Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

Wow, where did that week go! As we get to the end our our second week in school I can’t praise the children enough for how well they have returned to school, focussed and ready to work. I have been so impressed by the foundation learners who have got into the swing of their new, playtime and morning routine with aplomb. It has been so lovely to see all the children smartly moving around the school and the excellent behaviour in the dinner hall. It augurs well for the coming school year and the achievements to come.

School Vision
We have a new vision here at Rhos St school, based on respect, kindness and being your best self. We wish a very fond farewell to our previous vision of Providing opportunity, realising potential and enriching learners, Together with our new school vision:

Be Respectful – Byddwch yn Gwrtais
Be Kind – Byddwch yn Garedig
Be Your Best – Byddwch ar eich Gorau

We think that this encompasses and represents everything that we believe at Rhos St School: Respect for ourselves, for others, our community, diversity and for our planet. Kindness as a first principle in all that we do and a focus on being the very best person that we can be.

Dates for the Diary

Tue 10th Oct Harvest Service – St Peter’s Church 10.00am
Mon 16th – Wed 18th Oct Nant BH
Fri 20th Oct Show Racism the Red Card
Tue 17th – Wed 18th Oct Nursery Open Evenings 3.30pm – 5.00pm
Mon 23rd – Thurs 26th Oct Parents’ Evening Week
Wed 15th – Fri 17th Nov Penrellyncymmer
Fri 24th Nov Yr. 5 Family Service 9.15am
Tues 12th Dec Christmas Concert – Tabernacle Chapel 1.30pm & 5.30pm

Additional dates will be shared once confirmed.

Music Lessons

We have been recently informed by Denbighshire Music Cooperative that they are no longer offering group music lessons. Individual, 15-minute lessons, per-week, will be available at a cost of £87.50 per term. Please contact the school office if you had previously requested group lessons.

Lunchtime Supervisors
We are currently looking to appoint lunchtime supervisors to our brilliant team here at Rhos St. Please contact the school office on 01824702565 to arrange an informal chat if you are interested. We look forward to hearing from you.

Universal Free School Meals

Universal Free School Meals are now available for all pupils from Reception to Yr. 4. Please follow the links below for more information on Universal Free School Meals. Any child in the Reception to Yr. 4 classes simply needs to inform their teacher that they would like a school meal that day – it’s as simple as that.

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02qg5h2pNKB6a9ypuJsgGeT9CSjBsU9nZdio8cmMrJz9GXu4bov7jC1bH6mFVVezu5l&id=100064800423708&sfnsn=scwspmo

Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/DenbighshireCC/status/1701611722585641183?t=yMAnFsGW9tHKMKbrmRovCw&s=19

Denbighshire County Council’s UPFSM webpage: https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/education-and-schools/grants-and-funding/universal-primary-free-school-meals.aspx?fbclid=IwAR2QGAEabI-7rM_lRdW1bYOmS6UCY4N2Z30vdopkvjou0Bz843fO2PjW8tc

Homework at Rhos St School
At Rhos St we appreciate the importance, and impact on attainment, of regular practise of the fundamentals. Although we do not regularly send home written homework we recognise and value the importance of children spending focussed time at home practising reading, spelling and number. We actively encouraged parents and carers to make the commitment to develop a culture of spending a few minutes a day working with their child. The tasks sent home vary from yeargroup to yeargroup and may include a reading book, word book, spelling book as well as a specific times table/s to practise, for the older classes. Your support in this is crucial for your child to reach their full potential. There is extensive evidence on the positive impact of parental engagement. Positive effects have been demonstrated for reading outcomes as well as other language and number skills. You can help with this homework by remembering that quality matters more than quantity (15mins of focused time is all that is needed.), establishing a regular routine and habits, showing interest and providing encouragement. I would like to thank you in advance for your support in relation to this key aspect of your child’s learning and development.

Y Hen Lys / The Old Courthouse Opening
A big thank you to Tommy, from the Yr. 6 class, who has volunteered to represent Rhos St school at the opening of the Old Courthouse, Yr Hen Lys, on Saturday at 11.00am. We received a request in school from Ruthin’s mayor, Anne Roberts, for a pupil representative from Rhos St, as part of a delegation from local schools, to take part in the opening ceremony. We are really grateful to Tommy and his family for giving their time. I hope they have a very enjoyable morning; fingers crossed there will be cake.

Rhos St School Daycare & After-School Club
I am excited to now be able share with you all the plans for the daycare and after-school club here at Rhos St.
From Friday 22nd of September the provision at school will be run by Little Acorns, under the management of Ruth Perrin. We are very excited to be working with Ruth, who comes very highly recommended and has a track record of providing excellent daycare and after-school-club provision.

Information regarding what is offered by Little Acorns, as well as pricing can be found by scanning this QR code:

Information and contract documentation will be available in the main-school office from Monday. All parents and carers wishing their child / ren to access Little Acorns daycare and / or after-school club will need to complete and return this information before being able to access the setting.

We look forward to a positive and productive partnership with Little Acorns, with a shared vision of putting children at the very heart of everything we do.

Understanding your child – Free popular course
This is an enjoyable, well-established and trusted way of understanding more about your child. ‘Understanding your child’ is for mums, dads, grandparents and carers. Parents often say they feel calmer, more confident and have a better relationship with their child. The course was developed in the NHS together with frontline practitioners.
The course covers:
• Responding to how your child is feeling
• How your child develops
• Different styles of parenting
• How your child communicates
• Understanding your child’s behaviour
• Sleep, self-regulation and anger
Sessions are open to parents in the Ruthin area and will be held in Ysgol Rhos Street from 9.15am – 11.15 am every Wednesday during term time,starting on: September 20th for 9 weeks. It is important that all sessions are attended. For further information, please contact Family Link Worker: Hayley: 07881008375

Achievers
Our fantastic achievers this week are: Lily-Mae, Adriel, Penny, Billy, Elliot, Freya, Maya, Alfie and Oliver.
Louie shared his football mini-stars award.
Alice, Alex, Willow, Lilly Daisy, Aidan and Amelia shared their summer reading challenge certificates.
Elliot and Romeo shared their prizes for completing the Rhos St summer reading challenge. Well done to all of our achievers this week.

Yours sincerely /Yn gywir

Andrew Davis, Headteacher / Pennaeth

It was lovely to welcome everyone back on Monday for the start of our new academic year. The warm weather was a
welcome, if a little frustrating following an indifferent August, feature of our return and has meant that the children
have had plenty of opportunities to get outside and make the most of the sunshine in their first week back. We are all
excited to get our ‘teeth’ into the new term and can’t wait for the opportunities and achievements to come.
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 letter attached for more information on Rhos St School’s procedures for supporting
and promoting good attendance.
School Uniform / Lost Property
We have a large selection of pre-loved school uniform, recently laundered by Mrs. Liddy, available for any parents
to access at school. We have a very strong ethos of recycling at Rhos St and all pre-loved uniform items are available
free of charge, or with a 50p donation to Rhos St PTA. Before spending on new uniform please consider some of our
pre-loved items which help to save money, and the environment. We are looking into producing a Rhos St PreLoved Uniform digital-flyer in the near future which will offer parents and caers the opportunity to order some of
our pre-loved uniform. I will share more information regarding this with you in the near future.
In order to reduce the annual mountain of lost property can I please request that ALL school items are clearly
labelled with your child’s name.
Toys in School
As children settle in to the new academic year please may I request that the foundation learners do not bring any toys
into school. Toys brought to school by pupils can be an unnecessary distraction and can also cause upset if they
become lost or damaged.
Junior pupils may bring a named pencil case into school, should they wish to, but I would politely request that
foundation learners do not bring a pencil case into school with them.

Snack Money
Please can all snack money be brought into school on a Monday, in a named envelope please. Snack money can be
paid weekly at a cost of £1 per week, half-termly, termly or for the whole year:
Term ½ Termly Cost Termly Cost
Autumn Term £8 £7 £15
Spring Term £5 £5 £10
Summer Term £7 £7 £14
Yearly Cost £39
Staff News
Huge congratulations to Miss. Davies on the birth of her son Joseph on Sunday, I’m sure you will all join us in
wishing the whole family the very, very best for the future. Mother and baby are doing very well and there are lots of
staff members waiting expectantly for forthcoming cuddles with young Joseph.
Anna, our much-loved Giggles manager will be beginning her new job at Coleg Cambria very soon. A huge thank
you to her for all her hard work and for the brilliant start that she has provided for so many children in the locality
for many years. We wish her every success in her future career to which I’m sure she will bring the same dedication
and drive which has been the hallmark of her time at Giggles Daycare. I will be sharing our plans for the future of
Giggles Daycare and After-School Club very soon.
After many, many years of sterling service to the school Mrs. Reece will be retiring from Rhos St on Thursday 28th
of September. Mrs. Reece has been an integral part of Rhos St, teaching and supporting so many children over her
time here. She has had an enormous positive influence on so many young people’s lives and will be sorely missed.
We wish her the very best.
Reading Challenge
Congratulations to all the children who completed the RSS Reading Challenge sheets, set
before the summer holiday. A well-deserved prize will be winging its way to those
committed readers soon!
Foundation Phase Drop-Off
From Monday we are intending, weather permitting, for the foundation learners to go directly onto the yard after
being dropped off in a morning. We would request that parents and carers enter the site through the lower gate where
the children will be able to go directly onto the foundation learners’ yard. In the event of wet/icy weather the
children would go directly to their cloakroom and into class. Nursery parent’s drop off remains as current
arrangements as the Nursey children will be going directly into class for the time being.
Nursery Forms
Can all information forms for new Nursey pupils be returned to school as soon as possible please as the
information is required to ensure the best possible provision can be made for each child.
Medical Information Update
Please can any medical updates for your child be shared with school as soon as possible. If there has been a
change in your child’s medical condition/s or treatment please complete the brief form from the school office to
ensure that we are able to provide appropriate care.
Many I also request that any medication required by your child, including any emergency medication (Epi-Pens /
Inhalers etc) are in date, as we are not permitted to administer out-of-date medication to pupils. If your child
requires medication of any kind to be administered in school you must complete a Permission to Administer
Medication to a Pupil form, which are available from the school office as we are legally not permitted to
administer any medication without this written permission. Many thanks for your support in relation to this
extremely important matter.
Academic Year 2023-2024 Term Dates
Dates for the Diary
Mon 11th Sept PTA – AGM 3.30pm
Tue 10th Oct Harvest Service – St Peter’s Church 10.00am
Mon 16th
– Wed 18th Oct Nant BH
Fri 20th Oct Show Racism the Red Card
Mon 23rd
– Thurs 26th Oct Parents’ Evening Week
Wed 15th
– Fri 17th Nov Penrellyncymmer
Fri 24th Nov Yr. 5 Family Service 9.15am
Tues 12th Dec Christmas Concert 1.30pm & 5.30pm
Additional dates will be shared once confirmed.
Music Lessons
Following our fab Make Some Noise session, provided by Denbighshire Music
Cooperative, this week the children have had a first-class demonstration of what musical
heights can be reached through dedication and practise. Denbighshire Music Cooperative
offer a broad range of music lessons in school including: guitar, piano, voice, drums,
flute and violin. Please contact the school office as soon as possible if you are interested
in peripatetic music lessons for your child.
Urdd
Following on from last year’s Rhos St Eisteddfod success we will be holding our own Rhos St
Eisteddfod again this year and will be inviting parents and carers in to the school to see the work
that the children have been doing around the Welsh language and culture. Attached to this email
is information for parents and carers who wish to join the Urdd movement for 2023-24. Urdd
membership is required for children to enter the art and craft work, CogUrdd and Urdd sports
competitions, but will not be necessary for the Rhos St Eisteddfod activities which will be an
inclusive opportunity for all of the children to take part.
Lunchtime Supervisors
We are currently looking to appoint lunchtime supervisors to our brilliant team here at
Rhos St. Please contact the school office on 01824702565 to arrange an informal chat
if you are interested. We look forward to hearing from you.
Achievers
The brilliant achievers for our first week of the new term are: All of the Reception, Yr. 1 and Yr. 2 class for
settling in so well to their new classes. Daisy, Eliza, Linden and Charlie. Sophie and Dexter shared their Ready,
Steady, go – Reading Challenge certificates. Well done to our fab achievers this week!

Yours sincerely /Yn gywir
Andrew Davis, Headteacher / Pennaeth

Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

As the end of term brings down the final curtain on this academic year I would like to thank you for the ongoing support of our amazing school community here at Rhos St; It is never taken for granted, but always very much appreciated.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the incredible staff who give so much, every single day, making the school the very special place that it is. Huge thanks also to our governing body, whose guidance and support is critical to so much that we do and also to the school’s tireless PTA, who give their time so generously to support us in being able to offer those little extras that help make the children’s time here so special.
The end of term also brings an enormous time of change for our Yr. 6 leavers, who leave their familiar, ‘little pond’ to swim out into a much larger body of water, where they are no longer the ‘big fish’, but the ‘tiddlers’. I wish them all every success in whatever direction they take their lives in the future. We will always remember their journey with us at Rhos St School and can’t wait to hear all about their future successes, of which I’m sure there will be many.
May I wish you all, from the staff here at Rhos St School, a wonderful summer break.

Denbighshire Music Cooperative – School’s-Out Sessions
Don’t forget you can still book your child/ children onto Denbighshire Music Cooperative’s annual School’s Out! courses by visiting the website www.denbighshiremusic.com – be fast as there are limited spaces available!
The venues for this year are Ysgol Llywelyn, Rhyl (week 1) and Ysgol Brynhyfryd, Ruthin (week 2).
Dates: Week 1: 24th – 28th July, 2023 / Week 2: 21st – 25th August, 2023.
We can’t wait to see you all there for another Summer of fun filled sport and musical activities

Universal-Free School Meals
From the beginning of September 2023 onwards the Universal Primary Free School Meal (UPFSM) offer will be extended to include Year 3 & 4 pupils, i.e. all Reception – Year 4 children will be offered Universal Free School Meals. This is another important step in reaching the shared ambition of ensuring no child goes hungry while in school. All Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3 & Year 4 pupils in Denbighshire schools will be asked on a daily basis whether or not they would like to access a school meal. They will be able to opt in or out without having to pre-book and the meal will be provided free of charge. Further information on UPFSM is available on the Denbighshire website: www.denbighshire.gov.uk/education

Rhos Street School’s Summer Reading BINGO Challenge
As we head into the summer holiday, and as a great motivation to hone those reading skills, please see attached the Rhos St School – Summer Reading BINGO Challenge sheet. The Reading BINGO sheet is packed with reading challenges to have a go at over the summer period. There are lots and lots of different challenges to tick off, each one offering a fab opportunity for an exciting trip to the local library. Don’t be overwhelmed; lots of the challenges can be ‘ticked-off’ with a single book. So why not have a go at the Rhos St – Summer Reading BINGO Challenge to build those reading skills and win a prize for every sheet completed by Friday 8th of September! Massive thanks to, Chair of Governors, Julie Debicka for putting together the Summer Reading – BINGO Challenge.

Gardening Club
The Garden Area has become a big part of what we do at Rhos St, and something for which we have very big plans moving forward. I would like to thank Ms. Williams, Leyla in Yr. 5’s mum, for all her hard work and dedication in supporting the gardening club on a Wednesday. The club has been an amazing success and has offered wonderful opportunities for pupils to learn all about the living world and to get their hands dirty too! We are extremely grateful for Ms. Williams’s time and her commitment.

Bikeability- Level 3
The Yr. 6 children had a great time on Thursday being put through their paces on the Level 1 and Level 2 Bikeability training. Many thanks to the Bikeability team for delivering such an enjoyable and important safety course. For those who were successful in achieving the Bikeability Level 2 there is an opportunity, flyer attached, to undertake Bikeability – Level 3 training, which teaches the skills of riding on complex roads, the best positions for safe riding, as well as how to keep safe in multi-lanes, at roundabouts and at traffic lights.
Sessions are available at: Denbigh Leisure Centre Thurs 3rd August 1-3.30pm. Rhyl Leisure Centre Tues 8th August 1-3.30pm. Ruthin Leisure Centre Mon 14th August 1-3:30pm. Nova Tues 22nd August 1-3.30pm. Llangollen Leisure Centre Tues 29th August 1-3.30pm.

Tempest Photography Yr. 6 Class Photo
The Yr. 6 Class photo is now available to view and purchase by following this link: https://htmp.st/RhosStreetSch_Year6

Yr. 6 Trip
Despite the challenge of having our Laser-Combat session cancelled by the provider at the last minute, victory was snatched from the jaws of defeat on Tuesday with a, hastily-organised, visit to Tenpin Wrexham. The Yr. 6 class had a fantastic time and didn’t let the change of activity dampen their spirit in any way. Many thanks to the bus company for accommodating the change of venue and to Miss. Price, Eira and Shanny for accompanying the children.

Staff Gifts
Many, many thanks for the very kind gifts received by the staff from parents, carers and children, they are never expected, but always gratefully received.

Ice Cream
A big, big thank you to the, always brilliant, Rhos St PTA for funding Harry’s Ice Cream van to visit us this afternoon. There were some very excited children, and staff, when the van arrived, what a lovely end-of-year teat for everyone. A big thank you to Casey Calvert for organising it all.

Achievers
No students of the week this week, as is traditional on the last day, but we couldn’t help ourselves but share some awards and trophies: Amelia, Llinos, Mia, Issy and Eliza shared their Ruthin-Town football trophies. Fletcher, Bella, Sophia, Amelia, Joe, Leyla, Leo, Sophie, Billy, Jayden and Arlo shared their Eco Awards, given for all their brilliant environmental work this year. Sophia also shared her gymnastics rosette. Very well done to this week’s achievers.

Yours sincerely /Yn gywir

Andrew Davis, Headteacher / Pennaeth

Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

End of year reports and personalised assessments have been the flavour of this week, add a sprinkle of transition meeting, a pinch of summer fair and a soupçon of stay and play event and this cooking metaphor is well and truly overdone, if not burned to a crisp… We are looking forward to the Yr. 6 leavers’ service next week and enjoying the hopefully warm weather as we inexorably head to the finish line.

Personalised Assessments
Children from Yrs. 2 to 6 have recently completed statutory Personalised Assessments. The purpose of these assessments is to find out children’s strengths and areas for improvement so that their teachers can help them develop their skills. Please see the attached guide to access the Learner Feedback, for those learners present for the assessments, from the recent Reading and Numeracy (Procedural) assessments.

Research Questionnaire Request
Dr Hanna Hopwood Griffiths, as part of research project being undertaken relating to the reading habits and digital use of primary school children, would like to gather the perspectives of parents in regard to these issues via a questionnaire. The questionnaires are bilingual and should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete. Information regarding consent and further details about the research can be found at the start for you to read before commencing. Parent/Guardian Questionnaire: https://forms.gle/i7p38NAdBSQr9N2v8

Annual Reports to Parents / Carers
Your child’s end of year report has been sent home with them today. This year, in line with the new Curriculum for Wales, the reports are different to those you have received in previous years. The reports do not contain descriptions of the topics and learning activities the learner has undertaken, unless this is to provide context, but instead focus on the progression itself and the individual needs and support of the learner. We have endeavoured to make the reports as personalised and individual as possible and very much appreciate your time in reading and sharing them with your child. Any comments that you may have, regarding your child’s report, should be emailed to: andrew.davis@denbighsire.gov.uk and will be collated and shared with the pertinent staff members.
An appointment can be made, via the school office, should you wish to discuss any aspect of your child’s report with the class teacher on Monday 10th of July.

Summer Fair
A huge thank you to our, always brilliant, Rhos St PTA for organising the Summer Fair yesterday. Thank you also to the parent volunteers and staff for giving up their time and to the parents, carers, family and friends who came along to support the school and have their hard-earned money spent by their children. It was a successful and hugely enjoyable event, despite some children who were annoyingly accurate with a wet sponge! The amazing total for the day was a huge £948, which will be used very wisely enriching the experiences of the children of Rhos St.
There were some raffle prizes that remained uncollected at the end of the evening, they will be in school office to be collected at the winner’s convenience: Gin – Tickets 256-260, Sparkling -Wine Tickets 251-255, Toblerone -Tickets 156-150, Milk Tray- Tickets 261-265, Prosecco -Tickets 206-210, Personalised Poem -Tickets 101-105 and Milk Tray -Tickets 311-315.

School Uniform Recycling

We love recycling at Rhos St School and currently have a large quantity of pre-loved uniform in the foyer. I would encourage all of our families to support us in giving new life to these items, saving the planet and money at the same time. Please take any item you require; there is a jar for a small donation, should you wish, but this is not expected. Many thanks.

Yr. 6 Pupils – Outstanding Payments
Please can I request that any outstanding payments for trips, after-school club, breakfast club, music lessons and school meals are paid in full by the last day of term. Any unpaid monies may lead to school pursuing legal redress or may prevent younger siblings from accessing paid provision or undertaking residential visits in future. School administrative staff will be able to support you in setting up a payment plan, should it be required.
Dinner credits and debts will be carried forward to Ysgol Brynhyfryd. Please note that no meals will be provided at Ysgol Brynhyfryd unless there are funds in the account to cover the full amount. Many thanks.

Breakfast Club
In order to cover staffing costs the daily charge for accessing the childcare element of the Breakfast Club provision will raise to £2 per session from September. This applies to the first two children in a family and to pupils who do not qualify for free-school meals.

Williams Homes – Resurfacing Works
I have received an update from Williams Homes regarding the surfacing works that were scheduled to be undertaken on Thursday 6th and Friday 7th of July. Due to ‘material issues’ the works will now take place on Monday 10th of July. Williams Homes have shared that they will keep the disruption to a minimum, and maintain the access to the schools at the busy periods at start and end of the school day. Many thanks for your support and patience in regard to these essential works.

Denbighshire Music Cooperative – School’s-Out Sessions
Don’t forget you can still book your child/ children onto Denbighshire Music Cooperative’s annual School’s Out! courses by visiting our website www.denbighshiremusic.com – be fast as there are limited spaces available!
The venues for this year are Ysgol Llywelyn, Rhyl (week 1) and Ysgol Brynhyfryd, Ruthin (week 2).
Dates: Week 1: 24th – 28th July, 2023 / Week 2: 21st – 25th August, 2023.
We can’t wait to see you all there for another Summer of fun filled sport and musical activities

Universal-Free School Meals
From the beginning of September 2023 onwards the Universal Primary Free School Meal (UPFSM) offer will be extended to include Year 3 & 4 pupils, i.e. all Reception – Year 4 children will be offered Universal Free School Meals. This is another important step in reaching the shared ambition of ensuring no child goes hungry while in school. All Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3 & Year 4 pupils in Denbighshire schools will be asked on a daily basis whether or not they would like to access a school meal. They will be able to opt in or out without having to pre-book and the meal will be provided free of charge. Further information on UPFSM is available on the Denbighshire website: www.denbighshire.gov.uk/education

Disabled-Access Ramp
Please can I ask parents and carers to be mindful that the disabled-access ramp is essential for some members of the school community to access the site. I fully understand that site users pushing pushchairs, bicycles and scooters also need to use the disabled-access ramp, but would politely request that the ramp is kept as clear as is practicable. Many thanks for your support.

Achievers
This week’s brilliant achievers are: Stanley, Fleur, Oliver, Eliza, Verity, Drago, Isabella, Lucas, Jessica, Tahapanes. Amelia and Alys shared their concert performance certificates and Maisie, Mia and Eliza shared their football trophies. Well done to our amazing achievers this week!

Yours sincerely /Yn gywir

Andrew Davis, Headteacher / Pennaeth

Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

Without wishing to sound like a stuck record, another busy week reaches its finale. The ‘Force’ was well and truly used with Sports Day on Tuesday and, contrary to normal-operating procedure, I got what I wished for, a grey, not-too rainy day. Trips galore this week as well as personalised assessments for many of the children, no sign of slowing down yet as we hurtle towards the summer holidays.

School Trips
We have had trips for the Nursery Class to Manorafon Park Farm (including additional adventures), Yr. 5 had a fantastic day in Liverpool on Wednesday and Yr. 6 headed off to Dangerpoint on Thursday learning all about how to keep themselves safe in lots of different ways. The Yrs. R, 1 and 2 classes had a brilliant time at Wizz Kidz, also on Thursday, I’m sure they all slept very well on Thursday evening. We also had a lovely compliment from the staff of Wizz Kidz, who said that our children were so polite and beautifully behaved, one even coming in to work specially after remembering Rhos St from last year… I know we’re not surprised, but it is still great to hear. Just the Yr. 6 visit to Laser Combat to go!

Thank You
Thank you so much for the wonderful messages of support and gifts for the Nursery team following the incident with the bus during the Nursery trip on Wednesday. I know I speak for the Nursery staff when I say that it means a great deal to receive those messages of support and gratitude from parents and carers.

Ruthin Festival
Just a quick reminder that on Saturday Rhos St pupils will be performing at the Ruthin Festival – ‘Top of Town’ event. Children from the Junior classes will be performing musical pieces that they have been practising in their music lessons at school. We have pianists, guitarists and a cellist performing from 1.00pm. They had an opportunity to perform their pieces in service this morning and I can report that they sounded wonderful.

Seaside Themed Lunch
On Wednesday the 5th of July the canteen is having a seaside-themed day. Flipper-dippers and chips are on the menu, as well as pancake and ice cream. Just like a sunny day out in Rhyl, hopefully without the seagulls!

Cost of Living Support
As you may be aware, holiday provision for learners that are eligible for a free school meal was introduced in response to the COVID pandemic as a form of time-limited support to help families. While Welsh Government have been able to support several temporary continuations of the scheme, they confirmed in March 2023 that the most recent extension would be up to the end of the May half term only. I can now confirm that this remains the case and that there will be no further extension to cover the summer holiday period or beyond.
The links below are to a variety of organisations offering advice and support for those particularly affected by the current cost of living crisis:
• Get help with the cost of living | GOV.WALES This page offers support and advice to help you with the increased cost of living.

• Here to help with the cost of living | GOV.WALES This page is regularly updated and provides information on possible sources of financial support, including our Discretionary Assistance Fund for people experiencing extreme financial pressures.

• This campaign seeks to encourage people to contact Advicelink Cymru for free impartial advice on maximising their incomes, including accessing any financial support.

Sports Day
We were particularly lucky with the weather on Tuesday, not too hot and not too wet, Goldilocks would have been proud! A huge thank you to the staff for organising the event so brilliantly, to parents, carers, family and friends for coming along to support us and particularly to the pupils whose effort and attitude demonstrated perfectly why we are so proud of Rhos St children! This year the Blue team were victorious in the Foundation Learners’ event and the Red team won the Junior event.

Resurfacing Works
Williams Homes will be undertaking resurfacing works on the site entrance and junction on the 6th and 7th July – 8am until 4:30pm. They are very mindful of busy drop-off and pick-up times and will be avoiding causing disruption at these times. The majority of the work is within the Williams Homes site itself, with some tying-in of the finished road surface to the access road to school. Williams Homes have recently sponsored new goalposts for both schools at a cost of £2000, for which we are extremely grateful. We are also grateful for the positive communication with both schools, regarding the proposed works, and their efforts to keep disruption to a minimum.

Achievers
This week’s amazing achievers are: The whole Nursery class, all of the Reception class, Bradley, Ella, Samuel, Verity, Isabella, Thea, Joshua, Eira, Leyla, Issy and Emily. Stanley shared his mountain-biking trophy, Jude and Daniel shared their Ruthin-Football trophies and Alys shared her gymnastics rosette. Very well done to all of our brilliant achievers.

Yours sincerely /Yn gywir

Andrew Davis, Headteacher / Pennaeth

Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

It has felt like proper summer this week with children practising for their sports day and classes heading off on their summer-term visits. We have more visits scheduled for next week as well as, weather permitting, our Rhos St sports day on our school field on Tuesday. I’m hoping that we will have a benign, greyish sort of a day for our sports, not too hot and not too cold… just right, but as we all know- The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men, Gang aft agley.

Free school meals / school essentials grant
Children whose families are on lower incomes and qualify for certain benefits can apply for a grant of:
£225 per learner
£300 for learners entering year 7 (to help with increased costs associated with starting secondary school)
All compulsory school years from reception to year 11 are now eligible.
All looked after children qualify for the grant, whether they receive free school meals or not. Learners who receive free school meals due to transitional protection arrangements do not qualify. Families are only entitled to claim once per child, per school year. The 2022 to 2023 scheme is now open and will close on 30 June 2023. The above amount includes an extra payment of £100 for this year only.
To apply for this grant please contact your local authority or follow this link: https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/education-and-schools/grants-and-funding/school-uniform-grant.aspx
2023/2024 School year
Denbighshire County Council are not currently accepting applications for the 2023/2024 school year. Applying for free school meals / school essentials grant during the 2023/2024 school year opens from 1 July 2023.

Sports Day
Our Foundation Learners’ and Juniors’ sports day is scheduled for Tuesday the 27th of June and will be held, for the first time, on our shared-school field. The Foundation Learners’ event will begin at 9.30am and the Juniors’ event at 1.30pm. I am hoping for a not-too hot and not-too wet / cold scenario on the day, but rarely get what I want, so there is a hot-weather contingency of splitting both events into two sections: The Foundation Learners would be: Giggles, Nursery and Reception first followed by Yrs. 1 and 2. The Junior event would be split into: Yrs. 3 and 4 followed by Yrs. 5 and 6. This is to reduce the amount of time that pupils would spend in the sun. Could I please request that all children have sun-cream applied at home in the morning if the forecast is for sun and have a hat and a drink with them. The wet weather contingency is a reserve Sports-Day date on Tuesday 4th of July. This year we are requesting that parents bring a deckchair, camping chair or picnic blanket with them and will be able to choose a suitable viewing area on the bank, adjacent to the running track. Refreshments will be available in the wooden shelter and we request that spectators use the hall door for entry / exit.

Nursery Class Family Service
We were treated to a lovely performance form the Nursery children this morning they spoke and sang beautifully and have clearly learned so much, they did themselves, and us all proud. A huge thank you to Miss. Pugh and her team for all their hard work in preparing the children for their performance so well – dinosaur wrangling was, as ever, on-point!

New Directions – Life-Saving Skills & Introduction to Sign Language
We were fortunate to have two free training session for the Yr. 6 and Yrs. 5 and 6 pupils on Thursday, sponsored by New Directions the teaching-supply agency. In the morning Yr. 6 had an incredibly valuable session learning life-saving skills and in the afternoon Yrs. 5 & 6 were treated to a brilliant session with Del Davies who introduced the children to sign language. They finished their session with a lovely version, along will all the signs, of Everything’s Gonna Be Alright by Bob Marley. A huge thank you to New Directions for sponsoring the training sessions.

Telephone Issues
We still unfortunately do not have a working telephone line at school. There have been several visits to school from Denbighshire Council and BT Openreach engineers to try to rectify the problem, which I am informed was due to a lightning strike on the line, but at present the issue stubbornly remains. We are hoping to have some mobile phones provided on Monday, which will enable us to restore our telephone communication while the fault with the line is fixed. The mobile phones will be linked to the familiar school number: 01824 702565. I will update you all when I have any additional information.

Yrs. 3 & 4 Trip to Explore Science
The Yrs. 3 and 4 pupils had a fantastic time on their trip on Thursday to Xplore Science in Wrexham. They got to build robots and create code for them to operate as well as lots of other exciting science-based activities.

Ruthin Carnival

Join Rhos St PTA, this Sunday 25th June, to take part in our fun, free, walking-float event! We’ll meet at Park Road car park at 10:45am and make our way in the parade over to Ruthin School. Dig out your superhero costumes or wear blue! We can’t wait to see you all.

Ruthin Festival
On Saturday July 1st Rhos St have been invited to perform at the Ruthin Festival – ‘Top of Town’ event at 1.00pm. Children from the Junior classes will be performing musical pieces that they have been practicing in their music lessons at school. We have pianists, guitarists, cellists and flautists perfoming from 1.00pm.

PC Llinos

Our fab Police Liaison Officer, PC Llinos, came in to school on Tuesday to work with the Nursery, Reception, Yr. 3 and Yr. 6 classes. The foundation Learners had a lovely introduction to PC Llinos and learned how to call 999 for help in an emergency and the Yrs. 3 and 6 pupils learned all about keeping safe online. PC Llinos will be returning to Rhos St in the autumn term.

Yours sincerely /Yn gywir

Andrew Davis, Headteacher / Pennaeth

Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

The wonderful summer weather continues, and the children have certainly made the very most of the sunshine this week, I just hope this isn’t our quota for the summer holidays being used up now! I’m pleased to say they everyone returned from the half-term break refreshed and ready for the craziness of the final half term of this academic year. You can’t get a pin in the diary over the next few weeks, buckle up everyone for an action-packed final half term…

Bicycle Safety on Site
Unfortunately, there was an incident yesterday involving a child at the school being knocked over by another child on a bicycle. Please can I request that all bicycles are pushed on the pathways and grassed-areas around the school to avoid similar, or even more serious, incidents in the future. We love bicycles at Rhos St, they are one of my personal obsessions as well as being a brilliant, healthy and environmentally sustainable way to travel to school. I’m sure that with everyone’s kind consideration in their use we can maximise all the benefits of cycling and mitigate some of the risks. I am extremely grateful for your cooperation and support in relation to this serious safety issue.

School Cleaner
We are currently looking to appoint a cleaner at school Monday to Friday 3.15pm – 5.15pm, with possible flexibility of working 3.00pm – 5.00pm if required. Please contact myself at: andrew.davis@denbighshire.gov.uk / 018240702565 if you are interested in the role, or know of someone who may be interested.

Air Ambulance Fund-Raising Day
We are so proud of Emi-Lee, Indi, Isabelle, Mia, Emily, Cadie, Fletcher and Ethan for their fantastic efforts in raising funds for the Air-Ambulance today. The group were brilliantly prepared and all of the children had a fantastic time in the hall playing the games and enjoying the music. I will share the total raised as soon as we have it. What a wonderful thing to do, and a brilliant example of the power of pupil voice.

Yr. 2 PE Sessions
For the next three weeks, until after June 29th, Yr. 2’s PE sessions will be on a Tuesday and Thursday. Thursday’s session will be with Kalvin from Chester football.

National Eco Committee Meeting
Just before half term Fletcher, Bella and Layla from our Eco Council, accompanied by Mrs. Davies, went as far as Canolfan Cae Cymro, in Clawddnewydd, for a national eco-committee meeting focusing on the big environmental questions of our time, eliciting the ideas and viewpoints of young people. The trio had a fantastic day, enjoying the activities and contributing some fantastic ideas.

Sun Safety
The recent hot weather has focused all of our minds on the need to be sun safe. Please see the following precis of our Sun Policy:
Clothing
• We will actively encourage all pupils to wear a sunhat (ideally with a protective back flap) when playing outside.
• Pupils will wear t-shirts during PE or outdoor lessons to cover up their shoulders.
• We will encourage staff and parents/carers to act as good role models by practicing sun safety
• Parents/carers will be asked to ensure their children wear appropriate cover clothing during sunny periods
Sunscreen
• The use of high factor (40+) all day sunscreen will be encouraged across the whole school day and during
outdoor school trips or visits.
• We will remind parents/carers to provide their child(ren) with sunscreen for school trips and events.
• We WILL NOT hold a stock of sunscreen in the school.
Foundation Learners
• Parents/carers will be asked to apply sunscreen to their children before they come to school.
• Parents/carers will be asked to sign a form giving permission for their children to bring their own sunscreen to school and apply it themselves.
• The sun cream must be labelled with the pupil’s name and will be stored in crates and kept by the class teacher.
• The crates of sunscreen will be made available to the pupils during break times and lunch times.
• Pupils will be supervised with the application of their sunscreen.
Juniors
• Parents/carers will be asked to apply sunscreen to their children before they come to school.
• Parents/carers will be asked to provide their child(ren) with their own sunscreen to bring to school so that they can apply it themselves.
• The pupils will be encouraged to apply sunscreen themselves before playtimes and lunchtimes.
• Pupils will be supervised with the application of their sunscreen

Dates for the Diary
Monday 12th June Kick-It Sports Yrs. R – 6
Tuesday 13th June- Yr. 3 Swimming
Wednesday 14th June – New Yr. 3 Transition Session
Thursday 15th June – Chester Football Yrs. 2 & 6 pm + After-School Club
Friday 16th June – Yr. 5 Transition Event – Ysgol Brynhyfryd 9.30am – 12.00pm
Monday 19th June – Kick-It Sports Yrs. R – 6
Tuesday 20th June – PC Llinos (Police liaison officer) Yrs. N. R & 6
Wednesday 21st June – New Yr. 3 Transition Session
Yr. 6 Ysgol Brynhyfryd Sports Afternoon
Thursday 22nd June – Yrs. 3 & 4 Trip to Xplore Wrexham
Chester Football Yrs. 2 & 6 pm + After-School Club
Friday 23rd June – Nursery Family Service
Monday 26th June – Kick-It Sports Yrs. R – 6
Tuesday 27th June – Sports Day – Foundation Learners am / Juniors pm
Thursday 29th June – Yr. 6 Dangerpoint visit
Yrs. R, 1&2 Trip to Wizz Kids
Chester Football Yrs. 2 & 5 pm + After-School Club
Monday 3rd July – Kick-It Sports Yrs. R – 6
Tuesday 4th July – Reserve Sports Day – Foundation Learners am / Juniors pm
Yr. 4 Swimming (TBC)
Wednesday 5th July – Stay and Play – New Nursery Class Transition Event 1.00pm – 3.00pm
Thursday 6th July – Giggles Trip to Candy Shack
Summer Fair
Friday 7th July – Yr. 6 Transition Day (Ygol Brynhyfryd)
Whole-school ‘Moving-Up’ (transition) morning
Wednesday 12th July – Yr. 6 Leavers’ Service 2.00pm – 3.15pm
Thursday 13th July – Yr. 6 Bikeabiity Day 1
Xplore Science Learning Workshops (Rescheduled) Yrs. 1 – 4
Friday 14th July – Yr. 6 Bikeability Day 2
Tuesday 18th July Yr. 6 Trip to Laser Combat
Yr. 4 Swimming
Wednesday 19th July – End of Term

Additional dates will be added when confirmed.