ENILLWYR CYSTADLEUAETH

MENTER YSGOLION Y DREFTADAETH GYMREIG 2007

Llongyfarchiadau mawr i Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni am ennill gwobr gyntaf cystadleuaeth Menter Ysgolion y Dreftadaeth Gymreig 2007. Am gyfnod o bythefnos yn Hydref 2006 bu’r ysgol ynghlwm wrth cywaith sensitif i gofio 40 mlynedd ers trychineb Aberfan. Roedd safon y gweithgaredd wedi creu argraff fawr ar feirniad y Fenter a derbyniodd yr ysgol dystysgrif, tarian a siec gwerth £1, 500 dan nawdd y cwmni yswiriant Cymreig, Admiral Group plc mewn seremoni wobrwyo anrhydeddus yn Amgueddfa Cymru, Caerdydd.

Lansiwyd Menter Ysgolion y Dreftadaeth Gymreig 17 o flynyddoedd yn ôl. Dros y blynyddoedd, mae mwy nag 20,000 o ddisgyblion o ysgolion babanod, cynradd ac uwchradd Cymru wedi cyfranogi yn y Fenter drwy wneud prosiectau treftadaeth. Mae noddwyr wedi cyfrannu gwobrau i ysgolion a chefnogaeth ariannol o fwy na £½ miliwn.

Pob blwyddyn, mae Pwyllgor Menter y Dreftadaeth Gymreig yn gwahodd ysgolion i ymgymryd â phrosiectau treftadaeth a’u cyflwyno ar gyfer y gystadleuaeth treftadaeth genedlaethol. Mae’r prosiectau hyn yn gofyn am ymchwil, casglu deunyddiau, dadansoddi a gwerthuso. Gall y canlyniadau fod ar ffurf llyfrynnau, arddangosfeydd, perfformiadau, CDiau, gwaith adfer a mathau eraill o gyfraniadau i’r dreftadaeth.

Cychwynnodd prosiect Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni mewn ymateb i gais gan David Garner, artist lleol, am gael arddangos ei waith yn coffau 40 mlynedd ers trychineb Aberfan. Drwy greu arddamgosfa traws-gwricwlaidd ac ar draws grwpiau blwyddyn, cafodd disgyblion y cyfle i greu arddangosiad i gefnogi ac ychwanegu at fewnosodiad yr artist yn yr ysgol. Ymchwiliodd disgyblion Cyfnod Allweddol 3 i’w hanes lleol a theuluol, gan ddarganfod deunydd newydd yn aml, a chreu archif newydd o adnoddau. Yn eu gwersi hanes, Cymraeg, Saesneg, astudiaethau crefyddol, drama a chelf, cawsant gyfle i ymateb yn artistig i’r drasiedi hon, gan greu barddoniaeth, gwaith technoleg gwybodaeth, cerddoriaeth a chelf 3D o safon uchel. Rhoddwyd i ddisgyblion hanes Lefel A y cyfrifoldeb am ddehongli a dadansoddi ymateb yr awdurdodau i’r drasiedi, ac roedd eu gwaith yn arddangos cryn fewnwelediad i’r berthynas rhwng cof torfol a’r modd y crëir hanes. Helpodd eu cyfweliad teimladwy â Mrs Betty Williams( cyn-athrawes yn Ysgol Pantglas) i bwysleisio gwir effaith y drasiedi. Gan weithio ar draws grwpiau blwyddyn a meysydd testun, casglodd y disgyblion amrywiaeth o ddata hanesyddol. Arddangosai’r disgyblion lefel uchel o ddealltwriaeth ac aeddfedrwydd mawr wrth ymdrin â’r fath bwnc emosiynol.

Arddangoswyd y gwaith yn yr ysgol am gyfnod o bythefnos ochr yn ochr â mewnosodiad David Garner. Parchwyd atgofion pobl, a defnyddiwyd yr ysgol fel le i fyfyrio ynddo heb i’r drasiedi gael ei gorliwio mewn unrhyw ffodd. Ar Hydref 21ain, sef union ddyddiad y trychineb cynhaliwyd gwasanaeth cofio emosiynol yn cynnwys yr ysgol gyfan. Ymhlith yr eitemau cofio yn y gwasanaeth roedd darnau cerddorol a barddonol a gyfansoddwyd gan y disgyblion, yn ogystal â rhoi’r cyfle i bawb wylio’r cyfweliad teimladwy.

Dywedodd Sara Davies, Pennaeth Hanes Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni, “Roedd yr hyn a gyflawnwyd dan do’r ysgol er mwyn cofio Aberfan yn ddim llai na ryfeddol. Cafodd mewnosodiad David Garner effaith ddofn ar blant a staff yr ysgol ond hefyd y gymdogaeth leol. Llwyddodd yr ysgol gyfan i gyfrannu i’r Fenter a thalu teyrnged addas i’r hyn a ystyrir fel y drychineb waethaf yn hanes Cymru Fodern.”

Owen Evans a Ben Price, disgyblion Lefel A Hanes yn derbyn y wobr gyda’r artist David Garner

A level History students, Owen Evans and Ben Price, receiving the award along with artist David Garner

WINNERS

WELSH SCHOOLS HERITAGE INITIATIVE COMPETITION 2007

Congratulations to Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni, winners of the Welsh Schools Heritage Initiative 2007. Over a fortnightly period in October 2006 the school was engaged in a sensitive project to commemorate the 40 th anniversary since the Aberfan disaster. Their emotive tribute impressed the judges of the Initiative and the school received a shield and a cheque worth £1,500 sponsored by Welsh insurance firm Admiral Group PLC, in a prestigious awards ceremony at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff.

The Welsh Schools Heritage Initiative was launched 17 years ago. Over the years, more than 20,000 pupils from infant, primary and secondary schools in Wales have participated in the Initiative by undertaking heritage projects. Sponsors have donated prizes for schools and the generous support for the Initiative in cash and in kind of over £½ million.

Each year, the Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative Committee invites schools to undertake heritage projects and to submit them for the nationwide heritage competition. These projects require research, collection of materials analysis and evaluation. They may result in booklets, exhibitions, performances, CDs, restoration work and other forms of contribution to heritage.

The Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni project started in a response to David Garner, a local artist’s request to display his work commemorating 40 years since the Aberfan tragedy at the school. Through creating a cross-curricular and cross year group project, pupils were given the opportunity to create a display to supplement and support the artist’s installation at the school. Key Stage 3 pupils researched their local and family histories, often uncovering new material and creating a new archive of resources. In history, Welsh, English, religious studies and art lessons they were given opportunities to respond artistically to this tragedy, creating high standard poetry, IT, music and 3D art work. A Level history pupils were given the responsibility of interpreting and analysing the authority’s response to the tragedy and their work displayed great insight into the relationships between collective memory and the creation of history. Their moving interview with Mrs Betty Williams (an ex-teacher at Ysgol Pantglas) helped drive home the true impact of the tragedy. Working across year groups and subject areas pupils gathered a range of historical data. Pupils displayed a high level of understanding and great maturity in dealing with such a poignant topic.

The work was displayed at the school for a two week period along with David Garner’s art installation. People’s memories were respected and the school was used as a space for contemplation without sensationalising the tragedy in any way. On October 21 st, (commemoration day of the disaster) a whole school assembly was held. Among the items included were music and poetry composed by the pupils and the emotional interview with Mrs Williams conducted by year 12 student Ben Price. The response by the visitors from the local community allowed the students to the opportunity to evaluate the emotional impact of their excellent work.

Sara Davies, Head of History, reflected, “The accomplishment of the school during that two week project was nothing short than astonishing. David Garner’s installation generated a deep impact on the pupils and staff, but also on our local community. The Whole School embraced the project and paid a fitting tribute to an event that remains the most tragic event in modern Welsh history.”