Parent/Carer,
The National Maths on-line Procedural Tests take place this week together with catch-up testing for any pupils who were absent for the Reading and the Maths Reasoning tests.
Children have been really-well engaged and I’d like to thank you for your balanced support for your child during this period.
Football
There is a football match after school tonight against Ysgol Ifor Hael and the team are really looking forward to it!
Sycamore Ward Visits
Over the past few months, Miss Spray has been involved in a really important project with the Occupational Health team at Sycamore Ward, St Woolos Hospital, which involves a group of pupils visiting every few weeks and meeting with day patients who are developing Dementia, to do art and craft activities.
This project has been very beneficial for both children and patients and, later in the term, we hope to receive current training on Dementia Awareness. Newport City Council has declared Newport a Dementia Aware city and our project is helping to support that.
The Rotary Club of St Woolos have invited a group of pupils to make a presentation to them about this project later in the term, at the Parkway Hotel in Cwmbran and this will be a lovely opportunity for all of the pupils taking part. They will also make a parent presentation in school as well.
Art Workshops
On Friday the artist and environmentalist Tom Maloney, will be running Art Workshops for pupils in Year 3 and 4 classes as part of their ‘Bee Friendly’ theme. It was lovely to see so many pupils dressed up on Friday for their Immersion day. Thank you for supporting that!
Mental Health Awareness Week
This week is the UK Mental Health Awareness Week. For more information visit: www.mentalhealth.org.uk.
You may be interested to know that this year, instead of having a Healthy Week we have introduced a Wellbeing Week (w/c 17th June ) and it will focus on ways of developing children’s physical and mental wellbeing. The School Council are currently working on a Wellbeing Scale and this will be introduced throughout the school.
We believe that this is a very important area to develop and the school has just been asked to take part in an innovative pilot project with Gwent Health’s Child and Adolescent Mental Healthcare Service. This will help us to develop, and contribute towards, practices in supporting pupils and families with mental health concerns.
Attendance
The class of the month for April with an attendance rate of 94.7 % is 3P. Our school total currently stands at 93.7 % and our target is 94%.
The school has been directed to issue Fixed Penalty Notices where parents have failed to engage with the school and where pupil attendance is unsatisfactory. All parents, without exception, are expected to ensure that their child attends school regularly.
European Elections
As a result of the European Elections to be carried out on Thursday 23rd May, we have been notified by Newport City Council that we will be a Polling Station. We have already had five INSET days this school year so cannot take any more. As a consequence, we will partially close the school on Thursday 23rd May to Nursery and Reception pupils, meaning that only pupils in Year 1 and above will be required to attend. Pupils’ attendance marks in the Nursery and Reception classes will not be affected because school will be legally closed to them for that day.
I am very sorry about the inconvenience that this will cause but am pleased that I am able to keep the remaining classes open. In order to ensure the health and safety of all pupils in school on Polling Day, the Nursery garden will be closed to pupils throughout the day and additional staff will be on the yards at both break and lunchtime, just in case people get lost going to the Polling Station entrance in North Street.
SCHOOP
If you have picked up a paper copy of this newsletter because you have not had a copy to your mobile phone, please sign up to SCHOOP (School In The Loop) as soon as you can. The school code is available from the office.
Parent Governor
I’m pleased to confirm that we had a considerable number of ballot forms returned for the post of Parent Governor and Mrs Begum emerged as the winner in a closely-run race. The ballot count took place in the presence of our Chair of Governors, Dr Paul Glover, and Mr Parker (Mrs Begum was unable to attend because of illness.) I’d like to thank all of those parents who voted and also extend my thanks to both candidates for being willing to help the school in this way. Mrs Begum will now join Mr Guest, Mr Phillips and Ms Bradfield who are your Parent Governors and if ever you wish to speak to them but haven’t seen them, you can arrange to do so via the office at any time.
Mr Parker is a DJ, he has very kindly offered to run two discos free of charge to raise funds for school on Friday 24th May. One will be in school time, for all Foundation Phase children (free choice donation), and the other will be for Key Stage Two children after school (Entry payment).
Mrs Couch
Mrs Couch, our Deputy Headteacher, who has been our Deputy Headteacher for eighteen years, has very sadly decided that she will be retiring from her post at the end of the summer term. Obviously this is a very big change and, because her contribution to the life and development of the school has been so great during her time here, her retirement will have a significant impact on the school. She has thought long and hard about this decision and it has been a difficult one for her to make. However, even though she is retiring from this post, we hope that she will be able to work with us in some capacity in the future, so we won’t lose contact with her. We will mark her retirement later in the term and I will keep you informed about that.
I’m letting you know about this today, because the post has been advertised and shortlisted applicants will be visiting the school and interviewed for the post on Thursday and Friday of this week. We have already had interest from several very well-qualified potential applicants and I am confident that I will have good news about the appointment for you next week.
It is a time of change, but, in all of the changes that we have gone through over the past years as our school has grown, we have ensured always that we have put our children and families at the heart of everything we do, and that will continue.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support.
Yours sincerely,
H Vaughan
Headteacher