Messages from Cerys and Morgan
Reflections on the school year so far
Life at Rydal Penrhos has been extremely difficult for everybody in the last 12 months. Staff, students and parents alike have been faced with extremely unique circumstances both in and out of school. However, despite all the troubles the school has gone through over the last 12 months, with constant school closures and restrictions placed upon us, I believe I am in a good position as a result of the school ensuring our learning remains of a high quantity and quality.
During this latest lockdown, the school has been extremely proactive in ensuring that our learning remains high, especially since it is our final year and we are preparing for university life and/or exams (that no longer exist in the same form!). Throughout this lockdown, our timetables have been kept in sync with what they would normally be. Teaching staff have managed to keep our workload consistent to what it would be in “normal times”.
The return to school during the autumn term was beneficial to the mental health of many pupils at Rydal Penrhos. Strong provisions were made to ensure that the cases of covid in school were kept to an absolute minimum. With the accelerating rollout of vaccines and the falling case numbers, I hope the future looks much more positive and that it will not be long until we can all see each other once again.
Finally, I want to reflect on my entire time at the school, as it will come to an end in a few months. Rydal Penrhos has been a place where I have grown as a person, I have created my childhood memories, I have made many friends who will hopefully go on to be lifelong friends and Rydal Penrhos is the place where I have met many inspiring people. That includes staff, students, parents and visitors. Everyone I have met at Rydal Penrhos has made me a better person in one way or another. This will forever be a school that lives in my heart.
Stay safe everyone.
Morgan Kendall
I think it’s fair to say that these past 10 months can be viewed as unconventional at best.
We’ve all had to experience the harsh realities of this virus and navigate our way through these extremely challenging times the best we can. Normal life was abruptly put on hold and we were forced into adjusting our lifestyles through the various restrictions put in place. Schools were made to close and I suddenly found myself being taught remotely, during what was supposed to be one of the best years of my life.
My mentality and approach to life has changed since the first lockdown, I used to be incredibly fixated on the future and would always stress about little things that now seem so trivial and unimportant. Now, three lockdowns in, I live by simply taking one day at a time because I've realised now, more than ever, how truly precious life is and the importance of making the most of the time we have on Earth.
However, I don’t want this piece to be another entirely negative account of the pandemic I also want to share some of the positives that I have taken from the last 10 months and the rest of my time at Rydal Penrhos. My most notable achievement has to be applying to university and managing to get my UCAS sent off in time, thanks to the incredible support and guidance I was given from school. The transition into the latest lockdown has been made much easier due to the iPad provided for each student. This, combined with the timetable I would be on if in school, has allowed me to keep to a familiar routine and provided me with a sense of normality. The introduction of the ‘Fitness and Wellbeing’ sessions during co-curricular time has also been of tremendous value to students and encourages everyone to be active for 30 minutes at the end of each day.
I also want to reflect on the rest of my time at Rydal, I have been here for my entire education and it’s sad to think in 6 months' time I will be leaving. However, I can say with complete certainty that I will have nothing but the fondest memories of this school and the community I have been fortunate enough to be a part of. I have nothing but admiration and gratitude for all the teachers who have taught me over the years, who have also helped shape me into the person I am today. I am thankful for the friendships I have made, whether it’s one that’s already 11 years strong or the ones I’ve formed since the beginning of sixth form. Rydal Penrhos has provided me with some of my best memories that I will cherish forever. I genuinely can’t stress enough how much this school means to me and how thankful I am that I have had the privilege of being here for my entire education. My last few years strong here may not have gone how I had planned and the next few months are still uncertain but nevertheless, I will make the most of it and enjoy my time here until it comes to an end.
Cerys Cuddihy
