you will find all the latest news on our website www.stmikes.co.uk

St. Michael’s pupils were jubilant onresults day. Our top GCSE studentCameron Joseph like many wasjumping for joy. He achieved anoutstanding 8A* and 3A grades.

Overall the school continues todeliver exceptional resultswith over half of our GCSEpupils attaining at least5A*/A grades.

• 100% at least 5 A*-C

• 100% A*-C in English &Mathematics

• 100% A*/A Early entry inMathematics over the last 5 years

Once again outstanding results for St. Michael’s Schoolreflecting the hard work and dedication of our pupilsand the high standards and the level of supportprovided by staff.

• Consistently one of the highest achieving schools in Wales

• 70% of pupils achieved at least one A*/A

•Many students earned places in one of the top 20 UK universities

A-level Geography student gains top marks in the UKA remarkable accomplishment, Ignatius Hillcoat-Nalletamby attained the top mark in the UK for A-levelGeography out of 3,400 candidates. A well deservedachievement for Iggy who is now studying at ImperialCollege London. The second time in 5 years this hashappened to a St. Michael’s pupil and reflects thecalibre of staff within the school.

T H E N EW S L E T T E R O F

St.Michael’s School

HIGH ACHIEVERS at GCSE

Development Our annual newsletter illustrates the significantreinvestment that has taken place at St. Michael’s thisyear and displays how the pupils are alreadyappreciating the benefits.

The main projects successfully completed include:

• EXTENDED SIXTH FORMNew quiet study zone and a larger refurbishedcommon room

•ADMIN BLOCKNew Reception, Admissions & Finance Offices(releasing several areas within the main schoolfor further classrooms)

•OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS IN PREP Allowing pupils to access the outdoors whateverthe weather

• TOP FLOOR EXPANSION IN TY MAWRProviding 9 new en-suite rooms along with adesignated study area on this floor

A LEVEL SUCCESS

part of BroadwayEducation

Welcome to our first newsletter of this calendar year. On behalf of everyone at St.Michael’s School may I wish you well for the months ahead. For our older students,these will be crucial months of preparation and hard work as we move toward thesummer examinations. I know the staff will be doing everything they can to ensureevery child reaches their potential; if you have any concerns or questions about anyaspects of your child or children’s schooling, do not hesitate to contact us.As you know, this is my first term as Headteacher at St. Michael’s School. I amgrateful for the many positive responses I have received from parents to myappointment. I understand your wishes and desires for the School going forward,and I can assure you that any changes we make will be carefully considered.One of the things we are keen to demonstrate at St. Michael’s is our commitment tothe ‘whole student’. As you will see from this newsletter, we take academic matters veryseriously at the school. However, there is also substantial promotion and celebration ofsporting and cultural talents and achievements. I trust you will share my view that this is the right direction for us to go– excellence and opportunity in all things.I must also mention the new management team at St. Michael’s. Mrs. Kay Francis is now Deputy Head, having formerlybeen Director of Studies. She is also currently Head of the Maths Faculty. Her new role has a broad job description withparticular focus on curriculum matters. Mr. Daryl Rees, currently Head of PE, has recently been appointed SchoolCoordinator. Mr Rees will be working behind the scenes to ensure school events and examinations run smoothly, andwill provide support and liaison for extra-curricular activities and our boarding pupils.I hope you enjoy our newsletter, and find it useful and informative. If there is anything you wish to discuss with medirectly, please contact the School.Best wishes,

Alun Millington MA (Oxon) PGCE

Alun Millington – BA Hons Modern History (Oxon), MA (Oxon), PGCE (Secondary) Mr Millington is a native of Swansea, and was educated at Penlan Comprehensive School, Gorseinon College andSt. John’s College, Oxford University. He began his teaching career as a History teacher at Mill Hill County High School in London. This was followed by aperiod of time at Edgware School, where he taught English, Humanities and Special Needs, with particularresponsibility for pupils with behavioural difficulties. Returning to Wales, Mr Millington worked in Llangatwg School in Neath, where he undertook a number of roles,pastoral and academic, leading to his appointment as Assistant Headteacher. Mr Millington has retained his passion for History throughout his career, and has a longstanding commitment toexamining at GCSE. He is Principal Examiner for GCSE History with WJEC. He also examines A Level History. MrMillington also lectures as part of the University of Wales Trinity St. David PGCE teacher training programme.In his spare time, Mr Millington enjoys a busy family life, and endures a lifelong commitment to Arsenal FootballClub, Welsh rugby and English cricket. His favourite author is James Joyce and favourite poet is R.S. Thomas. “I am delighted to join St. Michael’s at this exciting stage of the school’s development. I know the excellentreputation the school has, and I am looking forward to making a positive contribution to its continuedsuccess.”

you will find all the latest news on our website www.stmikes.co.uk

At St. Michael’s Preparatory School we firmly believe intraditional teaching methods and our curriculum allows staff toextend the more able whilst supporting all children to achieve theirpersonal best.

Education in the Early Years embeds a solid educational and socialplatform before entering the more formal Preparatory School wheresolid foundations are laid to enable a seamless transition into the SeniorSchool. Pupils at the Preparatory School are being taught specialist lessonsby specialist teachers.

This year we have expanded our provision for school clubs! We continue to have a high number of pupilsattend clubs such as chess, orchestra, netball, football, rugby, Chinese and ballet. The Nursery andReception staff, also manage an ‘Out of School Club’ and ‘Holiday Club’ facility for pupils aged 3-11years. Further details are available from the school. We have a lot of fun!

Children in the Prep School are exposed to professional expertise by holding workshops with the pupils. Thisyear includes two workshops in computing from experts at Swansea University, Swansea born artistBeatrice Williams, PC Sharon and Mad Science.

In addition to these, parents will often give up their time to enrich the children’s learning by visiting theschool and talking to the children. Topics can include expertise in Science, medicine, religion, design etc.

We are delighted with the continued improvements being made to the Prep school, in particular this year’sproject to improve our ‘Outdoor Classroom Areas’.

Mari Davies BA Ed (Hons) PG Dip Ed

Kay Francis - Deputy Head BSc (Hons), PGCE Kay has been an enthusiastic teacher of Mathematics at St Michael’s since September 2007. As Head of theMathematics faculty she has lead a very strong, successful department which prides itself on achieving outstandingexamination results both at GCSE and A-level. We are pleased to announce Mrs Francis’s appointment to Deputy Headteacher.

“At St. Michael’s we pride ourselves on achieving outstanding academic success. One of the most distinctthings about St. Michael’s is the warmth of the welcome and the quality of relationships that exist betweenstaff and pupils. Our community is a small one, but is one in which pupils strive for success whilst beingequally keen to support one another and to celebrate each other's abilities andstrengths.

A school is all about its people and we have academic staff that are not justhighly qualified, dedicated teachers but much more. They arecommitted to the personal development of pupils, encouraging them toachieve their goals and to grow into confident and accomplishedadults. Pupils are well supported and advised at every stage,especially as they prepare to move on into the world of university orwork.

There is something unique about St. Michael’s that can only beexperienced first-hand.”

Kay Francis BSc (Hons) PGCE

Chris Dow – Geography TeacherBSc Hons Human Ecology, PGCE Chris began his career running nature conservation projects. He thenhelped to manage a training company working with young people, witha particular focus on building co-operative skills. As a part time teacherhe also runs a small charity, Forest School SNPT, specialising in outdoorand environmental education. In his free-time Chris can often be foundsurfing around the Gower.

Angela Webb – Psychology TeacherBSc Hons, MSe, PGCE Angela studied a joint psychology and criminology degree at SwanseaUniversity. Progressing to Cardiff University to study for a PGCE in SocialSciences, for which she was awarded most innovative teacher in 2011.Finally, at Cardiff University she completed a MSe in Education andCriminological Research.

Angela began with a teaching placement at Swansea UniversityCriminology Department. Moving to Radyr Comprehensive School inCardiff, where she taught the following subjects; Psychology, Sociologyand Welsh.

As well as the above, Angela in her former years has racked up a whole list ofother skills; Sports Science Academic, Personal Trainer, Assessor for YMCA, Reebokand Fitness Wales, Life Coach, Instructor, Dance Teacher, GP Referral Consultant, SportInjuries and First Aid.

Angela was a boarder herself at Bush Davies Academy East Grinstead Sussex, and she trained as a professionaldancer. Her achievements include: The Times Choreographic award, finalist in the Cosmopolitan Dance Awards,and an E.M.I. recording contract as a touring & recording artist. Angela was also a fitness and conditioning coachfor Youth Swansea City Football club and is now based at Swansea Uplands Rugby Club under 13's.

“I would like to bring all my skills as a holistic practitioner and personal trainer to St. Mike’salongside Psychology as a subject.”

Michelle Thomas – Sixth Form SupervisorMichelle's warm and welcoming smile greets the Sixth Form everymorning, monitoring students during their free periods ensuring thatstudents use these lessons effectively. Michelle has her own grown-upchildren and now grand-children and previous posts have alwaysinvolved working with the public.

“This is a new and interesting challenge for me. I have found itextremely refreshing to see a large group of teenagers being so

respectful, conscientious and highly motivated, I am impressed”

you will find all the latest news on our website www.stmikes.co.uk

The school year is interspersed with a variety of performances because ofVictoria’s input and Kim Nicholas our Head of Music, along with othercontributors.Highlights include the Upper Prep performance of ‘An Evening at the Wild West’,where pupils sang, danced and performed to rapturous applause from parents.

A selection of St. Michael’s musicians performed locally within the community to alocal care home. Piano solo by Kenson Li, violin solo by Ujjawal Kumar and Musical

theatre pieces from The Little Mermaid by Charlotte and Rachel Nicholas.

Form 4 students, Ujjawal Kumar played violin with the Brecon Baroque Festival Orchestra in October, under theguidance of Artistic Director Rachel Podger. Rachel is an internationally –renowned violinist, who established theBrecon Baroque in 2007. Well done to Ujjawal, what an outstanding achievement.This year’s Christmas Concert provided a high quality evening of Music, with students from the Preparatory Schoolto the Sixth Form taking part. The Concert featured an aria and recital from Handel's Messiah, a Viola Solo, PrepChoir, Senior Choir, Senior Orchestra as well as ensembles for Brass, Woodwind and Strings. One of the highlights was a solo performance by Miranda Xio on theGuzheng, an exceptionally talented performer. This solo matched theForm 3 Bell Group for its enchanting atmosphere, whoseperformance of "In the Bleak Midwinter" was extremely detailed.

The number of students performing grewagain this year as more students

demonstrate a growing enthusiasmfor Drama and Music. One suchtalent in conducting is that of SixthForm student, Kenson Li. He willbe reading Music at ManchesterUniversity next year, and as partof the process, he has beenrehearsing an item for the SeniorChoir "The Prayer of St. Francis".

Victoria Jones – New Role as Head of DramaBA (Hons) Secondary Education: Drama at UWIC Cardiff Victoria has been at St. Michael’s for four years, teaching Drama to all ages,directing school productions and choreographing dances.

Victoria studied in Cardiff where she gained experience in four different schoolsand taught extra-curricular Drama. Along with her job as a support worker fordisabled children giving her experience of working with both challenging andsensitive children.

“I am extremely passionate about Drama and believe it encouragespupils to gain confidence and develop communication skills.”The new role that Victoria has undertaken has been very exhilarating andshe cannot wait to share her innovative ideas to take an alreadysuccessful Drama department to a new level.

Rugby With many rugby fixtures in the autumn term, the sporting calendar has been full and eventful. Rugbyhighlights include strong wins against St Clare’s across all age groups, with the most notable result coming fromForm 1 who won 26-12. The boys are now eagerly looking forward to the forthcoming ISA seven-a-sidetournaments.

Football The football teams have played exceptionally well against a number of our local rivals including Llandovery College,St Clare’s and St John Lloyds. We have maintained our unbeaten record with the senior football team beatingLlandovery College 4-1, with Lloyd Davies scoring a hatrick. Lloyd is currently playing for the Wales Senior Schoolsfootball squad and recently played against Australia. Other notable performances were from Form 2 who beat StClare’s convincingly 5-1. Talented form 2 players Tivonge Rushesha and Matthew Richards are both members of theSwansea City academy squads. The preparatory team has progressed through the rounds of the URDD football competition beating a number oflocal primary schools. Talented Caleb Hughes has gone on to become a valuable member of the Carmarthenshireunder 11’s football squad. The prep team also thrashed local rivals Oakleigh House 6-0 with James Lestershowing excellent control and skills despite being the youngest member of the team.

Indoor athleticsForms 1-4 took part in the Carmarthenshire championships and this led to a number of our pupils being noticedand invited to attend local athletics’ clubs. The stand out performer was Radix Mulawarman who competed andwon in the Standing Long Jump. This result enabled him to become a member of the Dyfed team to compete inthe Welsh Championships in Cwmbran in March. Other notable performances came from Sinmi who wasdescribed by a Welsh Athletics coach as a natural Triple Jumper, winning the Carmarthenshire competition withan excellent leap of 7.62m.

Cross countryThis term has been a busy one for our cross country teams. Caleb Hughes (prep 4) won the Llanelli Schoolschampionship and also qualified for the Welsh championships despite being a year young. Lloyd Davies also wonthe senior boys competition. There were a number of other pupils who qualified for the Dyfed Championshipsincluding India Woodruff, Ffion Jenkins, Nandini Rawat, Shivani Prakash and Sasha Petrie.

NetballThe St. Michael’s netball teams have enjoyed a very successful and busyyear. The league matches in Llanelli and Carmarthenshire saw manyexciting and close games with the girls winning 18 out of 20 games. TheNational URDD netball competition which took place in Cardiff saw thegirls triumph over some of the toughest schools across Wales. The St.Michael’s U16 and U14 teams also took part in the Independent SchoolsAssociation Netball Competition at Trinity school, Teignmouth. The girlsonce again triumphed with the U16 team winning and the U14 teamcoming runners up in the respective competitions. Both teams have earnedthemselves a place in the ISA National Finals for the second year running. The Preps netball season also got off to a fantastic start. After two monthsof training the girls took part in their first URDD netball competition. Theyplayed brilliantly and won 5/5 games. They have now earned a place in the second round of the URDDtournament. The Prep netball team also take on the teams entered in the U11 ISA tournament in January.

SwimmingWell done to all those swimmers who competed in the senior URDD swimming gala in November. ThomasHenwood Form 2, Eli Woodruff Form 2 and India Woodruff Form 5 have all qualified for the URDD swimmingfinals in Cardiff. Outstanding performances in the Prep swimming team. Some well-deserved results during the URDD gala inNovember. Congratulations to all, an exciting day, with many close races. Not least the nail biting boys and girlsrelay races. Well done to those who earned their top 3 placements.

Shot Put ChampionZak Giannins only started his shot put career last year, after trying the sport at school hejoined Llanelli Athletics club. An impressive 8.38m won him silver at the WelshChampionships.

Football SelectionTivonge Rushesha selected to play for Wales under 13’s football. Plays midfield, and supportsArsenal, an excellent athlete and cross country runner too, winning Llanelli events in both.

Congratulations also to; Elis Jones who has earned a place in the Welsh Basketball squad, Jonathan Jones (Form3) for selection into the Welsh Judo Squad, Guto Neave (Form 4) who plays Chess for Wales and Alex Laius (SixthForm) who has earned a place in the Welsh Life Saving Squad.

Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme goes from strength to strengthOpen to day and boarding pupils the D of E scheme introduces pupils to new experiences,challenges and discovering new talents, as well as meeting others and helping the widercommunity.

Daryl Rees, Head of PE reports on another successful year for the programme, “During lastyear, we saw 32 pupils take part in the Bronze award, the 2 day expedition took them to thepicturesque Gower in early September. 14 pupils have progressed to their silver award and11 have now successfully achieved the first two levels and are heading for gold. Theculmination of this was an overnight expedition to Devil’s Bridge in Mid Wales. This provedto be a challenging but rewarding trip with many pupils commenting on how beautiful thescenery was.”

A tremendous amount of investment has takenplace again at St. Michael’s providing improvedfacilities throughout the school. Highlightsinclude: a dramatic uplift and expansion of theSixth Form Block, an undercover outdoor areafor the Prep school, a new Reception and VisitorsCentre and an increase to our Boarding Facility.

Prep SchoolAt our new ‘Early Learning Centre’ for pupils aged 3 – 7 years,which opened in January 2013, Nursery, Reception and Pre-Prep 1have new ‘Outdoor classroom’ play areas, providing an additionalcovered area to their classrooms. This environment providesexciting and safe provision for all pupils.A new ‘Outdoor Classroom’ on the Upper Prep yard provides allpupils at the school a comfortable, dry seating area. Pupils areoften seen using it daily as part of their learning, an area to holdSchool Council Meetings and as a ‘chill out zone’ during breaktimes. It has proved to be most popular! Future developmentsinclude new outdoor notice boards for parents and the addition ofvisual stimuli on the walls and surrounding areas.

SIXTH FORMWe have increased the area available to the Sixth Form substantially this year,providing pupils with more 'quiet study zones'. Pupils have access to a quiet place to study individually or in small groups, an areafor more informal and interactive study, and a place for socialising and relaxation.

Ty Mawr - 9 further en-suite bedroomsTy Mawr boarding house, based in theschool grounds, has seen an expansion inits second floor to facilitate a furthernine en-suite boarding rooms, as wellas a dedicated common room /studyarea for this floor.

New Reception – The Vaughan Evans BuildingThe availability of 6 Pen-Y-Bryn gave the school the opportunity toincrease its size further. With a new Reception, Head’s Office,Visitor’s Area and a dedicated Admissions & Finance block it hasenabled more space to becomeavailable within the main

school buildings.

The school year is interspersed with a variety ofschool trips and outings for pupils across each yeargroup. Several of these relate to A-level subjects,some introduce pupils to an extended range ofoutdoor and sporting activities, and others assistwith bonding and team building. Here are some ofthe highlights from last year’s excursions.

Preparatory SchoolThe residential trip for pupils in Prep 3 and Prep 4 is always greatly anticipated.This year we headed off to Llanwrtyd Wells, in Mid-Wales and Morfa Bay in WestWales where the children participated in a wide range of exciting activities.

Cross-curricular trip to LondonWizardry, Mind-bending and Hidden Tigers

Form 3 recently hit the big city on their annual cross-curricular trip to London. At Warner Brother’s Harry

Potter Studio Tour they enjoyed; walking alongHogwarts flagstones, riding broomsticks andsampling Butterbeer. This was followed by anevening performance of the West End MusicalMatilda.

National Art GalleryThe gallery’s main attraction was the Post-Impressionist section where it wasgreat to finally come face to face with the original Rousseau paintings we had

been studying in class.

Winter SportsIn February forty pupils took to the slopes in Flachau, Austria.The beginners excelled, taking on black runs by the end of theweek. One of the highlights was an exhilarating sledging run.

This year we have had a range of pupilsfrom: Austria, China,

Czechoslovakia, Hong Kong,Indonesia, Kazakhstan,Malaysia, Nigeria, Russia,Spain, Thailand and Wales. St. Michael’s has a strongacademic reputation andallocated study time is animportant aspect of boardinglife but pupils also haveample opportunity tosocialise with friends,take part in sportingactivities and practisemusical instruments.

Each term there is a fullactivities programme on

offer, some events are on site:Duke of Ediinburgh, table tennis,

fitness classes, cookery orfootball and others are off-site with

minibuses running frequently to externalclubs; basketball, swimming and gymnasium are just a few.A diverse range of weekend and non-term time trips are organised by ourHead of Boarding, Gayle Gidman and her team of BoardingSupervisors who ensure pupils experience an all-roundwell-balanced and fulfilling experience.

Dressed for church

Orienteering in the woods, D of E training

BBQ and Ice cream at Ty Mawr

Half term trip toPembrey Ski Centre

Birthdaycelebrations

Dressed for the Annual Ball

Just part of our stunning coast line and home of Dylan Thomas

DIARY DATESUCAS Evening - 23rd April 2015

School Open Afternoon - 5th May 2015Check the website for more information and details of other school events.

If you would like us to send to a relative, friend or local business, please let us know

www.stmikes.co.ukSt. Michael’s School • Llanelli • 01554 820 325 • office@stmikes.co.uk

www.stmikes.co.ukSt. Michael’s has seen a significant amount of investment in IT, a new MIS system has been installed, streamlining therecordkeeping and reporting for all pupil data. The website continues to develop and has seen significant changes asit becomes more of a focal point for parents with regular news items and information. We continue to move with thetimes, venturing into the world of facebook, you tube and twitter, so follow us, like us and tweet us please!!!

“All of us are like one big family here, ifsomeone is unhappy someone notices.Despite our differences, nationalities,

backgrounds we are actually all very close.”

“I can spend more time with my friends,I have friends from many nationalities, Ilike to learn about their culture becauseit’s different from mine.”

The new school videos are now live on the web site and if youare in any doubt as to whether St. Michael’s is the school foryou, then listen for yourself to Headteacher Alun Millington,and the pupils themselves, as well as some excellent footage ofthe facilities.

“If I were to describe St. Michael’s in three words, theywould be: diversity, a second home and awesome.”