Sketchy Welsh: A book launch with wellbeing and Cymraeg at its heart

Josh Morgan

This morning I went swimming, as I do every Friday with a group of students from Greenfield Special School.

I mainly teach art, Cymraeg, and music in Greenfield School, but Friday mornings I also get do a brief stint as a swimming teacher.

As one of the students got onto the bus he asked the driver “Sut wyt ti?” He has done this every week for the last month or so.

A change

The driver usually looks a bit nonplussed and the student reminds him that he can just say “iawn” if he wants. But this week, when asked the weekly “Sut wyt ti?”, the bus driver took out a piece of paper from his pocket where he had written himself “da iawn diolch, a ti?”

I thought that was pretty remarkable.

Particularly remarkable since this student particularly, began the year with a reliable groan at the idea of doing any Cymraeg in class.

A satisfying and small mark of attitude change. One of the many satisfactions I’ve taken from working with Greenfield School.

One word we have talked about a fair bit is Lles. It means “Well Being”

A new book

I’ve been working with a couple of classes on sessions in drawing characters, gestures, using colour and of course the Cymraeg language.

Each student has chosen a piece of advice about well being that suits them, illustrated and painted it, and helped to translate their advice into Cymraeg.

This has all accumulated into a book, and it’s pretty great.

Support

All profits from the Greenfield students efforts will be going back into the work and provision at the school. There is just a few days left to order a copy.

As much as anything it’s gratifying for them to know that a few people have wanted to use what they’ve made.

You can find it here… https://www.sketchywelsh.com/llyfrau-books

Diolch Pawb,

Josh