23 January 2025
Dear Parents, Guardians and Students/Annwyl Rhieni, Gwarchodwyr a Myfyrwyr
Fostering curiosity!
Over recent weeks we have been focusing on our shared school values that underpin our school culture. This week is also a pertinent time to reflect on what makes us all unique. Respect, kindness and understanding inspire everything we do.
In celebration of World Religion Day, our Philosophy, Religion and Ethics (PRE) classes have been celebrating different faiths through classroom exploration and discussion, whilst whole school assembly has looked at the importance of staying curious about other people and the world around us. We continually learn from one another to build an inclusive and tolerant community. Here are Year 7 in action, supported by the Sixth Form student mentors for PRE.
The numbers of students choosing to study Philosophy, Religion and Ethics to A-Level standard has risen significantly over recent years and it is now one of our most popular subjects at Key Stage 5.
We are delighted to offer this subject that encapsulates our challenge to our students to be curious about the religions, cultures, and beliefs that make up our incredibly diverse school community.
In this part of the curriculum, our students have the opportunity and space to consider their place in the world, their sense of self, and their identity and belonging.
They also enjoy some robust debating on a range of ethical issues that keeps our PRE department on their toes!
The Year of the Snake
The first feature is a seamless link into the next piece today!
On Wednesday 29th January, we would like to extend a very happy new year to all those students and their families in our community that will be celebrating Chinese New Year!
It was a pleasure to invite students to my office to broaden my understanding of this important cultural celebration.
The students explained that 29th January will mark the Year of the Snake. The Snake symbolises wisdom and adaptability and is also associated with good fortune.
They celebrate the eve of Chinese New Year with a huge gathering of family and friends and their parents all cook celebration dishes that are a real treat! There will play games through the evening and the celebrations can culminate with fireworks at mid-night.
The students were also very honest in admitting that one of their favourite parts of the new year celebration is when they receive red envelopes or pockets that contain money! They also decorate their homes with red banners that wish everyone good luck and they hang them upside down to show that good fortune is coming!
A huge thank you to the whole bunch for sharing their experiences. May we wish you all a very healthy and happy year that is filled with good fortune.
Super Scholars!
This week, a group of our more able and talented Year 10 students started their Brilliant Club project as part of The Scholars Programme. Working with Miss Georgia Clarke, a PhD student from Cardiff University, they are going to be looking in depth at the impact of the smart phone on Generation Z. Miss Clarke was very impressed with their excellent knowledge already. I am sure they will continue to shock her with how brilliant they are! Upon completion of the programme, they will visit a Russell Group University to get their graduation certificates and experience a day in the life of an undergraduate student.
I was so pleased when Mr Mee told me the theme for this cohort. It is never far from our minds, or our assembly themes, as we explore how the smartphone can be both beneficial and harmful for Generation Z.
Balance is clearly key.
We weigh up the benefits of productivity, entertainment, and inspiration against the negative impact on mental health, social skills, physical health and addiction.
Many of our students are choosing to reduce their smartphone use and are taking more regular breaks from social media.
We have no plans to change our school policy. Whilst we understand that many students have a mobile phone on them, they should be switched off and in their bags during the school day.
If anyone wanted to see the positive benefits of this, they would not have to spend long in our school to see it. Lessons are purposeful and are not interrupted by the constant ping from the growing number of messaging platforms. But my favourite benefit is the noise level and human interactions that take place at break and lunch time. I wish we could bottle it! These times are noisy, energetic, funny, and active.
Having time that is not on a screen but involves conversation and activity with peers is vital.
If any parents are struggling with the minefield that is social media, then don’t forget that we have written our own LHS guide to support you.
The LHS Parents Guide to Social-Media is on our website and it offers some really helpful information and guidance.
It is always available to you on our website. If you would like to take a look now, please follow this link:
Parents Social Media GuideLet us finish this week with a positive take on social media! In their Textiles lessons, Year 8 have been looking at the history of the emoji!
They have been learning that since caveman times we have used pictures and expressions to describe our feelings and thoughts and the emoji is a modern-day invention to express our thoughts and feelings. Please enjoy our Year 8 students expressing their thoughts and feelings through emoji cushions. Some excellent results!
I look forward to bringing you more news and updates next week.
Thank you for reading/Diolch am ddarllen,
Mrs Sarah Parry, Headteacher