To celebrate the centenary of the birth of

Dylan Thomas and the school's own 25th

anniversary, Ysgol Dyffryn Taf presented

a bilingual production of 'Under Milk

Wood'/„Dan y Wenallt‟ at Folly Farm on

the 25th and 26th of September 2014.

Originally written as a radio play, 'Under

Milk Wood' presents a challenge for a pro-

fessional theatre company, let alone a

school but the pupils of Dyffryn Taf more

than met the challenge. With a cast of

over 100 pupils ranging from years 8-13

the production breathed new life into this

popular classic. Using minimal set, shadow

and full sized puppets the students created

an enchanting atmosphere to tell the story of

the small West Wales fishing village, populat-

ed by eccentric characters. The cast belied

their youth and managed to triumphantly

convey the dreaming and waking hours of

Thomas' best loved characters. It was a pleas-

ure to see such a young cast deliver Thomas'

rich language with such relish and humour.

The audience were spellbound by the perfor-

mance and the school should be congratulated

on such a brave choice of play and the quality

of the finished product. Some members of the

audience, who had seen many a production of

'Under Milk Wood', thought it was

one of the best productions they

had ever seen, as one member of

the audience, from Laugharne,

commented 'Dylan would have

been proud'.

DYFFRYN TAF

CELEBRATING

25 YEARS OF

EDUCATION

DATHLU 25

MLYNEDD O

ADDYSG

1989 - 2014

A very successful Open Evening

was held at Dyffryn Taf on

Thursday, 23rd October 2014

Noson Agored - Hydref 2014

UNDER MILK WOOD / DAN Y WENALLT

DYFFRYN TAF

2014/2015 MAGAZINE / CYLCHGRAWN

Team Dragon achieved 10th place

in the International Finals held

during the weekend of the 11th

October 2014 and picked up the

award for 'Best Newcomer'. This

was only their second race and

their first ever Final but the team

beat many of the favourite and

veteran teams in the 70 plus field.

This is a tremendous achievement

for both the Team Dragon and

Dyffryn Taf School.

The team have put a great deal of

effort into preparing the car and

are to be congratulated on their

achievement, as are members of

the teaching staff - Charles Wright

and Owen Pulman-Slater.

Our school team won the Chem

Quiz Final at Taliesin Arts Centre.

Our Senior Maths Challenge Team

won at their competition in

Swansea.

Our 1st XV Rugby Team won

against Ysgol y Preseli.

Wednesday, 26th November 2014

was a very good day for Dyffryn Taf

students! The following events took

place:

Year 10 Welsh WBQ students com-

peted in the Final of a WJEC/

National Museums Enterprise Com-

petition. „Team Gas Monkey‟ won

the „People‟s Prize‟ as their innova-

tion was considered the most inter-

esting by the visitors and staff work-

ing at the Waterfront Museum.

Greenpower International Finals at Goodwood Race Circuit

Chem Quiz Team

Excellent Day for Dyffryn Taf!

Dyffryn Taf is a school that is ex-

tremely proud of its past but al-

ways looks forward to continually

improving in every respect. Our

success is sustainable because of

our traditional core curriculum.

Sustainable because of the invest-

ment that School Leaders, Staff

and generations of Governors

have brought in, and who are

committed to providing the best

opportunities to all learners in

what is an ever changing world.

Dyffryn Taf opened as a Compre-

hensive School on September 1st

1989 and over the last 25 years

has grown to be one of the most

respected and pioneering

schools in Wales. The school has

been at the forefront of develop-

ing digital literacy, sporting op-

portunities, high moral stand-

ards and academic success.

A DVD was produced showing the

history of the school during the

past 25 years.

Celebrating 25 Years as a Comprehensive School

Page 2 DYFFRYN TAF

“Ever since I became the local MP I hear of nothing but success,

optimism, achievement and fun at Dyffryn Taf” Simon Hart MP

During the first week of December 2014

Dyffryn Taf produced an excellent production

of Les Miserables. Students and staff began

preparing for this production in September

and all the hard work paid off as the show

was excellent. A huge thank you must go to

all the students who gave of their time to pro-

duce such a wonderful production and also

to the staff involved who again delivered a

fantastic musical.

The words on people’s lips were “amazing”

“excellent” “wonderful” etc etc. Every even-

ing was a sell-out and many said they would

love to see it again and again!

The pupils demonstrated equip-

ment, software and showed a short

video that they had filmed of their

well-being programme in full ac-

tion at school.

Pupils from Dyffryn Taf visited

Westminster in February 2015 to

give a well-being presentation for

MPs after achieving near zero obe-

sity through a PE programme.

Dyffryn Taf runs a specially de-

signed fun and motivational PE

programme that has resulted in (1)

near zero obesity within the whole

school (2) high levels of participa-

tion with both male and female

pupils and (3) improved grades.

Les Miserables

„Zero Obesity‟ visit to Westminster

Pupils involved in visit to

Westminster, together with

Mr Simon Hart MP and Mr

Newsome, Headteacher

Students from Dyffryn Taf attended a competition in Swansea

on Friday, 5th December 2014 and won! An excellent achieve-

ment for these young students!

Following their success in the Welsh leg of the First Lego

League robotics competition in December the team attended

the British Finals at Loughborough University on Sunday, 1st

February 2015.

First Lego League

MAGAZINE / CYLCHGRAWN Page 3

Students from Dyffryn Taf went skiing to Switzerland

during February half-term.

Students from Dyffryn Taf travelled to London on Tuesday,

3rd February 2015 to take part in the National Final of the

Senior Team Maths Challenge. After completing various

rounds, the team achieved 29th place – an excellent

achievement amongst 72 of the best schools in the UK!

The team were Corinne Yau, Harvey Yau, Liam Pilot and

Tom Miller.

Ski Trip to Switzerland

Senior Team Maths Challenge - National Final

have organised a number of ac-

tivities including growing vege-

tables in the school garden, lit-

ter picking around the school, a

whole school waste audit and

running a Low Energy cam-

paign during November. Future

campaigns will include Healthy

Living to encourage students to

have more fruit and vegetables

in their diet and running a

clothes recycling scheme to help

raise funds for future work by

the Eco-Committee.

In December the Eco-Committee

were inspected by Keep Wales Tidy

and were given their third succes-

sive Green Flag Award. The Green

Flag Award is an international

award owned by the Foundation of

Environmental Education (FEE)

and is supported by the Welsh

Government. The award is given

to establishments that have shown

commitment to environmental edu-

cation by following the Eco-Schools

Programme. In addition to envi-

ronmental issues being covered by

the curriculum, the Eco-Committee

Green Flag Award

Page 4 DYFFRYN TAF

As part of Dyffryn Taf‟s commitment to improving literacy we have signed up to The Premier League Read-

ing Stars, which allows pupils to improve their reading skills through their passion for football.

In order to motivate the pupils we recently had a visit from a past pupil Mr Ceri Phillips who is currently a

community coach for Swansea City Football Club. Ceri came to school on Friday the 13th of February and

took part in a question and answer session. The pupils at Dyffryn Taf were very well prepared for this ses-

sion which lasted over an hour. To reward the boys for their hard work they were treated to a training ses-

sion from Ceri, and a round Robin of 5 a side football.

They also visited Cardiff City stadium in May. The trip involved a stadium tour and a workshop with a pub-

lished author. Meeting an author is a powerful way to promote and nurture a love of reading, and combining

it with the love of sport was most beneficial to the pupils.

A new classroom was opened by Simon Hart MP

on Thursday, 12th February 2015. It will be

used to teach and develop Mandarin to students

within the School.

Premier League Reading Stars

Ar ddydd Gwener, 27ain o Chwefror 2015 gynhaliwyd ein

Eisteddfod flynyddol. Cafwyd cystadlu brwd yn ystod y

dydd, ac roedd canlyniadau y llysoedd fel y canlynol:

Iau – 1af Dylan; 2il Beca a 3ydd Hywel.

Hyn – 1af Beca; Gydradd 2il – Dylan a Hywel.

Our Eisteddfod took place on Friday, 27th February.

Eisteddfod Ysgol

MAGAZINE / CYLCHGRAWN Page 5

Opening of Confucius Classroom

On 26th November 2014, four Dyffryn Taf teams participated in the first round of the Rotary „Youth Speaks‟

competition. There were no other schools present. The standard of speech was very high and one Intermedi-

ate and one Senior Team went forward to the Area Final on the 5th February 2015.

Two teams from Dyffryn Taf participated in the Rotary „Youth Speaks‟ Area Final on the 5th February 2015.

The Intermediate team performed well and were selected to go through to Round 3. The Seniors performed

against Fishguard School and won through to Round 3.

10 students from Years 8, 9 and 10 attended „Eurvoice‟ event at the Pierhead Building, Cardiff on 30th Janu-

ary 2015. The morning session was group discussions with AM‟s and the afternoon was a „Question Time‟

style debate. It was a productive and educational experience for students who are the future of debating

and public speaking at Dyffryn Taf.

Debating

Pipriac Exchange Visit

On the 10th February 2015, 63 students from Dyffryn Taf re-

ceived their Bronze Awards in a ceremony at Queen Elizabeth

High School.

26 students from Dyffryn Taf attended a presentation at St

James‟s Palace on Thursday, 26th February to collect their

Gold Award. They received their award from Roz Savage,

Ocean Rower and Environment Campaigner who presented

the certificates on behalf of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh. It is

a credit to the school that so many students succeeded in this

prestigious award.

15 students completed their Leadership course at Llangrannog

recently.

Duke of Edinburgh Award

Page 6 DYFFRYN TAF

In March 2015 students from Pipriac visited

Dyffryn Taf for a week. They were hosted by

families and went on trips to Carmarthen,

Cardiff and Bluestone.

They had a very busy week and our students

are now looking forward to visiting Pipriac in

June!

Dyffryn Taf have won through to the UK Fi-

nals of the British Schools Karting Champion-

ships to be held at Whilton Mill on Saturday,

18th July 2015. The young team from Dyffryn

Taf convincingly won the local finals at Haver-

fordwest and competitively fought through in

the Semi-Finals at Thruxton with two firsts a

second and third in a tightly contested event

of over 20 teams. At the UK Finals Dyffryn

Taf will be the only surviving Welsh team

competing and will therefore be flying the na-

tional flag.

Sport

MAGAZINE / CYLCHGRAWN Page 7

Go Karting Success

The following pupils competed in the Welsh Schools Cross Country Championships in Brecon on the 11th

February 2015:-

Nikita Neary – 15th (Senior Boys); Lucy Davies – 6th (Middle Girls); Elin Jones – 60th (Junior Girls) and

Taylor McArthur – 50th (Junior Girls).

The following pupils won medals in the Brianne Cross Country League this season:-

Taylor McArthur – 1st (Year 8 girls). Also, consistent performances by Elin Jones – 4th (Year 9 and Dafydd

Edwards – 88th overall (Year 7). Dyffryn Taf came fourth overall this season.

Aimee Hughes represented wales at the Under 19‟s Ladies Cricket Tournament in Abu Dhabi during

February half term. She had an impressive tournament and the team lost to a very strong Loughborough

team in the final. Wales beat Essex by one run off the last ball and they also beat an invitational UAE team

very convincingly.

On Sunday, 24th May 2015 2 teams from Dyffryn Taf took

place in the Welsh Dragon Boat Championship, run by

Narberth & Whitland Rotary at Llys y Fran Reservoir.

Dragon Boat Racing

Our annual Prize Evening was held on Thursday, 26th March 2015. There were a total of 28 Awards this year. The guest speaker was Mr Keith Towler, the former Children’s Commis-sioner for Wales. The Music Department provided excellent entertainment during the evening. This evening is a fitting celebration for the students and their achievements.

Prize Evening

Page 8 DYFFRYN TAF

Chem Quiz Final!

The Chem Quiz team took part in the Great Britain National Final of the Royal

Society of Chemistry „Top of the Bench‟ Competition at Loghborough University on

24th April 2015 having won the regional event earlier in the year. 36 teams took

part and although our team did not manage a top 6 spot they enjoyed a challenging

and inspiring day. The team comprised of Rhys Davies (Year 11), Joe Phelps (Year

9), Aneurin Partridge (Year 8) and Lewis James (Year 8).

Eisteddfod yr Urdd Caerffili 2015 - Ar y Llwyfan

MAGAZINE / CYLCHGRAWN Page 9

Fe ddaeth Evie Maidment yn 3ydd yn y Llefaru Unigol i Ddisgwyr Bl10 a dan 19 oed ar ddydd Iau

yr Eisteddfod. Llongyfarchiadau mawr iddi!

Head Boy and Head Girl - 2014/2015

Head Boy and Head Girl - 2015/2016

Luke Russell Rosie Myers

On Thursday 7th May 2015, the pupils of Ysgol Dyffryn Taf held their own independent mini

-ballot to elect a representative for the West Carmarthenshire and South Pembrokeshire

constituency.

239 pupils registered to vote in the Library during the previous week, where information

was displayed and websites accessed for further information. PSE classes across the school

also covered the issue of Government, Elections and Voting.

On the day, 205 pupils eagerly attended the Library and queued to receive their ballot pa-

per. Voting took place in the secrecy of two voting booths and was then posted in the sealed

ballot box. At the end of the day the votes were counted independently by two members of

staff, and the results were as follows:

Labour (Delyth Evans) - 51 votes

Conservative (Simon Hart) - 42 votes

UKIP (John Atkinson) - 41 votes

Green Party (Gary Tapley) - 38 votes

Plaid (Elwyn Williams) - 27 votes

Liberal Democrats (Selwyn Runnett) - 6 votes

Well done to all those pupils who took the time out of their day to vote. We may even have a

parliamentary candidate in our midst, as it had been the sole topic of conversation for some

time! Possibly even a future Prime Minister!

Mini Election

Student Exhibition at Oriel Q, Narberth - March 2015

Page 10 DYFFRYN TAF

Dyffryn Taf and schools in Pembrokeshire were asked to participate in this exhibition. Prizes were

awarded to individuals from each Key Stage and students from Dyffryn Taf were amongst them.

At Key Stage 3: Iwan Morgans 9E and Mairin Ellis 9N won 2nd prize with their 3D clay heads.

At Key Stage 4: Lily Harries 11E won 2nd prize with her glazed ceramic piece “Ganesh”.

At Key Stage 5: Rosie Myers won 2nd prize with her triptych “Indigo”.

The exhibition was dedicated to the Artist Osi Osmond.

French Experience

MAGAZINE / CYLCHGRAWN Page 11

This Easter provided seven AS-Level French students at Dyffryn Taf with the opportunity

to step completely out of their comfort zone and immerse themselves in French culture, as

they engaged in an exchange program with Neyland‟s twin town, Sanguinet.

A wide range of activities was organised throughout the week such as climbing the Dune du

Pila, the tallest sand dune in Europe, cycling, Zumba and roller-blading which allowed them

to integrate into the new environment whilst taking part in some familiar pass times.

Spending time at the Sixth Form college in Parentis provided a clear comparison between

our two education systems, but also proving that school environments can be similar in en-

tirely different circumstances. Attending lessons with our correspondents gave us an insight

into how the French approach teaching from a pupil point of view, whilst the intensity of

classroom debates in philosophy forced us to further increase our comprehension and manip-

ulation of the language.

Thursday and Friday saw us complete work experience, chosen for each student based on

their specific skill sets. For me, working in the nursery school helped me learn that the

slight language barrier between me and the rapid speaking but brilliant children did not

prevent the growth of close bonds, significantly improving my self-confidence. The same ben-

efits were felt by another, through meeting world-renowned scientists at Bordeaux Hospital.

Their Tourist Office, the local organic grocery store and the friendly restaurant also provid-

ed interesting experiences which enhanced the experience of the students chosen to work

there. Sharing our experiences afterwards further enriched the enterprise activities, as we

combined our newfound knowledge and applied it to our futures here in the UK and further

afield.

The Exchange not only allowed us to dramatically improve our ability to speak French, but

provided vital life experiences for us in terms of conversing with others, regardless of their

backgrounds. The idea that it would be possible to teach French teenagers the Welsh alpha-

bet is almost unthinkable to the average person, but it‟s something that we managed to

achieve after a substantial amount of effort on our party during the final evening. Managing

to forge friendships in an alien situation is a key example of why we should not only be glad

we had the opportunity to truly enjoy ourselves, but be proud of the new life skills we have

gained. Whilst I still have no idea what I want to do in the future, I know for a fact that eve-

ry participant has now been made aware of the world that is open to us, a life outside rural

West Wales. Hopefully, with the success of this trip and the continued support of the twin-

ning committee, or “jumelage”, we have made it possible

for other students to have the same opportunity that we

were given, and have the chance to return in the future.

Abby Trivett

Eisteddfod Ysgol

Page 12 DYFFRYN TAF

Sports Dinner

MAGAZINE / CYLCHGRAWN Page 13

On Thursday evening, 30th April 2015 a Dinner was held at Plashyfryd, Narberth

to recognise and celebrate the successes of sporting endeavours at Dyffryn Taf.

The evening recognised the students who have been selected for County, Regional

and National teams as well as young people who have shown commitment and de-

termination to their school teams. The latter are invited as representatives of

their chosen sports. We also wish to acknowledge the dedication and commitment

of students who have acted as sports ambassadors, mentors and coaches for

younger athletes at this event. The school has a long and proud history of produc-

ing international and world class sports men and women and this evening allows

us to recognise the contribution our current student body has made to sustain

this reputation.

The guest speaker was Josh Helps, a former pupil who has an excellent career in

rugby.

Around 90 students attended the Dinner together with staff members who con-

tribute to the excellent sporting activities that take place at Dyffryn Taf. A memo-

rable evening was had by all!

Page 14 DYFFRYN TAF

Photo Gallery / Oriel Luniau

MAGAZINE / CYLCHGRAWN Page 15

North Road

Whitland

Carmarthenshire

SA34 0BD

Phone/Ffon: 01994 242100

Fax/Ffacs: 01994 240929

Email/E-bost: office@dyffryntaf.org.uk

DYFFRYN TAF

www.dyff

ryntaf.or

g.uk

Heol y Gogledd

Hendygwyn ar Daf

Sir Gaerfyrddin

SA34 0BD