HOMEWORK INCLUDED ‘GO SLEDGING AND MAKE A SNOWMAN’
PUPILS sent home from one school because of the snow were disheartened to receive homework from their head teacher – that was until they read the letter he had handed out to them.
As Roy James, head teacher of Ysgol y Bedol, made the decision on Friday to close the Garnant-based primary school due to the snow warnings, he saw an opportunity to help enhance his pupils’ learning.
Mr James, who has been a teacher for 30 years, quickly penned a list of “important homework” tasks and sent it out to all parents and guardians.
Among the to do list were “go sledging”, “make a snowman” and “throw some snowballs safely”.
They were also instructed to take photographs in a bid to build memories after being warned “snow doesn’t fall that often”.
Mr James said: “I kept the school open on Thursday but when I saw the warnings on the BBC for Friday, I made the difficult decision to close the school. It was important to give parents enough notice to make alternative arrangements, as it’s not always easy. I also had to think about staff members who faced difficult journeys into school.
“I spoke to the site manager on Friday and he said that I had made the right decision as the snow was drifting and there was quite a bit around the school.”
As far as the homework was concerned Mr James, who trained to be a teacher at Trinity College Carmarthen, said: “It’s all about getting children to experience the outdoors and for them to learn that it can be fun. You get children these days spending a lot of time inside and looking at screens.
“There is an emphasis in education, especially in primary schools, on learning through play, and going outside on a snow day is a great opportunity for them to learn.
“A day like Friday was perfect for them to experience snow. I told them to go out, go sledging, build a snowman and have as much fun as possi- ble. There will only be so many snow days in a pupil’s childhood and it’s important that they get out there and experience nature and the great outdoors.
“One parent told me that she used the day to teach her son some maths by going out to play in the snow and showing him a thermometer and introducing minus numbers to him.
“The response has been quite positive and we really want to thank the parents.”
One parent, Emma Williams, needed little persuading in helping her children with their homework.
She said: “We had a lovely time today, the four of us, and the snow, of course.
“Although not as much snow as we expected, we wanted to make sure we enjoyed our homework this week.
“Mr James wanted the children to have fun, so that is what we did. We also built a snow robot.”
Former Dyfed-Powys policeman Paul Herdman also tweeted: “Fair play. This is the way a school should approach rare snow days. Llongyfarchiadau.”
News of continued acts of kindness in the record-breaking cold snap continued yesterday.
Snooker superstar Ronnie O’Sullivan was leaving the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, having just been knocked out of the Wales Open by John Higgins, when he saw a homeless man in a doorway on what was another bitterly cold night in the city.
O’Sullivan was so shocked to see the man in the doorway of the Rainbow Casino in Tredegar Street he went to the supermarket next door and bought him some sandwiches and drinks.
Eyewitness Matthew Lofthouse said: “It happened 45 minutes after his defeat in the 2018 Welsh Open quarter-finals at the Motorpoint Arena.
“The Rocket spoke to the homeless man, shocked that he was laying outside in the snow and freezing conditions.
“He ran into the Tesco Express next door and picked up a couple of sandwiches and drinks for the man and gave them to him compassionately.
“He was then very polite and told the man to stay safe and insisted that he shouldn’t say thanks for the gift.”