Dear Parents and Carers / Annwyl Rieni a Gwarchodwyr,
Welcome to another new academic year. I hope you have had a good Summer and have enjoyed holidays, visits and activities. As I traditionally ask in this first newsletter, please take a moment to read the information below, to help ensure that all runs smoothly here from the outset. I look forward to a busy and successful year here at Rhos Street School and once again wish the children well as they embrace new challenges and opportunities

Croeso i’r flwyddyn academaidd newydd. Mi fydd yn flwyddyn lle rwy’n siŵr y byddem i gyd yn gweithio gyda’n gilydd mewn partneriaeth er lles ein disgyblion. Gobeithio eich bod wedi mwynhau’r gwyliau. Cymerwch eiliad i ddarllen y wybodaeth isod, er mwyn helpu i sicrhau bod popeth yn rhedeg yn esmwyth o’r cychwyn cyntaf. Rwy’n edrych ymlaen at flwyddyn brysur a llwyddiannus yma yn Ysgol Stryd y Rhos ac yn dymuno’n dda i’r plant, wrth iddynt gymryd mantais or sialensau a’r cyfleoedd o’u blaenau.

Yours sincerely / Yn gywir,

Bryn D. Jones, Headteacher / Pennaeth

Achievers – Students of the week included new pupils Ryan, Charly, Lily-Mae, Shreya, Archie, Ruby, Shân, Max and Ella. A huge welcome to all! Other class winners were William, Benjamin, Stacey and Leo. Welsh awards went to Annie and Morgan. Certificates went to Ffion for dancing, Lily for trampoline and Llinos for Funstars. Nate won a triathlon trophy.

Twitter – Twitter has increasingly become one of the main modes of communicating information across the world and the school’s account @rhosstreet has become a highly useful and very popular tool to share information, photographs and particularly any updates that need to be shared urgently regarding school business. I would highly recommend, if you are not already a twitter member, that you join and follow our account, to help you keep abreast of the latest news.

Further Lines of Communication – If you wish to receive the newsletter by email, then please let us know. Parents of all Nursery pupils and new pupils should have received forms for them to specify how they would like to receive the newsletter. Remember that the school’s news and more can be found by logging on the school website at www.rhosstreetschool.co.uk, As mentioned earlier, up to date snippets and photos, as well as general nonsense can also be accessed by following our Twitter account www.twitter.com/rhosstreet. Photographs of activities can also be viewed on our Flickr page through a link on the website’s homepage. The PTA Facebook page is another source of important information. Links to all of the above can be found on the website.

Medical Information – If there is any medical information that you need to share with us regarding your child, then please do so, as a matter of urgency, so that we may update our records.

Personal Information & Contact Details – If you have recently changed your address, mobile telephone number or any other details, could you please inform us, so that we may update our records accordingly. Many thanks.

A Healthy School – We strive to promote healthy eating and make our school ever healthier. We do not permit children to eat crisps, sweets, chocolates or biscuits during break times. Snacks offered to them in school will be a range of healthy balanced snacks, as will be the case in Breakfast Club. Children are also encouraged to bring healthy foods in their lunchboxes. I’d be grateful for your co-operation in helping us to promote the well-being of pupils in this way.

Annual Report Feedback Sheet – If you have not yet done so, could you please fill and sign your child’s report feedback sheet and return it to school next week.

Safe Travel Routes Consultation – Staff from Denbighshire County Council’s Road Safety team will be at the school on Monday 17th September to discuss proposals to improve the walking and cycling routes on the Glasdir Link Road. Parents are invited to view plans and discuss any concerns that they have with officers between 7.45am and 9.15am and from 2.30pm to 3.30pm.

Morning Handover of Pupils – Now the full time pupils in the Foundation Phase, particularly those in the Reception Class have had this week to settle into their new surroundings, we will revert to the handover arrangements in the Summer term where pupils are passed on to staff at the gate and guided independently into the Foundation Phase play area. Please remember, the top gate is for Nursery and Giggles parents and the bottom gate for Reception upwards. Many thanks for your co-operation.

PE Kit and School Uniform – May I please remind pupils that the Rhos Street PE kit is a plain white t-shirt, black shorts, black/white/grey socks, ‘subtly’ coloured trainers for Juniors and pumps for Infants. Black tracksuit bottoms are permitted in colder weather. Please ensure that your child complies with this uniform. Could you also ensure that pupils’ names are written/sewn onto school uniform, so that we can return any misplaced garments to the correct owner. Finally, may I also remind pupils that jewellery and nail varnish are not permitted. Once again, I ask for parental support in ensuring that the pupils comply with these wishes. Many thanks.

Dinner Arrangements – Denbighshire County Council have, as of this academic year, changed their policy regarding payment of dinner money. Dinners must now be strictly paid in advance and the kitchen is not permitted to serve their set meal to any child whose parents hold a dinner debt. Now that we are on ParentPay, this new system should run extremely smoothly with your anticipated co-operation. The cost of lunches is now set at £2.20 per day or £11 for the week.

Music Lessons – These restart next week and if you are still yet to settle payment for last year’s lessons, then we’d be grateful if you do so at your earliest convenience.

Summer Reading Challenge – There are still some pupils who have not completed / started the challenge; however it’s not too late, as the initiative does not finish for a little while yet. I am very eager for all pupils to complete the challenge, so ask for your support in ensuring that this is the case. This year, medals and certificates are handed out at the library on completion of the challenge. Please send in all certificates next Friday for a group photo!

Attendance Procedures – As a school, we are committed to working with and assisting parents in promoting the regular and punctual attendance of all pupils. Denbighshire Council are committed to implementing a consistent county wide policy for attendance. Absences for sickness upwards of 10 days will trigger a support process. Absences are of course fully authorised if your child is genuinely unwell. There are also special circumstances for absence, which if appropriate, we are of course content to authorise. If your child is ill, please inform us on the day by email, or telephone call. If we have not been notified why your child is absent, for safeguarding purposes, we will telephone to confirm. Each absence needs to be explained in full; otherwise it will go on record as being unauthorised.

Denbighshire has also decided that holiday absence is no longer authorised. Unauthorised absences upwards from 5 days, will trigger a warning letter and upwards of 10 days may invoke a fixed penalty notice. If you do decide to take your child out of school, please call in the office and ask to talk to myself, so that we may discuss the request. Please see the attached Denbighshire letter.

Punctuality – As part of the ongoing priority of improving attendance, we also focus on encouraging parents to make every effort in ensuring their children are punctual and are on the yard to line up at 9am each morning. This avoids disruption to theirs and other children’s education. I hope that we can count on your support in achieving this end at the beginning of the new academic year. I also wish to clarify that in order to ensure consistency, the Denbighshire policy is that latecomers will marked late up to 9.30am. However at 9.30am, the registers close and children arriving late after this time will be marked absent on the register.

Giggles – Giggles Daycare has availability offering affordable rates of childcare. Giggles is open from 8.30am – 11.30am at £10 and a full day to 3.15pm for £20.
After School Club is available for all children aged from 3 years at the cost of £5.00 per hour. There is funding available for 3 year olds to attend for free (conditions apply), to encourage more children to attend pre-school to improve their socialisation and learning. Please see the attached poster for further details and call into the office or see Anna if you have any further enquiries.

PTA AGM – This will be held on Tuesday 11th September at 3.30pm here in school. All members of the school community are welcome to join us.

Art Club – Please see the letter and poster sent home for Art Club, which resumes next week.

At the end of week one… – We had 30 Nursery pupils join us this week, which is the biggest intake we’ve had in my experience. They have settled so well and deserve a pat on the back! I must praise Eleri, Kelly and staff for helping them find their feet too! Nine other pupils have joined other classes and they have also fitted in very well. A big welcome to all the new members of our school community!