Welcome to our St Mary's Weekly Newsletter!
Remembrance Day Prayer
Today, we paused on the school playground to observe the two minutes silence at 11am. The children were absolutely incredible once again. They stood silently and respectfully in remembrance and reflection. Da iawn pawb.
Christmas Concerts 2022
Please see concert dates below:-
Mon 5th December- Puffins' concert- 10am
Tues 6th December- 10am -Parrots & Penguins' concert 1:30- Year 1 & 2- Wrens, Robins, Owls' concert
Weds 7th December- 10am -Parrots & Penguins' concert 1:30- Years 1 &2- Wrens, Robins, Owls' concert
Erddig Rotary is holding a Christmas community concert and has invited Years 5 & 6 to perform their Christmas concert in Ty Pawb on Friday 9th December at 6pm- Tickets will be on sale for £5 each to include festive mulled wine and mince pie. Erddig Rotary Club are kindly donating all proceeds to our school. Diolch yn fawr
Tues 13th Dec- 10am- Years 3 & 4 concert 1:45- Years 5 & 6 concert 6pm- Years 3 & 4 concert
Weds 14th Dec- 10am- Years 5 & 6 concert 1:45- Years 3 & 4 concert 6pm- Years 5 & 6 concert
Please see letter sent via email regarding concerts, Christmas preparations etc
Attendance Matters
Please note school starts 08:55 and finishes at 15:15.
From September, please DO NOT book routine appointments or holidays within term-time. The governors of St Mary's will not authorise holidays taken within term-time.
Please support us to ensure all children are in school on time to receive their education as long as they are fit and well to do so.
From September, gates will be locked at 08:55 by which time ALL children should be in class and ready to begin their school day.
Following the WCBC policy, arrivals after 09:15 when the registers close, should be marked as an absence.
St Mary's Attendance Race
Our Whole School Attendance target is 96%
W/E - 28/10/22-This week's whole school attendance is 92.9% (a slight decrease on the week before. I'm sure we will reach our target soon!!)
Foundation Phase- Winners are Penguins with 94.6%
Puffins-84.8% Parrots- 91% Penguins- 94.6%
Robins-91.5% Owls-90.5% Wrens-83.3%
Key Stage 2- Winners are Dovey with 98.1%
Clywedog-93.1% Conwy-96.6% Alyn- 96.3%
Dovey-98.1% Gwenfro-94.2% Dyfrdwy-96.3% Gwaun 92.9%
At the end of the school year, the winning class will have the opportunity to go to the cinema for a well-deserved treat! In addition, on an individual basis, ALL children with consistent 100% attendance for the year will receive a special 'GOLD' medal.
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.
Children in Need Friday 18th November
As usual, we will be celebrating BBC Children in Need Day on Friday 18th November. The School Council have planned a wonderful day's events to help raise money for children less fortunate than ourselves.
Please see their poster below:-
Whole School Trip to Chester Zoo
What an amazing day we all had at Chester Zoo on Tuesday. All children had a wonderful time and were impeccably behaved, as always. They aways make us so proud! Da iawn pawb!
A HUGE thank you to all our volunteer helpers who joined us on our trip and to all staff who helped to organise the trip. What a super team! Diolch pawb.
Visiting our friends in Hilbury House Care Home
Each Wednesday morning, Mrs Edwards and Mrs Trawally take a group of Year 3 & 4 children to visit Hilbury House care home residents. They have made some great friends and enjoy taking different activities to do with the residents whilst they are there. The residents really look forward to the visit and have lots of fun. Diolch children- you are making a real difference and we are very proud of you all! Da iawn.
FRIENDS' CHRISTMAS EVENTS
Santa's coming to St Mary's Grotto!
(Santa booking forms will be sent home on Monday)
Festive PJ & Film Night- Thursday 8th December- 3:30-5pm
(***Please see letter sent today via email regarding an important event taking place during the Film night***)
Please return booking forms as soon as possible. Diolch.
Friends' Children's Calendar 2023- Fundraising
The calendars will be on sale before Christmas for approximately £8 and would be an ideal Christmas gift for family and friends as well as a wonderful opportunity to help raise funds for our school. Booking forms to follow.
Today, our Super Ambassadors and Year 6 School Councillors led our whole school assembly. They were absolutely outstanding! They introduced themselves and told the children about their roles and the rights of the child (UNCRC) through a range of interactive games and activities. We were all so impressed with their mature, confident presentational skills! AMAZING!!
After School Clubs - resume on Tuesday next week (Staff training on Monday sorry!)
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 Reception children 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
Good news!
Early Years-
Years 1 and 2-Madison has achieved Wave 1 and Sophie has moved to Wave 4. Abigail and Vanessa went to London, Alfie-Jay is going on a climbing wall this weekend, Dillan achieved a red stripe in Tai Kwondo and the Owls class are all very excited about the new Smyths toy superstore!
Years 3 and 4- Erin is going to the Harry Potter Studios this weekend, Noah D has passed Wave 3, Grace has moved to Wave 7, Adam is playing football on Sunday, Mark has joined Tae Kwondo and Aimee has passed Wave 5 and Adnan has passed Wave 3. Pati is going to be celebrating her dad's birthday at a party this weekend, it's Joia's dad's birthday, Jeremiah's mum's birthday and Isabella's baby's birthday today!
Year 5-Izzy G's nana is coming over from the North East
Year 6- Natasza has passed Rookie Lifeguard, Maja has moved up a swimming group and astrid has passed Wave 6.
Owen & Dylan tried indoor skydiving for the first time! Wow!
Learning about the Sacrament of Baptism in Reception class
St Mary's Pre-School Christmas Fair
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)
Thank you for your support and understanding.
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