Spring 2017
St David’s Catholic Sixth Form College Coleg Catholig Chweched Dosbarth Dewi Sant
ST DAVID’S
STUDENT WINS
PRESTIGIOUS
FILM INDUSTRY
AWARD
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Former St David’s student, Chloe
Falcon, has beaten 100s of applicants
to take home the WJEC’s Moving
Image Award 2016 for her music video
for Tame Impala’s ‘Elephant’, created
during her A Level year at St David’s.
Story continues on page 3
Pictured: Chloe Falcon and Christine Bell,
Principal Examiner for A level Media at WJEC
TŶ HAFAN - CAROLS AT THE CASTLE, MEDALS GALORE AT MATHS CHALLENGE,
ENTERPRISE SUCCESS, ENGINEERING WORKSHOP, AND MUCH MORE!
This publication is also available in Welsh
TŶ HAFAN - CAROLS AT
THE CASTLE
On the 1st of December, seven of us were selected to
volunteer for the Carols at the Castle service. Here’s a short
summary of how the day went for us.
12:00
We met with our marshal Lisa Williams at the venue. She
went through the health and safety policy and from there
we were assigned our first role, which was probably the
hardest and messiest one...
We had to help set up the stage and tents by carrying the
blocks and poles used to put up the tents. We all got a bit
dirty but pretty sure some of us developed muscles!
13:30
Following that messy encounter, we were assigned to
different points on the road leading up to the castle in order
to direct vehicles in and out of the castle grounds. As it
was pretty chilly outside we found that playing ‘’Heads up’’
distracted us from the cold. Apart from that it was quite fun
and filled in the gaps when no cars were driving through.
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During the time we spent outside some of us went to grab
a coffee to warm up whilst others enjoyed a quick sandwich
break on site.
16:30 LUNCH BREAK!
After a good few hours spent outside we were let out for
a much-appreciated lunch break. We enjoyed a quick walk
around town and had a look at the partially set up tents on
the venue.
17:45
Following the lunch break we returned for the final marshal
meeting where we were assigned different roles such as
helping to maintain order during the actual concert. We
had to make sure everyone enjoyed themselves but also
had fun!
Once the concert started we were able to go around and
enjoy it ourselves. Jagger and Woody did a great job in
presenting the concert. The stalls around the venue were
amazing as well.
Overall it was a pretty great experience and it was something
we would love to do again! We all ended the night slightly
cold and tired but feeling as Christmassy as ever!
Ola Kisielewska
ST DAVID’S CATHOLIC COLLEGE SPRING 2017 NEWSLETTER
WJEC MOVING IMAGE
AWARD WINNER
(Cover story) Chloe Falcon has beaten over 700 entries to
take home the WJEC’s Moving Image Award 2016 for her
music video for Tame Impala’s ‘Elephant’. This is the first time
that a school from Wales has won and we are exceptionally
proud of Chloe’s achievements. In addition, Kaleb Cox,
another former student, was given a Special Mention for
his creative animated music video for Vance Joy’s ‘Riptide’,
demonstrating excellent animation skills.
The Moving Image Awards, designed in partnership with
the British Film Institute, recognises and rewards the UK’s
most talented young film-makers. Every year, students
undertaking WJEC qualifications in Film and Media are
invited to submit their work for consideration by a panel
of judges. Chloe was selected as one of three students
short-listed in her category. She created the piece during
her final year at St David’s and is now studying Media at the
University of South Wales.
The award was the presented to her at a ceremony at the BFI
in London on Friday 13th January, which proved lucky for
Chloe! Media teachers Pip Jones and Matt Andrews were in
attendance, along with 12 upper sixth Media students who
were there to show their support, and to ensure that Chloe
received the biggest cheer of the night!
Pip Jones said: “It was a pleasure to be there to support
Chloe as her work was truly outstanding, demonstrating
not only her exceptional creative skills but technically it was
superb, making for a very entertaining music video. All our
students very much enjoyed the day out, watching many
other pieces of short-listed work that were equally of a
high standard, as well as enjoying the question and answer
sessions with film critics and a director.”
The celebrations continued in the green room afterwards
and it was prosecco all round - for those old enough to drink
it! We hope that this is paving the way for things to come for
Chloe and we wish her every success in the future.
You can watch Chloe’s video here:
http://bit.ly/wjecaward2016
MEDALS GALORE AT
MATHS CHALLENGE
Students at St David’s College achieved four golds, five
silvers and 15 bronze awards in this year’s UKMT Senior
Maths Challenge. Over 82,000 students from across the UK
returned scripts for the Senior Maths Challenge with the top
10% receiving a gold certificate, the next 20% a silver and
the next 30% a bronze.
The Senior Maths Challenge is run by the UK Mathematics
Trust and is supported by the Institute and Faculty of
Actuaries. It is aimed at students in years 12 and 13 in
ST DAVID’S CATHOLIC COLLEGE SPRING 2017 NEWSLETTER
England and Wales. The Challenge involves answering 25
multiple choice questions in 90 minutes and is sat under
exam conditions.
Top performing students are then invited to take part in
follow on rounds and the very best represent their country
in the International Mathematical Olympiad. Around 1000
top scorers in the Senior Challenge are invited to take part
in the British Mathematical Olympiad Round 1, and around
2000 are invited to take part in the Senior Kangaroo. This
year, four of our students have been invited to take part in
the Senior Kangaroo.
The Maths department and the College are very proud of
their achievements – well done everyone!
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CARDIFF UNIVERSITY
MENTAL HEALTH DAY
St David’s science students were recently invited to attend
an exhibition at Cardiff University entitled How can science
improve mental health?. The event was hosted by the Division
of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences in
collaboration with the National Centre for Mental Health.
Students had the opportunity to visit the University’s new
CUBRIC building and to learn about the wide-ranging work
conducted in the department on the underpinnings of
mental health. They met researchers and scientists and were
given a tour of the College of Biomedical and Life Sciences
and the adjoining CUBRIC brain imaging centre. There was
also a Q&A session with a panel of researchers around the
topic of improving societal mental health.
Opened in March 2016, the CUBRIC (Cardiff University’s Brain
Research Imaging Centre) houses neuroimaging equipment
and is working to further its world-leading research which
has already established Cardiff as one of the UK’s top three
universities for Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience.
The visit was a fantastic day out, and a great opportunity
to see what Cardiff University has to offer. It was particularly
useful for those students considering careers in medical or
social sciences, and anyone interested in the science behind
treating and diagnosing mental health.
TEACHING EXCELLENCE
EX-STUDENT SMASHES
WEST END RECORDS
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s School of Rock - The Musical has
smashed box office records at the New London Theatre,
thanks in part to its leading man. Former St David’s student,
David Murphy (stage name David Fynn), took to the stage
in November 2016 as Dewey Finn, a part originally played
by Jack Black in the School of Rock film. The show is the
brainchild of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Downton Abbey
creator Julian Fellowes, and opened to rave reviews.
David studied A Level Psychology, Sociology and Theatre
during his time with us, from 1999 to 2002. He then went
on to train at the Webber Douglas Academy of Acting in
London and has performed as Rennick in Game of Thrones,
as Wolfie in The Inbetweeners, and as Tony Lumpkin in She
Stoops to Conquer at the National Theatre - among other
things!
Performing Arts and Drama teachers Pam Chappell and
Kris Crowley ventured down to London in January to
watch David in action. Their visit coincided with that of the
panel from the Olivier Awards, so keep your eye on the
2017 nominations! Pam and Kris managed to catch up with
David after the show (picture, right),
and he spoke
of his time with the St
David’s College Drama
department in glowing
terms. He remembered
taking part in the
College musicals Grease and Calamity
Jane - and explained
how, through the
latter, became firm
friends with a fellow
student who went on
to be his best man.
We wish David every
success in his future
career and look
forward to hearing
about what he gets
up to next!
St David’s College is proud to announce that science
teacher Geraint Williams has been awarded Chartered
Teacher Status by the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Chartered Teacher status is a recognised hallmark of
excellence in both the UK and Europe. Chartered Science
Teachers must demonstrate a unique combination of
skills, knowledge, understanding and expertise that is
required by individuals involved in the specific practice and
advancement of science teaching and learning.
This is a high honour, and Mr Williams is one of only a
handful of teachers in Wales to have been awarded this
status.
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o.uk
thestage.c
ST DAVID’S CATHOLIC COLLEGE SPRING 2017 NEWSLETTER
OUTSTANDING LES
MIS PERFORMANCE
FROM CORPUS
CHRISTI STUDENTS
On Tuesday 18th October, Liz York (our director of Music)
and I attended Corpus Christi High School’s edition of Les
Miserables. We are huge fans of the musical, and we were
very excited to see some of the students that we will be
teaching next year. We were also pleased to support our
partner school and many of our current Performing Arts
students who had been invited back to take part in the
SYMBOLS OF OUR
COLLEGE
In recent months, students and staff at St David’s will have
noticed an additional symbol added to communications
from Chaplaincy, various posters, and the new line of
College apparel available in the Student Shop: a crest made
up of a Celtic Cross on a purple field, outlined in silver, and
underscored with the motto, ‘Ambulabo iter’.
production. Les Miserables is such a challenging score to
perform and get right, but the students tackled it full on
with energy and enthusiasm, complimented by a live band.
Some stand-out performances were Georgia Tonge as
Cosette, who delivered a heartfelt, evocative performance
and Oscar Notley as Javert, who tackled a difficult role with
confidence and maturity. It was a pleasure to witness so
much promising talent on stage, many of whom I am sure
will excel and continue to pursue studies in Music, Drama
and Performing Arts.
St David’s College runs an A Level Drama and Theatre
course, and a BTEC Performing Arts course, as well as an A
Level Music course and a BTEC Music Technology course.
Please see our website for further information.
Kris Crowley, Performing Arts
colours, and represents the royalty of Christ, as well as the
penitential, hopeful, and watchful nature of our faith.
This crest in no way replaces the College logo, which we
continue to use to communicate our identity as a College to
the ‘outside’ world; rather, it adds to our experience inside
the College, by giving us an easily recognisable symbol for
who we are, and where we want to go.
The words are Latin for the phrase ‘I will walk the path’,
taken from the final sermon St David delivered to his
followers: ‘Lords, brothers and sisters, Be joyful, and keep
your faith and your creed, and do the little things that you
have seen me do and heard about. And as for me, I will walk
the path that our fathers have trod before us.’
The purpose of adopting such a motto is to remind all
members of the College community how they should
always be attentive to God’s call on their life, and ready to
respond by following where it leads. This, coupled with the
symbol of the Cross styled in Celtic fashion draws us equally
to recall the ancient Faith that continues to shape us, and
the especial claim we have to it in the city and country of
Wales.
Finally, silver on a purple field hearkens to our College
ST DAVID’S CATHOLIC COLLEGE SPRING 2017 NEWSLETTER
5
ENTERPRISE SUCCESS
ENGINEERING WORKSHOP
On 1st November, a group of like-minded students
attended an Engineering Workshop at Cardiff University.
They were able to see the different departments within the
engineering sector of the university and were given the
opportunity to speak to the students, as well as work on
tasks and challenges. Read about the day from a student’s
perspective on page 8.
FINANCIAL WORKSHOP
In November, a group of Honours students attended a
Financial Workshop hosted by UNIQ Family Wealth. This
inspiring workshop was run by the owner Marlene Outrim,
her marketing manager Laura Janes, and her financial
advisor Emma James. The students were given a number
of tasks to do throughout the day which culminated in
them coming up with a business idea and completing a 30
second pitch.
The feedback from the students was excellent and all
very positive: “it gave me a deeper understanding on the
personality and mind-set of an entrepreneur”, “being given
to the opportunity to pitch our ideas was fantastic, it made
me realise that I was creative and had some really good
ideas”.
Read a full student review on page 8.
GLOBAL ENTERPRISE WEEK
Every November, 160 countries from around the globe
come together to celebrate Global Enterprise Week. In
Cardiff, over 700 students, including those from St David’s
College, gathered for an inspirational talk delivered by
people from a variety of large and small, local and national
companies. The speakers each told their own unique story
about their journey from being an employee to starting
their own successful business. Each of the sessions were
tailor-made to suit the audience, and many of the sessions
were interactive. This helped the students to develop their
entrepreneurial skills and start them to think about the
possibilities of starting up their own business.
ENTERPRISE SKILLS DAY
As part of Global Enterprise week, 16 St David’s students
attended the Enterprise Skills Day held in collaboration with
First Campus and five other colleges across the SE hub.
The students were put through a number of entrepreneurial
tasks which helped them to develop the skills required in
the workplace. The students were put into mixed college
groups which meant that they had to work together with
people they had never met before; quite a daunting task for
many. All the students rose to the challenge and by the end
of the day everyone had made new friends. Throughout the
day the students were assessed individually, with the best
of them being invited to join Trading Places in December.
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ST DAVID’S CATHOLIC COLLEGE SPRING 2017 NEWSLETTER
TRADING PLACES
This year we had more students applying for this fantastic
competition than ever before. Trading Places is an awardwinning competition similar to the BBC’s ‘Apprentice’. The
students are put into teams with members of other local
colleges and are set a three-day challenge. This culminated
in running their own pop up shop located in Cardiff town
centre, two weeks before Christmas. Each of the six teams
competes against each other, and the team with the most
successful stall is declared the winner.
This year, we are proud to announce that St David’s students
Aisha Saeed and Beatrice Amucha were jointly awarded the
prestigious prize of Outstanding Leadership Award. A big
congratulations to all of the students who took part.
During the preparation stages, St David’s student Zoe
Martin was interviewed by Made in Cardiff and appeared
on their news programme that evening. To watch the clip,
and to learn more about Enterprise Skills Day and Trading
place, follow this link: http://bit.ly/madeincardiffsdc
ROLE MODEL TALK BY ABI OWENS
We started the new year off with a bang by having an
inspirational talk given to the Performing Arts students
by Abi Owens, a young entrepreneur who owns her own
performing arts business. We were very lucky to book Abi
as she is off to LA for three months with her business. She
was able to clearly demonstrate that anything is possible
provided that you believe in what you are doing and are
willing to work hard. Her talk was very well received by the
students and we would like to thank her for taking the time
to come out and speak to us.
DELOITTE ASPIRE WORKSHOP
Before Christmas, a number of our students were involved
in the Deloitte Micro-Tyco Challenge: they were given £1 to
start up a business and then a month to trade. The students
had to make as much money as they could through a
variety of creative means. They were given mentoring by
staff from Deloitte and at the end of their trading they had
to complete diary sheets detailing their experiences. These
were then submitted to Deloitte as part of their application
for work experience. We are delighted to announce that our
students have been offered nine of the 200 places available
across the UK. This is a very prestigious offer and we wish
them every success. Read all about how they get on in our
next newsletter!
ENTERPRISE AT ST DAVID’S COLLEGE
Enterprise events are available to students throughout the
year and take many different forms. If this is something
you would like to take part in, please email Liane Wigley
on [email protected], or look out for event
announcements on our Facebook and Twitter page, and for
posters around College.
ST DAVID’S CATHOLIC COLLEGE SPRING 2017 NEWSLETTER
7
FINANCIAL WORKSHOP:
STUDENT REVIEW
On Tuesday the 8th of November, UNIQ Family Wealth
invited a small group of St David’s Catholic College students
to attend a Financial Services Workshop.
The day started off with an ice breaker to encourage us to
get to know the people involved in the day. We were then
introduced to the entrepreneurs that we would be working
with and we got to hear of their incredible entrepreneurial
journeys. Hearing these stories was very inspiring and
definitely gave us a taste of what life would be like in the
shoes of an entrepreneur.
We were set a challenge: to come up with an invention or a
business idea which we would then have to ‘pitch’ back to
the judges and rest of our peers.
I think it was safe to say that our brains were definitely
engaged and many great ideas emerged, making us all
realise that actually we were more creative than we thought!
Marlene and her team gave first and second prizes for the
best ideas but also made those who did not win still feel
good about the ideas they had presented, giving positive
feedback to all.
Everyone was very competitive and thoroughly enjoyed this
day well-spent.
We would like to offer our biggest thanks to Marlene and
the UNIQ Family Wealth team for a warm welcome and
a wonderful day and for making us realise that we are all
entrepreneurial, we just need to find the courage to believe.
ENGINEERING
WORKSHOP AT CARDIFF
UNIVERSITY
Recently, I participated in an Engineering and Enterprise
scheme at Cardiff University.
At the start of the day we went on a very insightful tour of
the beautiful Queen’s Building, as well as the surrounding
campus.
It was an excellent opportunity to see what Cardiff School
of Engineering has on offer for learners who wish to study
the different aspects of engineering, as well as giving us an
idea of what opportunities there are in this field and what
student life is like in general.
After lunch, we had the Enterprise Challenge. We were split
into two groups and given tasks designed to encourage
creativity and see how we could use our insight to improve
everyday items. We were assisted by two PhD students who
gave us guidance with this interesting project, as well as
informing us further about their own career paths of study.
At the end of the day both groups presented their ideas,
thus improving our public speaking skills and confidence.
It was a really great day and I would encourage other
students to take up the opportunity of attending further
workshops.
Madeleine Davis
(pictured below, second from left)
Megan Ware
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ST DAVID’S CATHOLIC COLLEGE SPRING 2017 NEWSLETTER
STUDY OUTSIDE THE
CLASSROOM
On 14th December, 24 students from AS and
A Level History embarked on a College trip to
Ypres in Belgium. Across three days the students
learned a great deal about the First World War
with a trip to ‘Flanders Field Museum’, laying
a wreath in the Last Post Ceremony at Menin
Gate, and taking an afternoon with a guide
to explore the battlefields and cemeteries of
Southern Belgium.
BIOLOGISTS IN THE
FIELD
In October, A2 Biology students spent the day at Crwmlyn
Burrows studying succession - the process by which the
structure of a biological community evolves over time.
Students carried out sampling techniques such as line
transects with point frames. The data was analysed at
Margam Park Discovery Centre where the students
completed the t-test to check whether the data was
significant. The day was a huge success and everyone
enjoyed themselves.
ST DAVID’S CATHOLIC COLLEGE SPRING 2017 NEWSLETTER
Taking full advantage of
the time of year however,
students also got to stock
up on Belgian chocolates
with an exclusive visit
to Leonidas Chocolate
Shop in the town centre,
as well as an evening at
the Christmas Market with
waffles and ice skating!
It was a thoroughly
enjoyable trip for all.
DNA AND GENOMIC
CONFERENCE 2016
A Level Biology and Chemistry students attended a
conference at St David’s Hall with world-leading researchers
in the areas of DNA, genetics and genomics. The conference
was entitled ‘A journey through genetics and genomics’ and
was run by Wales Gene Park.
Exclusively held for year 12 and 13 students, learners heard
about the latest advances in genetics from expert speakers.
Talks included: gene editing and the ethics around its use;
living with genetic conditions; perspectives from young
people; using DNA in the fight against wildlife crime; genetics
and rugby; mitochondrial donation, and much more.
9
COUNSELLING SERVICE
& LEARNER SUPPORT
We are pleased that
students have been
taking advantage of
our counselling service
- over 60 students have
accessed the service
since September (that’s over 200 hours of counselling!)
and there have been over 1500 student visits to the
Learner Support Centre to access support and to use
the various facilities.
The Learner Support Centre is there for ALL students,
to provide help, advice, support and guidance over a
wide range of emotional and/or academic concerns.
All members of the Learner Support team work closely
together to assist students whatever their abilities and
whatever their backgrounds.
As students journey through St David’s Catholic College,
we believe that no one should suffer in silence, all
deserve to enjoy their time in College and all should
achieve the best they can.
We wish you good mental health and great academic
success and if you think we might be able to help you
with that, come and have a chat! The LSC is through the
door on the right as you enter the LRC or email us at:
[email protected]
PEER MENTORING
benefit
Could you be a Mentor? Or would you
e?
from attending the Mentoring schem
bed on a Monday
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k might feel too
morning to face the day, or the wee
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stressful to deal with! Our Men
es, to help
htim
lunc
deliberately scheduled for Monday
you recover from the Monday Blues!
DON’T JUDGE A STORYBOOK BY ITS COVER!
Every December we open our doors here at St David’s
Performing Arts department to welcome hundreds of
students from our local primary schools to watch our upper
sixth students annual Pantomimes.
This year, the students performed two pantomimes: Lost in
Storyland and Don’t Judge a Storybook by its Cover!. Both
performances were devised, written and crafted by the
students themselves as part of their Performing Arts course.
The unit, entitled Children’s Theatre, is a challenging unit
that the students have excelled in this year. They rose to
the challenge of learning and accomplishing a multitude of
new skills, both creative and organisational.
It also allowed the department, and by extension the
College, to connect with the local community. We were
very proud to welcome our local primary schools and to
showcase the talents of our Performing Arts students. They
were, as always, excellent ambassadors for the College.
Kris Crowley, Performing Arts
a group of students
The Peer Mentoring Program involves
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If you would like to know more about
Sara
mentoring program, please contact
[email protected] or Sam
[email protected].
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ST DAVID’S CATHOLIC COLLEGE SPRING 2017 NEWSLETTER
OUR SPORTS TEAMS’
CONTINUED SUCCESS
The College football team has been in impressive form over
the first term; they are currently unbeaten and are top of
the league going into the new year. They have successfully
made it through to the second round of the Welsh Cup
and are hoping to carry their impressive form into the next
round of the cup.
The netball team have competed in the Welsh Colleges
Championships, National Urdd Finals and Cardiff Schools
(losing out by one goal in the semifinals). We wish both
teams every success in the new year!
WELSH BOXING
CHAMPION
Over October
half-term, St
David’s student
Jon Enayatullah
successfully defended
his title as Welsh
Boxing Champion
in Port Talbot. He
competes in the
youth welterweight
(69-70kg) category.
He turns 18 at the
start of 2017 and
will then progress
to competing as an
adult.
Jon Enayatullah,
right and above,
pictured with his
coaches
TRY IT TUESDAYS!
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
1
4th
8th
8th
15th
20th - 24th
27th - 3rd
FEBRUARY 2017
Lower sixth parents evening 5pm-8pm
Applicant guidance session (by invitation)
Fashion show
Open Afternoon (booking required)*
Open Afternoon (booking required)*
Half term
Welsh Week
1
1st
4th
13th - 17th
15th
25th
MARCH 2017
St David’s Day
Senior Citizens’ Party
Applicant guidance session (by invitation)
Science Week
STEM Careers Event
Applicant guidance session (by invitation)
10 - 21
16th
APRIL 2017
Easter holiday
Easter Sunday
st
As part of their BTEC Sport course, upper sixth students
organised sport taster sessions to try to encourage more
students to take part in some form of physical activity.
Activities took place in the sports hall at lunch-time on Try it
Tuesdays! before Christmas. Sessions included badminton,
table tennis and girls’ basketball. As a result of their success,
further sessions are planned during the spring term - keep
an eye out for the posters!
st
th
st
*Please visit www.stdavidscollege.ac.uk/visit-us to
book your place.
ST DAVID’S CATHOLIC COLLEGE SPRING 2017 NEWSLETTER
11
ST DAVID’ S CATHOLIC COLLEGE PRESENTS
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William S
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Slapstick, farc
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identity
p
Th 17th
February
7:00oopm
St David’s College Theatre
St David’s Catholic College
Ty Gwyn Road
Penylan
Cardiff CF23 5QD
Tickets are £5 each and can be
purchased on the door. Alternatively,
to reserve your tickets please email
[email protected].
These should be collected and
paid for by 6.45pm on the night.