A very happy New Year to one and all from the entire Castell Alun team.

2020 has begun with a vengeance with external and internal examinations for lots of students in the upper school. Year 11 English Language students have small group discussion examinations starting next week. Internal mock exams and Science practical examinations are also being held for Year 11 students from Wednesday 15th January onwards.

Also on the horizon are both our Year 10 Parents’ Evening (from 4pm on Thursday 16th January) and, of course, our Sixth Form Open Evening (on Thursday 30th January from 6.30pm). Please note that our Sixth Form Prospectus will be available via the school website next week and, in hard copy, from main reception. Castell Alun Sixth Form outcomes and standards of care remain amongst the very highest in the country, and we are always delighted to see both our own Year 11 students and indeed those wishing to transfer to us from other schools at our Open Evening.

Next week sees the launch of our ‘Reading Millionaires’ challenge. This is where students in Year 7 and 8 are given the challenge to read up to or beyond one million words by Monday 30th March! I can’t wait to see how that goes and look forward to hearing about all the wonderful books that have been read.

This term, as part of our Praise and Rewards strategy we will be focussing on how to be resilient, and I know we are all inspired by those who keep going when the going gets tough! Praise points will start again and well done to all those students who improved and demonstrated their creative skills last term. It has been lovely to see so many students receive praise points and really enter into the spirit of our new CAHS Values driven Praise and Rewards initiative.

School sports activities are up and running again – we think 2020 will see lots of successes on the sports front. Three of our Year 8 girls are completing a Netball Umpiring course at Deeside Leisure Centre next week. Good luck to Nell, Scarlet and Isabella with that. Our Year 9 Rugby team played really well yesterday and congratulations to our Sixth Form Boys’ Football Team who smashed it in their cup fixture against Prestatyn yesterday – following their 6-1 victory they are now in the last 16 teams of the Welsh Cup! Good luck to the U16 girls – Alesha, Poppy, Sophie and Abi, who have been successful in the final 20 selection for the U16 North East Wales Netball Squad and begin their final training preparations on Friday. Good luck also to Jermaine, Tom, Will and Charlie (Captain) who are representing RGC East U15 v Rhymney Valley Schools on Friday. Finally, a reminder for students that all sports clubs start again on Monday with study club buses running on Monday and Tuesday. Now there’s a good idea for a new years’ resolution perhaps!?

Full steam ahead then! Have a lovely weekend.