Gwersyllt CP

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Just a few messages below and some extra dates to be aware of for the Christmas period. Please skip down to the bottom of this message if you would like to see some of the wonderful Remembrance day work our pupils have done. Thank you to all of you have donated generously to the Poppy appeal.

It has been another busy start to the half term- Netball club is up and running. School council and Eco committees have both commenced and the wellbeing group is starting next week. Playleaders have also been prepped and are ready to go next week.

Like I said, very busy indeed.

Healthy snack

Thank you for all those who have got on board our new initiative to ensure that pupils have fruit or veg and water/milk only at non lunch periods of the school day (particularly break times). The fruit trolley is up and running for KS2 to present an option and has proved popular so far. Due to this we are still gauging the level of fruit and water we will need to purchase for the week so not to be wasteful.

This is now Welsh Assembly Government legislation so is an area that the school will have to continually monitor. Thank you in advance for your support in this, we kindly as that pupils keep their treat snacks as part of their lunch (if they have them at all). For those that are interested, we do have an article on the website on Healthy lunch boxes.

Please see the WAG leaflets below:

Wales and the World Cup

Before we finished for half term, the school had a fun filled assembly in which we choose a country to study during the world cup. This country will be used to study, contrast and compare to our locality and celebrate Wales making it to the tournament.

The classes will be looking at:

Barns and Snowy Owls: Wales

Harriers: Spain

Kestrels: Korean Republic

Class 1: Ghana

Class 2: France

Class 3: USA

Class 4: Mexico

Class 5: Argentina

After this, the classes topic will be based around Christmas

Christmas Performances

This year will be performing concerts again.

The dates are:

Nursery and Reception: 10am Friday 16^th December 22 

Year 1 and 2: 1:30pm Tuesday 20^th December 22

Year 3 and 4: 1.30pm Wednesday 21^st December 22

Year 5 and 6: 6pm Monday 19^th December 22 in the church

Initially, two tickets will be made available for each pupil with extra tickets available if needed closer to the date.

It will be nice to see the pupils in action again at this time of year.

Other dates : 

Christmas dinner -Thursday 22^nd December 22

Party food dinner – Friday 23^rd December 22

Remembrance work

The pupils had an assembly for Remembrance today. We also held a 2 minute silence and a reflection.

The school will be laying a Wreath down at the Gwersyllt War memorial on Sunday at approximately 10.40am. If any Year 6 pupils would like to help us lay the wreath please let yourself be known.

Lastly, there was some wonderful work, as always, from out classes this year in honour of the day.

Healthy Eating

Over the past year we have communicated the importance of healthy eating on both body and mind. This is never more true than in school where healthy snack and frequent drinking of water can have a huge impact on a pupil’s concentration and focus as well as general wellbeing. 

In school, we are focussing on our Key stage 2 pupils- Many pupils in Early Years and Year 1 and 2 are making the right choices as to what they have for snack. It is therefore concerning to see many crisp, chocolate bar and sweet snack wrappers in the bin at the end of Key stage 2 breaktimes.

Here on the website we have placed information leaflets to explain healthy eating and snacks (see below or policy page) and will spend some time talking this through with the pupils over the next half term. Can I ask that when possible you do the same at home (the information is downloadable from the web).

Wherever possible could pupils come in with healthy lunchboxes and snacks (snacks should only be fruit or veg, whereas drink should be water or milk– please see the welsh assembly government leaflets for more detail), I truly believe it makes a difference in the classroom.

We will also do our bit. As well as educating the children in this – to become healthy and confident individuals. We will be making snack and bottled water available for 20p at morning break. If you and your child wish they can come and purchase something for that flat rate.

We believe that every little bit helps but this could make a huge difference. We will start making the snacks (initially apples and bananas) available from Monday 7^th November.

Many thanks for your help and support.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Sign Language/Makaton

The new curriculum of Wales requests that schools look at a second international language. As well as English and Welsh, Gwersyllt CP will also be communicating, whenever we can in sign language. Of course, this is the beginning of the process and all the staff will be learning some very simple signs at first. The hope, and expectation, is that the number of phrases we use will increase and that the pupils will feel comfortable to use them back. 

I will be out most mornings greeting everyone with a ‘Bore da’ and the moving with a thumb up across my chest. I would love it if parents and pupil would do the same.

Tempest photos

Individual and family photos are being taken by Tempest. Unfortunately due to their staffing numbers they can only do immediate family within the school.

Community Cupboard

Our community cupboard is up and running with food, uniform and sanitary products. Please help yourselves on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

Forest Schools

We have begun our forest school sessions this week. Miss Thomas, Mrs Davies and Mrs Jones will have a dedicated afternoon slot to cover a sequence of forest school afternoons full of activity. The aim is that by the end of the year, all pupils in Gwersyllt CP will have had access to this provision.

Finally, a well done to Harvey today as he won the Bryn Alyn prize for those visiting the open evening. Mrs Slinn came to gate crash our celebration assembly to pass on the award.

Today, many of you will noticed that we opened our Community cupboard for the first time. Mrs O’Toole and Miss Thomas opened up the school outbuilding allowing anyone who wished to access to food and uniform.

We hope this service will be well used and of use to many. The outbuilding will be open daily from 2.45 to 3.45 at the end of the school day.

The colourful bags that you can see in the picture above are our all-together bags. More information to follow on these soon.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Just a few things to update you on

School beat

We have added a link to school beat on request of our school police liaison officer Stuart Reeves. Please follow this link to have a look https://gwersylltcp.home.blog/forms-policies-and-letters-ffurflenni-polisiau-a-llythyrau/

Data collection and absences

Just a reminder that the school require your child’s updates data collection sheets in as soon as possible please. Also a reminder that absences should be communicated and recorded through the office/reception and not with the class teacher. This allows Jo and Linda out secretaries to pass on relevant information to classteachers, visiting external agencies e.g. music teachers and dinner staff about absences or illness.

Pentrellyncwmer

And finally, I would like to say how impressed I was by the Year 5 pupils who joined us in Pentrellyncwmer this year. they were a credit to the school and to you and themselves. Every year I look forward to the next time even more simply due to the behaviour and GRIT (ask them) of our pupils. Thank you from Mr Edwards, Miss Newell and Myself.

After lunch, the day concluded with rock climbing and river walking. A lovely tea (with some delicious chic cake) filled stomachs and the pupils and teachers played a treasure hunt game. Well done to the ‘grit’ team – Ava and Teegan for winning out of the pupils, whilst the teacher team inevitably came out on top overall.

A little down time, a hot chocolate and a visit to the shop ended the day before bedtime.

Up tomorrow to pack and take part in some bushcraft.

A busy morning, with the pupils enjoying some cereals and a cooked breakfast. They then made their own sandwiches- tuna, cheese and jam anyone?

After which, one group went biking whilst the other group enjoyed the delights/freezing cold that is gorge walking. The experience of cold waters flowing into your wellies is not easily forgotten.

Just a quick message to say all is well at the end of day 1. The pupils are fast asleep after a long day of bike riding, rock climbing and a night time walk followed quiet time and hot chocolate. Looking forward to a day full of activity tomorrow.
more photos to follow this week.

Reception places.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind you that the application period has now opened for nursery pupils to apply for a reception school place for September 2023.

Please visit the following place to register your child

https://www.wrexham.gov.uk/service/school-admissions

Class 1

I am sure you will join us in saying congratulation to Mrs Sailes who welcomed a little baby boy this week. From next week onwards, Mrs J Vetri will work with Class 1 on Mondays and Tuesdays and Ms Thomas will be with the class on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. If you have any queries or questions both members of staff are more than happy to answer them.

As was communicated on Monday, circumstances meant we had to cancel parents evening for Class 1 this week. We will arrange a face to face parents evening in November for the class.

Parents Evening

The rest of the parents evenings will take place on the week beginning 10^th October 2022. Dates and times will be made available shortly.

How the Curriculum is changing for young children

Please see the videos linked to see how the curriculum is changing

3 to 4 year olds

4 to 8 year olds