Weekly Newsletter 22.05.26

School News

Dear Parents, Carers and Friends, As we come to the end of another busy and successful half term, we are all looking forward to a well-deserved break. The sunshine forecast for the week ahead sounds wonderful, and we hope everyone enjoys some rest, relaxation, and family time before we return to enjoy the final part of the summer term. There is still so much to look forward to, with lots of exciting trips, memorable experiences, and authentic learning opportunities planned for the weeks ahead.

World Bee Day
It has certainly been a hive of activity in school this week as we celebrated World Bee Day! Our children have fully embraced the theme through a wide range of engaging and creative activities. It has been fantastic to see such authentic learning taking place across the school. I have seen classes baking delicious treats, exploring symmetry through paint and pattern work, and developing creativity and collaboration through block play. The excitement and enthusiasm from the children has been wonderful to see.

ASPIRE Curriculum
We are also incredibly excited about the progress being made with our new STEM Room. This week, Mr Cooper, Mrs Rigler, Miss Gemmell, and Mrs James have worked tirelessly to help set up the shelter area, creating an inspiring environment for hands-on learning. The children have already begun their very first woodwork project, making resources for our Early Years children — authentic learning at its very best. It has been wonderful to see the children developing such a strong sense of belonging and ownership over the space, and they are incredibly proud of the progress they have made so far. We cannot wait for the rest of the school to begin using the area during the summer term.

National Boxing Champion
We would also like to celebrate one of our incredibly successful pupils, Joey Thomas, who last week won the National Boxing Championship in Cardiff — an outstanding achievement and one we are all extremely proud of. His dedication and commitment to his sport meant that he narrowly missed the coach to Bristol Airport for our Spain trip! However, thanks to the determination and support of his wonderful parents, he still made the flight and is now thoroughly enjoying life in Spain alongside the other 19 pupils. What a fantastic example of perseverance and commitment.

Spain Trip
Our Year 5 and 6 children are having the most amazing time in Spain. They have fully immersed themselves in the experience — exploring the school, taking part in lessons, making new friends, practising their Spanish, and enjoying visits to the beach in the most beautiful weather. The memories they are creating will stay with them for years to come. A huge thank you must also go to the wonderful staff accompanying the trip, who have been absolutely amazing in caring for and supporting the children throughout this incredible experience.

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.

Finally, I would like to wish all of our families a lovely and restful half term holiday. Thank you, as always, for your continued support throughout another busy and successful half term. We look forward to welcoming everyone back soon for the final part of the summer term.

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

May
Friday 22^nd May – break up for half term

June
Thursday 4^th June – 1.30pm Reception-Year 2 Sports Day
Friday 5^th June – 9.15am Nursery Sports Day
Friday 5^th June – 1.30pm Year 3-Year 6 Sports Day
Monday 8^th June – Year 6 leavers photos
Thurs 11^th June – Dosbarth Gwyrdd Class Trip
Wednesday 17^th June – Dosbarth Glas Ystrad Mynach Library visit
Thursday 18^th June – Dosbarth Porffor Ystrad Mynach Library visit
Friday 19^th June – Dosbarth Enfys 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 1^st June will be Week 1

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: 92%

Weekly total
(Week ending 15th May): 90%

Dosbarth Oren: 94%
Dosbarth Melyn: 93%
Dosbarth Gwyrdd: 79%
Dosbarth Glas: 90%
Dosbarth Porffor: 90%
Dosbarth Enfys: 95%

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 Coch: Kobi W & Lucy M
Dosbarth Oren: Axel W & Elijah L
Dosbarth Melyn: Nancy E & Jax B
Dosbarth Gwyrdd Nila S & Osian B
Dosbarth Glas: Oliver W & Daisy I
Dosbarth Porffor: Glyn R & Halle-Jo P
Dosbarth Enfys: Daniel C & Thea M
Dosbarth Seren: Isaac M