Appreciation for Gideons and Mr. Mike Gershon
We would like to express our appreciation to the Gideons, who visited our Year 7 assembly this week. Our friends from the Gideons spoke with genuine compassion to our students. They also left us with a number of New Testament Bibles, which include sections to read when experiencing specific emotions.
Also visiting the school this week was Mr. Mike Gershon, who led sessions for all Year 11 students on developing successful learning and revision strategies. Mike’s insights were received with great interest, and feedback so far indicates that many of our exam class students found his tips truly useful.
Fundraising Success
We are very pleased to report that we raised £1,007 for Children in Need last week. We also raised a further £362 was contributed to the British Legion on Poppy Day. Diolch yn fawr to all families who contributed to either or both causes.
Health and Social Care Insights
A-level students studying Health and Social Care and Childcare had the opportunity to learn first-hand about the role of an occupational therapist this week. Two occupational therapists from Flintshire Social Services spoke to our group about the key skills of an OT and potential career opportunities in the field. Our students gained a better understanding of how OTs work with patients to help them remain independent at home.
We are truly grateful to guests who visit us to broaden the educational experience and horizons of our students.
Duke of Edinburgh Award Licence
On Tuesday night, Miss Katy Gittins had the honour of collecting Castell Alun’s Licence Certificate for the Duke of Edinburgh Award. This achievement means the school is now directly licensed to run the award. This allows our students to participate at all levels—Bronze, Silver, and Gold—without the need for further external assistance. We currently have a large number of students working towards a Duke of Edinburgh Award.
CAFA Christmas Trees and Wreaths
As you are aware, CAFA is once again selling Christmas trees and wreaths as part of their ongoing support in raising funds for the school. The trees have proven incredibly popular year after year due to their quality and price. If you would like to purchase a tree or wreath while also helping support the school, the deadline for ordering is Wednesday, 29th November (ready for collection on Saturday, 2nd December). The attached link will take you straight to the payment page with further details, as will scanning the QR code on the attached posters: CAFA Christmas Trees and Wreaths Order
Celebrating Successes
We are proud to share the successes of all members of the Castell Alun family. Eric (Exams Invigilator) of Buckley Runners was selected to represent Wales in the British and Irish Masters cross-country event in Glasgow recently. After an impressive performance, Eric placed 15th in the Men’s Over 60 category. He was the third to count for the Wales team, resulting in a silver medal for him and the team. Da iawn, Eric!
Ardderchog to Oscar (Year 10), who represented us in the school’s ski meeting this week. Oscar delivered another great performance, placing 3rd overall. The next school race is on 8th December at Llandudno. Places can be booked via the following link: Skiing NWSC NSSA Schools Race Series
Upcoming Events
We look forward to welcoming parents/carers of Year 7 students to school on Monday and Tuesday next week for our initial teacher-parent meetings for our new intake. These sessions are always valuable.
Next week, our Year 12 Welsh course students will go on a residential trip to Glan Llyn on Wednesday. All parents/carers of Year 12 students are also welcome to join us at school on Thursday from 4 pm for our annual Year 12 Parents’ Evening.
See you next week for the next School Blog!
