Private School News

HOWELLS LLANDAFF CARDIFF – AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY LAUNCHED TODAY!

The book has been published as part of the school’s celebrations for its 150th birthday this year.

The book, entitled Howell’s School, Llandaff: A Legacy Fulfilled, traces the origins of the school, the oldest in South Wales (and with its sister school in Denbigh, the oldest in Wales), from the Tudor merchant Thomas Howell, whose legacy led to the founding of both schools, through to its opening in 1860, and continues the story right up to the present day. In 150 years, the school has had only nine Headmistresses, and the contribution of each to its development is discussed. The book places the school in the context of national educational developments, particularly those relating to girls’ education, and shows how opportunities for women have grown during the period. The book is fully illustrated and includes anecdotes and reminiscences of many past pupils.

The author is Mrs Janet Sully, who has taught at the school since 1978. A former Head of the History Department and Head of Sixth Form, she is now semi-retired and manages the school’s archives. The book is result of her passionate interest in the school’s history and we thank her for her dedication to this exciting project. We all look forward to reading it!
Available to purchase for £20.

Photo: Janet Sully

First Anniversary Celebration for Stay and Play at Howell’s School, Llandaff

Babies and toddlers had a fun-packed morning at Howell’s School, Llandaff, on Tuesday 11th May as Stay and Play celebrated its first birthday. Mums and grandparents enjoyed coffee and celebration cakes as their little ones played in the stimulating, bright and fun-filled environment.
They made party hats, sang songs and danced together to celebrate being part of a very successful venture. The children were delighted to take home a balloon at the end of the celebrations and the adults were full of praise for this group that meets weekly on a Tuesday in term time at the school from 10.45 – 11.15am.

Howell’s School is 150 years old this year but far from being rooted in a bygone age, its range of activities is constantly changing to meet the needs of the present day. One of its main aims is to serve the needs of the local community and the school frequently opens its doors to children from other schools and to other groups which can benefit from its facilities. If you would like to sample the activities available at Stay and Play, do come for a taster session.

Howell’s old girls finally receive school certificates

School pupils these days usually receive their hard-won certificates shortly after winning them, but on 12th May at Howell’s School, Llandaff, a group of ex-pupils returned to receive those gained either by themselves or by family members who were at school back in the 1930s and 1940s. While organising the archives, Mrs Janet Sully, the school’s archivist, and Mrs Maggie Fletcher, the Deputy Chairman of the Governors, found a pile of certificates in an envelope which had never found their way to those named on them. Mrs Sully said, “We thought it would be a nice idea to try to find the owners and to invite them to school for a little ceremony, especially in this year of our 150th anniversary celebrations.”

Detective work led to the addresses of some 75 of the certificate winners being found. The majority now live outside the area but those living locally were contacted. The certificates presented included Higher School Certificates, School Certificates, Life-Saving awards and even a Greek dancing certificate! The oldest to accept the invitation was 89-year-old Mrs Joyce Chapman. As well as receiving their certificates, the guests enjoyed tea and refreshments while reminiscing about old times.

Names of people on photo:
(Left to right)
Top: Mrs Barbara Jones, Mrs Heulwen Ashcroft, Mrs Karen Fullerton
Bottom: Mrs Joyce Chapman, Mrs Judith Horning, Mrs Iris Jones

Howell’s School, Llandaff Student Art Exhibition at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Cardiff

Howell’s School, Llandaff Student Art Exhibition at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Cardiff Official Opening on 29th April 2010.

The Art and Design Department of Howell’s School, Llandaff has organised an exhibition of GCSE, AS and A2 work hosted by the Radisson Blu Hotel, Cardiff. The exhibition of artwork is a demonstration of the talents and ambition of students studying Art and Design at Howell’s. The exhibitors, all aged between 15 and 18 years, are studying or have studied GCSE or A level Art. The official opening of work will be on Thursday 29th April at 6:30pm and the exhibition closes on Wednesday 26th May.

The work on display is representative of the inspirations and themes which pre-occupy students when completing their examination courses. The wide scope of subject matter ranges from portraiture exploring expression and identity sometimes through different cultures as well as our own to natural forms. Some of the young artists even move beyond conventional representation towards abstraction.

A feature of all the work is the crafted handling of a variety of creative techniques and media ranging from large-scale oil paintings, three-dimensional ceramics and graphic design. Of course, this work could not have been produced without a teaching programme offering students the freedom to explore media and techniques best suited to the expression of their intentions.

First Anniversary Celebration for Stay and Play at Howell’s School

Babies and toddlers may not immediately spring to mind when you first think of Howell’s School, Llandaff, but its very successful Stay and Play is celebrating its first birthday. Specifically geared to the youngest children, both boys and girls (up to three years old), Stay and Play provides the opportunity for Mums, dads, grandparents and other carers to take their little ones to Howell’s Junior School Hall to play in a bright and stimulating environment on Tuesday mornings from 9.45am to 11.15am. While the adults enjoy tea or coffee and biscuits in an informal and relaxed atmosphere, the children can play and explore safely while developing their creative, physical, social and emotional skills.

The sessions are run by Mrs Vanessa Yilmaz, who is a specialist in Early Years Education, and each week there is are different activities to stimulate the children. Marcia Banner, one of the mothers who attends, comments: “The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed as well as stimulating for the children. The session is constantly evolving thanks to Vanessa’s creativity.” Anna Guina describes the group as having “a lovely informal atmosphere, which means it is easy to just drop by on a Tuesday”. Claire Weston, another mum, says: “the Stay and Play session at Howell’s School has a calming effect on me. The activities and music are very enjoyable for child and the parent”.

Howell’s School is 150 years old this year but far from being rooted in a bygone age, its range of activities is constantly changing to meet the needs of the present day. One of its main aims is to serve the needs of the local community and the school frequently opens its doors to children from other schools and to other groups which can benefit from its facilities. If you would like to sample the activities available at Stay and Play, do come for a taster session.

To celebrate the anniversary, for the Stay and Play session on Tuesday 11th May admission will be free and there will be special cakes!

For more information, please contact Vanessa Yilmaz on 029 2056 2019 or just pop in to the session.

Howell’s celebrates!

This year, Howell’s School, Llandaff, the oldest girls’ school in South Wales, is celebrating its 150th birthday. Members of all sections of the school, ranging from the three-year-old girls in the Nursery to the boys and girls in the Sixth Form College took part in a magnificent celebration of music, drama and dance in St. David’s Hall on Thursday, 18th March. All 2,000 seats were occupied and the school was honoured to have many distinguished guests, including the Rt Hon. The Lord Mayor, Cllr. Brian Griffiths, and his wife, and the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the GDST, Lorna Cocking and Helen Fraser. Also present were the two previous headmistresses, Miss Jill Turner and Mrs Jane Fitz, and the Chairman of the Governors, Mrs Anne Campbell, who will shortly be inaugurated as the High Sheriff of Glamorgan. The next major event will be an Open Afternoon on Wednesday 23rd June, including displays, activities and refreshments, to which everyone is welcome.

Howell’s School, Llandaff Oxbridge Offers

Students at Howell’s School Sixth Form College are celebrating a bumper crop of offers from colleges at Oxford and Cambridge. Piers Kennedy (18) will be heading to St Peter’s College, Oxford, to read Music, where he has also been awarded a Choral Scholarship. He said, “I am really happy about getting an offer from Oxford, simply because it’s such a good place to study music and it will give me so many opportunities in the future. More than that, because so much of the application process comes down to chance, I feel so incredibly lucky to have these opportunities awaiting me, and I’ll be sure to make the most of them”.

Jasper Warner, who has a place to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at St Hilda’s College, is currently taking a gap year, having gained grade As last summer in History, Maths and Physics at A Level and a distinction in the Advanced Extension Award in History to add to his As in AS Biology and Critical Thinking taken the previous year. An outstanding debater, he represented Wales in the World Debating Championships in Athens, where he was ranked in the world’s top ten debaters, and he was also a member of a group of four students from Howell’s selected to represent the UK at the Junior 8 summit in Tokyo which ran parallel to the G8 summit. Others who have had offers from Oxford are Camille Ivinson (18), who will read Law at St Hugh’s College, Rachel Patel (17), who has a place at University College to read Medicine, Anna Sambrook (17), who will study German at Trinity College and Joseph Thorne (17), who will head to Corpus Christi College to read English.

Successful applicants to Cambridge University are Ellen Brookes (18), who will study Natural Sciences at Sidney Sussex College, Eleanor Richardson (18), who has a place at Magdalene College to read Classics and Rachel Thomas (18), who has been accepted at Murray Edwards College to study for a degree in Medicine.

Photo: from back left – Rachel Patel, Ellen Brookes, Rachel Thomas, Joseph Thorne

Front from left – Piers Kennedy, Eleanor Richardson, Camille Ivinson, Anna Sambrook.

High tech accolade for Howell’s School, Llandaff

Picture of students with Mrs Cathy Darnton (ICT Development Manager)

Children at Howell’s School, Llandaff in Cardiff are at the forefront of using information and communications technology (ICT) to enhance their work, and that’s official!

Following an extensive external assessment Howell’s School has been awarded the prestigious ICT Mark by Becta, the government-funded body responsible for promoting the use of ICT in Britain’s schools and colleges.

The award recognises the school’s success in developing the strategic use of ICT in both administration and across the curriculum. Parents will have proof that their children are attending a school at the forefront of modern technology.

The ICT Development Manager, Cathy Darnton is delighted at this accolade which represents many years of hard work, investment in ICT resources and tailored training for teachers and support staff. During the assessment process students talked enthusiastically about their extensive use of ICT, both inside and outside school.

As part of the Girls Day School Trust (GDST) students at Howell’s make extensive use of remote access to their email, school files, resources, discussion forums, online surveys and blogs whilst away from the classroom. An exciting initiative this year has been the introduction of distance learning via video conferencing. The ICT Department delivers its AS ICT course in this way to students at the Royal High School Bath (another GDST school), whilst at the same time teaching students at Howell’s.

Principal Sally Davies commented “We are delighted to be awarded the ICT Mark. It recognises our positive approach to ICT and the benefits it is bringing to our children. We believe that ICT can be used in every aspect of learning and that it is essential our children are equipped for the modern world.”

Niel McLean, Executive Director for Schools and Families at Becta said “Howell’s School thoroughly deserve the accolade of an ICT mark. They clearly demonstrate how important it is to take a holistic approach to using ICT in schools. Their investment in new technology has contributed to substantial improvements in learning.”

2010 marks the 150th anniversary of Howell’s School, Llandaff

History
Founded on a charitable bequest of a Tudor merchant who died in Seville in 1537, the school was built in 1858-9 and opened in August 1860, with Miss Baldwin as the first Headmistress.  Thomas Howell left money in Trust to the Drapers’ Company of London, of which he was a member, to provide dowries for orphan maidens.

During its 150 year history, the school has grown in size from sixty students (thirty Orphans on the Foundation and thirty Pay Boarders) aged between seven and thirteen to an institution of some 820 students aged from three to eighteen, including a co-educational Sixth Form College.

Buildings
The original buildings were constructed around the quadrangle, with an extra wing alongside the main entrance drive, where the kitchens and Dining Rooms now stand. Additional facilities added under Miss Kendall (1880-1920) included the Great Hall in 1900, a Science Laboratory, Gymnasium and Cookery School. A great fire in 1932, when Miss Trotter was Headmistress, resulted in the creation of the first floor library and many other improvements. The swimming pool was opened in 1937, as the Hywelians’ memorial to Miss Kendall. More laboratories were built under Miss Lewis (1941-77) and a huge programme of expansion under Miss Turner and Mrs Fitz since the early 1980s has seen a new three-storey building at the end of the Covered Way, extra laboratories, a Sports Hall complex, a Junior School, Music School, technology workshops, computer suites and the creation of the Sixth Form College. As the school approaches its 150th birthday, it can boast a distinguished academic record, outstanding facilities and a remarkable variety of extra-curricular activities and other opportunities

150th Anniversary Celebrations

Thursday 18th March, Birthday Concert
St David’s Hall, Cardiff, 7.30pm
The Junior School, Senior School and College will join together in an evening of unforgettable music, drama and dance.

Wednesday 23rd June, Open House, 2pm
This event is open to the whole community; everyone is invited to a programme of activities, displays and family fun at the school. Light refreshments are available and you are welcome to bring a picnic.

Saturday 26th June, Hywelian Summer Lunch
All former students are welcome to attend a special celebration lunch.

Friday 17th September, European Open Doors Programme
For the first time, Howell’s is involved in this project. The school will be open to the public from 10.30am-12.30pm for historical tours of the school buildings.

Wednesday 20th October, Thanksgiving Service,
Llandaff Cathedral, 2pm
Former and current students and staff will celebrate our anniversary at this special service.

Saturday 4th December, Parents’ Association Christmas Ball
Parents and guardians will have the opportunity to enjoy themselves at this special anniversary Christmas Ball.

Monday 13th December, Carol Service, 2pm & 7.30pm
The whole school will celebrate the end of this special year with family and friends at our annual Carol Service.

Hannah Coakley appointed as Youth Advisor to Trustees of UNICEF UK

Hannah Coakley,(18, from Radyr) has been selected as one of two Youth Advisors to the Board of Trustees of UNICEF UK following an application and interview process. This is the first time that young people have sat on the board and played such an influential role in the organisation.

Hannah, who attended Howell’s School, Llandaff and is now in her first year studying Medicine has been involved with UNICEF since 2006, holding the position of a Youth
Champion for the UK. She has advised and consulted on the involvement of young people in the organisation. Hannah has also travelled to Jamaica to see the impact of HIV/AIDS on young people on a youth field trip and was selected to attend the Junior version of the G8 Summit, the J8, in Japan in 2008.

In support of the cause, Hannah has helped organise and deliver peer education workshops across the UK and has spoken at high profile events including the Manchester United Gala Dinner and the Private Equity Investors Awards at the Victoria and Albert Museum. There is little doubt that we shall be hearing more of her!

Taking pathology back to school

On Wednesday 4th November 2009, Howell’s School, Llandaff will be hosting an event run by Cancer Bank Wales as part of National Pathology Week (2 – 8th November 2009).
Cancer Bank Wales will be running a series of workshops during the day for Year 11 students. The workshops will include: DNA extraction, a liver disease game and a breast cancer debate. ‘Who I am and how I got here’ talks will be given by a histopathologist, a biomedical scientist and a research molecular pathologist, to inform and enthuse GCSE age students about pathology and biomedical science.
Hands-on practical workshops will include extracting DNA from kiwi fruit and the Royal College of Pathologists’ ‘Disease Detectives’. Cancer Bank Wales will give a talk about careers in the Biomedical Sciences.
After school, at 4pm there will be a debate on issues surrounding organ donation which will be aimed at sixth form students.
As part of the day-long activities, a lorry parked at the school will be open for business over lunchtime with displays, demonstrations and people to chat to about courses and careers in Biomedical Sciences.
‘This is a brilliant opportunity for students to see the work
carried out by biomedical scientists and to get hands-on experience of
hospital laboratory work’ by Sarah Jenkins, Head of Biology.
There should be plenty of opportunities for photos during the day (the Year 11 sessions are from 10.00am-17.00pm).

more information:-

http://www.nationalpathologyweek.org/viewarticle.php?id=269

http://www.nationalpathologyweek.org/

http://www.walescancerbank.com/

HELEN FRASER TO BECOME CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE GIRLS’ DAY SCHOOL TRUST

The Girls’ Day School Trust is delighted to announce the appointment of Helen Fraser, currently Managing Director of Penguin UK, to the position of Chief Executive effective from 25th January 2010.

Helen has had a distinguished career in book publishing. Prior to her thirteen years at the helm of Penguin, the world-famous book publisher, Helen was Managing Director of Reed Consumer Books and held editorial roles at a number of publishers including academic publishers Collins and Methuen. During her time at Penguin she strategically re-focused the organisation to attract and nurture the best creative talent, whilst delivering a more commercially focused business. Helen has launched the careers of a wide variety of well-known writers including Zadie Smith, Antony Beevor and Jamie Oliver, and led Penguin authors to win the Booker, the Whitbread and the Orange prizes in a single year. Under her leadership Penguin won the coveted industry Publisher of the Year award twice and has become recognised as an innovator, particularly in the digital arena.

Throughout her career, Helen has shown a deep commitment to public service. She has championed and improved opportunities for employees from diverse ethnic backgrounds, doubling the percentage of such employees at Penguin since 2005. She is the first Chair of the cross-industry Environmental Action Group and has spoken on environmental issues and lobbied central government.

Helen is a passionate advocate for the education and advancement of women, and a firm believer in the principles of the Girls’ Day School Trust. She holds a first class honours degree in English Language & Literature from the University of Oxford. She regularly speaks on issues of women’s leadership and the importance of providing role models for the women leaders of tomorrow.

Helen Fraser said: “’I am enormously excited by the opportunity to work for an organisation which I have admired so much for so long. When my stepdaughters were being educated at the GDST’s South Hampstead High School, I was hugely impressed by the energy, commitment and attitude of the school. I look forward to leading the GDST through the challenges of the coming years, and to helping the schools to build on their already considerable strengths.”

Lorna Cocking, Chairman of the Girls’ Day School Trust, commented: “I am thrilled that Helen is joining us – she is a wonderful role model for our girls. We will benefit enormously from the skills and experience Helen has developed over her distinguished career, and we all look forward to welcoming her to the organisation and working with her over the coming years.”

Howell’s School Senior Choir to sing in Beijing

Forty members of the Howell’s School Llandaff Senior Choir are practising hard to perform in one of the world’s greatest concert halls during the forthcoming school tour in China – the prestigious Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. The choir members are all 15-18 years old and are looking forward to the experience of a lifetime. As well as singing in the Forbidden City, they will be visiting the School of Excellence in Beijing for a master class on Chinese music and will later be taking part in a concert with Chinese pupils and staff from the school. During the stay in China, the girls will also enjoy a full programme of sightseeing visits, which includes the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army at Xi’an.

This will not be the Senior Choir’s first performance in public. They have enjoyed successes in competitions and have performed with many eminent artists including the BBC Singers, the London Adventist Chorale, Crispian Steele Perkins, Karl Jenkins, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Aled Jones, the King’s Singers, Owain Arwel Hughes, Sir James and Lady Galway, Sir Willard White and Hayley Westenra. The choir regularly appears on television and in 2007 produced a well-reviewed CD, Let’s Celebrate Christmas, in conjunction with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

The school’s Deputy Principal, Mrs Michelle Gosney, who along with five other members of the teaching staff will be accompanying the group, said, “This will be a tremendous opportunity for us all to experience a culture which is so different from our own and help us to extend our global links.”

For more information, please visit http://www.britishcouncil.org/china-arts-music-howell.htm

Open Afternoon – Wednesday, 14th October 2009

Our next Open Afternoon will take place on Wednesday 14th October and everyone is welcome to come to see the school in action. For those particularly interested in the Nursery and Junior School, the time to come is between 1.30pm and 2.40pm. The Senior School will be open from 2.30pm until 3.40pm, and pupils will be pleased to take you on a general tour or to any areas or lessons you are particularly interested in seeing. The coeducational College, which caters for A level students, will be open from 2.30pm until 3.40pm and from 5.15pm until 7pm. Lessons may be observed during the first session; at the second, there will be talks given by the Principal, the Head of the College and some current students, after which it will be possible to meet staff and view the facilities.

There are many reasons why we consider ourselves to be the foremost school in South Wales. Last November we had a week-long inspection by Estyn and were proud to have been the only Welsh independent school to have been awarded the top grade in every one of the 7 categories. Howell’s is the oldest girls’ school in South Wales, with a longstanding reputation for its academic excellence. Last summer, at A Level we had a 100%; pass rate, with 54% of all grades at A and 82% at A & B. At GCSE, 98% of the grades were A*-C, with 53% of all results being the top grade, A* and 79% A* and A. We are renowned for our added value, with students achieving results which are considerably higher than predicted based on the independent assessments they have in Year 7.

However, we recognise that public examination results are not the only hallmark of a good school. Howell’s is not an academic hothouse and we encourage our students to participate and excel in any activity in which they show a particular aptitude. While small enough to provide an environment in which everyone is known as an individual, the school is large enough to provide a very wide range of curriculum subjects and extracurricular activities, catering for every taste. We aim to build students’ confidence, self-belief and communication skills and in our friendly and supportive environment we endeavour to ensure that everyone thrives.

Alongside numerous sporting and musical opportunities, drama and public speaking have become increasingly popular. Students from Year 5 to Year 13 were involved in a large-scale production of Oliver! in February. In the same month, one of our Year 13 boys represented Wales in the World Youth Debating Championships and was ranked among the top ten debaters. A girl in Year 10 has just won the UK LAMDA Performance Awards foundation level class in London and two other girls from Howell’s were in the top five.

Howell’s also offers superb careers advice and was the first Welsh independent school to gain the CareersWales Quality Award. All our students have experience with the world of work and participate in various business enterprises.

We offer Before and After School Care for those who need it and there are several dedicated school buses which transport students from different parts of Cardiff and the surrounding area.

We are fortunate to have facilities which are second to none for those in the Nursery right through to the Sixth Form College, including a superb leisure centre, dedicated music building and several computer suites. We warmly invite you to come and see for yourselves!

HOWELL’S SCHOOL LLANDAFF THINKS PINK

The first day at Sixth Form College can be nerve-wracking for anyone, but Emily Howell, a student at Howell’s School Llandaff, had other things on her mind. “My mum was diagnosed with breast cancer over the summer and was operated on the day of the GCSE results, three days before her 50th birthday,” she said. “My sisters and I read as much as possible about breast cancer and were really horrified how it can hit anyone, especially in South East Wales, which seems to be a hot spot”
With Howell’s School’s support she set up a group, as part of Envision, called “The Pink Ladies“, to raise money for further research into Breast Cancer and to help fund the support that Breast Cancer Care Cymru offers.

On Saturday 10th October a THINK PINK FASHION SHOW will be held at the school with fabulous clothes from LUXOR and fashionable men’s shop SEVEN, both of Wellfield Road, Cardiff, and stylists from SANDS hair and beauty salon.

“Howell’s School, Luxor, Seven and Sands have all been fantastically supportive and we have some gorgeous students modelling. Tickets are selling fast.” Emi said. “The scary thing is 1-9 women are told they have breast cancer every 15 minutes but in South East Wales it’s as many as one in three. We hope that our efforts can go some way to help other families”.

Jay Sheppard, Fundraising Assistant at Breast Cancer Care said:
“We are delighted that Emi and her Pink Ladies are organising this event) for Breast Cancer Care. Every contribution makes a difference and funds raised will go towards ensuring that Breast Cancer Care can continue to offer vital support to women and men with breast cancer, their families and friends.”

Three out of the five UK Finalists for LAMDA Competition are from Howell’s School, Llandaff, GDST in Cardiff

Three students from Howell’s School, Llandaff are through to the UK final of the LAMDA* London Communication and Performance Awards Competition in London on Saturday 12th September 2009.

This is the fifth year in a row that a student from Howell’s School, Llandaff in Cardiff has made it through to the Finals. LAMDA invite the 5 top scoring candidates in each category for a day of competition held at the academy’s premises in London and the winners will have the chance to perform on the stage of the famous MacOwan Theatre in Earl’s Court.

To get through to the final, Sophie Jenkins, Emma Griffiths and Shanna Engelhardt, who are students at Howell’s School, Llandaff and study speech and drama with teacher Sarah Cooksey, had to complete three examinations and score highly in each of them. Being a finalist means that they are currently one of the top five candidates in their categories in the UK and Ireland and will compete against their peers for a substantial cash prize. They will each perform a scene from a play, ranging from Anne Frank’s Diary to The Surviving Twin, at the final on Saturday.

The finalists Sophie Jenkins (14, Cyncoed), Shanna Engelhardt (14, Lisvane) and Emma Griffiths (14, Llandaff) are thrilled to have made it through the final. Sophie exclaimed “It is a great opportunity and it is really exciting to be chosen.”

Shanna said “It is pretty cool, I didn’t expect it. I am really looking forward to performing in London. Nia Jones, was the finalist last year and she has given us some tips on what to expect.”
On going to London, Emma Griffiths effused “I am really nervous but excited! It has given me a boost to my confidence in Drama.”

*The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art

Sainsbury’s Chief Executive delivers over £750 of equipment to local school

Children from Howell’s Junior School in Llandaff were visited by Sainsbury’s Chief Executive, Justin King last week when he personally delivered the first batch of sports equipment the school has redeemed through the Sainsbury’s Active Kids scheme.

The equipment will be a welcome addition to the school’s P.E. kit and is part of Sainsbury’s commitment to get Britain’s children more active and eating healthily.

Justin King said: “It was a real privilege to be able to deliver some of the Active Kids equipment to the children at Howell’s Junior School. It was great to meet the children and hear about the sports lessons they have at school. I’m sure that the equipment will be put to good use!”

Last year, Sainsbury’s donated more than £167,000 of equipment to schools, clubs and organizations in the Cardiff area.

Photo: Justin King watches pupils from Howell’s Junior School try out the new equipment delivered through the Active Kids scheme.

Four Howell’s Students in top ten in UK Anne Frank letter writing Competition

The letter writing competition was run by the Anne Frank Foundation and Puffin books. The competitors were given the task of writing a letter.
The theme was: If you were to write to Anne Frank, what would you tell her about your world compared to the world in the 1930s/40s?

There was one national winner and prizes for the top ten national runners up who each received sets of ten books relating to WW11 and a DVD of the recently televised Diary of Anne Frank. The four girls from years 7, 8 and 9 were delighted to be in the top ten in the UK. Here are some of their comments about the competition.

Kristy-Ann Wilson (12) from Pentyrch entered the competition because “Anne Frank has an inspirational story. She managed to find something useful to do with her time when she was in the annexe, so I decided that I would like to her and tell her about life today. I was really happy that I won! I received ten books and a DVD of the televised Diary of Anne Frank”

Chloe Brind (13) from Radyr
“I entered the competition because I had received a copy of Anne Frank’s Diary last Christmas and after reading it, I was very interested in her. I was very excited when I heard I was in the top ten winners.”

Libby Raybould (13) Pencoedre, Barry
“We entered the competition in our class. When I was told I had made the top ten I was shocked and delighted. I am so glad to have been considered in the top ten for the whole of the UK.”

Maha Naeem (14) Cyncoed
“I particularly wanted to enter the competition because I have always been interested in Anne Frank. I was very pleased to be a top ten winner and I have enjoyed working on Anne Frank in school as she changed the world immensely.”

Maha’s letter to Anne Frank

Dear Anne,
I am writing to you from the 21st century. A lot has changed since you were here. In case you didn’t know, you’re extremely famous for the diary you wrote from the age of thirteen to fifteen. It’s been published and is one of the world’s most widely read books and you have been acknowledged for the quality of your writing.

First I will tell you a little bit about what’s going on in the world these days. Almost six months after you died world war two ended. After the war ended in 1945, the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as the world’s superpowers. This set the stage for the Cold War, which lasted for the next 45 years. The United Nations was formed in the hope of preventing another such conflict.

Although certain things have improved, for example America, the world’s biggest power, has the first black president, Barack Obama. But on the other hand there are countries making nuclear weapons, a lot of terrorism and even more violence in the name of anti-terrorism.

Science and technology has come a long way, we have mobile phones, which we use to call and send messages to others, without any wires, wherever you may be. We have computers and laptops which we use for all sorts of things like work and communication.

The world economy once bloomed and has very recently come plummeting down. Prices have dropped and many people have lost their jobs. The first world countries are still going steady, but even in this day and age there are many countries where people are still struggling through hunger and poverty.

I will tell you now a little about myself and the country I live in. I am fourteen so I have to go to school. I am in high school right now. We learn a range of subjects from maths, science, English and other foreign languages to art, drama and music.

I live in the U.K. Gordon Brown is the prime minister. There is a big worry that we are going to run out of fossil fuels and going to have to rely on renewable energy, which is a bit of problem because we haven’t perfected it yet. There is also the problem of global warming and the ice caps melting.

There is a world pandemic going on of swine flu. Everyone is very concerned because the virus is spreading extremely fast and it is deadly. Swine flu originated from pigs but has mutated itself to affect humans as well.

We the children of this era feel that what we know from history makes us a very privileged generation and we have learnt a lot from the past to make a better future

Take care

Maha

Photo:from left back : Chloe Brind, Kristy-Ann Wilson,
left bottom: Libby Raybould and Maha Naeem.

Harriet wins competition to be UK Environmental Ambassador

Harriet Elliott, a Year 7 student at Howell’s School, Llandaff, has won a national competition run by British Gas called Our Planet, Our Say to become a UK Environmental Ambassador as part of a new children’s think tank. Harriet will take part in the UK’s first eco-friendly youth Think Tank. The Think Tank will be made up of twenty children who will be given the opportunity to be the voice of the youth of today, telling politicians, teachers and parents what they should do to protect the environment. Harriet will join other winners on a tour of three sites across the UK where environmental issues are considered vitally important. The climax will be a trip to the Houses of Parliament where she will present the children’s ideas on saving the planet to politicians. As an added bonus, she has won “1,000 leaves” for Howell’s School.

2008 Junior 8 Summit UK Representatives promote the Competition to UK Youth!

Hannah Coakley, Jasper Warner and Harry Brooks from Howell’s School, Llandaff, GDST in Cardiff gave an interview to Five News on their experience in preparing and taking part in the Junior 8 Summit in Japan last July.

Part of a team of four, they won a UK-wide competition to act as youth representatives of the Junior 8 Summit. This summit runs alongside the G8 Summit with representatives from the G8 nations and developing countries.

As well as giving various media interviews the team has focused on promoting youth participation and international engagement in their schools and communities. As part of the follow-up the team was lucky enough to be invited to Number 10 Downing Street to discuss the youth communiqué from the J8 with Gordon Brown’s advisors.

Since the Summit, Hannah Coakley has continued her work for UNICEF, taking part in peer education projects across the UK, giving a speech on AIDS Education to over 1,000 guests at a Manchester United Fundraising Dinner; at which she was gauged to be the best speaker and has been involved in a white paper consultation for the Department of International Development.

Jasper Warner and Rose Stuart also joined Hannah at a conference at St Paul’s Cathedral during the G20 summit, involving Gordon Brown and Australian Prime-Minister, Kevin Rudd.

Jasper has gone on to use his speaking skills representing Wales at the World Public Speaking Competition in Athens. He was judged the seventh best speaker of the tournament and the team finished fourteenth overall.

Rose was instrumental in organising a meeting with the German J8 team to continue communication with their international peers. Additionally she is developing the possibility of a photographic exhibition to be shown at the Welsh Assembly on the J8 and youth participation.

Harry Brooks has also been invited to the next J8 Summit in Italy to help with the media production.

The team now looks forward to helping in the judging of the next J8 team who will follow in their footsteps.