the controls on digitial SLR cameras.
Things like slowing the shutter speed down
to create dreamy, milky waterfall scenes
or opening up the camera’s aperture to
make the background of your photos go
all blurry is great fun. There are lots and
lots of clever things cameras can do now
and you’ll get to learn all about them and
how the different combinations of settings
and equipment can be used to get
different artistic effects.
During the first year you have 3 projects to
complete.
Mine were ‘landscapes’,
where you have to research the work of
past masters and try and incorporate
some of the techniques and styles that
they used.
Checkout some of the
amazing photographs by Ansel Adams
and Fay Godwin, this black-and-white
photograph of mine is my interpretation of
a really famous piece of work. Don’t try
lying down in the middle of a road like I
had to – it’s dangerous.
My second project was ‘viewpoints’. As
part of our school’s involvement with The
European Studies Programme, I was lucky
Page 8
Page 15
Page 8
the
enough to visit Belfast.
I used
opportunity to document the murals that
have recorded the history and troubles
surrounding the Falls Road and Shankill
Road.
My last project was all about decay, this
image of a bulldozer at Tracatti Landfill Site
was my final montage. All of the students
that passed the course had their work
exhibited at Merthyr Tydfil College. Now
that I’ve had all mine back I’ll put some of
them up on my classroom wall in case you
might want to take a look.
If
anyone
is
considering
studying
photography at A’level I would thoroughly
recommend it. I found the first year really
enjoyable, I learned a lot but you’ve got
to be prepared for a LOT of work. This
year I’m working on a macro and close-up
photography project. By the way did I
mention I got 100% - that’s an A*.
Mr R.Beynon
Page 16
Junior Mathematical Challenge
On 26th April, 2012, 31 Year 8 pupils attempted
the UK Maths Trust Junior Mathematical
Challenge. The UKMT Individual Maths
Challenges are lively, intriguing multiple choice
question papers, which are designed to
stimulate interest in Maths. They tackled
extremely complex mathematical problems
individually, requiring them to use their
knowledge in next contexts. Their mental
Maths was particularly challenged as they
weren’t allowed to use the calculator!
A massive congratulations goes to Zak Turner,
Lorna Saffer and Niamh Thornton who achieved
silver awards and Rhys Norris who achieved a
bronze award from the UKMT for their
achievement. As an indication of how
challenging the test was, the average score for
all pupils across the UK was only 45 out of 135!
Well done to all!
Community Council Award
Catherine Hanks, a former sixth form pupil at
St. Cenydd Community School, was the
recipient of this year’s Penyrheol, Trecenydd
& Energlyn Community Council Award. Cath
has been an active member in the Guide
movement for 12 years; she’s been a volunteer
leader with a local Brownie pack, working
towards her Young Leader qualification. Her
university personal statement reads “I am
delighted to be continuing my active
involvement in an organisation from which I
have benefited greatly over many years.”
Whilst at St. Cenydd, Cath excelled
academically, she worked with the School
Council, presented at conferences, both
overseas and at the Senedd and was a superb
Head Girl! She is now studying History at
Warwick University.
Pictured is Cath
receiving her award from Councillor Whittle
at the St. Cenydd Community School
Presentation Evening.
COMMUNITY FOCUS
Since commencing my duties in September 2010, a great deal of
progress has been made towards further improving the range of features
and activities that the school offers to pupils and the wider community
within the area. The progress had previously been made as a result of a
community focus schools grant from the Welsh Government and support
from local business and charitable organisations. Examples of funded
schemes include:-
Page
Page
10 1017
Page
Aviation, the construction of a Pupils Bike Rack courtesy of the Council’s
Highways Department, the provision of Litter Bins and Pickers for the
Eco Club from a Welsh Government Grant and of course the installation
of a new synthetic sports playing surface as a result of contributions
form the Leisure Services Department and Communities First. The school
has also received support from Lloyds TSB and Ystrad Mynach College
regarding the painting of various rooms in the school. In February of
next year, up to 25 pupils and staff from this school will visit the
European Parliament in Brussels thanks to funding obtained with the
support of the areas MEP Jill Evans. A fantastic opportunity!

An animation club for pupils at St Cenydd, which produces
performances for community groups.

An Allotment and Eco Garden at St Cenydd, which promotes
sustainable lifestyles. Tools were purchased with a grant.
The next few months promise to be really exciting as Assistant Headteacher
Mrs Karen Davies and myself hope to introduce and develop the following:-

A Music Technology/Recording Studio at St Cenydd (The Music
Shack). This will be a facility where groups and schools from the
local community can record their work and produce CD
recordings. It is also hoped to establish a BTEC course in
Music/Music Technology.

A breakfast club for pupils.

An Intergenerational Club in the school where older persons will visit
and mix with young people in a variety of ways including playing
games, reading and eating together.

Provision of free standing nets for the setting up of a Tennis Club
at the School.


The purchase of a variety of resources for a Maths Club for year7,
8 and 9 Pupils and their parents.
Mix N Match in the school for parents, which will allow them to attend
courses run by Ystrad Mynach College in a number of subjects during
the evenings.

An after school club in the Nurture Room, which is being refurbished as
a result of a grant from the Welsh Government.

A free film club for pupils.

A radio station project for pupils.


The School is able to offer professional quality signs and stickers
to other schools and charities due to the purchase of a laser jet
printer and vinyl sign pack.
A literacy scheme in conjunction with Cardiff City FC aimed at
improving reading levels of pupils of boys and girls.

Provision of hockey posts for Red gra used to by the after school
club and for lessons, fixtures, club use and Sport Development.

Introduction of a signing class after school for those pupils who
show interest in British Sign Language and Deaf studies. Staff
will have to gain the level 1 BSL qualification to run the class,
which will be open to the community.
Further projects which have been funded from a variety of organisations
includes the provision of a Picnic Village for pupils courtesy of GE
 A Parent Teachers Association, which will raise funds for the school and
organise events.
I also hope to meet the School Council in the near future to discuss what
they would like to see provided at the school. I am currently considering
applying for funding for a 3G floodlight-playing surface on the Red Gra and
a BMX track. Any ideas that you have can be forwarded to me at
poynej@caerphilly.gov.uk.
John Poyner
September 2012
COMMUNITY FOCUS
Page 18
St. Cenydd Rocks
At the end of the summer term a few
pupils from St Cenydd took part in a
music workshop where they rehearsed
and performed a cover of Gotye’s,
Somebody That I Used to Know.
Following the workshop was a concert
which had two acts, one of which was
Shadow of the Sun a modern heavy metal
rock band which was thoroughly enjoyed
by all of the pupils involved.
All pupils who took part found the workshop
very good and most would love to do
something like it again. It was a great
workshop and the final performance was
fantastic.
If St. Cenydd had more workshops like this I
think music would be a much more
appreciated subject.
Mia Hughes
FILM CLUB
Film Club will be for years 8 & 9 and will meet every
Thursday after school in E6 between 3.00pm to around
4.30pm depending on film running times.
Pupils can visit the official Film Club website through our
school website (we've added a button at the bottom of the
menu) or just go directly to www.filmclub.org.uk
Page 19
Dates For Your Diary
November
Tues 06
UKMT Senior Maths Challenge
Tues 06-Thur 08
Wed 07-08
Fri 09
Mon 12
Wed 14
Tues 20
Tues 20
Thur 22
Tues 27
Thur 29-Fri 30
Thur 29
GCSE External exams
Careers convention for Years 9 & 11-Ty Penallta
Year 10 PSE D n A Day
Year 12 Geography visit to River taff
School council:Whole school: 3pm
SNAG meeting-8.35am
Year 8 ( + catch up) HPV Immunisation (Dose 2)
Year 10/11 H & S Care Dip visit to Asylum Courts
Year 9 Transition evening
Year 11/12/13 SEN Reviews
Science Made Simple (am)
December
Tues 04
Thu 06-Fri 07
Fri 07
Fri 07
Mon 10
Mon 10
Tues 11
Wed 12
Wed 12
Thur 13
Thur 13-10.00am
Fri 14
Fri 14
Mon 17
Mon 17
Wed 19
Thur 20
Fri 21
Fri 21
Christmas Fayre-3/2 Day
Year 12/13 Sixth form reviews
SRB visit to Brecon Mountain Railway
Non-uniform Day-Lesotho
GCSE 'A' level Art visit to Clothes Show
Years12/13 visit to Parliament
SRB visit to Blackwood theatre
School council:Whole school: 3pm
Christmas concert
Year 10 Welsh Bacc visit to Parliament
Cluster Xmas Concert
Christmas lunch
Year 9 GE Engineering challenge
SEN visit to the Sherman Theatre
Year 11 AON Day
End of Term visits (am)
Tutor Day 2-7pm
Tutor Day 9-2pm
End of Term: 2pm
Holiday & uniform forms available online
St.Cenydd Photo
Gallery