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Yn Nhrevelin, fel ar draws gweddill y byd, rydym wedi ffarwelio a’r flwyddyn ddiwethaf ac yn croesawu'r flwyddyn newydd gyda breichiau agored. Bydd 2020 yn siŵr o ddod ag atgofion annifyr i rai ohonom, tra bydd eraill wedi ei weld fel cyfle i ddysgu am eu cyfyngiadau ac adnabod eu cyraeddiadau. Bydd rhai wedi goroesi tra bydd eraill, yn anffodus, wedi dioddef. Dyma ble fydd yr heri  ni fel ysgol yn 2021, a dyma ble bydd canolbwynt ein hymrwymiad i’r plant ac i’r gymuned leol.

Fe ddechreuon ni'r flwyddyn ysgol ym mis Mawrth 2020 gyda phob brwdfrydedd, ond chyn hir roedd Llywodraeth yr Ariannin wedi gorchymyn y dylid cau holl sefydliadau addysgol y genedl, yn sgil y pandemig. Ac felly fe gaeodd  Ysgol y Cwm ei drysau ar Fawrth 17eg (mae'n werth nodi nad oedd COVID 19 wedi ymddangos yn ardal yr Andes tan mis Hydref, drwy lwc).

Llwyddodd yr ysgol i gadw mewn cysylltiad gyda’r rhan fwyaf o’r plant  trwy rannu adnoddau a chynnal dosbarthiadau rhithiol dros blatfformau digidol fel Classroom a Zoom. Roedd ymdrechion y teuluoedd a’r tîm addysgu yn hanfodol i gynnal y cysylltiad  rhwng y disgyblion a’r ysgol.

Hoffai Llywodraethwyr Ysgol y Cwm ymestyn gair o ddiolch i’r canlynol, felly:

-  I’r  athrawon, am fod mor hyblyg wrth ddatblygu ffordd newydd o ddysgu o'u cartrefi, yn aml gyda chysylltiad rhyngrwyd gwan a gyda'u hoffer eu hunain, ac am lwyddo i gyflawni'r hyn a gynlluniwyd.
- I'r teuluoedd am ymroddiad a chyfeiliant eu plant yn y tasgau a’r gwaith cartref, wrth gymryd rhan yn y  gweithgareddau rhithiol, ac am ddyfalbarhau gyda’r taliadau misol i'r ysgol, sydd yn ein galluogi i gynnal ein hymrwymiadau trwy gydol y flwyddyn.
- I'n ffrindiau yng Nghymru a ledled y byd am eu rhoddion a’u cyfraniadau, sy’n cefnogi dysgu'r iaith Gymraeg yma yn y Wladfa
- I'r Cyngor Prydeinig am y cydweithrediad misol ar gyfer talu cyflogau athrawon Cymraeg lleol.
- I'r Prosiect PIP (Prosiect Offerynnau Patagonia) am ddarparu offerynnau cerdd i’r plant.
- I Gymdeithas Gymreig Trevelin, sy'n parhau i adeiladu'r Ysgol.
- I Fwrdeistref Trevelin am eu cyfraniadau misol.
- I Weinyddiaeth Addysg Talaith Chubut am eu cydweithrediad wrth gyfrannu tuag at dalu cyflogau’r athrawon.
- I’r cwmni cydweithredol  ‘Cooperativa 16 de Octubre’, am roi offer ar gyfer darparu dŵr yfed i'r Ysgol.
- I'r gymuned leol am ymuno â'r digwyddiadau a chyfrannu gyda'u presenoldeb.
- I'r sefydlwyr ac i’n holl ffrindiau eraill am eu hanogaeth a'u cyfraniadau parhaol.

Er ein bod yn wynebu 2021 gyda llawer o ansicrwydd, rydym yn gwybod bod nerth mewn  undod. Bydd hyn yn ein galluogi ni i gyd gyflawni'r amcanion sydd gennym, sef:

- Ychwanegu dosbarth arall at yr ysgol gynradd, sef Blwyddyn 5.
- Cynnig rhagor o gynnwys rhithiol, yn ôl yr angen ac o ystyried yr anawsterau sydd yn ynghlwm a chyflogi athrawon o Gymru.
- Parhau gyda’r system ysgoloriaeth ar gyfer myfyrwyr, sydd yn cael ei gynnal gan roddion gan ein ffrindiau.
- Addasu’r ysgol i weithredu i ddilyn y rheolau glanweithdra, a fydd yn debygol o barhau am gyfnod eto.

Mae'r holl ymdrechion hyn yn galw am wariant o oddeutu $1,100,000ARG (tua £10,000) y mis. Mae’r mwyafrif ohono yn cael ei gyfrannu gan deuluoedd y disgyblion, ac yn cael ei ddefnyddio i dalu cyflogau, yswiriant, gwasanaethau a hefyd i dalu am waith cynnal a chadw a glanhau, ac i ddarparu byrbrydau i’r plant.

Y flwyddyn hon, bu’n rhaid canslo tripiau blynyddol y plant i lefydd fel Parc Cenedlaethol Los Alerces,  Canolfan Sgïo La Hoya, a’r Fferm Bysgod. Doedd dim cyfle iddynt fynd ar drên bach La Trochita, nac i fynd i wersylla ar lan yr Afon Fawr chwaith.  Roedd yr Ysgol wedi bwriadu mynychu Eisteddfod y Bobol Ifanc yn Y Gaiman ym mis Medi, ond ni ellid gwneud hynny chwaith. Fe gymerodd y plant ran yn yr Eisteddfod dros y we. Mae'r cyfnod clo wedi bod yn hir iawn ac mae’r plant a'u rhieni yn gyffrous iawn am y posibilrwydd o ddechrau dosbarthiadau unwaith eto eleni.

Ers mis Hydref, mae’r ysgol wedi bod yn cynnal  gweithdai hunan-gyllidol i'r gymuned mewn pynciau fel iaith, dawnsio a choginio, gan ddilyn y rheolau a’r protocolau a osodwyd gan yr awdurdodau iechyd lleol.

Roedd cael dod 'nôl i gymryd rhan mewn gweithgareddau yn yr ysgol yn bwysig iawn i'r plant. Roedd yn caniatáu iddynt gwrdd eto, i weld eu ffrindiau a gwneud pethau fel mynd am dro mewn grwpiau bach trefnus o 10. Gallent deimlo bod popeth yn iawn, ac y daw eto haul ar fryn!

Hoffai pawb sydd ynghlwm a Ysgol y Cwm ddiolch i chi o waelod calon. Gobeithio y gallwn barhau i gerdded ymlaen gyda'n gilydd i ysgafnhau'r baich ar y rhai sydd â'r lleiaf ond sy'n dymuno cynnig addysg ddwyieithog i'w plant.

Mae 2021 yn cyrraedd yn llawn disgwyliadau, a gobeithio y gallwn wneud (a chroesawu!) rhagor o ffrindiau o Gymru a thu hwnt.  Gobeithio hefyd y byddwn yn croesawu rhagor o deuluoedd lleol i gymuned Ysgol y Cwm, ac y byddwn yn parhau i wireddu gweledigaeth sylfaenwyr yr ysgol, ac yn parhau hefyd i dalu’r deyrnged hon i’n cyndeidiau.

Hoffem orffen gyda gair o gydymdeimlad.

Fe ffarweliodd cymuned Gymreig yr Andes ag un o’i meibion mwyaf adnabyddus wrth baratoi am y Nadolig. Bu farw Oscar Kansas Jones, Llywydd Cymdeithas Gymreig Trevelin yn ei gartref ar Ragfyr y 23ain. Mae'n gadael gwagle a fydd yn anodd iawn i’w lenwi,  a bydd colled fawr ar ei ôl ym mhob cyngerdd, noson adloniant,  digwyddiad diwylliannol neu acto, ac wrth gynnal digwyddiadau i groesawu ein ffrindiau o Gymru.

Hoffai pawb yn Ysgol y Cwm anfon ein cariad at Melva Tardón, ei wraig, a'u plant Fabián a Lorena, yn ogystal â'u hwyrion, Iñaki, Iago ac Alvaro. Bydd ein hysgol yn ei gofio am byth fel un o’i hoelion wyth.

Cofion cynnes, ar ran Ysgol y Cwm,

Erica Hammond
 Prifathrawes Ysgol y Cwm (Ysgol 1038)
 
Margarita Jones de Green,
Llywydd Cymdeithas Ysgol Gymraeg Trevelin

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In Trevelin, as across the rest of the world, we bade farewell to 2020 and welcomed the new year with open arms. Whilst 2020 will no doubt bring some unwelcome memories to some of us, others will have seen it as an opportunity to learn about their limitations and recognize their achievements. Some will have thrived and flourished while others, perhaps, will have suffered. This is where our challenge lies in 2021, and this will be the focus of our commitment to the children and the local community.

We started the school year in March 2020 with great enthusiasm, but soon the Argentine Government had ordered the closure of all the nation's educational institutions, in the wake of the pandemic. And so Ysgol y Cwm closed its doors on March 17th (it is worth noting that, luckily, COVID 19 didn't appear in the Andes area until October).

The school managed to keep in touch with most of the children by sharing resources and running virtual classes over digital platforms such as Classroom and Zoom. The efforts of the families and the teaching team were vital in maintaining the connection between the pupils and the school.

The Governors of Ysgol y Cwm would therefore like to extend a word of thanks to the following:

- The teachers, for being so flexible in developing a new way of learning from home, often with a weak internet connection and with their own equipment, and for achieving that which was planned.
- The families, for their children's dedication and accompaniment in undertaking tasks and homework, and for  participating in the virtual activities, as well as for persevering with the monthly payments to the school, which enable us to maintain our commitments throughout the year.
- To our friends in Wales and around the world for their gifts and contributions, which support the teaching of the Welsh language here in Patagonia
- To the British Council, for their monthly contribution to the payment of  the local Welsh teachers' salaries.
- To the Patagonia Instruments Project, for providing musical instruments to the children.
- To the Trevelin Welsh Society, who are continuing with the work of extending the school buiulding.
- To the Municipality of Trevelin for their monthly contributions.
- To the Ministry of Education of Chubut Province for their co-operation in contributing towards the payment of teachers' salaries.
- To the ‘Cooperativa 16 de Octubre’ co-operative, who donated equipment for supplying drinking water to the school.
- To the local community, for joining in with the events and contributing with their presence.
- To the school’s founders and all of our other friends, for their encouragement and lasting contributions.

Although we face 2021 with much uncertainty, we know that there is strength in unity. This will enable us all to achieve our objectives, which are:

- The formation of  another class in the primary school, Year 5.
- Offering more virtual and digital content, as needed and given the difficulties of employing Welsh teachers from Wales.
- Continuing the scholarship system for students, which is supported by donations from our friends.
- Adapting the school to follow and adhere to the hygiene protocols, which are likely to continue well into this year.

All of these efforts require an expenditure of approximately $ 1,100,000ARG (approximately £ 10,000) per month. Most of it is donated by the pupils' families, and is used to pay wages, insurance, services and also to pay for maintenance and cleaning, and to provide snacks for the children.

This year, the children's annual trips to attractions such as Los Alerces National Park, La Hoya Ski Centre, and the local fish farm had to be cancelled. They didn't have the opportunity to board the La Trochita train, or to camp on the banks of the Rio Grande. The school had planned to attend the Young People's Eisteddfod in Gaiman in September, but that too was cancelled. The children took part in the Eisteddfod over the internet. The lockdown period has been very long and the children and their parents are very excited about the possibility of starting classes again this year.

Since October, the school has been running self-funded community workshops in subjects such as language, dance and cookery, following the rules and protocols set by the local health authorities.

Getting to participate once more in school activities was very important to the children. It allowed them to meet again, to see their friends and to do things like go for a walk in small, well-organized groups of 10. They could once again feel a sense of normality, and that this too shall pass!

Everyone involved with Ysgol y Cwm would like to say thank you very much to all those who have been in touch and have contributed during the past year. Hopefully, we can continue to walk forward together, to ease the burden on those who have the least but want to offer their children a bilingual education.

This year comes with many expectations, and we hope to be able to make many more friends from Wales and beyond . We also hope that we will be able to welcome more local families to the Ysgol y Cwm community, and that we will continue to realize the vision of the school’s  founders and continue to pay this living tribute to our forefathers.
We would like to end with a word of condolence.

The Welsh community in the Andes said goodbye to one of its most distinguished sons during the run-up to Christmas. Oscar Kansas Jones, President of the Trevelin Welsh Society, died at his home on December 23rd. His passing leaves a void that will be difficult to fill, and he will be greatly missed in the concerts, entertainment evenings, cultural events and actos, where he was a constant and welcoming presence.

Everyone at Ysgol y Cwm would like to send our love to Melva Tardón, his wife, their children Fabián and Lorena, as well as their grandchildren, Iñaki, Iago and Alvaro. Our school will forever remember him as one of its founding pillars.
 
Best wishes on behalf of Ysgol y Cwm,
Erica Hammond
Head of Ysgol y Cwm (School 1038)
 
Margarita Jones de Green
President of Trevelin Welsh School Association

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