Ysgol Iolo Morganwg, Y Bontfaen/Cowbridge

A huge THANK YOU to Wendy Farleigh, Deputy head of Ysgol Iolo Morganwg for a remarkable whirlwind of proactivity today and for this live write up.

More Able And Talented Young Writer’s Day For Vale Of Glamorgan Welsh Cluster Schools at Ysgol Iolo Morganwg

Diwrnod Ysgrifenwyr Ifanc Mwy Abl A Thalentog Ysgolion Clwstwr Cymraeg Bro Morganwg

Excitement and apprehension mix together as the children, from the six different Welsh schools finally enter the classroom. Tim Rylands is waiting for them, smiling brightly in welcome before plunging straight in to introduce himself in a loud funny voice that immediately caught everyone’s attention.

He then introduces Sarah his assistant and her monstrous black camera. This piece of equipment is fondly joked about as an “unfortunate nose” and we should just try to ignore it, “as Sarah might feel sensitive”.

Children and adults alike laugh at this albeit a little uncomfortably thus getting the response he obviously wanted as it makes the children relax like he did with the teachers on the INSET session the previous day. He’s funny and warm and the children respond immediately and are already unaware of the camera that will be following them all day!. (And Sarah is also far from ugly either!)

Next it’s Mr Walker’s turn. He is introduced as the friend he can take with him around the world when he cannot take his daughter Ellie. The children turn to look at the door obviously expecting a human to enter! Tim shows his walking stick to much laughing and another could be issue is dealt with fabulously. As he points the stick and waves it about in time with his entertaining chatter a child looks worried and he immediately picks up on it. “I never knew eyes could get so big so quickly” he says and the child worries more! This is great though as it goes straight into what is seen on the stick. They’re holes but the boy says they’re eyes. We then get ideas what the stick could be…

Eyes – llygaid, Light saber – cleddyf olau, Pencil holder – daliwr pensiliau, Mrs Walker got angry with  him and began punching…, Roedd Mrs Waklker yn grac gyda fe ac wedi dechrau paffio, Poison dart shooter – saethydd dartiau gwenwynig, Flute – ffliwt, Eyebrow cleaner – glanhaydd aeliau, Breathing holes – tyllau anadlu, Light show – sioe oleuadau

Then it was time to finally take note on what’s been on the screen throughout the introductions. It’s a grey, dark shot of a shipwreck surrounded by craggy rocks with a black sky and acidic looking water. The only sound is the sea crashing in the distance and the only movement birds swooping into the water.

Everyone’s already involved so he steps up the pace by asking, ‘Where are you?’ ‘Ble ydych chi?’ Intense interesting discussion ensues in groups and staff are encouraged to get involved.

Tim then asks children for their ideas. Initial shyness quickly evaporates as the children share ideas and Tim praises and encourages in his own unique way.

Child 1 – Inside a whale’s mouth where its damp, slimy and stinky and gloomy. Tu mewn i geg morfil ble mae’n  llaith, yn llysnafeddog, yn ddrewllyd ac yn dywyll.

Child 2 – In a mouldy, stale, dead landscape. Mewn tirwedd llwydaidd,  marwaidd.

To make the children aware of how often they’re putting their hands up he mentions the ceiling and its resemblance to the temporary tablecloth used at weddings! This makes the children aware without making them too conscious and it’s witty and fun.

Child 3 – It’s brown and murky and salty and covered in dead stuff – a lifeless place Mae’n frown a thywyll a halenog ac wedi ei orchuddio a phethau marw.-  lle marwaidd.

Child 4 – We’re in the Bermuda Triangle with rocks and whirlpools. The ship got shipwrecked against the rock. Rydym ynn y Bermuda Triangle guda chreigiau a trobyllau. Llongddrylliwyd y lloing yn nerbyn y creigiau.

Tim adds another point of observation when he asks “How do you know I want you to carry on?” The children think about it and discussion ensues. Answers come thick and fast as they explain about body language, facial expressions including eyebrows and the use of a cup of coffee – they’re astounded to learn the cup’s empty and merely a very effective prop!

Child 5 – The stones are the spines on the back of Puff the Magic Dragon who got shot down and knocks into a flying ship and the birds have come to eat the rest of him.

Pigau ar gefn Puff y Ddraig Hud yw’r cerrig ac fe gafodd y ddraig ei saethu I lawr gan daro yn erbyn llong sy’n hedfan cyn glanio’n y mor. Mae’r adar wedi dod i fwyta gweddill ei gorff.

This was when Tim moved on to talk about similes and metaphors and told the story about Ellie his daughter and the gravel path in Bristol. It was a great way of explaining as the children responded to a child’s view – it’s liked walking on apple crumble! The she went “I am walking on apple crumble” which brought us straight into metaphors.

Combined with the actions and the posh accents it was a good way of getting children to remember. How many children in the Vale of Glamorgan will remember similes with the posh aunt actions? The narrative game and the screaming added to the fun.

More examples and discussions led to the first actual piece of writing an hour and twenty minutes into the session. You would never have known- time had flown.

It was wonderful to see the children so willing to share their writing aloud and the standard of the pieces were brilliant. Every child had added something unique and special.

Tim was always talking and encouraging and members of staff also had a go at writing their own pieces. “Be a brave soldier” made the boys willing to share without prompting and the Eastenders drum roll made it exciting. 45 seconds to create good next paragraph openers put panic on faces but success was forth coming with excellent openers.

After break it was time to meet the crew of the shipwrecked ship. Captain Sir Thomas Shacklebot was introduced to the room and he explained about the storm and living on the island at ‘the edge of time’.

Question cubes ‘Thinking Dice’ were use as prompts for questions for Sir Thomas and then his two remaining crew members who joined him on stage. The fact that the rest of the crew had been eaten one by one in an act of desperate cannibalism by the captain and his crewmates was horrifically funny for the children and stirred imaginations into action.

The translator, another child, was the one who translated ancient pirate speak into its modern equivalent including calling crew members ‘ex-colleagues consumed by the captain and his current colleagues.”

The poor captain also had to hear what his crew thought of him and the fact a mutiny had been planned before the first cannibalistic urges had removed the requisite numbers for carrying out the act. Story telling at its spontaneous best. Fabulous!

Lunchtime’s cliff hanger was the rollercoaster ride that was dangled in front of the children’s noses. The disappointed grunts that accompanied the words ‘Its time for lunch’ is not often heard and more often associated with get your writing pins out!” Returning after the break was a room full of excited children full of anticipation and raring to go. The ride on the virtual rollercoaster was a prompt for more inventive creative writing, shorter catch one liners about feelings on the ride. Not one child had to be prompted to participate.

Then it was Hollywood time!

Filming on a green screen on an apple crumble path was a challenge but it was fun. The children’s imaginations were fired as they pretended to be on the roller coaster ride they had witnessed on the screen in class. Their screams had already been recorded and the soundtrack was used as prompts for movement. Great teamwork enable acting, filming, direction and prop holding up to work and create a scene that could be edited on to the rollercoaster ride later. Great fun for our budding future stars!

Back in class it was time to record the exciting phrases the children had created.

Sound effects were added and enjoyment had by all when listening to excellent and seriously imaginative phrases.

And thus ended the day. Smiles all round as Mr Walker’s true nature was revealed: a musical expert of the flute type.

Thanks Tim and Sarah for a brill inspiring day – for staff and children alike!

Related posts:

1. Welsh Medium Schools Day 2- Ysgol Iolo Morganwg, Cowbridge, Wales
2. Ysgol y Ferch o’r Sgêr and Ysgol Cwm Garw, Bridgend

Category: 1) Events and Training days