From the Head

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e Ysgol John Bright continues to be a very busy and exciting place to be. This term has once again been jam packed with events and the students at the school have been able to demonstrate their considerable talents in a number of settings. It is my view that we have amazing students who we can all be justifiably proud of; equally we have staff who are committed to providing the best possible education for our students.I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter and that it gives you a true flavour of the work and life of the school. I hope that all students and their families enjoy a good summer break and look forward to everyone returning to school on Tuesday 4th September. W G Davies, Headteacher

Transition Day 2012

On the 11th June Year 6 arrived for their taster day at YJB. Students enjoyed the explosions in Science, the creation of key rings in Design Technology and making Olympic cookies in Food Technology.The day ended with a fun and active Jamboree with the Music and Drama teachers. We are now looking forward to September 3rd when the new term begins for Year 7.

YJB TV is now up and running!YJB showcases students’ work, events happening around the school, keeps them up-to-date with school news, and also has a daily message feeder across the bottom of the screen. Students can also have instant access to news stories around the world and weather. YJB TV features both still photographs and video footage and encourages students to become involved in creative media with interviews and articles created by the students themselves.

Year

11 Graduati on 2012

On the 10th May former Gymnastic Olympian and Double Commonwealth Gold Medallist

Craig Heap joined Year 11 to celebrate their graduation. He spent the afternoon with the year group delivering an inspiring talk just before they embarked on their GCSE Exams, followed by an opportunity for the students and staff to wear his medals and have photographs.

At the evening event Craig continued his inspirational theme talking to the parents of

the year group. Craig said “I had an awesome day at Ysgol John Bright, well done to all the students and good luck in your exams.”

The students looked and behaved superbly. Teachers, parents and governors, were all

extremely proud of the Class of 2012!

Year 10 Textile students put the finishing touches to their display for the evening

YJB Commenius VisitLate at night on Sunday 22 April, 14 students and 6 teachers from Germany and Spain flew into Manchester to spend the week visiting Ysgol John Bright and the surrounding area. The objective of the trip was to share our similarities and celebrate our differences.

This was the second trip made under the Comenius banner (the first being the week we spent in Ordizia, Spain) and the first of two visits to North Wales. YJB students and staff were all very excited to show off our school and its locality in the best possible light. Members of the YJB Comenius Club provided accommodation for the students and the teachers stayed in a local hotel.

Whilst the rainy weather ensured our guests enjoyed a true taste of Wales in April, we all worked hard to ensure that the warmth of our welcome made up for the grey clouds. There were plenty of hugs and tears as we waved our guests off on Friday morning and a number of the students have already made plans to visit their new friends in the summer holidays, with trips planned to Worbis, Germany and Beasain, Spain. In conclusion, it was a very positive week and has left us all eagerly anticipating the next leg of the project, which sees us reunited in Spain this coming December.

The summer is a time for goodbyes as a number of staff move on to new challenges. Leaving us this year are Mr T Parry (Director of Learning Transition) and a Maths teacher who is retiring after 39 years .Mrs D Davey, teacher of English who is taking up a new post at Ysgol Friars, Mr N Godding, teacher of Maths, who has also had promotion to Ysgol Friars and Mr R Richards, teacher of Business Studies who is going into business himself and leaving the teaching profession. Also leaving us are two teaching assistants, Adam Argent, who is undertaking his PGCE in Aberystwyth and Mr Ryan Hill who is joining the Police Force. They will all be missed but we recognise the contribution they have made to the school and the lives of our students past and present.

YJB hosted a Connecting Classrooms week with Electric Pedals and our feeder primary schools. Electric Pedals are working with Malawi schools to deliver health education lessons using the cycle generated power to broadcast films to students. In Malawi electricity is a limited resource.They are here to share their work and teach sustainability issues to students from our local primary schools and us. They also powered smoothie machines at the end of the week as well as their very own cinema.C

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Staff and students lined the streets outside Ysgol John Bright on 29th May to witness the Llandudno leg of the Olympic Torch journey around the UK. Onlookers cheered and clapped the torch bearers as they jogged past the sea of smiling faces in what was a real carnival atmosphere. The Police escort commented that our students were the best behaved they had come across!!

Olympic Torch Relay

The Digital Leaders have been busy again this term. Our main task has been to complete the digital leaders’ website to link to the mail YJB site. This will be up and running in September. We have also been creating a teachers’ tool kit about different apps available on different platforms, such as Prezi, which is an alternative to Microsoft PowerPoint. Grace Simpson has been acting as our resident presenter and has been filming and editing clips for YJB TV. Please make sure you stop and take a look at the big screen in the hall to see what

has been going on. In the meantime Aaron Beacher has been busy advertising and recruiting new members. We now have four new Digital Leaders; we also welcome three sixth formers into our growing team.We all enjoyed a viewing in the 3D suite, an amazing teaching tool available for teachers and learners at YJB and we will be discussing how this can be used within lessons and helping people have more access to it. If you have any digital issues or would like to get in touch, please follow us on Twitter @digital.leaders1 or contact y0.kieran@students.johnbright.conwy.sch.uk Kieran Atkins Year 9

YJB awarded CPD MarkJohn Bright are the first school in North Wales and only the fourth secondary school in the whole of Wales to have been awarded the CPD Mark. This was awarded on the 26th April 2012. It confirms that the school not only has a very high standard regarding the Professional development of all staff which was described as ‘Bespoke to meet individual staff training needs’, but also demonstrates that the school has a clear vision and strategy for improving the teaching and learning.The CPD Mark recognises that the provision of Professional Development was innovative, well resourced and its impact could clearly be measured on teaching and learning through a clear philosophy of coaching and mentoring staff. Congratulations to all the staff involved in both the planning and delivery of the Performance Management and Professional Development at Ysgol John Bright. This is a significant recognition of all their hard work in ensuring that our students receive the highest standards of teaching and learning.

Students from Ysgol John Bright, Llandudno, will form a Guard of Honour to line the route as athletes make their way through the Olympic Park into the Olympic Stadium, for the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.

At the start of the Athletes’ Parade, during the procession from the Olympic Village to the Olympic Stadium, the students will join 249 other schools from across the UK and make up the 2,000 student Guard of Honour. They will line the route, holding lanterns and banners they have created to support one of the 204 competing teams. For many of the 10,500 athletes the Guard of Honour will be their first experience of the London 2012 Games. The students have been preparing to provide

a vibrant and diverse welcome for athletes competing at the Games. Ysgol John Bright have been selected through the reward and recognition of their work through the Get Set network, the official London 2012 education programme. They have demonstrated a commitment to living the Olympic and Paralympic Values and incorporating them into their school lives and the curriculum.

As well as having the opportunity to cheer on the world’s best athletes and be part of a global moment, the school students will also get the exciting chance to tour the Olympic Park and see some of the London 2012 venues before the world

turns its attention to Danny Boyle’s Olympic Games Opening Ceremony in the Olympic Stadium later that day.

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YJB students @ Olympic Games 2012

Sixth Form May Ball 2012

“It was an amazing night for everyone and a really great way to end our time at YJB. During the evening we shared experiences of our 7 years at school and many, many happy memories”. Ben Tooth (Deputy Headboy)

“The May Ball was a fitting departure from the strong foundations set for my future. YJB has given me the groundings to succeed in whatever I choose to do”.Kyle Mickleburgh (Headboy)

The Stock Market Challenge was very exciting. We learned new skills which can be used in real life. We also learned how the Stock Market works and what it looks like. When we arrived we took a briefing on how it works and how to play the stock market. We then played the game which lasted 5 days each for 20 to 25 minutes.

The last few days were very intense and raised your levels of anxiety as values went down and then rose rapidly like a yoyo!!! It was really exciting and we were all buzzing on the way home. George Geurges Year 11

On 27th June Ysgol John Bright held a Sixth Form Information Morning where parents and students had another chance to come along to talk to tutors about Post 16 studies.

This was a huge success with over 60 families attending where they had a tour of the sixth form, refreshments and more information about courses and the Welsh Baccalaureate. Due to the popularity and positive feedback we will be holding another such event next year. If you were unable to attend please contact school and we can arrange a visit for you.

AustriaParisItaly CaliforniaBrusselsBerlinLondonCardiffTheatresLlangollen

Trips and Visits

Students at Ysgol John Bright took on 23 other young fund management teams from regional schools in Stock Market Challenge and came out on top. The competition gave participants the chance to experience the excitement of buying and selling shares on a live trading floor. The initiative taught young people how the financial markets work and encouraged them to develop key skills such as communication, problem-solving, decision making, teambuilding, and negotiation.

The students worked in small teams trading in shares and foreign currency. Each team started with £15,000 in ‘virtual’ funds to invest by interpreting and analysing information from the stock market.The simulated live trading took place over a two-hour period, during which time the students built a portfolio of shares and currency by making decisions about when to invest and when to sell. The team with the highest portfolio at the closing bell won.

Sixth Form Open Morning

Stock Market Challenge

After learning the ropes the girls performed their first live radio show on Thursday. Brilliant performance from all three girls throughout the week.Sophie Forbes, Ffion Roberts

Maisie WilliamiTudno FM

As a result of their outstanding work throughout the week both girls have been invited back to complete their instructor training at the ski slope when they turn 16. Jessica

Ackers Lois Bean John Nike

What a star! Learns so quickly and embarrassed some of our full time technicians by out performing them after only one day! Ben Durber

Gaia Technology

Some students were given the opportunity for an extended placement. Charlotte Forfar spent an additional week with

the Royal Northern College of Music.

The whole cohort for year 10 took part in the work programme – 218 placements. There was an amazing range of placements, recording companies in London, virtual reality designing in Bangor, medical practitioners, alternative technology, energy generation architects in Chester and Vauxhall Motor Production in Ellesmere Port. Our students were in Magistrate and Crown Courts – not in the dock I hasten to add! They were in accountant’s offices, on hospital wards, producing programmes on local radio, learning about fibre optic transfer of data, working with vulnerable children and adults.

Many students had thought very carefully about their placement and programme and had linked it closely to both their aims for skill acquisition and their learning pathways.

Some students were given the opportunity for an extended placement. Ryan Pike and Lloyd Evans are going to be taking part in a fire fighters programme in Menai Bridge, Ysgol Deganwy have requested that Abbie Tobin remain with them for another week and Bethan Howgate will be working with Fugro Research.

There has been nothing but praise for the performances put in by our students. They have been an excellent advert for them selves and ambassadors for the school.

Keith Harries, WRE Careers Co-ordinator

YJB Year 10 Work Experience

Interested in all activities, spent time with the patients and supported them very well. A credit to the school.Charlie Keene, Morgan Tierney Jones

St Dunstans/Blind Veterans

Congratulations to Nathan Thomason (9I) who recently competed at the Welsh Athletics Competition held in South Wales where he successfully won Gold in both discus and hammer events and silver in the Shot Putt.

Toby Roberts in Year 9 was lucky enough to train with Wales’ Grand Slam rugby team in Cardiff last month. He’s even taller than Leigh Halfpenny!

Conwy Schools Under 13’s football team who have recently won the Welsh Schools County Final in Oswestry against Ceridigion.

YJB embraced the Olympic sports theme with some very different activities during sports week in June

On the 18th June students went to the new BMX Track in Rhyl for an afternoon More than 30 students and teachers took part in one of the most popular Paralympic sports -Wheelchair Basket Ball - everyone enjoyed themselves and asked for another of the same event.

YJB Sports News

Other excellent achievements

Elliot Shield, Toby Roberts and Owen McCaffrey celebrated football success in the Welsh Schools Football Finals. Emma Jones, 8G, has recently represented Wales in Dressage.

Enrichment DayEnrichment Day 5 was held on Friday 29th June and involved all students in YJB who had a fantastic day.Year 7 went to Aber Falls to develop their fieldwork skills and appreciate their wonderful local environment.Year 8 developed their Welsh language skills through problem solving and orienteering activities provided by the Urdd. They also took part in Zumba lessons and “Amazing Materials” in Science.Year 9 had an excellent presentation from “Choose Life” a hard hitting programme exploring the consequences of substance, alcohol and drug abuse with true life stories.Year 10 were on Work Experience.

Congratulations to Haydn Ballinger and Danielle Hawkins who were elected to the prestigious positions of Head Boy and Head Girl. They will be supported by the new Deputy Head Boy and Girl; Jordan Morris and Jessica Isaacs. All 15 candidates had the opportunity to write a manifesto and present a speech to their year group. All members of year 12 and the entire teaching staff voted in the election and after a tense couple of days the results were announced to the rest of the school.All the candidates displayed excellent personal

qualities and suggested many good ideas for the future of the school. Following the Head Boy and Girl elections the rest of the leadership team was selected by a detailed application process. Our congratulations to the following students who were chosen to be Senior Prefects and will work with the Head/Deputy Boy and Girl to deliver many exciting initiatives over the coming year.

YJB has a new Student Leadership Team

Clair LewisJoseph Dos-SantosBeth WilliamsDanielle AdamsonMatthew WilliamsShannon KennedyJennifer EvansAmelia OsborneKatie RobertsAlice Outten

Harriet AbbottClaudia ChowTamla BeattieGrace HeatonRebecca Martin-YoungSammy OwenEllie JonesJun-Wei-WanSarah PercyTim Burrow

Demi ReeceSean T JonesLiam LehaneSeren ByrneJack DuberleyJacob UprightChelsea HilliardAmy HawkinsDavid Algieri

Head BoyHadyn BallingerHead GirlDanielle Hawkins

Deputy Head BoyJordan Morris

Deputy Head GirlJessica Isaacs

Senior Prefects

Thursday 16th August A level Results DayThursday 23rd August GCSE Results DayFriday 24th August 6th Form Registration DayMonday 3rd September New term begins Years 7 and 12Tuesday 4th September New Term begins for Years 8, 9, 10, 11 and 13