News from MCS

Annwyl pawb/Dear all

Well, the new term always starts at full throttle and this year is no exception - it has been fantastic to welcome back our students to school and to their studies. Of course as well as the entirely new start for Year 7, we have Year 10 embarking on GCSE and BTEC courses, our Year 12s joining Sixth Form, Year 9 getting prepared to make KS4 choices this academic year, Year 13 starting their final year at school, Year 8 no longer the 'newbies', Year 11 getting ready for The Big Year... a new year beings change for everyone.

A warm welcome to new staff as well:

• Ms Mingham in Art
• Ms Hampson, Ms Fanning and Ms Harris in Inclusion
• Mr Davies and Ms Scrivens in PE
• Ms Smith, Mr Starkey, Ms Chambers and Ms Peters in Science
• Mr King, Ms Lennon and Ms Jones in Mathematics
• Mr Hughes and Mr Snelgrove in Welsh
• Ms Davies, Ms Pow and Ms Green in English
• Ms Kelly in Religion, Values and Ethics

French writer (Ms Snook will be proud of this reference!) Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr wrote “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose“ – the more things change, the more they stay the same. There is always change and development in a school - of students and of staff. However, the school culture we have developed and the high standards that we are all proud of stay the same. We work as hard as we can, and we are kind to others and to ourselves. Our approach has brought success, both academically and in a wider developmental sense, and we are determined for this to continue, so that our students can thrive and become happy and successful in their lives.

All the best - and I hope you enjoy the weekend, with the summer heat that has arrived for us all. Perhaps I shall see some of you at the Usk show!

Hugo Hutchison
Headteacher

School photographs will take place next week on Tuesday 12 September and Wednesday 13th September. 

Years 7 to 10 will have their photographs taken on Tuesday with Years 11 to 13 on Wednesday.

Students who are not in on Tuesday will have the opportunity to have their photograph taken on Wednesday and anyone on Wednesday who has a pre-arranged absence, will be able to slot in on Tuesday.

Sibling photographs will be taken at 3pm on Tuesday, in the School Hall.  Please use the googleform link below to request a slot for your children.  Forms should be completed and submitted by noon on Monday 11 September, to allow us to liaise with the photographer and supply a list of students.  Only students on this list will be able to have their photographs taken.  Please note that parents will be required to make arrangements for their children to get home after these photographs.

SIBLING PHOTOGRAPH BOOKING FORM

Ruby Arnott

Ruby has been selected to compete in the Cheerleading World Championships next year in the USA. She works really hard at this, training four nights a week. This is, quite possibly, a once in a lifetime opportunity! 

We hope Ruby has an amazing time in America next year and thoroughly enjoys the competition.

Max Swayne

This summer, 13-year-old tennis player Max from Trellech, has taken the courts by storm!

Max's achievements include:

• 2nd place in the Gwent Open Championships 14U Grade 3, which is a high-level Regional Competition.
• 2nd place in the 14U Grade 3 doubles and 3^rd in the 14U singles in Leamington Spa.
• 1st place in the Solihull Summer Open 18U Grade 4 singles, beating players older than himself, along with a 2nd place in the 18U doubles with Corin.
• 2^nd place in his first Men’s Grade 5 singles competition at Llantrisant.
• 1^st place in the 14U Grade 3 doubles with Matthias and Runner-up in the 14U singles at Royal Wootton Bassett.

Then at the Welsh National Tennis Championships at the end of August Max:

• Took 2nd place in the 18U mixed doubles with partner Gwen.

• Won the 16U doubles alongside partner Corin, beating the 1^st seeds!
• Then took victory in the singles making him the 14U Welsh Champion of 2023!

To top these great results, Max was also invited to attend a Tennis Clinic at Wimbledon at the start of August, coached by Laura Robson, Welsh coach Matt James, head coach Dan Bloxham and British player Jay Clarke, as a result of him being a finalist for the Road to Wimbledon Competition.

Max's training at Usk Tennis Club's Aspire Academy under Head Coach Sean Jones has played a pivotal role in his success. His impressive summer run is a testament to his skill, hard work, and bright future in the tennis world. We eagerly anticipate his continued journey on the court!

Violet Holbrow- Brooksbank

Following our update on former student Vioilet last term, Violet was selected to row for GB at the World Championships in Paris in August where she won a silver medal, beating crews from all over the world.

Violet (pictured second from right) is our first MCSBC rower to ever row at Worlds - she hopes other MCS rowers and sportspeople can realise what they can achieve.

Please see below details of our next meeting; we'd be delighted to see you there.

The Aneurin Bevan University Health Board have put together a number of 'Helping Hands' toolkits which you may find useful.  Please click on the links below to access any topic you may find of interest:

Separation Anxiety

Understanding Behaviour

Supporting your child's transitions

Supporting Siblings

Supporting Anxious Children

Promoting Sleep in Children

Friendship

Building Resilience

Sanako Connect Primary is an online system designed to work across secondary schools who are wishing to support their local feeder or Primary schools with modern foreign languages activities. This can either be done on site or remotely with live audio and video streaming, for example by linking MFL teachers to primary school pupils.

We have been used as an example of how secondary schools can support their local primary school cluster. Please click on the link below to find out how we used our licence of Sanako Connect to support our primary school cluster - with fantastic results.

Please click HERE to read more about this programme.