Week 15 - Friday 8th January 2021

Happy new year to all our pupils and parents.

Welcome from Mrs Littlewood

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the new Acting Head of Oldcastle. Having worked at Oldcastle for a number of years, I am delighted to take up this new post and I look forward to continuing to work with you, the staff and the community, particularly during this very difficult time.

I hope that you and your families are staying safe and healthy and our thoughts go out to all those families that have been directly affected by this terrible virus.

We continue to be in an unprecedented situation. The school has been closed to most pupils this week. Today the Welsh Government announced that schools will be closed at least until the 29th January with a possibility that this could be until half term. I will continue to keep you updated.

Staff are working hard to provide online learning and I know that pupils are also working extremely hard to complete the work. Yesterday I wrote a letter to the pupils which I hope you will share with them to tell them how proud of them we are and recognise how hard it is for them working from home.

My aim is to regularly communicate to you and the children throughout our school closure. This will be via email, the school app, Twitter and the school website.

Our main priority is the health and well being of all our pupils and families during this difficult time.

I look forward to working with you.

Take care.

Mrs C. Littlewood

Online learning

Online learning has commenced for all pupils this week.

• Children in nursery to year 2 will be using Seesaw to access learning and parents have received a log in code / QR code for their child.

• Children in years 3 to 6 will continue to use Google Classroom. Children must remember to sign in using their Oldcastle Primary email address.

If you require assistance with accessing any of the above please email us on ask@oldcastleprimary.co.uk

Chromebooks have been distributed to those parents that have requested one. If you have not collected or would like some assistance with the use of a chromebook please do get in touch.

Critical worker school provision

The school continues to remain open for children of critical workers. A booking form will be sent every week enabling critical workers to book their children into the provision. The in school provision operates normal school hours.

As a reminder the current definition of a critical worker (as defined by Bridgend County Borough Council) includes the following employment:

• Health

• Police

• Ambulance Service

• Fire and rescue service

• Education

• Social Care

• Prison Service

Schools Mental Health Award

We are delighted to inform parents that Oldcastle Primary School has been awarded the School Mental Health Award.

Oldcastle have been instrumental in the launch of the Schools Mental Health Award in Wales with Leeds Beckett Carnegie School of Education, and we are delighted to have achieved this award in recognition of our commitment to mental health in the school environment. The school is committed towards improving emotional health and wellbeing for both staff and pupils.

School Savings Club

Its a shame that we cannot start back our School Savings Club yet as we are sure that our children will be keen to deposit any Christmas money into their account!

Please see below a message from Mr Damian Faulkner, Bridgend School Savings.

With schools set to remain online for a little longer, we wanted to remind all our school savers that we are still open for any deposits, withdrawals or queries.

If you would like to get in touch with us for any reason, please visit www.bridgendschoolsavings.com

We hope you are all keeping well and we look forward to seeing you all soon,

Kind regards,

Damian Faulkner

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