St Mary's Catholic Primary Ysgol Gynradd Santes Fair Weekly Newsletter- CYLchlythyr wythnosol - 26th march 2025 (Issue 23)

Welcome to our St Mary's Weekly Newsletter!

Let us Pray- Gweddiwn

Jubilee Year 2025

“For all of us, may the Jubilee be an opportunity to be renewed in hope.” Pope Francis

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Mother's Day

Lent 2025

“He shall take root like the trees of Lebanon, his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. ” Hosea 14:6

Gweddiwn- God, our refuge and strength, we pray for the people of Lebanon. Hear the cries of our hearts, bring peace beyond war, end the cycle of poverty, restore hope in place of despair. Amen.

Staff Big Lent Walk- 10 miles Sunday 6th April

On Sunday 6th April, a number of St Mary's members of staff will be walking 10 miles to support the CAFOD Big Lent Walk. If you are able to do so, please share this link with your family and consider sponsoring us to raise money for CAFOD. Thank you for your support.

LINK TO SPONSOR FORM

Sacrament of Reconciliation

On Wednesday, all children who have made their First Confession will have the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation in school during this Holy season of Lent. Both Fr Nicholas and Fr Spigniew will be attending school during the morning to hear confessions. We thank them for their ongoing support for the spiritual growth of our children. Diolch o galon.

Praying the Stations of the Cross

The Stations of the Cross are a popular devotion during Lent. Known as Via Crucis in Latin, this form of prayer commemorates the journey Jesus made to Calvary, and the various steps he made in that journey. Fourteen “stations” are featured in total. Each station usually begins with a verse by someone leading the prayer focused upon one of the "stations". Short words of meditation then lead into a shared prayer, recited by all. Praying the Stations of the Cross have a rich history within the Church and are usually prayed on Friday evenings during Lent. On the last day of term, we will pray the Stations together as a whole school family.

TRIP TO PARLIAMENT

on Tuesday, some of our pupils from Years 5 and 6, along with Mrs. Acton and Mrs. Gillett, had an exciting day in London, where they enjoyed a fascinating tour of the Houses of Parliament. It was a fantastic experience that provided a real insight into the heart of British politics. A big thank you to Mr. Murray (Rene's Dad and Parent Governor), Mr. O'Toole and Mrs. Sinclair for volunteering their time to accompany us on this memorable trip. We're grateful for their support in making this experience possible for the children!

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

Support the Friends of St Mary’s

to raise much needed funds for the benefit of all our children Friends of St. Mary’s School are now registered with easyfundraising, which means you can raise FREE donations for us every time you shop online. Over 4,000 shops and sites will donate to us when you use easyfundraising to shop with them – at no extra cost to yourself!

These donations really mount up and make a BIG difference to us, so we’d really appreciate it if you could take a moment to sign up and support us. It’s completely FREE and only takes a moment.

Do it today- Sign up by clicking on the link below

Please encourage your family and friends to do the same.

Keeping everyone safe- Covid 19

Local Authority advice remains that all children and staff who are displaying symptoms of illness or testing positive on an LFT or PCR test should not come to school and continue to isolate.

In addition to the 3 classic symptoms of a cough, high temperature and loss of taste or smell, we are noticing that many children who are testing positive are also displaying some of the following symptoms :- vomiting, headaches, runny nose, sore throat (symptoms similar to the common cold)

Thank you for your support and understanding.

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