Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmnedd

Yr ymgyrchydd mwyaf blaenllaw dros addysg Gymraeg yng Nghwm Nedd oedd Dr Bernard Bowen Evans, meddyg lleol a llywydd Undeb Cymru Fydd yng Nglyn Nedd. Wedi ffurfio pwyllgor, casglwyd enwau y rhieni a oedd â diddordeb ganddynt i anfon eu plant i Ysgol Gymraeg.

The most prominent campaigner for Welsh Medium Education was Dr Bernard Bowen Evans, a local doctor and the president of the Undeb Cymru Fydd movement in Glynneath. Having established a committee, the names of those parents who were interested in sending their children to a Welsh School were collected.

Ar ôl brwydr hir am flynyddoedd agorodd y dosbarth Cymraeg cyntaf yn yr ysgol fabanod Saesneg yn 1950. Dechreuodd y saith disgybl cyntaf yn y ‘Nyrseri’, adeilad hir, isel ar fuarth yr Ysgol Saesneg, yng ngofal Miss Doris Griffiths o Bontneddfechan.

In 1950, after a long struggle for many years, the first seven pupils, under the care of Miss Doris Griffiths from Pontneathvaughan, started in the Nursery. A long, low building on the yard of the English School.

Ar ôl agor y dosbarth cyntaf, tyfodd yr ysgol ac roedd rhaid defnyddio ystafelloedd yn yr ysgol Saesneg. Agorwyd Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmnedd annibynnol yn 1954 mewn tair ystafell yn ‘Neuadd y Welfare’. Penodwyd Mr Ieuan Davies o Resolfen yn brifathro cyntaf yr ysgol a Miss Margaret Jones a Miss Doris Griffiths yn athrawon.

After the first class was formed, pupil numbers increased and classrooms in the English Infant School were used as well as the ‘Nursery’. On January 4th 1954 an independent Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Nedd was opened for the first time in the Welfare Hall. Mr Ieuan Davies from Resolven was appointed the first Head teacher and Miss Margaret Jones and Miss Doris Griffiths were the first teachers.

Yn ystod 1957, gan fod yr ysgol wedi cynyddu i bedwar dosbarth bu’n rhaid symud unwaith eto o’r Neuadd Les i rannu’r Ysgol Fabanod Saesneg.

In 1957, because of the increase in pupil numbers, the school had to return from the Welfare Hall to share the English Infant School.

Yn 1968 gwelwyd cynnydd aruthrol yn rhif y disgyblion ac roedd 158 o blant ar y gofrestr. Rhagwelwyd cynnydd eto yn ystod y blynyddoedd nesaf ac wedi gorfod defnyddio’r ystafell athrawon fel dosbarth ychwanegol, penderfynwyd symud yr Ysgol Gymraeg gyfan, ar draws y ffordd, i’r Ysgol Gynradd Saesneg, sef, yr adeilad presennol.

In 1968 pupil numbers increased considerably and there were 158 children on the register. A further increase was anticipated in the following years and as a result of having to use the staff room as an additional classroom, it was decided that the whole school should move across the road and occupy the English medium Junior School, the present building.

Ym 1980 daeth cyfnod arall i ben yn hanes yr ysgol gydag ymddeoliad Mr D G Walters a phenodwyd Mr Alun Wyn Bevan yn brifathro. Sefydlodd Mr Bevan grŵp 'Mam a'i Phlentyn', y Cylch Meithrin a dosbarthiadau dysgu Cymraeg.

In 1980 another era came to an end with the retirement of Mr D G Walters and Mr Alun Wyn Bevan was appointed headteacher. Mr Bevan began classes for children under two years called ‘Mam a’i Phlentyn’ (Mother and Child), the ‘Cylch Meithrin’ (Welsh medium play group) and Welsh classes.

Yn 1989 dilynodd Mr Bevan lwybr Miss Harriet Lewis yn brifathro ysgol Gymraeg Pontardawe ac fe benodwyd Mrs Rita Dyer yn brifathrawes ar Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmnedd.

In 1989, Mr Bevan followed Miss Harriet Lewis's steps as headteacher of Ysgol Gymraeg Pontardawe and Mrs Rita Dyer was appointed headmistress of Cwmnedd.

Ym mis Mawrth 1997 ymddeolodd Mrs Dyer a'i dirprwy Mrs Elizabeth Williams a phenodwyd Mr Geraint Morgan yn brifathro newydd yr ysgol a Mrs Meinir Williams yn ddirprwy iddo. Dychwelodd Mr Morgan am ail gyfnod yng Nghwm Nedd.

In March 1997 Mrs Dyer and her deputy Mrs Elizabeth Williams retired and Mr Geraint Morgan was appointed Headteacher and Mrs Meinir Williams as his deputy. Mr Morgan returning for a second time to Cwmnedd.

Fe adawodd Mr Morgan am Ysgol Bro Ogwr yn 2003 a Mrs Williams am Beniel. Penodwyd Mr Rhodri Siôn yn Bennaeth yn yr un flwyddyn.

Mr Morgan left for Bro Ogwr and Mrs Williams to Peniel during 2003 and Mr Rhodri Siôn was appointed Headteacher during the same year.

Yn 1959 penodwyd Miss Harriet Lewis yn brifathrawes ar yr ysgol. Daeth Miss Lewis, a oedd eisoes yn adnabyddus ym myd radio ac yna ym myd teledu a bywyd newydd i’r frwydr dros yr iaith Gymraeg yng Nglyn Nedd.

In 1959 Miss Harriet Lewis was appointed head teacher. Miss Lewis, who was already well known in the world of radio and then television, brought new life into the struggle for the language in Glynneath.

Mae'r llyfr a gyhoeddwyd i ddathlu hanner can mlwyddiant yr ysgol bellach ar gael mewn fformat PDF. I'w lawrlwytho cliciwch isod.

The book published to celebrate the school's fiftieth anniversary is now available in PDF format. To download, please click below.

Yn 1964 penodwyd Miss Lewis yn brifathrawes Ysgol Gymraeg Pontardawe a phenodwyd Mr D G Walters yn bennaeth Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Nedd ar ôl bod yn athro yno am bum mlynedd.

In 1964 Miss Lewis was appointed Head teacher of Pontardawe Welsh School and Mr D G Walters became Head teacher of Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Nedd having been a teacher at the school for about five years.