Autumn Winter Newsletter 2022
Maesteg School Newsletter
Welcome to the Autumn Winter Term newsletter!
We really hope you are enjoying the new mobile friendly newsletter, which is the best way to enjoy all of our news in the palm of your hand.
With plenty going on and lots to celebrate, let’s get started with Issue #5 of our newsletter. You can also keep up to date with the latest news by following our Twitter (MaestegSchool), on Instagram (MaestegSchool) and our newest social media platform on Facebook (MaestegSchoolFB).
You can also visit our website maestegschool.co.uk for up to date news and information.
#maesteg22 #motivatedtostrive
Our newsletters are an indication of the wealth of talent we have at Maesteg School and the positive attitude our learners have towards their education. I sincerely hope you enjoy reading through a selection of news from the last term as you relax over the festive period.
As always, we have been busy ensuring that our pupils are enjoying life outside of formal learning and our newsletter contains the wonderful examples of extra-curricular opportunities that thrive at Maesteg School thanks to our committed staff. From the school production of Mary Poppins to our Christmas Celebration, our pupils continue to shine and make us proud. If you couldn’t join us for our Christmas concert this December, please enjoy the YouTube videos below that truly showcase the dedication and talent of our pupils.
As ever, our children could not achieve these outcomes without your support, so on behalf of our school community, ‘Thank you’ and have a restful winter break, safe and well with your families. Wishing you a very ‘Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!’
HJ
Another very busy term has passed for our sixth form. Year 12 and 13 have been working hard, attitudes to learning are excellent! We have been getting involved, helping at Strive Evenings, Progress Evenings, charity events, the Mary Poppins show and most recently taking part in the Christmas Celebration Concert.
I am incredibly proud of the talent we have in Maesteg Sixth Form. I would like to encourage all students to take part in school events and activities outside their chosen subject areas. The skills and lessons learnt from extra and super curricular activities are essential for giving our students experiences to prepare them for life outside school.
I am looking forward to seeing what 2023 will bring! A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. Nadolig Llawen! SW
Mrs Rees talks us through the Christmas Concert:
On Monday December the 19th, we were once again able to come together as a school to celebrate Christmas. We were delighted that so many from our community could join us and the pupils certainly didn't disappoint!
Pupils from Year 7 through to Year 13 entertained the audience with a wide range of seasonal items ranging from the beautiful O Holy Night to Don't Let the Bells End by rock band The Darkness.
After a gap of three years, many of the pupils performing had never had the opportunity before to perform, so there were understandably some nerves beforehand. However, they quickly disappeared when the packed-out audience cheered and clapped them. The orchestra delighted with Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Don't Stop Believing whilst the newly formed brass ensemble treated us to a more traditional selection of Away in a Manger and O Come all Ye Faithful. The instrumental talents continued with the string ensemble's beautiful rendition of Somewhere in My Memory from Home Alone and two piano solos; the first from Dylan Norris in Year 9 and the second from Sofia Kornuta, both executed with precision and musicality. Sofia also joined head girl Ella Powys with a reading all about the true meaning of Christmas, in her native language Ukrainian. Our orchestra leader Emily Joyner rounded off the instrumental selection with The Christmas Song on violin.
The vocal talents of Libbie Thomas, Olivia Thomas, Caitlin George and Sophie Watkins were admired by all and everyone enjoyed bopping along to the various pop songs perform by the range of bands.
As always everyone left with an uplifting feeling of Christmas joy, boosted by the choir singing It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year and Into The Unknown from Frozen 2.
Personally, I left feeling so incredibly proud of all the pupils and staff involved, for all their hard work and determination to rebuild all the ensembles after a forced gap of three years. I am also grateful for their unbridled passion for music and the enjoyment and sense of belonging that it brings them.
Merry Christmas to one and all. VR
With all the talk of Christmas and music it is with our great pleasure to share with you our Christmas Celebration videos for 2022. Over lock-down we recorded and shared DVD’s with local care-homes to celebrate the festive period with music and song. Despite lock-down being over, we continue to distribute DVD’s in the community and also share the footage via our YouTube channel. Please enjoy via the YouTube links below:
Sixth Form student Caitlin George reflects on the success of Mary Poppins:
Being a part of Mary Poppins JR was such an incredible experience and has been one of my favourite productions that I’ve been involved in throughout the different musicals that have been performed at Maesteg School. This year’s cast were all so great to work with and contained some of the funniest actors I’ve met. They made the whole experience more magical, and I couldn’t be more grateful for them- they made my final show here at the school such a special one.
With this production being my last as a Maesteg student, it has helped me reflect on the wonderful times I’ve had in the Drama and Music department over the years, both in lessons and rehearsals. Throughout productions like ‘The Addams Family’ and ‘Back to the Eighties’ and Shakespeare for Schools’ Festivals performing plays such as ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream’ and ‘Macbeth’, I’ve formed a deep connection towards performing and theatre that will always excite and inspire me in future productions.
Fulfilling my final show brought forward a wide range of emotions. The joyful atmosphere that was created both onstage and offstage was amazing to work with and lifted the show to another level of fun- but with this came the upsetting feeling of this being my last performance here and I felt as though I was already missing the welcoming and great energy that this cast and crew that have given me such a memorable experience. We couldn’t have done it without the fantastic teachers and students from around the school. The amount of effort that went into the production was amazing and it was such a cheerful environment during the performances. I'm greatly appreciative for the remarkable directors, teachers, peripatetic staff, backstage crew and cast that made the production possible, I'm forever grateful for you all! CG
MAESTEG MONTHLY LAUNCHES THIS TERM:
Maesteg School pupils never cease to amaze us and have now turned their hand to being student journalists. Maesteg Monthly is a new feature that you can find on our website here, when pupils bring you the news that matters to them!
Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation:
Enjoy this review of Twelfth Night, from the Shakespeare Schools Foundation who are glowing about the performance from Maesteg School’s finest young thespians!
I want to take this opportunity to congratulate you, Maesteg School for your marvellous interpretation of Twelfth Night as part of the Autumn 22 Shakespeare Schools Festival. It was a great night at the theatre, and I’d like to take this time here to mention a few things that I really loved! I thoroughly enjoyed this performance. I really liked how the ensemble was used to create all the different locations and atmospheres throughout the play. Everywhere from Orsino's court to the garden full of foliage (integral to the plot) was cleverly created by members of the cast.
This allowed characters to interact within their surroundings and give our audience a sense of time and place. There were some really fun choices made in the overall look and design of this show which were great additions. The moustaches sported by Sebastian and a disguised Viola were my personal favourite of the effective costume pieces added. The music choices were also really great and added a levity that was needed to set the tone for the whole show.
These costume choices, along with the music, the cartoony bushes, and of course the comedic performances from the actors, gave the whole show a really fun vibe! I was so impressed by the team effort that went into this show! From student technicians Carys and Brooke running lights and sound for the show and student director Evie to those students who bravely jumped in last minute to make sure the production could go ahead, even the teachers got on stage to make sure this play happened.
Theatre is a team sport and this team came together to make it happen. It's a testament to the teachers, students, and school as a whole that this was the approach, and when I heard many of these performers have never been on stage before I was even more impressed. A huge achievement for all involved, well done! A fun, triumphant Twelfth Night from a brilliant team! We’re thrilled to back in a theatre with you again this year and have been so impressed by your commitment, bravery and resilience.
We hope that you and your teachers are very proud of what you have achieved. Looking forward to seeing Maesteg School in the next Festival!
On Thursday 15th December, the Expressive Arts faculty took Year 7 to see 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarves' at the New Theatre in Cardiff. This was a culmination of their work on their first context of learning under the new Welsh Curriculum. Year 7 had spent the winter term learning the fundamentals of Art, Music, Drama, Dance and Media as well as how they work together to create live pieces of theatre.
This trip provided an amazing opportunity for pupils to see these skills in a 'real-life context'. The pupils were excellently behaved and thoroughly enjoyed the show... Oh yes they did! RH
That’s A Wrap!
We hope you enjoyed our Autumn Winter Term newsletter. There is nothing more to say but to wish you all a very restful Christmas break. Stay safe, rest up and we will see you in 2023 - ‘Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!’
Contact Us
Maesteg School
Ffordd Dysgu
Bridgend CF34 0LQ
01656 815950
Email: admin.maestegschool@bridgend.gov.uk