Welcome to our St Mary's Weekly Newsletter!
Let us pray...
This weekend, many of our children will be making their First Holy Communion in the cathedral. Let us pray for every blessing on the children on this very special and important day as they welcome Jesus into their hearts for the very first time.
Diocesan Year 6 Mass- Cathedral
Next Friday, our Year 6 children will be joining together with all year 6 pupils and staff for our annual Wrexham Diocesan Catholic primary school leavers' Mass at the cathedral. Bishop Peter will be celebrating the Mass for us and the theme this year is 'Alive with the love of Christ' on the Feast of the Sacred Heart. We look forward to a very special opportunity to come together in prayer to reflect on our journey through primary school and to look forward to the journey ahead in high school and beyond.
Own Clothes Day- Friday 23rd June in Memory of Callum Jones
On Friday 23rd May, I attended the funeral service of one of our lovely former pupils, 20 year old Callum Jones. In Callum's memory, his family and friends are raising money to support the work of two very important charities- Papyrus and Andy's Man Club.
All children are invited to come to school in their own clothes on Friday 23rd June and bring a £1 donation. Buckets will be on the gates for all donations. As a school family, we can come together to support Callum's family in their efforts at this very difficult time. Diolch pawb.
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! 🎵 This exciting addition to our educational resources will play a crucial role in developing our children’s' 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! 🎧 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
Cake Sale- Pupil Voice
Well done to our Pupil Voice groups for organising and running our cake sale today to raise funds to buy new PE and outdoor benches and tables. Thank you for all the delicious and very generous donations! A super £197.42 was raised! Diolch pawb! We really appreciate your support!!
We have lots of spare cakes so the School Council, Eco Team and Super Ambassadors will be holding a regular tuck shop on a Friday to continue to fund raise towards our goals. Children will be able to buy a cake or a packet of crisps from the tuck shop at playtime.
Please see items below that we are raising funds for. PE benches cost £220 each (we need 4-6 new benches), picnic tables cost £475 each (we would like 3 more) and outdoor benches cost £ 316 each (we would like 3 more.)
Friends of St Mary's- 'Coffee, Cake and Chat'
Thank you to the small group of parents who attended our informal session on Tuesday. We are delighted to announce that we have a new Friends' committee who will be leading our on-going efforts to build our school community whilst raising much needed funds. Minutes of the meeting and ore information to follow.
Future Events for your diaries- raising money for school PE benches and outdoor benches/ tables
Discos- Thursday 22nd June
Important New arrangements- There will be 3 separate discos- Nursery & Reception (Infant hall) (4:30-5:30) , Years 1 and 2 (Junior Hall) (4:30-5:30) and Years 3-6 (5:45-7:00) Junior hall
Please note- Nursery parents MUST attend the disco with their child/ren. Reception - Year 6 children should attend the discos on their own. Diolch.
End of Term Family Picnic after school on Wednesday 12th July 15:30-17:30- bring your own picnic, blankets and enjoy an outdoor picnic as a St Mary's family! Music, face- painting, cake stall and bumper raffle
New Nursery pupils 'Stay and Play Sessions'
We look forward to welcoming Group 1 to our first 'Stay and Play' session in Nursery on Tuesdy 13th June between 13:45 and 14:30. It will be a lovely opportunity to meet our new children and their parents!
Parrots and Penguins- Xplore!
On Wednesday 14th June, our Parrots and Penguins Reception children are visiting Xplore! We look forward to hearing about their fun day!
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 91.3%
Foundation Phase- Winners are ...Penguins with 96.4%
Puffins-86.7% Parrots-85.5% Penguins-96.4%
Robins-94.7% Owls-83% Wrens-89%
Key Stage 2- Winners are ...Dovey with 97.3%
Clywedog-80.6% Conwy-97% Alyn-96%
Dovey-97.3% Gwenfro-95.9% Dyfrdwy-90.7% Gwaun-93.2%
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.'
National Personalised Assessments Year 2-6
Over the coming weeks, pupils in Years 2 - 6 will be undertaking mandatory national assessments in reading, procedural maths and numerical reasoning. The assessments are now administered on-line and adapt to how children respond to the questions presented, adjusting the level and type of question accordingly. As always, no pressure is put on the children. The data and information gathered is only one small part of the jigsaw of assessments we use in school to build a picture of how children are progressing in their learning.
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
Criw Cymraeg's Brawddeg Yr Wythnos
The Criw Cymraeg’s ‘Patrwm yr Wythnos’ (Phrase of the week) this week is: Wyt ti'n hoffi? Do you like...?
See VIDEO LINK
Makaton Signs of the Week is sun
Click on the LINK
Good news!
Early Years-Nancie has learnt to ride a two- wheeler bike on her own!
Year 1 & 2-William has started swimming and football club this week, Jack was awarded a red belt in Tae Kwondo, Artur has started a football club, Erin has started Tae Kwondo and Nicolas has started in Scouts. Vanessa is back from Poland and is excited to be in a dance concert, Paulina's dad has a new car, Alfie-Jay is now a white belt in Tae Kwondo, Zuzanna is going to Peppa Pig World, Ton went to Disney 100 years concert in Liverpool, he had a new fish and won a football trophy. Rene went to Germany, Pola is going to Poland, Abigail is leaving Rainbows to become a Brownie, Nathan has a new puppy called Laila, Sarah has a kitten and Sophie moved up to Wave 6. On Sunday it will be Andy's new baby 'reveal', Owls' class have a lovely new friend called Melvin and Scarlett has had her ears pierced. Blossom had an amazing birthday in school with everyone. Then she had a party at home with all her best friends and and a long weekend at Hafan Y Mor with friends & family..
Mummy is so proud of Scarlett who climbed all the way to the top of the rock climbing wall at Hafan Y Mor 🧗♀️ Brave Girl
George went on his first holiday abroad in half term to Menorca, he was very lucky to meet the pilot Captain Linton George and sat in his seat!
Years 3 and 4-Lots of children are making their First Holy Communion this weekend, Sandy has passed Wave 4, Miolly has a gymnastics compettion coming up, Grace has passed Wave 6, Daniels' sister stayed in Wrexham for longer to see him, Hanna has a new baby cousin, Dylan's family are coming over from Ireland, Jewel visited London and loved it, Ella has a gymnastics competition , Sophie and Alexandra are rehearsing 'We will Rock You' and Aimee has brought all her super canvas art work tp school.
Year 5-It's Alec's mum's birthday, Ben has a new puppy called Luna and Filip's Aunty and Uncle are visiting from Poland.
Year 6-Joakhim's brother is being baptised on Saturday, children are making their First Holy Communion, Ryan won the Most assist trophy for scoring most goals, Phoebe's Aunty and Uncle are coming from Scotland
Emma from Keep Wales Tidy is coming to talk to our Eco team on Friday. We hope she has some good advice to support our school eco plans!
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, 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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Created with images by oksix - "amazing birthday cake with other sweets" • GVictoria - "Mirror disco ball" • wavebreak3 - "Happy family having picnic in the park" • adrian_ilie825 - "Little baby hand playing with colorful toys and cubes" • vegefox.com - "danger risk" • phonlamaiphoto - "Gold star trophy" • Kenishirotie - "Checklist on clipboard" • eskay lim - "megaphone" • enterlinedesign - "Choir Letterpress Concept on Dark Background" • WavebreakmediaMicro - "Children having lunch during break time in school cafeteria" • coco - "fleur de jonquille sur fond jardin" • Pavlo Vakhrushev - "Beautiful sunset sea landscape with blue sea water and sun on yellow clear sky" • Maya Kruchancova - "cupcake with sparkler on old wooden background" • Li Ding - "Decoration for the party" • nito - "coffe and news" • vegefox.com - "Concept of recycling - 3d rendering ecology" • Rawpixel.com - "Children Friendship Togetherness Playful Happiness Concept" • Irina Schmidt - "Adoralbe little toddler girl with rainbow and heart painted with colorful window color during pandemic coronavirus quarantine. Child painting rainbows around the world with the words Let's all be well"