Wrapping Up a Busy Term and Looking Forward to Easter
Welcome to the School Blog. An extremely busy term concludes today, and although everyone is doubtless ready for a change of scenery, there is a great deal to be proud of since Christmas.
Easter Assembly Celebration
Easter is a special time for many of us, and today we celebrated the festival with a whole school assembly. Whether of Christian faith, another religious belief, or no particular belief, several poignant messages were shared for reflection. Perhaps one of the main messages was the power of hope and positivity as spring begins. Georgia (Year 11) and Nadia (Year 12) read beautifully in English and Cymraeg, and we enjoyed a spirited performance of Dakota (Stereophonics) by our resident Year 11 rock band. The lads were fantastic, and their performance lifted us all, bringing smiles to many faces. Well done to Theo, Liam, and Nathan, and a special shoutout to Adam (Year 12) who joined the band for this performance. What amazing talents!
CAFA Quiz Night Success
Yesterday evening, the CAFA Quiz Night was very well supported, and everyone in attendance had a lovely time with plenty of good-humoured banter and tricky quiz questions. Spot prizes added to the jovial atmosphere, and Mr. Kevin Davies (Quizmaster), likened to Terry Wogan, did a superb job. We are all extremely grateful for CAFA, their work, energy, and vision. People have already requested another quiz evening…and special congratulations to the winning team, ‘Pondlife’!
Rewards for Top Performers
Today, the three highest-achieving tutor groups across Key Stage 3 enjoyed their film reward afternoon. Each tutor group battles hard to collect as many achievement and effort points as possible over the term, so congratulations to 7R, 8R, and 9R for coming out on top this time. Individual high performers across all year groups have already been awarded Amazon vouchers, and the top tutor groups in Years 10 and 11 enjoyed a rewards breakfast recently. We believe it is a tremendously powerful principle to reward not just success or achievement but also effort.
Ski Trip to Austria
This afternoon, a large group of Key Stage 4 students departs on their ski trip to Austria. Reports indicate a reasonable amount of snow on the slopes, and the weather looks promising. We are certain that everyone will have a fantastic time and can’t wait to hear all the stories upon their return. If you would like to follow their endeavours daily, you may do so live on our Castell Alun Twitter feeds.
Hope Parish Church Easter Gatherings
Our friends at Hope Parish Church will have several gatherings over the Easter period. We are very grateful to the Church for the regular support they give to our school.
Easter Break and Exam Preparations
For many, the Easter break is a chance to rest and revitalise. For some, it is this, while also being a vital opportunity to revise and focus on preparations for external examinations. Some subjects will be running revision sessions in school over the Easter break, and these have been communicated to Year 11 students. The first exams for many will be the Welsh GCSE Orals, which begin (for Years 10 and 11) on the 19th April and run for a week. We encourage everyone to maintain a healthy perspective over the coming weeks, remembering that focused work allows plenty of vital time for relaxation. It’s important to switch off and enjoy ourselves so that we can give our best when we are at work.
Thank you for your support of our school over this term. Please do enjoy your Eastertime. See you back here soon for the next School Blog!
