Sixth edition Winter 2014 The school that keeps on...

MLMOUNTAIN LANE

SCH O OL

Sixth edition Winter 2014

The school that keeps on giving

Inside this Issue...

CHRISTMAS is a time for giving and that is something that Elfed is very good at; at Christmas time, and all year round, Elfed students love giving to charities all over the world. Every year, students are encouraged to take part in Operation Christmas Child and bring in shoeboxes filled with presents that would normally be taken for granted. Students wrap shoeboxes up in Christmas paper and the boxes are sent to poorer countries all around the world. Operation Christmas Child is a charity that is supported every year by Elfed. In fact, this year is the 23rd year of working with them and Elfed has donated massive one hundred and thirteen boxes.

8E is an example of a tutor group that loves charity work. Mr Jones’ group has previously held two bake sales, with the most recent being for Macmillan Cancer Support. The students bake their own cakes and love to sell them to other students in the school.

Children in Need is one of the most prestigious UK charities and Elfed students contribute to it annually. This year, Elfed held a Fancy Dress Competition and, in the past, the school has

also held cake sales and Pyjama Days to raise money for this charity. Furthermore, Elfed Extra Families have been hosting Coffee Mornings with delicious cakes and biscuits to raise money for Children in Need.

Elfed is a very charitable school, whether it’s a Fancy Dress Competition for Children in Need or a bake sale for Macmillan Cancer Support. It’s the school that just keeps on giving.

By Abbey Young

Students at Elfed dug deep to donate presents to Operation Christmas Child.

Students dressed up to raise money for Children in Need.

8E holds cake sales every year to raise money for charities.

WE HOPE you enjoy this fantastic Christmas Special issue of the Adlais Elfed Echo. We would like to say a special thank you to Elfed students, and our primary reporters from Drury, Mountain Lane, Southdown, Westwood and Ysgol Mynydd Isa, for their superb reports which vary from school trips and fundraising to reviews and much more.

Finally, we would like to wish all our readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the Adlais Elfed Echo team!

By Jemima Sainsbury, Alex Jones and Sophie Mills.

Editors’ Note

Ysgol Uwchradd Elfed High School, Buckley CH7 3HQ 01244 550217 - - Twitter: @ElfedHS

Ysgol Uwchradd Elfed High School, Buckley CH7 3HQ 01244 550217 - - Twitter: @ElfedHS2

THIS year, students from Years 8 and 9 went to Bala for three days to do some outdoor activities.

Glan Llyn is an outdoor activity centre in North Wales. When they arrived, students were split into four groups and took part in different activities every day. The activities were high ropes, cinema, dodgeball, swimming, bowling, rowing, raft-building and canoeing.

All the students and staff loved Glan Llyn;

the food was amazing, the dorms were in great condition and the staff at the centre were really friendly. Everywhere was really tidy, both in and outside the dorms.

The lake was very cold but everyone still swam or jumped into it. Mr Woodman, Mrs Rowlinson, Mrs Woolgar and Mr Kelleher took lots of pictures and they all loved it so much.

Amber Price, a Year 8 student, said: “I loved Glan Llyn, it was such fun!

“I especially loved the canoeing.” Many students enjoyed their visit to Glan Llyn and the young people would love to go again. By Chloe Round

Elfed Extra is up and runningCALLING all sport-lovers, aspiring singers, students who want to catch up on homework - everyone - Elfed Extra is for all.

With 30+ clubs throughout the week, and reward schemes for those who want to go the ‘extra’ mile by joining clubs, the school’s new way of getting everyone involved is fun, helpful and rewarding all at the same time.

Alex Pownall, Year 8, exclaimed: “I think Elfed Extra is really good because you get to do the sports and clubs you like, whenever you like, and it is loved by the students.”

Join some of the fantastic clubs the school has to offer, and have a brilliant time doing so. Make sure you get your stickers and fill in the activity log because, once completed, you’ll instantly bag yourself 100 Vivos! So, what are you waiting for?By Abby Cooper

Glan Llyn-bendigedig

Students looked forward to their canoeing experience. Students displayed their teamwork skills.

Cricket is just one of many sports in Elfed Extra’s lunch time (and after school) clubs.

For every club session they attend, students collect a sticker for their activity logs.

Young people watch films in Elfed Extra Film Club.Students sing in Elfed Extra Choir.

Ysgol Uwchradd Elfed High School, Buckley CH7 3HQ 01244 550217 - - Twitter: @ElfedHS 3

Five Minutes with… Sally PeakeFoLLowING the Elfed Extra launch, Adlais Elfed Echo reporter, Abby Cooper, interviewed Commonwealth Games 2014 Silver medallist pole vaulter, Sally Peake, to find out about her story.

Q: How old were you when you realised this was the career for you and how was it that you came to decide?A: I was twenty four when I realised this is what I wanted to do, and I decided that after the Delhi Commonwealth Games. Competing at these games really inspired me and I wanted to compete on the big stage again, and it drove me to end my full time job as a physiotherapist. I moved to part time work to enable me to focus all my energies on my training.

Q: Where did you train to become a pole vaulter and how long did it take to become professional?A: I train in an indoor athletic track in Cardiff that has all the facilities that I need. I trained for two and a half years for pole vault before becoming professional, but had already been training for about five years for other events in athletics prior to this.

Q: Were there any drawbacks to your career? If so, how did you overcome them?A: Many! There are injuries, teams you desperately want to make and then you don’t, and this year the loss of my equipment (my poles)...you have to pick yourself up and keep going. If you have a good upbeat attitude, you can come back even stronger from the drawbacks. I have support from a sport psychologist too, which can help with things.

Q: What do you enjoy most about pole vaulting?A: I enjoy the competing; hearing the crowd roar when you clear the bar is the best feeling ever. I also enjoy the travelling and all the sights I have been able to see because of my vaulting.

Q: Have you achieved any awards other than the Silver Commonwealth medal? A: I have been British Champion twice, in 2013 and 2014. I have been Welsh champion for the last four years, and hold the Welsh record indoors and out.

Q: What would you say is your greatest accomplishment?A: My greatest accomplishment has to be the Commonwealth Silver medal.

Q: Who / what inspires you?A: My coach inspires me greatly. Every vault I do in every session I am trying to please him, impress him and do what he says. He believes in me and so he is my greatest motivation. I am also inspired by a couple of the top female vaulters, one in particular is a girl from Greece. I do it to be the absolute best I can.

Q: Did you set any goals in your career? Have you already achieved them?A: I had a goal to compete for Great Britain, win a Commonwealth medal, and be the Welsh record holder. I have achieved all of these. I also had a goal to be an Olympian....that one is yet to be achieved, and so I am working hard for Rio 2016.

Diolch, thank you to Sally for taking the time to speak to the Adlais Elfed Echo about her story.

THIS year, some Year 9, 10 and 11 students went on a trip to France for a week and they learned about the French culture and language.

The students went to northern France, including Normandy, to learn about the culture, traditions, events, attractions and food. The teachers, Mr Woodman, Mrs Simpson and Mrs Graham, went on the trip with about forty students.

The students visited the Louvre, Disneyland, the Eiffel Tower, and they did mini Olympics activities, climbing, team challenges and abseiling. The group had a lot of fun. Emily Rivett, Year 9, stated: “Overall, I think it was of the best trips; I had so much fun!”

The students stayed at Château du Tertre in Normandy. Some of their favourite things were hula-hooping, toasting marshmallows on a campfire, doing the limbo and visiting the Eiffel Tower.

Overall, France was incredible. Emily Rivett said: “I feel really grateful to have had the opportunity to go on this trip; it was amazing!” By Luke Jones

Students say ‘Bonjour’ to France

Sally Peake launched Elfed Extra this autumn.

Students really enjoyed their educational trip to France.

Students had a fun day at Disneyland Paris.


Wonderful, wacky Wellie Day

A SCHooL in Buckley hosted a wear Your wellies Day to raise money and awareness for Cerebral Palsy.

Mountain Lane Primary School’s Charity Committee decided to have a Wellie Day to raise money for Bobath Wales. The staff and pupils wore wellies to experience what it is like to have the disease. Children paid a pound for coming to school in their wellies and own clothes. Children also had the opportunity to buy a biscuit, kindly baked by the school cook, which cost twenty pence.

It was obvious that the whole school really enjoyed the day. Emily Maxwell, a Year 6 pupil, said: “Wellie Day was the best charity event since I started Mountain Lane.” Year 5 pupil, Madi Ion, explained her thoughts on Wellie Day: “It was very good and gave you the opportunity to show off your wellies.” It wasn’t just the wellies that everyone loved; Shannon Morgan said: “The biscuits were delicious!”

The Wellie Day was a great success, raising a great amount of money, over £500, for the charity.

If you want to know more about this disease and help raise awareness, go to their website: www.bobathwales.org

By Lois Wilkie, Phoebe Parry and Evie Plowman

Gaol House in Ruthin Rocks

Adlais Elfed Echo welcomes star guest reporters

ELFED has once again opened its doors to the new primary school reporters who will participate in the annual three-part report writing workshops for the rest of the school year.

Year 5 and 6 pupils from Drury, Westwood, Mountain Lane, Southdown and Ysgol Mynydd Isa have written about what’s happened at their school. Whether it’s a school trip, charity event or new activities in school, the learners had plenty to write about.

These workshops give pupils the chance to improve their writing skills, while also providing them with a taste of just one of the things that Elfed has to offer when it comes to deciding which high school they want to go to.

Lois Wilkie, a Year 6 Mountain Lane pupil, said: “I thought the workshops were amazing!

“The first was great because we learned a lot about the structure of newspaper reports. I thought the second workshop was ace because I really enjoyed writing and editing our report.”

By Abby Cooper

MLMOUNTAIN LANE

SCH O OL

Pupils from Drury, Mountain Lane, Southdown and Ysgol Mynydd Isa are the next big reporters.

Mountain Lane pupils showed their support on their Wellie Day.

Pupils saw inside cells at Ruthin Gaol.

YEAR 5 and 6 pupils from Drury went to Ruthin Gaol for a fascinating tour about Victorian crime and punishment.

Drury CP arrived at the Gaol at 9:30 am; the group met the tour guide, Miss Louis, in the main reception. They followed her outside to be told some spooky stories.

The teachers enjoyed it too, as the Headmaster, Mr Biltcliffe, said: “This was a fascinating visit. We learned about the harsh conditions in a Victorian Gaol.

“I now know where the expression “towing the line” comes from and I had some sympathy for Coch Bach yr Bala - you will have to go yourself to find out what that is about. The pupils seemed to really enjoy this trip and got a great deal from it.”

Later on in the day, pupils had the opportunity to go to the gift shop and buy some Victorian treasures.

Overall, the day was enjoyable and Year 5 student, Harry Evans, said: “The Gaol was really fun, it was a massive place and a great experience to see what the people would have looked like when they were there and there were some pretty gruesome stories.”

The school thought it was educational and hope to go again in future years.

By Carys Williams, Chloe Tudor, Lewis Evans and Ben Coventry

Mountain Lane Drury

Monday Breakfast Club Dining Room Cricket Club Sports Hall Duke of Edinburgh Library

Netball Girl’s GymTuesday Breakfast Club Dining Room Band Music Room Football Netball

Study Club Library Creative Writing Club Library Netball Sports Hall

Study Club Library Elfed Youth Theatre Drama Studio Hockey PE Department Games Girl’s Gym Rugby PE Department

Wednesday Breakfast Club Dining Room Beach Club Girl’s Gym Elfed Youth Theatre Drama Studio Study Club Library LibraryCommittee Library Netball Sport’s Hall

Dodgeball Boy’s Gym

Rock School Music Room Sports Leaders Boy’s Gym Basketball Sports Hall

Thursday Breakfast Club Dining Room Choir Music Room Primary Sports Clubs Sports Hall Study Club Library Dodgeball Girl’s Gym Science Extra Science Labs

Art Club V10 Art Rooms

Handball Sports Hall Fixture Night Film Club Library

Friday Breakfast Club Dining Room Karaoke Club Music Room Study Room Library Badminton Sports Hall

Art Club Y11 Art Rooms

Fitness Fitness Room Film Club Library

MoRNING LUNCHTIME AFTER SCHooL

Elfed Extra Timetable


Southdown has a blast at Howell’sYEAR 4 pupils spent two exciting days in Denbigh, as a reward for good behaviour and hard work in class.

This is an annual reward trip for Year 4, offered to pupils as a thank you for all their hard work. This took place at Howell’s School in Denbigh. Some of the activities included: aeroball, nightline, caving and other team-building activities. Aeroball is a game which you play on a trampoline whilst throwing a ball to each other; nightline is an obstacle course, working in pairs, whilst being blindfolded and if the students let go of their partner’s shoulder in front of them, they get sprayed with water.

The teachers who accompanied the students included Mrs Mathieson, Miss Smith, Mr Price and Mr Godwin. Staff and students enjoyed the activities, under the guidance of trained staff from the school.

Joseph Nash, a pupil who took part in the activities, said: “It was really brilliant; everything was the best it could be.

“My favourite part of Howell’s was aeroball because it’s really fun.”

Mrs Mathieson said: “The children really enjoyed the activities.

“The food and weather were glorious.” Year 4 pupils had an amazing time, learning lots of useful skills. Future Year 4 children have had a lot of fun learning about the trip and have a lot to look forward to. By Mae Bennett, Katie Christopher and Joseph Nash.

A BUCKLEY school had a fun International Day to learn more about different countries around the world.

At Westwood, the pupils all had to research a country for International Day. This happened because Westwood and Wepre primary schools thought it would be fun to dedicate a day to learning about world cultures. The pupils dressed up in fancy dress and went to school for a great day of learning and tremendous activities.

Activities they did included: making the Eiffel Tower out of marshmallows and spaghetti, having a visitor from a company called Europe Direct, who came to share their information with the learners, and the pupils also studied maps.

Anna Hayes, Year 5, said: “In Class 8, we studied Germany.“We had to dress up as something to do with Germany. There were a lot of people dressed

up as the German flag. Then we had a feast of different types of German foods. After that, we made a huge poster about all the things we learned about Germany that day.”

At the end of the day, Westwood had a sharing assembly and shared what they had learned about their country. Some pupils danced, gave presentations or had tea parties. Mrs Donagy said: “The day was fantastic and lots of fun.

“It was full to the brim with social activities for everyone. I would definitely do it again.”All students from Westwood were also allowed to take their own personal books home to

learn more about their country. By Dylan Jones, Jake Williams, Esme Jones and Sam Maghak

Pupils excited by International Day

Forest School frenzyPUPILS of a school in Mynydd Isa are taking part in a Forest School to improve their outdoor skills.

Throughout the week, the pupils of Ysgol Mynydd Isa take part in a Forest Schools scheme. After the pupils have an introduction by Miss C. Burrows and Mr J. Ackers, they split up into groups to participate in den-building, making camp fires and roasting marshmallows. Meanwhile, Miss C. Burrows’ group do orienteering, crafting and building 2D or 3D objects with natural things such as twigs, leaves and dead grass. The pupils always work as a team and try to work in groups of two, three or four.

In the school, from Reception all the way through to Year 6, they aim for lots of sporting and outdoor experiences. One of these outdoor opportunities is the Forest Schools scheme. Some of the activities include practical mind skills, team-building and orienteering. These three activities are run by Miss C. Burrows, she said:“Forest School is good for children to gain new outdoor skills as a part of their curricular development.”

Pupils are very excited to have their first Forest School session. Dillon Warburton, a pupil of the Infant Site, said: “I am looking forward to my first Forest School session; I’m especially looking forward to collecting leaves and exploring the forest area.”

The scheme has been very successful so far, as all of the students and staff have enjoyed spending time outdoors. By Kayla Warburton, Megan Beresford and Evan Formby.

Some pupils learned about France during International Day.

Pupils learned outdoor skills at Forest School.


Making your Christmas Star...

Do you ever wonder where to go with your family at Christmas time? well, you’re in luck because this article will give you a great idea.where can you go? There are many places to go, you just might not have noticed. why not ask your parents to take a look at the wonderful winter wonderland, which is taking place in Chester this year?

The event is on until 24th December, so there is plenty of time for you and your family to go and try out the exciting rides. You can also strut your stuff, or fall flat on your face, at the smile-spreading ice rink that will be at the fantastic event. This will be just £8 for children under 12 and £9 for adults. Be sure to book on the Winter Wonderland website if you fancy it.

If whizzing around on ice isn’t your cup of tea, why not visit Santa’s magical grotto to tell him what you wish for this Christmas, and receive a small gift to take home with you? This will be just £10 for a child, which includes two adults for free!

If you are feeling rather thirsty after all of the fun-filled activities, how about buying a drink at the Ice Bar? It is made entirely out of crystal clear sculptured ice and you can see the fabulous ice sculptures too! It’s just £5 per person which includes a glass of non-alcoholic fruit punch for the children and a shot of vodka for the adults.

There are also many other attractions within the Winter Wonderland which include: food shacks, treats and even an encounter with Santa’s reindeer.

The Winter Wonderland is an amazing day or night out with your family, which can bring lots of joy to Christmas. It has something for the whole family and has been recommended by many people.

For more details, and booking information, visit their website: www.winterwonderlandchester.co.uk

By Laila Rees

Fun-filled family time at Winter Wonderland

Enjoy the magic of Christmas at Winter Wonderland Chester.

You will need:• A pair of scissors• A glue stick• A piece of A4 paper (use plain white if you

want to decorate it yourself, or you can use some Christmas paper)

• A pencil

• A rubber or Blu-tac• A piece of string

To decorate your paper you will need:• Felt-tip pens• Sequins• Glitter

Hold your paper in a portrait position and fold the top left corner to the right side to make a triangle with a rectangular overhang.

Cut off the rectangular overhang, using a pair of scissors, so you are left with a triangle.

Fold your triangle in half to make a smaller triangle. After that, fold it back to make your triangle big again, leaving a crease down the middle.

Cut diagonally, starting at the bottom, towards the crease. DO NOT CUT ALL THE WAY TO THE CREASE; LEAVE A SMALL GAP. Do this on each side four times.

Open out your triangle to reveal a diamond. Take the two inner flaps, fold upwards and overlap them, securing with the glue.

Flip the diamond over and fold the next flaps so that they overlap and secure with the glue. Repeat this process until all of the flaps have been glued.

When you have finished this, make a small hole at the top. To do this, put a rubber underneath and press a pencil, or pen, through the top of your Christmas Star .Thread some string through the hole and hang it up for everyone to see!

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Make your own beautiful Christmas star with these simple instructions.

Do you want to chillax to one of the most

relaxing albums of 2014 this winter? If You wait,

by London Grammar, is this year’s Christmas

present for the whole family. They are an

amazing group that will give you goose-bumps

when you listen to their moving album!

If You Wait (Deluxe Version) came out mid-

September, and London Grammar made this

album as an add-on to their debut album of the same name.

The lead singer, Hannah Reid, and guitarist, Dan Rothman, met in

2009 in a residence hall in the University of Nottingham during their

first year. Rothman saw a picture of Reid on Facebook and asked if she

would like to meet up. They formed a band and then Dominic ‘Dot’ Major,

from Northampton, joined them a year later. Major can play keyboard,

djembe and drums. The reason why the band is called London Grammar

is because of its ‘universal use as London is multicultural and it’s

international.” It’s not just their home!

This album can be purchased as a CD from many stores around the

country (prices vary), on Apple devices (£5.99), on Android devices that

have the Google Play Store (£8.49), and on computers and Windows

phones.

There are many strengths of this album; it calms you down and cheers

you up if you are in a bad mood or if you are not having a good day. I

think this album is worth getting as it is amazing. I give it 5/5!

Elf has to be one of my favourite

Christmas films ever because it’s just

amazing and funny. Elf is about an

adopted elf (a human elf!) that has been

brought to Santa’s workshop to be an

actual elf. However, he soon finds out he

is not actually an elf so he goes to New

York to find his real dad.

I recommend you watch this film as it is suitable for all ages and it’s really entertaining. I rate this film 5/5 because it has always been my favourite Christmas film and I think that everyone should watch it!


London Grammar - If You Wait (Deluxe Version) Elf (2003 with Will Ferrel & James Caan)

The YouTuber “Thatcher Joe,” or Joe Sugg, has made a new app for phones and tablets called “Vidibee”. I always use this app because it’s amazing and it’s well planned so it’s easy to use.

Vidibee encourages you to film yourself doing challenges, like showing your favourite hobby or best talent, and post them to the app homepage. Once people see it and like it you are entered into a competition. If you win the competition, you get a prize sent to you.

Another good thing about Vidibee is that one of my favourite YouTubers created it. I rate this app 5/5 because it’s a brilliant app that I use a lot.

Vidibee App

Fresh Off the Charts! Reviews of the latest music, games and films by our Adlais Elfed Echo reporters.

How to log on to your Vivo accountType in your username. This is your first and second name with a full stop ijn the middle.For example: john.smithType in the domain name which is Elfred.Type in your password (this should have been created by you!)Click log in and check out how many Vivos You’ve earned recently!If you have any problems with logging on, go and see Mrs Sullivan

vivo.

Please call Mrs Rosemary Jones, Headteacher, to arrange an appointment to view the school. 8

SPoRTS Council students spent a day learning how to box with European champion, Natasha Jonas, as part of a Sky Sports workshop.

Members of Elfed Sports Council spent a day with Natasha Jonas; they first learned about Natasha’s story and how to be a successful person, followed by a number of teamwork and problem-solving activities.

The activities included tug of war, ordering themselves alphabetically without stepping off a bench, a riddle game involving a tennis ball and the group also had to get a piece of rope all around a circle without letting go of each other’s hands. The students then learned how to box and explored numerous games and

challenges to help them with the new skills they had just learned.

Cerys Barton, a Year 8 Sports Council member, said: “I enjoyed the experience with Natasha and think that there should be more days like this for the Sports Council.”

The workshop was thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring for all students. It was extremely successful as all of the students left with a beaming smile and said that it was something they would never forget. It was a truly memorable day and very rewarding for both Natasha and the students. By Laila Rees

Sports Council takes on Tasha

Natasha Jonas showed students how to fight in the ring.

FLINTSHIRE cross-country, held at Mold Alun High School, was an excellent experience for the fastest long -distance runners of the school.

The top sixty boy and girl runners were chosen to compete against all the schools in Flintshire and hopefully come in the top ten and make it to the North East Wales Cross-country Championships. For each race the school entered ten people, the

positions of the ten students were added up and the school with the lowest score won.

After the event, Elfed had two students, Jessica Shone and Arron Davies, who went through to the North East cross-country team. All the students had a great time.

Abbey Young, Year eight, said: “I really enjoyed cross-country because we had the opportunity to

do a competition outside of school and challenge ourselves with a harder course.” She also hopes to be involved next year.

Altogether, the day was really successful and all students and teachers thought the day was fantastic and they cannot wait to go back next year. By Courtney Jones

Miles of smiles at county cross-country

Top runners from Elfed went to Mold Alun High School to compete in cross-country.

PRIMARY schools enjoyed a Smooth Moves activity containing Samba music and dance from Brazil.

Southdown, Mountain Lane, Westwood and Drury primary schools had a fantastic day learning and experiencing what a Samba festival is like in Brazil. They were taught a Samba dance routine by Jamie Jenkins, from NEW Dance, which the students found fantastic, as shown by the smiles on their faces. One student of Mountain Lane, Bethan Whitley, said: “It was good; I really enjoyed the dancing.”

The Samba music, led by Mr Hughes, went down a treat as the children had the chance to use different instruments and learn some Samba rhythms.

Overall, the day was a huge success due to the co-operation of the students and every single one of them went away having learnt a Samba dance routine as well as at least one Samba rhythm. They had been taken on a wonderful trip to Brazil and came away having had lots of fun. By Courtney Jones

Super Samba

Westwood pupils performed their Samba dance to Samba rhythms played by Drury pupils.

Ysgol Uwchradd Elfed High School, Buckley CH7 3HQ 01244 550217 www.elfedhs.co.uk Twitter: @ElfedHS

Sixth edition Winter 2014 The school that keeps on...

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