news
3rd February 2010
NEW RANGE OF OUTDOOR AND ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITIES FOR KS2
We pleased to announce the launch of a new range of outdoor and environmental activities at Ty’r Morwydd specifically designed for Key Stage 2. The new cross-curricular programme offers excellent opportunities for pupils to develop social skills, teamwork and build confidence. This year, for the first time, we have also partnered with a local outdoor education centre to offer the option of adventurous activity sessions as part of your trip (subject to availability).
Full details can be downloaded from the education section of the website
9th October 2009
TY'R MORWYDD IN THE NEWS
Proposal for new Welsh ballet school still under consideration
Discussions about a £3 million proposal to transform a disused Welsh college campus into a ballet school and theatre are set to continue despite being twice rejected by the site’s owners, Coleg Gwent.
Read the full story at: www.thestage.co.uk
Forum fights back
Community leaders have criticised comments made by the principal of Coleg Gwent claiming his reason for not accepting a popular proposal for the future use of The Hill is unacceptable.
Read the full story at: www.abergavenny-chronicle today.co.uk
9th October 2009
IMPROVEMENTS TO COMPUTING FACILITIES
We have been able to make further improvements to ICT facilities at Ty'r Morwydd thanks to a donation of 10 reburbished computers from e-inclusion recycling. This means that now even more students are able to research and write-up fieldwork while at the centre.
2nd March 2009
Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of the education charity Ty'r Morwydd Environmental Study Centre will be held at The Old Convent, Abergavenny on Saturday 28th March 2009 at 11.00am. Members of the Charity are invited.
21st December 2008
NEW EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES
The 'Moving Mountains' project is a NEW and innovative learning programme combining the traditional benefits of out of classroom learning with state of the art multi-media technology.
The Project centres on the impact of quarrying on the landscape, culture, economy, and ecology of the local area.'Moving Mountains' is designed to work alongside our existing fieldwork provision (i.e. in Geography & Biology), but also provides a range of options for less traditional subjects (e.g. Welsh Baccalaureate, Leisure & Tourism, Business Studies, Media Studies). A key benefit of the project is the use of multimedia equipment (camcorders, digital cameras, voice recorders) to put together a short movie or presentation using our NEW Multimedia Resource Centre with its interactive whiteboard, wirelessly networked computers, and editing software.
One of the objectives of 'Moving Mountains' is to produce an interactive online guide to the Clydach Gorge; an area just 8km away from the Centre that was quarried extensively to support iron and lime production. The quarries closed some time ago, and the gorge is now the ideal spot to explore flora and fauna and to gain an insight into our industrial heritage. Participants’ work will become hotspots on the online map, which can be elaborated on, so that a multi-layered resource is built up. See our Clydach Gorge Website for more information. Other locations, including active quarries will also be used to look at the wider issues associated with aggregate extraction.
We can assemble an innovative and inspirational programme using combinations of Moving Mountains modules (and our existing courses) to meet your curriculum / framework needs. Through the project, you can also take advantage of the iEARN UK Learning Circle structure to continue your skills development and assessment after your visit to Ty’r Morwydd / Mulberry House. See the Key Stage 2 section of this website for an example of what the project has to offer.
15th December 2008
OPENING THE DOORS TO THE COMMUNITY
This year Mulberry House has invested in improving its disabled access and has installed a new pathway across the orchard gardens to link with its new entrance to the rear of the building (next to our free carpark).
In January 2009 we will also install, with the help of a bid from GAVO, further improvements to the disabled access inside the Centre and provide an additional disabled toilet close to the Georgian House entrance.
"As a charity and social enterprise we are keen to let the public benefit from the use of our wide range of new and existing facilites as we wish to work more closely with the local community" said Vivienne Compton, Centre Director. "This is a very exciting time for us all".
The Town Mayor, County Councillor John Prosser, and local County Councillors Roger Harris, Paul Jordan and James Cook visited the Centre on 5th December and were shown the new Digital Media facilities and Resource Library, the new YHA accommodation. Specialist Geography Tutor, Steve Tyrell gave a demonstration of how the new digital resources can be used to enhance experiential outdoor fieldtrips using the local landscape of the Clydach Gorge. Students have made video clips and have been contributing towards the building of a new website www.clydachgorgeguide.org for the benefit of tourists, local people and students.
Councillors thanked Centre staff for the tour and mince pies and found it very interesting to "uncover all these resources close to the heart of Abergavenny". Councillor Harris said he had lived in Abergavenny for many years and "always wondered what went on here" at the Old Convent! The Councillors recommended that the Centre hold and Open Day in the New Year to showcase all the facilities available and 'spread the word'. Watch out for dates!
Our community Christmas Lunches brought lots of festive cheer this year and local primary school children (Our Lady of St Michaels and Deri View) both kindly came to sing Christmas carols to guests and "made their day"! It served to remind us of what Christmas is all about and the importance of the community spirit alive and well in Abergavenny.
See also: Disabled Access Statement
4th September 2008
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT SKILLS
PRIMARY KEY STAGE 2 (YEARS 4, 5 AND 6)
Using habitats of the locally situated Clydach Gorge local children recently came to our Environmental Study Centre to the gain the skills necessary to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that can be applied in their home/school.
During this two-day study, pupils gained science skills, data collection techniques and reporting skills. Pupils ‘pooted and poked and paddled’ looking at plants and woodland and freshwater invertebrates. One of the aims of the study was to estimate the potential human impacts caused by conflicting land-use proposals.
They also learnt to investigate an environmental issue, which links to the Geography curriculum.
Whilst using our new multimedia facilities in Abergavenny pupils also learnt ICT and digital media skills.
Schools working towards Eco-school status would particularly benefit from this study as students learn skills associated with carrying-out an environmental audit.
In the autumn term 08-09 the Moving Mountains team will be developing new fieldwork for GCSE Geographers, Environmental Scientists and the Welsh Baccalaureate (Wales, Europe and the World).
The theme of this new programme of activities will be Land Use Conflicts connected with ‘New Proposals for Aggregate Extraction in a Local Area’.
An Enviromental Impact Assessment will, again, be part of this NEW one-study and be will be supported by the use of the latest digital media technology.
Steve Tyrrell
Lead Tutor, Moving Mountains
See also Education > Key Stage 2
14th April 2008
NEW RESEARCH
'A Journey to Excellence - Investigating Self-Assessment as a Quality Management Tool and Performance Management System for a Non-maintained
14-19 Education Provider of Natural Environment Studies based in Wales', 2008.
Contact enquiries@mulberrycentre.com for further details.
'The Value of Field Studies and Outdoor Learning Opportunities in contributing to Learners in Wales achieving the 14-19 Learning Core', 2007. Independent study. Contact enquiries@mulberrycentre.com for further details.
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