Week 8 - Friday 25th October 2019

Welcome to our last newsletter for this term. Its been a busy term and we hope you enjoy the break in half term. Please remember we have 2 inset days following half term on Monday and Tuesday. School will resume on Wednesday 6th November. We are looking forward to our Stem, digital and remembrance events immediately following half term. Please read on to find out more information.

STEM Days

Don't forget we have our exciting STEM sessions after half term, here's a reminder ................

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) week has played an important role in our school calendar for the last few years. This year we are keen to develop the focus on science, technology and maths subjects even more with the introduction of focused learning days throughout the school year. We have 5 STEM Days planned throughout the school year and the first of these will take place following the October half term inset days.

Wednesday 6th November will be an exciting start to the new school term as we head straight into our STEM day with a launch assembly! Throughout the day we will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Lunar landings and look at the future projects for moon landing and the possibility of building on the moon! Pupils will take part in investigations, taking on different STEM roles to determine if its possible to build on the moon, how to get there, where is best to build and what we need.

The STEM days held throughout the school year will be used as evidence for Oldcastle to gain The Space Education Quality Mark. The Space Education Quality Mark (SEQM) is awarded to schools who want to inspire and engage students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects. At Oldcastle we are fully committed to doing this!

Thursday 7th November will also be a STEM Day with our focus being on technology and digital wellbeing. As technology continues to be such a huge part of our lives, it has an impact on our digital well-being. Digital well-being is about having an awareness of how our online activities can make us feel and the importance of looking after ourselves and others online. It also includes understanding what to do if something goes wrong. Throughout the day children will be taking part in a range of activities to understand how we use the internet in our daily lives and how we can make sure it doesn’t effect our wellbeing.

As a school we will be working towards a Welsh Government Safer Internet Day competition in February as part of Safer Internet Day. The aim will be to promote the safe and positive use of digital technology for children and young people. The competition aims to encourage children and young people to express their creativity and share their understanding of digital well-being and online safety issues. The theme of the competition is “A better internet: How to look after yourself and others”.

Children throughout the school will be involved in creating a film that is an advert in a public announcement style. Aimed at their friends and family, the film will explore how to look after yourself and others online. This will also include the impact that being online can have on our emotions, mental well-being and even on our physical health and knowing what to do if something goes wrong. Parents will need to complete a media consent form to enable children to be part of the filming.

In order for your child to take part in the Safer Internet Day film we require parental consent. Please complete the Google form and press submit if you consent to your child being included in the filming. Consent Form

Remembrance Celebrations

On Friday 8th November we will be participating as a whole school in remembrance day activities to mark the 80th anniversary of the start of World War 2. Children will be working throughout the day to create a display of poppies in our main hall and working on poetry to mark the event.

We would like to involve parents and the local community in our commemorations and will be inviting parents and grandparents to view our poppy display in the afternoon - times to be confirmed.

Do you have a relative that was involved in World War 1 or World 2? As part of our remembrance celebrations we are asking parents to send in names of relatives who they wish to be remembered and our children will write the name on a poppy and it will be included in our display. Remembrance Day Commemoration Form.

Our celebrations will culminate for children on Monday 11th November when they will mark a minutes silence at 11am and read out a poem per year group.

Following half term we will have poppies and other Royal British Legion merchandise available for pupils to purchase.

We would like to invite parents to a remembrance coffee morning on Friday 8th November at 10am.

Christmas Concerts

Christmas is fast approaching and we have been planning the dates for our Christmas concerts. Concerts will take place at the school on the following dates. Due to limited numbers in the main hall we will be providing parents with tickets for these events - please keep the tickets safe as they are not replaceable. Tickets will be issued in November. Please note the change to the years 5 and 6 performance on 10th December.

Nursery

• Wednesday 11th and Friday 13th December - 9.30am - parents will receive 2 tickets for each show

Reception

• Monday 16th December - 9.30am and 2pm - parents will receive 2 tickets for each show

Year 1 and 2

• Thursday 5th December- 9.30am and 1.30pm - parents will receive 1 ticket for the morning and 1 for the afternoon

Years 3 and 4

• Monday 9th December - 9.30am and 1.30pm - parents will receive 1 ticket for the morning and 1 for the afternoon

Years 5 and 6

• Tuesday 10th December - 9.30am and 5pm - parents will receive 1 ticket for the morning and 1 for the evening

Christmas Dinner

Christmas dinner will be served on Thursday 12th December. The cost of the meal is £2.20. Please inform us if your child requires Christmas dinner or if they will be bringing their own sandwiches on this day - a response is required for both options.

Payment for the Christmas dinner should be made to your child's dinner account via Bridgend County Borough Council website. Please ensure payment is received before Monday 9th December. Children who receive free school meals will need to order a dinner via the form but payment will not be required. Christmas lunch will not be served to any child with no credit on their account.

Please complete a separate form for multiple children. Please return the form by 21st November to guarantee a Christmas dinner for your child.

Christmas Dinner Form

Singing Teddy

The singing teddy this week will be taking up residence in 1ML after half term. Well done 1ML on your super singing this week!

School Savings

There will be no school savings club on Wednesday 6th November. The savings club will start back on 13th November.

Year 6 residential trip meeting

A meeting will be held on Wednesday 6th November at 5.30pm for parents in year 6 to discuss a proposal for the year 6 residential trip. We hope year 6 parents can attend.

Meet the Governors

Parents are invited to meet our School Governors on Wednesday 13th November at 6pm. The annual Report to Parents will be distributed following half term and parents are invited to come and discuss the report with Governors. We hope you can attend.

School Dinners - special Bonfire Night menu

On Wednesday 6th November catering services will be offering a special Bonfire Night menu. If your child would like a school dinner please ensure the appropriate amount is credited to their school dinner account via www.bridgend.gov.uk

MENU

Beefburger in a bun or hot dog

Baked beans or garden peas or salad bar

Seasoned potatoes

Served with an apple muffin or ice cream or fresh fruit

Criw Cymraeg

This week the Criw Cymraeg discussed where were the best places to put our word / phrase of the week posters as we want all children, staff and parents to be able to see and use them. We heard lots of children and staff using the phrase and the words of the week and we are very pleased! Lots of the staff have mentioned that children are using more Welsh around the school.

The week after half term’s word/ phrase are :

Tŷ Bach - Toilet

Tee bach (ch as in chwech)

Ga i _____ os gwelwch yn dda - Can I have ____ please.

Gah ee _____ os gwel-wch un tha

As part of our Criw Cymraeg every week teachers will choose Siaradwr yr wythnos - Welsh speaker of the week from each class. Da Iawn to those who have been recognised this week.

• Nursery - Inka
• Reception Miss Walters - Khalessi
• Reception Miss Williams - Fara
• Year 1 Miss Vaughan - Logan
• Year 1 Mrs Morcom Lewis - Robyn
• Year 2 Mrs Roberts - Imogen
• Year 2 Mrs Guy / Miss Lewis - Maia
• Year 3 Miss Davies - Macy
• Year 3 Mrs Brotherton / Mrs Burr - Lottie
• Year 4 Miss Craven - Jayden
• Year 4 Miss Radford - Ava F
• Year 5 Miss James - Annelise
• Year 5 Miss Jones - Shannon
• Year 6 Mrs Coleman - JJ
• Year 6 Mrs Evans - Angelina

Children's Voice

Our Children's Voice are working with their classes to do an environmental review to think about what is happening at our school. We look forward to feeding back the results.

Data Collection Sheets

It is important that we hold up to date contact information for your child. You will have received a copy of the contact numbers we hold - please can you check the numbers and email addresses and confirm the data we hold is correct. The data sheet will need to be returned to school.

We are continuing to email parents with relevant information regarding the school and your child's class, if you have not been receiving emails from notifications@primarysite.net please check your spam. If you have changed your email address please ensure you let us know.

Headteacher Award

The following children were presented with a Headteachers Award during assembly today. This weeks theme is 'Maths'.

• Year 1 Mrs Morcom-Lewis - Freddie
• Year 1 Miss Vaughan - Logan
• Year 2 Mrs Roberts - Andy
• Year 2 Miss Lewis / Mrs Guy - Jaakob
• Year 3 Brotherton / Mrs Burr - Grace
• Year 4 Miss Radford - Amelia
• Year 4 Miss Craven - Tom
• Year 5 Miss Jones - Millie
• Year 5 Miss James - Olivia
• Year 6 Mrs Coleman - Sam
• Year 6 Mrs Evans - Oliver

Attendance of the Week

Class of the Week for the best attendance was awarded to 1ML (96.8%) in Foundation Phase and 4C (98.1%) in Key Stage 2. Our whole school attendance target is 95.9% for the year. This week’s attendance was 94.1%.

Nursery children loved learning about autumn this week with sensory learning.

Year 1 have been busy making jam sandwiches and pizzas this week. The children learnt how to follow instructions and how to understand halves and squares better.

Year 2 have completed some excellent work composing using minims crotchets and semibreves for the very first time.

On Thursday year 3 had a lovely visit to St Fagans and were able to have a go at weaving in the Celtic roundhouse.

Year 4 visited Bridgend Fire Station today as part of their topic 'Heroes'. Thank you to Bridgend Fire Station for having us.

Diary Dates

• Monday 28th October to Friday 1st November - Half term
• Monday 4th November - Inset Day
• Tuesday 5th November - Inset Day
• Wednesday 6th November - Back to School
• Wednesday 6th November - STEM Day
• Thursday 7th November - Digital Well Being Day
• Thursday 7th November - PTA meeting at 3.30pm
• Friday 8th November - Remembrance Events
• Wednesday 13th November - Meet the Governors at 6pm
• Wednesday 20th November - 5JJ trip to the Senedd
• Wednesday 27th November - 5BJ trip to the Senedd
• Monday 2nd December - Nursery trip to Gower Heritage Centre
• Thursday 5th December - Reception trip to Brecon Mountain Railway
• Thursday 5th December - Years 1 and 2 Christmas Concert - ticketed event at 9.30am and 1.30pm
• Monday 9th December - Years 3 and 4 Christmas Concert - ticketed event at 9.30am and 1,30pm
• Tuesday 10th December - Year 1 trip to Dan yr Ogof
• Tuesday 10th December - Year 2 trip to Cardiff Castle
• Wednesday 11th December - Nursery Christmas Concert - ticketed event at 9.30am
• Thursday 12th December - Christmas Dinner Day
• Friday 13th December - Nursery Christmas Concert - ticketed event at 9.30am
• Monday 16th December - Reception Christmas Concert - ticketed event at 9.30am and 2pm
• Wednesday 18th December - Juniors to visit Pantomime
• Friday 20th December - Term Ends
• Monday 6th January - Back to School
• Monday 17th February to Friday 21st February - Half term
• Monday 24th February - Back to School
• Monday 6th April to Friday 17th April - Easter holidays
• Monday 20th April - Back to school
• Monday 25th May to Friday 29th May - Half term
• Monday 1st June - Inset Day
• Tuesday 2nd June - Inset Day
• Friday 17th July - Term Ends
• Monday 20th July - Inset Day

Inset Days 2019/20

• Monday 4th November 2019
• Tuesday 5th November 2019
• Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd June 2020
• Monday 20th July 2020