Website Upgrade Summer 2010
June 28, 2010
During the summer months the School website will undergo several key changes including a complete redesign. The new site will allow us to have more interactive photo galleries, upload files that can be viewed and downloaded by parents and children including the new School prospectus, and better search and filing of information that will make it a lot easier for everyone to find exactly what they are looking for.
During the upgrade process, the site may be unavailable for short periods (a half day here and there) but we will make every effort to keep it online for viewing.
The new website will be fully operational before the start of the new term.
Newsletter 11/02/2009
February 11, 2009
11th February 2009.
Dear Parent,
What a fantastic weekend last weekend was for former pupils of Llantrisant Primary School. Scott Andrews played for Wales Under 20’s on Friday night against Scotland and although they lost 18 – 17, Scott had a really strong game, making one try saving tackle and being a very physical presence at rucks and mauls. On Sunday afternoon a surprise last minute call up saw Bradley Davies win his first full cap at Murrayfield, coming on as late replacement but being called into the squad to replace captain Ryan Jones. I am sure, like me, you all want to pass on our congratulations to Bradley and I know that everywhere the game was watched locally a big cheer went up, as it did in my house, when he got on to the field. Well done Brad!! Keeping on the theme of the Six Nations, the PTA circulated a Six Nations Sweep table to all families before the event started.
Could I ask that they be returned by Friday, as the first results are already in and any later than that may give an unfair advantage to the guesses that you have on the total points that Wales win in this championship. As part of the transition programme to get children ready to go to Y Pant Comprehensive, a fantastic opportunity has been arranged in recent years for the children to go away as a group to work on team building activities and to get to know the children they will be going into Year 7 with in September. This really builds friendship bonds and breaks down concerns the children have and the trip this year will be run between the 18th & 20th of March and is going to be in Kingswood, a fantastic outdoor education centre in England. The cost of accommodation and activities is paid for from the transition budget and won’t cost the children anything. However, transport costs will need to be met by yourselves and these will be £20 per pupil.
A full outline of the venue and actitivites that the children will have a chance to take part in will be provided in a presentation at Y Pant School on the evening of Monday, 23rd February at 6.30 pm. This is a meeting for parents, as space would be an issue if all children attended. I would urge all of you parents of Year 6 children to go along to the meeting. Kingswood is really a fantastic venue, Pontyclun have already been there and sing its praises very highly and I am sure that the children will really get a lot out of the programme of events.
Shrove Tuesday is on Tuesday, 24th February, the first Tuesday back after half term, and I would like to invite any grandparent who enjoys making pancakes to come in and to help the children make pancakes on this day. If we have volunteers by Friday, the ingredients will be at hand in school and I am sure the children will enjoy making their own pancakes to celebrate this day.
Tomorrow is the last day at school for a number of the students who have been here for quite some time. Our nursery nurse student in Class 2, Naomi Jones, is finishing tomorrow, as are the teaching students Sharon Samways in Class 1 and Cath Thomas in Class 4. All the students have added value to what goes on in school during their time with us and I would like to wish them the best of luck in their selected careers.
Over half term Emily and Megan Prewett will be competing in qualifying competitions for the Englsih dance championships and I would like to wish them all the best for these evants. On Thursday after half term Tang Soo Do will begin at the school at 3.40pm and go on for approximately an hour. This will be the first of ten sessions run by Master Wynford Williams. If you have not returned your reply slip along with the £30 for this event, please do so as soon as possible.
The trip due to take place on Friday night to the Brewery Field to watch Scott Andrews play for Wales Under 20’s vs England, looks likely to go ahead. Please send a note in with your child if you would like them to take part in this trip. I don’t require any money at this stage, its been difficult trying to get people pinned down in relation to tickets. I am hoping we can get them for free but we may have to pay on the door and this is why I have said that the trip may cost £5.00, including a McDonald’s.
To this end we will leave Gwaun Ruperra Car Park at 6.00 pm for those who are going and I would ask you to collect your children from McDonald’s in Talbot Green, to make things a little easier at the end of the evening. I presume we will be there at roughly 9.30 pm. I would like to wish you all a happy half term and look forward to seeing you all back in school on Monday 23rd February.
Yours faithfully,
Mike Emanuel
Head Teacher.
Newsletter 4th Feb. 2009
February 4, 2009
4th February 2009.
Dear Parent,
After the excitement and fun created for the children by the snowfall yesterday, it was great to see so many of them back in school today, despite the mixed and confusing messages given out by ITV and schools’ emails yesterday. The severe weather warning continues for our area so it will be wise to look at the website first thing tomorrow morning or to phone one of the numbers I gave you last week.
AS a reminder these are Helen Pritchard on 228921, Sarah Cranstone on 224769 and Hazel Penberthy on 229093 and also Mrs. Theresa Bowen on 228898, as well as the school number 237829 and the website www.llantrisantprimary.co.uk.
The rugby match due to be held this afternoon versus Carnetown has been postponed as Carnetown school is closed today, as are all ‘after school clubs’ and events for the week, which will allow pupils and staff to get home safely in the weather conditions.
On Monday next week Kate Dyer and Megan Prewett will be meeting with members of other schools’ councils to talk about work they are doing in their own schools. Kate and Megan will be doing a presentation on the proposed makeover to the front of the school and also school trips. On Tuesday morning there will be a panel meeting at the school and on Wednesday Greg Davies will be coming along to do PE with Class 4. Parents’ Evenings are planned for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week.
I hope the times are convenient to you and that any requests you have made were able to be accommodated. These meetings will give you an idea where your child is currently at in their development, where they are going next and how you can help to get them there. The attendance at these evenings is always first class, well done to you for that and I look forward to seeing you next week.
The Class 4 trip to Tintern Abbey due to take place tomorrow, is now postponed due to the weather, hopefully this trip will be rearranged for later in the term. The Class 3 trip to Caerleon, due to take place on Friday, has also been postponed and will now take place on Monday, 23rd February Due to Ms. Davies’ absence in Class 2, I would like to postpone the majority of Parents’ Evenings until later in the term. Mrs. Cowley will be able to meet with parents of the children in her group in Class 2 to discuss the progress being made with language and reading, which are core to the childrens’ progress.
If any other parent is particularly keen to have a update at this time the staff and myself will do our best using the available assessment material to accommodate you.
Finally I would like to give a big thanks to Mr. David Owen for the last couple of days, as he has been arriving in school very early in the morning to look at the conditions and make a decision about school opening and closures. Hopefully he will be able to do the same for us for the rest of the week if weather conditions deteriorate.
For Health & Safety reasons if we have heavy snowfall it is likely to block access to the school for vehicles and our first concern is for the safety of the children so it would be safe to assume the school will be closed. If its safe to open the school will open. It is always interesting to see the way that school closures are reported in the news, especially when they compare us with Scandanavia and the Northern European snowy countries who manage to stay open whatever the weather.
The authorities in those countries are equipped with many items of specialist equipment, which costs a fortune, to keep roads and access ways clear to schools. The parents have suitable vehicles or suitably adapted vehicles with special tyres in order to get the children to the school. The whole school community, parents, children and staff have the necessary clothing and footwear not only to come to school but to make the most of the conditions. How great it would have been today for all the children to have been in snowsuits and snow shoes so that at break time we could have had some sledging on the slope near the driveway and other fun activities, like snowman building. However, we don’t have weather like this every year so all these specialist items prove too expensive for us to buy or to replace as the children grow having hardly used them. Lets hope that we don’t have much further disruption, but that if we do that there is more realistic understanding of the reasons for it and that the children have a chance to enjoy as many of the opportunities that the children in snowy countries get on a regular basis.
Yours sincerely,
Mike Emanuel
(Head Teacher)
Newsletter 28th Jan.2009
February 2, 2009
28th January 2009.
Dear Parent,
As usual this week, there is lots going on and further plans for more activities to come in future weeks. The netball squad thoroughly enjoyed their visit to the University of Glamorgan yesterday. Thanks to Theresa Bowen for being involved and taking them along and to all parents who were able to offer lifts. We will be having our second series of Parents’ Evenings for this academic year, starting on Monday, 9th February. We send invites out to try to ensure that families with more than one child at the school are able to have consecutive appointments. If any of you have times that you would prefer between Monday, 9th and Wednesday 11th February please send a note in with your child so we can do our best to make appropriate appointments for you.
We are hoping to increase the childrens’ awareness of the world of work and would like to invite as many parents as possible in to school to talk about the jobs that they do. You may be a Lion Tamer, Astronaut, or feel that you do the most mundane of jobs, but having you speak and answer questions about what you do, will be an exciting change for the children in the class and most especially for your child. If you are able to do this please fill in the attached slip and return it to school as soon as possible.
In a few weeks time we are hoping to set up a vegetable garden at the back of the school and we would really like grandparents with an interest in and knowledge of gardening, to get involved with the children in producing some of our own food. Please find attached a letter from Mr. Wynford Williams, a 6th Dan in Tang Soo Do, who would like to run a ten week course for the children, after school on a Thursday evening. We will need a take up of around ten children of junior age for the course to go forward. I know one of Mr. Williams’ pupils quite well and if a pupils’ abilities reflect the quality of the teacher, this course would be very worthwhile taking part in. The cost for the ten week course will be £30.
The Fruit Tuck Shop is still running on a Wednesday. We get a delivery from a company called Crewmint. The bags of fruit that they supply are really good value at 40p, demand seems to have fallen off a little bit lately. Please remember to send in 40p on a Wednesday as the children do enjoy this weekly treat.
Tomorrow afternoon classes 3 & 4 will have the first of four weeks of rugby skills coaching provided by members of the Blues Under 11 coaching team. On Saturday morning at 10.00 am, eight children from the school will be going along to Pontyclun Primary to take part in a squash team tournament and if they are up to it, individual tournaments in the afternoon. This is an exciting introduction to squash for the children involved and hopefully, I will get along at some stage in the proceedings to see how the children are doing.
The annual St. David’s Day photographs will be taken on Monday. If you would like your child to be in the photographs please send them in Welsh costume on this day. The photographer is very rigid about only taking the children who have turned up in costume, so please ensure that if you would like your child to be in the local paper, they wear costume on this day.
After school on Monday 2nd to Wednesday 4th of February we will be holding a Book Fair. If any parents are willing to help with manning the book stalls please can you see Mr. David Owen. On Tuesday morning we have a number of teachers from other schools visiting as part of the UWIC moderation process for training teachers. Also on Tuesday, at 4.30 pm, there will be a full Governing Body meeting held at the school.
Next Wednesday afternoon, the members of the rugby squad that trained today at Penygawsi, will be playing Carnetown, which is in the Cynon Valley, away. I am currently trying to arrange transport for the trip, but if we are not able to borrow Y Pant’s mini bus, we may need to request lifts there and back. The children will return to school at approximately 5.30 pm after the match. Please make arrangements to pick them up at this time.
Yours faithfully,
Mike Emanuel
Head Teacher.
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Newsletter 21/01/2009
January 28, 2009
21st January 2009.
Dear Parent,
This afternoon the players from the rugby squad were able to take part in the area rugby festival at Llantrisant Rugby Club. When asked about positions that they would like to play, we had a larger than usual number wanting to play second row, I wonder if this has got anything to do with Bradley Davies’ inclusion in the six nations squad for this year. I would like to offer our congratulations to Bradley on his selction, there was great excitement at the school when the squad was announced and at his winning try at the Heineken Cup match at Gloucester on Sunday.
Congratulations go to Lewys Ryan and James Bull who have made the county under 10 and 11 cricket team, respectively. This follows on from the success we had last year in cricket and I am hoping to be able to continue our links with Miskin Cricket Club after the Easter break. We will be needing parent volunteers again to take the children down, but we will look into this more closely nearer to the time. Well done also to James Bull who has been a regular member of the Pontypridd Schools’ A Team this season and is playing at outside half for them. James has been put forward by Pontypridd Schools’ to the East Wales trials and is wished every success in his efforts. Perhaps one of these boys will be the next sporting superstar to come from Llantrisant Primary School. Next Tuesday
Mrs. Bowen will be taking the netball squad to the University of Glamorgan. If you are able to help with transport please let us know as soon as you can.
Yours sincerely,
Mike Emanuel
Head Teacher.
Newsletter 14/01/2009
January 16, 2009
Dear Parent,
The visit on Monday by our LEA link advisor, Mrs. Rayner Rees, when she monitored lessons and reported back to the governing body, went well. Mrs. Rees confirmed what the governing body were already aware of, that the end of key stage results for last summer showed that the children have made good progress over the key stages. It was quite a long day for the staff as this after school meeting was followed by classroom visits by governors, where they looked at a typical week in the classroom for the staff.
The combined Llantrisant and Penygawsi Primary rugby team played against Pontyclun Primary last night after school. The ‘A’ team gave an oustanding performance winning by 40 points to 20, scoring some excellent tries and making excellent use of the ball. The boys displayed good balanced running and passing into space, which is quite an achievement for children of this age. The ‘B’ team played a very exciting match with the result in doubt right up to the last play and the game ended in a 7 tries all draw. What an exciting finish it was!
Mr. Owen has asked that I put a very unusual request in this weeks letter, he is hoping to make a designated garden area at the back of the school and in order to do so needs some railway sleepers. The request that he has put in my diary reads “ in next weeks letter appeal for some railway sleepers – every home should have one!”. If you do, or are able to get hold of them for us, we would be very grateful.
We will be finally having our visit from Jane Davidson on Friday. It has been postponed once due to school and assembly commitments. She will be looking at the Foundation Phase provision in light of the extra funding the school has already received and, hopefully, to find out what we will do with any additional money that comes.
Yours sincerely,
Mike Emanuel
Head Teacher.
Newsletter 10th Dec.2008
December 10, 2008
10th December .2008
Newsletter 3rd December 2008
December 3, 2008
3rd December .2008
Newsletter 26th November 2008
December 3, 2008
26th Nov.2008
Newsletter 19/11/2008
November 19, 2008
19th Nov.2008
