The RP Weekly: 18 February 2022

The weekly digital newsletter from Rydal Penrhos School.

The RP Weekly

18 February 2022

Video

Where creativity is part of the timetable

RNLI Week

Conwy and Llandudno water safety team visit Prep

Rydal Penrhos is proud to have a close association with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

An annual Carol Service is held to raise money for the maritime charity and the school will also be holding a special fundraising day on Thursday 17 February, with all proceeds going towards the RNLI.

In recognition of Rydal Penrhos’ RNLI Week, Prep pupils were visited by members of the RNLI Conwy and Llandudno water safety team for a talk about their work, how vital their roles are and what their respective jobs entail.

Mr John Roberts led the assembly and introduced the pupils to the amazing facts about the lifeboats and their crews. He then brought forward two current crew members, both with strong links to Rydal Penrhos. Mrs Hibbert is a current parent and Mr Robinson is the school’s IT Services Manager.

The crew members also brought a ‘dress up’ RNLI kit for our younger pupils to wear and the pupils were amazed to see all the gadgets on the life jackets. Something that brought the important topic of maritime safety to life.

Pupils across the whole school have been learning about the work of the RNLI and thinking about safety at sea and risk-taking. They have all painted a ‘thank-you’ pebble for the school chapel services in St. John’s Church on Thursday.

This community art installation will be taken to Llandudno lifeboat station to say thank you to all the crew members and volunteers. We will also be collecting for the RNLI at school this Thursday and welcome donations from the entire Rydal Penrhos community.

The water safety work will continue into the summer term when all pupils from Years 3-8 will have the opportunity to do the RNLI ‘passport to water safety’ award as part of their timetabled sailing lessons, which is a unique element of the curriculum at Rydal Penrhos that benefits our pupils enormously.

We would like to thank the RNLI Conwy and Llandudno water safety team for visiting Rydal Penrhos for a very informative and fun-filled assembly enjoyed by all.

CCF

Cadets gear up for annual residential with STEM & Leadership activities

One of the most popular additions to Rydal Penrhos’ extra-curricular provision in recent years is the Combined Cadet Force initiative, which has been a fantastic asset for pupils young and old since its inception.

The programme builds key life skills they can take with them throughout education and in later life and aims to promote the qualities of responsibility, self-reliance, resourcefulness and a sense of service to the community.

In normal circumstances, 40 per cent of a cadet’s time will be spent on adventurous training activities. Although this has been restricted considerably due to COVID-19 over the last two years, things have now returned to normality under social distancing guidelines implemented by the Welsh Government and those involved in the school’s CCF are benefitting from activities in a safe, outdoor setting.

Excitement is building for cadets ahead of their annual residential later this year, and they got the chance to hone their skills under the supervision of staff thanks to some STEM and Leadership Command tasks over the last fortnight.

Among the activities cadets got stuck into was erecting a flagpole complete with a run-up pulling system and constructing a bridge with a mechanism used to transport objects from one side to the other.

Cadets used various materials provided by the school to reach goals using their own techniques and demonstrating exceptional teamwork and communication throughout.

The tasks were led by the Sixth Form Senior Cadets and conducted under COVID-19 regulations under outstanding staff supervision. Each activity was enjoyed thoroughly by the group, with additional tasks and skills-based challenges taking place throughout their enrichment sessions until the end of term.

This should stand the CCF cadets in tremendous stead for their residential, which will take place at the Sennybridge Training Centre near Brecon this year.

Year 6

Group take part in RSPB campaign

Getting into the outdoors for learning purposes or other worthwhile activities is something Rydal Penrhos actively encourages as part of a fulfilling education.

The school’s exceptional teaching staff are constantly looking at ways to make the most out of our stunning location, which also includes a truly remarkable Forest School site on campus for pupils in Pre-School to Year 6 to build key skills.

Year 6 came into school early on Thursday 10 February to lend their support to the Big Garden Birdwatch, which was organised once again by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and saw more than one million people from across the country participate last year during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Mrs Pyves and Mrs James made sure they had the correct equipment for a morning in the school forest, which also included making toast on an open fire and plenty of hot chocolate for the early risers.

Pupils spent time beforehand making some containers and other creative items, which were then filled with food to entice the vast wildlife residing in the Forest School out into the open.

During the event, the Year 6 group spent time identifying birds both by sight and by song, which were then documented and given to Mrs Pyves.

Results of their findings will be sent from Rydal Penrhos to the RSPB to be correlated with others from across the country, which helps the charity draw a picture of the health of our bird populations.

This was a very worthwhile session for our Year 6, who managed to document a fantastic amount of different birds throughout the session. The RSPB does a fantastic job in not only conserving our birds but also finding fun and interesting ways for children to become more knowledgeable and interested in nature.

A huge well done to Year 6 for their dedicated efforts and to our staff at Rydal Penrhos for guiding them every step of the way.

Community

A presence to share and celebrate

All at Rydal Penrhos remain enormously proud of our association with the community in which we reside.

For more than 100 years the school has valued being part of the locality and recognises the beauty and safety, adventures and hospitality the location affords, quite often the decision-maker for our boarding community in the past and more recently the reason behind many of our current families relocating to North Wales.

We remain keen on supporting local charities, using local businesses, employing local people and educating local children both fee-paying and those who are Fully Funded and we positively promote and encourage organisations and clubs to use our exceptional facilities.

A large number of clubs, groups and associations from across the region benefit from Rydal Penrhos’ first-class facilities on campus. This includes use for corporate events and sporting teams who make full use out of areas such as the swimming pool, sports hall and picturesque New Field playing surface. Indeed, we even host weddings and other family events.

Our facilities are just a small part of what Rydal Penrhos brings to the Colwyn Bay and Conwy county area. Our reputation is growing exponentially and was further boosted by the St Helen’s Rugby League squad using the school for their three-day preseason training camp just before the Christmas break.

Not only this, but with COVID-19 restrictions now subsiding, Rydal Penrhos is once again forming groups that welcome involvement from those in or out of the school community. This has proven hugely popular in the past and two music initiatives were recently launched with more on the way in the not-too-distant future.

The Rydal Penrhos Community Choir is back in full swing following a brief absence. The choir practices on a Monday from 6.30 to 7.30 pm in the Memorial Hall on Queen’s Drive and contributes to various events across the school such as the Christmas Concert and Speech Day.

The Choir is led by music teacher Alan McGuinness, who has plenty of experience with choirs from his time working at St Asaph Cathedral. He directed the Cathedral Choirs in both live and recorded broadcasts for national radio and television and was an organist for two broadcasts of Songs of Praise.

Mr McGuinness has given many organ recitals at home and completed a concert tour of New York City and New England in the United States of America. We encourage singers or would-be singers from the local community to join us.

Another exciting announcement is the launch of the Rydal Penrhos Community Wind Band, which formally began on Wednesday 2 March from 7-8.30pm in the Senior Music Room on Combermere Road, Colwyn Bay.

Sessions take place every Wednesday and the Rydal Penrhos Community Wind Band is open to current pupils, alumni, parents, staff and local musicians. There is no charge for the group sessions, which will be led by musician, ex-Rydal Penrhos parent and current school Governor, Clive Wolfendale.

The repertoire for wind band is vast and highly flexible, encompassing bespoke, classical and popular arrangements. Consequently, it will be possible to accommodate players of a ‘Grade 3’ standard (or equivalent) alongside more experienced musicians. Within the emerging freedoms from lockdown restrictions, there is an appetite to re-engage with music-making amongst regular practitioners and those who have not picked up an instrument for some time.

Staff are already planning more community-based initiatives, with a strong emphasis on getting back to normality and bringing back a true sense of belonging after what’s been a difficult two years for everyone.

The community spirit that’s evident across day-to-day life at Rydal Penrhos is something we feel should be celebrated and shared. Something that has been an enormous benefit and brought everyone closer together as a result.

Anyone wishing to join our Community Choir can contact Mr McGuinness at AMcGuinness@rydalpenrhos.com. For Community Wind Band enquiries, contact prep@rydalpenrhos.com.

Rugby 7s

Excitement builds ahead of U16 tournament return

There is an enormous amount of excitement in the air for our aspiring young athletes at Rydal Penrhos.

Competitive fixtures have resumed, training is taking place under social distancing guidelines and there has been plenty to celebrate across a multitude of different sports during the academic year so far.

This encouraging period after such a difficult two years due to COVID-19 will also see one of the most prominent dates on the Rydal Penrhos sporting calendar also make a welcome return, with the annual U16 Rugby 7s Tournament taking place on Saturday 12 March 2022 from 9am-4pm on the school’s stunning New Field site.

It is a competition that always draws a significant amount of interest and this year’s event promises to be no different. Rydal Penrhos will be welcoming a large number of schools and clubs from across North Wales and the North West for what is sure to be an exceptional showcase of talent from some immensely talented rugby hopefuls.

The tournament is open to U16 teams, who will be put into groups and compete in a round-robin format. Once this comes to a conclusion, teams will then be divided into Cup, Plate, Bowl, Trophy and Shield categories depending on their placings in each pool.

This will be followed by an exciting knockout stage that will decide the overall winners in each category.

Rydal Penrhos staff are constantly monitoring Welsh Government regulations and will be taking every possible precaution to ensure the safety of everyone attending this spring. A tuck shop will be available for refreshments all day and those in attendance will also enjoy a lunchtime barbecue complete with vegan options that can be pre-ordered.

Accommodation is also available for teams looking for an overnight stay.

The cost to enter is £40 per team. Anyone requiring further information or to book your place, contact Ryan Kirby via email at RKirby@rydalpenrhos.com.

Pre-School

Chinese New Year activities broaden horizons

Building knowledge and understanding of the world is something that is at the heart of our thriving Pre-School department at Rydal Penrhos.

This is proven to develop children personally and socially, enabling them to enhance wellbeing, awareness and cultural diversity every step of the way.

Rydal Penrhos staff use prominent dates across the globe and implement these into learning methods, helping children to build key skills and explore their curiosity regarding topics they are all discovering for the first time. After all, Pre-School is a young child’s first experience of an educational environment and an important stepping stone towards a successful education.

Rydal Penrhos Pre-School believes in encouraging children to be self-motivated and independent, yet aware of their peers and the diversities that they will encounter as they progress through life.

This was evident during a recent series of fun-filled activities to celebrate Chinese New Year, with children taking a keen interest in the Year of the Tiger, its symbolism and the significance of the occasion to Far East culture.

Once the topic had been discussed and imaginations captured, Pre-Schoolers were then tasked with creating their very own jungle in the tuff tray for their model tigers and also made picturesque tiger prints during craft time under the expert supervision of staff.

Stars of the Week

Congratulations!

Stars of the Week

Reception - Arya
Year 1 – Oliver
Year 2 – Demiana and Sophie
Year 3 – Iris
Year 4 – Max
Year 5 – Freddie
Year 6 – Huw
Artist – Hania, Year 3, for her wonderful Mexican animal painting