Croeso to our St Mary's Weekly Newsletter!
Let us Pray- Gweddiwn
Leavers' Prayer
Dear Lord, We thank you for all the great things we have done at this school. We have learnt so much; we have had fun; we have grown up. Look after us as many of us prepare for a future in a new school. Help us stay true to the faith and values that have been so important in this school. Help us aspire to be more. Amen
We pray especially for our Year 6 children, and for Dylan K, Dottie, Bobby, Amelia M and Julia M who will be leaving St Mary's today. We wish them all the very best for the future and thank them for being a very special part of our school family. God bless you all.
DIOLCH! THANK YOU TO OUR FAMILIES!
We have come to the end of another happy and very successful school year at St Mary's and every year, I am always moved by the unwavering support that we receive from our parents and families. We are so blessed in St Mary's and cannot thank families enough for your involvement and encouragement this year. You are WONDERFUL and we are very blessed to work in partnership with you to ensure that we have the best learning environment and opportunities where all our children can thrive. Thank you in particular for all the very kind words and generous gifts received. We all very much appreciate your kindness and thoughtfulness. Diolch o galon.
Hwyl Fawr to Mr O' Toole & Mrs Sinclair
What can I say? Today we bid farewell to two very special people who between themselves, have devoted 58 years of dedicated service to St Mary’s Catholic Primary School and Catholic education. Mr O'Toole & Mrs Sinclair.
It is with both sadness and deep gratitude that we celebrate the significant contribution that they have made to our school community today. We will miss them both very much but their kindness, love, support and unwavering commitment to our school will leave a lasting impression in all of our hearts and minds. They will forever be cherished members of our St Mary's family!
Mrs Sinclair- Mrs Sinclair joined St Mary's in January 2000 and has always been a firm favourite with all the children and staff. She's taught over 700 pupils since being at St Mary's and has been an inspiration to us all. She has been the utmost professional, an excellent class teacher, a supportive and fun-loving colleague and friend, a kind, patient and very caring individual, a dedicated servant to the church, a meticulous pharmacist and a very caring nurse, and our very own Mrs Doubtfire! We will miss you terribly Mrs Sinclair, and want to wish you all the very best as you leave our school to embark on adventures new. Good luck and God bless! Gum beannaicheadh Dia thu
Mr O'Toole-Mr O'Toole joined St Mary's in 1990, believe it or not, on a short term contract that was to last 34 wonderful years! Mr O' Toole has also been a very much loved teacher and Assistant Headteacher, cherished by the children, staff and parents alike. Mr O'Toole has taught over 1000 pupils since joining St Mary's and left a lasting impression on all those who've be fortunate to have known him. He is the kindest and most caring individual, an inspirational teacher, an incredibly supportive colleague and friend, a wonderful leader, a fabulous dog handler, a jolly gate keeper, a cool DJ, a brilliant sports coach, a top fist 'bumper', a thorough Health and Safety rep, a firm but fair behaviour coordinator and our very own Mr OLD TOOL!
Whilst it is difficult to say goodbye, we know that the values you have instilled within us will continue to guide our school’s continued growth into the future. God bless, Mr O'Toole- we will all miss you and wish you every health, happiness and blessing for the future. Sláinte Mhath
Year 6 Leavers' Mass for Y6 parents and family members- Tuesday 16th July 10am in the cathedral
Congratulations to all our children and in particular to our Year 6 leavers for their wonderful contribution during the Mass on Tuesday. It was a beautiful and very memorable Mass marking the end of their time in St Mary's in a very special way. For some families of course, this Mass marks the end of an era; the last generation of the same family who have attended our school. Thank you to all family members who joined us at the cathedral. As I said at Mass, once a member of the St Mary's family, always a member of the St Mary's family! We will always remember you and you will always be welcome in our school.
The Mass was celebrated by Fr Jasper and Deacon Michael and we thank them all for their on-going support for our school. Thank you for all governors, parents and family members for joining us in our celebrations and to parents in particular, for entrusting your children into our care in St Mary's for the past 8 years. It has been our pleasure to have helped them along their way so that they are now ready for the adventures that will meet them beyond our school gates.
We wish all our leavers a very happy, healthy and fulfilling future and hope that they will keep in touch with us. God bless you all.
Year 6 Leavers' BBQ, Disco & Beach Party
On Wednesday afternoon, our Year 6 children had a great farewell beach party. There was a BBQ, drink, music, dancing and LOTS of fun! Thank you to everyone who helped to organise the event and for making it such a wonderful celebration.
Well done to all our Year 6 leavers for leading our final assembly today too! You were amazing and led a wonderful tribute to Mr O'Toole and Mrs Sinclair!
Patrwm Yr Wythnos
Pob lwc Blwyddyn 6- Good luck year 6s! (Patrwm Yr Wythnos)
Congratulations to the 15 children who were awarded 100% attendance badges today in assembly- WEn Hao, Esmond, Gabriel D, Isabella Gr, Max Gr, David Gy, Veni, Jiya, Matilda, Nicolas, Elliot O, Zion, Raissa, Joia and Adam S. Amazing! Well done pawb!
Getting Ready for September
School Uniform- High Standards
We pride ourselves on the excellent standard of our children's uniform and presentation in St Mary's. We expect that all families follow our consistent rules to ensure that these high standards are maintained. Please see below the information from our school prospectus before purchasing new uniform, shoes and before visiting the hairdressers or barbers ready for September 2024. Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.
PLEASE NOTE-Trainers are NOT part of our school uniform therefore, from September, all children must wear black school shoes and not trainers please. Thank you for your understanding.
PLEASE NOTE:- PUPILS IN FOUNDATION PHASE DO NOT NEED A PENCIL CASE (Nursery- Year 2)
Help for Parents through the Welsh Government
Please click on the link for information to access financial support
Annual Reports to Parents
Last week, all children received their annual progress report from their class teacher, together with their attendance record for the year and any national assessment results (Years 2-6). If you haven't already done so, please click on the Link to provide us with a comment about your child's report. Please do take this opportunity, wherever possible.
St Mary's Family Support & Information Group
Tocyn Enfys Winners- June & July
Congratulations to Noah D, Fabian K, Jeremiah, Mark and Antoni
Please note- School closes for the summer holidays on Friday 19th July and the children return to school on Tuesday 3rd September 2024
Early Years-Lennon is going go karting with Elliot, Jacob is going on holiday in a caravan, Nelly went to the cinema to watch Out2, Noah enjoyed Nancy's party. Dottie got her Posey 2 in her ballet presentation.
Years 1 and 2-Amelia W passed wave 5 and is going to Poland to visit Amelia M, Matti & Franek are going to Poland, Dorian is in Greece, Oyintaena won a football trophy, Finn is having a party on 6th August and Martim is going to the beach. Owls are all very sad to say goodbye to Julia and Amelia M who are returning to Poland . We wish the family all the very best as they move to Poland and hope they keep in touch.
Years 3 and 4- Julia M got honours in her dance exam, Isabella is going to Portugal, Pati's cousin is visiting from Poland, Niamh is going to France and Hanna is going to Poland. Joia is going to silver in dancing next year. Franek went to an air show and performed in a show on the weekend. Alfie Jay won best para endurance rider, Serah's dog has had puppies, Mitchell performed in a show called Josep and Clara is going to Ireland over the summer holidays. Flo passed with highly commended and distinctions in 3 eaxams- tap, ballet & modern.
Year 5- Ella is going to Germany in the summer to a Christening, Aimee & Mitchell performed in Joseph last weekend and did amazingly well. Eleanor is going to Tenerife on Saturday, Sophie is going for a sleepover at the weekend, Gracjan is going to Morocco, Nathan has football trials, Noah and Adam are going to Spain, Mark is going to Poland and Jesph is going to a horseriding competition at the weekend.
Year 6- Good luck to all our Y6 pupils!
WCBC School Term dates
Local Support for Families
At this difficult time of austerity, please see some information about local services that are available to provide support to families in need.
Please contact school if you find yourself in a difficult situation and need some help/ support to signpost you to an appropriate service. Your requests will be handled in confidence and with sensitivity. Diolch. Mrs Acton.
If you need help from our foodbank there are a few simple steps to follow. THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP IS TO GET A FOODBANK VOUCHER.
In order to provide the most appropriate help for the circumstances of your situation we work with local agencies. If they feel you are struggling to put food on the table, they will issue you with a foodbank voucher. The local agency can also provide long term support if needed to help address some of the issues behind the reasons for your crisis. Agencies we work with include: Citizens Advice, housing support officers, children’s centres, health visitors, social services and some local charities.
1. GET IN TOUCH WITH US.
If you call or email our foodbank we can talk through your situation and put you in touch with a relevant local agency.
2. ARRANGE A VISIT TO THE REFERRAL AGENCY.
They will discuss your situation and supply you with a foodbank voucher where appropriate.
If you can’t afford food, you can call 0808 2082138 (freephone) to speak to a trained and independent Citizens Advice agent (Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm). Please note this number is for people who do not have enough money for food – if you are a local organisation or charity that works with people who might need the food bank, please contact us directly.
Alternatively, please call 0300 330 1178 to speak to Wrexham’s Citizen’s Advice Bureau, who will be able to issue you with a food bank voucher if necessary.
3. BRING YOUR FOODBANK VOUCHER TO YOUR NEAREST FOODBANK CENTRE.
You can find a list of our local centres and opening times here. When you arrive, we’ll welcome you with a warm drink and our trained volunteers will chat with you about your situation. We’ll also discuss any dietary needs you may have and exchange your foodbank voucher for a parcel of three days of emergency food. We’ll also help to support you in any other ways that we can. Most of our foodbank centres offer a cafe style environment and our aim is to provide non-judgemental support at the point of crisis.
If you have any further questions our FAQ’s page may help, or feel free to give us a call.
Yellow and blue (YaB group ltd) is a social enterprise non profit project. Underpinning community projects including positive pathways, food provision and social isolation beating events and activities. With a digital vision within the community - we aim to support vulnerable groups whilst creating a vibrant, supportive and uplifting experience. Creating moments, chances and smiles when people need it most.
Please get in touch by emailing:- info@yellowandblue.org
Pupil Development Grant
The Welsh Government funded Pupil Development Grant is available to help towards the costs of a child’s school uniform and equipment, for those on a low income. Any child eligible for free school meals in the year groups listed below are eligible. However, those receiving free school meals due to transitional protection arrangement would not be eligible.
Depending on the school year your child will be entering in September 2021 you could receive a grant of £125 or £200. Link
Anyone eligible for free school meals and in the following year groups will qualify for the grant: Entering reception class in primary school, Entering school years 1 to 11, In a special school, special needs resource base or pupil referral unit and are aged 4 to 15.For any looked after children of compulsory school age who are not receiving free school meals, please email uniformgrant@wrexham.gov.uk for an application form.
Welsh Courses for Parents
Are you interested in becoming a volunteer in school?
Here at St Mary’s we are very keen to involve parents, grandparents and family members in the life of the school. We are always looking for volunteers to help out a wide range of activities such as school trips and walking the children to sporting events. We are also very happy to invite volunteers to share special skills, interests or experiences to enhance the children’s opportunities or provision e.g. gardening, sewing, sharing job skills/ experiences etc.
If you would like to be involved in any volunteer work for the school, please click on the link and complete and return the forms attached.https://stmarys-wxm.co.uk/about-us/forms/volunteer-form-2/
Please note:- All volunteers will be subject to DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) clearance. Thank you
Many thanks.
Welsh Government Announcement
Physical punishment of children is now illegal in Wales. Children have the same protection from assault as adults. This is to protect children and their rights. To find out more visit: http://gov.wales/EndPhysicalPunishment