20 January 2023
Dear Parents, Guardians and Students/Annwyl Rieni,Gwarchodwyr a Myfyrwyr
Success for our Senior Debating Team!
I’m delighted to start this week by celebrating a resounding success! On Monday 16th January, Miss Davies and Miss Rees took two teams to compete at the Rotary Youth Speaks competition at Howell’s School.
After weeks of perfecting and practising their speeches, both teams astounded on the night.
The intermediate team proposed the motion, ‘Zoos Should be Banned’ chaired by the confident Ellie Hopkins from Year 7. Chayana Alahakoon from Year 8 proposed the motion articulately and with passion. Sadinsa Gunasekara provided a challenging rebuttal as she opposed the motion with eloquence. It was their first time at a debating competition, and they were excellent, taking home both ‘best proposer’ and ‘best chair’ trophies. Da iawn, team!
The senior team was made up of Fiona Garbutt from Year 10 as the chair, Freya Curtis from Year 11 as the proposer and Jacob Parsons from Year 10 as the opposer, presenting the motion, ‘Medicine Favours the Male Anatomy’. The whole team were incredible, giving Miss Rees and Miss Davies goosebumps as they commanded the room with their confidence, wit and rhetoric.
The rotary even suggested Freya should take up a career in comedy! Fiona was awarded the ‘best chair’ trophy; Freya won the ‘best proposer’ and all three won the ‘best team’ of the night. They will be competing in the regional round next week. Both teams did LHS and the English department very proud. Well done to everyone who took part, and here are some snaps from the evening…..
We value this success greatly. It is so important that all our young people develop the resilience to question and interrogate the issues that they come up against in life. Particularly as they are growing up in a world where social media can blur and distort fact and fiction. The skills of interrogating and debating are greatly valued here. We look forward to following the future topics and debates of this group.
Behind the scenes in school this week!
This week, we thoroughly enjoyed having a professional photographer, Huw John, in school with Station Road Marketing who are developing our new school website. Huw captured some amazing and natural shots of our students at work. In the photograph above, Megan executed some amazing wok action to rival the technique of any professional chef! Only a professional could capture the ‘mid-air pepper and courgette combo!’
In the photographs below, Huw captured washing, blow drying, braiding, and curling in our school Hair and Beauty salon. More importantly, he captured the energy and passion that these students have for the course they are studying.
It was amazing to be behind the scenes for the day and to see Huw at work. It was even more of a joy to see the students in action. They were superb. We cannot wait to see the photographs in situ on the new school website in the very near future!
Keeping fit and active
As communicated clearly in the fantastic montage below, LHS would like to pass on massive congratulations to Amy Partridge for being selected for the Wales under 18’s hockey squad for 2023. We look forward to updates through 2023 please! We wish you an amazing season.
Anyone for dance?
Thanks to Rubicon Dance for providing some great dance sessions for students this week.
For any students who are interested, dance club runs every Monday from 14.45 -15.45 in the girl’s gym. Two specialist dance teachers from Rubicon who will be working with students of all age groups to explore various dance styles.
Come along and have some fun! This session can also count for any GCSE PE students who would like to use dance as one of their scoring activities. You will be able to use these sessions to plan your dance routine to be assessed in. If you have any questions, please email Mrs Bartley on: ceri.bartley@llanishen.cardiff.sch.uk
Rubicon have some open days and auditions coming up at Rubicon dance for the BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma in Performing Arts Practice (Dance Pathway). Below are the open day and audition dates they are holding for any LHS students who are interested. Open days:
- 28th January at Rubicon from 10.30-1pm – an opportunity to participate in practical sessions and meet present students and staff
- 10th February – Online from 4.30-5.30pm
- 4th March – at Rubicon from 10.30-1pm – an opportunity to participate in practical sessions and meet present students and staff
Audition days are 25th March, 20th May and 8th July. Again, please email Deborah with any questions. If you are interested in attending any of the above, please email Deborah Ford: deborah@rubicondance.co.uk
THE BIG REVEAL!
Finally today, from the team behind the Summer Showcase 2022, the virtual twelve days of Christmas, the propelling of Luan Morgan onto TV, and hitting teachers on the head with boom whackers, comes the 2023 LHS production!
Are you ready? – This summer LHS will staging ‘9 to 5 – the musical!’
Auditions commence on 6th February.
Scripts can be collected from the Expressive Arts department. The audition song will be announced on Tuesday!
Good luck everyone! Maybe 2023 will be the year that you push yourself out of your comfort zone and become a part of something very special, very unique, very entertaining, and very rewarding!
Thank you for reading/Diolch am ddarllen,
Mrs Sarah Parry, Headteacher