Welcome to our St Mary's Weekly Newsletter!
Happy New Year! Blwyddyn Newydd dda
Let us Pray- Gweddiwn
New Year Prayer
New Year Mass
Today, we celebrated the start of the new year by coming to the cathedral for Mass. The theme of the Mass was 'Peace.' As has become tradition in the January Mass, the staff lead the readings and prayers and take part in the offertory procession. Da iawn to everyone who contributed so beautifully and to all children for their excellent behaviour and delightful singing.
Thank you to all parents for helping to walk the children to the cathedral.
Nursery Admissions to St Mary's Catholic Primary School- Sept 2024
Join our wonderful school family! Please pass on the information to all friends and family. Diolch
Year 6 School Journey Information Evening
Early Years WOW day
Year 5 trip to Dangerpoint
Year 5 had a fantastic visit to Dangerpoint at Talacre yesterday. The children had a very interesting, fun-filled and very interactive experience at this award winning centre. They took a journey to the beach, to the countryside, to a farm, on the train, the playground and back home again. They learned about many risks involved in these areas and how to keep safe in many situations in these areas. This was a wonderful day!
"We learned a lot!" Sophia
"My best day" Adam
"It was good fun " Alexandra
" Can we go back?" Iris
Year 3 & 4 Wow day
On Wednesday, our Year 3 and 4 children had an incredible Wow Day to kick off their new Big Question: "Are They Listening?" Inspired by their class read, 'The Last Bear' by Hannah Gold, they dived into a fascinating science investigation on how Polar Bears keep warm.
Bravo to the brave volunteers who endured chilly conditions for science! This hands-on experience not only sparked excitement but also deepened their understanding. A fantastic start to our new Big Question!
Relationships and Sex Education
As you are aware, the school governing body approved the use of Ten Ten ‘Life to the Full’ published scheme of work which is in line with the new statutory relationships and sexual education code commissioned by the Catholic Education Service (CES) and complies with the statutory Welsh Government R.S.E. curriculum. Parents, pupils, staff, governors and the parish community were all involved in the consultation process which resulted in important key decisions being made about how and when the programme would be delivered in St Mary's.
The scheme offers a developmental programme to promote the holistic growth of children’s understanding of human relationships following the teachings of the Catholic faith. It is underpinned with the understanding that our deepest identity is as a child of God – created, chosen and loved by God. The programme is fully inclusive of all pupils and their families and supports the delivery of a developmentally appropriate curriculum for all.
Life to the Full offers a platform of creative resources that engage, inform and inspire our children and includes interactive video content, story-based activities, a wide range of teaching tools, original worship music and an accompanying programme of classroom prayers.
Life to the Full builds on the essential partnership between home, school and church so that all children are fully supported.
Each half term, all teachers will share the programme of work for RSE in each class with parents via Seesaw. Please contact school if you have any questions or queries. Diolch yn fawr iawn
Course for Parents/ Carers
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.
(N.B. Attendance for last week of term)
Foundation Phase winners this week are:- Tulluanod with 96.6%%
Dosbarth Palodau-94.2% Dosbarth Parotiaid-89.8% Dosbarth Pengwiniaid-82.7%, Dosbarth Robin Goch- 87.5%, Dosbarth Tulluanod-96.6%. Dosbarth Dryw- 87.5%
Key Stage 2 winners this week are:- Alyn with 97.7%
Dosbarth Clywedog-92.1% , Dosbarth Conwy-88.3%, Dosbarth Alyn-97.7%, Dosbarth Dyfi-91.5%, Dosbarth Gwenfro-88%, Dosbarth Dyfrdwy-92.9%, Dosbarth Gwaun-81%
WHOLE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE TARGET - 96%
WHOLE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE- 90% (Lots of illness and a number of early / extended Christmas holidays being taken)
Please help us achieve our target next week!!
Patrwm Yr Wythnos
The Criw Cymraeg’s ‘Patrwm yr Wythnos’ (Phrase of the week) this week is: Syniad da! Good idea
See LINK
Early Years- Emilia is having anew puppy, Willow is starting swimming lessons, Zayden sometimes goes to swimming lessons, Alice is going to ballet and so is Enzo's sister. Harri and Alfie went to Flipout and met Roche in the park, Nancie-Mae went to Flipout with her mum and friends and Luka got the trophy for best player of the week at Brickfield Rangers. Nelly went to see Wish with her cousin and Nancie went with her Auntie. Noah went to Soph and Benj's house on Boxing day and they went for a walk.
Years 1 and 2- Last Saturday, Gabriel went to the mountains and on Sunday he went with Dorian to the Storyhouse. Amelia W is going to a party. Neave and Kharis are starting gymnastics, Fiadh went ice-skating, Lily-Rose is going to see a pantomime and Mia is going to Egypt on holiday. Isabella is making her big move to Florida- we wish both Isabella and her family lots of luck and happiness in their new home!
Years 3 and 4-Dylan is now in Wxm swimming club, Pati is going back to gymnastics after a long break over Christmas, Isabella is going to an Eisteddfod to dance, Julia D and her family are going to the Harry Potter Studios in London and Cody is going to Edinburgh with his family. Vanessa has moved up to Wave 6, Julian, Florence and Benj are going to the next Wxm match and Vanessa M is going to a show with dancing. Rene went to Germany and has passed Wave 4, David is performing his Taekwondo show on Saturday.
Year 5-Diego's baby brother Michael is 3 week's old and Gracjan and Henri went to see the film Wonka at the cinema.
Year 6- Sophia went to Finland and saw the Northern Lights and Zofia is joining Delta dance school. Eni has a new electric car.
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