Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

I hope you all had an enjoyable half-term break and are suitably refreshed to strap in for the rollercoaster that is the final half of the summer term. You can’t get a pin in the diary between now and the end of term, but we’re all excited here to immerse ourselves in the summer madness.

New E-Mail Contacts
Denbighshire ICT Department have been busy in school this week migrating our school email systems to the Welsh-Government Hwb platform. We now have some new e-mail addresses to for you to use:
• For email contact with myself please use: andrew.davis@ysgolrhosstreet.cymru
• Any office / admin enquiries please use: office@ysgolrhosstreet.cymru
• For notification of pupil absences please use: absences@ysgolrhosstreet.cymru

Summer Trips, and Residentials
All classes have now received their summer-trip, and residential visit letters. Please can all permission and payments be made, through the ParentPay app, as soon as possible. We may have to consider the financial viability of some visits, and residentials, if sufficient funds are not received to cover costs. Huge thanks to the, always brilliant, Rhos St PTA for subsidising the summer trips again this year.

Safeguarding Questionnaire
As part of our safeguarding here at school I am sharing with you a link to a questionnaire for parents and carers around safeguarding: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/B3YK2XS
The questionnaire should not take more than two minutes to complete and will be used to inform our safeguarding practices moving forward. Our Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy, and a poster identifying our Safeguarding Officers here in school, can be viewed on the school’s website in the Documents section. Many thanks in advance for your help and support.

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 unauthorized

Dates for the Diary
Dates for the Diary
9th June Yr. 5 Literacy Transition
11th June Gardening Club
12th June Kick-It Sports Football
13th June Staff Training Day
17th June Yr. N Trip to Welsh Mountain Zoo
18th June Urdd Athletics
Gardening Club
19th June Yr. 6 Brynhyfryd Sports Afternoon
Kick-It Sports Football
20th June Ruthin Cricket Festival (TBC)
23rd June Yr. N – Police Visit + Police Car
25th June Gardening Club
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
Urdd – Beach Tag Rugby (TBC)
4th July Yr. 6 Transition Day
Yrs. N-5 Moving-Up Morning
7th July Parental Consultations
8th July Urdd Athletics
9th July Yr. 6 Leavers’ Service
10th July Yr. 6 Trip to Laser Combat
11th July Yr. 5 Trip to Imperial War Museum
16th July Yrs. 3 & 4 Trip to XPlore Science
21st July Staff Training Day
Additional dates will be added once confirmed.

Be Alert, Don’t Get Hurt
On Wednesday we had some very important visitors in school to come along and work with us as part of our Be Alert, Don’t Get Hurt! project. The first phase of the project is around keeping the primary-school children of Ruthin safe, both around their schools and on the local roads. We are collaborating with Ysgol Pen Barras and Ysgol Borthyn to create material to share with the schools’, and wider, community promoting safe use of car parks, pedestrian crossings as well as respecting speed limits around schools. The project is also looking at the fatal five:

We were joined by representatives of North Wales Police, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Marcus, from Eternal Media, and by Mr. Tony Gatley, a magistrate, who came in to answer questions devised by the children. It was a fascinating and informative interview, and the children learned a great deal about the sometimes-devastating impact that careless, and antisocial driving can have on people’s lives. The children were given a guided tour of the Go Safe vehicle and had great fun using the camera and laser equipment used to detect speeding vehicles.

Reception family Service
We were treated to a lovely family service this morning from the Reception Class. The children all looked brilliant in their tie-dye outfits and spoke and sang beautifully. A huge thank you to all the reception class parents, carers, family, and friends for coming along to support us, to Mrs. Bourne and her team for all their hard work in preparing the children, and, of course, to the children for their fantastic performance.

Weekly Wellbeing
This week’s quote is from Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger usually known mononymously as Seneca, was a Stoic philosopher of Ancient Rome, a statesman, a dramatist, and in one work, a satirist, from the post-Augustan age of Latin literature.
Player of the Tournament

Huge congratulations to Charlie Green who was recently awarded player of the tournament, at a recent competition.
for Ruthin Town FC.

Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

As we head into the half-term break it’s great to reflect on a productive, if short, half term. As usual it has been full to the brim with fantastic activities, projects, and learning. I hope you all have a great half term and I look forward to welcoming everyone back on June 2nd, all refreshed and ready for the activity-packed rollercoaster that is the final summer half term.

Urdd Cricket
Our valiant Urdd cricket team went as for as Abergele on Tuesday to take part in the Urdd Cricket competition. The children all had a fantastic time and really enjoyed a day of cricket in the sun. All the children behaved brilliantly, and it was lovely to see their confidence and skills developing throughout the tournament.

Gardening Club
Our fantastic, green-fingered gardening club have been busy working on the vegetable beds on another hot, sunny afternoon this week. Carrots, pak choi, lettuce, radish, and potatoes all planted!

First Minister Visit
It was wonderful to welcome the First Minister for Wales, Eluned Morgan, to Rhos St School on Thursday last week. The First Minister was visiting schools that had been built using 21st Century Schools’ funding, to see for herself the impact that this had on improving the learning environment for children in Wales. The First Minister enjoyed a tour of the school and had lots of opportunities to meet and talk with the fantastic children of Rhos St, who, unsurprisingly, were so positive and polite in their responses. For those of us who remember the old Rhos St building and facilities, it is certainly a good reminder of the huge benefits offered by this site for our learners of all ages.

New E-Mail Contacts
Denbighshire ICT Department have been busy in school this week migrating our school email systems to the Welsh-Government Hwb platform. We now have some new e-mail addresses to for you to use:
• For email contact with myself please use: andrew.davis@ysgolrhosstreet.cymru
• Any office / admin enquiries please use: office@ysgolrhosstreet.cymru
• For notification of pupil absences please use: absences@ysgolrhosstreet.cymru

Yr. 4 Outdoor Art
The Yr. 4 children have been making the most of the sunshine this week, before the universe flicks the weather-switch to half-term mode, taking their learning outside with a great outdoor art session.

Road Safety Project
We had some special visitors on Wednesday this week who came in to meet the children from Rhos St who are part of our joint road-safety project, Be Alert, Don’t Get Hurt!, with Ysgol Borthyn, and Ysgol Pen Barras. A police officer and two firefighters came along to advise the group on how best to address some of the issues that have been identified for children in the town accessing school in as safe as possible manner. After the meeting they kindly offered to talk to the Yr. 6 class about their roles, and some of the children got the chance to try on some of special protective equipment used by firefighters in Wales. Some of the children did ask if they could have a go with the police-officer’s taser, but luckily for me the answer was a no.

Bicycle Safety on Site
Unfortunately, we have seen several instances this week of children and adults cycling on the upper levels. Please can I request that all bicycles are pushed on the pathways and grassed areas around the school to avoid possibly serious incidents in the future. We love bicycles at Rhos St, they are one of my personal obsessions as well as being a brilliant, healthy, and environmentally sustainable way to travel to school. I’m sure that with everyone’s kind consideration in their use we can maximise all the benefits of cycling and mitigate some of the risks. I am extremely grateful for your cooperation and support in relation to this serious safety issue.

Yr. 1 Family Service
It was the turn of the Yr. 1 Class to dazzle us with their performance on Thursday in their family service all about inspiring people. They were pretty inspiring themselves, speaking, acting, and singing beautifully. A big thank you to the Yr. 1 children for their lovely performance, to Miss. Bevan and her team for their hard work in preparing the children so well, and to parents, carers, family, and friends for coming along to support us.

Supervision of Children after Pick Up
Could I please request that parents and carers keep a close eye on their children whilst on the school site after pick up. I have been made aware by staff that some children are riding bicycles / balance bikes on the upper levels with limited supervision. I have also been made aware that children are being allowed to play in the planted area at the front of the school, which is causing damage to the plants and creating unwanted and unsightly pathways through this area. Children are also being allowed to play in and on the long planter, adjacent to the disabled-access ramp, which is damaging the flowers and plants within. I am concerned that children may be injured whilst playing in these areas and may be at risk from traffic exciting the schools’ car park and would very much appreciate parent’s and carer’s support in ensuring that their children are appropriately supervised whilst on site. Many thanks.

Weekly Wellbeing
This week’s quote is from Desmond Mpilo Tutu, a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then Archbishop of Cape Town from 1986 to 1996, in both cases being the first Black African to hold the position.

Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.

Desmond Tutu

Achievers
This week’s brilliant achievers are: Jay, Samuel, Cecily, Ollie, Dylan, Rayne, Noa, Antos, Rowan, and all of Yr. 1. Stanley and Megan shared their Gwbor Cymraeg, and Sebastian, Cecily, and Louie shared their badminton certificates and trophies. Well done to all our brilliant achievers.

Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,

It’s been a bit cloak and dagger this week at school, and I’m sure that the children have shared the news about a very special guest on the premises. As is sometimes the nature of these things, I’m unable to share any details for now but will make sure that all is revealed when I get the green light.

Fun Cricket
A team of fifteen girls went as far as Denbigh today to take part in a cricket fun festival. Unsurprisingly, their behaviour and attitude were exemplary, and they all enjoyed taking part in the activities and games offered throughout the day, demonstrating some real cricket talent.

Lateness
I would like to take this opportunity to reinforce the importance of being in school on time as there are numerous incidents of some families routinely arriving at school after 9.00 am.
School starts at 9 am every day. Children need to be in their class line when the bell rings, so that they can start their lessons promptly and together. Children who arrive late are greatly disadvantaged, because they miss starting the day with their peers and the beginning of lessons. This means that they are often unsettled and confused about tasks. Their teacher may not always be able to re explain work.
It is also very important that children establish good routines and habits in preparation for the rest of their lives. Punctuality is a life skill that they need to develop whilst they are young.
It is essential that you ensure that your child arrives at school on time to prevent disruption to your child’s own learning and that of others. Going forward, we will look to work with parents of pupils of whom lateness remains an issue as per the Local Authority policy on attendance.
We understand that there may be rare occasions when you are unavoidably late due to unforeseen circumstances. On these occasions, please make sure that you contact the school office to inform us when you will arrive.
Please keep in mind that Breakfast Club is available to children from 8.00 am.

Walk to School Week
Walk to School Week 2025 starts on Monday. This year’s theme is “The Great Space Walk,” encouraging children to actively travel to school, focusing on the benefits of walking and cycling for individuals, communities, and the environment.
Trem y Foel

Our Eco-Representatives went as far as Trem y Foel on Monday to work with Kevin and his fantastic team with their planting. Unsurprisingly, their behaviour and attitude was brilliant and they can be really proud of an important job well done.

Newspaper Request
The Reception children are in urgent need of newspapers for their craft sessions. Please pass any you have to Mrs. Bourne or drop it off at the office. Thank you.

Summer Trips
All classes have now received their summer-trip letters. Please can all permission and payments be made, through the ParentPay app, as soon as possible. Huge thanks to the, always brilliant, Rhos St PTA for subsidising the summer trips again this year.

Footballing Talent
Huge congratulations to Jack Calvert who has been signed for a trial with Everton FC.

Weekly Wellbeing

This week’s quote is from Ralph Waldo Emerson, who often went by his middle name Waldo. He was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, minister, abolitionist, and poet who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century.

Achievers
This week’s brilliant achievers are: Charly, Lola, Qais, Thea, Ted, Isaac, Ellie, Fleur, Orfan, Caleb, Kai and Kalani.
Amelia was awarded a Gwbor Cymraeg, and Toby shared his rugby medals. Well done to all our fantastic achievers!

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.