Chwefror 18ydd / February 18th 2022
Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

Storm Eunice seems to be the defining factor as we bring this half-term to a close, and it’s a good analogy for the rollercoaster ride that we have all been on in recent times. Through all of this challenge the resilience and support of the Rhos St community has shone through. I won’t lie, taking over the role of Interim Headteacher at the sharp-end of an Omicron pandemic and with a large section of school roof missing did fill me with no small amount of trepidation. It has been the fantastic colleagues, governors, parents and of course, most importantly pupils of this school that have turned this period from one of initial foreboding, to one of pride in the fantastic progress made by so many of our learners, as well as the positive steps taken forward towards our goals for this year. I look forward to continuing the move forward, after half term, and would like to thank you all for your ongoing support, and hope you all have a great half-term break (weather permitting).

Garden Area
The plans for the garden area continue to move forward with the purchase of a polytunnel and the collection of the brilliant garden-area plans completed by the pupils. They have a wonderful imagination and have produced some fantastic ideas for us to work with in our final garden-area design. If anyone has suitable tools, waterproofs or wellies that they were able to donate to the children, to use in garden area, they would be gratefully received.

Wear What you Love Day
Because of the school closure today we have, unfortunately, missed out on the PTA’s Wear What You Love Day.
Never fear, the day has been rescheduled for Friday 11th of March. We have avoided the first week back after half term as children will be invited to dress up for St David’s Day and also for World Book Day in that week and I’m mindful of avoiding dress-up overload!

Have a great half-term holiday everyone.

Yours sincerely / Yn gywir,

Andrew Davis,

Headteacher / Pennaeth

Chwefror 11ydd / February 11th 2022
Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

Another really positive week draws to a close. Time is flying by and I can’t believe that it is only a week until half term. School has been a hive of activity with lots of work raising awareness for Children’s Mental Health Week 2022 as well as preparations for out in-school Eisteddfod on St David’s Day.

Garden Area
We are making really positive steps forward with our garden-area project. A polytunnel has been ordered and the children have been busy with their designs for what they would like to see in the garden area. Donations of tools or child-sized waterproofs would be very greatly received.

Jumpers
I have been made aware of some school jumpers going missing, despite being named. Please could I ask that jumpers are checked to see if the missing items have been accidental taken home and that they be returned if this is the case. Many thanks for your help and support.

PE Kit
Please could PE kit worn in school, as much as possible, be black shorts / jogging bottoms, white t-shirt and a school jumper. We encourage this simple PE kit as it reduces the need to purchase expensive sports clothing and protects pupils from some of the possible negative issues related to sports branding.

Tesco Tokens
We have applied to the Tesco Blue Token scheme in support of our garden area. So if you find yourself in Tesco, picking up ‘essential’ supplies (white or red), please give us a thought and direct your token appropriately.

Wear what you Love
The PTA are planning to hold a Wear What you Love day on Friday 18th of February. Children can come in clothes that they love and bring a donation of £1 towards PTA funds.

Children’s’ Mental Health Week
There has been lots of work going on all around school this week based upon Children’s Mental Health Week. The issues, which can sometimes be difficult, have been dealt with in a sensitive and considerate manner with many of the children engaging in fun activities designed to raise the awareness without causing distress.

Healthy Snacks
As a healthy school I would like offer a gentle reminder that snacks brought in to school by pupils should be, as much as possible, fruit. I am aware that some children have a preference for different things, but would ask that any break time snacks be what would be considered ‘healthy’, rather than the crisps and chocolate bars that have made an occasional appearance of late. I would also ask that, due to some children having a severe allergy to nuts that, although a healthy snack option, nuts are not brought in to school as the consequences from an anaphylactic reaction could be severe.

Safer Internet Day
Our assembly today was all about keeping safe online and followed this year’s Safer Internet Day theme of All Fun and Games. We learned all about the importance of talking to a trusted adult if any experience online makes children feel ‘sad or bad’ and the importance of treating friends online with the same respect that is given in ‘real life’.

Pentrecllyncymmer / Nant B.H
Please could any payments due for the Penrellyncymmer or Nant B.H trips be paid as soon as possible. Many thanks.

Achievers

Today’s achievers are:

Louie, Abi, Drago, Thea, Sophie, Isla, Penny, Skye, Charlie R, Jack, Maisie, Eva, Jay, Ella, Lilly-Mae, Riley, Milo, Emily and Emily J well done to them all!

Yours sincerely / Yn gywir,

Andrew Davis, Headteacher / Pennaeth

Chwefror 4ydd / February 4th 2022
Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

It seems like a long time since I penned my first newsletter as interim headteacher. A brush with Covid-19 has put many of the pupils and staff out of action for a short while, myself included, but I am so proud of the resilience of the school community who have worked so positively together in these challenging times. It has been so heartening to see the fantastic teaching and learning going on in every classroom, and, along with the early snowdrops in our hedgerows, if you look carefully you can see the tiny, green shoots of normality hopefully returning to school life.

Garden Area
Our major project for the rest of this year is to develop the garden area, adjacent to the bat loft. We have been putting plans in place to enable us to take small groups out into the garden area to begin the transformation. As the year rolls on children will, be landscaping, planting, harvesting, pruning and a myriad of other outdoor skills. They will be learning about living things, the environment, recycling, bushcraft, gardening, financial education, and lots more, all while getting their hands dirty with real-life practical activities. As part of the launch we have sent home a sketch map of the area for children to use their imagination and create their perfect garden. We will then be using the children’s ideas to make our ‘master-plan’ moving forward. We are hoping that this will be a real opportunity to invite visitors and volunteers to work alongside the children as they get to grips with this whole-school project.

Tools, Wellies and Waterproofs
With the garden-area project in mind, we are making a request to the school community for any gardening hand tools, spare child-sized wellies and waterproof jackets and trousers. If you have any of these items that you are willing to donate to the school please drop them off with either the office, KS2 or Foundation-Phase staff at drop off or pick up. All will be gratefully received.

Kindness Week
Our previous assembly was all about kindness. We will be continuing to focus on this throughout the year, as well as our other two school rules: be respectful and do your best. I asked the children to undertake some random acts of kindness, and the staff to keep a sharp eye out for such things. We will be sharing our kindness certificates for those children caught in the act of being kind after Random Acts of Kindness Day. It was so lovely to hear about how thoughtful and considerate our pupils can be.

Music Tuition
Payment for this term’s music tuition is now due and can be made via parent Parent Pay. There are still some outstanding fees due from previous terms and we would appreciates payment for these as soon as possible. Many thanks.

PTA
The PTA are currently looking for new volunteers to join their fantastic team. We are very lucky at Rhos St to have, and to have had, such a wonderful and supportive PTA. Fundraising by the PTA has paid for many exciting things in school including trips to the pantomime, Chromebooks for the classroom and very recently a large donation towards the outdoor play equipment. The financial and operational support that we receive from the PTA is invaluable to us in offering the rich experiences that children in Rhos St enjoy, and have enjoyed over the years. If you are able to offer your time, experience and expertise to the PTA in any way it would be very greatly appreciated. Please get in touch, however great or little the amount of time you are able to offer, if you would like to join this great group of people, working together for the children of Rhos St.

Olivia Alkir
We were delighted to pass on the money that the school community raised towards the stained-glass window to be created in memory of Olivia Alkir, Jo’s daughter and ex-Rhos St pupil, who was so tragically killed. We will be keeping in close contact with Jo and will keep you abreast of developments with the stained-glass window and also the road-safety campaign, which Jo is very involved in; due to premiere soon. The campaign will deliver a vital message to young people and their parents about the dangers posed by inexperienced drivers.

Achievers
Our fantastic achievers this week are:
Ethan, Toby, Sophie, Ayla, Thea, Sophie, Piper, Joshua, Louie, Sebastian, Daisy, Alex, Romeo, Mia, Mia-Rose, Kaden Anna, Alexander, Maisie, Isabella, Elsie,

Yours sincerely / Yn gywir,

Andrew Davis, Headteacher / Pennaeth

Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

There have been many firsts this week within my role of Interim Headteacher. I’ve spent lots of time looking at e-mails trying work work out what different acronyms mean and what I need to do about them! I’ve written my first Newsletter and made my first Rhos St Tweet. Lots of change and new things. What has been wonderful through all of this ‘newness’ and unfamiliarity is the welcome and support that I have received from so many members of the school community.

I have had a lovely response form the wonderful children of Rhos St, even if many of them have said, “Why are you trying to look smart?” I would like to thank all of the parents and carers who have offered kind messages of support and a massive thank you to the staff of Rhos St who have been so positive and supportive.

It has been a busy week, with all the children settling brilliantly back to their classes and to working hard. It has been so nice to walk around the classes seeing everyone focused and learning.

Covid-19
Although we have been affected, to some degree, by the current levels of covid-19 we have, fortunately managed to keep all of our teaching and learning, this week, face-to-face. We will continue to do our utmost to keep pupils in school, but we may need at some point to move to online / distance learning if there are increased levels of staff absence and we are unable to provide appropriate staff to pupil ratios. The move to distance laearning may need to made quickly, as staff are testing for Covid-19 three times per week. I will endeavor to inform parents and carers of any affected classes as soon as I have the information via e-mail, Twitter and the Rhos St website. I would like to thank you all for your continued support in following the current guidance.

Urdd
This year, due to Covid-19, we will not be entering the Urdd Eisteddfod as we have in the past. The lack of surety around the Urdd activities that will able to be offered to pupils in the current climate, has made us consider carefully if requesting parents and carers to pay for membership of the Urdd movement would be as valuable as it has been in previous years. We will, as a school, be taking the Urdd theme of Sea to Summit and will be developing Welsh language and art activities, throughout the school, that we will be sharing with you all in our own in-school Eisteddfod, around St David’s Day. This, we feel, allows pupils the opportunity to gain maximum benefit from undertaking the activities and reducing the possible issues around the current pandemic.

Lunchtime Supervisors
Please see below our advert for Lunchtime Suprvisors at the school:

The Governing Body of Rhos Street School wish to appoint two enthusiastic Midday staff to supervise pupils during lunch time in and around the school site. We are looking for an individual who has the ability to secure the safety, welfare and good conduct of pupils during the mid-day break period, in accordance with the practices and procedures of the Local Authority.

Appointment subject to Disclosure & Barring Service Check and satisfactory references. If you would like to discuss any aspect of the post, please call Andrew Davis on 01824 702565.

If you are interested in this vacancy, please apply on-line via the website www.denbighshire.gov.uk. For alternative methods of applying please contact Customer Services on 01824 706101.
Candidates must complete our application form to be considered.

Big thank you!
A massive thank you to, ex-pupil, Anthony Dallolio (AJ) who gave up his time at the weekend to use his professional tree-surgery skills to remove a hanging branch from the garden area of the school. A big thank you to Tony Dallolio, AJ’s dad, and our relief-caretaker for arranging it.

Young Minds
We have received a big thank you from the charity YoungMinds for taking part in the Hello Yellow for World Mental Health Day. School raised a fantastic £149 which will go towards supporting childrens’ and young people’s mental health.

Uniform and PE Kit
Please could I request that all uniform, coats and PE kit is named. This really helps us to make sure lost property finds its rightful owner and will reduce the need for parents to rifle through the dreaded lost property boxes.

Achievers
Our fantastic achievers this week are:
Oliver, Thomas, Jude, Oliver, Lukas, Elsie, Sky, Sophie, Charly, Mia-Rose, Jade, Willow, Llinos, Cain and Finley
Big congratualtions to Alys for achieving a Merit in her Grade 1 Violin examination.

Yours sincerely / Yn gywir,

Andrew Davis, Headteacher / Pennaeth

Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

We’ve made it to the end of term, barring a couple of days of learning remotely next week and as I reflect on 2021, it has certainly been another year of great challenge. Twelve months ago when I looked back on 2020, it was with incredulity, but not a lot has really changed has it and we face 2022 with equal uncertainty. Something else that hasn’t changed is how this school unites parents, pupils, staff and Governors in working together for the benefit of its community. Though admittedly a little world weary, we can all look back on the year with pride, knowing that despite all the challenges in the face of Covid and the subsequent fallout, everybody has done their very best for these fantastic pupils and can hold their heads high.

As the school moves into a new phase in January, when I go on secondment, it brings a great opportunity for Rhos Street to refresh things with new ideas from an enthusiastic team who I know are ready and raring to show what they can do. I would like to wish Mr. Davis, Mrs. Liddy and Mrs. Davies every success in their new roles on the Senior Leadership Team. All three have already made a huge impact on the school over many years and consequently, the school is in very capable hands. I’m sure you will give Mr. Davis your full support as Headteacher. He has my full confidence, respect and admiration.

After 13 years in the role, it will be strange to step away for a while, but I will be rooting for Rhos Street from afar in 2022. It’s time for me to do something different and I’m looking forward to the opportunities ahead. I’d like to thank everybody for their support – to staff, Governors, pupils, parents and the whole school community. This truly is a special school and I will miss the place while I’m away.

Finally, I’d like to wish you all a lovely Christmas and New Year. It is a time to be cherished with family, so I very much hope we’re all able to do that safely. All the best for 2022. The New Year will I’m sure, bring its Covid complications, but the ‘Rhos Street Way’ sees everybody pull together and that will no doubt be the case going forward.

Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!

Yours sincerely,

Bryn D. Jones, Headteacher

Olivia Alkir Fundraiser – Thank you for your contributions to the recent fundraiser. A total of £209.93 was raised towards the stained glass window at Efenechtyd Church.

Christmas Jumper Day – We raised £88.02 on Xmas Jumper Day, so thank you once again!

PTA Thanks – A huge thank you to Emma and her team on the PTA for all their work and support this term. Today, they organised a visit from Santa, who presented each of our pupils with a gift, which were individually wrapped in a wrapping party at Jodie’s – thank you to all concerned! They organised the art competition and the successful raffle. I am very grateful for the PTA for their time, commitment and enthusiasm. Thank you to Santa too!

Virtual Christmas Concert – The video has been completed the link will soon be emailed to you all. Thank you to everybody for their hard work and to Mr. Davis for his technical skills in compiling it all together.

January Arrangements – The uncertain circumstances around the Omicron variant means that we are uncertain to what degree restrictions will be used in and around school in the new term. Those details will be provided by Mr. Davis when the picture has become clearer.

Library Initiative – Denbighshire Libraries are running an initiative called the Winter Mini Challenge? All pupils have to do is read at least three books before 16 January and add them to their online profile at http://wintermini.org.uk to earn fun digital rewards!

PTA Raffle – Congratulations to the winners below and thank you to everybody who bought a ticket. Could winners collect their prizes from the school office please. The total raised was £503 which is a great efforts. Many thanks.
£100 cash – John Heaven
Hamper – Wendy Nulty
Lamp – Mo Rennie
Choo Choo items – D Owen
Jack Daniels – Don Hilario
Candy Shack sweets – Arlo Boyd
Toiletries set – Jodie Pike
Avon set & gin sample set – Amy Hewitt
Automark MOT – Kath Edwards
Chocolate Tasting set – Sylvia Smith
Chocolates & wine – Neil Jones
Chocolates & bracelets – Michelle McDonald
Tea light set – Apirak Lenla

Art Competition – Congratulations to art competition winners, Elliott, Emily, Sofia, Seren, Hannah, Samuel, Isla and Daisy.

Achievers – Mia received a swimming certificate, Llinos a gymnastics trophy and Harri a taekwondo medal. Well done to all three.

Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

Xmas Dinner – Many thanks to Lyn and her staff in the kitchen for putting together a delicious Christmas lunch yesterday. There was much merriment in the hall.

PTA Raffle – PTA Raffle Tickets continue to be on sale! The star prize is £100 cash. Other prizes include a luxury hamper, designer lamp, personal trainer sessions, MOT at Automark, sweetie selection, a bag from Choo Choo, various alcohol bottles & a toiletries gift set. The draw takes place next Friday.

Virtual Christmas Concert – Despite all the restrictions, absences and circumstances around Covid, the pupils and staff have been working hard to put together a virtual Christmas concert for you all to enjoy. I will share the link with you next week and would be grateful if it was not shared beyond family. Hopefully circumstances next year will allow it to be a traditional Rhos Street Christmas once again.

North Wales Community Alert – Please see the attached details regarding this initiative by North Wales Police.

Achievers – Students of the Week are Esme, Morgan, Amelia, Nancy, Thea, Hannah, Isaac, ArloB, Seren, Eva-May, Bella, Tiffany. Nursery also had a special mention for working so hard on the Christmas Concert. Welsh awards went to Lucas and CharlieG and Mia. Seren also had a special award in tap and a swimming certificate was shared with Isabella. Well done all!

Welsh Poster Competition – Here are the winners of the Welsh poster competition run by our Criw Cymraeg.

Yours sincerely / Yn gywir,

Bryn D. Jones, Headteacher / Pennaeth

Dear Parents and Carers,

Remembering Olivia – Thank you for supporting our fundraising efforts towards the stained glass window at Efenechtyd Church in memory of Olivia Alkir. Pupils came to school in navy blue and white – her favourite colours. We saw from experience in her time here at Rhos Street School that she was a pupil who always grasped all the opportunities offered to her with enthusiasm. This example set by her is certainly something that all our pupils should aspire towards.

Christmas Jumper Day – This annual fundraiser for Save the Children takes place next Friday. Our pupils are invited to come to school in their Christmas jumpers and if you wish to also make a donation, then we will pass on all collected to the charity concerned.

PTA Raffle – PTA Xmas raffle tickets have been given out to pupils this week. We’d be grateful if you could buy or sell some tickets. The draw will take place on 17th Dec.

PTA Xmas Competition – The PTA are running a Christmas competition again this year. They are asking Juniors to draw their own winter scene and for the Infants to decorate a Christmas tree template. 50p to enter and winners will be awarded a prize on the last Friday of term. Templates have been given out today.

PTA Own Clothes for Chocolate – The PTA are also requesting chocolate donations for own clothes on December 17th. Pupils can come in own clothes for a small donation of chocolate.

Fundraising – Thank you for supporting our fundraising efforts over recent months. The amount collected in various activities / initiatives are as follows:
Poppy Appeal – £288.12
Move a Marathon – £216.15
Hello Yellow Day – £149.37
Children in Need – £207.80

New Staffing Team – Please see below for a message from Mr Davis, who of course will be stepping into my shoes for rest of the academic year beginning in January.

Xmas Dinner – This takes place next Thursday, so pupils are welcome to bring in Xmas hats to make it a festive occasion!

Students of the Week – Students of the Week are Fleur, Ella, Aliza, Louie, Alex, Lucas, Oliver, Penny, Amelia, CharlieE, TylerP and TylerOM. Welsh awards went to ArloJ, Belle, Rayne, Daisy, Piper and Ella.

Yours sincerely,

Bryn D. Jones, Headteacher

Dear Parents and Carers,

Following lesson observations and interviews yesterday, I am extremely pleased to announce the appointment of Miss Alana Price to the role of Yr 6 teacher. Miss Price will begin teaching Yr 6 from the beginning of the Spring term and her appointment completes the process of finalising the staffing team for the rest of the academic year. I would like to thank governors: Mr Brian Hubble and Mrs Julie Debicka for supporting us with the interview and appointment process.

The completion of the staffing team means that I can now look forward, with a little nervousness, to taking on my new role as interim headteacher. I will endeavour to live up to the high standards that Rhos St has upheld for so many years, under the accomplished leadership of Mr Jones, and look forward to working positively together as a whole-school community over the coming terms.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Davis