Welcome to our St Mary's Weekly Newsletter!
Welcome Back to School-Croeso yn ol!
Let us Pray- Gweddiwn
Our Lady's birthday- 8th September
Anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth II- 8th September
It has been lovely to welcome everyone back to school after the summer break and we are all enjoying settling back into school life with our friends. A special word of welcome to any new children who have joined our school family- croeso mawr!
Thank you so much for your commitment to uphold our very high standards and expectations for presentation; uniform, hairstyles, jewellery etc. Your continued support and cooperation is very much appreciated. (Please see link to letter sent on 4/9/23).
We held our first 'pre-loved' school uniform GIVE-AWAY after school on Thursday. If any parents, require any uniform after this date, please contact the school office. Please continue to donate any school uniform items that you no longer need throughout the school year. We will be holding further ‘uniform give-away’ events during the year in addition to having the on-going low cost sale of good quality second hand uniform. Please see information/ order forms on the school website. LINK
Data and Parental Consent Booklets
Over the coming weeks, we will be issuing our 'on-entry' data and parental consent booklets to all our new families. Please complete all sections of the booklets as soon as possible and return them to your child's class teacher. Thank you.
For all other parents, a data checklist form will be sent for you complete to confirm that there have been no changes to your child/ family contact, medical and consent information. It is vital that school has the correct information on every child. This is especially important if we need to contact parents in an emergency situation. Please ensure that you contact school if any contact/ consent/ medical details change during the year. Thank you for your support and understanding.
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Safeguarding of all children
Teachers and school staff are responsible for 'handing over' children to parents/ carers or other pre- advised adults/ older siblings. It is vital that parents inform the school office, if a different person is collecting your child at the end of the school day.
Staff will not 'hand over' a child to another adult if school has not been informed. This is to ensure that all children are safeguarded in our care. Many thanks for your support and understanding.
From WCBC Head of Education- Regarding: Use of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete in Schools
You will be aware of the recent press coverage regarding the potential for RAAC in public buildings and schools. WCBC is proactive in managing the condition of its schools which are surveyed on a rolling programme to ensure compliance with current legislation and as part of our annual condition reports to Welsh Government. To date we have not had a report of RAAC in any school building in Wrexham.
We would like to reassure parents and school staff that WCBC have and continue to take, all reasonable measures to ensure the integrity of its schools and at this time we have no evidence to suggest any of its school buildings are at immediate risk.
Attendance Matters
Please note school starts 08:55 and finishes at 15:15.
St Mary's Attendance Race 2023-24
Once again, our attendance race is on! Each week during our whole school assembly, the weekly attendance figures for each class will be announced and displayed on the attendance race display in the school hall and reported in the weekly newsletter (from next Friday). The classes in Foundation Phase and Key Stage 2 with the highest overall weekly attendance will be awarded the prestigious attendance trophy or shield to keep for the week.
At the end of the school year, the winning class will have the opportunity to go to the cinema/ receive a treat for a well-deserved reward! In addition, on an individual basis, ALL children with consistent 100% attendance for the year will receive a special attendance badge.
As I explained to the children in assembly this week, children should not worry about having to stay off school if they are poorly. Children should only attend school if they are fit and well enough to do so. Routine appointments, holidays during term-time, days off for birthdays however, are not valid reasons to stay off school.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding with this very important matter.
First Holy Communion Classes 2023-24
If you wish for your child to make their First Holy Communion next summer, please contact the parish catechists in your own church. First Holy Communion preparation is provided in individual parishes and not in schools. (Year 3 children upwards.)
Parents of children who are members of St Mary’s Cathedral Parish need to contact the parish secretary on secretarywrexhamcathedral@rcdwxm.org.uk by the 15th September 2023.” Parents of children who are members of Llay/ Rossett Parishes, should email Oonagh Thompson on o.thompson58@btinternet.com by the 17th of September. Please provide Name of child, Date of Birth, Date & place of Baptism, name of school, Year of attendance and parents' contact details. Any questions, please ask.
St Mary's School Family Clean Up Day
On Saturday 23rd September, we are holding a St Mary's family clean up day in school from 10am- 2pm. All staff, families and friends are invited to join us to give our school gardens and grounds an 'autumn clean up.' Come along to help out, have a chat, get to know each other and make a difference within our school community. It will be lovely to see as many families as possible. Our lovely cook, Mrs Price has even agreed to make bacon butties and a warm drink for all busy helpers! ( a vegetarian option will also be available.) Please complete the form using the link to let us know if you are able to join us. Diolch
Friends of St Mary's- AGM- Annual General Meeting 2023
Please come along- everyone is welcome- New parents and existing families!
Free School Meals- Are you eligible?
May I remind all families who are eligible for free school meals to make an application via the link ‘Free school meals | Wrexham County Borough Council. This will not only provide your child with a daily free meal in school but will also allow parents the opportunity to apply for a Pupil Development Grant (PDG) | Wrexham County Borough Council to help with the cost of uniforms, resources, equipment and devices etc. By making your application, school will also receive the correct amount of funding from Welsh Government.
Please note:-
Your child is eligible to receive free school meals if you or your child receive the following...
• Income Support (IS)*
• Income Based Jobseekers Allowance (IBJSA)*
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Income-related Employment Support Allowance (IR)
• Child Tax Credit - providing you’re not entitled to Working Tax Credit with an annual total income below the HMRC set limit
• Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
• Working Tax Credit 'run-on' - the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit - if you are working you must be earning less than £7,400 per year (£616.67 per month) to qualify for free school meal
From September 1st, all primary aged children (Reception- Year 6) in Wrexham can have a free school meal as part of the WG universal offer. However, if you are in receipt of the above benefits, please remember to make an application via the links above as well to ensure access to the PDG and to enable school to receive the additional funding.
I urge all families to take up this wonderful universal offer. Diolch
School Dinner orders
Please ensure that school dinners are pre-ordered at home. Teachers should not be ordering meals in school, as previously advised by WCBC. Thank you
Brawddeg Yr Wythnos
The Criw Cymraeg’s ‘Patrwm yr Wythnos’ (Phrase of the week) this week is: Croeso/ Welcome
See VIDEO LINK
Nursery & Reception-
Years 1 & 2- Melanie & Maria have started swimming lessons, Seth has moved up to Wave 2, Blossom & Evelyn have started gymnastics together, Elliott is super excited to have his birthday soon, Tommy visited ComicCon over the holidays and met lots of characters and hunter is in Wave 2 swimming. Daniel had a phone, Daniela's tooth fell out, Finn is going swimming and Szymon is going on holiday. Nathan is going to football and Tiara and eullaare going swimming.
Years 3 & 4- Niamh has moved up to Sharks in Wxm Swimming Club and Rosalia has moved to Wave 7. Saoirse started Bitesize this week, Aditi started tennis lessons, Franek went to Erddig with Beavers and Kordian has a medal from football.
Year 5- Ella may be starting violin lessons soon, Erin's dad is having his birthday this week and Matilda's Godmother's sister has had a baby.
Year 6-Rosie and Tommy are selling items to raise money for Wrexham Foodbank, Sophia is going to watch Benjamin be a mascot at Wxm Football Club on Saturday and Issy G took her niece in the sea for the first time.
Please email / Seesaw with any special good news or remind your child to tell their class teacher so that all good news can be shared on our weekly newsletter. Thank you.
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)