Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

As we come to the end of our first full week of the new school year, it has been wonderful to see the children settling so quickly into their new classes and routines. Across the school, pupils have made a fantastic start, demonstrating positive attitudes to learning and embracing new opportunities with enthusiasm.
Children have already begun exploring their new topics and themes for the term, and there has been a real sense of excitement in classrooms as they engage with new learning experiences. We are also delighted to welcome a number of new pupils and families to our school community. We hope they have felt welcomed and have enjoyed a positive start to their time at Ysgol Rhos Street.
Thank you to parents and carers for your support during the busy start to the term. Working together helps ensure that our children have the very best start to the year. We are looking forward to an exciting and productive autumn term ahead.

Supporting Independence and Resilience at Drop-Off
As we settle into the second week of term, we’d like to thank all our Foundation Phase families for the positive support
shown during morning drop-offs. We understand that this time can be emotional, especially at the start of the school year,
and we truly appreciate your care and understanding.
To help us build independence and resilience in our youngest learners, we kindly ask that parents leave the premises
promptly after drop-off. Lingering—even with the best intentions—can sometimes make it more difficult for children to
settle and may cause additional challenges at the start of their school day.
Our staff are here to support and comfort the children as they transition into the classroom, and your cooperation helps us
create a calm and confident start for everyone. Thank you again for your continued support.

Bicycle Safety
We kindly ask that all pupils, parents and carers dismount and push their bicycles while on the designated areas of the school site. For everyone’s safety, children should not ride bicycles around the upper levels of the school, down the disability access ramp, or anywhere within the main school grounds.
We have also received reports of some children riding bicycles on the grassy bank leading down towards the lower pathway and through the hedgerow areas. While we appreciate that children enjoy cycling to and from school, these areas are not suitable for riding and can present a risk to both the rider and other members of our school community.
We would be grateful for your support in reminding children to use bicycles safely and responsibly when arriving at and leaving school. By working together, we can help ensure that our school remains a safe environment for all pupils, parents, staff and visitors. Thank you for your cooperation and support.

Residential Visit Update
We would like to inform parents and carers of a change to our planned residential visits.
Unfortunately, due to lower than anticipated numbers for both the Nant BH residential visit and the Pentrellyncymmer residential, it has not been possible for the two visits to proceed separately. Following discussions with the centre, we are pleased to have secured the opportunity to combine both groups into a single residential experience at Nant BH.
We are pleased to confirm that:
• The cost of the visit will remain unchanged.
• The dates will remain the same as the original Nant BH residential visit: Tuesday 4th November to Thursday 6th November.
• Pupils will continue to enjoy a full programme of exciting activities and residential experiences.
We are delighted that this solution will enable all children who had planned to attend either residential visit to take part in what promises to be a memorable and rewarding experience with their friends and classmates.
Further information, including kit lists, final arrangements and other important details, will be shared with families shortly. Parents and carers are asked to complete and return the consent form sent home to confirm their child’s participation.
If you do not wish your child to take part in the combined Nant BH residential visit, please contact the school as soon as possible.

Visit from Ysgol Brynhyfryd Headteacher
Yesterday, we were delighted to welcome Mr Trefor Jones, Headteacher of Ysgol Brynhyfryd, to Ysgol Rhos Street. Mr Jones spent time with our Year 5 and Year 6 pupils, talking about the exciting opportunities that await them as they move on to secondary school.
The children enjoyed hearing about life at Brynhyfryd, including the wide range of subjects, activities, clubs and experiences available to pupils. Mr Jones spoke passionately about supporting young people to achieve their potential and helping them make a successful transition from primary to secondary education.
The visit provided a valuable opportunity for our older pupils to begin thinking about the next stage of their educational journey and to ask questions about what they can look forward to in the years ahead.
We are also pleased to remind parents and carers that Mr Jones will be returning to Ysgol Rhos Street on Monday 14th September at 5:00pm to meet with families of Year 5 and Year 6 pupils. This will be an excellent opportunity to hear more about Ysgol Brynhyfryd, the transition process and the opportunities available to children as they move into secondary education.
All parents and carers of Year 5 and Year 6 pupils are warmly invited to attend. We look forward to welcoming you and sharing this important stage in your child’s educational journey.

School Snack
Our daily school snack scheme continues to provide children with a healthy fruit or vegetable snack each day, supporting the Welsh Government’s Appetite for Life initiative and encouraging healthy eating habits from an early age.
The cost of school snack is £1.50 per week, payable to your child’s class teacher in a clearly named envelope. For families who prefer to pay in advance, the cost for each term is:
Term 1: £21 Term 2: £15 Term 3: £21 Total cost for the academic year: £57

Parents and carers are, of course, welcome to provide a snack from home. To support our healthy schools approach, we kindly ask that any snacks brought into school consist of fresh fruit or vegetables only.
We recognise that families can occasionally experience financial difficulties. If the cost of school snack presents a challenge, please contact the Headteacher in confidence. We are committed to ensuring that every child can access a healthy snack and will always do our best to provide support where needed.
Thank you for your continued support in promoting healthy lifestyles for our pupils.

PTA Snack Attack Volunteers Needed!
Our PTA is looking for additional volunteers to help support the Snack Attack initiative. Whether you can spare a little time regularly or just occasionally, your help would be greatly appreciated and makes a real difference to our school community. If you would like to find out more or are interested in getting involved, please contact the PTA through their social media channels on Facebook, X (Twitter) or Instagram. Thank you for supporting the valuable work of our PTA.
Weekly Wellbeing
This week’s quote from Fred Rogers reminds us that every child is unique and valued. It encourages us to be proud of who we are and to show kindness and acceptance to others.
Fred Rogers, better known as Mr Rogers, was a children’s television presenter who helped young people learn about kindness, friendship and confidence through his programme Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. His positive messages continue to inspire children around the world.

“There’s no person in the whole world like you, and I like you just the way you are.”
– Fred Rogers (Mr Rogers)
Achievers
This week’s brilliant achievers are: Ellie, Harmony, Archer, Sydney, Kenzie, All of the Reception Class, Harry, Beatrix, and Summer. Welsh awards went to Chester, Archie, Mali, Abigail, and Harri. Stanley shared his mountain biking Medal.

Congratulations to Megan on an outstanding summer of success with her ponies, including county show wins, championship titles and qualifications for several prestigious national competitions. We are incredibly proud of her dedication, hard work and achievements.