Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

Another sun-kissed week draws to a close in this diminutive half term, I hope this isn’t our summer and that there might yet be a bit of sunshine left in the tank for August. Our inclusive Eisteddfod yesterday was a great success, I am so proud of the children who delivered such wonderful Welsh-language and dance performances.

Living Classroom

Year 2 had a wonderful time at the ‘Living Classroom’ learning about hazards, assessing risk and sorting the things that we would consider a minor or major hazard.

Safeguarding is Everyone’s Responsibility
In Wales, safeguarding is a shared responsibility, impacting everyone who interacts with children and adults who may be at risk. This includes professionals, volunteers, and members of the public. The “Wales Safeguarding Procedures” outline the roles and responsibilities of professionals in safeguarding children and adults, emphasizing that everyone has a duty to protect vulnerable individuals from harm, abuse, or neglect: https://www.safeguarding.wales/en/

If you are concerned about the welfare or safety of a child, please contact:

01824 712200: Monday to Thursday, 9am to 5pm and Friday 9am to 4.30pm

0345 053 3116: evenings and weekends

You can also send an email to cfsgateway@denbighshire.gov.uk.

Spray Suncream
As the hot, sunny weather continues could I please request that any sunscreen sent into school is clearly labelled with your child’s name and not of the spray variety please, as we have had some issues around the misuse of spray suncream this week. Many thanks.

Eisteddfod
Yesterday was our Rhos St Eisteddfod, and what a treat it was to see the Infants and Juniors performing their Welsh-language pieces, so well. Our Rhos St dancers also excelled, wowing the crowd at both performances, and our gallery of artwork, following the Urdd theme of Roots, showed off all of our fantastic artist’s talents to a treat. A big thank you to all the children for their hard work in learning their pieces, the staff for preparing the children so well for their performances and to parents, carers, family, and friends for coming along to support us at the event. A special thank you goes to Mrs. Lewis, our Rhos St Welsh coordinator, who has worked so hard in organizing the Eisteddfod here and in giving up her own time to support the dancers who entered the Urdd dance competition.

Anxious Generation – Recommendations
Further to last week’s information on the work of Johnathan Haidt here are the four recommendations he makes at the end of his book The Anxious Generation:

• More unsupervised play: allow children to gain social skills and become autonomous adults.
• No smartphones before 14: limit usage to dumb phones.
• No social media before 16: protect those in the most vulnerable stages of brain development.
• Phone free schools: store devices in lockers to promote real-life interaction, connection and focus.

You can watch the webinar with Dr Jonathan Haidt and the charity Smartphone Free Childhood by following this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEZHSxq3Nw0&t=2s

Holidays in Term Time
Denbighshire County Council does not approve term-time holidays unless there are exceptional circumstances. Absence for 10 or more school days due to an unauthorised holiday may result in a Fixed Penalty Notice. Parents are legally responsible for ensuring their children attend school regularly, and the council encourages parents to avoid taking holidays during term time.

VE Day 80th Anniversary
There has been lots of work going on this week around the 80th anniversary of VE Day, both in classes and service time. The Yr. 5 class perfectly timed the completion of their WWII project with a wonderful VE-Day celebration party!

WWII Family Heirloom
Sophie, from Yr. 5, shared a very special family heirloom with the class as part of their WWII and VE Day work.
She shared her family’s Rolex pocket watch which had been made from melted down gunmetal from WWII, illustrating the incredible links that so many families have to this pivotal historical event.

Weekly Wellbeing

This week’s quote is from Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, or simply Rumi. He was a 13th-century poet, Hanafi faqih, Islamic scholar, Maturidi theologian, and Sufi mystic born during the Khwarazmian Empire. Rumi’s works were written mostly in Persian, but occasionally he also used Turkish, Arabic and Greek in his verse.

Achievers
This week’s fantastic achievers are: Ruben, Madalyn, Sam, Emilia-Grace, Megan, Ethan, Nils, Leo, Maddison, and all of the Reception class. Ella shared her dance trophies and Chester and Albie shared their Gwbor Cymraeg certificates.

Our talented brass players were all recognised, by their teacher Mr. Roberts, for their fantastic efforts in learning to play the trumpet.

Well done to all of our fabulous achievers this week!

Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

Spring has very much sprung as we return to school this week following the Easter break. The weather has switched back from ‘holiday mode’ and is now glorious again, with the children all enjoying the opportunity to get onto the school field and to take their learning outside, sun-safe of course. There are preparations aplenty for our Rhos St Eisteddfod, scheduled for May 8th, and we are all very excited about sharing our Welsh performances and artwork.

Cricket Sessions

Yrs. 4, 5 & 6 enjoyed their second cricket session with Sam Painter on Wednesday. This time the focus was on batting. Sam has kindly agreed to deliver an additional cricket session later in the term.

The Anxious Generation
As a senior leadership team, we have been following the work of Jonathan Haidt on the rewiring of childhood and the epidemic in mental illness. We have a copy of his book, The Anxious Generation, in school which outlines the ways in which the decline in free-play and the rise of smartphone / screen usage have caused an increase in mental illness in Generation Z. We will be discussing the findings and recommendations of Dr Haidt in school with staff and governors and will be looking at ways in which we can develop our practice to support our learners with these challenges.
I previous shared with you details of the charity Smartphone Free Childhood, who look to provide solidarity, support and solutions to parents and carers in the defining challenge of this generation. You can find more information about Smartphone Free Childhood by following this link: https://smartphonefreechildhood.co.uk/ and can subscribe to their newsletter via this link: https://smartphonefreechildhood.co.uk/newsletter

“The global parents’ revolt against the phone-based childhood has just begun in the UK – bravo Smartphone Free Childhood!”
Dr Jonathan Haidt – Official Ambassador
NYU Professor and bestselling author of The Anxious Generation

Sun Safety
Please see below information about our sun protection guidelines which are based on national best practice. These are the skin cancer prevention messages recommended by Sun Smart (Cancer Research UK):

S Stay in the shade between 11am and 3pm
M Make sure you never burn
A Always cover up with t-shirt, hat and sunglasses
R Remember to take extra care with children
T Then use at least factor 30+ sunscreen*

The sun’s rays are particularly strong over the summer, and they can damage children’s skin. Sadly, this can lead to skin cancer in later life. Your child’s health and well-being are very important to us, which is why we:
· Include sun protection related activity in the curriculum.
· Encourage pupils to play in the shade.
· Hold outdoor activities where possible outside of 11am and 3pm; or in the shade.
· Encourage pupils to wear a hat that covers the face, neck and ears, and sunglasses.

Your support is important, and you can help us by:
· Talking to your child about the importance of sun protection
· Sending your child to school with a hat (named please) that protects the face, neck and ears and UV
protective sunglasses.
· Applying sunscreen to your child before school*
· Sending your child to school with a bottle of sunscreen labelled with their name*
· Reporting to school any sunburn that you think may have been sustained at school or at home.
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/seasonal-health/sunscreen-and-sun-safety/

X-Plore Science
Monday saw the final session from the X-Plore science team. The children have been working over three sessions learning all about the scientific method and hydroponics, as well as making some origami plant pots to develop their own green fingers. A big thank you to X-Plore Science for providing the sessions free of charge, to the children for their positive attitude and interest and to parents and carers for supporting the project.

Toys and Doodads in School
We have unfortunately had some issues around toys, keyrings, badges, and doodads attached to school bags this week. Could I please request that school bags are not brought in with these aesthetic embellishments to avoid similar issues and upset in the future. Many thanks for your help and support.

Tool Kits
Huge thanks to Kris Roberts who delivered some toy tool kits to us this week, sponsored by MKM Building Supplies. The kits are fantastic and I’m sure will inspire all of our little engineers and tradespeople of the future.

Spectrum PSE Sessions
Yrs. 2 & 5 enjoyed some PSE sessions yesterday, delivered by Spectrum PSE. The sessions covered aspects of the Heath and Wellbeing Curriculum for Wales including recognising emotions, relationships, and work on keeping safe.

Dates for the Diary
5th May Bank Holiday
7th May Yr. 5 Rugby Session
8th May Rhos St Eisteddfod – Infants 9.15am / Juniors 2.00pm
16th May PTA Meeting 3.15pm
19th – 23rd May Personalised Assessment Week
22nd May Yr. 1 Family Service
26th – 30th May Half Term
6th June Yr. R Family Service 9.15am – 10.00am
12th June Kick-It Sports Football
13th June Staff Training Day
17th June Yr. N Trip to Welsh Mountain Zoo
18th June Urdd Athletics
19th June Yr. 6 Brynhyfryd Sports Afternoon
Kick-It Sports Football
26th June Yr. R & Yr. 1 Trip to XPlore Science
Kick-It Sports Football
1st July Sports Day
2nd July Yr. 2 Trip to Ninja Tag
Nursery Transition Event
3rd July Reserve Sports Day
Kick-It Sports Football
4th July Yr. 6 Transition Day
Yrs. N-5 Moving-Up Morning
7th July Parental Consultations
9th July Yr. 6 Leavers’ Service
10th July Yr. 5 Trip to Imperial War Museum
Yr. 6 Trip to Laser Combat
16th July Yrs. 3 & 4 Trip to XPlore Science
21st July Staff Training Day
Additional dates will be added once confirmed.
First Experiences in Music
On Tuesday the Yr. 3 class had a recorder session delivered by Denbighshire Music Cooperative as part of their First Experiences in Music programme. All of the children got to grips with their own recorder and really enjoyed learning the fundamentals of the instrument.

Weekly Wellbeing
This week’s quote is about spring is from Matsuo Bashō the most famous Japanese poet of the Edo period.

“Sitting quietly, doing nothing, Spring comes, and the grass grows, by itself.”
― Basho
Achievers

This week’s fantastic achievers are Charlotte, Summer, Oliver, Ruby, Poppy, Tobias, Dexter, Carter, Theo, Jack, and Arlo.
Isla shared her ‘Girl of the Year’ swimming trophy. Well done to all our brilliant achievers.

Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

As we cross the Easter finish line it’s wonderful to reflect on a positive and productive spring term. I’m so proud of the children of Rhos St and how they fully embrace and immerse themselves in all the opportunities offered to them. I’m sure that all the children, and definitely the staff, are more than ready for some time to recharge the batteries and enjoy some well-earned rest and recreation. Have a very happy Easter, from all of the staff at Rhos St School. See you all on April 28th.

Reading Buddies with Ysgol Pen Barras
A big thank you to our friends at Ysgol Pen Barras who came over to Rhos St School this week for the latest instalment of our Welsh Reading Buddies initiative. It was wonderful to see the children from both schools working so well together and a great opportunity for our children to practise and develop their Welsh language skills.

Lockdown Drill
We had a very successful lockdown drill on Wednesday, in conjunction with Ysgol Pen Barras. All of the children responded brilliantly and were in their classrooms and behind locked doors in under a minute. Our next lockdown drill is scheduled for the summer term.

Smartphone Free Childhood
As I’m sure you have seen in the media recently there is increasing concern around the impact that some modern technologies are having on many children’s mental health and wellbeing. The campaign group Smartphone Free Childhood, whose mission is: To provide solidarity, support and solutions to parents who are struggling with what’s become one of the defining parenting challenges of our time. Using the voice of our community to push for more support from the government in the battle to reclaim childhood from Big Tech’s addictive algorithms and devices. Follow this link to find out more about Smartphone Free Childhood: https://smartphonefreechildhood.co.uk/about

Cricket Sessions
We had the first of two cricket sessions for Yrs. 4, 5 & 6 yesterday with Cricket Wales coach Sam Painter. The children worked on their fielding and bowling skills with Sam and will be moving on to batting in the next session on April 29th. We have some forthcoming cricket festivals that we are very keen to participate in and have had the kind offer from Sam of delivering a further series of eight cricket sessions in the autumn term.

Unaffiliated Social Media
We have unfortunately had some instances this week of children being upset by others’ use of social media, unaffiliated to the school. The use of unaffiliated social-media platforms is of great concern to us here at Rhos St as their misuse can often cause upset and distress which then leads to ongoing issues at school. I would request that parents and carers closely monitor their child’s social media use to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. If your child receives inappropriate messages or images through these platforms, from another pupil at school, we strongly recommend taking screen shots of the material and sharing with your child’s class teacher, who will then be able to investigate the incident and seek advice through our Police Liaison Officer, should that be necessary. Inappropriate use should also be reported to the platform (https://faq.whatsapp.com/1142481766359885/?cms_platform=web) or North Wales Police, if of a serious enough nature. Information and advice from the NSPCC on the dangers of WhatsApp, particularly for children, under the recommended-usage age of 13+, can be found by following this link: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/online-safety-blog/2023-01-12-is-whatsapp-safe-for-my-child/ Frequently asked questions around the use of WhatsApp can be found by following this link:
https://faq.whatsapp.com/695318248185629
Many thanks for your help and support regarding this extremely important issue.

Yr. 5 Living Classroom

Yr. 5 did brilliantly on Wednesday successfully completing ‘Operation Teamwork’. They used ciphers to decode secret missions & locate essential supplies. The Yr. 5 ‘recruits’ enjoyed some well-earned rations after assembling their shelters in record time.

Weekly Wellbeing
This week’s wellbeing quote, capturing the real and more superficial essence of Easter, is from Charles Monroe “Sparky” Schulz, the American cartoonist, and creator of the comic strip Peanuts which features his two best-known characters, Charlie Brown and Snoopy.

“All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt!”
– Charles M. Schulz, Peanuts

Achievers
This week’s talented achievers are: Joe, Darcie, Nancy, Finley, Ted, Isaac, Niamh, Alfie and Rose.
Ollie and Amelia shared their Gwybor Cymraeg certificates and Kalani shared her Taekwondo belt. Well done to all our fantastic achievers.

Tri-County String Ensemble
The very talented Amelia Hughes, shown at her recital on Saturday at the Daniel Owen Centre in Mold, has been selected to join the Denbighshire Music Cooperative -Tri-County String Ensemble. We are so proud of her fantastic
achievements.

Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

There has been a decidedly springlike feel to the weather this week, and it’s been lovely for the children to get on the school field and make the most of the dry, sunny weather. We have our fundraising bingo activities this evening, for an extremely worthy cause. I wish all bingo-goers the very best of luck.

Yr. 6 Police Day
We are very excited about our forthcoming Police Day on Wednesday 2nd of April. North Wales Police will be coming in to work with Yr. 6 learners from Rhos St, Pen Barras and Borthyn. We have two sniffer-dogs, a police drone team, and a patrol car on the itinerary. Huge thanks to our school governor Pat Astbury for organising it all.

Yr. 3 Bushcraft Activities

Yr. 3 had a great time on Monday afternoon learning all about the triangle of fire, using strike-a-lights and toasting marshmallows for s ’mores. The activity brings their fantastic topic of The Stone Age to a fitting close.

Taking a Holiday in Term Time – Guide for Parents
Am I entitled to take my child out of school for a family holiday?
• No. Parents have a legal duty to ensure that their children attend school or the alternative provision on a regular basis
• The Education Act 1996 makes it a criminal offence for a parent to “fail to secure their child’s regular school attendance at the school”
• Our view is no term time holidays should be approved
• Headteachers must not grant any leave of absence (holiday) during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances
• Parents do not have entitlement to take their child out of school for a holiday in term time
If we decide to take a holiday during term time, what must we do?
• The parent/carer with whom the child resides must apply in writing to the headteacher where the child is registered
• The application must explain the exceptional circumstance surrounding the request for the leave of absence
What will school do then?
• The headteacher will determine whether the exceptional circumstance applies, if not the application will be declined
• Only the headteacher (or the Deputy) has the power to approve leave of absence applications. When making a decision the headteacher will take in to consideration Welsh Government guidance on this matter (All Wales Attendance Framework ) (2011)
• Each academic year, schools inform parents/carers via a letter, newsletter, or school website that they may receive a Fixed Penalty Notice if their child has unauthorised absences (10days or more) in term time
• You will receive a written response from the headteacher (or the Deputy) letting you know if your application has been approved
• If the holiday goes ahead after the application has been declined the absence will be recorded as unauthorised

Sustrans – Big Walks and Wheel
Today brings us to the half-way point of this year’s Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel. We have been recording all of the brilliant active journeys that children have been making to and from school this week, which will go towards our final total and possible prizes! We have one more week to go, and every active journey counts towards a happier and healthier world. If you can, please support us to make as many active journeys as we can, walking, scooting, skating or riding, in the final week of this fantastic campaign. Rhos St school and Planet Earth thanks you!

Dr. Bike
In preparation for next week’s Yr. 6 Bikeability sessions we had a visit from two of the fantastic bike-mechanics from Drosi Bikes – Dr. Bike. They spent the day repairing and fettling Yr. 6s bikes to ensure that they are in tip-top condition ready for next week’s cycling-safety sessions. A huge thank you to our two bike doctors (not 100% convinced you can get a doctorate in bike mechanics…) for their excellent work.

Lockdown Drill
As a vital part of our safeguarding at school we will be holding a Lockdown Drill on the morning of Wednesday 9th of April in conjunction with Ysgol Pen Barras. The drill will involve the children moving into their classrooms, and staff ensuring that the school is locked and secured. Staff will be speaking to the children, prior to the drill, to explain what they need to do and reassure them that it is simply a practise, just like a Fire Drill, to keep them safe. Staff will be using the scenario of needing to lock the school doors if there was ‘A dog on the yard that we did not know.’, rather than relate it to some more serious threats, which may cause children distress or upset. This Lockdown Drill is extremely important in ensuring our ability to keep our leaners and staff safe and will be handled with great sensitivity with children being supported and reassured at every stage.

Rhos St School Bingo Night
Our Charity Bingo night is tonight! Some great prizes to be won. All welcome (including children) for a great cause.

Weekly Wellbeing
This week’s wellbeing quote is from Alan Watts, the British and American writer, speaker, and self-styled “philosophical entertainer”, known for interpreting and popularising Buddhist, Taoist, and Hindu philosophy for a Western audience.

” The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”
Alan Watts

Achievers
This week’s fantastic achievers are: Claire, Alex, Neve, Eudora, Maya, Esme, Wren, Charlie, Blake, Connie, and Teddy.
Cecily shared her badminton award, Neve and Chloe shared their brass award, Louie shared his bravery award and Jake shared his Cymraeg award. Well done to all our fabulous achievers.

Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

Spring seems to have sprung here at Rhos St this week, at least for now anyway… It’s been great to welcome the children back after the half-term break to sunny skies and lots of opportunities to get outside. We’ve even had the chance to get out on the school field at lunchtimes, which has been a rare treat for the beginning of March. New topics and themes are getting underway, and it’s been lovely to see the children settling back into work so well.

Rhos St Bear
We were delighted to welcome our very own school mascot this week created by the multi-talented Pat. I’m sure you’ll agree that our bear looks very smart in their school uniform and will be taking pride of place in the Reception Class. Huge thank you to Pat for making our bear and gifting it to the school.

World Book Day
World Book Day was a fantastic success with lots of fantastic costumes, from pupils and staff, and some brilliant book-related games and activities. Check out the school’s Flickr account for more great pictures.

Pick-Up and Drop-Off
Many thanks for your help and support in the implementation of our new pick-up and drop-off procedures in the Juniors. Just a quick reminder that all parents, carers, and children, not in the Nursery Class, should use the lower gate to enter the school site. Junior pupils can then make their own way round to the Junior yard, or into class if the weather is inclement. There is no need for parents and carers to accompany pupils round to the Junior yard. Parents and carers can then exit the school site, after drop-off, using the steps and upper gate adjacent to the Nursery classroom. Members of the senior-leadership team will always be on hand in the morning to address any queries or concerns.
Parents and carers of Junior pupils should use the lower gate to enter and exit the school site at pick-up unless they are also collecting infant pupils. Parents and carers of Infant pupils should exit via the upper gate as usual.
Many thanks for your ongoing support.

Attendance
Good school attendance is key to helping children have the best possible start in life, to support and maximise their potential learning opportunities. There is clear evidence which links educational achievement to good school attendance. Rhos St School is determined to provide the best education to the children they serve. In recognition that school attendance and attainment are strongly linked a robust attendance procedure has been developed to support pupils learning. Please see the attached: Improving School Attendance information from the Welsh Assembly Government which outlines the importance of school attendance and the policy and procedures that support good attendance.

Statutory Framework
The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him/her to receive efficient full-time education suitable to his /her age, aptitude, and ability and to any additional needs he/she may have either regular attendance at school or otherwise. A pupil is required to attend regularly at the school where they are registered as a pupil.
Furthermore, Section 444 states that:
“If a child of compulsory school age who is a registered pupil at a school fails to attend regularly at the school, his parent is guilty of an offence.”
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/56/section/444
Rhos St will use a variety of strategies to intervene at an early stage to encourage improved attendance of individual pupils and assist to overcome any barriers that may be preventing the expected level of attendance. Persistent absence in Wales is set at below 90 % all pupils below this level are a concern for school and will require monitoring and intervention. The use of school attendance data and coding of pupils is fundamental to tracking and monitoring pupil and school performance. Strategies to improve a pupil’s attendance may be school-based or involve joint working with other education services and partner agencies to ensure the most appropriate support for the pupil is in place supported by the parent/ carer.
Welsh Government in December 2023 changed the threshold for a pupil being persistently absent from previously being any pupils whose attendance was below 80% to those whose attendance is below 90%. This increased expectation underlines the importance attached to regular school attendance and the need for local authorities, schools, and families to work together to achieve this outcome.
Belonging, Engaging, Participation Guidance Welsh Government Guidance 293/ 2023

Language and Play
Language and play sessions are free to attend and take place throughout Denbighshire. The sessions are run by Family Link Workers on a weekly basis during term time. All of the sessions have planned activities that help children build language and social skills in preparation for school in a fun, friendly environment.
Rhos St will be hosting a series of Language and Play sessions, in the school hall, Wednesday mornings 9.30am – 10.45am for children 1 – 3 yrs. old. Call Nicola on 07770681399 for details. https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/childcare-and-parenting/family-link/language-and-play-sessions.aspx

Weekly Wellbeing
A daft but apt spring quote this week:
“March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. In between, it’s just confused – just like me about my wardrobe choices!”
Achievers
This week’s fantastic achievers are: Ryan, Daisy, Lola, Eliza, Morgan, Florence, Raphael, Ethan, Rowan, Issac and all of the Reception Class.

Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

As we cross the half-term finish line its great to be able to reflect on what has been a productive and positive time in school. We are inching our way out of winter and, hopefully, moving towards the longer days, and lighter mornings and evenings. As usual it has been a week stuffed to the gunwales; with parental consultations, a rugby tournament, transition event, and a family service to keep us busy. I hope you all have a great half-term break, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to school, via our new drop-off and pick-up protocols, on Monday the 3rd of March.

Yr. 3 Family Service
Huge congratulations to the brilliant Yr. 3 class for their family service yesterday. The service was the culmination of a much-loved theme on orangutans which was textbook new curriculum, giving the pupils the opportunity to develop a broad range of knowledge, skills and understanding as well as the opportunity to make a positive difference in the real world. We are so proud of them all. Thank you to Miss. Davies and her fabulous team for preparing the children so well for their wonderful performance and to parents, carers family, and friends for coming along to support us here at school.

Yrs. 3/4 Tag-Rugby Tournament
Tuesday saw our brilliant tag-rugby team head off as far as sunny Rhyl to take part in the Urdd Tag-Rugby Tournament. The children had an absolutely amazing time and did themselves, and Rhos St proud. Huge thanks to Miss. Davies and Julie Debicka for accompanying the children, and to rugby-development officer Katie for preparing them for the day.

Yr. 5 Transition Event
The Yr. 5 Class were welcomed to Ysgol Brynhyfryd yesterday to take part in an art and technology transition event. They had a great time working on art, sewing, woodwork, and computer activities and, unsurprisingly, did themselves proud. There will be many more opportunities for transition coming in the future. Thank you to Ysgol Brynhyfryd for being such wonderful hosts and making the afternoon so enjoyable.

World Book Day

Rhos St will be recognising World book Day on Thursday 6th of March. Children are invited to come to school as their favourite character and there will be lots of fun and engaging book-related activities going on throughout the day.

Dates for the Diary

Dates for the Diary
4th March Tempest Photography Yr. 6 9.00am – 12.00pm
6th March World Book Day
Yrs. 3/4 Rugby Training Session
Urdd Sports Club 3.15pm -4.30pm
12th March Yr. 3 First Experience in Music Session
14th March Staff Training Day
17th March Xplore Science Hydroponics 3.30-5.00pm
20th March Yrs. 3/4 Rugby Training Session
Urdd Sports Club 3.15pm -4.30pm
27th March Yrs. 3/4 Rugby Training Session
Urdd Sports Club 3.15pm -4.30pm
28th March Happy-Clothes Day for 2wish
2wish Bingo Fundraiser – evening (time TBC)
31st March – 1st April Yr. 6 Bikeability
3rd April Yrs. 3/4 Rugby Training Session
Urdd Sports Club 3.15pm -4.30pm
4th April Yr. 2 Family Service 9.15am – 10.00am
10th April Yr. 1 Family Service 9.15am – 10.00am
Yrs. 3/4 Rugby Training Session
7th May Xplore Science Hydroponics 3.30-5.00pm
8th May Tempest Photography – Individuals, Siblings, and families
Rhos St Eisteddfod 2.00pm – 3.00pm
23rd May Yr. R Family Service 9.15am – 10.00am
1st July Sports Day
2nd July Nursery Transition Event
3rd July Reserve Sports Day
9th July Yr. 6 Leavers’ Service
Additional dates will be added once confirmed.

*Please note change of Yr. 2 Family Service date.

Head Lice
I have been informed of an incidence of head lice within the school. I would request that you check your child’s hair and treat if appropriate. For more information about head lice, how to check for head lice please visit this website. https://111.wales.nhs.uk/encyclopaedia/h/article/headliceandnits/#:~:text=Headlice%20is%20one%20of%20the,more%20information%20on%20the%20service.&text=Lice%20and%20nits%20can%20be%20removed%20by%20wet%20combing.
You can also visit your local pharmacist for free treatment, under the Common Ailments Service: https://ctmuhb.nhs.wales/services/your-local-primary-care-team/pharmacies/common-ailments-service/

Weekly Wellbeing
As we step into the half-term break this unattributed quote reminds us all of finding some time to recreate.

Recreation’s purpose is not to kill time, but to make life, not to keep a person occupied, but to keep them refreshed; not to offer an escape from life, but to provide a discovery of life.

Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

One more week to go before the half-term break, not that we’re counting…and I’m sure we’re all ready to take a breather after a very busy half term. The grey, cold and gloomy weather has not dampened our resolve one iota, and there has been lots going on in, out, and about school this week.

PTA Wear What You Love
It was lovely to see everyone in their finery for our PTA Wear What You Love day today. Many thanks for the fantastic donations of chocolate, which will be invaluable for future PTA events. I hope Cupid’s arrow found its mark for all of you on this St Valentine’s Day.

Parental Consultations
Next week our parental consultations will be taking place: Mon 17th – Thurs 20th February. You should have received an appointment slip this week, brought home with your child. If you are unable to make your allotted appointment time, please let you child’s class teacher know as soon as possible and we will endeavour to make an alternative appointment for you. Could I please request that parents and carers arrive promptly for their appointments and remain within, as much as possible, the ten-minute allotted timeslot, as this prevents cumulative delays for parents and carers with later, or multiple- consecutive appointments. Many thanks.

Items Brought into School
We have unfortunately had some ongoing issues with unsuitable items being brought into school. Could I please request that children do not bring in toys, puppets, notebooks, Pokémon/football cards, or any other inappropriate items, as they can be a distraction to learning and may cause upset if they become lost or damaged.
We have also had some instances this week of children bringing in chewing gum and make-up. Please could you remind your child that these items are not permitted in school. Thank you.

Humanities Transition Day

The Yr. 6 children had a fantastic morning on Monday. They received a very warm welcome at Ysgol Brynhyfryd and took part in a wide variety of fun and engaging humanities activities.

Urdd Sports Club
It was lovely to welcome Llio back to Rhos St yesterday to deliver Urdd Sports Club. The children had a fantastic time developing their skills and playing lots of fun games. There are still four places available, should you wish your child to take part, just follow the links on the flyer sent out with this newsletter. There is no requirement to be an Urdd member to take part in Urdd Sports Club.

Junior Pick-Up and Drop-Off
From the first day back after half term, March 3rd, we are changing the way that Junior pupils are dropped of and picked up from school. From this date Junior pupils will enter the school from the lower gate, adjacent to the Infant playground, and can then walk round to their playground or classroom (in the event of inclement weather). Parents and carers accompanying Junior pupils can then leave via the upper gate, adjacent to the Nursery classroom. There will be members of the senior leadership team available at this point every morning should parents or carers have any queries or concerns that they would like to discuss.
At 3.10pm the gates will be opened, and parents and carers collecting Junior pupils can make their way around to the upper Junior yard where the Yrs. 3, 4, 5 & 6 pupils will be dismissed from their individual classrooms. Children, parents, and carers can then exit the site via the upper gate. Class teachers will be available at the end of the school to share any pertinent information and to discuss any queries or concerns. Arrangements for Early-Years and Infant pupils will remain as is.
We are implementing this change to reduce congestion in the school foyer at the beginning and end of the day, allowing any parents and carers who wish to speak with the admin team a quieter and more private environment in which to do so, and to improve safeguarding for children moving to Little Acorns provision at the end of the day. Many thanks, in advance, for your support and cooperation regarding this.

Silent Disco
The children have been enjoying a silent disco this week as part of our recognition of Dydd Miwsig Cymru / Welsh Language Music Day. They all got to listen to some great Welsh music through the supplied wireless headphones, curtesy of the Urdd Gobaith Cymru. From some of the funky dancing we witnessed we have some real Disco Divas in our midst.
Weekly Wellbeing
On Valentine’s Day this quote is from Helen Adams Keller the American author, disability rights advocate, political activist, and lecturer. Born in West Tuscumbia, Alabama, she lost her sight and her hearing after a bout of illness when she was 19 months old.
What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.

Helen Keller
Achievers
This week’s amazing achievers are: Adriel, Darcie, Cora, Elianna, Thomas, Amelia, Elliot, Jake, Evie. Kobi, Portia and Kitty.