What a busy week we have had! We kicked off the first of our 16 Christmas concerts at the beginning of the week with Year 1 wowing their parents with the songs they had learnt. This week we've also had fantastic concerts performed by our nursery, year 2 and year 3 children. All the concerts have been fantastic and we are so pleased to be able to invite parents and carers into school to see your children performing on the stage in the main hall. Next week we can't wait to see the reception, year 4, year 5 and year 6 concerts.

We are very grateful to the PTA for supporting the Christmas concerts with the provision of refreshments and arranging the raffle. We are also grateful for the support we receive from parents and carers providing costumes where necessary.

Finally thank you to our wonderful staff and children for putting on such fantastic concerts this year - they really are a joy to watch. Here's a reminder of the remaining concerts.

Children's Books

We are delighted to offer parents the opportunity to come into school to view your child's fantastic work. On Monday 19th December, we will hold a Parent Book Look where your child will be able to share all of their exciting learning with you. Staff will not be available on this night as we would like the children to lead the event. Members of the leadership team will be on hand should you have any questions throughout. The school will be open from 3.15pm to 4.45pm.

After school there will be a PTA Cake Sale in the Main Hall if you wish to grab a cuppa and cake while you catch up with other parents.

We hope to hold other events similar to this throughout the year so don't worry if you can't make this one.

School Swimming

Over the last term children in years 4, 5 and 6 have been completing swimming lessons in Ynysawdre swimming pool. The lessons are always enjoyed by our children and we are delighted to have been able to arrange these. Thank you to our staff for taking the children out of school to the pool over the last few weeks.

School Christmas Dinner

Christmas dinner will be served in December. Thank you to all our parents for confirming if your child will require a Christmas dinner - our catering team will be serving over 380 meals over the two days!! Normal school menu is not available on these days.

• Wednesday 14th December - Nursery, Reception, Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6

• Thursday 15th December - Reception, Year 1, Year 3 and Year 5

NB. Reception children will be able to have a Christmas dinner on both days due to the welsh government universal free school meals allowance.

Payment for the Christmas dinner should be made to your child's dinner account via Bridgend County Borough Council website. The cost of the meal is £2.20. Please ensure payment is received before Friday 9th December. Christmas lunch will not be served to any child with no credit on their account.

Children may wear Christmas jumpers on these days if they wish.

Countdown to Christmas Event

We are delighted to announce to parents and children that the PTA are arranging a very special day on Monday 19th December ! The Countdown to Christmas Event will hopefully mean that Father Christmas will be able to visit as long as the Grinch doesn't have his way!

PTA Cake Sale -Monday 19th December

The PTA will be holding a cake sale after school on Monday 19th December for children, parents and carers. The PTA will be running a Christmas Cake competition on the 19th December and we hope that parents and carers will support by entering cakes into the compettion. We've always been overwhelmed witht he quality and variety of cakes that are enetered so we hope you can support on this occassion. All cakes entered into the competition will be sold at the cake sale. Please can cakes be brought into school on the morning of the 19th December. If you are able to donate cakes but do not wish to enter into the competition this is fine just leave your name off the donation. Please can you label any homemade cakes with a list of ingredients. Please note we cannot sell any cakes with nuts in them.

Thank you for your support. The cake sale will coincide with the Children's Book Look - see details above.

PE Days

Children should wear P.E. kit to school on the day their class has a P.E. session.

• Reception - Monday

• Year 1 - Tuesday

• Year 2 - Monday

• Year 3 - Tuesday

• Year 4 - Wednesday

• Year 5 - Thursday

• Year 6 - Wednesday

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.

PTA Christmas Tree Fundraiser

Cross Country Competition - Years 3 to 6

Next Saturday, a week tomorrow (December 17^th the third event of the cross country season will be held at Porthcawl Comprehensive School.

In the new year the following dates have been scheduled:

Saturday January 28^th – CCYD.

Saturday March 11^th – Pencoed Comp.

Saturday April 29^th – Bryntirion Comp.

Admissions to school

Please refer to the Bridgend Council website for details of applications to school, currently applications are open for children moving to secondary school and children moving from nursery to reception.

BCBC School Admissions

Contact details

We regularly email and send App messages to parents - please ensure we have up to date contact details for you to ensure you keep up to date with school news. You can either email us with change of details (ask@oldcastlprimary.co.uk) or complete the change of details form.

Hunting the beast!

Things got a bit scary in Year 1 this week. They had a mysterious visitor overnight! Year 1 have had a busy week describing a big green beast that has been leaving clues in school The children used the clues they found to make posters to warn others of the danger.! The children displayed their WANTED posters throughout the school and today the children heard that Mrs Williams had spotted the beast on the CCTV cameras. He has been very naughty in the year 1 classrooms leaving big green footprints, dancing on the tables and even ate crisps and fruit ! Sounds like a good mystery to solve year 1!

Digital Club

Digital Club have been busy creating some lovely Christmas cards.

Enrichment

Friday afternoons are all about enrichment sessions. Children are excited about the different activities they take part in and always look forward to a Friday afternoon. What a busy Friday afternoon it was today!

2A enjoy their enrichment session at the library on a Friday afternoon. They listen to a story about Christmas and made Rudolph masks last week!

Inset Days 2022 / 23

Inset days for this academic year are as follows:

• Monday 5th September 2022

• Monday 7th November 2022

• Tuesday 8th November 2022

• Friday 31st March 2023

• Friday 26th May 2023

• Monday 24th July 2023

Term Dates - all term dates are available to view on our website

• Autumn Term finishes on Friday 23rd December 2022.

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.

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