Welcome
Welcome to the Autumn Winter Term newsletter!
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After a jam-packed term, we have lots to celebrate, so let’s dive into our Autumn Winter newsletter.
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#maesteg24 #motivatedtostrive
It is soon time to say goodbye to 2024 and welcome in 2025! Before we do that, can we please pause to reflect on what Maesteg School has achieved over the last academic term. I am always in awe of the talent that we have in our school community and so very grateful to the teachers and support staff who give selflessly of their time to enable our children to thrive. Schools are not just places of learning; they cultivate opportunities for children to develop new skills, talents and experiences which in turn allows them to grow in confidence and self-esteem. The young people presented in this Newsletter represent all that is good about Maesteg School Community. They deserve our praise, recognition and applause for all they have achieved.
Thank you all for your continued support – our pupils and staff could not achieve these outcomes without your support. May you all enjoy a very peaceful and happy Christmas and new year with your families and loved ones. – Mrs Helen Jones (Headteacher)
COMING SOON
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/maesteg-school/e-yevamj
Christmas Concert 2024
Our 2024 Christmas concert was held on Wednesday December 18th in the school. There was a range of acts varying from the choir’s performances of ‘As we prepare for Jesus’ birth’ and ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ to our very first comedy club performance of ‘The nativity story’. It was lovely to see so many people across Year 7 to Year 13 taking part.
For the first time our Christmas concert was organised by four of our Year 12 pupils as part of their music BTEC course. Rhys Owen, Robin Owen, Taia Sayce, and Elias Austin worked extremely hard behind the scenes to ensure that the evening ran as smoothly as possible. They said that “the night was a great success and truly enjoyable for all”. With the theme of a ‘flight to the North Pole’, the whole evening was perfectly constructed around the idea of being flown to a magical destination. With the evening ending in meeting Santa everyone left the hall truly feeling as if they had experienced some Christmas magic.
A massive thank you to Rhys Owen, Robin Owen, Taia Sayce, and Elias Austin for organising this amazing event!
Town Hall Performances
This year our school choir had the privilege of being apart of two Town Hall events.
The first event they attended was the opening of the Town Hall. They sang ‘Grease (Is The Word)’ and ‘Thinking Out Loud’. After the Town Hall being closed for renovation for the last few years it was amazing for our choir to have had the chance to perform for the public.
The second event they attended was to sing for Christmas celebrations that were being held at the Town Hall. The choir sang ‘As We Prepare For Jesus’ Birth’ and ‘Wonderful Christmastime’. We also had separate performances from Grace Tate and Freya Powell who sang ‘New Year’s Day’ and a solo from Daniel Bevan who sang ‘A Winter’s Tale’.
It was a great experience for our choir, and they hope to be back performing there soon!
Criw Cymraeg Celebrations
We are thrilled to announce that the Criw Cymraeg has been awarded the prestigious GOLD Siarter Iaith! Over the past 12 months, we have proudly achieved Bronze, Silver, and now Gold – a tremendous accomplishment for the Criw and our whole school community.
The Criw meets every Tuesday, working tirelessly to promote the Welsh language throughout the school and the wider community. This term, they organised a Christmas card competition for all primary schools, receiving over 300 incredible entries. The winning cards were sold to staff, parents, and the community, raising an impressive £75.00. This money was donated to Special Families Maesteg, who were overjoyed to receive the contribution just in time for Christmas.
In addition, the Criw coordinated donations for the Noddfa Food Bank, carefully labeling each item with its Welsh name. Their efforts showcase not only their commitment to supporting the community but also their dedication to incorporating the Welsh language into everyday life.
The Welsh department is looking forward to the New Year and our upcoming trip to Belgium and Paris in March. Year 9 pupils will have the opportunity to visit historical sites, including Hedd Wyn’s grave and the Welsh memorial in Belgium.”
We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Gobeithio gewch chi Nadolig Llawen hyfryd a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda! – PL
District Rugby
This year 9 of our Year 11 boys at Maesteg School made it into district rugby teams, 5 made the Bridgend district squad and 4 made the Neath district squad. This is a record for us, and we are extremely proud of them all!
Year 11 boys Will Carol and Reio Ling talk us through their district journey:
I got into the Bridgend District Schools Rugby Union Under 16s squad. I went through the EPP system for the past year and got through that into the extended training squad and after a 4-week process in that I was chosen to play for the district. There were 5 other boys in this school that also got into the team, Josh Thomas, Rio Adams, Luca Trehane Morgan and Joe Davies. We had a very good group stage playing all the teams in the Ospreys Region and being able to play in some big places ETC Brewery Field, The Gnoll and St Helens. We won all our games beating Swansea West, Swansea East, Swansea Valley, Aberavon and Neath. We then progressed to the Quarter Finals of the Dewar Shield where we took on a good Rhondda team on a cold night in Porth which we lost and ended our Dewar Shield Campaign. It’s been a great experience playing rugby with some of my best mates in some historical names and seeing us all succeed as a team in the group stages was something special. I feel playing for the district has helped me progress, playing against big teams there is always going to be people watching you that are part of big regions. However, I do think the boys work outside of training has earned them these opportunities themselves. After Christmas the Ospreys East squad will be playing and I have no doubt we will see a few Maesteg Students names in the squad and hopefully progress all the way into the Academy for next Summer. – WC
From left to right: Luca Treharne-Morgan, Josh Thomas, Joseph Davies, Will Carol, and Rio Adams
I am in Neath district and get in I had to take part in an EPP which is short for an evolving player programme. During this we had to train with other people and take part in gym sessions; we also played some games. After that they chose an extended squad which was not the final squad just the squad for a month or two. While in the extended squad I had to play more games which they looked at us and watched back the games to decide the final squad. This complete process took around 9 months altogether. The other boys from Maesteg who are in Neath are Blake Holdham, Xavier Howells, and Riley Jenkins. At the start of the season, it was tough as we were in the hardest group. We were beaten every game but had a close game with Aberavon district only losing 15-12. Because we lost, we got placed in the challenger cup. In the semi-final of the challenger cup, we beat Newport to get into the final. In the final we beat Cardiff west with a game winning kick. So, the end of our season was great winning the challenger cup and bringing home silverware for Neath schools.
Altogether we have played 8 games and won 2. The competition of these games was tough as we were the smallest area in a large group. Overall, the experience of Neath has been exciting for me. From the start when we had on field sessions and sessions in the gym it felt very professional because we had coaches that were once particularly good rugby players themselves. Getting into Neath was exciting and thrilling because you were always scared of not getting picked. I think playing for Neath has been an exceptionally good opportunity that has come my way it has been an exciting experience, and I think I have really developed as a rugby player from Neath. I really enjoyed playing rugby at a more competitive level and I have made friends along the way as well. Neath has opened a lot of doors for me as I have an opportunity to get into the osprey’s east squad and then after that it would be the ospreys combined squad which would be a goal for me and a massive achievement if I did go that far. – RL
Bottom image from left to right : Blake Holdham, Riley Jenkins, Reio Ling, and Xaiver Howells
School Rugby
This year we have had our first XV team, our captain Josh Thomas (Year 11) gives us into the season:
It has been some time since Maesteg Comp have had a 1st XV rugby team, so it was great to have fielded a squad this season while being competitive in the Ospreys U18 Schools league.
The 1st XV is made up of players from years 11, 12 and 13 and I was given the privilege of captaining the team this season. I have been fortunate enough to captain my year group since year 7, but being awarded the 1st XV captaincy was quite a shock as a year 11 pupil, but I see it as a real honour. The team this year has been heavily represented by year 11 pupils, which makes the efforts of the team even more impressive as we have come up against teams that are often filled with year 13 players. Coached by our new WRU hub officer, Mr Ryan Wilkins, the step up for a lot of the boys has been a big one, but a great learning opportunity for us.
It has been a mixed bag regarding the results, having played 6 games, we won 2, drew 1 and lost 3, which placed us 4th in the league out of 7 teams. Starting the competition well with wins against Bryntirion and Olchfa, to then draw against Morriston, we were well positioned in the league. However, we came up against some strong teams in Pencoed, Ysgol Gyfun Llangynwyd and Cynffig in our final 3 fixtures. While it was disappointing to finish this campaign on a 3-game losing streak, on a positive note, we have been competitive in every game, and put in some good performances, and I’m sure all the boys have learned a lot.
It’s been fantastic to have a 1st team back this season. Historically, Maesteg Comp have always been seen as a really strong rugby team and hopefully, this is the first step in regaining that reputation as I’m sure there is a strong pipeline of talent in the school that can build on this first year. – JT
Regional Netball Team
This year Olivia Cox made the U17s regional netball team:
I’m a part of the Bridgend regionals netball team. We had one trial, and it took around a week for the coaches to pick the team. Evie Reynolds and Ella Ronan are also in the team. Our team has played one game that we lost, but the level of competition was similar to ours, making it a competitive game. The coaches are definitely pushing us to do our best, it has been amazing so far and despite losing our match I have been really enjoying it. My ability and skill have definitely improved whilst being involved in the team and making new friends has been great – OC
Ella Ronan tells us about her netball journey so far!
I play for Glamorgan Valleys count netball squad and I play as part of Wales u17’s Bridgend Regional Academy. To allow me to get into the county squad I had to undergo 2 trials and successfully got through both, I then managed to stay part of the county team and have been selected for the Inter-counties tournament next year. To get into Bridgend RA I had to go to a trial in which many people trialled and managed to get selected and now I am part of this academy until the end of the netball season in 2025. In the U17’s academy, myself, Evie Reynolds, Olivia Cooke, and Olivia Cox got into the squad. This season despite having a bad injury before this occurred it was going fantastic and my performance was improving significantly, but due to the injury I have had to sit out, but I go to every training session and game still and hopefully back playing in January. The level of competition is extremely high in both squads as there are some of the best players, we have played many games in county and successfully won them and in Regionals we have lost a couple of games but have put up strong games. As I have been in these squads, I have had many amazing experiences, and I have played against some of the best players my age and by doing so I have improved massively. I have already seen significant changes in my performance and feel this is a wonderful experience and team to be part of. I definitely feel that being in these squads has opened many new doors for me and that I have made some incredible changes in some performances, and I strongly feel that my performance will be better and with that my confidence will increase as well. I feel that being in these teams my netball has improved in many ways, and it makes me a better player not only in club but withing these squads. I have had many brilliant opportunities to play against teams of a high standard. – ER
Children in Need 2024
On November 15th we celebrated Children in Need. This year we raised £671, which was achieved by Sixth Formers Olivia Davies and Elodie Hocking who organised events such as bake sales, heath ball and wearing ‘own clothes’ to school for £1. Children in Need aims to improve the lives of thousands of children, which is why we try to go above and beyond to find ways to raise money.
A big thanks to all staff and students who took part in any of activities to help raise money.
Movember
Our Mo Bros raised £140 for Men’s Health!
“I would like to on behalf of Maesteg School thank everyone for their support and donations to this worthy cause.
Thank you to all the team on raising awareness for Men’s Health, People Growing Mo’s and All the people who Donated.
Your Collective Effort has made people stop, think, and talk about these issues and raised awareness to Men’s health.
Thank you all and remember just talk.” – JP
Caerau Primary Christmas Party
Santa Claus came to town…
He made a list, he checked it twice and found out all these kids are nice
On Monday, 16th December we hosted our annual Christmas Party for Caerau Primary School pupils. We had the pleasure of having nineteen pupils join us for the morning. They enjoyed a party with snacks, festive crafts and of course, a visit from Santa Claus. Past and present staff were extremely generous with donations of gifts and money, enabling us to provide gifts and food hampers for the children and their families. It is always a highlight of the year to see the joy it brings. A huge thank you to all that supported it this year. Nadolig Llawen. – AS
New York Trip
Start spreading the news, Maesteg were apart of it…New York, New York
The New York trip was the best trip I’ve ever been on. The city is so big and no matter where you look you can’t help but be in awe of the amazing architecture everywhere. On the 3-day trip we saw the Statue of Liberty, went to the top of the rock, crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, a tour of the world-famous Financial District, and the 9/11 memorial. My favourite part of the trip was the free time we had to explore the breath-taking city for ourselves, there was so much to do and see. I will never forget the trip and would highly recommend it to people. –MR
Miss Pearson’s Christmas Trip
For Christmas this year Miss Pearson’s Year 9 textiles classes made 63 individually personalised stockings for every Ty Nant care home resident. Miss Pearson then took 38 pupils to hand deliver the stockings to the residents on December 19th.
This is an extremely thoughtful gesture and a great way to spread Christmas cheer.
Year 11 Boy’s Head Shaving
Recently, Rio Adams, Will Carol, Josh Thomas, Luca Treharne-Morgan and Callum Johnson in Year 11 shaved their heads in support of their district rugby teammate Aston Bevington. Aston has recently been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia and is currently undergoing an aggressive form of chemotherapy treatment. In order for Aston not to feel alone in this horrific time and to raise money for anything he might need, many of his friends/teammates shaved their heads in solidarity for #Battlingwithbev
This is an amazing way for the boys to support Aston and we are all really proud of them for doing so.
If anyone would like to donate to Aston, please click the link below.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/battlingwithbev-help-aston-kick-cancers-arse
From left to right: Rio Adams, Will Carol, Josh Thomas, Luca Treharne-Morgan, and Callum Johnson
That’s A Wrap!
We hope you enjoyed our Autumn Winter Term newsletter and have a restful break.
All that’s left to say is Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Stay safe we will see you in 2025!
Contact Us
Ffordd Dysgu
Bridgend CF34 0LQ
01656 815950
Email: [email protected]