Hydref 28ain / October 28th 2022
Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

An extremely busy, not to mention extremely long half term draws to a close. I think it would be fair to say that all of the pupils, and most definitely the staff are more than ready for the half term break. This half term certainly hasn’t finished with a whimper, with this week being stuffed to the gunwales with activities of all kinds. We can all, hopefully, recharge our batteries over the half term holiday, ready for the return to school on November the 7th.

Postcards from the Future Competition

Denbighshire County Council are running a postcards from the future competition looking to gather young people’s views on the future. This gives them chance to express some of their hopes and anxieties which could influence the actions of adults. The intention is to see the futures our young people imagine and the innovative environmental and/or climate solutions they may come up with. We have sent home a copy of the competition template today and I have attached the template and a completed example to this email and on Twitter. Children can either write about or draw their visions for the future. Please can all entries be returned to school before the closing date on Friday 11th November 2022.

Pentrellyncymmer / Nant BH Consent Forms
Please can all remaining payments and consent forms, online and paper elements, be completed for the forthcoming Pentrellyncymmer trip by the 9th of November. All Nant BH payment and consent forms need to be completed by the 16th of November please. Unfortunately, pupils will be unable to take part in the scheduled residential visit if there is an outstanding balance or incomplete consent documentation pertaining to their place.

Harvest Service
Huge congratulation to all the children for their wonderful performances at the Harvest Service on Tuesday. It was wonderful, following the periods of restrictions, to be able to head out into the local community again and to celebrate harvest time in such a positive way. A big thank you to the staff for preparing the children to perform so well, Reverend Natasha for offering us such a warm welcome at St Peters’ church, to Rachel for offering to play the piano and to all of the parents, carers, family and friends who came along to support us. Thanks also for the very kind donations of produce towards Ruthin Food Bank.

Sports for Champions
We were very lucky on Wednesday to have a visit from Beverley Jones a 5x Paralympian medal winner. Beverley gave a presentation all about her athletics career, her training methods, nutritional information for athletes as well as demonstrating some discus technique. All of the children were then put through their paces in a fitness circuit which certainly had them all working hard. A huge thank you to everyone who raised sponsor money for the event which will go towards Team GB and Rhos St. The current total is £117 raised! If you have any additional sponsor money please can it be brought into school as soon as possible. A special mention needs to be made of Sam Cholewa who raised the greatest amount and was a Gold-Medal fundraiser, having a special picture taken with Beverley, well done Sam!

Rhos St Twitter
There has been a little confusion around the use of our Rhos St Twitter account which I would like to take this opportunity to clarify. The school’s Twitter account is to enable staff to share the learning experiences and exciting activities that go on in school as well as allowing us to effectively evidence specific targets that the school is working on as a whole through the use of hashtags. The Twitter account also allows us another media pathway to share information both at a class and school level, but is not the only or main way that information is disseminated to the school community. As with this weekly newsletter information is shared, whenever feasibly possible, by email to the relevant parents and carers to whom it pertains. If you think that you may not be receiving emails please inform the school office and we will ensure that the email address we have in our records and group lists is updated.

Tesco Donation
Many thanks again to Tesco Ruthin for their very kind donation of food towards our harvest collection for Ruthin Food Bank.

Cross Country
Well done to all the children who took part in the Vale of Clwyd cross country competition this morning. Mrs. Davies and Mr. Pearson accompanied the children down to Ruthin Rugby Club where they all ran their socks off. Thank goodness the weather was kind as it looked like the beginning of the apocalypse first thing…I was sure I caught a glimpse of four horsemen at one point. The children gave a great representation of themselves with five of them getting through to the next stage on Wednesday 9th of November at Denbigh High School.

Halloween Disco
A big thank you to the, always brilliant, Rhos St P.T.A for organizing the Halloween Disco on Thursday. The school hall was transformed into a creepy Halloween lair and there were some fantastic, spooky costumes on show with the children having a fabulous time scaring each other, and the teachers! There were a couple of instances of green-dragon tail pulling, not by children I might add, but that is now in the hands of the lawyers! Thank you to all the parents and carers who supported the event which raised over £388 for the school. The Halloween costume winners, who will receive a prize from the PTA Snack Attack were: Emily, Leo, Poppy, Thea, Tommy and Scarlett well done to them.

Addressing Queries and Concerns
Just a quick reminder that any queries or concerns regarding your child at school should be taken, in the first instance, to the class teacher. The class teacher is the best person, in the vast majority of cases, to be able to answer directly any query or concern you may have. Additional information can then be obtained, should it be necessary, by discussing the issue with the phase leaders: Mrs. Liddy and Mrs. Davies. I am, of course, happy to discuss any issues subsequent to these initial steps. Many thanks for your support.

WWII Cooking
The years five and six classes are currently learning all about World War II as part of their theme work. They had a tasty treat this week when they worked with our brilliant school cook Jane in making WWII recipes. Carrot cakes and apple tarts were on the menu and I can confess that they were very tasty indeed. Huge thanks to Jane for working with the children and letting them loose in the kitchen. Jane also, very kindly, gave up her own time to allow the PTA to access the kitchen for the Halloween disco. We are extremely grateful for her generous help and support.

Achievers
This week’s fantastic achievers are: Caleb, Jaxson, Verity, Oliver, Isla, Charlie, Eira, Jacob, Amelia,
Gwybor Cymraeg went to: Harri, Chima, Billy, Eden, Thomas, Maisie and Will.
Elsie shared her dance European Championships trophies and Jessica shared her bronze and gold gymnastics medals and certificate, she has qualified to represent the area in the National Gymspire finals!
Well done to all of our achievers!

Yours sincerely / Yn gywir

Andrew Davis, Headteacher / Pennaeth

Hydref 21ain / October 21st 2022
Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

Not that it hasn’t been lovely hearing the preparations, all around the school for the Harvest Service next week, but I have the most horrendous ear-worm, more of an ear-anaconda actually, continually playing in my head, which is now to the point that if I hear another rendition of Cauliflowers Fluffy I may spontaneously combust! But, psychological scarring aside, there are still lots of great things going on in our final week before the half-term break. We have our Harvest service on Tuesday, Sports for Champions event on Wednesday and the Halloween disco on Thursday all of which will whip the children into a wild frenzy before sending them home on Friday for the half-term break… you’re welcome!

Harvest Service
We have our Harvest-Service practice on Monday, to iron out the wrinkles ready for the tour-de-force of the real thing on Tuesday. We will be setting off from Rhos St at about 9:30am and walking up to St Peter’s church on both days. If any parents, carers or relatives are available to walk with the Foundation Learners on Monday and/or Tuesday can they please meet us at the front entrance at about 9:20am? Many thanks. We are hoping to begin the Harvest Service on Tuesday at 10:00am and parents, carers, relatives and friends are all more than welcome to attend and should arrive prior to 10:00am please. Could I request that the audience seat themselves on the pews at the rear of the church as the children will require the front pews. As part of the Harvest Service we are asking for donation of non-perishable produce for Ruthin Food Bank, if you would like to donate could all items be brought to school on Monday please. The weather forecast is looking positive for Tuesday, but we do have the contingency of holding the Harvest Service in the hall if the weather conditions are unsuitable for children to walk to
and from the church. I will keep you up to date nearer the time if we have to change our plans.
Sports for Champions Event
On the afternoon of Wednesday 26th we will be welcoming Bev Jones to Rhos St. She is a Paralympic Shot Put and Discuss athlete who has competed at 5 Paralympic Games. You can view information about Bev Jones by following this link: https://www.sportsforchampions.com/beverley-jones/
The event will be an excellent opportunity for pupils to work with an Olympic Paralympian and to raise funds for both Team GB and for Rhos St. Please can any sponsor money be brought in to school by Tuesday 25th. Many thanks for your support.

Filming – Universal Free School Meals Promotion
Unfortunately, the filming of or Foundation Learners for the Denbighshire County Council promotional material has been postponed. I will share the new filming date when it has been finalised.

Kick-It Sports
The four-week Kick-It Sports multi-skills club begins on Monday 24th at 3:15pm – 4:30pm. If you would like your child to take part in the Kick-It Sports club you can book online at: https://bookwhen.com/kickitsports

Halloween Disco & Pumpkin Spy Competition
Our Halloween disco is on Thursday 27th October. The Infant disco is 3:30pm – 4:30pm and the Junior disco is 4:45pm – 5:45pm. The cost is £2 per child and includes a drink and snack. Adults need to stay with Infants please. We are all looking forward to a fun, spooktastic event.
Also a reminder that you can collect entries for the brilliant and fun P.T.A Pumpkin Spy competiton from the school office, Siop Nain and the Candyshack at £1 per entry.

Welsh Assembly Government – School Uniform Consultation
The Welsh Government is currently consulting on changes to the statutory guidance on school uniform and appearance policies. The consultation period will run from 18th October until 28th November. Details of the consultation can be found in the following link: https://gov.wales/changes-statutory-guidance-school-uniform-and-appearance-policies

Support with Bills from Welsh Water
With October Half Term fast approaching, we know some families will struggle to afford essentials.
Families with children who receive traditional free school meals & are in receipt of a qualifying benefit, may also be entitled to help towards their water bills from Welsh Water.
What financial support is available from Welsh Water? By switching to Welsh Water’s HelpU tariff, customers could save up to £230 off their water bill. Find out more here.

Achievers
Our brilliant achievers this week are: Evelyn, Daniel, Daisy, Toby, Emiliya, Eden, Belle, Scarlet. Leo and Jayden.
Jude shared his rugby medal and Jack shared his Great Reading certificate.

Yours sincerely / Yn gywir

Andrew Davis, Headteacher / Pennaeth

Hydref 14eg / October 14th 2022

Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

School is a hive of activity at the moment, almost literally in the Yr. 4 class, with their work on bees! Everyone is busy getting ready for our forthcoming Harvest service as well as bringing their themes for the term to a close. Eight-week half terms are certainly not for the faint hearted and we are all focused on everything that needs to be done before the well-deserved half-term break.

Wildlife Pond
Tony and Liz have been working hard again, this time in making sure that our wildlife pond is as safe and secure as possible. The addition of anti-climb fencing and a padlock will mean that everyone can enjoy the pond safely. We will be working with Denbighshire Countryside services in the near future to begin planting some water plants in the pond area to encourage the local wildlife to make it their home. Huge thanks again to Tony and Liz for all of their hard work.

Tesco Donation
Many thanks to Mike Reade, the manager of Tesco Ruthin, for his very kind donation of spring bulbs to the school. The Gardening Club will really enjoy planting them in the near future and we will all wait with hopeful expectation for the display that they will provide in the spring. Tesco kindly donated compost in the summer and we are extremely grateful for their ongoing support of the school.

Grapes
I have been asked by some of the Foundation Learners’ staff to request that the younger children do not bring whole grapes as part of their packed lunch. Some of the children have struggled with larger grapes and the staff had concerns regarding a possible choking hazard. If grapes are sent in as part of a packed lunch, for younger children, could they please be cut up. Many thanks for your support.

Kick-It Sports
Dave from Kick-It sports visited on Monday to speak with the older children about the forthcoming multi-skills club. He shared some of the great games that children attending the club would be playing and left some flyers with information all about Kick-It sports and a link how to book a place on the four-week course. Kick-It Sports club is due to begin on Monday 24th of October. You can see an information video all about Kick-It sports here: https://t.co/SNzE3Xrbh4 and book a place for your child by following this link: https://t.co/xRJl4prStb

Hello Yellow
We had a brilliant response to our Hello Yellow day in school, in support of the Young Minds mental-health charity.
We talked in service about the importance of keeping you mind healthy in just the same way as it is important to keep your body healthy. It was lovely to see the children in their special clothes for the day. If you would like to support the Hello Yellow – Young Minds charity you can donate, on their website, by following this link: https://t.co/mDgUkQnYya

Diwnod Su Mae
Shwmae Su’mae Day, is on Saturday the 15th of October, 2022! Diwrnod Su’mae is an opportunity to have fun and share the Welsh language – in the shop, leisure centre, work, school, playing fields and with your friends, online or face to face! We talked about it in service today and set the challenge for the children to practice saying Su’mae to as many people as they can today ready for Diwrnod Su’mae tomorrow. Su’mae!

Harvest Service
Our Harvest service is on the 25th of October at St Peter’s church. As in previous years we are collecting non-perishable food items to donate to Ruthin Food Bank. If you would like to donate please ask your child to bring in an item or items to our collection point by the main school entrance. Many thanks! Tesco Ruthin have also very kindly agreed to make a donation for Rhos St to share with the Ruthin Food Bank as part of our Harvest service. Their ongoing support of Rhos St is very much appreciated.
If any parents or carers are available, on October 24th and 25th, to assist with walking up to the church with the Foundation Learners please could they meet us at the school entrance at 9:20 am. Many thanks in advance.

Parental Consultations
Our autumn-term parental consultations begin on Monday. You should have received a date and time for your appointment earlier this week. Please can I request that parents and carers arrive promptly for their appointments, at the outside door to their child’s classroom, as we are mindful that there may be an impact on the time available, within the allocated 10- minute time slot, to discuss your child if appointment times are not closely adhered to. Many thanks for your cooperation.

Achievers
This week’s fabulous achievers are: Will, Omran, Chima, Hugo, Cora, Josh, Claire, Liam and Jay.
Sophie shared her Dance Star of the Week award.
A special mention needs to go to Amelia who took part in the final day of the North Wales International Music Festival on Saturday. She played her cello at St Asaph Cathedral as part of the NEW Sinfonia orchestra. What a fantastic opportunity and what a brave young lady.

Yours sincerely / Yn gywir

Andrew Davis, Headteacher / Pennaeth

Hydref 7fed / October 7th 2022

Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

Preparations for our Harvest service are well under way and the school is resounding with the sound of songs and poems being refined and honed. There has been lots going on to keep us out of mischief, Autumn walks around the local area, trips to the living classroom, buddy meetings and the successful launch of our new gardening club.

Parents’ Evening
We are intending to hold our parental consultation, meet the teacher, evenings in the week beginning 17th of October. An appointment time for your face-to-face meeting will be sent home with your child early next week. If you are unable to make your 10-minute appointment please inform your child’s class teacher and we will do our best to reschedule.

Gardening Club
Huge thanks to Ms. Williams, Layla’s mum, for running our gardening club on Wednesday this week. It was the turn of the Yr. 3 children this week and they all had a brilliant time planting in the polytunnel. I can personally vouch for the fact that their wellie-selection skills are, very much on point. The dates for the remaining KS2 classes are as follows:
Yr. 4 Wednesday 12th October
Yr. 5 Wednesday 19th October
Yr. 6 Wednesday 26th November

I will share future gardening-club dates after half term.

Kick-It Sports
I have been in discussions with Kick-It Sports regarding a multi-skills after-school club on Mondays 3:15pm – 4:30pm, beginning on Monday 24th of October. Kick-It Sports will be initially offering the club to the Yrs. 3-6 pupils, with the possibility of offering sessions for Foundation Learners in the future. The 4-week course costs £18, payable directly to Kick-It Sports, when you book through this online booking form: https://bookwhen.com/kickitsports
You can view the activities that are offered by Kick-It Sports and get a flavour of what they do by following this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XVbM9GR2b9bZs6b0w87YeMgs24DUflpQ/view?usp=sharing
Kick-It Sports will supply the appropriate number of coaches, based on the number of bookings received, and will manage the club in school.

Breakfast Club Payment
Just a polite reminder for any parents and carers who use the school’s breakfast club provision that payment needs to be made on ParentPay for the sessions that your child has attended the previous week. Any arrears over £20 may mean that pupils would not be permitted to attend breakfast club until payment had been received. Many thanks for your support.

Harvest Service

We are intending to hold a Harvest service at 10:00am on Tuesday 25th of October at St Peter’s church. Our harvest service, which was a pre-covid annual event, is now back and we are busy practicing as a school our individual class and whole-school items to share. Reverend Natasha will be welcoming us on the 25th to St Peter’s church and parents, carers, family and friends are all welcome to attend.

Dates for the Diary
Wed 12th – Gardening Club Yr. 4
Thurs 13th – Chester Football Yrs. 3/4 pm / Yrs. 5/6 After-school club
Fri 14th – Hello Yellow Wear Yellow for Young Minds Charity
Mon 17th – Parental Consultation week
Wed 19th – Gardening Club Yr. 5
Thurs 20th – Chester Football Yrs. 3/4 pm / Yrs. 5/6 After-school club
Mon 24th – Kick-It Sports multi-skills after-school club session 1
Tues 25th – Harvest Service St Peter’s Church 10:00am
Wed 26th – Sports for Champions Athlete Event
-Gardening Club Yr. 6
Thurs 27th – Halloween Disco
-Chester Football Yrs. 3/4 pm / Yrs. 5/6 After-school club
Fri 28th – Close for half term

More dates for the diary will be shared after half term.
Achievers
This week’s amazing achievers are: Wren, Raph, Fleur, Stanley, Freya, Daisy, Sylvia, Arlo, Mia-Rose, Riley and Tyler. Neve shared her Rainbow Bronze Award and Elsie shared her dance trophies and medal. We also shared the certificates for the pupils who have worked so hard to complete the summer reading challenge. Well done to all of our amazing achievers!

Yours sincerely / Yn gywir

Andrew Davis, Headteacher / Pennaeth

Medi 30ain / September 30th 2022

Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

As you can see from our Twitter profile it’s all go in school at the moment. We are so proud of our Yr.6 class for being brilliant buddies for the Reception class while at the living classroom. Everyone involved had a fantastic time and it is something that we are very much looking to keep going. As September draws to a close it is great to see children settled in to their new classes, happy and learning.

School Development Plan
Every year we identify targets for us to focus on in school and this year we have decided that we are going to ask our stakeholders what they think we do well at Rhos St and what they think we ought to be working on to make better. We are asking pupils, parents/ carers, governors, staff and teachers to complete the stakeholder viewpoint sheet. When we have received them all we will look at them all and base the things we need to work on any themes that come across. I have attached the School Development Plan – Parent / Carer Viewpoint sheet to this email. It can be returned by email to myself, or printed and returned to the school office. We greatly value the views of all our stakeholders and are looking forward to putting them at the core of what we do here in school.

Gardening Club
Ms. Williams, Layla’s mum has very kindly agreed to hold a gardening club, at Rhos St, on Wednesday evenings 3:30pm – 4:15pm. The club is open to Yrs. 3-6 pupils and will focus on readying the Garden Area for the winter, planting winter vegetables as well as planting and growing in the polytunnel. If you would like your child to take part in Gardening Club please complete the permission form, sent home with interested pupils or available in the office, and return it to your child’s teacher.

Ysgol Brynhyfryd – Open Evening

Ysgol Brynhyfryd are holding a Yr. 6 Open Evening on Thursday 6/10/22 from 4:15pm – 6:30pm. Please follow the link below to book a place for the open evening:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/noson-agored-blwyddyn-6-year-6-open-evening-dydd-iau-061022-thursday-tickets-414511985507

Flu Immunisation
Just a reminder that the Influenza Immunisation (nasal spray) will be taking place on Wednesday 5th of October for pupils in Yrs. R -6 whose parents and carers have returned the permission letter.

Childcare Workshops
Free workshops are available for anyone interested in exploring a career in childcare and early years: Through the Exploring a Career in Childcare workshops, we can help you plan your next steps in business, employment or training. This free, virtual event provides information on training, funding and access to working in childcare. Guest speakers will include various members of Cwlwm partners and educational providers. Follow the links below for more information or contact Joanna Hughes on 01824 706527.
https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/exploring-enterprise https://www.sirddinbych.gov.uk/edrych-ar-fenter

Urdd
Following on from last year’s Rhos St Eisteddfod success we will be holding our own Rhos St Eisteddfod again this year and, Covid-19 permitting, we are hoping to be able to invite parents and carers in to the school to see the work that the children have been doing. Attached to this email is information for parents and carers who wish to join the Urdd movement for 2022-23. 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.

Data Poverty
Denbighshire Libraries are working with Good Things Foundation (external website) to distribute free SIMs and mobile data to local people living in data poverty. Please see the poster attached to this email for more information.

Twitter
Check out our Twitter account @rhosstreet for the latest information and to see the brilliant things that the children have been up to this week!
Also take a look at our @RSSGovernors to find out all the latest from our governing body.
You can additionally get all the latest information from our fantastic P.T.A at @RhosPta

Achievers
This week’s amazing achievers are: Alice, Jake, Kitti, Sophie, Abigail, Samuel, Harry. Hannah, Charlie, Henry, Merry and all of Yr.6.
Aidan shared his purple Karate belt, Llinos shared her Girls’ football medal and Lucas shared his medal.

Yours sincerely / Yn gywir

Andrew Davis, Headteacher / Pennaeth

Medi 23ain / September 23rd 2022

Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

Even a shorter than usual week has felt full to bursting with lots happening all over the school. We are preparing for our Sports for Champions session, have a look at the Rhos St page if you get the chance to find out more about the athlete that will be coming to visit: https://t.co/Lc3fmPeANl. Chester football sessions and the first of our Craze of the Week activities have all got under way, the calendar that was very empty is definitely filling up!

Craze of the Week

As part of our work based on Jenny Mosely’s Circle Time and Golden Time we have begun our Craze of the Week activities. The idea is that every week we introduce a new Craze of the Week for children to take part in at break and lunchtimes. Yr. 6 pupils have kindly volunteered to be Craze of the Week trainers, working with the younger classes to teach them the current week’s craze. This week’s Craze of the Week was chalk and we had some very creative playground adornment to brighten up our lives.

Chester Football
Kalvin from Chester Football began the afternoon football sessions with Yrs. 3 and 4 yesterday. They all had a brilliant time learning new skills and playing some fantastic, fun games. Our after-school football club also started yesterday, with the Yrs. 5 and 6 pupils being put through their paces. A huge thank you to Chester Football for offering us the afternoon sessions free of charge and for providing the after-school club.

Pentrellyncymmer Residential
A very last opportunity for any parents and carers, who would like their child to take part in the Pentrellyncymmer residential visit on 16th – 18th November. We are finalising numbers and Monday will be the last chance to secure a place. Please contact the school office for information.

Midday Supervisor
Anyone interested in the role of Midday Supervisor at the school please get in touch as we are looking for someone special to join our dedicated team.

Vintage Newspapers
Many thanks to Rhos St governor Pat Astburry for loaning us some fascinating newspapers form yesteryear. We are going to be sharing these with the children in the coming weeks. One from 1952 is particularly interesting and pertinent as it shows the funeral of King George VI with some very poignant similarities with the funeral of Queen Elizabeth on Monday.

PTA Halloween Disco

To give you plenty of time to prepare maximum spookiness here is information about the PTA Halloween Disco on Thursday 27th October. We’re all looking forward to a terrifyingly spooktastic event!
Infants 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Juniors 4:45pm – 5:45pm
Adults to stay with infants please.
£2 entry per child on the door.

Twiggle does Turtle
Our service today was all about Twiggle the Turtle and how he learned to control his emotions by doing Turtle.
We will all be practicing how to do Turtle when things upset or frustrate us in school.

Achievers
This week’s amazing achievers are: Lucas, Thomas, Hannah. Thea, Isabella, Esme-Rae, Nimrod, Myah, Charles and Noah. Bella and Grace shared their green martial-arts belts and Sofia shared her orange belt. Noah shared his triathlon medal and Emiliya shared her dance trophy. Well done to all our brilliant achievers!

Yours sincerely / Yn gywir

Andrew Davis, Headteacher / Pennaeth

Medi 16eg / September 16th 2022

Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

Another week of industrious activity draws to a close. Children have settled really well into their new classes and are getting into the swing of being back in school and working hard. We have been very mindful as a school of the historical significance of this week, and recent events, and it has been very noticeable how many children have wanted to talk to each other and staff about the death of Queen Elizabeth and their feelings around it. I sincerely hope that the Bank Holiday on Monday offers, for all who feel they need it, time to process these events in their own individual way.

Sport for Champions
We will be taking part in a fantastic opportunity to promote physical activity in school through the Sport for Champions Event on the 26th October 2022. We will be welcoming professional basketballer Danny Evans to school who will be working with the Reception to Yr.6 classes on an exciting basketball activity session. The event is sponsored and we are asking the children to try to raise sponsorship to complete the activity with Danny. All finds form the sponsorship event will be divided between developing UK Sports and the school, with 60% of the raised funds going directly to support the learning of the children of Rhos St. We are all really excited about this opportunity and am sure that the children will love meeting a professional athlete, talking with them and asking, I’m sure, a million questions as well as taking part in, what we are sure will be, a fantastic, fun activity session. I would like to thank you all in advance for your help and support with the Sport for Champions event.

Chester FC After-School Club
I am extremely pleased to be able to offer an after-school club run by Calvin from Chester FC, with whom we have worked over many years. The after-school football club will be run on a Thursday evening 3:30pm – 4.30pm and will cost £3 per child, per session. The club is open to children from Yrs. 3 – 6 and is on a first come first served basis up to a maximum number of 16 pupils. We are hoping to begin the after-school club on Thursday 22nd September. If you would like your child to take part in the Chester FC after-school football club please complete and return the permission slip sent home with interested children.
We are also delighted that Chester FC have, very kindly, offered us free football coaching afternoon sessions for this term, details to follow.

School Garden Winner’s Presentation

We were extremely proud to welcome the judge from Ruthin Show Society – School Garden Competition, Mrs. Heather Williams who came to school to present us with our trophy and certificate. We are very, very proud of the work that we have done in the garden area and were delighted to have won first prize in the competition. We are hoping to continue the work in the garden over the autumn and winter, making the most of the shelter from the elements in the polytunnel. Many thanks to Mrs. Williams and the Ruthin Show Society.

Teaching Spelling at Rhos St
Mindful of the vital partnership between school and home I would like to outline the Diagnostic Spelling method that we use at Rhos St for the teaching of spelling to help ensure that teachers, staff, parents and carers are able to most effectively work together to support pupils’ leaning of spelling. At the beginning of the autumn term children are given the Diagnostic Spelling Test. The Diagnostic Spelling system, used from Yrs. 2 to Yr. 6, gives the pupils a ‘working’ spelling ‘phase’ which realistically identifies the level at which they are able to independently spell common words, based on the Letters and Sounds Phase Phonic Teaching Programme and the DFES (Department for Education and Skills) Spelling Bank for Key Stage 2. Pupils then work on spelling lists at their individual level, which are tested during the week. The spelling lists include elements of ongoing, progressive word ‘families’ as well as reinforcing key-words which will be revisited several times, within weekly lists, to ensure pupil’s understanding. The diagnostic system allows us to ensure consistency and progression across the school as pupils are tested, using the diagnostic test, at the start of each year the level at which they access the spelling ‘phases’ ensures that they are able to use the spellings that they are learning, to a much greater degree, independently, within their work.

Oliva Alkir – Stained Glass Window
I was honored to attend the dedication service of the Olivia Window at Efenechtyd – St Michael and All Angels church on Saturday. It was a beautiful ceremony and, despite the deep sadness at the loss of Olivia, shared by everyone present, celebrated the incredible person that Olivia was and the positive effect that she had on so many people, not only during her all too short life, but also in the lives that will be saved through the Oliva’s Story road-safety film which is being shown to Secondary pupils across Wales. The window is stunning and is a direct copy of a picture created by Olivia, while she was studying at Ysgol Brynhyfryd. It will leave a lasting memorial to Olivia for all who visit this beautiful church for many, many years to come.
Bank Holiday

As I’m more than sure that you are aware Monday 19th September had been designated as a bank holiday as a mark of respect following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Rhos St school will be closed on Monday 19th and will reopen on Tuesday 20th.

Reading and Spelling
May I please request that reading, spelling and sound books, for our Foundation Learners, come in to school every day. Many thanks for your support.

Tesco Blue Tokens
Please think of Rhos St when you are into Tesco in Ruthin, we have two weeks to go on the Tesco Community Fund and the opposition is catching up!

Welcome to Jane our New School Cook
This week we have welcomed our new school cook Jane. We are very lucky to have Jane working with us as I have heard brilliant things about her cooking skills and she is a very welcome addition to the Rhos St and Ysgol Pen Barras catering team. Jane runs a Facebook page on which she shares the meal options available for the next day and also the options available for the following week. Head over to: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=penrhos%20cinio to see what’s cooking!

WANTED – Wellies

Any donations of primary child-sized wellies would be very gratefully received. We are looking to have pairs of wellies available for pupils to borrow when they head off to the Garden Area and Living Classroom. Please drop off any wellie donations in the foyer. Many thanks.

Spare Trousers
Mrs. Bourne has requested any unwanted Reception-age trousers / joggers to keep in reserve for those little emergencies in class. Please drop off any donations in the foyer. Many thanks for your help.

Achievers
Our fantastic achievers this week are: Rupert, Amelia, Hiyan, Aliza, Drago, Billy, Sophie, Jessica, Charles, Daniel and Lilly.
Harri shared his Ruthin Town football certificate and Aidan, Harry and Cadie shared their Reading Challenge certificates.
Well done to all of our brilliant achievers!

Yours sincerely / Yn gywir,

Andrew Davis, Headteacher / Pennaeth