Welcome to our St Mary's Weekly Newsletter!
Let us pray...
The Ascension of Our Lord
St Mary's Sports Days
Yay! We managed to hold all four sports days this week without a hitch! The weather was perfect and the children were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! What a joy to be able to watch everyone participate enthusiastically in a range of events on Belle Vue Park! Our Early Years' races were space themed, so children were creating UFOs, carrying 'moon rocks' and negotiating a range of obstacles which included walking on the moon, putting the rings around Saturn and launching rockets into space! Years 1-6 took part in a carousel-style sports day with events such as the speed jumps, obstacle race, javelin and sprint.
Everyone had a wonderful time and we all particularly enjoyed the FP parents' races and the KS 2 sprint finals! Da iawn pawb! A huge thank you to all families for attending, to staff for organising and helping with refreshments and to the Year 6 children and St Joseph's PE students for helping out with the events! Diolch o galon!
St Mary's New Spotify account
Introducing Our School's Spotify Account!
We're thrilled to announce that our school now has its very own Spotify account! đľ This exciting addition to our educational resources will play a crucial role in developing our childrenâs' oracy skills. We'll be utilising this platform for a variety of engaging purposes, unlocking endless possibilities for interactive learning and creative expression. Stay tuned for some fantastic podcast adventures ahead! đ§ Follow us now on Spotify!
Please click on the Link to view our account.
RELATIONSHIPS AND SEX EDUCATION UPDATE
Thank you to all governors, parents, carers, staff and former pupils for taking part in our consultation process. A summary will be shared with parents in due course. Please see the school website for information on the statutory code and consultation. Thank you
Friends of St Mary's- Resignation
It is with great sadness that I announce the resignation of Mrs Beki Jenkins as Chairperson of the Friends from the end of the school year. Mrs Jenkins has worked tirelessly and often single-handedly, or with very few helpers, to organise and run a range of wonderful fundraising and community events for the benefit of all our children at St Mary's. Sadly, Mrs Jenkins is no longer able to commit to the responsibility of planning, running, coordinating activities by herself without a regular team of helpers behind her to provide support and to share the countless 'behind the scenes' jobs required to put on events. I cannot thank Mrs Jenkins enough for all her hard work and commitment to the role, and am so sorry that she has felt the need to resign, despite all her best efforts. I am also very grateful to those parents/ families who have been on hand to provide help and support during past events, where possible.
The Friends committee (formerly the PTA- Parent, Teacher Association) has been a long-standing and integral part of our St Mary's school family for many, many years. Lots of fun times have been shared by so many families over the years and many thousands of pounds have been raised to support and enhance the provision and experience of our children. In this difficult financial climate with increasing school budget pressures, we are so grateful and are increasingly reliant on the additional funding provided by the Friends to 'top up' funding received by the local authority.
Just to provide a context for parents regarding the extent of the financial pressure schools are facing, and the reasons why we are in such desperate need for the additional support we receive through fundraising. Over 80% of our local authority delegated budget from the Welsh Government is spent on staffing- teachers, teaching assistants, 1:1 additional learning needs support staff, intervention support staff, administration staff and caretaking and cleaning staff. After utility bills have been paid, grounds maintenance contracts, insurances and educational support services etc have been allocated, a meagre ÂŁ20,000 is left to fund all school books, classroom resources such as pencils, pens, art equipment, paper, maths resources, learning resources etc for almost 360 pupils. This equates to only ÂŁ55 per child for a whole school year and approximately ÂŁ1.40 per week. This of course does not include the money that teachers are spending out of their own pockets on a regular basis to purchase books, resources, rewards etc.
It is not my intention to politicise the increasingly difficult budgetary situation for all schools. I just hope that by providing this information, all parents can see the real need for our school family to work together to raise additional funds to support ALL of our children's educational and social experience at St Mary's.
Again, just for information. Here are some examples of how funding provided by the Friends has been used:-
* Subsidised school trips, visitors, events * Subsidising or paying for buses to attend events/ trips etc to keep overall costs affordable for all parents * Paying for Rainbow Ticket prizes each month *Providing each block with a fund to pay for enhanced activities such as cooking, craft items, incidental topic based resources each year *Paying for IT resources such as iPads etc *Paying for Year 6 leavers' party and cake *Paying for the Holy Communion cake *Paying for outdoor benches *Paying for Year 6 Leavers' t-shirts *Subsidised ice-cream treats *Paying for outdoor equipment * Paying for buses to take children to Urdd competitions...
If we are to continue to provide the same level of support to benefit all children, we need families to come forwards to offer their help and support with future fundraising and community events. As always, we are open to new ideas and the staff of St Mary's are always proactive and want to be involved. Please click on the link to offer your ideas, thoughts and suggestions about how you can become involved as a 'Friend of St Mary's' Diolch o galon.
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.
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%
Our whole school attendance figure is 92.1%
Foundation Phase- Winners are ...Penguins with 96.7%
Puffins-81.3% Parrots-90% Penguins-95.5%
Robins-96.7% Owls-91.3% Wrens-93.3%
Key Stage 2- Winners are ...Dyfrdwy with 98.2%
Clywedog-85.8% Conwy-94.2% Alyn-87.5%
Dovey-92.8% Gwenfro-91.7% Dyfrdwy-93.5% Gwaun-98.2%
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.
ATTENDANCE RACE LEADER BOARD UPDATE
THE FOUNDATION PHASE WINNERS SO FAR...
Robins
KEY STAGE 2 WINNERS SO FAR...
Conwy
St Mary's Cathedral Parish Events
'St Mary's Cathedral is looking to develop their choir. On the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month, there will be a choir practice from 11 am- 12 in the cathedral.All children are welcome to come and join in. It will be lovely to have a variety of voices singing in Mass.'
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 âFree 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 youâre 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
Criw Cymraeg's Brawddeg Yr Wythnos
The Criw Cymraegâs âPatrwm yr Wythnosâ (Phrase of the week) this week is: Oes gen ti...? Have you got...?
See VIDEOÂ LINK
Makaton Signs of the Week is sun
Click on the LINK
Good news!
Early Years- Fiadh has passed Wave 2 in swimming and Marianna has a new baby brother.
Year 1 & 2-Julian is going to watch Barcelona play Real Sociedad, Alfie-Jay started Tai Kwondo, Mitchell has had a kitten called Mimi, Tony is going on a caravan holiday , Clara made a tie-dye shirt, Zuzanna is going to a caravan, Scarlett is also going to a caravan tomorrow, Vanessa is going to Poland next week, George did a jamboree walk with Beavers from Llangollen to Trevor and also received 9 badges that he's been working towards
Years 3 and 4-Aimee has a new kitten called MeMe, David has won 2 trophies for rugby, Julia M has a very important dance exam on Tuesday, Noah has won a rugby trophy, Sabrinah got a new neckerchief in cubs
Year 5- Anna is excited about having her birthday party at laser tag on Saturday, Thomas, Dylan and Owen won the boys' sprint on sports day and Lea, joia and Isabella won the sprint on the girls' sports day.
Year 6-
Year 1/ 2 Fun
WCBC SCHOOL TERM DATES
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, childrenâs 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 canât 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 â 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 Wrexhamâs Citizenâs 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, weâll welcome you with a warm drink and our trained volunteers will chat with you about your situation. Weâll also discuss any dietary needs you may have and exchange your foodbank voucher for a parcel of three days of emergency food. Weâll 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 FAQâs 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 childâs 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 ÂŁ125 or ÂŁ200. 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 Maryâs 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 childrenâs 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:Â http://gov.wales/EndPhysicalPunishment
Support the Friends of St Maryâs
to raise much needed funds for the benefit of all our children Friends of St. Maryâs 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 â at no extra cost to yourself!
These donations really mount up and make a BIG difference to us, so weâd really appreciate it if you could take a moment to sign up and support us. Itâs 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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