Welcome to our St Mary's Weekly Newsletter!
Whole School New School Year Mass- Friday 30th September
Today, Fr Nicholas came to school to celebrate our first school Mass of the year. The Mass was offered for our Chair of Governors, Mrs Liz Davies who has been unwell recently. We continue to pray that Mrs Davies makes a speedy recovery. God bless.
It was a beautiful celebration where our whole school family joined together in prayer and song. All children behaved impeccably showing respect and reverence. Da iawn pawb. Thank you to all children who played a special part in the mass; the readers, offertory children and the choir. Diolch yn fawr.
Pupil Voice Election Results
Messengers of Christ 2022-23
At the end of Mass, Fr Nicholas announced the new Messengers of Christ who have been nominated by their peers to support the further development of the prayer and Catholic life of the school. Llongyfarchiadau pawb! Congratulations! Fr Nicholas blessed and presented each child with a holding cross carved from the wood of olive trees from Bethlehem. We look forward to working with you all this year.
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.
As you are aware, the school's Educational Social Worker monitors the school attendance every half term in line with the local authority and school's attendance policy. They are also monitor persistent lateness and calculate the total amount of minutes that children are late coming into school.
Over time, persistent lateness often equates to many hours of missed education and can be very distressing for children to enter the classroom when the register has been taken and everyone has started their learning for the day.
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.
Please note that the Welsh Government are reverting back to issuing fixed penalty notices for unauthorised non- attendance at school.
Any questions, please ask. Diolch yn fawr.
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.
St Mary's Attendance Race
The St Mary's Attendance race is back on!
Each week during our whole school assembly, the weekly attendance figures for each class will once again be announced and displayed on the attendance race display in the school hall and reported in the weekly newsletter. The classes in Foundation Phase and Key Stage 2 with the highest overall weekly attendance will be awarded the prestigious attendance trophy or shield to keep for the week.
Our Whole School Attendance target is 96%
W/E - 23/9/22-This week's whole school attendance is 92.7%
Foundation Phase- Winners are Robins with 93.8%
Puffins- 87% Parrots- 89.1% Penguins- 90.9%
Robins- 93.8% Owls-92.9 % Wrens- 93.6%
Key Stage 2- Winners are Gwenfro with 97.3%
Clywedog-92.7 % Conwy- 94.3% Alyn- 91.9%
Dovey-91 % Gwenfro-97.3 % Dyfrdwy-95.1 % Gwaun 90.4%
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.
As I explained to the children in assembly last week, 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.
St Mary's School Family Clean Up Day
Tomorrow, Saturday 1st October, we are holding a St Mary's family clean up day in school from 10am- 2pm. All staff, families and friends are invited to join us to give our school gardens and grounds an 'autumn clean up'. Come along to help out, have a chat, get to know each other and make a difference within our school community. It will be lovely to see as many families as possible, particularly after the past few years where we have not been able to come together as a school family. We will even provide bacon butties and a warm drink for all busy helpers! Please click on the LINK to let us know if you are able to join us. Diolch We look forward to seeing you all!
Safeguarding all children
I would like to take this opportunity to thank parents and carers for your continued support during drop off and collection times in the mornings and after school.
From 08:55 until 15:15, the school gates remain locked and the school site is secure. At quarter past three, the gates are opened by school staff and each class teacher supervises safe handover of each child to their parent/ carer.
The school gates are not opened before this time in order to prevent any unauthorised personnel entering the school site and to safeguard all children and staff on the school site.
I understand that parents may need to wait for a short while to enter the site however, I am sure that you will agree that the safety of all children and staff must come first.
Once the children are safely in their parents' care, we are more than happy for parents to have a chat with other families on the school playground as there are now no Covid restrictions in place preventing parents from gathering / chatting on the school site.
May I politely appeal to all parents to try not to arrive too early so that you are not waiting too long and whilst waiting, please continue to be mindful of our neighbours.
Your continued support and cooperation is always very much appreciated. Diolch yn fawr.
Extra Curricular Clubs
We are delighted to see the return of our extra- curricular clubs from next week and thank all staff for volunteering their time and skills for the benefit of all our children. Teachers will inform children via Seesaw about arrangements for each club.
Please make sure that all children are collected at 4:30 from the intercom gate. Teachers will hand over children to their parent/ carer. Diolch.
Years 1 & 2 Macmillan Coffee & Cake Event
Today, our Year 1 and 2 staff held a wonderful coffee and cake afternoon in the school hall and raised over £300 for Macmillan Cancer Support, so far!
It was lovely to see so many families chatting and getting to know each other. Well done to all the children for their incredible Starry Night paintings- I'm sure they will already be displayed in pride of place in your homes. Da iawn pawb!
Year 5 Grandparents' 'Hopes & Dreams' Coffee Morning
What a wonderful session led by our Year 5 children yesterday! It was an absolute pleasure to welcome lots of parents and grandparents into school once again. The children had prepared a range of interesting questions about 'Hopes and Dreams' which they confidently asked of their parents and grandparents. It was so interesting (and quite emotional) to listen to the responses. Thank you all for your honesty and openness. We hope you all enjoyed making the dreamcatchers and sharing in a drink and a snack with us all. We greatly appreciate your input to enhance our topic work and develop the children's knowledge, understanding and experiences.
Don't Touch Tell Workshops
On Monday, 'Don't Touch Tell' leader John Piper returned to St Mary's after 2 1/2 years to deliver interactive workshops to share important and effective messages to our children to help them understand how to keep themselves safe. The children thoroughly enjoyed the sessions. Diolch John. It was great to welcome you back!
Year 3 and 4 Book Swap
On 20th October, Years 3 & 4 are holding a book swap cafe to promote the value of reading and involve and inform parents about how reading is taught and developed in lower juniors. It promises to be a wonderful session and another opportunity to invite parents into school once again.
Friends of St Mary's
***Advance notice- Family Bingo Night - Thursday 17th November***
Appeal to local / family businesses- We are looking for special prize donations for our bumper bingo raffle. Please contact the school via email or send your special prize into school with your child. diolch yn fawrr
Super Ambassadors' Conference
Mrs Robertson will be taking our two Super Ambassadors Zac and Ella to Venue Cymru on Thursday to attend a special conference. We look forward to hearing all about it next week!
Tempest Photography are coming to school on Monday 10th October to take Individual and Sibling Photos
Friday 7th October- Dyfrdwy Class Assembly
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 to be shared next week!
Early Years- Isabella has been swimming, Elena and Lily found acorns on their autumn walk and Lucja has found lots of helicopters/ sycamore seeds in the park.
Years 1 and 2- Melanie has baby chicks, Julian was Man of the Match, Madison won 1st mascot in morris dancing and it is her party today, Mitchell was most most improved player and Benjamin moved up to Wave 2. George D went to the Wrexham match with his daddy last week, Artur has football today, Ariana, Melvin and Hanna lost a tooth this week, Maya is starting football, Tommy is going to football at the weekend and Dylan R found a very delicate chicken egg in his garden and the Robins enjoyed investigating the egg- diolch Dylan!
Years 3 and 4-Noah is going to Sri Lanka today, Daniel is looking after his uncle's dogs for 2 weeks, David has gained a yellow belt in tae kwondo and Molly have moved to Wave 5. Daniel is staying with his cousins soon, Joia's grandma is coming to visit, Jewel has celebrated her dad's birthday this week, Pati has moved up to level 2 in gymnastics, Dylan has completed his first week in wave 7 swimming.
Year 5-Maja went horseriding with her dad in the hills, Amelia Sc achieved her Brownie bronze award, Izzy S might be getting 2 rabbits, Lily J's nana is having a birthday party, Kourtney's mum has started in anew workplace, Matthew's football team is playing a match on Saturday
Year 6-Natasha is competing in tennis competitions each month and is hoping to win a prize, Zac passed Rookie Lifeguard gold and Emilia is going to Poland in 3 weeks for her grandma's 70th birthday
Rainbow Ticket Draw - next week!
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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