Week 10 - Friday 20th November 2020

Once again we want to thank our parents and children for the support over the last week. We do appreciate the support in helping us to manage the current situation effectively.

Please can we continue to remind children not to bring a bag into school at the present time. Children should only bring a coat, water bottle and lunch box (if applicable).

If your child is sandwiches please remember to pop a fork or spoon into their lunch bag if they require one as we are not able to supply these items as a matter of course.

Website Review

We are looking to undertake a review of our school website to ensure it responds to our parents needs. The website has been in operation for a few years and we are keen to make it mobile responsive. As well as making it more accessible via mobile devices and tablets we will be refreshing the design. We are keen to hear views from parents on the content and design of the website - in normal circumstances we would arrange a parents focus group but at the present time we are unable to arrange this. However please let us know if you have any views or suggestions by completing this form. We look forward to hearing your comments.

Website Review Form

Christmas Celebrations in Oldcastle

This year the lead up to Christmas will be different to previous years. Due to the pandemic we are unable to hold Christmas concerts for our pupils and parents. We understand how disappointing this might be but we hope you understand why we are not able to hold these events.

We will pleased to let you know that we do have lots of things planned within school for our children to get excited about Christmas. Each year group has a range of Christmas activities planned based around arts and crafts activities - we are excited to share these with you once the children have created them in December.

Music Success

Well done to Lily (year 5), Annelise (year 6) and Shannon (year 6) who have all successfully passed their grade 1 music recently. Congratulations all.

Please do let us know of any successes inside or outside of school as we love to celebrate our children's achievements via the weekly newsletters. Email us at ask@oldcastleprimary.co.uk

Accelerated Reader - Foundation Phase

We have used accelerated reader scheme for a number of years in our junior classes, and recently we have launched the programme for our foundation phase teachers and children.

Accelerated Reader is a computer program that helps teachers and support staff manage and monitor children’s reading practice. Your child picks a book at their level and when finished, your child takes a short quiz on the computer with a member of staff (Passing the quiz is an indication that your child understood what was read). Accelerated Reader gives children and teachers feedback based on the quiz results, which the teacher then uses to help your child set goals and direct ongoing reading practice.

Children using Accelerated Reader choose their own books to read, rather than having one assigned to them. This makes reading a much more enjoyable experience as they can choose books that are interesting to them. Teachers help your child choose books at an appropriate readability level that are challenging without being frustrating, ensuring that your child can pass the quiz and experience success.

To enhance the reading scheme we will be investing in reading books for our younger children and we look forward to sharing more information with you soon.

Christmas Dinner

Thank you to those parents who have booked a Christmas Dinner we will have over 300 children enjoying a school Christmas dinner in December. Please ensure that you have loaded money onto your child's dinner account 48 hours prior to the dates below.

Due to the number of children requiring Christmas dinner we will need to serve lunch over two days to ensure current guidelines are followed.

Thursday 10th December - Nursery, Year 1, Year 3 and Year 5

Friday 11th December - Reception, Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6

As we will be limited to space during the serving of Christmas dinner we will require all children to bring sandwiches on the day that their year group is NOT having Christmas dinner.

Oldcastle PTA - letter from PTA Chair

As I am sure you will appreciate a quite different 2020 for the PTA.

This time last year we would be organising our Christmas Disco’s, serving our families teas & coffees whilst watching Christmas Concerts & running a school uniform/Christmas jumper sale.

Whilst we would be fundraising during these events, the monies raised would be used for our children.

The PTA committee have decided that as 2020 has been a tough year for our children we want to give them a special Christmas Event.

The event will be outdoors, within their class bubbles following all Government guidance around Covid 19 and will be held during school time on Tuesday 15^th December 2020. We would love it to be a surprise, you never know Santa & Rudolph may make an appearance.

On a separate note, we are starting to prepare ideas for 2021 and would welcome any support you can provide.

Please follow Oldcastle Primary School PTA Facebook page where we will post further information and keep you updated on future events.

PTA Committee

Angela Minton - Olly Year 3

Kim Lewis - Lewis Year 4, Aaron Year 2, Dewi Nursery

Lowri McCausland - Eli Year 4, Ozias Year 2, Aoife Year 1

Julia Shaw - Reuben Year 1

School App

Don't forget we use The School App for lots of our communication to parents. Parents will need to download the app in the Play or App stores. Once downloaded type in Oldcastle Primary School and you will be able to view our school. If you have any problems accessing the school app please let us know. Emails are another method of communication we regularly use so please ensure we have the most up to date email address for you. We regularly send emails and app messages so if you are not receiving them please get in touch.

Criw Cymraeg

This week our phrase of the week was “ Sut mae’r tywydd heddiw?”- What’s the weather like today? The weather this week has been so changeable we’ve had to use it several times a day! We have been very impressed with the amount of Welsh heard around the school and hope to more in the next few weeks.

Word of the week- Ewch! - Go!

Phrase of the week-

• Sut mae’r tywydd heddiw?

• What is the weather like today?

School Savings Club

Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff, children and families for their ongoing support with the school savings club. It’s been a difficult year but it’s also been fantastic to see the children back in school, saving their pocket money over the last term, even if we have had to make some changes to the way it runs.

As we approach Christmas, we would like to offer the chance for the children to withdraw some of their savings. Under normal circumstances we like to offer a choice but we would like to encourage all withdrawals, where possible, to be done as a Bank Transfer (BACs).

Your child does not have to withdraw any of their savings as the school savings will continue to run until the end of term, before re-starting in January.

To make a withdrawal the trustee/guardian can follow this link to complete an online request: https://bridgendschoolsavings.com/download-forms/school-withdrawal-form/. If you are unsure about any details, including Balance, please enter “Don’t Know”. To withdraw the full balance, please enter “Full”.

For any queries or more information please visit our website www.bridgendschoolsavings.com. On the website you will find an extensive FAQ section, a ‘contact us’ page and all our forms, available to fill in online.

Kind regards,

Damian Faulkner

School Partnerships

Click here Bridgend School Savers Website

Welsh Government Christmas Card competition

Mark Drakesford, the First Minister for Wales, has launched a Christmas card competition for school children. Budding young artists are being asked to enter this year’s Christmas card competition. The winning design will be chosen by the First Minister and used as his official Christmas card. The First Minister’s sends his Christmas card to thousands of people around the world, including to the Queen.

While rainbows may not be traditionally associated with Christmas, the children, who must be aged seven to 11 to enter the competition, are being asked to pay tribute to the efforts of critical workers during the pandemic by using their imagination to incorporate the colourful symbol into their design.

• The closing date for the competition is Wednesday 2 December

• The competition is open to school-aged children in years three to six (age seven to 11)

• The design could include a rainbow and a Christmas star

• All entries should be to a maximum size of A4 (210mm x 297mm)

• Entries can be in portrait or landscape orientation

• All entries should be “flat” – no uneven surfaces, no cotton wool, glitter etc.

• Bright, vibrant colours reproduce well

• Dark backgrounds should be avoided

• If you want to include text on the artwork then please ask your teacher for help with translation or use Google Translate. Here are some standard phrases too: Nadolig Llawen- Merry Christmas / Cyfarchion y Tymor- Season’s Greetings. Please put Welsh first followed by English.

• Please include the person’s name and contact details with the entry

• Please note that unfortunately we will not be able to return any entries

• Images made on a computer device can be sent by email. Non-digital designs can still be sent by email – please take a clear and well-lit photograph of your hard-copy design, but please keep the original artwork so you can send it in if you are successful.

Email your entries to cabinetcommunications@gov.wales or by post to First Minister’s Christmas Card competition, Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NQ. Please do not send in entries to school.

Admissions to Reception Class

The local authority applications to reception classes will open to parents from Monday 23rd November. All parents of children in our current nursery class will need to apply for a place in the reception class for September 2021. Applications should be made via Bridgend Council website - the closing date for applications is 4pm on 12th February 2021. Please click the link below to access the application process.

Reception Class Application Process

Inset Days

Inset days for the school year have been approved and these are:

• Monday 12th April 2021

• Monday 7th June 2021

• Monday 19th July 2021

• Tuesday 20th July 2021

COVID Symptoms

Please remember if you or child presents any othe COVID symptoms you must self isolate and have a test.

• High temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature);

• New, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual);

• Loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal.

Please can we also remind parents of the Welsh Government guidelines regarding COVID 19 -

• If you or any other member of your household has COVID symptoms you must stay at home. If you have symptoms you should get a test.

• Children should not attend school if you or someone else in your household has symptoms or is having a test.

• Once the test result is received as negative children may return to school. Please inform the school when you receive the test result.

• If a positive result is received children should isolate for the 14 day period.

Keeping in contact

Please ensure you contact the school in the following ways when you need to inform us of COVID symptoms and / or test.

Telephone - 01656 815790 during school hours

And / or Email - ask@oldcastleprimary.co.uk

Year 2 thoroughly enjoyed recreating a Victorian classroom as part of their topic looking at old fashioned schools this week!

Some lovely painting in nursery this week whilst they learn about colour.

Year 4 took part in a Thrive activity today where they all worked as a team to add to each other's images. Da Iawn year 4.

We have a new Eco Schools flag flying at the front of the school! Our old flag had seen better days so we are delighted to have a new one to show our commitment to being a Platinum Eco School