19 July 2024
Dear Parents, Guardians and Students/Annwyl Rhieni, Gwarchodwyr a Myfyrwyr
Fond Farewells
It is that time of year when we bid farewell to departing colleagues who have hatched escape routes into retirement or pastures new. This time of year is tinged with sadness. We are so sad to say goodbye to valued colleagues. However, we wish you amazing onward journeys!
Bon Voyage Mr Bird
This year we bid a fond farewell to Mr Bird from our Learning Support department. After 3 years with us, we reflected on Mr Birds early days with us, particularly when he turned up 7 days early for his interview! It’s good to be keen! Mr Bird has been touched by the kindness that the Learning Support staff have shown him, even walking three times up Pen Y Fan (starting at 6am) to raise money for Prostate cancer UK. Mr Bird now plans to do plenty of travelling, including visiting his three children who all live away from Cardiff. He will miss the colleagues that have become friends. And I know they will miss him too.
Good luck to Miss Wright (for one day she may be taking care of any one of us!)
We also say goodbye and good luck to Miss Wright who has been supporting students in our Flexible Learning Centre. Miss Wright is now going to university to study medicine. She will be greatly missed by colleagues and students alike. Her fondest memory is the Learning Support Sports Day. Good memories to take with you!
Mrs Lewis and Ms Johansen tear themselves away
We also say thank you and goodbye to Mrs Lewis and Ms Johansen from the ASD base. Thank you for the amazing work you have done with our students. They will miss you very much. The students confirmed that they will always have a place in their hearts for you. It has been an emotional week as you’ve said your goodbyes. Make sure you come back to visit!
New ventures and adventures for Mrs Giddy
We also say farewell and thank you to Mrs Giddy. After 19 years of service to the school in various roles that range from Cover Learning Supervisor to Pupil Achievement Leader to first port of call for First Aid, Mrs Giddy escapes with our gratitude for those years of hard work.
“I have made so many positive and very valued friendships that I am truly blessed and thankful to have these people in my life. I look forward to the future and what it holds for me and will face the new challenges head on like I always do.”
Mrs Giddy will miss the students tremendously, especially those who haven’t always had the same start in life than others. There in lies her passion.
Wishing a happy, healthy and long retirement to Mr Edwards
Finally, we say goodbye and a heartfelt thank you to Mr C Edwards who retires from LHS after 17 years of teaching in our Physics department. Mr Edwards was an early pioneer of Computer Science at LHS and has brought expertise in all areas.
He will be missed tremendously as a colleague. He is generous, kind-hearted and funny. He has a wry sense of humour. It is striking how many students have asked after him since he has been away with ill health. Mr Edwards always finds a way to interest and entertain his classes who have consistently achieved excellent results.
We wish all of our departing colleagues much fulfilment in everything they do next.
Well done to everyone on navigating 2023-24 with such finesse!
Finally, can I take this opportunity to thank all staff, students, parents, carers, governors and community partners for a phenomenal year.
There have been too many highlights to list. But I’ll indulge myself with a couple of personal highlights:
- The school production of Footloose in July and being reunited with some amazing Alumni (please keep spreading the word!)
- Receiving the outcomes of our Estyn inspection in the autumn term that captured the positive, inclusive and nurturing community that we continually strive to be
- Meeting prospective students and parents at the Year5/6 Open Evening (Still monitoring Mr Jayne carefully to keep the ceiling in one piece)
- Prom (Year 11 were spectacular)
- Sports Day (an annual highlight)
- Awards Evening (Mr Mee on form)
- Isle of Wight with Year 7 (although it will take another 6 weeks to recover)
- Every single ‘Hot Chocolate with the Head’ that I have hosted this year
What are your highlights from the year? Please take a moment to look back and reflect on just how much you have achieved this year.
In the spirit of the blogs that I have sent this week, I would be customary to end with some high adrenaline activity. For the purpose of this blog, it comes to you courtesy of the students who braved the Aqua Park in Cardiff Bay today.
All that remains is for me to wish all of our readers a very happy and healthy summer break.
We may see you on results day. Or we will see you in September.
Thank you for reading/Diolch am ddarllen,
Mrs Sarah Parry, Headteacher