Weekly Newsletter 12.06.26

School News

Dear Parents, Carers and Friends,

Here are a few important updates and reminders as we continue through another busy term

Sports Day
We would like to thank you for your patience while we have been organising this year’s Sports Day. Unfortunately, the weather has not been in our favour, but we are hopeful that we will be able to go ahead as planned.

Reception to Year 2 will take part on Monday 15th June at 10:00am, with Years 3 to 6 competing in the afternoon at 1:30pm.

We will also be hosting a raffle during the event, with all money raised going towards the Year 5 and Year 6 residential trip to the Summit Centre. Fingers crossed that the weather stays dry so that we can all enjoy this wonderful event together.

Ystrad Mynach Library Visit
We are very fortunate that Dosbarth Glas, Porffor and Enfys have been invited to take part in an exciting visit to Ystrad Mynach Library. Thanks to grant funding secured by Caerphilly Library Service, the children will participate in a creative workshop with the well-known storyteller and author Daniel Morden, who has spent many years inspiring young people through his stories and performances.

During the visit, pupils will have the opportunity to explore the library, meet library staff and take part in activities designed to encourage a love of reading and creative writing. Each child will receive a bottle of water, an exercise book, a pen, copies of their written work and information about library services to take home.
Reading for Fun Outreach Programme

The library visit forms part of the Reading for Fun Library and School Outreach Programme, funded through a grant awarded to Caerphilly Library Service. The programme aims to encourage children in Years 4, 5 and 6 to
develop a lifelong love of reading by connecting schools with their local libraries through engaging sessions led by authors, poets and artists.

The programme is completely free, with all transport costs covered by the grant. As an additional benefit, participating classes will help secure National Book Tokens for our school library, enabling us to purchase new books and further enrich our pupils’ reading experiences

Attendance Matters
A gentle reminder that attendance remains important right up until the end of term. Every day in school counts and there is still lots of exciting learning taking place.

Transition Arrangements
We know many children are starting to think about next year and are eager to find out about their new classes. We are currently finalising arrangements and will share details with families soon.

Year 6 transition days at Pengam will take place on 1st and 2nd July. On 2nd July, all pupils will take part in a whole-school transition day, meeting their new teacher and spending time in their new classroom.

Trips and ParentPay Reminders
We are excited about the educational visits and experiences planned for the coming weeks. Please keep an eye out for letters and emails regarding upcoming trips, and ensure payments and permissions are completed promptly via ParentPay. If you need any support accessing the system, please contact the school office.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support.
Kind regards,
Mr Lloyd, Mrs Lloyd and the Derwendeg team

Important Dates

Key Dates for 2025-26 – Term Dates

Spring Term: Monday 5 January – Friday 27 March 2026
Half Term: Monday 16 February – Friday 20 February 2026
Summer Term: Monday 13 April – Monday 20 July 2026
Half Term: Monday 25 May – Friday 29 May 2026

Please remember these are the dates of the school year, but below are the dates for the Insets to reflect when the children are in school.

INSET Dates
Monday 5^th January
Friday 13^th February
Monday 13^th April
Monday 20^th July

June
Monday 15^th June – Whole School Sports Day
Wednesday 17^th June – Dosbarth Glas Ystrad Mynach Library visit
Thursday 18^th June – Dosbarth Enfys Ystrad Mynach Library visit
Friday 19^th June – Dosbarth Porffor Ystrad Mynach Library visit
Monday 22^nd June – Year 6 swimming sessions start (3 week block)
Tuesday 23^rd June – Bible exhibition Bethel Chapel – Gwyrdd
Wednesday 24^th June – Bible exhibition Bethel Chapel – Glas, Porffor, & Enfys

July
Wednesday 1^st July/Thursday 2^nd July – Lewis school Transition days
Wednesday 1^st July – Dosbarth Coch, Oren & Melyn Class trip
Monday 6^th July – Spain visit to our school
Wednesday 8^th July – Dosbarth Glas class trip
Friday 17^th July – break up for Summer holidays

School Menu
Click here to see the school menu.
Week beginning Mon 15^th June will be Week 3

Attendance Matters
The United Nation Article 28 states ‘every child has the right to have a primary education’. We are linking our attendance performance to this article.

We want our children to have the best possible education to give them the best chance in life. If your children aren’t in school we can’t give them this opportunity and can’t give them the opportunity to ‘be the best they can be.’

School target: 93%
Annual % to date: 91%

Weekly total
(Week ending 5th June): 92%

Dosbarth Oren: 99%
Dosbarth Melyn: 97%
Dosbarth Gwyrdd: 90%
Dosbarth Glas: 90%
Dosbarth Porffor: 92%
Dosbarth Enfys: 93%

Congratulations to the classes who surpassed our school target of 93%. It is important all of the children are in school every day to ensure they aren’t missing out on important learning.

Heroes of the Week

Dosbarth Melyn: Jax B & Amiya E
Dosbarth Gwyrdd: Hunter B & Layla P
Dosbarth Glas: Harry W & Seren W
Dosbarth Porffor: Jouson W & Alexis B
Dosbarth Enfys: Olly McN & Eva-Leigh C
Dosbarth Seren: Scarlett R-N