Another busy week in Oldcastle Primary School.  We hope you rest up and enjoy the weekend.  

Our radio champions have prepared a radio show this week please take a listen here.

Radio Show - 15th November

Outdoor Learning

Some of our pupils thoroughly enjoyed their outdoor learning experience helping out in Ty Seren at Brynteg School yesterday. Looks great fun being outdoors. 

Our Learning Lodge is nicely set up for outdoor learning sessions. Willow weaving has gone down particularly well with the children. We love the fantastic designs on display. 

Remembrance

Thank you to our Junior Leadership Team and pupils for representing Oldcastle Primary at the Family Remembrance Service in Bridgend Town Centre last Saturday. #lestweforget2023

Parent Governor Vacancy

We currently have a vacancy for a parent governor on our school Governing Body.  Parent governors are parents of children who attend the school.  They are voted on to the school’s governing body by other parents whose children attend the school.   School governors play an important role in school life to lead, support and improve.  They act as a between parents, the local community and the school. Governors are impartial and make decisions that seek to improve the school. 

You do not need any particular qualifications to become a school governor as you will benefit from free training, but you do need to be aged 18 or over and you will need to have:

• an interest in our children’s future

• the desire to make a difference

• time and energy

• a readiness to accept responsibility

• the commitment to work in a team

• the enthusiasm to ask questions, listen and learn

• the motivation to help shape the future of education within Bridgend County Borough.

Once appointed, a school governor’s term of office lasts for four years. You would be expected to attend three governing body meetings per school year, one in each term, and committee meetings, where relevant.

For further information on the application process please click here.  Please complete an application form using the specified criteria and return to admin@oldcastleps.bridgend.cymru

Application Closing Date - Friday 24th November 2023

Christmas Concerts

We know its early to be talking about Christmas but we appreciate that parents like to be given plenty of notice regarding Christmas concerts.  Christmas concerts will take place on the following days and times.  There will be two performances per year group and parents / carers will be able to apply for up to 2 tickets for each performance.  Tickets will be £1 per person and payment can be made in cash on the door at the time of the concert.  Please complete the google form below to reserve your tickets for the performances you wish to attend.

• Nursery - Our First Nativity - Nursery Ticket Application Form

• Reception - Happy Birthday Jesus - Reception Ticket Application Form

• Year 1 - Christmas Show    - Year 1 Ticket Application Form

• Year 2 - Christmas Around The World - Year 2 Ticket Application Form

• Year 3 - Christmas Around The World - Year 3 Ticket Allocation Form

• Year 4 - A Star For Christmas - Year 4 Ticket Allocation Form

• Year 5 - Christmas in the 80's - Year 5 Ticket Allocation Form

• Year 6 - Christmas At The Movies - Year 6 Ticket Allocation Form

Children in Need

Thank you for your support today we are delighted to say we received £345 in donations for Children in Need.  Diolch yn fawr!

PTA Annual General Meeting

The PTA will be holding an annual general meeting on 20th November at 2.15pm in the school.  Everyone is welcome. For more information on the PTA please click here. We hope you can attend.

School Attendance

Attendance at school is important. Our whole school target for attendance is 95%. This week the attendance across the school was 94%.

Nativity Costume Donations

Do you have any nativity costumes that your child has grown out of?  We will happily accept these as donations to pass these onto other children.  We hope to have a range of costumes that we can display on a clothes rail and parents will be able to help themselves.  Please drop any donations into the school office.  Thank you for your support.

School Start Time

Please can we remind all parents from nursery to year 6 that school starts at 8.55am.  Children who arrive after this time cause disruption to the class registration process. Children who arrive after 9.05am are marked as late on the class register.

Learning Lodge and Other Outdoor Equipment

Please can we ask that children do not access the Learning Lodge area or play with other outdoor equipment at drop off and pick up time.  The Learning Lodge area in particular has a barrier which should not be moved.  The area is only for use under supervision by a staff member.  Thank you for your cooperation.

Packed Lunch Order Form - Panto Trip Years 1 to 3

The following information has been emailed to parents this week.  If you have already completed please disregard.

As your child is entitled to Universal Free School Meals they will be provided with a free packed lunch on Pantomime day - Wednesday 20th December.  Please complete this form to let us know if your child will require a free packed lunch and confirm the sandwich option required.  If you plan to send in a packed lunch for your child please let us know.

The packed lunch will consist of a ham or cheese brown bread sandwich, cake, piece of fruit, cucumber and carrot sticks and a bottle of water. 

Packed Lunch Order Form

Dinner Money

Payment for school dinners should be made via the Bridgend Council website.  Please ensure your child's account has funds at least 48 hours before they require a school dinner.

Throughout the year we will implement the following values each month.

• September - Determination and Perseverance

• October - Respect and Responsibility

• November - Friendship and forgiveness 

• December - Compassion and Hope  / Understanding and Patience

• January - Community and Service 

• February - Co-operation and being a good citizen within society

• March - Learning and Effort

• April - Showing gratitude

• May - Care and Generosity

• June - Honesty and trust

• July - Taking and managing risks

At Oldcastle, we are proud of each other and ourselves. We nurture all of our community so that we grow as confident, responsible and happy people. Oldcastle school is more than just learning.

• We try hard for each other

• We act responsibly

• We treat people how we’d like to be treated

• We work as a team

• We trust and respect each other

• We listen and learn together

• We share knowledge and experience

Together we make the difference

Together we shape innovative experiences 

More information on our values and visions can be found on our website.  Visions and Values

Nut Free School

Please can we remind parents that we strive to be a nut free school as we have a number of pupils who have a severe allergy to nuts.  

This includes nut products such as peanut butter and nutella. 

Contact details

Please ensure we have up to date contact details for you to ensure you keep up to date with school news and we are able to contact you during the school day if required.  You can either email us with change of details (ask@oldcastleprimary.co.uk) or complete the change of details form.  

Poetry Wales is hosting the Wales Young Poets Award for 2023, which can be in either English or Welsh and is on the subject of 'peace'.  The minimum age is 10 (and children has to be 10 years old before 31st Dec 2023).  For more information please see below. 

https://poetrywales.co.uk/wales-young-poets-award-2023/

https://www.wcia.org.uk/global-learning/peace-schools-in-wales/

Pokemon Sessions in Bridgend Library

If anyone has a love for Pokemon and is looking to learn how to play or trade cards there is a free session in Bridgend Library every Saturday 1pm-3pm.  It's free, with water/squash for the children and tea and coffee for the grown ups.

Keep Mi Sessions

Some Reception families have taken part in our Keep Mi sessions this week.  The project supports learning and play at home and provides families with a range of resources to use at home.  We were delighted to receive these photos to show how the boxes are being used at home.

Language and Play Session

This week, the children enjoyed listening to the story of Elmer and made some amazing Elmers out of milk bottles and the letter ‘e’ out of playdough.   They also made some Elmer ears which was Mrs Diehl’s favourite activity of the session.  We ended with the children singing the rainbow song beautifully in welsh.  Da iawn! 

This week in nursery the children have made Diva lamps as they have been learning about Diwali and been practicing our subitising skills using 5 frames.

Enrichment - Tennis Sessions

• 25th November - Cross Country years 3 to 6

• 4th to 6th December - Year 6 Residential Trip to Culmington Manor

• 13th December - Christmas Dinner Day

• 18th December - Nursery and Reception The Little Elf Event

• 20th December - Pantomime Years 1 to 6

• 21st December- Last Day in School 

• 22nd December - Inset Day

• 8th January - Return to School

The next Parents Evenings are planned for week beginning 11th March 2024.

Inset Days 2023/24

Inset Days have been approved by Governors for 2023/24 and they are as follows:

• Monday 4th September 2023

• Friday 22nd December 2023

• Monday 19th February 2024

• Friday 22nd March 2024

• Monday 3rd June 2024

• Monday 22nd July 2024

P.E. lessons this term will take place on the following days.  Children attending school should wear their P.E. kit to school on the day of their lesson.

• Nursery - Thursday

• Reception -  Thursday

• Year 1 - Wednesday

• Year 2 - Monday

• Year 3 - Thursday

• Year 4 - Tuesday

• Year 5 - Wednesday

• Year 6 - Monday

In the event that you have a concern regarding a child please follow this procedure:

• During school hours please contact Mrs Ceri Littlewood, safeguarding lead at Oldcastle Primary School.

• Out of school hours please  contact  the  out of hours Emergency Duty Team Tel No 01443743665

More information on Safeguarding at Oldcastle can be found on our website.