Spring Term 2024
Welcome to the Spring Term newsletter!
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With plenty going on and lots to celebrate, let’s get started with the of our Spring newsletter.
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#maesteg24 #motivatedtostrive
Headteacher's Welcome Our Springtime Story
It is time to celebrate the end of a wet and windy spring and look forward with hope and optimism to the summer term. This newsletter is packed full of the fantastic achievements of our pupils as we have so much to celebrate at Maesteg School. I hope you enjoy reading this edition as much as I did and share the same pride and admiration in our community of young people who deserve our applause and praise.
It was wonderful to welcome parents and governors for two nights of Shrek Jr. in February. Reading reflections from the cast was a fantastic reminder of the efforts that went into delivering two incredible nights of entertainment. The pupils were outstanding and there were some very proud families watching and one very proud headteacher too!
Shrek Jr. proved a huge hit this term!
We have some amazing talent at Maesteg School and watching our students improve in confidence and ability is truly humbling. Developing employability skills for the World of Work is also key to our curriculum, and it has been wonderful to watch our Sixth Form Barista Team take shape over recent weeks. Their creative talent, inter-personal skills and dedication is there for everyone to see. Well done team!
Maesteg School has always had strong ties with our community, and one pupil who has embodied the spirit of serving is Billie Hurley, who has been sworn in to the Police Youth Volunteers after 4 years of service. Billie has also been selected as Youth High Sheriff for the Bridgend Hub, an honoured role that reflects her hard work and dedication. Congratulations Billie, another exceptional young person who should be proud of their achievements.
As ever, our children could not achieve these outcomes without the support of our wonderful staff and our parents and families. On behalf of our school community, thank you to all those who have contributed to this edition. Have a restful Easter break. HJ
Brilliant Baristas
Sixth Form students have been applying for the position of coffee shop barista at Maesteg School this term. Successful candidates enjoyed a fun and informative training session with Argies Coffee, learning how to make the perfect cappuccino, or frappe (ready for summer term!)
Our baristas have been enjoying their shifts, bringing a youthful energy to the service. Sixth form student Gulsum has completed her training and reflects on the process of becoming a barista. “Finding a suitable job opportunity for me to fit alongside my school work was amazing,” she said. “I’ve started earning money whilst completing my school work and I continue to enjoy other activities after school too – it’s perfect!”
“The application process was straight forward, I spoke with the canteen team and was then ready for training! The school worked with Argies to provide us with training sessions which were fantastic. I felt prepared to take all the possible coffee orders – there are so many varieties, from flat whites to lattes. It was definitely a fun coffee experience” added Gulsum.
Well done to all of our barista team who continue to work hard and enhance the coffee shop experience!
Bore Coffee Cymraeg
On Friday the 23rd of February the Criw Cymraeg held a Welsh coffee morning.
The Criw Cymraeg invited the community in to raise the profile of the Welsh language in the area. Local businesses were generous in donating, flowers (The Flower Basket) cakes (Tal Y Garth Bakery) tea, coffee, and biscuits (ASDA) and raffle prices (Tesco’s). Diolch for your donations.
The Year 11 leaders prepared a short lesson for the community on how to use the Welsh language in their everyday lives. The lesson looked at greeting to asking how people’s days have been.
After a short lesson prepared by our Year 11 ambassadors there was a quiz hosted by Mickey Richards and Evie Griffiths ‘The Big Welsh Quiz’ which not only put the audiences Welsh on show but their knowledge about Wales’ history and famous faces.
The music department contributed to the morning preparing our Year 13 learner Olivia Thomas to perform a lovely arrangement of ‘On my Own’ from Les Misérables the Musical. Olivia sang beautifully, bringing tears to many eyes.
To complete the morning there was a game of BINGO in Welsh. The audience had to listen carefully to the numbers that were read out in Welsh before the English. Great prizes were on offer and Morgan Davies’s parents won the Bingo!
Da iawn to all that were involved: Mickey Richards, Evie Griffiths, Freya Davies, Morgan Davies, Jemimah Arshad, Brooke Boast, Jacob-Matthew Cohen-Wright, and Ava Pearce.
The Criw are working hard with the community to raise the profile of the Welsh language and hoping to achieve the Silver Award by the Summer. PL
Lessons from Auschwitz
On 21st February the year 12 History students (Gulsum Et, Maisie Dixon, Ioan Davies, Olivia Davies, Tegan Matthews) went to Auschwitz as past of the ‘Lessons from Auschwitz Project’. They went to a Jewish memorial and then to the concentration camp. Olivia and Gulsum said “the experience was one to remember and definitely made us all reflect, the atmosphere was melancholic – a feeling that we had never experienced before.”
I am sure this will enrich their understanding of history and they will never forget this experience.
Thank you to Mr Hogg who arranged this for them. SW
Police Youth Award: Billie Hurley
Billie has been volunteering every Wednesday with the Police Youth Service since she was 14. Dedicated to her role, Billie helps out in the community, test purchasing, cleaning our beaches and rivers and working alongside the fire service. Recently, Billie attended the first Attestation event since Covid, with 99 cadets swearing an oath in front of an audience of 300. We caught up with Billie after the event:
“My Bridgend Hub leader, Geoff Seymour spoke to me before the event and told me that had nominated me to be his Police Youth High Sheriff,” said Billie. ” It was a great honour to be chosen for this role which will include extra responsibilities, I am feeling very proud,” she added.
“After school I am planning to do an apprenticeship with the police, with a view to eventually joining the armed response team.”
What an incredible achievement Billie, we are so proud of you!
Celebrating The Success of Shrek Jr.
After two incredible nights of Shrek Jr. this term, we caught up with some of the cast to reflect on their experiences.
First up was Wednesday night Shrek Theo. “Throughout the production, I had the opportunity to experience a sense of accomplishment with the bonus of making new friends along the way. The Shrek cast were so inclusive, bringing pupils together who would not necessarily know each other – it was a real positive,” said Theo.
“There was never a dull moment, especially on show night, it was the best thing to experience, surrounded by the cast, all supporting each other. This show was something special and ‘the buzz’ that won’t leave me for a long time. If I had the opportunity, I would do it all again,” he added.
Next up is Wednesday night’s Fiona, played by Olivia Thomas. Liv is in Yr.13 and this was her last show. “For the school production of Shrek, I was so pleased to have the opportunity to play Princess Fiona. This was my last show with the school, and I was delighted to be a part of it but the feeling is bittersweet – I would love to do this all again,” said Liv.
“Performing the show in front of a full audience was one of my favourite aspects of being in the show. As well as this, the friendships you build during the rehearsals and the supportive vibe from all members of the cast will stay with me forever,” Liv added.
A huge congratulations to the cast once again for two spectacular shows – we all can’t wait to hear what production is coming next. And with that in mind, some of our students have created this poster to advertise our upcoming Spring concert:
Wednesday, 24th April, 2024
Mental Health Matters
Thank you to John and the team at Mental Health Matters Wales for a fun and informative morning at their Art & Wellness morning. Students applying for the Creative & Therapeutic Arts BA were inspired by how a creative and communal approach to mental health can have a profound impact on people’s lives. We will see you again soon – diolch! Find out more about the work MHM do in our community: Welcome to Mental Health Matters Wales (MHM Wales)
Dress To Impress
At the end of the June, Year 11 will be attending their Celebration Evening, to mark the end of their GCSEs and to gather as a year group with their teachers for one last time before finishing compulsory education at Maesteg School.
The Year 11 Celebration Evening Committee decided to host a pop-up dress shop event called “Dress to Impress” partly due to the success of the event held by Mrs Scarr in previous years. “We want people to feel confident in their prom outfits without breaking the bank on a dress or suit,” said Mickey Richards, Year 11.
“It was an open event after school,” continued Mickey. “Anyone in year 11 could come down and look at and try on dresses . There were mocktails and brownies to enhance the experience! There were over 100 second-hand dresses to choose from of all sizes, colours and styles. Many people tried on the dresses and suits, and were really pleased. Several pupils found and reserved their perfect dresses for the Celebration Evening. Overall, it was a brilliant, welcoming and inclusive event, that everyone enjoyed,” he added.
“The committee intend to eliminate any and all stigma around second-hand dresses and to make sure no one is looked down at for getting second hand clothes,” said Mickey. “A circular fashion economy is better for the environment, reducing the amount of textile waste that ends up in landfills. We hope that the success of this event will set an example and encourage the pop-up dress shop to be an annual event for years to come!”
It is wonderful to see a Maesteg School tradition continue to make such an important impact – a huge well done to everyone involved!
That's A Wrap! #maesteg24 #motivatedtostrive
We hope you enjoyed our Spring Term newsletter, thank you for taking the time to catch up with our latest news. We are all looking forward to a packed Summer Term and can’t wait to see what our pupils have in store for us over the coming months.
Contact Us:
Let us know if you enjoyed our latest newsletter or how we could improve it. Reach out using the link: Contact Us – Ysgol Maesteg (maestegschool.co.uk)