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:

• Writer: Kyle Lima
• Director: Ewa Dina
• Composer: Eädyth Crawford
• Designer: Kyle Legall
• Lighting Designer: Katy Morison
• Sound Designer: Sam Jones
• Trainee Director: David McSparron
• Production Managers: Nick Allsop, Ceri James
• Producer: Kate Perridge

Cast:

• Kimberley Abodunrin: The Welsh Dragon
• Jaden Baker: Cheddar Man
• Iesha Henry-Cameron: G
• Richard Nichols: King Vortigern / The Saxon Dragon
• Lizzie Rogan: Aunt Jo / Advisor

6^th Form Business Trip

A group of enthusiastic pupils from our school’s 6^th form embarked on an exciting business trip to Swansea.com Stadium on the 19^th 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 31^st 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 4^th 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,

29^th 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)

Our year 7 school trip to Llangrannog Urdd camp was an unforgettable weekend filled with exciting activities. The coastal walk to the beach set a scenic tone, followed by thrilling experiences like quad biking, swimming, archery, and tackling the climbing wall. The high ropes and low obstacle ropes added an element of challenge and adventure. Beyond the fun, the trip also provided an excellent opportunity for language development as students enjoyed and improved their Welsh skills throughout the diverse activities. Overall, a fantastic blend of learning and enjoyment.

Mike Hedges’ Visit by Amelia Mitchell  

On Monday the 20^th of November we met with Mike Hedges MS. We first discussed the Senedd Youth Parliament and the variety of insights and opportunities that many young people have experienced. For example, we were given an essay by ex-Morriston pupil Ella Kenny. The essay highlighted the novel ways the Youth Parliament could be improved. We believe this gave us some inspiration and guidance on how a well-rounded professional council is handled. 

          Mike Hedges then spoke a bit about his own experience. We all agree that he was very down to earth. This aspect of him made us appreciate that although he is a member of Senedd, he is also an everyday, normal man. 

          In the last part of the hour, he encouraged us to ask questions. We asked questions about how we can improve our Pupil Parliament. We also asked his opinion on topics such as ‘the decreased uptake of creative subjects’ and ‘neurodivergence in the classroom’. 

          Overall, we agree that this experience was very enriching and beneficial to us as a group. A few members who attended were inspired and want to make a change within the community. We learned a lot and hope to use this information to become the best parliament possible.