The RP Weekly: 18 June 2021
The weekly digital newsletter from Rydal Penrhos School.
The RP Weekly
18 June 2021
Dramatic Society
2021 production details released
Rydal Penrhos has wowed audiences over the years with some Dramatic Society plays and musicals that will live long in the memory.
The school’s talented performing artists take the stage for an annual production that is always one of the most eagerly anticipated events on the calendar, producing high-calibre shows that include:
- Cabaret
- A Servant to Two Masters
- Oliver, the Musical
- Little Shop of Horrors
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- Annie, the Musical
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream
And the latest of these was the most ambitious to date.
Les Miserables was an incredible spectacle, a complete sell-out over the three nights it ran, in our very own Memorial Hall theatre and drew widespread praise from anybody that was fortunate enough to witness it first-hand.
Although concerts, performances and sporting fixtures have been put on the back-burner over the last 15 months due to COVID-19, the school has been putting plans in place for big events further down the line whilst keeping a close eye on restrictions to preserve the safety of our pupils across the school.
There is already plenty of excitement in the school today (Tuesday 15 June) as it is Sports Day, and to top it the Rydal Penrhos Dramatic Society (Years 7-13) have revealed details of their 2021 production that will take place from 1-3 December.
This is a little earlier than usual performances, with the change giving pupils more time to focus on examinations during the spring term and enabling every year group to participate should they wish.
The production this year is…….
MATILDA!
Head of Drama Rachel Jones is inviting any pupils interested in taking part to express their interest by Thursday 24 June on sign-up sheets located at the Rick Maple Drama Studio and the Music department.
There’s a mix of leading roles – both singing and non-singing – as well as lots of supporting roles.
Once names have been collected, staff will then release details of auditions and rehearsals in the lead-up to the production.
Matilda was originally a book created by legendary children’s author Roald Dahl in 1988 before becoming a feature film in 1996 and transformed into a stage musical in 2010.
The story itself centres on Matilda, who shares a home with her parents and brother, who do not appreciate her. When her Principal tortures her and a kind-hearted teacher, she uses her telekinetic powers to settle scores.
Any new pupils joining us in September who are interested in taking part can email RVJones@rydalpenrhos.com or PWilliams@rydalpenrhos.com to find out more.
This promises to be another incredible showcase that everyone at Rydal Penrhos is very much looking forward to later this year.
Year 7-13 Sports Day
Morgan emerge victorious from 2021 event
There was plenty of excitement in the air at Rydal Penrhos as Year 7-13 Sports Day made a welcome return to the calendar.
It was such a joy for staff and pupils alike to see one of the most prominent dates on the Rydal Penrhos calendar return after it was cancelled last year due to COVID-19. Although parents were unable to join us due to current restrictions, Years 7-13 made the short journey down to the incredible New Field on Tuesday 15 June for Sports Day.
This was the first major event for the school community since restrictions were lifted by the Welsh Government, and our incredible teaching and support staff worked incredibly hard to ensure every precaution was taken to make things as safe as possible.
Pupils also played their part - as they have throughout the last 15 months - remaining in their bubbles and adhering to every social distancing guideline to preserve the safety of themselves and others.
And to make matters even better, the return of Sports Day was greeted by glorious sunshine for those taking participating.
After a hugely competitive day of action, Morgan House emerged with a well-deserved victory, with Captains Rocco Molica-Franco and Eleanor Osbourne picking up the coveted Yeung Bowl House Cup from Mrs. Sally-Ann Harding, Head of Rydal Penrhos Senior School.
In addition to the team success, there were a host of individual winners who provided the occasion with memorable highlights during a thoroughly entertaining afternoon.
North Wales U17 squad member Jonathan Osbourne took home the 100-meter cup following a blistering time of 12.4 seconds, which is another strong indicator of his talent ahead of a busy summer of fixtures across the region.
The eagerly anticipated Rydal Penrhos Mile resulted in Gabriel Speakman taking home the crown, following in the footsteps of his brother Zach, a former pupil who also enjoyed similar success in the same race.
Year 8 pupil Fleur Pierce showcased her athletic ability during various events on her way to securing the Junior Girls Cup, with Alex Edlinger's exceptional efforts securing the Junior Boys Cup.
Jonathan's impressive contribution saw him win the Middle Boys Cup to go along with his 100m trophy. After a close-fought competition, Eloise Chapman attained the Middle Girls Cup winner thanks to a series of outstanding performances.
The Senior Boys Victor Lodorum Cup went to Sam Bixby, with Emily Stubbing rounding off the individual accolades by scooping the Senior Girls Victrix Lodorum Cup.
This event could not have happened without the truly outstanding dedication of a staff team, who planned and implemented a structure that meant everything went off without a hitch.
A huge well done to everybody that took part and especially to the winners of every race, the individual trophies and to Morgan House for their overall triumph.
Chemistry
Competition win for Year 12 trio
Rydal Penrhos prides itself on an exceptional academic ethos that caters to the individual.
Our pupils are given the freedom to thrive within a strong, thought-provoking curriculum that is engaging, challenging and supported by a dedicated staff team who work exceptionally hard to ensure that all goals are met.
This is something that not only comes with consistently outstanding examination results at A Level and GCSE, but Rydal Penrhos also recorded a value-added score in 2020 that further reflects the school’s ability to bring the best out of its pupils and exceed their expectations before they head on to the next stage of their respective journeys.
In addition to their normal classroom timetable, pupils also get the opportunity to compete in various academic competitions organised both regionally and nationally during the year by a number of highly respected organisations.
Daniel McLaughlin, Shruthi Ganapathi and Suhas Shekar formed the Rydal Penrhos team that took part in the Royal Society of Chemistry‘s Analytical Division North West regional competition.
The Schools’ Analyst competition enables pupils to demonstrate and expand on their existing chemistry knowledge, skills and aptitude for analytical science through practical analytical experiments based on relevant societal or industrial problems.
This year’s challenge was based on flame tests, thin layer chromatography and test-tube reactions for anion analysis, all linked to a case study.
Pupils were asked to identify the contents of waste barrels found abandoned by a river in the fictional town of Allvale. Teams had to carry out some background research, followed by a lab session in which they formed their analyses.
After the scores were tallied up, Daniel, Shruthi and Suhas – Rydal Penrhos Team 2 – had the highest marks in the region to scoop the coveted prize.
In recognition of their fabulous efforts, they were awarded a £50 Amazon gift card to spend. Rydal Penrhos’ Chemistry department received a £500 prize to spend on equipment or something else to benefit the pupils.
School Council
Bench transformation represents pupil power!
Our pupils at Rydal Penrhos are always coming up with good ways to improve the school. A place where they learn, build friendships and care deeply about.
The School Council decided at a recent meeting that the benches situated across their playground should be decorated to make them more attractive for pupils and visitors to Rydal Penrhos.
These plans are now turning into action, proving that pupil power is alive and well at Rydal Penrhos.
A small group of Year 5 and 6 pupils have been working in their own time after school to transform several of the benches, with the first two completed with a Mexican folk theme that they took from recent lessons at the school’s fantastic art facility.
The benches have drawn many admiring comments from staff and younger members of the school community, with the group already turning their attention to other benches situated on-site.
They are now busy working on a ‘Beano’ comic decoupage bench and a ‘Van Gogh’ bench, which promise to add further creativity and colour to the area and is a further testament to pupils’ desire to make the school a better place.
The School Council is inviting ideas for their final benches, which can be made via school council reps.
Rydal Penrhos Society
June 2021 newsletter published
We are delighted to bring you the latest edition of the Rydal Penrhos Society Newsletter – June 2021 edition.
It is once again full of fantastic stories featuring our wonderful alumni, news from the school and plenty of useful information on upcoming events such as Founders’ Weekend in September.
Our pupils gain a close association with the school thanks to its sense of community and caring staff.
The school remains in touch with thousands of former pupils who have gone on to great things. This is something that everyone at Rydal Penrhos is enormously proud of and forms a key component behind our successful ethos throughout history.
We hope you enjoy the Society Newsletter – which centres on Economics, Business and Sport this time around.
Anyone who has any news or information to share can do so by emailing Sarah James at SJames@rydalpenrhos.com.
Here is Society President Guy Watson with a special message.
Greetings from a sunny Colwyn Bay where I am delighted to report that Rydal Penrhos continues to thrive.
Many thanks to Debbie (McCluskey) and her team for producing this splendid bumper Newsletter and to Sarah (James) and Christine (Bramhall) for their hard work for the Society. I very much hope you enjoy reading all the articles in this edition. They are many and varied; something to interest all.
Please note there is a change of date for Founders’ Weekend which is now a week earlier, on 10th and 11th of September, when numerous activities are planned. You will be informed of the programme when the final details are known but until then please save the date!
I hope many of you will be able to join us in September to meet old friends and visit the school.
With my very best wishes,
Guy Watson
YOU CAN READ THE RYDAL PENRHOS SOCIETY NEWSLETTER HERE
Sailing
A welcome return to the water!
The last 15 months have been extremely difficult thanks to COVID-19, the two educational lockdowns and various other restrictions.
Rydal Penrhos provided its pupils with a comprehensive online provision that enabled them to maintain progression, which stood them in good stead when they made their welcome return to school at the end of the spring/start of the summer term.
With vaccine rollouts continuing at a rapid rate, restrictions are gradually easing and pupils are getting back to doing what they love outside of the classroom. Rydal Penrhos offers a wealth of extra-curricular activities for every year group, which are proven to enhance development, communication and build key skills as well as having plenty of fun along the way.
One of the more unique elements to this provision is the school’s Sailing and Water-Sports Centre, which is accredited by the Royal Yachting Association and has been a huge part of Rydal Penrhos life for more than 60 years.
The school’s location and proximity to the Colwyn Bay seafront offers a significant benefit to the delivery of an outstanding Outdoor Education programme.
Sailing is one of the more popular activities that has resulted in many pupils gaining regional, national and international honours since its inception six decades ago.
There was much excitement in the air last week as pupils got their first taste of sailing for quite some time after the Welsh Government and Sport Wales relaxed measures enabling the provision to make its eagerly-anticipated return.
Both Year 4 and Year 6 thoroughly enjoyed their first sessions with our qualified team of instructors, as you can see in the pictures!
Year 4 spent time finding out about water safety and learning about tides and currents whilst using a body-board and a windsurfer, giving them all the knowledge needed to progress their sailing safely in the coming weeks before they head off on their well-deserved summer break.
Rydal Penrhos is one of the very few schools in the country able to teach sailing and water sports as part of our enhanced school curriculum for pupils from Year 3 to Year 8.
The school also offers certification at RYA Level 1-4 and beyond.
This also includes Sailing with Spinnakers, Performance Sailing, Seamanship Skills and powerboat courses up to Level 2.
We also certificate windsurfing at RYA Level 1-2 and Kayaking through the British Canoeing star award system.
What a fantastic sight it was to see our pupils back on the water after so long. Hopefully, this is a trend that can continue long into the future!
Eco
Megan gains Blue Peter Green badge
Our amazing pupils at Rydal Penrhos are always keen to lend their support to environmental causes.
The school’s Eco Committee is a driving force behind some positive changes across the site in recent years, which is a testament to their caring nature and the knowledge acquired from dedicated teaching staff on important topical matters that will impact them in later life.
This not only happens during school hours, but pupils are also extremely environmentally conscious at home. Another example of this recently came from Year 1 pupil Megan Roberts, who decided to take part in a Climate Heroes campaign organised by the popular BBC children’s show, Blue Peter.
The initiative focused on participants taking Power, Plastic and Plants pledges and sticking to them for a period of two weeks. This involved tasks such as conserving energy, focusing on recycling and eating a vegetarian diet.
Megan took on this challenge with her customary determination and selfless attitude, recording her pledges over the fortnight and sending it to Blue Peter for consideration.
She chose to plant more plants at her home, turning the lights off every time she left a room and taking it upon herself to do the recycling.
Those within the television company were suitably impressed, writing back to Megan and presenting the pupil with a special Blue Peter Green Badge in recognition of her outstanding accomplishment.
Megan’s numbers will now be added to a totaliser of energy saved from other Climate Heroes up and down the country, which has offset an incredible 70,965 kilos of carbon so far thanks to this year’s pledges.
In addition to having the distinction of wearing a Blue Peter Green Badge proudly, Megan is also able to visit 200 attractions across the United Kingdom free of charge after attaining the badge.
We would like to offer a huge congratulations to Megan on her efforts. Everyone at Rydal Penrhos is so proud of you!
Athletics
Regional competition success for Jonathan
With restrictions now easing, one Rydal Penrhos pupil was able to get back to competitive action for the first time since March 2020 at a recent high-profile event.
Jonathan Osbourne, who is a Year 10 pupil at the school, was selected to represent the North Wales U17 track and field team at the Ellesmere Port Track Meet. This was a welcome return to normality for the squad, who performed exceptionally well in their first official engagement after the enforced break.
The pupil has worked incredibly hard over the last year, making the most of difficult circumstances for when competitions resumed. Jonathan is now getting back doing what he loves – competing against some of the best young athletes in the region and beyond.
Jonathan competed in the long jump and was also part of the 4×100 relay squad, which is another strong indicator of how highly he is regarded by the North Wales squad.
Despite being out of action for such a long period of time, Jonathan rose to the occasion in tremendous fashion, recording a personal best in the long jump at just under five metres.
He followed this up with a standout showing to open the relay event, taking the first leg and putting the North Wales regional team in a strong position on their way to a second-place finish.
This was a hugely encouraging return to a competitive environment for Jonathan, who is hoping for further progress in the coming months at various events providing restrictions allow.
Jonathan has been part of the Rydal Penrhos community for the entirety of his education. He has developed into a strong academic and a talented sportsman, gaining a host of notable achievements both regionally and at national competitions.
He was part of the Rydal Penrhos U14 hockey side that won the 2020 North Wales Schools’ Championship in convincing fashion, with Jonathan combining his athletic commitments with his GCSE studies ahead of his examinations next year.
We would like to congratulate Jonathan on a fantastic achievement and hopefully, this will be the start of a successful summer for the pupil after so much disruption over the last year.
Video
Here is a highlights video from our Reception-Year 6 Sports Day. There will be a bumper gallery of images and a full report next week!
Stars of the Week
Well done to all!
Stars of the Week
- Pre-School – Nina for her excellent counting and Maeve for settling so well into the Shining Stars group
- Reception – Leonia for working hard all week
- Year 1 – Ajwaa for perseverance and being a good sport on sports day
- Year 2 – Zachary for a great attitude at sports day
- Year 3 – Vilena for overcoming her fears of sailing and really having a great go at everything
- Year 4 – Ethan for becoming confident so quickly at sailing when he had been so nervous beforehand
- Year 5 – Finlay for mastering front crawl in the pool
- Year 6 – Sophie for coping so well with her rounders injury
- Artist – Wilfred in Year 2 for a fantastic painting of a jellyfish
- Performer – Eleanor in year 1 for practising so hard on the piano
Celebration Chapel
18 June 2021
Vacancy
Alumni Liaison & Fundraising Officer
Due to the creation of an exciting role, Rydal Penrhos is seeking an Alumni Liaison & Fundraising Officer to lead on the development of excellent relationships with alumni.
The role will require the successful applicant to demonstrate his or her ability to implement and deliver a successful fundraising strategy, with a particular focus on building relations with the wider community.
The successful applicant will join a highly motivated and successful Marketing & Admissions department, with the ability to work as part of the team being key in this role.
The ideal candidate will have excellent oral and literacy skills.
Completed applications should be emailed or posted to Kay Walters: kwalters@rydalpenrhos.com by 5pm, Thursday 1 July 2021.
All shortlisted candidates will be invited for a visit to Rydal Penrhos School. If you have not heard by 15 July 2021, you have not been successful on this occasion.
FULL JOB INFORMATION & HOW TO APPLY
