7 November 2025
Dear Parents, Guardians and Students/Annwyl Rieni, Gwarchodwyr a Myfyrwyr
The Chemistry behind Bonfire Night!
If you have ever been taught by Mr Jayne, Head of Chemistry, you will know that he is at his happiest when he is teaching any aspect of Chemistry that requires a Bunsen burner. Just look at the delight on his face as he starts to teach Year 9 about ‘excited electrons.’
There is always a method in his madness as he dims the lights to maximise the wow factor in this experiment. Those excited electrons are part of the science behind what gives fireworks their different colours.
So, this bonfire night, as we stare up into the sky to oooohh and aaahhh, we will do so with more understanding than before!
What do we need to know? It starts with a qualitative analysis of metal salts (as taught in GCSE Science!).In fireworks, the colours are entirely determined by the type of metal in the salt. We can safely burn salts dissolved in water and ethanol in the lab. Before we reveal the answers, can you correctly identify any of the metals that are present in the demonstration below? You can clearly see the different colours becoming more pronounced as they burn.
The flame colours we can see in the experiment above result from electrons in an atom absorbing energy from the heat of the flame, causing them to jump to higher energy levels.
These “excited” electrons are unstable and fall back to their original, lower energy “ground state” by releasing the excess energy as a photon of light.
Each element has a unique set of electron energy levels, so the specific amount of energy released corresponds to a specific wavelength, which we see as a unique colour.
Let’s round off by giving away the answers. Here are the metals and their corresponding colours. Don’t forget to identify them whenever you are gazing up at a firework display.
Remembrance 2025
In assemblies over the last week, Mr Mee led us through some very poignant learning from the Battle of the Somme, specifically the smaller Battle of Mametz Wood in France where over 400 soldiers from the Cardiff Regiment died between 9th – 12th July 1917.
This year, Mr Mee focused on one of those individuals who lost their life during this battle.
This individual was Fred Rowlands. This gave an individual face and name to loss. A Welsh soldier who was one of thousands who left home to fight for the freedoms we have today, and never came home. His regiment were directed to walk, not run, towards the woods to take the German trenches.
The powerful words of this poem reflect the devastation at Mametz Wood. The Welsh dragon stands tall at the sight of Mametz Wood today.
We will be observing a minute silence on Tuesday 11th November to remember those who gave their lives for the peace and freedoms we enjoy today as well as thinking about our collective responsibility in preserving that peace.
As well as wearing their poppies with pride, lessons have reflected the importance of remembering the sacrifices that have been made by others.
In our after-school craft club, Macsen and Gethin in Year 8 have created a very poignant piece of artwork. This was a very personal project for the boys who both had grandparents and great grandparents who fought in the World Wars. They have dedicated their piece of art to those who have served and sacrificed in conflicts, in the hope that their sacrifices will never be forgotten.
Year 9 Futures Evening – Working Together to Help Your Child Thrive at GCSE
A key date for Year 9 is rapidly approaching and we extend a very warm welcome to Year 9 and their families on Wednesday 19th November. Come along after 3:00pm to catch up with the staff.
Coming straight from work? Light refreshments will be served by our PTA to sustain you. Here we see Mr Hampton pouring a nice cup of tea for Alan Nazemi in Year 9. Alan appears to be sitting at my desk. I’m sure he made excellent decisions for the school. I can’t guarantee that Mr Hampton will serve tea to everyone, but we’ll see how he gets on.
Staff Seren yr wythnos
This week, our student Criw Cymraeg group have nominated Miss Hinchey for her use of the Welsh language. Staff can be nominated for their effort or their accuracy and pronunciation!
Well done Miss! Da iawn!
The Criw Cymraeg are recruiting new members! Here are some of our Criw Cymraeg members with their new badges. Come and see Mrs Jenkins in room 7 if you are interested.
Tocyn Iaith Winners for the Autumn Term
Congratulations to the Tocyn Iaith winners from Year 7. They received WH Smith vouchers as prizes. They were given a Tocyn Iaith for using incidental Welsh around the school.
Da iawn Nia, Clara a Sam!
LHS in the community
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the October collection for Cardiff Foodbank. The donations collected equates to 156.7kgs and will help 13 local people with supplies. Our Sixth Form LDP group are already gathering donations for the November collection. Remember – bring us your beans! Any donations are gratefully received at our main school reception in advance.
Keeping in touch
Just a reminder of the key contact details for our teams in school. These are always available on the school website. The YTL is the Year Team Leader, and the PAL is the Pupil Achievement Leader for the year group.
Thank you for reading/Diolch am ddarllen,
Thank you for reading/Diolch am ddarllen,
Mrs Sarah Parry, Headteacher