Time to reflect during Lent at St Illtyd’s

Spirituality & Chaplaincy

Lent Celebrations

Lent is the “time to act, and in Lent, to act also means to pause. To pause in prayer, in order to receive the word of God, to pause like the Samaritan in the presence of a wounded brother or sister,” - Pope Francis.

We have had a full calendar of events this Lent in order to give our pupils the opportunity to pause, reflect and receive the word of God. Across the school during our morning collective worship we explored the Stations of The Cross, taking moments to reflect and pray.

We were incredibly blessed to have been able to hold Voluntary Masses on Friday mornings for pupils, staff, Governors and local parishioners before the school day had begun.

We are grateful to the generosity of Fr. Brian, Fr. Alexander and Fr. Sebastian who gave their time to ensure all of our pupils across KS3 were able to attend year group masses in the Chapel. It has been a wonderful opportunity for students outside of the Chaplaincy teams to get involved with reading and assisting during Mass and afforded us another occasion to be able to invite our feeder primary schools to join us.

Advent

St Illtyd’s Catholic High School had a unique start to their Advent season last year thanks to the arrival of Fr. Benny Dennis within the RE department. Fr. Benny was visiting from St David’s Catholic Sixth Form College to observe RE lessons as part of his teacher training.

The RE department was very grateful for the opportunity to call on Fr. Benny for his expert knowledge of the Catholic faith. The pupils enjoyed asking him questions and finding out about the life of a Catholic Priest.

Year 11 were especially interested as at the time they were learning about Religious Orders and found out plenty of information about what it’s like to be a priest working within the community as a teacher. Fr. Benny very kindly took time away from his observations to lead Advent Mass for our Year 7 pupils in the PRC Chapel.

Students thoroughly enjoyed the festive activities towards the end of December. During their RE lessons, they took part in an Advent Quiz, a Nativity Escape Room and along with the Art department created some wonderful designs for the SVP Christmas Card Competition. The theme for the Christmas card competition was “Peace on Earth,” we look forward to seeing if any of our students have won.

Chaplaincy Team

The Year 8 Chaplaincy Team have had a busy Christmas term. The entire team took on the challenge of organising, packaging and leading their own fundraiser; they decided to sell candy canes and Christmas treats on the yard during their break time. Jaiden, Callum and Mason-Lee displayed a skill set that would rival the contestants of “The Apprentice,” as they sold out of supplies within 10 minutes of the start of break.

Some members of the team had the pleasure of hosting pupils from St Alban’s RC Primary School in the Chapel. They had a wonderful time helping the younger students to cut out and make paper advent wreaths and completing fun festive word puzzles.

We lit the advent wreath together in prayer and explored the Nativity display and the characters travelling across the Chapel.

We are very pleased to say that our Chaplaincy Team expanded in January thanks to the addition of our new Year 7 pupils. The consensus from both teams is that they want to strengthen their links with our Catholic schools/parishes and local community as well as their understanding of the liturgical calendar.

Pupils from both Year groups volunteered at Rumney Forum, which is a local community charity that provides an excellent resource in the area. The Year 8 Team dedicated their time organising and sorting through donated items, they divided themselves into groups and took it in turns to organise through shoes, clothing and winter coats.

Thanks to their teamwork they managed to clear a lot of space for the centre which then enabled our Year 7 team to head down and support the staff with the next job on their list.

The Year 7 team were tasked with the challenge of organising the mountain of school uniform that had been donated to Rumney Forum. To our surprise the organisation receives uniforms from across all areas of Cardiff, not just our local community. The team paired up and took on a school at a time and by the time we had left they had managed to organise the shelving clearly enough that it would be easily shopped by staff at the forum and the public.

We are also very grateful to Rumney Forum for their donation of guitars and violins to our music department.

Logo Winner

Congratulations to Alivia from Year 9 who was the winner of our Logo Competition last term for the Virtue pairs: Attentive & Discerning. To conceptualise attentive "the magnifying glass can show up problems and the eye shows that you need to pay attention. The gavel and wings integrate discern as an "angel shows the good and the gavel shows the bad that you could choose." Well done Alivia for a fantastic design.

News from the Department of Performing Arts

Guys & Dolls

The Performing Arts department had an exciting educational visit to London during December. It was an enriching and unique blend of theatrical wonder, historical exploration, and culinary delights.

We were dazzled to witness the timeless classic “Guys and Dolls.” Set against the backdrop of bustling New York City, this beloved musical was an evening of toe-tapping tunes, unforgettable characters, and a glimpse into the vibrant world of Broadway.

Our journey through London’s historical tapestry continued with a visit to Southwark Cathedral. Nestled on the Southbank of the River Thames, this architectural marvel boasts over 900 years of history. From its stunning Gothic architecture to its role in literature and the arts, Southwark Cathedral stands as a testament to London’s rich heritage.

We experienced a memorable journey, weaving together threads of history, art, and culture.

Carol Service

This year’s Carol Service was held at St Cadoc’s Catholic Church, Llanrumney. It was a festival of nine lessons and carols along with poems and music performed by the school choir, orchestra, and musical solos from the talented pupils of St Illtyd’s all celebrating the birth of Jesus.

At the end of the carol service the rock band entertained the congregation as they enjoyed a cup of tea and mince pies to welcome in the Christmas spirit.

Get ready to Rock

We are thrilled to announce that our school production of “We Will Rock You” is set to hit the stage this July. Save the date for an electrifying performance on the 10th, 11th and 12th July 2024. Tickets will be available for purchase after the Easter break.

Be sure to mark your calendars and secure your seats early for this unforgettable musical experience. Follow the music departments X account @StIlltydsMusic for behind-the-scenes sneak peeks as we gear up for an epic performance that will have you singing and dancing in the aisles.

Eisteddfod 2024

It was a great joy to see the return of the Eisteddfod to celebrate St David’s Day this year where Year 7 had the opportunity to showcase their various talents. The event also introduced Year 7 pupils to the school’s nurturing philosophy of encouraging talents from all subject areas.

Points were scored by winning competitions, performing and completing homework tasks for different subjects, with points being awarded for first, second and third place, as well as for participation. This allowed all pupils to be actively involved in the event no matter what their talents.

We saw phenomenal performances by pupils participating in musical items, recitation and English prose. During the day, it was wonderful to see so many Year 7 pupils taking part in the ensemble and vocal solo competitions, taking the opportunity to impress on stage.

Our performers were:

Saxophone - Daniel Adeoye

Piano - Darren Cebrynski

Vocal - Dolabomi Similoluwa Olusimbo who sang a Welsh song “Yma o Hyd”

Band- Khoen Harris, William Hoddinott, Johann Pernia-Fulleros, David Ogunbona

English prose - Daniel Adeoye, Olivier Krzyskow

Welsh group recitation - Levi Cruse, Mary Oyebami, Iliana Owoahene, Abbas Adam, Jawad Alblili, Estrella Lopes Da Silva, Vittoria Barberis, Beatris Mendes Pereira, Rebecca Kamara

Welsh group recitation - Darren Cebrynski, Alexander Flint, David Ogunbona, Ollie Lane

Welsh individual recitation - Lexie Ewers

The overall individual winner of the Eisteddfod, and the pupil who entered and achieved the most number of points was Daniel Adeoye and the second prize went to Dolabomi Similoluwa Olusimbo. Da iawn to everyone who participated and made the Eisteddfod a success.

Megan Gwynne Carroll, Head of Welsh

An update from the St Illtyd's Ultra Marathon Fundraising Team

Dear St Illtyd's School Community,

We're thrilled to update you on the remarkable progress of our (somewhat crazy) initiative to secure a new minibus for our school. With your support, we're making significant strides toward our goal of upgrading to a 17-seater minibus to enhance our students' experiences and opportunities. We're excited to announce that we have hit almost a quarter of the total donations required, thanks to your generosity and commitment to our cause.

Our dedicated staff continue to prepare tirelessly for the St Illtyd's Ultra Marathon - a challenging 50km race set amidst the breathtaking landscapes of West Wales on 5th May 2024. Their commitment and determination embody the spirit of our school community.

We're immensely proud to share that during January alone, our staff members have collectively run over 879.4km in training! Their dedication and perseverance are truly commendable.

We're immensely grateful for the outpouring of support we've received so far. To continue this you can:

Donations: Your generosity continues to inspire us. Every contribution, whether big or small, brings us closer to our goal. We encourage you to visit our JustGiving page to donate and make a difference. Your contributions are instrumental in ensuring that our students have access to enriching experiences.

Spreading the Word: Your efforts in sharing our cause have been invaluable. By spreading the word among friends, family, and your social networks, you've helped us reach more people and expand our community of supporters.

Encouragement: The words of encouragement and support we've received have been uplifting. Your unwavering support motivates our running team as they prepare for the marathon. Please continue to offer words of encouragement- it means the world to us.

Save the Date: We're counting down the days until 5th May 2024! Save the date on your calendars and follow our journey as we take on this challenge for the benefit of our school. Your presence and support on race day will make it even more memorable.

Together, we're turning this marathon into more than just a race - we're creating a community event that brings us closer together and embodies the spirit of St Illtyd's Catholic High School.

Thank you for your continued support and for being an integral part of our school community. Together, we're creating lasting memories and opportunities for our students.

Warm regards,

The St Illtyd's Ultra Marathon Fundraising Team

Christmas Reward Lunch 2023

Our Christmas Reward Lunch at the end of term was a great success. Well done to all the pupils that were awarded a place. Thank you to all our parents and carers for attending. And a huge thank you to Mr Fleet, all the school staff, kitchen staff and the senior prefects for a fantastic lunch.

Winter Wonderland 2023

As part of our Rewards Programme at St Illtyd’s Catholic High School, 60 pupils from Years 7 to 10 had the opportunity to visit Cardiff’s Winter Wonderland. Pupils enjoyed an ice-skating session at Cardiff Castle followed by free time in the funfair outside City Hall Lawns. Although the weather was a little damp, this did not dampen spirits and a fantastic time was had by all.