Jeans for Genes
If you notice all students walking to school today, Friday, wearing jeans instead of school trousers or skirts, it's because they are donating money to a very worthwhile cause.
Jeans for Genes asks everybody to wear jeans for the day, and donate just £1 to support five charities, which include Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, as well as help fund vital research into genetic disorders affecting children and provide valuable advice and support services to families.
We would welcome any support for the Appeal from any business or organisation in Tenby and the locality, who would like to donate much needed cash for wearing jeans to the Office or work-place today. If you would like to make any donation to this appeal, please contact Mrs. Bell at the school.
To raise even more money, a Jeanius Quiz will be held in the library at lunch-time today (Friday). Students are asked to form teams of four for the Quiz which will have lots of yummy prizes. Results to follow next week.
Mathamagic at Oakwood
On Friday, September 21, all Year 7 pupils at Ysgol Greenhill School visited Oakwood Park. As there are over 230 children in Year 7 we needed five coaches to get us there!
The purpose of the visit was to see the Mathamagic Show, which was in three parts, each lasting between 45 minutes to an hour. Each group on the coaches was given an entry time to the show, and we had to make sure that we arrived on time.
The first show was a tent filled with mathematical games, making a pyramid out of balls, shapes that fitted into a square, finding different flavours of ice-cream, to name a few. These were great, some were brain-boggling, others easy, others hard.
The second show was about probability, and showed us how easy it is to get two of the same colours consecutively on the National Lottery machine. Also, we learned about the 11 times table. One group of pupils used a calculator, whilst the lady demonstrating worked the answers out on paper. Most of the time, she solved the puzzles quicker than the calculator. After this, she taught us an easy way to multiply by eleven. We also learned that the opposite sides of a die total seven, and about the binary system of numbers.
She also had two pieces of rope, which she attached to the wrists of two pupils, and the object was for them to untangle themselves. Their attempts were very funny, and made us laugh.
The final part of the show was Techniquest, which was more scientific. There was a floating ball, which baffled us all until we realised that it was kept afloat by air. A lot of fun was also had on the table which held two balls and had a hole in the centre. The table was oval shaped with sloping sides, and the object was to spin the balls until they were sucked down the hole. There was also a massive ball filled with blue liquid which made swirls as it was spun first one way and then another.
When we were not in the shows, we we allowed on the rides, but the maths had not yet finished as we had a maths trail to complete. This included questions about the height restrictions on rides, about how long the rides lasted, how many people were allowed on the rides at a time, and just how many bounces does Bounce make? It took some of us several attempts on certain rides to find the correct length of time in minutes and seconds!
At the end of the day, it was time to return to our buses and back to school. We all made it back in time, including the teachers! We would give our day a rating of 10 out of 10, as it was great. Thank you, Greenhill Maths teachers, for giving us a brilliant day out!
Read Around the World
In the Library on Monday, we launched the fourth reading challenge for Year 7,8,0 and 10 called 'Read Around the World,' or 'Darllenwch y Byd' in Welsh.
The object of the challenge is to read a total of 12 books between now and April, six from selected categories and six free choices. The categories are adventure, animal stories, crime and mystery, humour, historical, and classic stories.
Each category represents a country that we 'visit' in our reading world tour. It does not mean that the books have to be written or based in that country, nor written by an author from that country.
It is all too easy to get stuck in a horror or horse story reading rut, so these categories have been chosen to encourage students to read as wide a range of books as possible, and hopefully discover some new authors along the way.
After six books have been read a single-way certificate is awarded to students to show that they have achieved half-way of their tour. Once all 12 books have been read, than a final return ticket certificate is awarded to show that the reading tour has been successfully completed.
At the end of the challenge, students will need to select their favourite book from all 12 and write a few short sentences about why they liked it best. Then all reading passports will be entered into a county-wide prize draw. First prize this year is a £50 travel voucher, courtesy of Ocky White Travel in Haverfordwest. This and all other prizes, will be awarded to pupils at a special Presentation in May at the Round Room, Haverfordwest Public Library.
Every pupil between the ages of seven and 14 in Pembrokeshire is taking part in this reading challenge, which is going from strength to strength each year. Let's make this reading challenge an especially successful one in Greenhill by reading the world!
How much do you know about books?
Quite a lot, it seems! This is the conclusion drawn from the number of successfully completed book quizzes that were returned to the Library this week, in our celebration of National Children's Book Week. The winner of the Book Quiz will be announced at break time today, Friday, when the answers will also be revealed.
Just to test your knowledge, here are a few of the questions asked. What is the title of the final 'His Dark Materials' trilogy written by Philip Pullman? Who writes the 'Bad Girls'/'Girls in Love' books?
Name one of welsh-author Jenny Sullivan's books?
Answers will be revealed next week!
Government in action
The Councillors and Officers of Pembrokeshire County Council will be in school next Friday, October 12, helping Year 12 discover how government really works during Government in Action day.
As well as learning about the different roles of local government officials, the students will have the opportunity to role-play in a typical scenario which will help them learn the management concepts and issues involved in running a local authority.
As well as providing a unique opportunity to learn about local government, the experience will also provide the chance for the students to demonstrate and develop the following essential key skills, communication, problem solving, working with others, numeracy and improving their own learning and performance.
Art club
If you fancy brushing up on your drawing and painting skills, or just want an opportunity to express yourself on canvas (or paper) then come along to the new Art Club, which will be held every Wednesday during the lunch-break. This is open to all school students, from Year 7-13. For more information, please see Mrs. Roberts, Mrs. Rees or Miss Yeoman.
PTA
Over £500 was raised for PTA funds during the Tenby Arts Festival. A huge thank you must go to Matt Goldwait, from Tenby Round Table for his time and expertise on the burger stall, and to the organisers of the Festival itself.
For the chance to win £500, don't forget that all raffle tickets must be returned as soon as possible to the school. The draw itself will take place on October 18.
Year 11 accreditation
Several Year 11 pupils recently received an accreditation through the Open College Network for the work they have completed with Youth Worker, Tammy Dibble.
Kelly Wharton, Neal Jones, Daniel Edwards, Joanna Wells, Shamsol Ali and Ben Brown all gained certificates in preparing a personal portfolio, personal action plan and work experience.
Well done to them all!
Cross
Country
All of Pembrokeshire's secondary schools participated in this event last week here at Ysgol Greenhill School, and in total more than 300 students were involved.
The event was a tremendous success, helped by the commitment and enthusiasm of Greenhill's A-level PE students who helped with the marshalling. The results of the competition are due and will follow in next week's Newyddion Greenhill School.
The second of our four cross-country fixtures will take place next Tuesday, October 9 at Sir Thomas Picton School, Haverfordwest.
Rugby
Last week was a free rugby week, so there were no games to report on. This week, our Year 7,9 and 10 teams played away to Fishguard School.
Tomorrow, Saturday, we're playing our second fixture for the Welsh Schools Saturday Morning Rugby League away to Cardigan. Wish us luck!
Next week our Year 8, 9 and 2nd XV rugby teams will be playing at home to Milford Haven School's rugby teams.
Reports to follow on all of the above games in next week's news.
Following the Pembrokeshire Schools Rugby Development Day on Wednesday, September 26 and a subsequent training session this Monday, we are delighted to announce that Gareth Edwards, Rhydian Rees, David Barnes, Kevin Bratcher and Nicky Guymer were selected to play against the Ceredigion and North Wales teams in the first round of the Welsh Schools Cup. Our congratulations and best wishes go to these students.
Football
Our Year 7 football team played away against Pembroke school last Tuesday in the first of the newly established Pembrokeshire Schools' Football League, initiated by Gerry Rigby, the Welsh Football Association Development Officer.
The result was a 1-1 draw, in a game that was thrilling to watch and to play in.
Next week, we will be playing in our second league fixture away to Sir Thomas Picton School, Haverfordwest.
We will also be playing away against Whitland in the Year 7 Count Club, the dates of which is yet to be finalised.
Netball
All our girls' matches were unfortunately cancelled last week because of the bad weather. Matches will be rescheduled shortly. Dates to follow.
On Thursday, October 11, we will be playing away at Milford Haven School. Two Year 8 teams will participate, as well as a Year 9 and an Under 16s team. We wish these teams good luck!
Clubs
Once again, the PE department would like to welcome all students to the various clubs that are run during and after school. In case you missed the days and times of the clubs, here they are again.
Rugby: Years 7 and 8 Monday 3.30 - 4.30 pm; Year 9 Tuesday 3.30 - 4.30 pm; Seniors (Yrs 11/12/13) Tuesday 3.30 - 4.30 pm.
Football: Years 7 and 8 Tuesday lunch-time; Year 9 Monday lunch-time.
Hockey: Year 7 Tuesday 3.30 - 4.30 pm; Year 8 Monday 3.30 - 4.30 pm; Year 9 Monday lunch break; Seniors Thursday lunch break.
Netball: Year 7 Monday 3.30 - 4.30 pm; Year 8 Tuesday 3.30 - 4.30 pm; Year 9 Thursday lunch break; Year 10 Monday lunch break; Seniors Tuesday lunch break.