School seeks four Welsh heroes as names for new house system
A Flintshire high school is embracing its Welsh heritage in a mission to help with the names of its new house system.
The Leader online reports that Connah’s Quay High School has been running a competition to find their top four Welsh heroes, which will go on to be the names of their new house system.
Each day staff and learners have championed a different Welsh hero, and then learners, parents/carers and staff will vote for the top four.
Suffrage
Some of those put forward in the hope of inspiring votes have been: Lady Rhondda, significant in the history of women’s suffrage; David Lloyd George, former Prime Minister of the UK; and Aneurin Bevan, who led the establishment of the National Health Service.
Learners have been busy watching videos, made by staff, and considering the lives of important Welsh people.
In addition to this, they are also having a big push on the use of incidental Welsh around the school and driving forward the importance of embracing the Welsh culture, language and identity.
Encouraging
Jeremy Miles, the new Minister of Education for Wales, even sent the school an encouraging short video discussing the importance of the Welsh language and explaining the meaning of “cynefin”, meaning “habitat” or “surroundings”; the land you know well.
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When I was in school we had Caradog, Llywelyn, Glyndwr, and somebody else, whom, I am ashamed to say, I have forgotten.
Probably Tiwdr, although that creature was no hero
I had Maelog.Madoc.Brychan and Ifor.
I was in Ifor.
Branwen, caradog, Dylan, Llyr, nudd and Peredur… Big year when I was in school. Had to open another comp. Welsh Ed getting more popular, we’ll need new names. Ryan, Ronnie, Dewi a Pws falle?
Llewelyn, Glyndwr, Rhys Gethin, Saunders……… Easy peasy.
And Gerallt
We had Ifor Bach, Llewelyn Bren, Sion Cent and Dafydd William. Caerffili
If the parents get in, on it you’re going to get the same usual legendary heroes (except inexplicably Arthur who is one of ours) or the usual boring soldiers or Norman kings. Why not scientists, explorers, doctors etc? Or the 4 tribes: Esyllwr, Ordofych, Demed, Decangl (although that latter one would be the Hufflepuff so maybe Drywyd instead?)
Or what about Pirates? By any measure Barti Ddu was the most successful Western pirate ever. Captain Morgan another. In fact in the second golden age you’d hear more Accents from Cymru than from the West Country.
William Jones of Llangadfan, Gwyn Alf Williams, Iolo Morgannwg and Robert Vaughan of Hengwrt
Primary school had three local rivers: Alun, Dyfrdwy, and Gwenfro. Secondary school: absolutely dim byd.
Catholic school had Dewi Sant, St Patrick(!), Richard Gwynne.
I don’t think it matters a jot what the result might be, the exercise of discovering Welsh figures worthy of the honour brings the true educational value. In Flintshire they are spoiled for choice being neighbours of Yr Hen Ogledd so have plenty to choose from Taliesyn right up to William Wallace aka William le Waleis (the Welshman).
Be fair, Wales can’t in all honour claim William Wallace as a Cymro.
There is enough evidence to suggest we might have a case. But yeah. He was a leader of the Scots and once we are all free of this toxic Union, I’d like to keep the Scots onside. In fact I’d like to keep them all onside, including our English cousins who are actually as British as we are, but have been convinced that- incorrectly – that they are Saxons.