Welcome to our St Mary's Weekly Newsletter!
Let us Pray- Gweddiwn
Feast of St Francis of Assisi -4th October
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IMPORTANT
We are still waiting for quite a few data booklets and update forms to be returned to school. It is crucial that we receive the forms as soon as possible please. If you require another copy of the form, please contact the school office. Diolch.
IMPORTANT- Parents should contact school if any contact/ consent/ medical details change during the year. Thank you for your support and understanding.
World Cerebral Palsy Day- Friday 6th October
Thank you to everyone who came to school dressed in green to support our gorgeous friend Noah in Reception class and help raise funds for PEEPS charity. You will be delighted to hear that we have raised a super £340. Da iawn pawb and diolch yn fawr iawn!
Individual Photos- Tempest
Individual and family photos will be taken on MONDAY 9th October. Please ensure children are in full school uniform and NOT their PE kits please. Years 1, 2 and 6 should bring their PE kit to school in a bag so they can change for their afternoon PE sessions on this occasion. Many thanks.
Harvest Festival and Dress Up Day- Friday 13th October
Friends' Meeting Thursday 12th October at 3.30 pm
Planning meeting on Thursday 12th October at 3:30 in school for the Autumn Fancy dress discos to be held on Thursday 26th October- all welcome if you are able to help out- Diolch.
Parents' Evenings
Please see letter sent on 3.10.23 and link to Parents' Evening booking system
Parent Governor Vacancies
There are two parent governor vacancies at present. Please see links to the information nomination form and letter sent to parents on 2.10.23
Attendance Matters
Please note school starts 08:55 and finishes at 15:15.
Please remember, 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.
Foundation Phase winners this week are:- Parotiaid with 99.1 %
Dosbarth Palodau-82.9% Dosbarth Parotiaid-99.1% Dosbarth Pengwiniaid-92.5%, Dosbarth Robin Goch- 95.4%,Dosbarth Tulluanod-96.2%. Dosbarth Dryw- 94.8%
Key Stage 2 winners this week are:- Alyn with 98.8%
Dosbarth Clywedog-89% , Dosbarth Conwy-89.4%, Dosbarth Alyn-98.8%, Dosbarth Dyfi-92.8%, Dosbarth Gwenfro-96%, Dosbarth Dyfrdwy-95.4%, Dosbarth Gwaun-93.3%
WHOLE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE TARGET - 96%
WHOLE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE- 93.9% ( just 2.1% off over target!)
Please help us achieve our target this year!!
Years 3 & 4 TITANIC WOW day- Thursday 5th October
Dosbarth Alyn, Clywedog and Conwy embarked on a captivating Titanic adventure this week to launch their next Big Question, immersing themselves in history. They danced the waltz with grace, learned about the ship through a remarkable virtual tour, showcased their artistic talents, and dressed in fabulous costumes that transported us all to the Titanic era. It was a day to remember, where history came alive! Da iawn pawb!
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
Patrwm Yr Wythnos
The Criw Cymraeg’s ‘Patrwm yr Wythnos’ (Phrase of the week) this week is:
See VIDEO LINK
Class Assemblies 2023-24
From Reception to Year 6, all classes have the opportunity to lead the whole school assembly on a Friday morning. Parents and family members are invited into school on a Friday afternoon (at approx. 14:15) to watch their child's class assembly.
Please see the list of class assembly dates for the school year ahead below:-
We look forward to welcoming you into school!
Nursery & Reception- Eliza's daddy is home from London this weekend and Noah is going pumpkin picking tomorrow!
Years 1 & 2-Mariana's baby brother can give her handshakes now, Amelia W has moved to Wave 2, Daniela had a gymnastics award and Nissi is going to a fun fair
Years 3 & 4 -Cody went to watch The Wizard of Oz Musical, Niamh went to the outdoor cinema in Erddig to see the Greatest Showman, Isabella got her puppy and is going to a dance competition this Sunday, Lois went to FlipOut.
Year 5-Sophie was mentioned on the Zoe Ball Radio 2 show on Weds morning, it was Adam's sister and Sophia's sister's birthday this week, Ella enjoyed the Greatest Showman in Erddig, Joseph is going to the Horse of the Year show and it is his dad's birthday party this weekend and Noah's cousin is 4 very soon.
Year 6-Ben has joined Scouts, Filip has a red belt in Tae KwonDo, David is visiting Poland in November to attend his cousin's baptism, Amelia J has a new fish called Nightmare
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