Week 5 - Friday 9th October 2020

This week, we informed parents that Mr Thompson will be leaving Oldcastle at the end of the year to move onto a new position in another local authority. As a school we will be very sorry to see Mr Thompson leave us.

Below is a copy of the letter from Mr Thompson:

Dear Parents,

I am writing to inform you that after nearly eight incredible years as Headteacher at Oldcastle Primary School I have decided to accept a new position within another local authority from January 2021. This new challenge will allow me to continue to learn and grow professionally while enabling me to live closer to family.

It has been my privilege and pleasure to see hundreds of pupils develop and flourish as confident, successful young people. I have learnt an enormous amount during my time here, and I am very proud of the part I have played in serving the Oldcastle Community and ensuring that the school is the thriving place that it is today.

I would like to say a big thank you for the support that you have given me over the years.

This school rightly enjoys an excellent reputation in the Borough and across Wales. This is attributed to the exemplary quality education and innovation provided by all the team at Oldcastle. I know I will be leaving the school in very safe hands; we are fortunate in having an exceptional leadership team and a brilliant and committed staff who are passionate about improving the education and wellbeing of every child every day.

I would like to reassure you that the Governing Body has started considering the process for appointing my successor and they will write to update you once they have confirmed their plans.

Oldcastle will always be a special place for me, and I look forward to spending my remaining time with the pupils and staff ensuring that the school continues to move on to be the best it can be.

Yours sincerely,

Jeremy Malessa-Thompson (Mr.)

Arrangements from January 2021

The chair of governors has also written a letter to parents informing you of the interim arrangements from January 2021. Please see below:

Further to Mr Thompson’s letter earlier this week, the governing body have accepted his resignation and wish him well in his new position.

At an extraordinary meeting of the governing body this week, we will be notifying the Local Authority that Mrs Ceri Littlewood, will take the role of Headteacher in an acting capacity with Miss Lyndsey Hodgson acting as Deputy Headteacher. These arrangements will commence from 1st January 2021. This will be in place until a substantive appointment has been made.

World Mental Health Day fundraising - Wear Yellow!

Wow thank you so much for supporting our Wear Yellow mental health fundraising day today! There has been a sea of yellow throughout the school and we are so pleased to fund raise for the Young Minds UK charity. All donations will be counted next week and we will let you know how much we have raised for the charity.

Children in all year groups have been taking part in activities relating to mental health. They talked about feelings and emotions.

Nursery children made their own yellow emoji emotion faces and read stories all about well-being and recognising our feelings and emotions.

www.youngminds.org.uk

School Photos

School photos have been sent home this week. If you would like to order photos the envelopes must be returned to school by Friday 16th October. Orders received after this date will not be processed via the school.

School Savings Club

Wow we had 84 savers at our school savings club this week. What a fantastic turnout. So lovely to see many of our pupils saving their money. Well done! Thank you for your support. Savings Club will continue every Wednesday morning.

National Cycle Training - Year 6 only

Bridgend County Borough Council’s Road Safety Team in partnership with the Prevention & Wellbeing service will shortly be offering National Standard Cycle Training. There’s a requirement for each child to have a road worthy correct size cycle together with a helmet to the correct British standard. Parents in year 6 will receive a letter which will need to be completed and returned to school providing permission for your child to take part.

Packed lunch / snacks

Please remember that we have a number of children in school with a nut allergy. Please do not send in any items that contain nuts into school. This includes nutella bars and peanut butter sandwiches.

If your child brings an item in their packed lunch that requires a spoon / fork they will need to bring one into school with them. We do not have a supply of spoons or forks to provide to our packed lunch children.

Hand cream

A number of children have brought hand cream into school recently. Please can we ask that children do not bring in hand cream as this may contain ingredients that another child may be allergic to. All products used in school including handwash / hand santiser products are checked to ensure that they do not contain certain nut products.

Local residents

Please can parents be mindful of local residents when arriving and leaving school in particular be considerate when parking and walking past property. Some residents have contacted us to ask that pupils do not tap on doors and windows as they pass the houses. Thank you for your cooperation.

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

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

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. Letters will be sent home next week - all parents are required to complete a form to indicate if your child will be having the vaccine.