Llansannor & Llanharry C/W Primary School

Dear all at home,

What a wonderful term we've had at Llansannor & Llanharry CiW Primary School! Our recent topic, "God's Gifts", has been an incredible journey of learning and discovery. We've explored farming and harvest in depth, helping our pupils gain new knowledge and skills. Our learners have made fantastic progress across key areas - improving their writing, maths, and digital competency skills. It's been inspiring to see how engaged and curious our pupils have been throughout this learning experience. The rest of the term was filled with Religion Values and Ethics (RVE) where pupils learnt about the nativity story and the arrival of Jesus. I'm delighted to share some special moments from our term. We held a beautiful thanksgiving celebration at Holy Cross, where we shared our learning and reflected on the gifts we've received. Our Christmas concerts were also a highlight, showcasing the creativity and talent of our pupils. Looking ahead, we have some exciting visits planned to support our spring topics. These visits will help bring our learning to life and provide enriching experiences for our pupils. Parents, please remember to check ParentPay to give consent for your child's participation. We're proud of how much our pupils have achieved this term and look forward to continuing our learning journey together. I would like to thank all members of staff for their commitment, support and hard work throughout the whole term. I am very grateful for you all! I wish you all a wonderful, peaceful Christmas and a happy, healthy new year. Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd da!

Love and Prayers,

Mrs Davies

Please remember to order your school dinner! This can be booked up to do two weeks in advance on ParentPay.

Additionally, if you have booked a school dinner and your decide to send your child with a packed lunch, please could you cancel the order to avoid food wastage.

Our Thanksgiving service was a special time where we celebrated our learning and connected with pupils across different year groups. We gathered at Holy Cross Church, which was a lovely opportunity for our school community to come together. During the service, our pupils explored some really interesting topics. We learned about harvest around the world and discovered something fascinating about hunger cloths - understanding how they are used and their significance. One of the highlights was hearing the beautiful singing from our methrin and derbyn pupils. Their voices filled the church with joy and reminded us all of the incredible talent we have in our school. These moments are important. They help our pupils understand more about the world, connect with each other, and celebrate our learning in meaningful ways. Thank you to everyone who helped make this service so special - our pupils, staff, and the wonderful Holy Cross Church community for letting us use the wonderful space.

I'm excited to share some fantastic work happening in our school around Welsh language development. Our dedicated pupil voice group, Criw Cymraeg, have been incredibly proactive in creating an action plan to boost Welsh across our school and local community. They've been working on some brilliant initiatives that I'm really proud of. These include creating weekly Welsh sentence patterns that we'll be sharing with parents through Class DoJo, so keep an eye out for these! We're also introducing more Welsh language in our school hall, particularly around mealtimes. Our pupils have been wonderfully creative in developing posters to encourage local businesses to embrace the Welsh language. We're particularly looking forward to sharing these in Spar Llanharry and other local shops in our area. The aim is to encourage shop workers and customers to speak more Welsh and celebrate our wonderful language. Another exciting project is our plan to create a list of 10 Welsh songs that we'll play during school assemblies and when parents visit our school. This will help create a vibrant Welsh language environment and help our pupils feel proud of their linguistic heritage. Our Criw Cymraeg have shown incredible enthusiasm and commitment to this project, and I couldn't be more proud of their hard work and dedication.

Our Healthy School pupil voice group are working with Park Run UK to encourage children to get moving and running. Many of our children are already getting the running bug. Keep an eye out for your local Park Run (Bridgend, Pontypridd and Cardiff) and community events - many of which provide a fun and relaxed atmosphere for children and families to run together. We are proud of these children who recently took part in the Pontyclun Santa run and The Urdd Santa run.

We all had a fantastic time on our residential. We stayed in the Urdd centre in Cardiff Bay and it was fun becuase I stayed with my friends. I was a bit nervous becuase I was staying away on my own but I was also happy as I was with my friends. The best part of the trip, in my opinion, was the speed boat and going to techniquest. I would like to go again as it was so fun!

Written by Lily L Year 4

We held our "Dewch i Weld" sessions, which gave parents a special opportunity to explore our learning spaces and see what our pupils have been doing. During these sessions, we opened our classrooms and invited parents to look closely at the work our pupils have been creating. It was a chance for families to walk through our learning environment and really understand what happens day to day. Parents took time to look at all the work and chose their favourite pieces. What made this extra special was that they wrote post-it notes telling our pupils what they liked about their work. These personal comments are so meaningful and help our pupils feel proud of their achievements. We were delighted that so many of you could join us. Our hope is that you found these sessions informative and gained insights into your children's learning journey. A big thank you to everyone who came and took part in making these sessions such a success.

I wanted to share some of the special spiritual moments we've experienced together. This term has been filled with meaningful services that have brought our school community closer. We've been fortunate to welcome different members of our local church community who have supported our pupils' spiritual development. We've enjoyed Godly Play sessions with Rev Angel, which have been a beautiful way for our pupils to explore and understand faith. Our assemblies with Rev Ross and Rev Angela have been particularly special, providing inspiring moments of reflection for our pupils. We were also delighted to have Alun join us for an assembly, adding another dimension to our spiritual learning. Year 2 pupils had a wonderful experience visiting Ebeneezer Church to explore Christmas, which was a memorable educational opportunity. Our Christingle and Eucharist services have been deeply meaningful, allowing our pupils to participate in important religious traditions. These services help our pupils understand more about faith and community. We are extremely grateful for all these opportunities and the support from our local church community. These experiences help our pupils develop their spiritual understanding and connect with wider community values.

At Llansannor we take pride in our school uniform as it reflects our community spirit and values. I want to reach out to all parents and carers to ensure pupils wear the correct uniform daily. As we move into the Spring term, I'd like to clarify a few important points about our school attire. 'Nike Pro' style cycling shorts are not part of our approved school uniform. Shorts must be knee length to maintain our standard dress code. We previously mentioned in our summer newsletter that pupils in years 4, 5 and 6 should be wearing black shoes or trainers. This isn't just about appearance - it's about helping our pupils prepare for their transition to secondary school. By adopting a more mature dress approach, we're supporting their personal development and building confidence for their next educational step. Our uniform is more than just clothing. It represents who we are as a school community and the values we share. When our pupils wear our uniform, they're showing they belong to something special. Thank you for your continued support in maintaining our school standards.

We are incredibly fortunate to have the Friends of Llansannor, a dedicated group of volunteers who work tirelessly to support our school. Their commitment to raising funds has been remarkable. From creating Cauliflower cards to organising school discos, from hosting the Christmas fayre to providing refreshments at our Christmas concerts, they have been instrumental in bringing our school community together. These efforts might seem small, but they make a huge difference. Each event not only helps us raise much-needed funds but also creates opportunities for our pupils, staff, and families to connect and enjoy time together. The support and energy they bring are truly invaluable. While we continue to fundraise for the development of the outdoor area, the friends of Llansannor also contribute £1000 each term to buy resources. Last term this helped resource our role play areas, and to replace our very worn storage units. We are deeply grateful for everything the Friends of Llansannor do. Their dedication shows how a community can come together to support education and create memorable experiences for our pupils. Thank you for your continued support.

Lazer Travel, JNP Legal, Vortex Competitions, Robertson's Solicitors, Move Yoga, Maison de Beaute, Pizza Chic, Scoops Bryncae, Subway, The Pipeworks, Leyshon's Fish and Chips, Francesca Griffin, Forage Farm Shop and Kitchen, FishnChips Bryncae, Lancer Scott, Jump Jam, Leyshon's Fish and Chips

School attendance in really important for your child's learning. Every day matters when it comes to your child's education. When pupils are in school consistently, they learn more, build stronger friendships, and develop crucial skills that will help them throughout their lives. We've noticed that attendance can sometimes be a challenge for families. I understand that mornings can be tough and there are always reasons why a pupil might miss a day. But I want to share why being present in school is so valuable. Missing even a few days can make a big difference. Each lesson builds on the last, and when pupils are absent, they can quickly fall behind. This isn't just about academic progress - it's about keeping connected with their learning community and maintaining their confidence. We're not just looking at numbers. We care about each pupil and want to support families in ensuring regular attendance. If you're experiencing challenges that make getting to school difficult, please talk to us. We can work together to find solutions. Our school team is always ready to listen and help. Whether it's practical support, understanding specific family circumstances, or finding ways to make coming to school more enjoyable for your child, we're here. Thank you for your ongoing support in helping our pupils achieve their very best.