Shwmae bawb - my video this week can be found by clicking here.

We have all enjoyed World Book Day this week, both with events in school and elsewhere. It ties in perfectly with the National Year of Reading and our own literacy school priority. You can read a more detailed review below.

All the best for the weekend ahead.

Hugo Hutchison
Headteacher

Just a reminder that the closing date to order a Yearbook is Friday 27 March.

This will ensure the order is placed for your child.  Please note that once the deadline is reached and the Yearbooks ordered, we cannot increase the number so it is vital you discuss with your child if they want a copy and then place your order.  It can be very disappointing when a student is told, on the day the Yearbooks are handed out, that there is not a book for them, especially when they are convinced one has been ordered!

The yearbook costs £24 and is available for Year 11 parents to purchase through Parentpay.  If it is not listed as an item, it means you will have already purchased it.

🩸 Save Lives! Donate Blood! 🩸

Book here:   https://wbs.wales/MonmouthComprehensive

The Welsh Blood Service is back at Monmouth Comprehensive for the yearly blood donation session on the 20^th March. Students and staff are able to book appointments at school and donate. Did you know that a single blood donation can potentially save up to three lives or help six newborn babies? Hospitals in our community rely on blood donors to provide life-saving transfusions for patients in need.  

📍 Monmouth Comprehensive Main Hall

🗓️ 20^th March

More information may be found here: Home Page - Welsh Blood Service   

Let’s come together to save lives.

'Dress a Girl around the World–UK’ is a wholly independent Not-for-Profit organisation that aims to ensure that every girl has at least one new dress and every boy has a pair of new shorts.  Recent deliveries have been made to Uganda, Peru and Cambodia and these may be the only new clothes these children ever own. 

We have supported this campaign for many years with our GCSE Fashion students making these items during the last half of the Summer Term.  We are therefore asking if parents would consider making a donation via ParentPay and with the money we raise, materials will be purchased to make the outfits to send to the charity.  

Parents may also like to make donations of new material (either 100% cotton or Polycotton with at least 65% cotton content) which may be dropped at the School Reception.  All donations should be made by the 17^th April to ensure there is time to purchase material and make the garments.  Thank you for your support. 

Further information about the charity can be found at https://dressagirlaroundtheworld.co.uk/

Successful 24‑Hour Rowing Challenge Smashes Fundraising and Distance Targets

Our 24‑hour rowing challenge has been hailed a major success after participants exceeded both their fundraising and performance targets well ahead of schedule.

With 20 hours still remaining, the event had already surpassed its fundraising goal, while participants collectively exceeded their individual ergo distance target by more than 60,000 metres. By the end of the challenge, the total cumulative distance rowed across all ergometers exceeded 545 kilometres, marking a significant achievement for everyone involved. 

The event is a true club-wide effort, supported by rowers, friends, and alumni alike. Special thanks were extended to friends and former members for their unwavering encouragement throughout the challenge. Particular recognition should be given to Dan Grey for providing outstanding technical support, especially during the early hours of the morning, and to Sandy Kohler Hoon for his constant dedication for the full duration of the event.

We would also like to thank Monmouth Rowing Club, which hosted the event in its clubroom and helped promote the challenge, playing a key role in ensuring the fundraising effort’s success. 

The collective commitment and teamwork shown throughout the 24 hours, highlighting the event as an example of what can be achieved when a rowing community comes together behind a shared goal.

What a wonderful day we had on World Book Day this Thursday. An incredibly wholesome day celebrating the powerful influence of books and storytelling!

From a recording of staff reading Julia Donaldson’s ‘Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book,’ to students’ ‘fictional flourishes,’ to staff’s inventive costumes, to book-themed food, to Reading Ambassadors dressing as ‘Where’s Wally’ and being chased around the school by Year 7 students, a fun day was had by all.

Year 7 students were also treated to an author visit with Daniel Morden, kindly funded and hosted by Monmouth Library, which was a brilliant example of intense and captivating storytelling – quite a few students (and staff) jumped at various points of the performance, and students behaved impeccably.

The Food Hall continued the World Book Day theme with the winning menu from our students.

We hope that students enjoyed the day, and that it continues to foster our ‘Culture of Reading’ focus for this academic year!