Please congratulate the girls that participated and won this tournament.
They were amazing and a credit to the school.
The attitude, behaviour and effort put in over a long day of football was first class – resulting in a thoroughly deserved victory.
They played seven games in all without losing and came from behind to win the final in extra time.
They now go through to the next level of the competition.
If you are a parent or carer of a child with a diagnosis of autism, we invite you to take part in a national survey to share your experiences. Your feedback is invaluable in helping to understand your experiences, as a parent/carer of a child with autism.
The survey is part of a project aimed at evaluating autism services and making meaningful changes based on the needs and perspectives of parents and carers.
Please complete the survey by the end of November. It will only take a few minutes of your time, but your input will make a significant difference in shaping future support for autistic children and their families.
Please click the link below.
Thank you for your participation!
https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/TT3MP4/
Cafodd Bl 7 amser anhygoel yn gwylio perfformiad “Y Ddraig Goch” ym Mhontardawe. Llwyddiant mawr!
Ar ddydd Mawrth, 15fed Hydref, a dydd Mercher, 16eg Hydref, aeth yr Adran Gymraeg â 45 o ddisgyblion i Ganolfan Celfyddydau Pontardawe i wylio Y Ddraig Goch, a ysgrifennwyd gan Kyle Lima. Roedd y daith yn llwyddiant ysgubol, gyda’r holl fyfyrwyr wedi mwynhau’r perfformiad yn fawr. Roedd yr adborth gan y grŵp yn hynod gadarnhaol, gyda disgyblion yn arbennig o frwdfrydig am y rapio, y gwisgoedd bywiog, a’r stori gyfareddol.
On Tuesday, 15th October, and Wednesday, 16th October, the Welsh department took 45 pupils to the Pontardawe Arts Centre to watch The Welsh Dragon, written by Kyle Lima. The trip was a great success, with all students thoroughly enjoying the performance. Feedback from the group was overwhelmingly positive, with pupils particularly enthusiastic about the rapping, the vibrant costumes, and the captivating storyline.
The play tells the story of two dragons battling within the walls of a Welsh castle, causing the structure to crumble. The only way to stop the battle is through the intervention of someone of pure Welsh heritage. However, the play cleverly poses the question: How do you truly determine someone’s Welsh identity?
The Welsh Dragon, presented by Theatr Iolo, blends myth with historical truths, exploring themes of identity, ethnicity, and ancestry. Featuring music, rap, and a historical twist, the play challenges traditional narratives passed down over generations. The fast-paced, thought-provoking production not only entertained but also encouraged pupils to reflect on the deeper messages within the story.
The production team and cast were outstanding, with standout performances from Kimberley Abodunrin as the Welsh Dragon and Jaden Baker as Cheddar Man. The creative team, including director Ewa Dina and composer Eädyth Crawford, created an immersive atmosphere, with Kyle Legall’s designs and Katy Morison’s lighting adding to the magic on stage.
Overall, The Welsh Dragon was a fantastic experience for the pupils, sparking meaningful discussions on identity while providing an entertaining and educational outing. We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you for the warm welcome we received at Pontardawe Arts Centre. We look forward to seeing your next production!
Credits:
Cast:
Penwythnos yma Medi 20fed -22ain, aeth 30 ddisgybl Bl 9, 10, ac 11 i Lan-llyn yng Ngogledd Cymru ar antur fythgofiadwy gyda’r adran Gymraeg. Roedd y penwythnos yn llawn gweithgareddau cyffrous, yn dechrau gyda’r wal dringo ac adeiladu rafft (roedd rhai rafftiau yn well nag eraill, haha!). Cafodd y disgyblion cyfle i canŵio, ymgaisio saethyddiaeth, cyfeiriannu, gwyllt grefft, nofio, rhaffau uchel, a’r disgynnydd.
Gyda’r nos roedd cwis am Gymru, gemau’r neuadd chwaraeon, disgo bywiog, a gorffen y noswaith yn ymlacio gyda ffilm. Roedd yn wych gweld y myfyrwyr yn herio eu hunain, yn gweithio fel tîm, ac yn mwynhau.
Penwythnos llawn egni, chwerthin, ac atgofion! Ar y cyfan, cafodd pawb amser anhygoel. 🌲🏞️Glan-llynyn #TaithYsgol #AthrawonBalch
This weekend, from Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd, 30 pupils from Years 9, 10, and 11 went to Glan-Llyn in North Wales for an unforgettable adventure with the Welsh department. The weekend was packed with exciting activities, starting with wall climbing and raft building (some rafts held up better than others, haha!). The pupils also got to experience canoeing, archery, orienteering, bushcraft, swimming, high ropes, and the thrilling tower bungee jump.
In the evenings, we kept the fun going with a quiz about Wales, sports hall games, a lively disco, and finished the nights off by relaxing with a film. It was fantastic to see the students challenging themselves, working as a team, and enjoying every moment.
A weekend full of energy, laughter, and memories! All in all, everyone had an amazing time. 🌲🏞️ #GlanLlyn #SchoolTripAdventures #ProudTeacher
6th Form Business Trip
A group of enthusiastic pupils from our school’s 6th form embarked on an exciting business trip to Swansea.com Stadium on the 19th March 2024. The trip was meticulously planned by Roger Goodwin of the Swansea City Supporter’s Trust. Our pupils were treated to a stadium tour of areas that are usually off-limits to everyone except the players, backroom staff and officials. Highlights of the experience included sitting in the teams official changing rooms, away changing rooms and walking through the players’ tunnel where football and rugby legends have passed to arrive at the side of the pitch, each area being brought magically alive through an immersive talk from one of the experienced members of the stadium tour guide team.
In the second half of the tour pupils got to visit the press room for an in-depth discussion on the business aspect side of the club. The talk provided valuable insights into the ownership and behind the scenes life of the corporate world of Swansea City AFC. This session successfully fostered a deeper understanding of Swansea City AFC business operations linking to the course Business specification.
As cases of measles increase across the UK, Swansea Bay University Health Board is encouraging children, teenagers and adults who have not had two doses of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine to arrange vaccination with their GP as soon as possible.
The MMR vaccine is safe and effective, and protects against measles, mumps and rubella (German measles). These diseases are highly infectious and can very easily spread between people who are not vaccinated.
The NHS offers the first MMR dose at 12 months old, and the second dose at 3 years and 4 months, ensuring children are fully protected before starting school. Those who have not been vaccinated or who have had only one dose of MMR, are considered unprotected.
Measles can make children and adults very unwell, and some people who are infected will suffer life-changing complications. People in certain at-risk groups, including babies and young children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immunity, are at increased risk of complications from measles.
If you or your child are not vaccinated and you come into contact with someone with measles, you may be advised to stay home (quarantine) and away from work or school for 21 days to ensure you or your child do not pass measles to others if you become infected. Teachers, health and care workers, and other staff may also be asked to stay at home if they are unvaccinated and come into contact with someone with measles.
Dr Keith Reid, Executive Director of Public Health at Swansea Bay UHB, said “Measles cases are on the rise in England.
“While vaccination rates in Swansea Bay are not as low as in Birmingham there are still significant numbers of vulnerable people in our communities.
“Measles is highly infectious, much more so than COVID, and causes serious infection. Please take up any offer of immunisation promptly.
“If you have missed a scheduled vaccination, you can still get it from your GP. If you are overdue for a vaccination then please make an appointment as soon as possible.
“It takes two weeks to develop immunity after vaccination so now is a good time.
“Not being immunised can have other impacts as well as increasing the risk of infection – for example, non-immunised contacts of a measles case have to be quarantined for 21 days.”
Swansea Bay University Health Board will work together with education colleagues to ensure that by 31st July 2024, every school in Wales with 50 pupils has been revisited for MMR Catch up clinics with the aim of achieving 90% of its pupils recorded as having received two doses of MMR for pupils of reception age and above.
Ultimately, succeeding in that goal of elimination will require us to achieve the overarching target of 95% uptake of two MMR doses nationally and by each health board. Children who have not completed the full course of MMR (2 doses) will be contacted and encouraged to take up the offer of the vaccine in a variety of settings.
If staff are unvaccinated, under vaccinated or are unsure of their immunity status in a school where vaccination catch-up activity is being undertaken, the MMR vaccine can also be offered to adults.
If you are not sure if your child or you have had two doses of MMR you can contact the Swansea Bay UHB Immunisation Team to check the MMR vaccine status on 01792 200492.
The MMR vaccine is available through your GP, free on the NHS. Contact your GP to arrange vaccination, or drop ins are available at our Local Vaccination Centre’s.
From Monday 4th March 2024, MMR vaccination drop ins will also be available at our local vaccination centres:
Canolfan Gorseinon Centre, Millers Drive, opposite Aldi, Swansea, SA4 4Q.
Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9:30am – 5:30pm.
Aberafan Shopping Centre, Port Talbot, SA13 1PB – Situated next door to B&M in the Aberafan Shopping Centre, near the river bridge entrance.
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 9:30am – 5:30pm.
You can find out more about the MMR vaccine by following this link to the Public Health Wales website – https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/immunisation-and-vaccines/mmr/
We would like to introduce our latest endeavor aimed at fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for pupils with Additional Learning Needs (ALN) within our school community.
Introducing “ALN Spotlight of the Month” – a monthly initiative dedicated to shining a light on the unique abilities, challenges, and achievements of our ALN students. Each month, we will focus on a specific area of ALN and showcase the remarkable stories, experiences, and talents of individuals with ALN, highlighting their resilience, creativity, and contributions to our school community. Through informative resources, and a series of drop-in sessions, we aim to raise awareness, promote empathy, and inspire meaningful connections among staff, parents and pupils alike.
As part of each monthly focus we will be arranging a coffee morning in school tailored specifically for parents of pupils with Additional Learning Needs.
This month’s spotlight; Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Dear Parent/ Carer,
29th February 2024
At Morriston Comprehensive School we strongly believe in creating a positive and inclusive environment for all our pupils. One of the ways we achieve this is through having a standardised school uniform policy and we would again thank parents and carers for their support in ensuring pupils arrive to school properly dressed. Uniform plays a crucial role in cultivating a sense of belonging, pride, equity and unity amongst our pupils. Additionally, school uniform supports the whole school culture and behavioural expectations as well as preparing our pupils for life outside school.
We would like to again emphasise the importance of adherence to the school uniform policy. Further details can be found here https://morristoncomp.co.uk/school-information/uniform/.
Introduction of smart, black tailored shorts
After consultation with staff, pupils, parents and carers, and in anticipation of warmer weather to come, it has been agreed that pupils will be given the option to wear smart, black, tailored shorts as an alternative to black trousers or skirts. Examples of acceptable tailored shorts are shown in the images here. Pupils will be allowed to wear these shorts after Easter for the Summer term onwards.
Several other schools in Swansea now allow pupils to wear smart, tailored shorts. They can be purchased through the uniform supplier Bergoni, or most other school uniform stockists including supermarkets.
Examples of acceptable smart, black tailored shorts will shortly be on display in our School Reception, shown in assemblies, on our school website and displayed at upcoming school events.
We hope that by informing you now, we are providing you with suitable time to purchase acceptable and correct styles of tailored shorts, if you so wish. If you are unsure whether a piece of uniform is acceptable, please consult the school before buying.
I want to stress that this is only an option. Many children will want to continue to wear their present school trousers or skirts.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact school- [email protected]
Regards
Mr M Franklin (Headteacher)
