Weekly Newsletter 13.11.26

School News

Dear Parents, Carers and Friends,

What a busy week we have had at Derwendeg, filled with so many wonderful experiences, meaningful learning opportunities and achievements to celebrate! It has been lovely to see the children embracing their learning, getting involved in school events and making memories along the way. There is certainly lots to share!

Remembering Together – Dosbarth Porffor

A huge thank you to the children in Dosbarth Porffor for their wonderful assembly this week, as they led our whole school in our Act of Remembrance. We were incredibly proud of the way they approached this important occasion, taking it so seriously, learning their lines and sharing such meaningful messages with our school community. Thank you also to all the parents and family members who joined us for this special service.

Across the school, the children have also been involved in some wonderful authentic learning experiences linked to Remembrance. From sewing their own poppies and painting beautiful poppy gardens to making poppy pizzas, creating poppy crosses, exploring maths activities and writing thoughtful poems, there has been so much creativity and meaningful learning taking place. It has been wonderful to see the children developing their understanding of why we remember and the importance of peace.

Breaking the Silence – Anti-Bullying Day

A big well done to Dosbarth Glas for leading our Anti-Bullying Day this week under the important message ‘Break the Silence’. The children explored what bullying means, how our words and actions can affect others and, importantly, what we can all do to make a difference.

The Welsh Government’s anti-bullying guidance reminds us that bullying behaviour is behaviour which intentionally hurts another person, physically or emotionally, and may be repeated over time. It can take many forms, including physical, verbal, emotional and online bullying.

Our message to all our children and families is simple: Everyone has the right to feel safe, respected and included.

We all have a responsibility to challenge unkind behaviour. If something is happening to you, or you see someone else being hurt, don’t stay silent. Speak to a trusted adult, ask for help and remember that telling someone is not ‘telling tales’ – it is the right thing to do. We want Derwendeg to be a place where kindness matters, differences are celebrated and everyone feels they belong.

Children in Need – Thank You!

A huge thank you to everyone who supported our Children in Need celebrations this year. We have been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm, generosity and willingness of our children and families to get involved in supporting such a worthwhile cause. Thank you to Miss Maggs for leading the way and organising our fundraising activities. It is always lovely to see our school community coming together to make a difference to the lives of children who need our support.

Sporting Success!

Well done to our fantastic Derwendeg Netball Team, who represented our school at a netball tournament this week. The children played brilliantly, demonstrated fantastic teamwork and sportsmanship, and represented Derwendeg with such pride. We are incredibly proud of you all. Thank you for all your continued support. It really has been a week full of learning, kindness, community spirit and things to celebrate.

Kind regards,
Mr Lloyd, Mrs Lloyd and the Derwendeg team.

Important Dates

Key Dates for 2026-27 – Term Dates

Autumn Term: Tuesday 1 Sept – Friday 18 December 2026
Half Term: Monday 26 Oct – Friday 30 Oct 2026
Spring Term: Monday 4 January – Friday 19 March 2027
Half Term: Monday 8 February – Friday 12 February 2027
Summer Term: Monday 5 April – Tuesday 20 July 2027
Half Term: Monday 31 May – Friday 4 June 2027

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
Tuesday 1^st September
Friday 5^th February
Friday 2^nd October
Monday 5^th April
Monday 19^th July
Tuesday 20^th July

November
Wednesday 11^th November – Year 5/6 Remebrance Service – Dosbarth Porffor.
Friday 13^th November – Children in Need
Friday 13^th November – Anti-bullying Assembly – Dosbarth Glas.
Thursday 19^th November – Dwr Cymru Outreach workshops for Dosbarth Glas, Porffor and Enfys
Thursday 19^th November – ALN Coffee afternoon
Mon 23^rd Nov – Snow White Pantomime in School

December
Monday 7^th December – Foundation Phase Nativity
Tuesday 8^th December – Foundation Phase Nativity
Wednesday 9^th December – Christmas Dinner Day
Wednesday 9^th December – KS2 Christmas Show
Wednesday 9^th December – 5pm – Derwendeg/Hope Church Community Carol Concert
Thursday 10^th December – KS2 Christmas Show
Friday 11^th December – Dosbarth Coch, Oren & Melyn class trip to Eden Centre
Monday 14^th December – Christmas party week
Friday 18^th December – Break up for Christmas holidays

January

Monday 4^th January – Children return to school
Monday 11^th January – Dosbarth Porffor & Enfys – Police assembly on our Community and helping others
Tuesday 12^th January – Year 6 Period Dignity workshop

February

Tuesday 2^nd February – Reception children Vision and Growth Screening
Friday 5^th February – Inset Day – School closed to children
Friday 5^th February – Break up for half term
Monday 15^th February – Children return to school

March

Tuesday 9^th March – Year 6 Trip – Change the Game workshop
Friday 19^th March – Break up for Easter holidays

April

Monday 5^th April – Inset Day
Tuesday 6^th April – Children return to school
Tuesday 6^th April – Year 6 pupils swimming lessons everyday for 3 weeks

May

Monday 3^rd May – Bank Holiday, school closed
Wednesday 26^th May – Year 5/6 Summit Residential Trip
Friday 28^th May – Break up for half term

June

Sports Days – Dates to be confirmed

July
Friday 16^th July – Break up for Summer Holidays
Monday 19^th & Tuesday 20^th July – Inset Days

School Menu

Click here to see the school menu .

Week beginning Mon 16^th Nov 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 6th Nov): 91%

Dosbarth Oren: 94%
Dosbarth Melyn: 91%
Dosbarth Gwyrdd: 95%
Dosbarth Glas: 92%
Dosbarth Porffor: 91%
Dosbarth Enfys: 88%

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 Oren: Florence E & Isla-Rose P
Dosbarth Melyn: Bette P-G & Amelia M
Dosbarth Gwyrdd: Liam W & Brodie-Lee P
Dosbarth Glas: Teddy H & Bessie C
Dosbarth Porffor: Keoni C & Harper-Rae P-D
Dosbarth Enfys: Brooke P & Emiah H
Dosbarth Seren: George H-S