Newsletter - February 2017

27^th February 2017
Dear Parent / Carer
We have had some fantastic visitors to school this half term, with the children experiencing and enjoying a range of opportunities: Forest schools, Bushcraft, Anti-bullying Workshops, ‘Show Racism The Red Card’, our whole school Cultural Diversity week, ‘Lead Creative Schools’ work, Valentine Disco etc.  Please follow us on Twitter to see great photos of the activities at school.
This term will see a few changes to staff.  We say goodbye to Mrs Gannon who has worked as a lunchtime supervisor and classroom support for a number of years.  We wish her lots of luck in her future endeavours.  Mrs Deverill has secured a secondment to another Local Authority school until the end of the summer term.  This is a fantastic opportunity for her.  We will be moving Mrs Pugh and Mrs Field into Oak Class.  Willow class will then be taught by Mrs Field with Miss Garrett.  Miss Garrett has lots of experience and will become part of the Upper Key Stage 2 team, working closely with Oak and Beech classes to ensure consistency.  We wish Mrs Deverill lots of luck in her exciting new role and welcome Miss Garrett to Coedpenmaen.
The ‘Parents’ Forum’ has their next meeting on the 7^th March.  They will be considering how we can further encourage excellent attendance at school.  Please use their Facebook page if you wish to leave a constructive comment.  Thanks
 The PTA’s Valentine Disco was again a great success with funds raised planned to support the development of the school grounds.   Thanks to everyone who contributed.  The PTA raised over £350!
Our Value this half term is COMPASSION.  The children will learn about how to show compassion and kindness to one another, recognising when friends  need us to listen and act with compassion. We will also remember how nations show compassion to other nations at times of disaster or need by sending money and volunteers to help.  This will help our work for 'Comic Relief' as well as the children prepare for Easter.
Attendance – We are now at 95.1% for our whole school attendance.  This is still below our target of 95.4% but wish to thank all of you who have made an extra effort this term to send your children to school regularly.  I ask for your continued support in sending your child to school as often as possible.  
Please note: if your child is genuinely ill, they should not attend school - it remains the responsibility of parents to inform the school on the first day of absence if a child is not well enough to attend
School Dinners - Please bring your dinner money in an envelope each Monday.  Local Authority auditors monitor this – we are not permitted to allow families to build up a ‘debt’ of dinner money.  Unless there are exceptional circumstances, children MUST maintain the same arrangements for lunch throughout the week.  This ensures that the kitchen orders the correct amount of food to cook as well as helps office staff with the accurate administration of dinner money.  
If your child has school lunch and is late arriving at school, please make sure the office staff are informed so that we can ensure that the orders placed with the kitchen are accurate.  Increasingly, this is a problem as the kitchen is not run like a cafeteria and can only provide meals for the numbers provided by the school office. 
We are very proud of our school uniform and the children look very smart when representing the school on visits etc.  However, it has been noticed that this has begun to ‘slip’ a little recently.  Whilst it is possible to have uniform with the embroidered school badge, this is not compulsory.  To keep costs down for families, children can wear plain white or pale blue polo shirts with a navy blue jumper/cardigan with dark skirt/trousers and shoes if they wish.
27^th Feb   WYTHNOS CYMRAEG – Welsh Week
1.30pm - Mark Dorey – Author – Welsh Storytelling KS2
                Big Foot Theatre/Drama Workshops
28^th Feb   Big Foot Theatre/Drama Workshops
1^st Mar    Eisteddfod – please wear Welsh Costume/house colours
2^nd Mar    ‘Fflic a Fflac’ – Welsh characters for Foundation Phase
3^rd Mar    1.00pm – Mark Dorey – Book Signing
7^th Mar    Oak, Willow and Beech to Royal Mint, Llantrisant
Parents’ Forum – 3.30pm
9^th Mar    Colotfoto – classes and group photos – school uniform required.
10^th Mar  Cluster INSET Day – no school for children
22^nd Mar  Year 3 – Mothers’ Day Tea Party – time to be confirmed
23^rd Mar  Nursery and Reception – Mothers’ Day Tea Party (am)
                Year 1 and Year 2 - Mothers’ Day Tea Party (pm)
                Year 5 and 6 – to Hawthorn High School – Sports Festival
24^th Mar  Comic Relief / Red Nose day
3^rd Apr     ‘Easter Cracked’ – Year 6 at Coedpenmaen Chapel (am)
5^th Apr     Parents’ Evening
6^th Apr     Parents’ Evening
7^th Apr     School’s World Book Day
EASTER BREAK – 10^th April – 23^rd April
3^rd May    Meeting at Hawthorn High School for parents in preparation for Llangrannog
4^th May    Local Elections – school will remain open.
**Welsh Government Tests are between 3^rd – 10^th May 2017.  We ask that every effort is made to ensure that pupils in Year 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are in school during these test dates**
Please continue to take care walking through the school grounds which are used a car parks.  Please supervise your children as you would through any other car park.  We are working with the Local Authority to identify any ways in which traffic can be more safely controlled for the safety of the children, the parents and our neighbours.  Our school council are also leading a competition for the children to design ‘Poo Posters’.  The winners will be made into signage to be placed on the footbridge to the school to remind dog walkers of the need to clean up after their dogs.
Yours, Mrs Loveridge (Headteacher)

NEWSLETTER

22^nd January 2017

Dear Parent / Carer

We have hit the ground running this term, as usual!    New themes have been started and the children are enjoying their challenges. 

Oak, Willow and Beech – Enterprise Troopers:  the children welcomed a local entrepreneur who shared his work and gave the children a chance to ask questions.  They are now planning their own entrepreneurial exploits, thinking about how they can make a profit.

Sycamore, Hazel and Holly:     ‘Survival’.  Sycamore and Hazel are taking part in ‘Forest School’s activities, whilst Holly class will benefit from some ‘Bush craft’ activities.   

Ash and Cherry:  The children have been very busy writing a ‘Message in a Bottle’ and considering survival in difficult situations.  I wonder what you would take with you to a desert island?

Maple and Acorns: ‘Holes, Spaces and Hiding Places’.  The children are using the book ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ for their story telling and experiences.  Nursery thoroughly enjoyed experiences the Bear Hunt first hand – stepping through grass, mud, water, snow etc. 

Some of our Digital Leaders have learned how to use the ‘hwb’ website.  They are now in the process of training the rest of the digital leaders, and for them to then teach their classes how to use this website effectively. Glee Choir are enjoying their singing, and looking forward to a trip to the Millennium Centre to see ‘Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat’- this is being funded through a successful grant application to the Arts Council of Wales.  

Sycamore and Hazel classes are also working on creative ways of learning basic maths facts – our focus for the whole school this term.  We are also in the final stages of plans for play equipment (through the Big Lottery Fund) in the junior yard and have plans for the infant yard in the near future.

The Eco Council have collected many, many Christmas cards in their recycling scheme.  If you have any more cards at home, please send them in to school in the next few days.   They will be collected soon and will be weighed to find out how much we have collected.

The ‘Parents’ Forum’ has had its second meeting and wished for me to share their appreciation of the constructive comments provided through the ‘Coedpenmaen Parents’ Facebook page.   School staff have begun considering the points raised, will be speaking to the school council and sharing our updated homework policy in due course.    Their next meeting is on the 7^th March.

The PTA’s Cake Day was again a great success with funds planned to support the development of the school grounds.   Thanks to everyone who contributed.

Our Value this half term is THANKFULNESS.  The children have begun thinking about how many things we have to be thankful for – and have shown their thanks for their families, their comfortable beds, their friends etc.  They have also been thinking about those who are not as fortunate.

Attendance – Well done to Maple class last week for gaining 100% attendance.  The children thoroughly enjoyed their treat of pop and popcorn!  Hopefully more classes will be able to gain this reward in the coming weeks.  We are still at 95% for our whole school attendance.  This is below our target of 95.4%.  I ask for your continued support in sending your child to school as often as possible.  

Please note: if your child is genuinely ill, they should not attend school - it remains the responsibility of parents to inform the school on the first day of absence if a child is not well enough to attend

23^rd Jan    Forest Schools – Sycamore and Hazel

25^th           Bushcraft                  - Sycamore and Hazel

30^th           Forest Schools – Sycamore and Hazel

31^st Jan    St David’s Day photographs for Newspaper

7^th Feb      Safer Internet Day

10^th Feb   Year 5 and 6 to HHS – Sports Day – TBC

13^th Feb   Cultural Diversity Week – details will follow from Classes

14^th Feb   PTA - Valentine Disco

15^th Feb   Show Racism the Red Card - year 5 and Year 6

Year 4 – Anti-Bullying Workshops from Accessible Wales

Bushcraft - Ash and Cherry

16^th Feb   Bushcraft - Holly

HALF TERM – 20^th Feb- 24^th Feb

27^th Feb   WYTHNOS CYMRAEG – Welsh Week

1.30pm - Mark Dorey – Author – Welsh Storytelling

                  Big Foot Theatre Workshops

28^th Feb   Big Foot Theatre Workshops

1^st Mar     Eisteddfod

3^rd Mar     1.00pm – Mark Dorey – Book Signing

7^th Mar     Parents’ Forum – 3.30pm

9^th Mar     Colotfoto – classes and group photos

10^th Mar  Cluster INSET – no school for children

24^th Mar  Comic Relief / Red Nose day

30^th Mar  PTA – possible Bingo evening

5^th Apr      Parents’ Evening

6^th Apr      Parents’ Evening

7^th Apr      School’s World Book Day

EASTER BREAK – 10^th April – 23^rd April

3^rd May    Meeting at Hawthorn High School for parents in preparation for Llangrannog

4^th May    Local Elections – school will remain open.

**Welsh Government Tests are between 3^rd – 10^th May 2017.  We ask that every effort is made to ensure that pupils in Year 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are in school during these test dates**

Please continue to take care walking through the school grounds which are used a car parks.  Please supervise your children as you would through any other car park.  Many of you may have also seen Traffic Enforcement Officers along Llanover Road working to secure the safety of the children when travelling to school. 

It is always a pleasure to meet parents through our open-door policy.  Please remember, if you have any concerns you are able to discuss them initially with the class teacher (before or after school is always best to avoid teaching times).  If you needed to see me, please either pop in, or if I am not available, please make an appointment. 

Yours, Mrs Loveridge (Headteacher)

CHRISTMAS NEWSLETTER

15^th December 2016

Dear Parent / Carer

With Christmas almost upon us, I wanted to update everyone with events at school. 

 

As usual it has been a jam packed half term with interesting and exciting activities for everyone.  From thinking about soldiers on Remembrance Day to the Roald Dahl ‘Sleepover’ in Cardiff; pizza parties and cinema afternoons for Good to be Green rewards, achieving the Healthy Schools (Phase 3) award, the Christmas Fayre, fabulous concerts and visiting the Muni for the Panto or Rumble in the Jungle to meet the man in the bright red suit!

 

Our pupil groups have been very active too.  The Digital Leaders have begun working and started off by visiting Admiral in Cardiff to find out more about using social media, the Eco Council have been encouraging us all to switch off the lights more often and the Glee Choir have entertained school, parents and the community with their Christmas tunes.  The school council have begun working with Governors to raise awareness of dog fouling on the bridge leading to school.   We ask that if you are aware of local residents who allow their dogs to foul on the bridge, that the local authority is informed:

//forms.rctcbc.gov.uk/en/StreetCare/AnimalFouling/ContactDetails

 

The Eco Council are also involved in the Local Authority’s Christmas Card recycling scheme and ask that you send as many old Christmas Cards to school as possible in the new year.  PLEASE don’t just through them out…ask friends, family and neighbours so that we collect as many Christmas Cards as possible.

 

The ‘Parents’ Forum’ has had its inaugural meeting, and has been set some tasks in preparation for the next meeting in the new year.    We will keep you up to date with their work which includes considering homework, attendance etc.  Thanks also to all the parents who attended parents’ evening to discuss their children’s progress.  As always, we had a great turn out!

 

The PTA’s Christmas Fayre was again very well attended – boosted by the inclusion of the Glee Choir to entertain during the evening.  The PTA raising £713.55.  Your support of the PTA is much appreciated – as they are working hard to raise funds to support the development of the school grounds.   Monies raised from the sale of Concert tickets etc. through the school’s Private Fund is also used for the benefit of the children and will be supporting the development of the school grounds as well.

 

Our Value next half term is THANKFULNESS, perfect for the children to think about after the excesses of Christmas.  Through this, we will be considering how thankful we need to be for what we have, and remember those who are not as fortunate.

 

A number of parents of Year 1 and Year 2 children are waiting for their children beyond the school fence at the back of the school.  Year 1 and 2 parents are requested to enter the school yard to collect their children to ensure the children’s safety and for school staff to know that they have been handed over to responsible adults.

 

Attendance - This term we are absolutely thrilled that we have rewarded 68 children for 100% attendance.  This is the highest amount for an Autumn Term ever!  Spring term usually gives us the highest amount of 100% attendance pupils, so we will hopefully see this increase too.  Children with the very best attendance also received a special award in the Summer Term.

We are currently at 95% for our whole school attendance.  This is below our target set by the Local Authority of 95.4%.  You will all be aware that attendance is a core feature of the school’s Inspection process.  The school has previously had recommendations to improve attendance, and as such I ask for your continued support in sending your child to school as often as possible.  

Well done to Sycamore class who won the best class attendance of the term, and Sycamore and Beech who had the most number of children who achieved 100%.

Please note: if your child is genuinely ill, they should not attend school - it remains the responsibility of parents to inform the school n the first day of absence if a child is not well enough to attend

Tues 3^rd Jan      INSET Day – no school for children

Wed 4^th Jan      Children return to school

Mon 9^th Jan      Techniquest kits at school

Tues 10^th          Techniquest kits at school

                           PC Rob – Year 4 – Internet Safety

Fri 13^th Jan       INSET Day – no school for children

Thurs 19^th Jan   Football/Rugby after school starts back (Years 5 and 6)

Fri 20^th Jan       PTA Cake Day

Tues 7^th Feb     Safer Internet Day

Fri 10^th Feb       Proposed visit to HHS – Year 5 and 6 – to be confirmed

Mon 13^th Feb   Cultural Diversity Week

Tues 14^th Feb   PTA - Valentine Disco

Wed 15^th Feb   Show Racism the Red Card Workshops (Yr 5 and Yr 6)

                         Anti-Bullying Workshop - Accessibility Wales (Yr 4)

Thurs 16^th Feb  Year 5 – PC Rob – I didn’t think

Mon 20^th Feb – Fri 24^th Feb – HALF TERM

Mon 27^th Feb   Wythnos Cymraeg – Welsh Week

                         Author Visit for KS2

Wed 1^st Mar     Eisteddfod

Thurs 9^th Mar   Class and Group Photos

Fri 10^th Mar      Proposed CLUSTER INSET Day –TBC

 

**Welsh Government Tests are between 3^rd – 10^th May 2017.  We ask that every effort is made to ensure that pupils in Year 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are in school during these test dates**

 

We are having a slight swap around of staff in January.  Miss Baldwin will work in the Nursery until the summer with Mrs E Davies.  Mrs L Davies will return to working in Reception / Year 1, and Miss Richards joining Mr Carter in Ash class.

 

We have also had concerns raised about parking on the yellow zigzags at the rear of the school.  Please be advised that Traffic Enforcement Officers may be patrolling in the New Year.

 

I wish you all the very best for Christmas and the New Year and I look forward to seeing you all in the New Year.

 

Yours, Mrs Loveridge (Headteacher)

ATTENDANCE

Please find below copy of letter re: Attendance sent to families on Friday 9th Dec 2016

Dear Parent / Carer

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

As you are all aware the Welsh Government and the Local Authority have placed a strong focus on regular, good school attendance.  This is then continued at school where we are challenged by the Local Authority to meet targets, set by them, to raise levels of attendance across the whole school.  Many of you will also be aware that attendance also forms part of the school’s Inspection Criteria and was a recommendation in the previous Inspection (2012) with ‘satisfactory progress’ being judged in the re-visit in May 2015.   We aim to ensure that any future Inspections show that we have made at least ‘good’ progress!

Our target, set by the Local Authority, is 95.4%.

The school is currently below this target, even though we have not yet completed a whole term with current attendance now at 94.9%. 

In order to achieve the minimum of 95% target for every child’s attendance at school we will be introducing a new initiative which will begin at the end of this term and I would like to request your support to help us reach, and hopefully exceed, our target.

We have already started a part of this initiative:

• texts were sent out last week which let families know your child’s class attendance, as well as identifying the class with the best attendance.  This will continue on a weekly basis

As well as this, each child will have a letter sent home at the end of each term.  This will identify which ‘band’ your child’s attendance is in, as detailed below:

• Green Letter      if your child’s attendance is 95% or above – Excellent attendance – meets Welsh Government target for your child.

• Yellow Letter     for attendance 90% - 94.9% - this attendance needs a slight improvement to meet targets
• Amber Letter     86% - 89.9% - this attendance is monitored closely at school
• Red Letter           Below 86% - This attendance is a considerable cause of concern.  If improvements are not made the school has no choice but to follow Welsh Government and Local Authority procedures.

We also have a series of rewards for good attendance:

• The best class each week has an extra 10 minutes play on the following Monday
• Any class achieving 100% for the full week receives an extra treat (for example pop and biscuits etc.).   Ash class won this last week!
• Children who have achieved 100% at the end of each term receive a certificate, as well as a small prize
• Children who achieve 100% for the full year receive an amazon Gift Voucher in the Summer Term.

I hope that you find this information useful and look forward to working with you to meet our school targets.   Our Attendance Policy is available on the Parents’ page of our Moodle website.

BUSY WEEKS!!

Please check our Twitter feed, Class Dojo and Class Blog to see how busy all the classes have been over the last few weeks!

CHRISTMAS FAYRE

@Coedpenmaenpr1  Don't forget our Christmas Fayre on Thursday - straight after school. Visit Santa and join in with Christmas songs with our choir.

 

Newsletter

31^st October 2016

Dear Parent / Carer

Welcome back!  This term we continue with our work on Roald Dahl throughout the school, with Year 5 looking forward to a ‘sleepover’ at the Wales Millennium Centre to experience a number of Roald Dahl themed activities.

 

Year 6 should have received their invitations to take part in this year’s Llangrannong Residential trip.  This is open to all Year 6 pupils, although it is arranged by staff at Hawthorn High School.

Last half term was very busy with a number of whole school activities - our amazing Macmillan Coffee Morning which raised an incredible £606.71 and our Harvest Celebration where Year 3 presented a lovely assembly and shared the Harvest loaf (with thanks to Tesco Tony for the delicious bread).  Year 6 then delivered parcels to the elderly in our locality, as well as local homeless charities benefitting from your generosity.  There have also been visits by the Fire and Rescue Service as well as the Ambulance Service’s ‘Shoktober’.  A few classes visited Pontypridd Museum and Year 6 thoroughly enjoyed watching the rehearsals of ‘Oliver’ at Hawthorn High School.

The PTA’s Hallowe’en Disco was again very well attended – with the PTA raising £343.47.  Your support of the PTA is much appreciated – as they are working hard to raise funds to support the development of the school grounds.  Year 6 enjoyed a day of Cycling Proficiency – thankfully the weather stayed dry!  The end of the half term was celebrated with our Roald Dahl Day which was a roaring success – thank you so much for supporting with such wonderful costumes! 

As you are aware, there were a few changes of staff in September.  All staff have now settled well into their new classes, and the children are progressing well.  Of particular note is Mrs Pugh’s appointment as ALNCo (Additional Learning Needs Coordinator) and Mrs Deverill who is leading the school’s approach to the ‘Digital Competency Framework’ – Welsh Government’s plan for developing pupils’ safe  use of digital media (tablets, laptops etc).  We welcome Miss Richards as a LSA in Reception class and Mr James and Mrs Crimmins as support staff in Holly class.

Our Value this half term is PERSEVERANCE.  Children will learn the importance of not giving up - both in their school work and in their ability to stand up for what they believe in – even when they are finding things a little difficult.  As usual, if your child demonstrates this Value at home, please let the class teacher know, so that we can celebrate your child’s achievements as a whole school.

School Development this year is focussing again on the children’s approach to creative writing, as well as working to improve basic skills in Maths (e.g recall of times tables, knowing a range of ‘number facts’ etc.)  We are working with staff to ensure our teaching is creative and motivates the children to want to learn.  We also hope to further develop the school grounds.  If you are able to offer any support to the school for curriculum areas and school development, please let the class teachers know.

As a further development this year, we aim to set up a ‘Parents’ Forum’, where we aim to invite a parent from each class to meet as a group with members of the leadership team to support school development.

Tues 1^st Nov     Flu inoculations (nasal spray) for Nurs-Y3 -  with school nurse  -  parents must be present for Nursery children

Wed 2^nd Nov    1.00pm - PC Rob – All year 3 – Friend or Foe

Parents’ Evening – Book Fayre, Hawthorn High School staff and Attendance and Wellbeing  Service present.

Thurs 3^rd Nov   11.30am - 1.00pm - Cross Country at Hawthorn High – Year 5 and 6

Parents’ Evening – RCT Attendance and Wellbeing  Service present and Book Fayre

Thurs 10^th Nov Yr5 - Welsh Millennium Centre – Roald Dahl Sleepover

Fri 11^th Nov      Remembrance Day Assembly

Yr5 - Welsh Millennium Centre – Roald Dahl Sleepover

Thurs 17^th Nov 6.00pm – Hawthorn High Awards Evening

Fri 18^th Nov      BBC Children in Need

Tues 22^nd Nov  6.00 - Shakespeare Schools Festival at the Muni

Mon 28^th Nov   Maths Workshops at school from Techniquest

Tues 29^th Nov   Maths Workshops at school from Techniquest

Thurs 1^st Dec    Christmas Fayre – straight after school

Fri 2^nd Dec        Lego Robotics with Holly Class

                         Choir singing at Nat West in Ponty (1.30pm)

Mon 5^th Dec     Key Stage 2 “Christmas at Coedpenmaen” – Coedpenmaen Chapel–1.30pm AND 6.00pm

Wed 7^th Dec     Year 1 and Year 2 Christmas Celebration in the school hall (1.45pm)

Thurs 8^th Dec    Nursery and Reception Christmas Nativity (9.45am) in the school hall

Thurs 8^th Dec    Year 1 and Year 2 Christmas Celebration in the school hall (1.45pm)

Fri 9^th Dec        (am)–Yr2–Christmas Wrapped Up! –Baptist Chapel

Wed 14^th Dec   Yr1-Yr6 – Panto at Muni – £5 per child

Fri 16^th Dec      Last Day of Autumn Term

Tues 3^rd Jan      INSET Day – no school for children

Wed 4^th Jan      Children return to school

Fri 13^th Jan       INSET Day – no school for children

** Nursery and Reception will be offered a visit to see Santa – details will follow soon**

**Welsh Government Tests are between 3^rd – 10^th May 2017.  We ask that every effort is made to ensure that pupils in Year 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are in school during these test dates**

Please take care when walking through the school car parks – remember that they are car parks and that children should be supervised at all times. Also please consider our neighbours – both with children dropping litter on their way to and from school as well as choosing where you park and the beginning and end of the school days. 

I look forward to seeing you all at our Parents’ Evenings this week.

Yours, Mrs Loveridge (Headteacher)