Lasallian values at the heart of St Illtyd’s activities
Students and staff at St Illtyd’s have been very active over the past few months and, as always, the Lasallian values have been very much at the heart of those activities.
Spirituality & Chaplaincy at St Illtyd’s
Harvest Foodbank
The Chaplaincy Team at St Illtyd’s meet weekly in the Chapel with our chaplain, Mrs Wonnacott. Their focus this year is to continue to strengthen our wonderful relationship with our feeder primary schools and the charities within our community. They worked closely with our Youth Action Groups to promote the Harvest Foodbank within our school.
Thanks to the generosity of our students and their families we were able to donate a number of food parcels to our local community food banks, Rumney Forum and Llanrumney Hall as well as a food parcel for the SVP Centre in Ely Bridge.
Retreats
For the first time since 2019, students are starting to experience retreats again. The size and availability of the Chapel has enabled us to enjoy a number of Masses this year, as well as facilitating retreats. We have been able to invite Mary Immaculate High School up for The Feast of All Saints and Souls where students enjoyed leading the collective worship and taking part in a variety of activities dedicated to saints.
Two of the activities saw students competing; one activity was to build a column tower out of cardboard tubes to replicate where Saint Simeon of Stylite lived. The other was to answer bible trivia correctly to win an envelope of keys - they needed to find one specific key to unlock the padlock that kept St Wulfric of Haslebury in his cell. All the students had such a wonderful time they didn’t want to leave!
Year 7 had their Welcome Mass at the beginning of the autumn term and are now enjoying their first experience of a retreat where they are focusing on ‘community’. They have been exploring what their responsibilities are as stewards of the school to our local, global and spiritual communities.
CAFOD Family Fast Day
During October, the Year 11 SVP group organised, promoted and led the CAFOD Family Fast Day. They raised money and awareness for the campaign by making and serving soup to students and staff during their Wednesday break times. Their homemade soup was so delicious that they sold out completely!
Collective Worship
This term has seen the start of form assemblies, where pupils from every form class create and lead a collective worship for their year group. The focus of each assembly is chosen by the students and their form tutor, their collective worship could focus on a celebration, a concern and raising awareness or following the liturgical calendar. The form groups so far have done an outstanding job and set a standard across the school.
Illtydian Youth Podcast
The St Illtyd’s Year 11 Youth Action Group are taking part in an exciting new project this term. They have been working closely with SVP Ely Bridge to learn all about how to set up, record, edit and produce a podcast. The group was invited to be guest speakers on the SVP Centre’s own public podcast, which they thoroughly enjoyed and will be released shortly.
Since that initial recording they have come up with their podcast name, logo, a list of content and have recorded their very own “Illtydian Youth” podcast. It is a wonderful opportunity for students!
Victoria Wonnacott, Chaplain
Year 8 visit the National Museum Cardiff
This term, the whole of Year 8 had the opportunity to spend a day at the National Museum Cardiff on a science trip. The visit's purpose was to introduce biodiversity and classification in biology. We were extremely lucky in that the cost of transport was covered by the Urban Nature Project, making this trip free of charge, and meaning that every pupil was able to attend.
During the visit, pupils took part in a carousel of different activities. In the Urban Nature workshop, the activities included using microscopes, sorting shells, identifying a poisonous plant, and playing a game about pesticides.
In the biological drawing workshop, pupils visited the marine galleries to learn why we have specimens and then did biological drawings of specimens. Pupils also got to explore the Natural History galleries and the Evolution of Wales gallery and completed worksheets on classification and ecosystems.
All our pupils thoroughly enjoyed their visit to the National Museum Cardiff. We would like to say a huge thank you to Heather Jackson and all the learning team at the museum for their time.
Luisa May, Community Focused Schools Co-ordinator
St Illtyd’s return to the stage
St Illtyd’s came alive with the sound of music and the magic of theatre when we presented the timeless classic “Annie”. It was a heart-warming and unforgettable experience that left the audience singing and dancing.
The good news is that the school will be back on stage with another spectacular show next year. This is going to be “We Will Rock You” on the 10th, 11th and 12th July 2024. Keep an eye out on our X account for a sneak peek at the talented actors and actresses who will bring these characters and iconic tunes to life.
The school production would not have been possible without the dedication of cast and crew who worked for months, rehearsing, and perfecting the performances to ensure that Annie was the showstopper. Audiences were amazed by the incredible talent our students brought to the stage. Annie was a production to remember.
Julie Smith, Head of Performing Arts
Students Embrace Tech Opportunities at Wales Tech Week
Year 10 and 11 students recently had the exciting opportunity to explore the world of technology at Wales Tech Week held at the ICC. Themed "Tech Talent meets Opportunity" or Talent4Tech, the event allowed students to gain insights into tech careers and celebrate women in the industry.
Students visited employer stands and attended informative sessions at the employer stage, getting a glimpse of tech jobs that will shape the future. The event also introduced them to Virtual Reality (VR) technology, demonstrating how it's transforming training for various job roles, making learning engaging and immersive.
Recent university graduates shared their career journeys, emphasising the diverse paths within the tech industry. This shattered the stereotype that one must be a programmer to work in tech, inspiring students to consider tech careers regardless of their current skill set.
Wales Tech Week @ the ICC wasn't just about technology; it celebrated women in tech, dispelling the notion of a male-dominated field. Female students were encouraged to consider tech careers, knowing the industry is open to all.
In a nutshell, Wales Tech Week was a remarkable success. Year 10 and 11 students had the opportunity to explore future tech jobs, engage with various platforms, and discuss the possibilities ahead. It expanded their horizons and ignited their passion for technology and innovation. We look forward to seeing some of our students become the tech leaders of tomorrow, thanks to the inspiration gained at this event.
Melanie Hopkin, Subject Leader of ICT & Business
Transition at St Illtyd’s
Year 5 Enrichment Days
In July, we were delighted to welcome Year 5 pupils from our four feeder Catholic Primary Schools to St Illtyd’s for an Enrichment Day. During their visit, pupils took part in a Design Technology lesson with Head of DT, Mr Griffiths, in which they made a bee hotel which they were able to take home. In their second lesson, pupils took part in a science lesson led by the Head of Faculty Science and Technology and Head of Science, Mr Halliday.
Pupils wrote secret messages using lemon juice and then used heat to decode the messages. All pupils enjoyed their visit to St Illtyd’s, and we looked forward to seeing them again in October.
Year 6 PE Transition Sessions
Over three days in October, a small group of Year 10 pupils visited each of our feeder Catholic primary schools to deliver a PE session to Year 6 pupils. Following each session, Year 6 pupils could ask questions about anything they wanted to know about high school.
Open Evening 2023
On 19th October, we opened the doors of St Illtyd’s on our Open Evening and invited Year 6 pupils and parents/carers to visit our school. Visitors were able to enjoy tours of the school with our Year 11 Senior Prefects and Year 10 Emerald Greens representatives.
Visitors were able to visit all the subject departments around the school and take part in a variety of fun and engaging activities. Activities included spooky story time in our English department, naming the equipment in our Science department and drawing skulls in our Art department. Our beautiful Chapel was also open for our families to write and hang prayers onto our prayer tree.
Paul Moriarty, Deputy Headteacher
St Illtyd's Way Ultra Marathon Minibus Fundraiser: Lace Up for a Cause!
We're excited to share news about a spirited initiative to secure a new minibus for our beloved school! Our trusty 14-seater has served us well, but it's time to upgrade to a 17-seater to enhance our students' experiences and opportunities.
Doing so will ensure we can continue providing enriching experiences for our students, such as career trips, PE fixtures, theatre outings, sailing days, university visits, Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, and so much more.
Our dedicated staff, 14 strong, have courageously volunteered to tackle the St Illtyd's Ultra Marathon - a challenging 50km race set amidst the breath-taking landscapes of West Wales on 5th May 2024. This incredible journey will traverse canals, woodlands, hills and rivers, mirroring the scenic St Illtyd's Way footpath, our school's namesake Saint.
We believe in the power of community, and we're reaching out to you, our school family, for support. Here is how you can help:
