Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,
A belated Happy New Year to you all, I hope you had a wonderful festive period. A slightly calmer week this week after the disruption caused by last week’s wintry conditions. As usual the children seem to have taken it all in their stride and have settled back into school life as if it never happened. We look forward with great anticipation to what the, euphemistically titled, ‘spring’ term has to offer and I’m sure we’re all looking forward to getting through the traditional January blues and moving on to brighter, and hopefully a bit warmer, times ahead.
Urdd Sports Club
Please see the flyer attached for the Urdd Sports Club scheduled to begin in February 2025. Scan the QR Code of follow this link to book a place on the course:
Urdd – Gweithgareddau
Kick It Sports
Kick It Sports are offering a series of football sessions for Yrs. 1 to 6, at a cost of £18, on the following dates:
• Thu, 23 Jan ’25 3:15pm – 4:30pm
• Thu, 30 Jan ’25 3:15pm – 4:30pm
• Thu, 6 Feb ’25 3:15pm – 4:30pm
Follow this link for the information video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V3YIROLym63NVdLaPY5up-LCZ8atCEjr/view?usp=drive_link
Follow this link to sign up: https://bookwhen.com/kickitsports
Inourplace
Inourplace is an online learning environment developed by psychologists and health practitioners that provides free accessible learning about emotional health and well-being. It has been proven to have a positive impact on mental health, behaviour, and relationships.
Rugby Sessions
Kate Davies, the RFU Rugby Development Officer, came to work with the Yr. 4 children yesterday. She certainly put them through their paces, and they had a fantastic time in the sunshine honing their rugby skills and playing touch-rugby games. Kate will be returning to provide additional sessions in the forthcoming weeks.
Attendance
Good school attendance is key to helping children have the best possible start in life, to support and maximise their potential learning opportunities. There is clear evidence which links educational achievement to good school attendance. Rhos St School is determined to provide the best education to the children they serve. In recognition that school attendance and attainment are strongly linked a robust attendance procedure has been developed to support pupils learning. Please see the attached: Improving School Attendance information from the Welsh Assembly Government which outlines the importance of school attendance and the policy and procedures that support good attendance.
Statutory Framework
The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him/her to receive efficient full-time education suitable to his /her age, aptitude, and ability and to any additional needs he/she may have either regular attendance at school or otherwise. A pupil is required to attend regularly at the school where they are registered as a pupil.
Furthermore, Section 444 states that:
“If a child of compulsory school age who is a registered pupil at a school fails to attend regularly at the school, his parent is guilty of an offence.”
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/56/section/444
Rhos St will use a variety of strategies to intervene at an early stage to encourage improved attendance of individual pupils and assist to overcome any barriers that may be preventing the expected level of attendance. Persistent absence in Wales is set at below 90 % all pupils below this level are a concern for school and will require monitoring and intervention. The use of school attendance data and coding of pupils is fundamental to tracking and monitoring pupil and school performance. Strategies to improve a pupil’s attendance may be school-based or involve joint working with other education services and partner agencies to ensure the most appropriate support for the pupil is in place supported by the parent/ carer.
Welsh Government in December 2023 changed the threshold for a pupil being persistently absent from previously being any pupils whose attendance was below 80% to those whose attendance is below 90%. This increased expectation underlines the importance attached to regular school attendance and the need for local authorities, schools, and families to work together to achieve this outcome.
Belonging, Engaging, Participation Guidance Welsh Government Guidance 293/ 2023
Reading with your child
At Rhos St we love books and reading, and we understand the amazing benefits that come from spending time with a book. It’s a time for closeness, laughing and talking together – and it can also give children a flying start in life and help them become lifelong readers. If you’re not feeling confident about reading aloud or sharing books, don’t worry – there’s no right or wrong way to enjoy a story together. But here are a few pointers to help you out:
Encouraging a love of reading
As children get older, with lots of other activities competing for their time, how can you encourage them to make time for reading?
• Read yourself! It doesn’t matter what it is – pick up a newspaper or magazine, take a look at a cookery book, read a computer manual, enjoy some poetry or dive into a romance or detective novel. And get your children to join in – if you’re cooking, could they read the recipe? If you’re watching TV, can they read out the listings?
• Give books as presents and encourage your children and their friends to swap books with each other – it’ll give them a chance to read new stories and get them all talking about what they’re reading.
• Visit the local library together. It’s always fun choosing new books to read and keep an eye out for special author events at the library or local bookshops – children love meeting their favourite authors. Jacqueline Wilson and Anthony Horowitz always have signing queues that are miles long!
• Encourage children to always carry a book. That way, they’ll never be bored.
• Have a family bookshelf. If you can, have bookshelves in your children’s bedrooms, too.
• Keep reading together. Just because your children are older, it doesn’t mean you have to stop sharing stories – perhaps you could try the Harry Potter series or A Series of Unfortunate Events.
• Don’t panic if your child reads the same book over and over again. Let’s be honest – we’ve all done it!
Weekly Wellbeing
January comes with its own challenges, short, cold days with the warmth of summer a long way off. This quote reminds us that January is a time of change and is full of possibility for the new year to come:
“January: The month of opportunity, the month of inspiration, and the month of change.”
Achievers
This week’s fabulous achievers are: Henry, Oliver, Verity, Alice, Oliver A, William, Stanley, Fleur, Hannah, Orson & Sophia. Very well done to them all!