Dear All,
Well done to the Digital Leaders for presenting so well at the Apple Regional Training Centre meeting that was hosted after school last Wednesday. It was a very successful event and it demonstrated the wide range of ways in which pupils and staff use iPads in our school using apps to do things in school such as QR codes, IMovie trailers and IMovies, Pages and Numbers (basic word processing and spread sheets).
Just for information, you might like to know that we currently have fifty four laptops which are either in the IT room or in classes and we also have three iPads in each class. We have recently put in an order for another eleven, to add an extra one to each class.
Thank you very much for all the Tombola items and prizes that you sent in last Friday! Please send in any fresh items such as cakes, samosas and bhajjees on Friday.
The visit by The Principal Challenge Advisor for Newport, Mrs Davies-Edwards, went very well on Friday. She was extremely impressed by the children, especially when she heard them talking so positively about school. They were a credit to you!
Tuesday is a busy day. Milttlepad are running an IT day for schools in South Wales at The Riverfront Theatre and have invited our Digital Leaders to take part.
On Tuesday afternoon, Year 1 and 2 pupils are taking part in a very special final celebration for the Lead Creative School project, which we are hosting at the University of South Wales, in the city centre near the river. This will be a lovely afternoon and I hope that all parents who have been invited are able to join us for this. You are welcome to either walk down with children from school or meet us at the university. Children taking part in this event will be able to wear their smart clothes to school all day on Tuesday.
On Wednesday children will be bringing home information about our Healthy School Week competition.
On Wednesday afternoon at 2.45pm we are launching the GEMS Reading Cafe which will be held in the Library. It will be led by Mrs Hala Edwards, who is a language specialist working in the school part-time. The GEMS Reading Cafe is a chance for you to have a cup of coffee, have a chat about children’s reading books and pick a book to borrow. Your child will then join you in the Library.
School and Nursery are closed on Thursday and the school will be a Polling Station. Staff will be having an INSET Day which will focus on moderating pupils’ work across the school.
On Friday, Year 5 and 6 pupils will be taking part in a series of Bridge Building Workshops which will be held at the YMCA. These are run in conjunction with The Institute of Engineers. ABC Electrification are sponsoring the cost of venue hire and transport and pupils will also be joined by some volunteers from Newport St Woolos Rotary Club. We appreciate the help of all of these in running this event.
Our Summer Fayre takes place on Friday afternoon and starts at 3.45pm. There will be a number of stalls on both yards which will be run by staff and parent volunteers. The bouncy castle has been kindly donated by Mr Barber. We are also running a goal scoring game donated by SportsXtra.
Thank you very much if you have volunteered to help. If anyone would like to pop along to help with setting up on Friday afternoon, they would be very welcome.
We’re keeping our fingers crossed for fine weather!
Raffle tickets will be on sale this week- 50p a strip.
Healthy Week
Healthy Week runs next week and on Monday 27th June we have our Tracksuit Day when children can wear their sports/football/rugby kit to school.
Sports Day will be held on Thursday 30th June so please ensure that your child has their kit in school every day now so that they can wear it for practices. (9.30am – Juniors/ 1.30pm – Infants)
On Sports Day children can wear their house colours which are:
Usk -Yellow
Wye – Red
Ebbw – Green
Severn – Blue
Diary Dates
Please note that as a result of reviewing our calendar for the new school year, the Autumn Term will now start on Thursday 1st September. Reception children will start on Monday 5th September. (Letters are being sent to new Reception parents this week.)
Parent Governor
I’m very pleased to report that three parents have been nominated for the vacant role of Parent Governor. They are:
Mrs K Begum – Mother of Isam in Class 1/2DJ
Mr A Guest – Father of Barnaby in Class 1/2MS
Mr D Phillips – Father of Declan in Class 3/4M
The Education Achievement Service will now provide us with ballot papers for an election so I will send those out as soon as we have them.
In a time when many schools are struggling to get even one nomination for vacant Parent Governor posts, I think it is a great reflection on our school community that we have three parents who are willing to undertake this role and I’d like to thank all three of them very much for submitting nominations.
Bonus Ball
There is a rollover this week!
Yours faithfully,
H Vaughan
Headteacher