HCIW Latest News

Spring Term 2024

Dydd Gwener 22 Mawrth:

Annwyl parents/carers,
We really hope you enjoyed visiting the school for parental consultations this week and were impressed with the progress your children have made. We love the new Learning Journals which we use to promote independent learning and we hope you liked them too.

Policy updates:
We have recently reviewed our Supporting Learner Progress and Assessment Policy so that it falls in line with Curriculum for Wales. A copy of the policy can be found on our school website. We have also amended our Strategic Equality Plan and this has been uploaded onto the school website too. If you have any queries regarding either of the documents, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Feedback from the Parental Questionnaires:
Thank you so much to all parents who completed the questionnaire we gave out in the Autumn Term. We were overwhelmed with such positive comments. Please refer to the attached document for a summary of the results. We really do value your opinions and actions have taken place as a consequence. We have already booked in more school trips this year and a full review of our Homework Policy will take place in the Summer Term. We will be seeking your views and the views of our pupils to help shape homework going forward.

School Prayer Competition:
Our Worship Workers have been busy this term and they would like us to have a new school prayer. They have decided to run a competition for all pupils to write a prayer based on our school (please see the photograph attached). The deadline for all entries is 19th April 2024.

May I take this opportunity to wish you a very happy Easter break. May the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ fill your heart with hope and purpose this Easter season.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 15 Mawrth:

Annwyl parents/carers,
Well the pupils certainly entered into the spirit of ‘Funky Friday’ for Comic Relief Day and we loved the weird and wonderful outfits on show today. I am very pleased to announce that the school raised £142.55 for Comic Relief so thank you very much for your support.

Easter Production:
We are hugely proud of our Year 3 & Year 4 pupils who put on such a professional Easter Production this week. The singing and acting was fantastic – thank you for such lovely feedback too.

Open Morning at St. Peter’s Church:
Just a reminder to all parents and pupils of the laying of the Prayer Stones at St. Peter’s Church at 10 am tomorrow morning. We are looking forward to seeing you all there.

Rags to Riches:
Please don’t forget to bring in your bags of clothes first thing on Monday morning (18th March). Members of the PTA will be on hand to count the bags, before they are collected during the morning.

Shadow Holy Week:
We will be undertaking a series of special Worships this week to mark Shadow Holy Week.

Monday 18th March – Palm Sunday.
The children will be given palm crosses to wave around our own cross to remember Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem.
Tuesday 19th March – Turning of the Tables Worship with Rev. Kerl.
Thursday 21st March – Washing of the Feet Service.
Friday 22nd March – Stripping of the Altar Service.

Our Worship Workers would also like the whole school to spend Friday afternoon watching a special film The Prince of Egypt. What a lovely way to end the term!

World Down Syndrome Day:
Please don’t forget to wear odd socks to mark WDSD on Thursday 21st March.

Music Concerts:
Year 6 have already performed Taiko and African drumming for their parents this week – da iawn Year 6. Next week it is the turn of Year 5, Year 2 and Year 1.

Monday 18th March – Year 5 Taiko and African Drumming performance for their parents (2.15 pm start)
Thursday 21st March – Year 1 & Year 2 strings concert for their parents (9:30 am start).

Parental Consultations:
Don’t forget we have parental consultations next week so we will not be running any after school clubs. Please walk through the corridors and take a look at the lovely Eisteddfod work that we have put up on display for everyone to see. All pupils will also have a piece of work on display that they have chosen as part of our Proud Boards.

Thank you to all parents who completed the Talented Register for us. What a broad range of talented children we have at Henllys! Enjoy a lovely weekend break pawb.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 8 Mawrth:
Annwyl parents/carers,
It’s been another busy week! Our Year 3 & Year 4 pupils have been rehearsing for their Easter production, Easter Rock and all pupils have made some amazing Mothering Sunday cards for all you lovely mums out there. I have to say the World Book Day costumes were fantastic yesterday too. Huge thank you for sorting out the costumes and for wrapping the books – what a lovely day!

Friends of Henllys PTA:
Huge thank you to the PTA for helping with the Mothering Sunday Sale this week – we hope you like the presents. You should have received your Rags to Riches bags this week too. Please don’t return the filled bags until Monday 18th March, as we simply don’t have the space to store them I’m afraid.

Open Morning at St. Peter’s Church:
Reverend Kerl has asked me to invite you all to a special open morning at 10.00am on Saturday 16th March at St. Peter’s Church in Henllys. Prayer Stones created by some of our pupils are going to be positioned around the church and she would like as many parents and pupils to be there to see it. Diolch yn fawr in advance for your support.

Parking to pick up from After School Clubs:
We have made the difficult decision to keep our main gates closed to all cars during pick up times for after school clubs. We have had a few near misses this week and also parents blocking the main entrance so staff were unable to leave the site. From now on all parents will need to park on the road and walk to pick up their children from after school clubs. Keeping everyone safe is our absolute priority so I’m sure you understand.
You will have noticed the new yellow zig zag lines outside the main school gates too. Parents are not allowed to park on these lines either. Thank you for your cooperation.

Parents’ Evening:
Your child should have come home with a parents’ evening appointment slot for the week beginning Monday 18th March. Please don’t forget to return the slip to confirm your attendance.

Next week is the last week for after school clubs – there will be no clubs running the week beginning Monday 18th March due to parents’ evening.

Comic Relief Day:
We will be raising money for Comic Relief Day on Friday 15th March by hosting a ‘Funky Friday’ clothes day. Our School Council have decided to invite all pupils to wear whacky, mis-matched clothing – the more weird and wild the better! Children can also adopt weird and wonderful hair styles too – but no hair dye please. We ask for a donation of £1 per pupil for Comic Relief.

World Down Syndrome Day:
WDSD takes place on Thursday 21st March this year. The theme is to end stereotypes and to celebrate the individuality of every person who has Down’s syndrome. We would like all pupils to wear odd socks on this day to raise awareness and to represent the extra chromosome that some people with Down syndrome have. Diolch yn fawr pawb.

Enjoy a lovely weekend break, and I hope all the mums out there get truly spoilt on Mothering Sunday. I also hope Wales beat France, which would certainly make my day!

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 1 Mawrth:
Dear parents/carers,
What a fantastic day and huge congratulations to St. Gabriel’s and St. Mary’s on their win! All the photographs of our Eisteddfod have been posted on the School Story page so please check it out.

PTA update:
Your children will all be given a Rags to Riches plastic bag on Monday 4th March to take home and fill with unwanted clothes etc. Diolch yn fawr Emily (Reception) and Annabel (Year 2) for sorting them out for us. All filled bags need to be brought back into school on Monday 18th March (not before this date) please.
Mothering Sunday presents will be on sale on Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th March so don’t forget to send in some money on these dates.

World Book Day:
Just a reminder that it is World Book Day on Thursday 7th March. Please encourage your child to dress up as a character from one of their favourite books. If they don’t want to dress up as a character from a book then they will need to wear school uniform, as this is not a non-school uniform day. Don’t forget to get them to bring in a wrapped book with clues on the back too.

Enjoy a lovely first weekend of ‘spring’ pawb.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 23 Chwefror
Annwyl parents/carers,
We have a busy half term coming up, especially as there are only 4 weeks before the Easter holidays! As a Church School the build up to Easter is a very special time for us at Henllys. Before I outline everything we have planned, can I just remind parents that there is Sunday School at the Worship Centre (our school hall) every week starting at 9:15am to which parents and children are warmly invited to. Please refer to the next post for further details.

Eucharist Service:
All parents/carers are invited to our St. David’s Eucharist Service on Tuesday 27th February. The main gates will open at 10:20 for a 10:30 start.

School Eisteddfod:
We are really looking forward to celebrating St. David’s day on Friday 1st March. Children are invited to wear traditional Welsh costumes or Welsh rugby/football shirts etc. on this special day. If your child is competing in the music competitions (open to any pupils who are learning to play an instrument both in school or at home), please can you ask them to practice at home and to bring in their instruments and music on Friday too.
It’s not too late to enter the Bardic poetry writing competition or to make a Welsh craft too – all entries need to be brought into school on Monday 26th February at the latest.

Easter Production:
Year 3 & Year 4 will be performing a very special Easter production on Tuesday 12th and Wednesday 13th March. Parents will receive all the details in due course but can attend either performance.

Mothering Sunday Sale:
The PTA will be running a Mothering Sunday sale during lunchtime on Tuesday 5th March and Wednesday 6th March. Gifts vary in price from £1 to £3.

Huge thank you to the PTA for organising the disco this week too – the children really enjoyed it!

World Book Day:
Pupils are invited to come to school dressed as a character from one of their favourite books on Thursday 7th March. Please note this is NOT a non-school uniform or PE kit day! We would like all pupils to also bring their favourite book into school, wrapped up (like a present) with clues as to the title of the book on the back. We then invite other children in the class to guess the book from the clues.

Talented Register:
It’s also not too late to complete the form below to let us know about your child’s talents:

https://forms.office.com/e/1XHcijDNQX

Please complete it by Monday 26th February at the latest – thank you.

Enjoy the rugby over the weekend pawb and let’s hope for a Welsh win (but we are up against it!!).

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 9 Chwefror

Annwyl parents/carers,
The weather hasn’t been very kind to us lately so apologies if your children come home with muddy shoes and school uniform. We do try to get them out as much as possible but the yards are rather wet and muddy at present. Let’s hope it brightens up a little for the half term week.

Friends of Henllys PTA:
The PTA will be running a Valentine’s disco on Wednesday 21st February. Pupils in R, Y1 and Y2 are invited to wear their disco clothes into school. Their disco will finish at 4:15 with the usual pick up arrangements. Pupils in Y3 to Y6 will come back to school in their disco clothes for a 4:30 start and their disco will finish at 5:30. All pupils will need to be picked up by an adult at the end of the disco.
Entrance to the disco is £2 per pupil (which includes a drink and crisps) and there will be a selection of toys on sale ranging from 20p to £1.

The PTA are also organising another ‘Rags to Riches’ collection. They would like parents to have a good sort out of unwanted clothes and bring them into school on Monday 18th March. A company will then collect them and the school will receive a donation based on the weight of the clothes donated. Please can we ask you not to bring in bags of clothes before this date due to the limited storage we have in school. Diolch yn fawr to all PTA members and parents for your ongoing support.

NSPCC Workshops:
The workshops in Y2, Y5 and Y6 were a huge success and very beneficial to our learners. The volunteers stated that the children were the best they had ever worked with and that it was an absolute pleasure to visit Henllys!

Talented Register:
At Henllys, we would like to update our Talented register. Every Friday we celebrate the children’s achievements and successes outside school and we would like to keep updated concerning new achievements and progress in a range of talents. These can be musical, sporting or leadership roles such as being a involved in Cadets for example.
Please could you fill out the following form, adding the child/rens name, year group and also the talent. Please note that we are creating a register based at Academy club level, Grade 1 and above in music and advanced leadership roles.

https://forms.office.com/e/1XHcijDNQX

We would be grateful if you could complete the form by Monday 26th February at the latest – thank you.

Strings Concert:
Our Year 1 and Year 2 classes have been busy taking part in the strings project this term. We would like to welcome all parents of pupils in these two classes to a special concert at 9:30 am on Thursday 21st March – I have to say you are in for a treat!

Year 5 and Year 6 have also been learning Taiko and African drumming and we are hoping to organise a concert for these year groups too so watch this space.

Letters have been sent home about our St. David’s Eucharist Service today and about our Eisteddfod competitions in preparation for Friday 1st March so please check your children’s bags.

Have a lovely half term break pawb and we look forward to welcoming all pupils back to school on Tuesday 20th February.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 2 Chwefror
Annwyl parents/carers,
This term seems to be flying by and I cannot believe it’s half term soon. Don’t forget we break up on Friday 9th February and that Monday 19th February is a teacher training day (no pupils in school).

PTA survey:
Mr. Barton kindly posted a survey on dojo this week. Thank you to all parents who have already completed it. We would be very grateful if more of you could spare the time to complete it by the end of half term. Diolch yn fawr pawb.

E-Safety Parental Workshop:
In an ever changing world, we feel it is really important to provide you with up to date information regarding how to keep your children safe online. We will be hosting a parental workshop on Monday 15th April at 3:30 in our school. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Use of dojo:
This is a polite reminder to only contact staff via dojo between 8 am and 6 pm on weekdays only. We are having an increasing number of messages in the evenings and over the weekend. It’s really important that staff have this time to spend with their own families – I’m sure you understand and thank you for your cooperation.

We look forward to welcoming Year 1 parents to your coffee afternoon on Wednesday. Please note the main gate will be open just before 2pm.

Enjoy a lovely weekend break and let’s hope for a good start to our Six Nations campaign 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 26 Ionawr,
Annwyl parents/carers,
Your child should have come home today with a letter explaining the NSPCC Speak Safe Stay Safe programme. We will be launching the programme in a special assembly on Monday 29th January and then the NSPCC will be undertaking workshops in Y6, Y5 and Y2 on February 8th. This is to coincide with Children’s Mental Health Week which starts the week beginning 5th February. For further information, please visit the site below:

https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/services/speak-out-stay-safe

Parking:
Unfortunately, I had a phone call from the police this week regarding parking on the roads around the school. It appears that some parents are illegally parking on verges and blocking dipped kerbs (ramps for pushchairs etc.) The problem is particularly bad around the entrance to Primrose Court. The school is working with the local authority and the police to stop this irresponsible and dangerous parking. I have also been advised that the council are going to be coming out to issue tickets in the near future.

Jewellery:
This is a polite reminder that pupils are not allowed to wear jewellery to school for their own safety. We understand the need to wear earrings for recently pierced ears, but can we ask that children only wear small stud earrings. Thank you in advance for your co-operation.

Y5/Y6 Sports Ambassadors:
Da iawn to our Sports Ambassadors who attended a special leadership course at Pontypool Leisure Centre today. They worked with children across the cluster designing games for pupils to play during break and lunch times. They came up with some super suggestions and represented Henllys very well.

Enjoy a lovely weekend break pawb.
Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 19 Ionawr,
Annwyl parents/carers,
We have had some beautiful, cold crisp mornings this week and the views from the school have been fantastic (photographs to follow).

Scooters on site:
Please can we ask all parents not to allow your children to scooter/cycle on site. We really don’t want any accidents, especially when the yards can get busy at pick up and drop off times.

Parking:
Once again, please can parents not park outside the main gates or drop their children off by blocking the entrance to the school. It causes such an issue for staff entering the school and gets in the way of the minibuses. Thank you for your cooperation.

Curriculum Overviews:
We have shared the curriculum overviews for this term’s topic which is ‘The World is a Stage’ with you via dojo today. The children are certainly enthused by the topic so I hope you are too.

Friends of Henllys PTA:
The PTA have kindly organised a Valentine’s disco for Wednesday 21st February. Timings are as follows:

R, Y1 & Y2 – 3:15 to 4:15
Y3-Y6 – 4:30 to 5:30
Further details to follow.

Fruit Tuck:
As part of our Healthy Schools Phase 6 Award, we only allow pupils to bring fresh fruit or vegetables into school as a break time snack. We would be very grateful if you can avoid sending in fruit winders, cereal bars etc. Diolch yn fawr pawb.

Enjoy a lovely weekend and see you on Monday.
Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 12 Ionawr,
Annwyl parents/carers,
What a lovely treat for the pupils on Wednesday afternoon watching Chaplin’s pantomime performance of Cinderella. The pupils (and staff) certainly enjoyed it! It was also a fitting way to launch our Spring Term topic – The World is a Stage. Curriculum overviews will be shared with you next week to give you some idea as to what the children will be learning about this term.

Adverse Weather:
It is very cold at present so please can you ensure you provide your children with warm coats, hats, scarves and gloves for the foreseeable future. Also we would be very grateful if these were clearly labelled. It is not clear what the weather will be like next week but in the event that the school has to close due to snow, you will be informed at the earliest possible time via dojo.

School Uniform:
Once again can you please ensure that your children are wearing our winter school uniform – including a school tie. These can be purchased from Pretty Miss in Cwmbran. Thank you for your support regarding this.

After School Clubs:
You should have all received a letter about the clubs we have on offer for this term. All children will need to be registered before they attend any clubs, so please ensure you return the letters as soon as possible.

We are looking forward to welcoming all Year 3 parents/carers to our coffee afternoon next Wednesday i.e. 17th January at 2pm. Please note that only the main gates will be open.

Wrap up warm pawb and see you on Monday.
Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Autumn Term 2023

Dydd Gwener 15 Rhagfyr 2023,

Annwyl parents/carers,
Huge congratulations and well done to our Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils for putting on fantastic performances of our Nativity play ‘Baarmy Bethlehem’ this week. It really was a lovely show and you sang, danced, narrated and acted your hearts out. We are very proud of every single one of you. Thank you so much to all parents/carers and grandparents etc. for your support too. We really appreciated your very kind messages telling us how much you enjoyed the show too.

PTA Elf Day:
This has been a huge success again this year so diolch yn fawr to everyone for your support. The children looked amazing in their array of elf costumes and Christmas colours. We were hoping to announce the winners of the ‘Guess the Elf’ competition today but Santa has only just had all the entries. He has promised to let us know who the winners are on Monday so watch this space.
In total we have raised £194.50 for our PTA which we are very grateful for.
The PTA are kindly paying for all the Christmas party food for the children next week and they are buying the oranges for our Christingles too. The PTA are also paying for the Cinderella Pantomime treat for all pupils on Wednesday 10th January. On behalf of all the staff and pupils at Henllys – THANK YOU SO MUCH Friends of Henllys PTA for all your hard work and support.

A reminder of dates for next week:
Christmas Parties Day – Tuesday 19th December (party clothes to be worn to school).
Christmas Dinner Day – Wednesday 20th December (Christmas jumpers to be worn).
Christmas Service at St. Gabriel’s Church – Thursday 21st December (full school uniform). Please note all parents are welcome (1:30 start) and all pupils will need to be picked up from the church at 2:30.

*Don’t forget that there is only the ONE option for dinner on Wednesday 20th December (no cold salad option) so if your child does not want the Christmas dinner, you will need to provide them with a home packed lunch.

Tesco Blue Tokens:
Please remember to vote for the school, when you visit any nearby Tesco store. I’ve been told that we are featured in Tesco in Greenmeadow, Malpas and Spytty now.

There will be no After School Clubs running next week so all pupils will need to picked up at 3:15 (except for on Thursday when it’s 2:30 from St. Gabriel’s).

Have a lovely ‘Christmassy’ weekend pawb and see you on Monday.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 8 Rhagfyr 2023,

Annwyl parents/carers,
It’s beginning to look a LOT like Christmas at Henllys now. Our decorations are up, our rehearsals for the Nativity concert are going well and pupils are already designing and creating their cards and calendars.

Nativity Concerts:
All tickets that have been paid for have been sent home with your children this week. We couldn’t give out any spare tickets until all parents had ordered and paid for the first round of tickets I’m afraid, hence the delay in releasing any spares. We have got a few spare tickets for Thursday’s concert so please contact Mrs. Croft, if you would like anymore tickets for this performance.
There will be programmes and raffle tickets on sale at the start of each performance so please remember to bring money if you would like to purchase these. The main pedestrian gate will open at 1.45 pm for both performances. You are definitely in for a treat!

Elf Day:
Just a reminder that it’s our PTA Elf Day on Friday 15th December. All pupils are invited to come to school dressed as elves or in Christmas colours. The PTA have asked for a donation of £1 per pupil. They will also be running a ‘Guess the Name of the Elf’ competition which will cost 50p per entry. Winners of the elf in each class will be announced on the day.

Other Christmas Dates:
Christmas Parties Day – Tuesday 19th December (party clothes).
Christmas Dinner Day – Wednesday 20th December (Christmas jumpers).
Christmas Service at St. Gabriel’s Church – Thursday 21st December (full school uniform). Please note all parents are welcome (1:30 start) and all pupils will need to be picked up from the church at 2:30.

Start/Finish Times:
This is a polite reminder that school starts at 8:50 and finishes at 3:15. We seem to be getting a stream of children who are arriving late for school and parents who are also arriving late for picking up. We totally understand if you get stuck in traffic etc. as this cannot be helped, but please try to stick to our start and finish times – diolch yn fawr pawb.

Sickness Bug:
We are really trying to avoid any sickness spreading through the school. If your child is sick at home or in school, please can you keep them at home for 48 hours after the last time they were sick. This policy is in place to avoid the sickness bug being passed on to other pupils or staff – thank you.

Staffing Update:
We are very sad to announce that we have two staff members leaving us at the end of this term.
Mrs. Gunningham has decided to retire after sixteen very happy years at Henllys. She has worked tirelessly to support the wellbeing and progress of a large number of pupils over the years and will be a great loss to the school. I am sure you will join me in wishing Mrs. Gunningham a very long and happy retirement. She will definitely be popping in to see us and I know she will always receive a lovely warm welcome from both staff and pupils.
Miss Needle is also leaving us, as she has secured a full-time post in a school in a neighbouring local authority. Miss Needle joined Henllys in September 2019 and has worked in Reception and Year 1, as well as being our Expressive Arts lead. Miss Needle has been an asset to the school and will also be greatly missed. We wish her all the very best in her new post – she will be amazing.
We are delighted to inform you that Mrs. Henson will be taking over the Reception class on a full-time basis after Christmas. This ensures that there will be no disruption to the class, as all pupils and parents are already very familiar with Mrs. Henson. Mrs. Henson will start full time on Monday 8th January 2024 and we are confident that this staffing change will be a very smooth transition.

Enjoy a weekend of festive fun pawb and see you on Monday.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 1 Rhagfyr 2023,

Annwyl parents/carers,
It is officially the start of Advent so our advent candles and calendars are out. It is such a special time of year in a faith school and we have such a lot to celebrate over the next three weeks.

Tickets for the Nativity Concert:
Letters have been sent home to parents of pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. Please complete the slip with your ticket choices (3 per family) and return them to school at your earliest convenience. All tickets will need to be paid for via Civica Pay under shop items – Nativity tickets.

Governors’ Annual Report to Parents 2022/23:
The governors’ report to parents is always shared with you at this time of year. A copy of the report can be found in the Parents’ Area of this website but if you would like a colour printed copy, please just send me a dojo message.

Colorfoto Orders:
Please don’t forget to order your school photographs. If you need the access code again, please just contact Mrs. Croft in the office. If you order by December 10th, the photos will be delivered to school free of charge and in time for Christmas.

Road Safety Awareness Poetry Competition Winners:
I am delighted to announce the following winners.

Reception – Orla
Year 1/Year 2 – Isaac
Year 3/Year 4 – Lara
Year 5/Year 6 – Aria

Llongyfarchadau pawb and diolch yn fawr to everyone who entered the competition.

Brass Lessons:
We have started brass lessons in school which are going really well. We do have two cornets, a euphonium and a French horn in school which pupils are welcome to use if they are interested in starting lessons. The brass teacher is also willing to do group lessons which are a little cheaper. Please contact Sarah on 07963 181582 or sarahwbetty@gmail.com if you are interested.

Wrap up warm over the weekend pawb and enjoy the start of the festive season.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 24 Tachwedd 2023,

Annwyl parents/carers,
Well it is beginning to look (and sound) a bit like Christmas at Henllys, with the start of rehearsals for our Nativity Concert. Letters and tickets will be sent out in due course. It’s not too late to donate any old costumes you may have buried in the back of wardrobes.

School Uniform:
Just a polite reminder that all pupils should be wearing ties to school and black shoes (not trainers) every day except for on their P.E. day. On P.E. days, pupils should wear their house t-shirts and school jumpers or cardigans with black tracksuit bottoms/leggings please. Thank you for your cooperation.

Attendance:
As you are fully aware, attendance is really important. This year we have set a target of 95.1% with unauthorised absences to be reduced to below 1%. This is in line with the local authority target of strive for 95+ and their #notinmissout initiative. We understand that children become unwell, particularly at this time of year, but once again can we please ask you to avoid taking your children out of school for family holidays during term time. Diolch yn fawr pawb.

Competition Winners:
Huge congratulations to the pupils whose climate change art work has been chosen to go on display in Llandaff Cathedral. We have also been informed that some pupils’ work has been selected to go on display in the Houses of Parliament in London too – how amazing is this! Miss Needle will post the competition winners and details in due course. Da iawn plant.
Llongyfarchiadau to Martha in Blwyddyn 2 who has been shortlisted for Torfaen Play’s Christmas Card competition. There were over 500 entrants so Martha has done really well.

School Rugby Team:
Da iawn to our rugby players who competed in the Pontypool Schools District Rugby tournament today. They did so well, especially as we had players from our Year 4 class in the team. We are very proud of you all.

Have a lovely weekend pawb. I wonder how many of you will be Christmas shopping or putting your Christmas decorations up this weekend – enjoy!

Kind regards,

Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 17 Tachwedd 2023,
Annwyl parents/carers,
It was lovely to see all the children dressed up for Children in Need Day today. We raised a total of £167.90 which is a really good effort. Diolch yn fawr for all your contributions.

Friends of Henllys PTA:
Huge thank you to parents and staff who helped run the light disco on Monday evening. It was a great success and very well attended.
The PTA have also booked a very special treat for all pupils in January as well. They have managed to get a fantastic pantomime company to come into Henllys to perform ‘Cinderella’ on Wednesday January 10th 2024. How lovely that the children have got something to look forward to after Christmas! Thank you SO much for all your support once again.
Last call for tickets to Bath Christmas Market on Sunday 3rd December too – please contact the PTA via the following e-mail address to book your place.

friendsofhenllyspta@gmail.com

Christmas Dates:
Nativity Concert (R, Y1 & Y2) – Wednesday 13th and Thursday 14th December.
Elf Day – Friday 15th December (elf costumes or Christmas colours to be worn).
Christmas Parties Day – Tuesday 19th December (party clothes).
Christmas Dinner Day – Wednesday 20th December (Christmas jumpers).
Christmas Service at St. Gabriel’s Church – Thursday 21st December (full school uniform). Please note all parents are welcome (1:30 start) and all pupils will need to be picked up from the church at 2:30.

There is also a Ministry Advent Service at St. Gabriel’s Church on Sunday 3rd December at 11:00 which all parents and pupils are welcome to attend.

Our Eco-club would like to recycle any old nativity costumes you may have at home for this year’s nativity which is called Baarmy Bethlehem. If you want to donate your old costumes, please send them into school at your earliest convenience – thank you so much.

PDG Grant:
Every year, schools have to publish their Pupil Deprivation Grant Plan in accordance with Welsh Government requirements. The grant is awarded to schools based on the number of pupils who are eligible for free school meals. Our PDG plan can be found on our website or by clicking on the link below:

https://www.henllyschurchinwalesschool.co.uk/about-us/school-policies/

Although ALL primary aged pupils in Torfaen now receive free school meals, please visit the link below which details how you can apply for a School Essentials Grant. If you think you are eligible for this grant, please let us know by contacting Mrs. Croft in the office.

https://www.gov.wales/get-help-school-costs

Reading Books:
We have recently purchased over 200 brand new Oxford Reading Tree books for our ‘Junior’ pupils. The school has spent nearly £1500 replacing books that have been either damaged or not returned to school. Please, please can I ask all parents and pupils to look after these books and return them to school once they have been read. We really value the importance of reading at home but must ensure these books are looked after and respected.

Enjoy the weekend pawb and see you on Monday.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 10 Tachwedd 2023,
Annwyl parents/carers,
Huge diolch yn fawr for your support with our Poppy Appeal this week. We don’t know how much money we have raised yet but most of the merchandise and poppies were sold. Thank you to our School Council for running the appeal so well. I had the privilege of watching Eadie in Year 5 have 16 inches cut off her hair yesterday evening too. Her hair has been donated to the Princess Trust and will be made into a wig for children who are having cancer treatment. Once again, thank you to the generosity of parents and pupils at Henllys, Eadie has raised over £500 for the Shine Bright Support charity. Da iawn Eadie – we are so proud of you.

Odd Socks Day/Anti-Bullying Week:
To launch the start of Anti-Bullying Week, we would like all pupils to wear odd socks to school on Monday 13th November. Odd Socks Day is an annual event that encourages people to wear mismatched socks as a way of celebrating diversity and promoting inclusion. It is a light-hearted and symbolic gesture that serves as a reminder that being different is something to be proud of. Pupils are encouraged to embrace their individuality and support others in doing the same. Children will also be taking part in surveys and other activities linked to anti-bullying throughout the week.

P.T.A. Light Disco:
The Friends of Henllys P.T.A. are running a light disco on Monday 13th November too. All pupils will need to pay an entrance fee of £2.00 which includes a drink and some crisps. There will also be a selection of ‘light’ items for sale ranging from 10p to £1.00.
R, Y1 and Y2 pupils can come into school in their disco clothes (including odd socks) as their disco will run from 3.15 pm to 4.15 pm. All pupils will need to be picked up at 4.15 pm from their usual pick up points.
Y3, Y4, Y5 and Y6 pupils will need to wear school uniform (including odd socks) to school. They will need to be picked up as normal at 3.15 pm before returning to school for their disco which will run from 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm. Please bring the pupils to the main reception entrance at 4.30 pm. Once again, ALL junior pupils will need to be picked up at 5.30 pm. They will be dismissed from the external exits in each of their classrooms.

Please note there will be NO after school clubs on Monday 13th November due to the disco.

*Also please note that the P.T.A. trip to Bath Christmas Market is on Sunday 3rd December.

Children in Need Day:
School Council have decided that they would like all children to come to school dressed from head to toe in their ONE favourite colour on Friday 17th November (except for black). They want to create a rainbow of colour on this special day. We ask for all pupils to bring £1.00 to school in support of Children in Need. Diolch yn fawr in advance for your support.

Christmas Dinner Day:
I know it seems early to be asking, but the catering team need to order food for our Christmas Dinner Day which is on Wednesday 20th December. There will only be the option of having a cooked Christmas dinner on this date (no cold option). If your child does NOT want Christmas Dinner on this date, can you please send a message to their class teachers by Friday 17th November at the latest. If we don’t receive a message from you, we will assume that your child wants a cooked dinner and will order food accordingly. Please note that you will need to provide them with a packed lunch on this date if they don’t want the hot dinner option.

Well that’s it for this week. Enjoy the weekend pawb and see you on Monday.
Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Iau 26 Hydref 2023,
Annwyl parents/carers,
It has been lovely to welcome all parents to Henllys for parental consultations this week. We hope you enjoyed looking through your children’s work and were pleased with the progress they have made. Thank you so much to everyone who visited our Book Fayre. We have sold over £1100 worth of books and will let you know how much commission the school will receive in due course.

Show Racism the Red Card Winners:
We were overwhelmed by the quality of posters the children designed last Friday and it was very difficult to choose the winners but here goes:

Reception – Norbert
Year 1 – Olive
Year 2 – Ashleigh and Huw
Year 3 – Skyla
Year 4 – Lara
Year 5 – Sophia
Year 6 – Jessica J.

Their posters (see the photo above) will now be put up around the school to remind us of this very important message.

Staffing Update:
Mrs. Ceri-Ann Jones has stepped down as our Senior Midday Supervisor and today was her last day at Henllys. Mrs. Jones has been actively involved with the school for over ten years – firstly as a volunteer and then as a midday supervisor for the past five years. We will all really miss her and wish her all the very best in the future.

EFL Football Tournament:
Thank you to the nine Y5 and Y6 pupils who represented Henllys in the EFL football tournament in Cwmbran Stadium today. The standard was very high but we are very proud of the way you never gave up.

Open Afternoon:
We will be hosting an Open Afternoon for all prospective parents and their children on Wednesday 15th November at Henllys from 2.00pm until 3.30pm. Everyone with pre-school children is welcome to attend. Please can everyone share the attached poster on social media so that we reach as many parents as possible – diolch yn fawr pawb.

Reminder of Dates:
Week beginning 6th November – after school clubs resume
Wednesday 8th November – Y2 coffee afternoon (2pm)
Friday 10th November – Colorfoto individual photographs
Monday 13th November – P.T.A. Light Disco

Have a wonderful half term break pawb and we welcome all pupils back to school on Monday 6th November.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 20 Hydref 2023,
Annwyl parents/carers,
Thank you so much for dressing your children in red today. Showing our support for ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ is really important to us. All pupils will have experienced an ‘age appropriate’ lesson linked to anti-racism today and the posters they have designed are of a very high standard. I will dojo the winners next week, as not all pupils completed them today.

Parental Consultations:
You should now have received the times and dates for your consultations next week. The children have been working so hard, we hope you enjoy looking through their books. We have quite a few cakes left over from last week, so we will put these outside the classrooms for you and your children to have – please help yourselves.

Book Fayre:
There will be a large display of books that will be on sale in the hall from 3.15 pm until 6.00 pm Monday to Thursday next week. Please feel free to take your children into the hall on ANY evening to see if they want to purchase anything. There will be a card reader available so we can take cash or card payments. Thank you in advance for your support, as we do get a 40% commission on sales over £400.

School Uniform:
We have a small collection of pre-loved school uniform which will also be on display in the hall. All parents are welcome to help yourselves to anything of use.

Update from the Governing Body:
Following our AGM meeting, Mrs. Fran English has been appointed as our new Chair of Governors and Mrs. Claire Watkins is now our vice-chair. Rev. Elizabeth Kerl will continue to be a very active member of our Governing Body. Mrs. Ceri-Ann Jones and Mrs. Jean Geary are both stepping down due to other commitments. We thank them both for all their hard work and support over the past two years.

Safeguarding Policy:
Our annual safeguarding policy has been reviewed and formally adopted by our GB. A full copy of it can be found on our school website.

INSET Day:
Please note that Friday 27th October is a teacher training day so pupils will break up for half term on Thursday 26th October.

Well I have just got over the disappointment of Wales being knocked out of the Rugby World Cup. Da iawn to our Welsh Football Team on a good win against Croatia last weekend. Enjoy the weekend pawb – don’t get too wet!

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 13 Hydref 2023,
Annwyl parents/carers,
Diolch yn fawr to all parents and guardians who came to our Welsh afternoon today. We really hope you enjoyed learning Welsh with our Criw Cymraeg and Miss Standen. We were overwhelmed by the support and very much appreciated you coming. Huge thank you for all the cake donations and money too. We raised just under £240 in total which will be used to purchase Welsh resources. What a fantastic Shwmae Su’mae day!

Parental Consultations:
Letters will be sent home early next week with times for your parental consultations, which are due to start the week beginning Monday 23rd October. Please note that there will be no after school clubs that week.

Book Fayre:
We will be hosting a Book Fayre in our school hall on Monday 23rd, Tuesday 24th, Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th October to coincide with parental consultations week. Please pop into the hall on any evening to see the broad range of books that will be on sale.

Flu Immunisation:
If you haven’t done so already, please register your child for the nasal flu vaccine which is taking place on Wednesday 18th October. Here is the link again:

https://forms.office.com/e/eyggpck0Kf

Show Racism the Red Card:
All pupils are asked to wear RED to school on Friday 20th October in support of Show Racism the Red Card. Wearing red on this day is a celebration of anti-racism. Every heart and every mind that we change can change at least one life – Change Hearts. Change Minds. Change Lives. The children will be taking part in different activities such as quizzes and will be given the opportunity to design a ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ poster. The winning posters will then be proudly displayed around the school. We do not want the children to bring in any money for this event but if parents want to support the Show Racism the Red Card Charity, you can text ‘RED’ to 70470 to donate £1.

Enjoy the weekend pawb. We will all be glued to the television at 16:00 tomorrow afternoon. Come on Wales!!

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 6 Hydref 2023,
Annwyl parents/carers,
Hopefully, you will have all received the Christmas Card Design templates which have been sent out this week. Please can all designs be completed and brought back into school by Thursday 12th October at the latest. I’m sure the children will really enjoy being creative in their designs and we look forward to seeing them when they are brought back in.

Family Information Service:
I was contacting this week be a representative from Torfaen’s Family Information Service. They asked me to signpost their website which details lots of help and support for parents with things like childcare, Early Years support and information about Torfaen Play Scheme. All the information can be found by clicking on the link below:

https://torfaenfis.org.uk/

Tesco in Spytty:
We are delighted to let you know that we have a ‘live’ application to the Tesco Stronger Starts scheme. We successfully put in a bid for an outdoor learning project. This has been put forward to a customer vote in the Tesco store in Spytty. Voting has started and will be in store until mid January 2024. Please can you ask friends/family who live or work in Newport to look out for the voting box and put as many blue tokens in as possible. The winners will be given £1500 towards their project, second place are given £1000 and third place get £500. We really want to continue developing our outside areas and this money will be invaluable.

Shwmae Su’mae Day:
In traditional Henllys style, we will be celebrating Shwmae Su’mae Day again this year on Friday 13th October. Shwmae Sumae Day is a day marked each year in Wales to celebrate and promote the Welsh language. We would like all pupils to come to school dressed in red, white and green or in Welsh tops on this day. We would also like pupils to bring in cakes, which will be on sale throughout the day. We ask that children also bring in 50p in order to buy the cakes that are on sale.

All parents are cordially invited to come into school at 2pm to take part in Welsh games and activities too. This will be an opportunity for you to learn some Welsh and have fun. There will also be cakes on sale in the hall during the afternoon.

All money raised will go towards purchasing Welsh resources for the school. Please note that only the main gate will be open for this event and we will open it at 1:55 pm.

Have a lovely sunny weekend pawb and see you on Monday.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 22 Medi 2023,

Annwyl parents/carers,
We are really looking forward to our first Eucharist Service of 2023/24 and warmly welcome all parents and guardians to our special Harvest Service on Tuesday 26th September at 10:30 am. Please note that we will only be opening the pedestrian gate at the main entrance to the school. We would really appreciate it if you could send in food donations for the service. We would really value any non-perishable items which we will then donate to the Eastern Valley foodbank which supports local families. Diolch yn fawr in advance for your help and support.

Feedback from Parental Questionnaires:
Huge thank you to all parents who returned the questionnaires at the end of last term. We really do value your opinions and take on board your comments and suggestions. As a result of the questionnaires, we are in the process of reviewing our Homework Policy. We will also be arranging more educational trips and visits this year. Unfortunately, the cost of these has significantly increased over the last year, but we do agree that they are wonderful opportunities for children to experience.

Homework:
This is in the process of being reviewed but for the time being we will send homework and spellings (or phonics) out every Friday for it to be completed by the following Wednesday. We understand that you all live busy lives and if for any reason homework hasn’t been completed, please just drop a dojo message to the class teachers. We will still use spelling shed and test pupils every Friday (not in Reception yet). PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can all parents encourage their children to access spelling shed and help them learn their weekly spellings. The other thing we would really like you to focus on is daily reading. We will be providing you with further guidance on this during parental consultations in October.

After School Clubs:
We have had a very good uptake on our Autumn Term clubs. Please note that your children will need to be registered for a club before they attend it. Thank you to all parents who have already returned the forms to school.

Here are the pick up points at the end of the clubs.

Mindfulness and Yoga – Infant yard
Netball – Junior yard
Football – Junior yard
Choir – Red door by the turning circle
Lego – Infant yard
Eco/Gardening Club – Red door by the turning circle
Drama – Red door by the turning circle
Rugby – Junior Yard

Have a lovely weekend pawb. I don’t know about you, but I am already getting nervous for the big clash between Wales and Australia on Sunday – come on Cymru!

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 15 Medi 2023,

Annwyl parents/carers,
We have been very impressed with how well the children have settled into their new classrooms and routines. They all seem to have grown up so much over the summer break!

Dates for the Diary:
As promised, please find attached all the dates for the forthcoming year. I will also update them on the website but please note that the calendar on the website does NOT work properly, if you look at it on a mobile phone.

Flu Immunisation:
All pupils will be offered a nasal flu spray vaccination on 18th October 2023. Parents/guardians will need to complete a consent form using the link below:

https://forms.office.com/e/eyggpck0Kf

Please submit one form per child no later than 48 hours before the above date. Any consent forms submitted after this time may result in your child not receiving their vaccine on the day. Should you have any difficulties accessing the above link, please contact 01633 431685 for further support.

It’s very important to protect your child from flu to make sure they stay as healthy as possible, as flu is likely to circulate this winter. The best flu vaccine for most children is a nasal spray. This is the vaccine that will be given on the day. For information about flu vaccination please visit phw.nhs.wales/fluvaccine.

Friends of Henllys P.T.A.:
We are very luck to have a proactive P.T.A. who work tirelessly to raise funds for the school. Last year the P.T.A. funded a whole school trip to the pantomime, learning journals for all pupils and outdoor learning equipment. We are so grateful for all the money raised, as it makes a huge difference to all the pupils at Henllys.
The P.T.A. have already met this academic year and are in the process of planning fundraising events – further details to follow. If you are interested in joining the P.T.A. please contact Chantel via the e-mail address below:

chantelroberts86@gmail.com

Reading Books:
This is another plea for all reading books to be returned to school. We have ‘lost’ a significant number of Oxford Reading Tree Stages, especially 13+ books, which are very expensive to replace. Please check under your beds or on books shelves just in case any have been muddled up with your own books. Also if anyone has any Oxford Reading Tree books that your children have outgrown, we would be very grateful if you could donate them to the school. Diolch yn fawr pawb.

After a ‘nail biting’ win for Wales last weekend, let’s hope for a more comfortable win against Portugal tomorrow.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 8 Medi 2023,

Annwyl parents/carers,
We have had a lovely first week back after the summer break. I cannot believe how hot the weather has been though! It is forecast to be a little cooler next week thankfully.
Special mention to all the new pupils who have joined us in Reception. They have settled in so well and have made a super start to life in Henllys.

Update on Staffing:
We are delighted to welcome Mrs. Susan Kasim to the school. Mrs. Kasim has taken up her post as a teaching assistant in our Reception Class. We also welcome Mrs. Rachel Bailey to Henllys. Mrs. Bailey will be working as a teaching assistant in Year 2. I’m sure many of you will get to know them over the next few weeks and give them a very warm welcome to our school.

Head Boy/Girl etc:
After presentations and vote counting we are delighted to announce the following results.

Head Boy: Noah H.
Head Girl: Jess J.
Deputy Head Boy: Zack S.
Deputy Head Girl: Carys P.

Prefects: Grace, Isla, Ilayda, Ruby, Thea, Theo, Griff, Skyla, Phoebe, Laycie-Rae, Charlie, Darcey, Daniel, Evie, Jess E, Emily, Harun, Belle, Aria, Charlotte and Lucy.

Da iawn plant – I am confident that you all have the leadership qualities necessary to undertake your roles and you will be amazing. (Photographs to follow).

After School Clubs:
We are in the process of reviewing our after school clubs and letters will be sent out in due course. All after school clubs will commence the week beginning Monday 25th September.

Dates for the Diary:
We are also in the process of agreeing all the dates for the forthcoming year. These will be sent out as soon as they are finalised. The first key date for your diaries is our Harvest Eucharist Service which will take place on Tuesday 26th September at 10:30am. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Universal Free School Meals:
Mrs. Croft has sent out key information about how to register your children for free school meals, which has been extended up to Year 6 now. If you are having any issues registering, please contact Mrs. Croft and she will be able to help you.

Have a very restful weekend and enjoy the start of the rugby world cup – let’s hope for a good result for Wales on Sunday!

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 7 Gorffennaf:

Annwyl parents/carers,
All school reports were sent home today, so please check your children’s bag for a brown envelope. I hope you find them useful and informative. Can I kindly request that you all complete the parental questionnaire that is also in the envelope and return it to school by Friday 14th July. Your views certainly shape the way things are run at Henllys and your feedback is very gratefully received. For pupils in Year 2 to Year 6 there is also a letter explaining how to access your child’s National Test results on Hwb. Please let us know if you need help to log onto Hwb, as we can dojo your child’s log in details if necessary.

P.T.A. Disco:
Just a reminder of our school disco on Monday 10th July. Entry to the disco is £2 per child which includes crisps, a drink and a packet of sweets (cash only). The P.T.A. will also have a selection of novelty items for sale, ranging from 20p to £1.
Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 will need to wear their disco/party clothes to school and be picked up from school at 4.15 pm (from the usual pick up points).
Years 3 to 6 must wear school uniform to school but then need to be dropped off in disco/party clothes for their disco which will run from 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm. There will be no after school clubs running on this day.
*PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL CHILDREN WILL NEED TO BE PICKED UP FROM SCHOOL BY AN ADULT AT THE END OF THE DISCO.
Year 5 and Year 6 will be dismissed from their classrooms and Year 3 and 4 will be brought onto the Junior Yard.

Holidays during Term Time:
Our attendance throughout the year has been really good but unfortunately we have had quite a few parents taking their children out of school over the past few weeks for a family holiday. As you are aware, these are unauthorised absences. We are still teaching the children and providing them with lovely learning experiences right up to the end of term. Please can I request that parents wait until the end of term to book family holidays in future.

#NotInMissOut

After School Clubs:
Next week will be the last week of after school clubs. We will not be running any during the last week of term. Please note that there will be NO clubs on Monday 10th July due to the school disco.

Enjoy a weekend of watching tennis and eating strawberries pawb. See you on Monday.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 30 Mehefin:

Annwyl parents/carers,
As I am sure you may have already seen, work has started on our canteen and an area of the carpark has been fenced off. Please refer to the new menu on the photograph above, which comes into effect on Monday 3rd July. There will be no funky filling option for the rest of the term, but we will be offering a healthy packed lunch.

P.T.A. Disco:
We are delighted to announce that the P.T.A. are kindly running an end of year disco for all pupils on Monday 10th July. Entry to the disco is £2 per child which includes crisps, a drink and a packet of sweets.
Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 can come to school in their disco/party clothes on this date and be picked up from school at 4.15 pm (from the usual pick up points).
Years 3 to 6 must wear school uniform to school but then need to be dropped off in disco/party clothes for their disco which will run from 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm. There will be no after school clubs running on this day.
*PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL CHILDREN WILL NEED TO BE PICKED UP FROM SCHOOL BY AN ADULT AT THE END OF THE DISCO.

Eucharist Service:
We have decided to cancel our planned Eucharist Service on Tuesday 11th July. This is due to it being so close to our end of term Leavers’ Service which is taking place in St. Gabriel’s Church on Friday 21st July – sorry for any inconvenience caused. All parents/grandparents/guardians are welcome to attend our Leavers’ Service. Please note that ALL pupils will need to be picked up from St. Gabriel’s Church at 2:30pm on this date.

New ‘Students’ at Henllys:
This term, Year 1 had the privilege of watching a number of chicken eggs hatch in a special incubator in their classroom. As you can imagine, this caused great excitement when the chicks hatched! We got rather attached to these chicks and I am delighted to announce that we have decided to keep them. Mr. Jones has put up a ‘state of the art’ hen house (courtesy of Mrs. Llewellyn) at the back of the green container and the hens have settled in really well. Photos to follow. As you can imagine, the children are so excited to see them and look after them. We now await our first eggs!

We hope the children are looking forward to moving up day on Wednesday 5th July. I’m sure they will have a lovely day with their new teachers. Enjoy the weekend pawb and see you on Monday.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 23 Mehefin:

Annwyl parents/carers,
We welcomed Blwyddyn 6 back from Gilwern on Wednesday. What a lovely few days they had on their residential trip! They were an amazing group to take away and threw themselves into every challenge. Da iawn Blwyddyn 6 – I’m sure you made a lot of special memories.

Sports for Champions UK:
We have been allocated our Sports Champion for Tuesday 18th July – Jordan Hart. Please click on the link below to find out more about her:

https://www.sportsforchampions.com/jordan-hart/

We have also been set up with a Crowdfunder page which can be accessed and shared by clicking on the link below:

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/henllysciwprimaryschool

We are very grateful for all the support you can give us by helping your child raise as much sponsorship money as possible over the next few weeks. Diolch yn fawr pawb.

Bicycles on Site:
If children and parents are cycling to school, please can we politely ask you to dismount before you enter the school grounds. We really don’t want any accidents on site!

Religion, Values and Ethics:
Following guidance from the Church in Wales, we have written a new R.V.E. overview. The overview has been developed to reflect the new Curriculum for Wales. Please visit the R.V.E. section on the Curriculum for Wales tab on here for further details.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Enjoy a wonderful weekend pawb and see you on Monday.
Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 16 Mehefin:

Annwyl parents/carers,
What a glorious week we have had this week, although it has been rather warm at times! The pupils were very grateful for the ‘Tiptops’ we treated them to this afternoon. They performed so well during Sports Day, they all deserved a treat today.

‘Name the Tractor’ Winner:
Huge congratulations to Elin T. in Reception for winning this prize. I am delighted to announce that Mr. Jones’ sit on tractor has been named…Troubles the Tractor. What a great name Elin!

Extensive Refurbishment of our Canteen:
With the roll out of Universal Free School Meals to all pupils in primary school from September 2023, we are having some extensive work done to our canteen. The work is due to start on Monday 3rd July 2023 but it will be finished before the pupils return to school in September. There are going to be some changes to our lunch offer, starting on Monday 3rd July. All pupils will have a choice of a hot meal (meat or vegan) or a packed lunch (no salad bar/jacket potatoes/wrap option sorry). The packed lunch will consist of sandwiches (ham or cheese), a snack, fruit, a drink and a choice of one of the puddings of the day.

Summer School:
Due to this extensive refurbishment, we are unable to run a Summer School this year. I have been in contact with Torfaen Play and they have informed me that there are places for Henllys pupils at Moving on Up Food and Fun Camp at Cwmbran High School but please note this is for pupils who are 8+ only.

eFSM and School Essentials Grant Form:
The deadline to apply for these is fast approaching. Please can you return the forms we previously sent home, by the end of next week at the latest. The grant can certainly help with school uniform etc. and also ensures more funding for our school.

Internet Safety Parental Workshop:
We would like to invite you all to a parental workshop to highlight the importance of keeping your children safe online. The workshop will take place at 3:30 pm on Monday 3rd July in our school hall. Please can you dojo message me if you intend to come so that we have an idea of numbers. Please note this is not suitable for children – adults only!

Healthy Snacks:
We are very proud of our Healthy Schools Phase 6 Award. In line with the award, please can you ensure you provide your children with healthy snacks only at break times. Fresh fruit and/or vegetables are a perfect healthy snack, as they provide your child with one of their five portions per day. Diolch yn fawr for your cooperation.

Dates for the rest of the term:
Monday 3rd July – Internet Safety Parental Workshop (3:30pm)
Wednesday 5th July – Moving up/transition day.
Friday 7th July – School reports sent home.
Tuesday 11th July – Thanksgiving Eucharist Service (10:30am). All parents/grandparents/guardians are welcome to attend).
Wednesday 12th July & Thursday 13th July – Y5/6 end of year production (1:45 pm).
Tuesday 18th July – Sports for Champions visit and sponsored event.
Wednesday 19th July – Year 6 Leavers’ Assembly (2pm) for all Year 6 parents.
Friday 20th July – End of Year Service at St. Gabriel’s. All parents/grandparents/guardians are welcome to attend. Please note that ALL pupils will need to be picked up from St. Gabriel’s Church at 2:30pm on this date.

Congratulations to our Year 5 pupils who passed their Safe Cycling Assessment this week and to our Year 6 TAG rugby team for winning all your matches yesterday. It’s an early start for our Year 6 pupils on Monday morning as they head to Gilwern for three days – don’t be late Blwyddyn 6! Enjoy the weekend pawb and see you on Monday.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 9 Mehefin:

Annwyl parents/carers,
It was lovely to welcome all the pupils back to school on Tuesday. I cannot believe how quickly the year has gone and that the children only have 6 weeks left before they move up a year! We start our Healthy Schools Week next week which the children always enjoy.

Sports Day – Wednesday 14th June:
Staff and pupils have been busy practising for our Sports Day this week. Thankfully, it looks like the dry weather is set to continue which bodes well for Wednesday. The details are as follows…
1) All pupils need to come into school in their P.E. kits. It is really important that they wear their house colours, so that we know which house they are representing. It looks like it is going to be a very warm day, so please apply sun cream before school. Also please provide your child with a water bottle and labelled sun hat.
2) The main gates will open at 12.50 pm and the first race will start at 1.00 pm. All parents/grandparents/guardians are welcome to come and support. Please position yourselves anywhere on the bank overlooking the sports field.
3) We aim to finish by 3.15 pm at the latest, but please bear with us if it runs over slightly. All children will go back into class at the end of the day and be dismissed by their class teachers as normal.

Sports for Champions UK Fundraising Event:
On Tuesday 18th July, we have arranged a special visit from a professional Paralympic or Olympic athlete. All pupils will take part in a sponsored fitness circuit led by the athlete who will EDUCATE-ENABLE-EMPOWER the children with a view to inspire them to be the Champions of tomorrow. We are using the event to raise much needed funds for the school. On Monday 12th June, the pupils will watch a short video to launch the event and then Sponsorship Forms will be sent home. We would be very grateful if you could encourage your children to find family and friends to sponsor them to complete the fitness circuit on the 18th July. 60% of all money raised will be given to the school and 40% will go to Sports for Champions to help fund their athletes. Diolch yn fawr in advance for all your help and support.

Training Days in September:
We would like to give you advance notice that we will be holding two training days at the beginning of next academic year – Friday 1st September and Monday 4th September. All pupils will return to school on Tuesday 5th September.

Enjoy the summer sun this weekend pawb and see you on Monday.
Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 19 Mai 2023:

Annwyl parents/carers,
Diolch yn fawr to everyone who entered our ‘Name the Tractor’ competition this week. We have been inundated with suggestions, so Mr. Jones is going to announce the winning name next week.

Pentecost Eucharist:
We are looking forward to welcoming you to our special Pentecost Eucharist on Tuesday 23rd May at 10:30 am. Please note that only the main gates will be open.

INSET Day:
Just a reminder that we have our last teacher training day for this academic year on Monday 5th June. All pupils will return to school on Tuesday 6th June after the half-term break.

Sports Day:
Our whole school Sports Day will be taking place during the afternoon of Wednesday 14th June (weather permitting). All parents/grandparents are welcome to join us.

Transition/Moving Up:
We will be having our ‘moving up’ sessions on Wednesday 5th July. Pupils will spend time in their new classes and will be given the opportunity to meet their new teachers and teaching assistants on this date.

End of Year Leavers’ Service:
Everyone is warmly invited to our end of year Leavers’ Service at St. Gabriel’s Church on Friday 21st July. Please note that all pupils will need to be picked up from St. Gabriel’s Church at around 2:30 on this date.

Free School Meals Pupils:
We have sent letters home to all pupils today about how to apply for Free School Meals (FSM) and a School Essentials Grant (SEG). If you think you are eligible to apply for FSM, you will also receive up to £225 per child towards school uniform and equipment. Please see the link for further details:

https://www.torfaen.gov.uk/en/EducationLearning/SchoolsColleges/FinancialSupport/School-clothinggrantsandvouchers/School-Clothing-Grants.aspx

Unfortunately, the online application form does not appear to be working which is why we have sent home paper copies. Please note that the deadline for all applications is the 30th June 2023, so return your forms to school by this date. Parents of pupils who are already on the FSM register and receive the SEG, do NOT need to re-apply.

Recruitment of a Teaching Assistant:
We are delighted to announce that we have just posted an advert for a temporary Teaching Assistant to start in September 2023. If you know of any suitable candidates, please pass the information on and signpost the advert and application form.

https://www.eteach.com/job/teaching-assistant-1336820

Summer School:
Unfortunately, Torfaen Play are unable to run a Summer School at Henllys this year. Torfaen Catering have to refurbish our school canteen over the summer holidays, and the school is not safe to open when these essential works are taking place. I will provide further details about Torfaen Play’s Summer Schools in other locations in due course.

Enjoy a lovely weekend of sunshine pawb and see you all on Monday.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 12 Mai 2023:

Annwyl parents/carers,
Your children should have come home with a slip of paper today to enter a special competition. Mr. Jones, our caretaker, would like the children to name our new sit on lawn mower (which is technically a tractor due to the location of the engine). Please can all slips be returned to school by Friday 19th May at the latest. The winning name will be announced during our Celebration Worship next Friday – pob lwc pawb!

Mental Health Awareness Week:
Next week is Mental Health Awareness Week and the children will be completing class based activities to mark this special week. Huge well done to our Well-being Warriors Pupil Voice Group who met with our Governing Body on Tuesday to tell them all about the very important role they play in school life at Henllys – great job plant.

Prescribed Medicines:
Please note that we can give prescribed medication to pupils if they have to take it four times a day. Parental forms must be completed prior to us administering the medication and all medication needs to be clearly labelled with your child’s name. Please do not send in medication with your child – always bring it to the main office for safekeeping. The form is also available at the main office. Thank you for your cooperation.

Pentecost Eucharist:
Our next Eucharist will be taking place on Tuesday 23rd May at 10:30 am. Once again, everyone is welcome to join us for this special service.

National Tests:
Pupils in Year 2 to Year 6 will be completing their national tests before the half term break. All pupils will sit a reading, procedural (numeracy) and reasoning (numeracy) test. There is nothing to worry or be concerned about – the children are used to them and take them in their stride.

Enjoy a lovely weekend of sunshine pawb.
Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 5 Mai 2023:
Annwyl parents/carers,
We have had a wonderful day celebrating the King’s Coronation. We crowned our very own King Richard this morning and enjoyed a lovely indoor tea party this afternoon – photographs to follow. Thank you for dressing the children up too – they all looked amazing!

We have purchased commemorative bookmarks for all the pupils to mark the occasion. These will be given out on Tuesday.

Enjoy the bank holiday weekend and see you on Tuesday 9th May.
Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 28goingactivities after half term –
Father’s Day Sale – Monday 13th June.
Running a stall at the Henllys Village Fete – Saturday 9th July.
School disco – Monday 18th July.
Further details to follow.

Interactive TVs:
Following a WG grant, we have just installed 9 brand new Interactive TVs – one in every classroom, one in the ICT suite and a larger one in the hall. They have replaced our old interactive whiteboards and projectors. They are amazing and we are so pleased with them – photograph to follow.

Enjoy the weekend pawb and see you all on Monday.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 6 Mai 2022:

Annwyl parents/carers,
It seems like a very short week due to the bank holiday and our training day yesterday. We had a very productive day yesterday, discussing and agreeing the way forward for Maths and Numeracy in the morning. We then had whole school training on British Sign Language in the afternoon which we all found extremely useful. Our ‘Sing and Sign’ after school club and British Sign Language Assistants will ensure that this vital form of communication is taught throughout the school now.

Covid-19 Update:
We have finally gone back to our usual timetable which means we are having whole school Worships, ordinary break and lunch times and we are mixing classes for Fun Time Friday again. It has been so lovely to have our Celebrations Worship this afternoon – please don’t forget to send in medals, trophies, certificates etc. that your children have been awarded outside school so that we can celebrate their successes with them.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 has not gone away and is likely to remain with us globally. Even though restrictions have been lifted, we still need to work together keep everyone safe. Continuing with protective behaviours is important and will help to minimise exposure to and spread of COVID-19, as well as other respiratory infections and other diseases. Please read the latest self-isolation guidance from the WG which was updated on May 4th 2022.

Self-isolation: guidance for people with COVID-19 and their contacts | GOV.WALES

After School Clubs:
Please don’t forget to return your child’s after school club slips to let us know which club they will be attending. Children will be picked up as before, except for the Arts and Crafts Club who will need to be picked up from the Reception Class outdoor area.

Colorfoto:
Just a reminder that Colorfoto will be in on Monday 9th May taking class photographs. Can all pupils please school uniform NOT P.E. kit just for this day? Diolch yn fawr pawb.

Platinum Jubilee Celebrations:
We will be holding a number of events and activities to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations the week beginning Monday 23rd May. The celebrations will culminate in a special whole school Tea Party during the afternoon of Friday 27th May. We thought it would be lovely if the children could dress up on this day with each class wearing a themed outfit representing each decade the Queen has been in reign. Here goes-

Year 6 – 1950s
Year 5 – 1960s
Year 4 – 1970s
Year 3 – 1980s
Year 2 – 1990s
Year 1 – 2000s
Reception – 2010s

We do not expect you to go out and buy expensive outfits or costumes so please just use what you have in the house (or perhaps in charity shops). We will be taking lots of photographs of this special event to share with you. Let’s hope for a lovely sunny day!

Grow a Pound:
We have been amazed by the inventive ideas the children have come up with to grow their pound. We have also been absolutely delighted with the amount of money we have raised so far. Mr. Barton counted it today and we have so far raised:

£2512.29

A huge well done to everyone who has contributed to this fantastic amount. Please don’t worry if you haven’t sent in your money yet – there is still time! The PTA have also kindly requested for the £1 coins to be returned if you have been unable to grow it – diolch yn fawr.

Have a super weekend pawb and see you all on Monday morning.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

 

Dydd Gwener 29 Ebrill 2022:

Annwyl parents/carers,
It has been lovely to see our pupils return to Henllys after what sounds like a super Easter break for them all. We have launched our Summer Term topic ‘Survival of the Fittest!’ and the pupils have already come up with some fantastic ideas. We have had a very sporting week with a trip to the Principality Stadium to watch two Year 6 pupils play rugby, as well as entering a hockey and girls’ football tournament. We are very proud of all the pupils who took part – they represented the school really well.

Grow a Pound:
Huge diolch yn fawr to all the pupils who have already brought in the money they have made from the PTA’s Grown a Pound Challenge. Mr. Barton is really keen to collect evidence of the children’s ideas so please don’t forget to send in photographs via dojo or e-mail them to him at bartonr4@hwbcymru.net. We have extended the deadline to Friday 6th May so there is still time to grow your business. We are really keen to upgrade our trim trails/play equipment and are very grateful to the PTA for helping us raise much needed funds.

Universal Primary Free School Meals:
Welsh Government has recently announced the ‘Universal Primary Free School Meals’ programme, which will support educational attainment and child nutrition, alongside local food production and distribution, benefiting local economies.
From September 2022, the rollout of this programme will commence, starting with the Foundation Phase year groups initially before moving onto KS2 pupils. Although all the dates are not yet known, Torfaen catering are already reviewing their service to ensure they are prepared to provide the best possible service to your child/ren. To assist them in this preparation they would be very grateful if you could complete the following short survey.

https://forms.gle/1sX4KbecbtQ5TsDk8 – English
https://forms.gle/tTsziUM9puivSqmg8 – Welsh

Hockey Festival:
Following on from the hockey tournament on Wednesday, Gwent Hockey Club are having an open day on Sunday 1st May from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. to introduce young players to hockey at Cwmbran Stadium. There will be some hockey related fun games/challenges and a few matches for children to try. The cost is £3 per child.

Enjoy the bank holiday weekend pawb and please don’t forget that school is closed to all pupils on Thursday 5th May as it is our fifth training day of the year. Our Summer Term extra curricular clubs start next week too so please don’t forget to send the forms back in.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

 

Dydd Gwener 1 Ebrill 2022:

Annwyl parents/carers,
Well I have to say we have had a fair few pranks played on us today but the teachers have had their own fun too! It’s not often that April Fool’s Day falls during term time and the staff and pupils have certainly embraced the occasion!

Shadow Holy Week:
We have a busy week next week as it is our Shadow Holy Week so here are some of the events we have planned-
Dydd Llun – Palm Sunday Worship where the children parade around our school cross with palm crosses in hand.
Dydd Mawrth – Turning Tables Worship
Dydd Mercher – Withered Fig Worship led by our Worship Workers.
Dydd Iau – Washing of Feet Worship
Dydd Gwener – Good Friday Worship

We are also very much looking forward to our special Easter Production – Easter Children Tell the Story – which is being performed by our Year 3/4 pupils. Parents are in for a treat as it really is a beautiful production.

After School Clubs:
These will be running as normal next week but some of our after school clubs will be changing after the Easter holidays. Letters will be sent out next week detailing the new summer clubs we will have on offer.

Civica Pay:
With it being the end of term, can all parents please ensure you have fully paid for your child’s meals and the Early Bird sessions your child has attended for this term – diolch yn fawr.

Please note that school finishes at the normal time of 3:15 on Friday 8th April. Enjoy the weekend pawb and see you on Monday.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 25 Marwth 2022:

Annwyl parents/carers,
It has been lovely to see all the children on the field this week – making good use of our beautiful school grounds. I have also enjoyed hearing the pupils speak a modern foreign language too – it always amazes me how quickly children pick up new language patterns! They have been learning French, German or Spanish this week (depending on which class your child is in) and experienced a taste of foreign food and culture too.
Thank you to all those parents who attended parental consultations this week. We hope you found them useful and informative. We really wanted to show you their books but we couldn’t facilitate this safely this time.
I am very pleased to report that our Covid cases seem to have settled down and it has been lovely to see the return of the pupils who were absent last week. Please continue to follow the self-isolation rules on the WG website although I am aware that these are likely to change on Monday 28th March.

https://gov.wales/self-isolation

Parental Questionnaire:
I have collated and analysed all the feedback from the parental questionnaires you completed during the Autumn Term and will be presenting the results to our Governing Body during our next meeting. Thank you so much for such positive feedback.
I would now like to consult you on our new draft Teaching and Learning Policy which has been written taking into account the views of our pupils, staff and governors. We hope it reflects the changes to our curriculum and the Education reform that is currently taking place in Wales. Can I please ask you to read the attached draft policy and then complete the short questionnaire on Google Forms using the following link:

Draft Teaching and Learning Policy

https://forms.gle/o2qRNci2dV69JrZG7

Please note that you may have to log into your child’s hwb account in order to access the questionnaire. Thank you in advance for taking the time to support us on our journey towards curriculum reform.

Comic Relief:
We raised £124.12 for Comic Relief last Friday so huge thank you for supporting such an important cause. Thanks once again to our School Council for all their hard work organising the event.

South Wales Argus:
We are delighted to send home a copy of the South Wales Argus which features photographs from our St. David’s Day celebrations. All the classes are featured and the pupils look lovely. You may have to look a little harder for the photograph of our Year 6 pupils – but it is in there!

Happy Mothering Sunday to all the mums out there. Enjoy your special day on Sunday and we really hope you like your cards/gifts. We hope you get truly spoilt too – you deserve it!

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 18 Marwth 2022:

Annwyl parents/carers,
We seem to be going through a difficult period with Covid at present. Thankfully children, staff and parents are not getting really poorly but we hope that everyone starts to feel better soon and look forward to welcoming everyone back to school next week. Once again, please refer to the WG website regarding the rules about when it is safe to come out of self-isolation:

https://gov.wales/self-isolation

We do need to work together to stop it being transmitted to other staff/pupils and we are very grateful for all the daily LFD tests that are being carried out.

Vaccination Programme:
I have also been asked to share the attached letter from the Chief Medical Officer for Wales detailing the Covid vaccination programme for 5 to 11 year olds which is due to start over the next few weeks. NHS Wales will be contacting parents directly to offer the vaccination.
Letter to parents re 5-11 vaccination

Parental Consultations:
You should have received your allotted time/date for next week. Please let us know at your earliest convenience if you are unable to attend – diolch yn fawr. Please note that there will be no after school clubs next week due to staff being tied up with parental consultations.

Strategic Equality Plan:
It is a requirement to annually review our Strategic Equality Plan and this was undertaken by our Governing Body on March 8th 2022. The reviewed plan can be found in the Parents’ Area/School Policies section of this website.

Mothering Sunday Sale:
The Friends of Henllys PTA are kindly running a Mothering Sunday sale on Monday 21st March in school. Children will be able to visit the stall as a class, during the school day. The stall will be situated outside on the patio area and the children will be given the opportunity to purchase one item of their choice.  Diolch yn fawr to the PTA for organising such lovely gifts.

Physical Punishment:
I have been asked to share a letter from Karen Cornish the Deputy Director of the Children and Families Division. The letter is to inform organisations that from 21 March 2022, physically punishing children will be illegal in Wales. The letter also includes various resources about ending physical punishment in Wales, information on support for parents and information for practitioners.

https://gov.wales/children-abolition-defence-reasonable-punishment-wales-act-2020-circular

We are looking forward to seeing you all next week (even though it is virtually). Enjoy the sunshine this weekend – Spring is definitely in the air!

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 11 Marwth 2022:

Annwyl parents/carers,
I am sorry to start on a negative note but unfortunately we have seen an increase in Covid cases in school this week. We currently have a couple of classes (Year 2 and Year 4) with two cases so ‘Warn and Inform’ letters have been sent out to these parents advising them to carry our daily LFD tests on their children for 7 days. Please can I remind you that the self-isolation rules have not changed in Wales yet and the advice is still to go for a PCR test if you or your child has any of the three main symptoms of Covid. Further information can be found by visiting the following website:

https://gov.wales/self-isolation

If your child is feeling generally unwell, we would be very grateful if you could carry out an LFD test prior to sending them to school – given the current situation we feel that it is better to be safe than sorry. Please note that this does not apply to pupils under 5 years of age.

I am sure that the rules regarding Covid are going to be changing over the next few weeks and I will inform you of these changes in due course.

Parental Consultations:
If cases settle down, we are really hoping to have face-to-face meetings to give you the opportunity to see your child’s books as well as meeting your child’s teacher again. Letters with appointment times are being sent out today. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any concerns about attending your consultation.

Easter Production:
Once again, we are really hoping to be in a position to be able to invite parents in to see our Easter production on Tuesday 5th April (Y4 parents) and Wednesday 6th April (Y3 parents). Further information will be sent out nearer the time.

Comic Relief Day:
Comic Relief Day is taking place on Friday 18th March. School Council have organised this year’s theme which is to dress up as your hero. Please refer to the attached poster for all the details. Diolch yn fawr to our School Council for all their hard work.

Eisteddfod Work:
As promised, I have taken photographs of all the lovely work the children did for our Eisteddfod which we have put on display. I will upload them to the Whole School dojo page for you to see. We are very proud of the work they have produced and we hope you are too. Da iawn plant.

Well I will be glued to the television this evening hoping that Wales can overcome the mighty French rugby team – pob lwc Wales. Enjoy your weekend pawb and let’s hope and pray that things settle down soon and that everyone stays fit and healthy.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Gwener 4 Marwth 2022:

Annwyl parents/carers,
We have just completed one of my favourite weeks of the whole year. How lovely to have Eisteddfod and World Book Day in the same week and to be able to celebrate both days in school with all the pupils this year!

Our Eisteddfod was truly amazing – what talented, creative pupils we have at Henllys. We are in the process of putting all their work up on display and I will take photographs once it is completed to show you the high standard of work that has been produced in every year group.

The children’s costumes were all fantastic yesterday and we loved trying to guess the pupils’ favourite books! Thank you so much for making such a super effort and supporting this special day.

New Temporary Caretaker:
Unfortunately, Mrs. Elkins is still unable to return to work at present and Mr. Nathan Jones has moved onto a permanent post so I am delighted to welcome Mr. Tom Richards to the school. He lives locally and some of you may have seen him around the school this week. Welcome to Henllys Mr. Richards.

Grant Funding:
All schools in Wales have received some additional grant funding to support learners and to help raise standards and support pupil progress post Covid. We have decided to use the grant to employ an extra teacher to carry out PPA up until the Easter holidays. Mr. Craig Davidson has previously taught for a number of years in Ystrad Mynach and will be teaching in each of the classes instead of Mrs. Cook. This means that Mrs. Cook can deliver intervention and extra support to learners in various classes up until the Easter break. Welcome to Henllys too Mr. Davidson.

Easter Production:
We are planning to go ahead with our Easter production which our Year 3 and Year 4 pupils take part in. We have had switch the dates around slightly so Year 4 parents will be invited to attend on Tuesday 5th April and Year 3 parents on Wednesday 6th April so please keep these dates free.

 with your child’s class teacher, Mrs. Croft, our Teaching Assistants and myself. However, it is important to use it during a normal working day i.e. 8 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. weekdays only. Our staff do need to switch off from school during the evenings and on the weekends and we would be very grateful if this could be the case unless the matter is urgent e.g. you need to let us know that your child has tested positive for Covid. Diolch yn fawr for your support and cooperation.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Ukraine at this moment in time and thank you once again for all your generous donations. It is lovely to think that Henllys Church in Wales School has made a small difference to the people (especially the children) of Ukraine at such a difficult time. Enjoy the weekend pawb.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto

Dydd Llun 28 Chwefror 2022

Support for the People of Ukraine:
Some of you may have seen on the Henllys Life Facebook page an appeal to support the Ukrainian people who have had to leave their homes due to the Russian invasion. A parent has found a local charity that is currently in the process of collecting emergency essentials to distribute to those in need.

 s
> blankets
> instant tea/coffee/sugar
> tinned fish and meat

The donations will be collected after school on Thursday and dropped down to a centre in Newport before being sent to Poland over the weekend.

Diolch yn fawr in advance for your help and support. It is very much appreciated.

Kind regards,
Mrs. Philippa Minto