Week 3 - Friday 25th September 2020

Thank you to all our parents for your support over week 3 of the school term. The children are enjoying being back in school and have been enjoying some exciting learning over the last week.

We understand how difficult the current situation can be for parents and children following the change in rules for the Bridgend County area this week. Welsh Government and the local authority have produced some helpful advice for residents which answers a variety of questions - please take a look at the Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

We have also received a reference guide for parents regarding pupil absence. Pupil Absence Guidelines

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

Breakfast Club

Thank you to those parents that completed the recent google form regarding breakfast club. We are currently looking at the demand and liaising with the local authority to confirm details of reopening the breakfast club. We hope to be able to provide you with exact details shortly. Thank you for your patience.

School Savings Club

We are delighted to re-start our school savings club from next Wednesday 30th September. The club will be open for children to visit with their class bubble throughout the Wednesday morning and we have a range of measures in place in relation to COVID. Mr Faulkner will operate behind a perspex screen and all equipment and furniture will be cleaned between each class. Unfortunately, parents will not be able to visit the savings club with their child prior to school as before.

Thank you for your support, we look forward to welcoming our young savers back. Please see a welcome message below from the Credit Union.

More information on our successful savings club is available on our website. Bridgend Credit Union School Savings Club.

School Savings Club

After a difficult year for everyone, we are delighted that the school savings club will return on Wednesday 30th September. Money management is an important life skill and we look forward to welcoming both our regular savers and hopefully some new super savers!

The school savings club is run by the school every Wednesday morning. They can save as much or as little as they want, it all adds up. If your child is already a member, they don’t need to do anything to re-start. For any new savers, they can join anytime by bringing in their completed membership form. Once they have returned their form, they receive a piggy bank and a paying-in book and can start saving straight away.

We hope to see all our savers next Wednesday!

Chromebook Loan

In light of the current situation, we are looking to find out which children would need to borrow a Chromebook in the event that Public Health Wales advise us to isolate a class. Please complete the form via the link below if you have not yet completed. Please fill in a form even if you do not require the loan of a Chromebook and submit by Monday 28th September.

Please complete a separate form for each child.

Chromebook Loan and Gmail Approval - Years 4 to 6

Chromebook Loan Reception to Year 3

School Times

Please see below a reminder of the day at Oldcastle. Please can we ask that parents adhere to social distancing guidelines on the school grounds and particularly at classroom doors when communicating with staff. Once children have been dropped off / collected we ask that you exit through the South Street entrance promptly.

• Nursery - Drop off 9am to 9.10am and collection at 3pm

• Reception - Drop off 9am to 9.10am and collection 3pm to 3.10pm

• Year 1 - Drop off 9am to 9.10am and collection 3pm to 3.10pm

• Year 2 - Drop off 9am to 9.10am and collection 3pm to 3.10pm

• Year 3 - Drop off 8.50am to 9am and collection 3.10pm

• Year 4 - Drop off 8.50am to 9am and collection 3.10pm

• Year 5 - Drop off 8.50am to 9am and collection 3.10pm

• Year 6 - Drop off 8.50am to 9am and collection 3.10pm

World Mental Health Day fundraising - Wear Yellow!

Young people are at the heart of what we do, and we want to make sure that everyone is talking about mental health. World Mental Health Day is on Friday 9th October and we would like to get everyone talking about mental health at Oldcastle Primary on this day.

As part of our awareness we will be supporting the YoungMinds charity through their #helloyellow campaign. The charity has the aim of improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people.

We encourage all our children and staff to wear yellow on Friday 9th October to support the charity - children may bring in a donation to the charity.

www.youngminds.org.uk

Inset Days

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

• Monday 2nd November 2020

• Monday 12th April 2021

• Monday 7th June 2021

• Monday 19th July 2021

• Tuesday 20th July 2021

Job vacancies at Oldcastle Primary School

We currently have a teacher vacancy and a learning support officer vacancy. For further information please click here.

School Photos - Friday 2nd October

The school photographer will be in Oldcastle on Friday 2nd October to take individual child photos. Children will need to come to school in normal school uniform on this day.

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.

Your child will not be able to attend school if they have any of the above symptoms. Please also let us know if your child has been advised to have a test so that we can provide appropriate information to Public Health Wales if required.

P.E.

On the days when your child's class has P.E. they should wear their P.E. kit to school for the day instead of their uniform.. P.E. kit should consist of dark shorts / leggings / tracksuit and a white t-shirt. On top of the P.E. kit we recommend a school hoodie / jumper / cardigan, tracksuit and trainers. Please also remember that jewellery should not be worn for P.E - this includes earrings, necklaces, rings and hard headbands - and long hair should be tied back.

P.E. will be held on the following days for each year group:

• Reception - Thursday

• Year 1 - Monday

• Year 2 - Friday

• Year 3 - Wednesday

• Year 4 - Tuesday

• Year 5 - Friday

• Year 6 - Thursday

Water Bottle

Please can you ensure your child comes to school with a water bottle that is named. Children in years 3 - 6 will need to ensure they have sufficient supply for the day, either by bringing in a large bottle or two smaller bottles, this is due to accessibility to water supplies outside of their class bubble.

Nasal Flu Vaccination Programme

The School nursing team have booked the nasal flu vaccination programme to take place at Oldcastle on Thursday 3rd December. More information will be provided nearer the time.