Harvest Festival: tomorrow
A reminder that tomorrow is our Harvest Festival. A huge thank you to Mrs Reeve who is setting up our Harvest Table - the Harvest Loaf has arrived and is beautiful as always!
Care: We will be collecting donations tomorrow for the Riverchurch foodbank.
They would appreciate tins, jars and packet food as donations please e.g. rice pudding, tinned fruit, corned beef, tinned curries, hotdogs, teabags, sugar, pasta, pasta sauce, tuna, soups, microwave rice, rice, tinned tomatoes, jams, marmalade, meat balls in gravy, cereal, squash, biscuits, tinned veg, sugar etc.
Disco: tomorrow
Just a few reminders to ensure everything goes smoothly:
All children must be collected by someone over the age of 16. The disco ends at 6pm: please be on time.
If your child has not been in school on the day because they have been unwell, they should not come to the disco.
Phones: Please do not allow your child to bring a phone. If there is a valid reason, please sign it over at drop off to the member of staff registering your child and name the adult it should be handed over to at the end of the disco (who will also be asked to sign that it has been received). All phones will be locked away for safekeeping during the disco.
The children are no doubt looking forward to the school’s upcoming Autumn Disco and we want to make sure this is a fully inclusive event for all concerned.
So that we can include Nursery children, we ask that parents attend with their child.
Parents of children of any age are welcome to stay if their child needs additional support, for example if they have an ALN or are anxious.
Not every child with an ALN will need additional support to enjoy the disco. If your child, does need support to be safe and you are unable to accompany them, then please contact us to discuss. Support from staff would be dependent on availability.
This disco isn't themed, so no costumes are required and party wear is encouraged. Many children enjoy dressing up and we often see favourite book or movie characters at our discos. However, please ensure that costumes are age appropriate (no 18+ horror film characters, weapons or fake blood etc).
Monday 20th October: Spring Bulbs for Schools
We’re excited to be taking part in the Spring Bulbs for Schools Investigation, in partnership with the National Museum of Wales and the Edina Trust, alongside other schools across the country. While Dosbarth Porffor will be leading the investigation, we’re delighted that our PTFA has generously provided additional bulbs so that every child in the school can take part and help make our grounds beautiful next spring.
Children will be heading outside throughout the day to plant their bulbs. Please ensure your child comes to school with:
- Suitable footwear to change into for going onto the field (e.g. wellies, football boots, or old trainers)
- A carrier bag to put muddy shoes in afterwards
Parents Evening Booking
Parents evenings will be held on November 11th & 12th. You will be sent a link to book your appointment time via Teachers2Parents on Monday next week. Booking will be open until we return from Half Term. Any late additions will need to be arranged by contacting the school office.
National Numeracy Schools and Families Programme
This year we are taking part in the National Numeracy School and Families Programme which aims to:
- Increase pupils' confidence with numbers, positive feelings about maths, and awareness of its value outside the classroom - helping them believe to achieve
- Enhance parents', carers' and school staff's confidence in supporting children with maths
- Establish a legacy of approach that continues beyond the end of the programme
We will be holding 'open' Help Your Child Love Maths sessions for parents on Thursday and Friday of the first week back after half term (5th and 6th November). This is Number Confidence Week and will also include an online assembly for junior pupils with Barclays Bank.
Each session will include a brief overview from Mrs Reeve, who is our numeracy lead, a chance to join your child who will be taking part in practical, numeracy across the curriculum, and an explanation about how our approach to maths homework will look going forward.
Session Booking Information - times & booking form will go out on Friday this week
We anticipate these sessions will be popular. Each class will run a morning and afternoon session. Based on feedback from last year, we’ve decided to space them out across two days to avoid overcrowding. Places will be limited per session, so we kindly ask you to book in advance to help us plan effectively.
Sessions will be:
- Thursday am: Coch, Melyn, Glas
- Thursday pm: Oren, Gwyrdd, Porffor
- Friday am: Oren, Gwyrdd, Porffor
- Friday pm: Coch, Melyn, Glas
To ensure fairness and comfort for all:
- Only one adult may attend per child per session.
- If two adults wish to attend, they must book different sessions.
- Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate an adult attending every session for the same child.
If you have more than one child:
- You may move between classrooms during a session.
- Alternatively, you can choose to book different sessions for each child.
- If you need to move between two or more classes during a session, please let us know in the special requirements section of the booking form — we will do our best to accommodate this.
Please note: We regret that wheelchair access is not available to the hall where sessions begin, or to classrooms Gwyrdd, Glas, or Porffor. If you would still like to attend, please indicate this in the special requirements section of the form and we will explore ways to support your visit.
Spotlight on Policy & Procedure: shoes
Our school rules are simple: Be ready, Be safe, and Be respectful.
Being ready and safe includes being dressed appropriately for the Curriculum for Wales, which at Pontllanfraith involves outdoor learning and the Daily Mile. That’s why our uniform policy asks for black trainers.
If your child cannot yet tie laces, we kindly ask that they wear velcro trainers. We understand that some parents prefer to send their child in different shoes. If this is the case, please send in a pair of trainers that can be kept in school.
Please note: this is not our preferred approach, as changing shoes during the day can be disruptive to learning and activities. Your continued support in helping us keep things running smoothly is greatly appreciated.
And finally, look out for a special newsletter from Eco Committee next week!