On Tuesday, the children in years 1 and 2 had a visit from Miriam, a Senior Field Officer from the Vale of Glamorgan Council. Miriam helped the children check our nesting boxes and we were delighted to discover that one had been used to raise a brood. To further enhance our outdoor environment, Miriam kindly added three more nesting boxes around the polytunnel. In addition to this, other groups of children made their own Christmas wreaths using willow and evergreen plants found in our school garden. It was a wonderful opportunity for the children to connect with nature and showcase their creativity.

Thursday was a day filled with joy and excitement as our Infant classes performed their Nativity play, "The Sleepy Shepherd". The children acted, narrated, danced, and sang beautifully, captivating the hearts of all parents and grandparents in attendance. It was truly an amazing production, and I would like to commend our talented pupils for their dedication and hard work. They have been practising their lines, songs, and stage skills tirelessly, and their efforts truly shone through. I must also extend a heartfelt thank you to all the staff involved in making this production a resounding success.

I would like to acknowledge the incredible support we received from our Parent Teacher Association (PTA) during the Nativity play. They sold refreshments before the performances and organised a Christmas Raffle, raising a staggering £643.03 for the PTA funds.

This is an extraordinary amount, and we are immensely grateful for their dedication and hard work. The PTA is now busy organising a special visit from Father Christmas on Tuesday next week. Each class will have the opportunity to meet with this special visitor, and I extend a warm invitation to the parents of our Year 6 pupils to join their class for this memorable event. The children in Year 6 will have a chance to meet with the Big Man himself at 9:30 am, and parents are welcome to join the PTA for a hot drink from the start of the day.

I also want to take this opportunity to inform you about an exciting Family Learning Course that will be taking place in our school. Starting on Tuesday, 9th January, from 1 to 3:30 pm, the Fizzy Fun Science course will run for 10 weeks. This course, led by teacher Emma from Cardiff and Vale College (CAVC), will allow parents and family members to work alongside their child, exploring various STEM experiments. The course is free for all and open to children from years 2 to 6. Children must be accompanied by a family member, such as parents, siblings over the age of 18, or grandparents. Please look out for the flyer that your child will be bringing home today for more information.

The Family Learning Project at CAVC aims to engage families and support parents in practical and enjoyable ways to enhance their children's education. The qualified teachers from CAVC deliver bespoke courses and workshops designed to take families on an exciting learning journey together. These courses are delivered in schools across Cardiff and the Vale, with some now available online. Participating in Family Learning with CAVC not only provides parents with an understanding of how to support their children at all levels of progression but also offers an opportunity to gain a qualification. 

Looking ahead to next week, we have the Y1/2 Violin and Cello concert taking place in the school hall at 3 pm on Monday, 18th December. This is a wonderful opportunity for the children to showcase what they have learned over the past 10 weeks of lessons.

On Tuesday, 19th December, we have a special visit from Father Christmas in the morning. In addition, our Junior children will be performing their Carol concerts at 2 pm and 5:30 pm in the school hall. We kindly request that pupils return to school at 5 pm for the evening performance.

Wednesday, 20th December, will see our Christmas Market take place from 2:45 to 3:15 pm. The children will be selling the products they have been producing as part of their enterprise challenge over the past few weeks. It promises to be a delightful event, so please come along and support the children's hard work.

Lastly, Thursday is our school's Christmas Dinner day. The children will be served a delicious turkey roast dinner or a vegetarian option. Please note that there will be no other food options available on this day. You have the option to pre-order your child's meal on Parent Pay.

To end the term on a festive note, we invite all children in KS2 to wear a Christmas jumper to school on Monday and Tuesday for the Carol Concert. Additionally, all children are welcome to wear a Christmas jumper on Thursday for Christmas Dinner. Finally, on Friday, the last day of term, children may wear their own clothes.

Thank you for your continued support throughout this term. I wish you all a joyful and peaceful festive season.

Warm regards,

Mr James Griffiths