Navigating Building Works
Welcome to the School Blog. The weeks are racing by, and the summer break is not far off. School remains incredibly busy, even without Years 11 and 13 in the building. Our new build is on track for completion on time, and we are grateful for the positive working relationship with Wilmot Dixon. We appreciate the daily adaptations made by students, colleagues, and neighbours to accommodate the works and thank everyone for their patience and support.
Year 8 Virtual Parents’ Evening
Last night’s Year 8 virtual Parents’ Evening went very well, with many positive conversations informing parents of progress and attainment. Thank you to everyone involved, on either side of the computer screen. We will review our approach to Parents’ Evenings and consider the benefits of virtual events before informing you of our plans for the next academic year.
CAFA Pets Photo Competition
Our CAFA Pets Photo Competition was a real success. The Senior Leadership Team enjoyed judging all entries, and it is clear that pets and animals can have a very therapeutic effect on us! Thank you to everyone who entered. Here are the results:
- Cutest Pet Prize: Emily in Year 8 for her picture of a calf.
- Funniest Pet Prize: Ben in Year 7 for his picture of his dog.
- Special Prize: Iwan in Year 9 for being the first to enter the competition and for his lovely story about his cat.
Both Emily and Ben won a £25 Amazon voucher, and Iwan received a £10 prize. Well done, everyone, and thank you to CAFA. We hope to run similar events in the future.
Celebrating Student Successes
We cover many of our students’ successes via social media, but it’s always lovely to celebrate these in the Blog as well. This week, special congratulations go to Sasha (Year 7), who has been offered a place in the North Wales Girls’ Football Academy. Well done, Sasha!
When you get a moment, please take a look at our Twitter page, where we have posted photos of our Year 7 and 8 students enjoying our current extra-curricular programme of sporting activities. We hope to continue enhancing this programme early next academic year, despite the difficulties posed by Covid times.
WH Smith School Rewards Programme
Throughout June and until the end of September, Castell Alun will receive 10% of all purchases from WH Smith in the form of digital achievement reward vouchers. We would be grateful if parents/carers would follow the link below to facilitate this, and anyone buying something from WH Smiths would indicate that they wish the 10% to go to Castell Alun High School. Thank you very much indeed.
Year 8 HPV Vaccinations
Today, our Year 8 students received their HPV vaccinations. We are pleased to report that everything went smoothly. We are committed to supporting vaccination programs, even during Covid times, as we believe this is in the best interest of our students.
Upcoming Cognitive Ability Tests (CATs)
On Wednesday next week, our Year 9 students will sit their Cognitive Ability Tests (CATs) during the morning. Please note that no preparation is required for these tests, and students should not be anxious about them.
Year 6 into Year 7 Induction Programme
We remind parents/carers interested in our Year 6 into Year 7 Induction Programme that a library of information is available on our website. As we cannot host the usual large-scale Transition Evening and Transition Day en-masse this year, we have added an overview video to this provision. We are grateful for the skill and expertise of Mr Adam Southwell, who assisted us with this.
Sixth Form Visitor Day
On Wednesday, 23rd June, potential Sixth Form students from other schools will visit us at Castell Alun. They have registered to join our Year 12 from September 2021. All necessary Covid mitigations will remain in place. We look forward to meeting everyone and ensuring a happy and successful transition into the Castell Alun Sixth Form.
Duke of Edinburgh Scheme
Single-person tent occupancy allows us to run overnight Duke of Edinburgh trips again. Mr Jack Evans now leads our successful Duke of Edinburgh scheme. With all Covid mitigations in place, a Silver Expedition is planned for 25th to 27th June. We will report back on this in a future School Blog.
Provisional Centre Determined Grades
We have allocated provisional Centre Determined Grades to all examination class students completing a qualification this academic year. Today, we are sending these provisional results to Year 11 and 13 students via their Gmail accounts. Additionally, parents will receive them via Intouch. For Years 10 and 12, we will distribute them during tutor periods.
If your child believes there is an error in their grade, they can request a Decision Making Record. Importantly, submit the information for the affected subject by 22nd June at 12 pm. Upon receiving the Decision Making Record, students have five days to request a Centre Review and Appeals Form. Ensure this form is completed and returned by 5th July 2021 at 12 pm.
Welsh Football Team
I am sure many of us are thrilled with the Wales Football Team’s performance on Wednesday. Let’s hope it continues!
Have a lovely weekend and we will see you for the next School Blog.
