High School MattersHigh School Matters March 2010

Succeeding Together - Progressing with Pride

Post 16 Developments Parents will undoubtedly have read in the local press about

the exciting developments in the 6th form planned for Sep-

tember 2010. These developments are very much impelled

by decisions taken at national level by WAG and then

handed down to the LEA for implementation. Six institutions

(Denbigh College, Llysfasi College, Ysgol Glan Clwyd, Ys-

gol Brynhyfryd, St Brigid‟s School and Denbigh High School) will be collaborating to

provide an excitingly wide range of post 16 courses to suit young people of differing

skills, interests and aptitudes. A common prospectus will be available this week to all

Year 11 students throughout the Vale of Clwyd and all young people are invited to at-

tend the various options and open evenings which will be starting this week. The one at

Denbigh High School was on February 25th from 4.00-7.30. There is plenty of useful

information on our website. This is a time of great change, which is always unsettling,

but one which offers fantastic opportunities to our young people.

Hellos and goodbyes At the end of the Christmas term we said goodbye and

many thanks to Mr Karl Lawson and to Miss Jenny Clay-

ton, wishing them well in their new positions in Ysgol

John Bright and Ysgol Aberconwy. In their places we wel-

come Mrs Nicole Meardon, teaching RS, and Miss

Eloise Davies, teaching English.

School Panto We ended the Christmas term in a new

way: a school panto, with a cast of teach-

ers and pupils who entertained the whole

school in two performances. The cast

were superb- funny, energetic, slightly

mad and truly entertaining and they

earned a really enthusiastic response

from the audience. Many thanks to Miss

Ceiriog and Mr Huw Ellis-Williams who

were the driving forces behind the whole

programme and especial congratulations

to the key performers: Miss Ceiriog

(again!), Miss Egelstaff and Mr Davies. Mr Sherrington and Mr Price did a hilarious

comic turn with Mr Price playing an oversized Jack and Mr Sherrington a squeaky

voiced infant Giant. Also, Tabitha Jones as the wicked witch, Lisa Davies as the prin-

cess, Emma Simpson as Aladdin,

Helen Blellock as Cinderella and

Mark Hughes and Tom England as

truly awful Ugly Sisters. Thanks are

due to all of the Year 10 Drama

group as their contribution under-

pinned the whole show.

Welsh Bacc The Wesh Bacc is available at various ages and stages in increasing numbers of schools

throughout Wales. We will be introducing it to Year 10 pupils as from September 2010, in

addition to the existing range of options on offer. This will mean an extra qualification and a

new set of challenges and experiences for next year‟s Year 10 pupils.

In our run-up to GCSE preparation with Year 11 pupils: Mrs Wingfield organised a coursework catch-up day on January 29

th. This acted as a

useful safety net for various pupils who now find themselves in a much better position than previously, with their c coursework completed and able to focus on the final stages of preparation for the forthcoming exams.

Mrs Wingfield has also published to all Year 11 parents a list of grade improvement

classes, either after school or during the dinner hour, which are due to begin shortly. Teachers organising these are doing so in their own time and out of goodwill and genuine concern that pupils do as well as possible. It is essential that young people take advantage of this excellent opportunity.

Year 11 Grade Improvement Classes

Department: Time from and to: Teacher(s): Room(s):

Monday Religious Studies Geography Food Technology Child Development Physical Education Music Cymraeg First Language

1.30 – 2.00 1.40 – 2.10 1.40 – 2.00 1.40 – 2.00 3.40 – 5.00 3.30 – 4.30 3.35 – 4.35

Dpi + NM (KW Yr 10) DH + KLl JD T. Owen IS, AS, DB L.Thomas R. Jones

RS2 + RS1 G1 + G2 ST8 ST6 PE MU1 C2

Tuesday History Science 1

1.40 – 2.00 1.40 – 2.10

PE All

H2

Wednesday Maths Science 2 Food Technology Cymraeg Short course Food Technology Child Development Art Club

1.40 – 2.10 1.40 – 2.10 1.40 – 2.00 3.35 – 4.35 3.35 – 5.00 1.40 – 2.00 3.30 – 5.00

NJ All JD S. Jones (Higher) R. Jones (Foundation) J. Danes T. Owen SSH + GD

MA2 ST8 C3 C2 ST8 ST6 ST1

Thursday Science 3 Maths Food Technology Child Development Product Design

1.40 – 2.10 3.35 – 4.30 1.40 – 2.00 1.40 – 2.00 3.35 – 5.00

All NJ JD TO GWJ + DP

MA2 ST8 ST6 ST3

Friday Science 4 Food Technology Child Development

1.40 – 2.10 1.40 – 2.00 1.40 – 2.00

All J. Danes T. Owen

ST8 ST6

We have recently received funding to run grade improvement classes during the Easter holidays and will be sending out information shortly. Again, these will be wonderful opportunities for young people, helping them gain the grades which will open doors for them and take them on to the next stage. They are not to be missed!

I am sure parents of young-

sters in Years 11, 12 and 13

will understand that I am

unable to authorise holiday

absences in the Summer

term because of the inevita-

ble clash with public exami-

nations. This will also apply

to Year 10 pupils, all of

whom will be taking some

public examinations in the

Summer term.

On January 15th Mr Sherrington took a group of 25 year 11 pupils from Den-bigh High School that were invited to OpTic Technium Innovation Centre in St Asaph, along with pupils from Rhyl High School & Ysgol Dinas Bran. This was for a day‟s work on an enterprise enrichment activity. It was facilitated by Glyndwr University and was part of the Reaching Wider Programme in schools. There they were taken on a short tour of the building, and got to see some intrigu-ing 1st generation holograms. They were then asked to choose a product and de-sign a sales pitch for it, and then make a video pitching the product. Each of the 8 teams then scored each other based on the video. The Denbigh High teams did very well, with one team coming in first place ! From the experience, the stu-dents learned how to work well under pressure, to pitch ideas, and to work with others and shoot videos. They all en-joyed the event and would like to thank OpTic for the wonderful day and free pens. On January 25th. Year 9 pupils watched a production by Diverse Arts, called “What am I going to tell Mum” about teenage pregnancy and the importance of making the correct choices. The play was excellently performed and very thought-provoking and the youngsters provided a very receptive audience.

Also on January 25th Mrs Howlett took

the Year 12 A/S Geography group to

Wrexham to carry out their coursework.

This was an investigation into the issue

of migration (both into and away from the

community). Students conducted re-

search via questionnaires and discus-

sion with local residents, looking at their

perceptions of the impact of migration on

a range of local circumstances, eg.

housing, education, crime. The students

will now pull their findings together into a

in depth piece of personal written re-

search.

Writer in Residence Alan Gibbons, a noted children‟s author,

worked with a group of Year 8 pupils for

three days from January 25th to 27

th.

Work focused on reading a range of in-

spirational sources and then pupils cre-

ating and sharing their own pieces of

writing. The sessions took place in the

School Library but also involved a visit

to Denbigh Library. Both Alan Gibbons

and Mrs Eileen Jones and Mr Jon

Rosser from the LEA‟s advisory service

were impressed with the hard work and

commitment of our youngsters, their ex-

cellent behaviour and the high quality of

the work they produced.

READERS AND WRITERS CLUB A new Readers and Writers Club has been launched in the Library by Mrs. Williams, the school Librarian. The meetings are held every Thursday at Lunchtime from 1.45pm to Regis-tration. If you enjoy reading or writing stories and poems and discussing books, then you will be welcome at this new club.

During two weeks in February Outlook

Expeditions, which for some years has

organised expeditions abroad for our

youngsters (for example to Ecuador

and to Zambia), delivered a series of

assemblies on the possibility of organis-

ing similar expeditions to Morocco and

to Patagonia. These will be led from

school either by Miss Blake (Morocco)

or Miss Jones (Patagonia).

PE successes DHS pupils will form the backbone of

the North-East Wales Cross Country

Team, competing this coming week-

end in the finals at Brecon. Our repre-

sentatives are: Ceri Jaques, Kathe-

rine Jones, Louis Ford, Robin

Jones, Jac Glover, Jamie Evans,

Louis Bollard and Ciaran Lucas. The

boys‟ team will be captained by Louis

Ford. Good luck to all of them.

The highlight of last half-term was, as ever, the school show.

This year, the performance was Barry Manilow‟s “Copacabana” and

it was as successful as always. The cast sang and acted brilliantly,

the band played with gusto, and the backstage people, whether

scene shifters, the technical team, the security team, those dealing

with props, costumes or make-up, were as slick and efficient as

ever. Many congratulations to everyone involved, not least all the

staff who gave unstintingly of their time, and especially the key play-

ers: Mark Matthews, Catherine Blellock, Jacob Tate (amazing

Spanish accent!), Lauren Hassall, Luke Carroll, Sophie Wynne

and Fred Fairey (both of them

real comic turns).In the cast you

could see young people, now in

Year 12, who had first become involved in the

show when they were in Year7. In the Year 10

pupils involved, you could see the stars of two

years in the future and in the Key Stage 3 chorus,

you could see successes to come. It really was a

fantastic achievement by everyone and a wonder-

ful end to the half-term.

Early Warning.

The Easter term will end for pupils on Thursday March 25th

. There will

be two staff training days on March 26th and April 12th with the school re-

opening to pupils on Tuesday April 13th

.

Alison Duncan, Headteacher.

High School MattersHigh School Matters Mawrth 2010

Datblygiadau ôl 16 Yn ddigwestiwn bydd rhieni wedi darllen yn y papurau lleol am ddatblygiadau cyffrous sydd wedi eu cynllunio ar gyfer y 6ed dosbarth ym mis Medi 2010. Mae’r datblygiadau hyn wedi eu symbylu gan benderfyniad a wnaed ar lefel genedlaethol gan LlCC a‟i basio ymlaen i‟w weithredu gan yr AALl. Bydd 6 sefydliad (Coleg Dinbych, Coleg Llysfasi, Ysgol Glan Clwyd, Ysgol Brynhyfryd, Ysgol St Brigid ac Ysgol Uwchradd Dinbych) yn cydweithredu i ddarparu cyfrwng eang a chyffrous o gyrsiau ôl 16 i weddu i bobl ifanc gyda sgiliau amrywiol a diddordebau a galluoedd gwahanol. Bydd prospectws ar gael yr wythnos hon ar gyfer holl ddisgyblion Blwyddyn 11 drwy Ddyffryn Clwyd ac mae gwahoddiad i‟r holl bobl ifanc i fynychu nosweithiau opsiynnau a nosweithiau agored a fydd yn dechrau yr wythnos hon. Bydd yr un yn Ysgol Uwchradd Dinbych yn cael ei gynnal ar Chwefror 25ain o 4:00-7:30. Mae digonedd o wybodaeth defnyddiol ar ein gwefan. Mae hyn yn amser o newid gwych, yn creu ansefydlogrwydd bob tro, ond yn cynnig cyfleoedd gwych i‟n pobl ifanc.

Croeso a Hwyl Fawr Ar ddiwedd tymor y Nadolig bu‟n rhaid ffarwelio â diolch i Mr Karl Lawson a Miss Jenny Clayton, gan ddymuno yn dda iddynt yn eu swyddi newydd yn Ysgol John Bright ac Ysgol Aberconwy. Yn eu lle, rydym yn croesawu Mrs Nicole Meardon, yn dysgu Astudiaethau Crefyddol, a Miss Eloise Davies, yn dysgu Saesneg.

Cyd-weithio - cydlwyddo - â balchder

Panto’r Ysgol Gorffennwyd tymor y Nadolig mewn dull gwahanol; gyda Panto, a chast o athrawon a disgyblion a fu yn diddanu‟r ysgol gyfan mewn dau berfformiad. Roedd y cast yn wych -doniol, bywiog, ychydig yn wallgo ac yn gyfangwbl ddifyr a chafwyd ymateb brwdfrydig gan y gynulleidfa. Diolchiadau i Miss Ceiriog a Mr Huw Ellis-Williams oedd yn trefnu’r holl raglen a llongyfarchiadau arbennig i‟r perfformwyr allweddol: Miss Ceiriog(eto!), Miss Egelstaff a Mr Davies. Cafwyd darn doniol gan Mr Sherrington a Mr Price, wrth i Mr Price chwarae rhan Jack a Mr Sherrington yn chwarae rhan y Cawr â llais gwichlyd. Yn ogystal, Tabitha Jones fel y wrach ddrwg, Lisa

Davies fel y dywysoges, Emma Simpson fel Aladdin, Helen Blellock fel Cinderella a Mark Hughes a Tom England fel y “Chwiorydd Hyll” ofnadwy. Mae‟n rhaid diolch i grwp Drama Blwyddyn 10 am eu cyfraniad a wnaeth y cyfan yn bosibl.

Y Fagloriaeth Mae‟r Fagloriaeth ar gael ar gyfer ystod eang o oedrannau a chyfnodau mewn nifer cynyddol o ysgolion drwy Gymru gyfan. Byddwn yn ei gyflwyno i ddisgyblion Blwyddyn 10 o fis Medi 2010 ymlaen, yn ategol at y dewis eang o opsiynau sydd ar gael yn barod. Bydd hyn yn golygu cymhwyster ychwanegol a chyfres newydd o sialensiau a phrofiadau ar gyfer Blwyddyn 10 y flwyddyn nesaf.

Paratoadau TGAU gyda disgyblion Blwyddyn 11 Fe drefnodd Mrs Wingfield ddiwrnod dal i fyny â gwaith cwrs ar Ionawr 29ain. Roedd

hwn yn gyfle defnyddiol ar gyfer nifer o ddisgyblion sydd yn awr mewn safle gwell nag yn flaenorol, gyda‟u gwaith cwrs wedi ei gwblhau ac yn gallu canolbwyntio ar gamau olaf wrth baratoi ar gyfer yr arholiadau.

Mae Mrs Wingfield hefyd wedi cyhoeddi rhestr ar gyfer rhieni Blwyddyn 11 o ddosbarthiadau gwella graddau, unai ar ôl ysgol neu yn ystod yr awr ginio, sydd am ddechrau yn fuan. Mae‟r athrawon sydd yn trefnu‟r sesiynnau hyn yn eu gwneud yn amser eu hunain ac er mwyn gwneud yn sicr bod y disgyblion yn cael y marciau gorau posibl. Mae‟n hanfodol bod y disgyblion yn cymryd mantais o‟r cyfle gwych hwn.

Dosbarthiadau Gwella Graddau Blwyddyn 11

Dydd Adran: Amser o a hyd Athro/Athrawon: Ystafell(oedd):

Llun Astudiaethau Crefyddol

Daearyddiaeth

Technoleg Bwyd

Datblygiad Plentyn

Addysg Gorfforol

Cerdd

Cymraeg Iaith Gyntaf

1.30 – 2.00

1.40 – 2.10

1.40 – 2.00

1.40 – 2.00

3.40 – 5.00

3.30 – 4.30

3.35 – 4.35

Dpi + NM (KW Bl 10)

DH + KLl

JD

T. Owen

IS, AS, DB

L.Thomas

R. Jones

RS2 + RS1

G1 + G2

ST8

ST6

PE

MU1

C2

Mawrth Hanes Gwyddoniaeth 1

1.40 – 2.00 1.40 – 2.10

PE Pawb

H2

Mercher Mathemateg Gwyddoniaeth 2 Technoleg Bwyd

Cymraeg Cwrs Byr Technoleg Bwyd

Datblygiad Plentyn

Clwb Celf

1.40 – 2.10 1.40 – 2.10 1.40 – 2.00

3.35 – 4.35 3.35 – 5.00

1.40 – 2.00

3.30 – 5.00

NJ Pawb JD

S. Jones (Uwch)

R. Jones (Sylfaenol)

J. Danes

T. Owen SSH + GD

MA2 ST8

C3

C2

ST8

ST6 ST1

Iau Gwyddoniaeth 3

Mathemateg

Technoleg Bwyd

Datblygiad Plentyn

Dylunio Cynnyrch

1.40 – 2.10

3.35 – 4.30

1.40 – 2.00

1.40 – 2.00

3.35 – 5.00

Pawb

NJ

JD

TO

GWJ + DP

MA2

ST8

ST6

ST3

Gwener Gwyddoniaeth 4 Technoleg Bwyd Datblygiad Plentyn

1.40 – 2.10 1.40 – 2.00 1.40 – 2.00

All J. Danes T. Owen

ST8 ST6

Rydym wedi derbyn nawdd yn ddiweddar i gynnal dosbarthiadau gwella graddau yn ystod gwyliau‟r Pasg a byddwn yn gyrru gwybodaeth ynglyn â hyn yn fuan. Unwaith eto, bydd hyn yn gyfle gwych i‟r bobl ifanc, ac yn rhoi cymorth iddynt gael graddau a fydd yn agor drysau iddynt yn y dyfodol. Ni ddylid eu methu!

Rwyf yn sicr fod rhieni disgyblion ym mlynyddoedd 11,12 ac 13 yn deall nad wyf yn ga l lu aw durdod i absenoldeb gwyliau yn nhymor yr Haf oherwydd y g w r t h d r a w o g y d a g arholiadau cyhoeddus. Mae hyn yn wir am flwyddyn 10 hefyd, gan y byddant yn sefyll rhai arholiadau cyhoeddus yn nhymor yr Haf.

Ar y 15fed o Ionawr fe aeth Mr Sherrington a grŵp o 25 o ddisgyblion blwyddyn 11 o Ysgol Uwchradd Dinbych a oedd wedi eu gwahodd i Ganolfan OpTic Technium yn Llanelwy, gyda disgyblion o Ysgol Uwchradd Rhyl ac Ysgol Dinas Bran. Roedd hyn ar gyfer diwrnod o weithgaredd cyfoethogi menter. Roedd yn cael ei gynnal gan Brifysgol Glyndwr ac yn rhan o‟r Rhaglen Ymestyn yn Ehangach mewn ysgolion. Cafwyd taith o amgylch yr adeilad, a gwelwyd hologramau cenhedlaeth gyntaf diddorol. Yna gofynnwyd iddynt ddewis cynnyrch a chynllunio Sgwrs Werthu ar ei gyfer ac yna gwneud fideo ar gyfer y cynnyrch. Roedd yr 8 tîm wedyn yn sgorio ei gilydd yn seiliedig ar y fideo. Fe fu timau Ysgol Uwchradd Dinbych yn llwyddiannus iawn, gydag un tîm yn ennill! Yn dilyn y profiad, dysgodd y disgyblion sut i weithio o dan bwysau, i gynnig syniadau, i weithio ag eraill a sut i wneud fideos. Roeddynt i gyd wedi mwynhau‟r profiad ac yn diolch i OpTic am ddiwrnod gwych a‟r beiros am ddim.

Ar 25ain o Ionawr, gwyliodd disgyblion Blwyddyn 9 gynhyrchiad gan Diverse Arts, o’r enw ‘What am I going to tell Mum‟, ynglyn â beichiogrwydd yn eu harddegau a pwysigrwydd gwneud y penderfyniadau cywir. Roedd y ddrama wedi ei berfformio yn wych ac yn annog atebion a gwaith meddwl gan y gynulleidfa.

Hefyd ar Ionawr 25ain aeth Mrs Howlett a Grwp o Blwyddyn 12 UG Daearyddiaeth i Wrecsam i wneud eu gwaith cwrs. Roedd hyn yn astudiaethar y mater o fudo ( i mewn yn ogystal ac allan o‟r gymuned). Bu myfyrwyr yn gwneud ymchwil drwy holiaduron a thrafod gyda phreswylwyr lleol, gan edrych ar eu dirnadaeth o effaith mudiad ar ystod o amgylchiadau lleol, e.e. cartrefi, addysg, trosedd. Yn awr bydd y myfyrwyr yn rhoi eu darganfyddiadau at ei gilydd i greu darn trylwyr o waith ysgrifenedig personol.

Awdur yn ein plith Bu Alan Gibbons, awdur plant enwog, yn gweithio â grŵp o ddisgyblion Blwyddyn 8 am dridiau o‟r 25ain i‟r 27ain o Ionawr. Roeddynt yn canolbwyntio ar ddarllen ystod eang o ffynonellau i‟w hysbrydoli ac yna roedd y disgyblion yn creu a rhannu eu darnau o ysgrifennu eu hunain. Roedd y sesiynnau yn cael eu cynnal yn llyfrgell yr ysgol ond bu ymweliad â Llyfrgell Dinbych hefyd. Roedd Alan Gibbons, Mrs Eileen Jones a Mr Jon Rosser o wasanaeth ymgynghori‟r AALl wedi eu plesio â‟r gwaith caled ac ymrwymiad y disgyblion, eu ymddygiad gwych a safon uchel o waith a wnaed.

CLWB AWDURON A DARLLENWYR Mae Clwb Ysgrifenwyr a Darllenwyr newydd gael ei lansio gan ein Llyfrgellydd, Mrs Williams. Mae‟r clwb yn cyfarfod bob dydd Iau yn Llyfrgell yr ysgol yn ystod amser cinio. Os ydych yn mwynhau darllen neu ysgrifennu rhyddiaeth neu farddoniaeth ac wrth eich bodd yn trafod llenyddiaeth bydd croeso mawr i chi.

Am bythefnos ym mis Chwefror bu Camre Cymru, sydd wedi trefnu teithiau tramor i ddisgyblion (er enghraifft Ecuador a Zambia), yn cynnal cyfres o wasanaethau ynglyn â threfnu teithiau tebyg i Morocco a Patagonia. Bydd y rhain yn cael eu trefnu o‟r ysgol gan Miss Blake (Morocco) neu Miss Jones (Patagonia).

Llwyddiant Addysg Gorfforol. Bydd disgyblion Ysgol Uwchradd Dinbych yn asgwrn cefn i Dim Trawsgwlad Gogledd-Ddwyrain Cymru, yn cystadlu y penwythnos hwn yn y rownd derfynol yn Aberhonddu. Ein cynrychiolwyr yw: Ceri Jaques, Katherine Jones, Louis Ford, Robin Jones, Jac Glover, Jamie Evans, Louis Bollard a Ciaran Lucas. Capten tîm y bechgyn yw Louis Ford. Pob Lwc iddynt.

Uchafbwynt hanner tymor diwethaf oedd, fel arfer, sioe’r ysgol. Y flwyddyn hon, perfformiad o „Copacabana‟ Barry Manilow oedd y dewis ac yn llwyddiant fel arfer. Bu actio a chanu‟r cast yn wych, a‟r band yn chwarae yn anhygoel, a‟r rhai tu ôl i‟r llwyfan, yn newidwyr set, tîm technegol, tîm diogelwch, rhai yn delio a props, dillad neu golur, yn weithgar ac effeithlon fel arfer. Llongyfarchiadau enfawr i bawb oedd yn ymwneud â‟r sioe, ac i‟r staff a roddodd gymaint o‟u hamser, ac yn enwedig i‟r prif gymeriadau: Mark Matthews, Catherine Blellock, Jacob Tate(gydag acen Sbaeneg ardderchog!), Lauren Hassall, Luke Carroll, Sophie Wynne a Fred Fairey(y ddau yn ddoniol iawn). Yn y cast gwelwyd pobl ifanc, yn awr

ym Mlwyddyn 12, a ddechreuodd wneud y sioeau ym Mlwyddyn 7. Ymysg disgyblion Blwyddyn 10 gwelwyd ser y ddwy flynedd nesaf ac yn Nghôr Cyfnod allweddol 3, gwelwyd y llwyddiant sydd i ddod. Roedd yn gamp gwych gan bawb ac yn ddiweddglo perffaith i‟r hanner tymor.

Rhybudd Cynnar Bydd tymor y Pasg yn gorffen ar gyfer disgyblion ar Ddydd Iau, Mawrth 25ain. Bydd dau ddiwrnod staff ar y 26ain o Fawrth a 12fed o Ebrill gyda’r ysgol yn ail agor ar gyfer disgyblion ar Ddydd Mawrth, Ebrill 13eg.

Alison Duncan, Headteacher.