Latest News
Keep up to date with all the news happening in school at the moment.
-
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
Mon 22 Jun 2020June 19th, 2020.
Dear Parent/Carer,
Firstly, I would like to thank you for your support, understanding and patience over the past three months. I am grateful to you for everything you have done to assist your child’s learning, your child’s school and the local authority at this difficult time.
The purpose of this letter is to provide you with further information in respect to the re-opening of schools. Please note that schools in Carmarthenshire will now close on Friday 17th July for the summer holiday, not on 24th July as previously stated.
Check in, Catch up and Prepare
Our school staff have been innovative in the way they have kept learning going since the 20th March; it is clear from recent experience that learning knows no boundaries and will not be locked down! As a result of the Minister for Education’s recent announcement in respect of the re-opening of schools, the local authority is keen to work with schools and parents/carers to ensure all pupils benefit from an opportunity to check in with their schools, catch up with their peers and teachers, and prepare for the next school year.
It is unlikely that schools will return to the way they were operating prior to the lockdown for some considerable time; we however need to approach the ‘check in, catch up’ arrangements as first steps towards inspiring and exciting pupils about learning once again.
From Monday 29th June, our schools will welcome back pupils to attend specified sessions. Not all learners will return at once and, when they do return, the school day might start and end at different times for different learners.
Headteachers and their staff are preparing our schools to ensure that their operation complies with local and national guidance and ensure that they are as safe as possible for pupils and staff. It is clear that the restrictions placed on schools will be lifted carefully and cautiously and each individual school will make local decisions on how they will re-open. We expect this process to be developmental and as schools and their communities gain greater confidence and rhythm, they will progress towards admitting up to their new capacity although it may take time to reach this level of operation.
We expect schools to contact you to ensure that you understand, as soon as possible, how environments, procedures and operation have been adapted in order to accommodate, as safely as possible, the return of pupils to schools. These arrangements will be reviewed regularly and will be subject to change wherever necessary, placing the safety of pupils and staff at the centre of consideration.
We appreciate that there will be some apprehension and uncertainty at this time. Schools will engage with you over the next fortnight to inform you of their plans and to provide reassurances as and when needed. Information will include, amongst other things:
- A school plan with information in regard to entry, exit and circulation of learners.
- Information in respect to arrival at school - time, protocol, registration
- The day/session your child is expected to attend.
- Arrangements in respect to lunch - if your child attends for a full day a packed lunch will be required.
- Confirmation in regard to school uniform - this will be a local decision for the Governing Body.
- Information in regard to the process if a child becomes ill during the day.
Once again, I am keen to do everything possible to reassure you of the local authority’s efforts in supporting the emotional and physical wellbeing of learners. The local authority is working closely with schools and its partners to ensure that guidance and support is in place to assist your child’s return to school.
Therefore, when your child returns to school, there will be a clear focus on wellbeing and on an enjoyment of outdoor learning, where and when this is practical. In secondary schools, there may eventually be a focus, in some year groups, on supporting pupils’ learning, in anticipation of the academic demands of the forthcoming school year.
Owing to the regulations set by Welsh Parliament on social distancing, our home to school transport provision will be significantly restricted. Pupils are being encouraged to safely walk or cycle to school where possible, and if transport is needed, for parents to make every effort to provide it.
It is important to note that, during this period, you are free to decide whether to send your child to school or not. We are doing all we can to ensure that the school environment is as safe as possible for learners and staff. Should you decide not to send your child to school during this summer term, you will not be penalised. If you choose not to send your child to school, your child will continue to receive the same home-to-school support they have received so far.
In conclusion, I would like to thank you all, once again, for your continuing support at a very difficult time.
Gareth Morgans
For further information and guidance on schools re-opening please visit -www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/education
-
WHAT WILL MY CHILD BE DOING AT SCHOOL?
Sun 21 Jun 2020Daily activities at school, before the summer holidays This is a guide as to the sorts of things your child will be doing in school over the next few weeks. We are following Welsh government guidance. All pupils will still have access to online learning and the learning activity grid work for each class which is available on the website. For this work you do not need internet access. Teaching staff will continue to contact you and update this work over the next 3 weeks. During the summer holiday, there will be no updated online provision or phonecalls. However, if you need any non- urgent help, please contact us on the usual email: admin@maesymorfa.ysgolccc.cymru • Arrival and circle time- collection of thoughts, feelings and any questions linked to online work or anything that has been raised in the news. • Expressions through arts and crafts- • Outdoor activities – team games, team building , trust and co-operation, safe cycling (we have a variety of different sized bikes to accommodate all pupils, these are new and have approved safety helmets) staff have been trained in cycling training techniques. • Meditation and Yoga – brain gym • Dance and movement • Brain gym quizzes, wellbeing bingo, health and safety detectives, setting up safe rules • The day will end with a story or a song
-
RETURN TO SCHOOL
Sat 20 Jun 2020If your child is coming back to school , during the week starting 29th June a member of staff will telephone you next week and tell you which group your child is in. They will be the group leader for those few weeks. They will give you days and times that your child is due to come in to school and leave school. These timings are very important. Please remember if you miss your time slot in the morning we cannot admit you. If you miss your collection time , then you will have to return at 4.30pm to collect your child when everyone has left. Thank you for your understanding and please answer the phone to NO CALLER ID or CALLER UNKNOWN next week. If you have not heard anything by Thursday and you expecting your child to return , please email us on admin@maesymorfa.ysgolccc.cymru. This will mean we haven't been able to get hold of you. Timings for groups will also be published on our social media pages and website. Pupils who have been attending the hub will be contacted separately as they are in a separate group. Nursery pupils will be offered a later start so that do not have too long a session. Thank you for your continued support.
-
New Learning Grids for pupils
Thu 18 Jun 2020June learning activity grids with lots of topic based ideas are now available for each class on the school website. In Pupils section, click on your child's class. Enjoy
-
TIMINGS FOR COLLECTING REPORTS
Tue 16 Jun 2020TIMINGS FOR COLLECTING REPORTS AND Y6 REFUNDS
TIMINGS FOR COLLECTING YOUR CHILD'S REPORT: Please could we ask that one person from your family comes to collect the reports. We will open one of the doors(the entrance door) and there will be a table directly inside where we will ask you your child's name and hand you the report in a brown envelope. Y6 refunds will be available at the second door (usually school exit.) No refunds will be given out to pupils and you will be asked to sign for it. If you are asking a neighbour to collect the refund then please telephone us to let us know who this is. We will only give the refund to family members if not told. Gloves and sanitiser will be available for you should you wish to use them. We ask that you observe the floor markings and stand on the 2 metre gaps. Apologies but we cannot allow parents access inside the school building. Please only arrive on your day and in your time slot. If you cannot collect the reports and your child is coming into school, we will give them to your child. Remember not all children will be coming in to school before the summer holidays. Thank you for your support. TUESDAY 23rd JUNE Y6 BETWEEN 10am and 12pm Y5 BETWEEN 12.30pm and 2.30pm Y1 BETWEEN 2.30pm and 4pm WEDNESDAY 24th JUNE Y4 BETWEEN 10am and 12pm Y2 BETWEEN 12.30pm and 2.30pm Reception 2.30pm to 4pm THURSDAY 25th JUNE Y3 BETWEEN 9am and 11am NURSERY 11.30am - 1.30pmIf you have another child in school, just come in the older child's slot. e.g If you have a child in Y6 , Y1 and Y3 come in the 10 am slot on Tuesday and ask for the Y1 and Y3 child's report while you are there. Thank you
-
Parents Letter on return to school
Sun 14 Jun 2020Please read this in the Latest News Documents section of the Parents page tab.
-
UPDATE on return to school
Sun 07 Jun 2020Hi everyone. I have been asked a number of questions but only two of them can I give a confirmed answer to, at this stage. We only have a capacity in each class for a small number of pupils at a time. So, each child will not be back for 4 weeks every day. The children will be rota'd on specific days in the same groups. We will have to stagger start and finish times. It is vital that your child arrives at the correct time. If they do not we will not be able to admit them that day. We have to keep one group of pupils separate from another at all times to keep everyone safe. You must also collect at the time allocated or you will have to return at the end of the day when there are no other pupils in the building. Again, pupils in the same allocated group have to arrive and leave together. I hope this helps you with your decisions.
-
PARENTS PLEASE HELP US BY FILLING IN THIS SURVEY
Thu 04 Jun 2020https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Ug4_TzS3ZEGUCRtgHRR5k6jDueheyWVBgpAq_Yh7pX1UN0k5V01IWTY0OVJCRzUxWllLSDFCODE3SS4u
Only 4 questions
HI everyone a plea from us as a school. Could you click on this link and give us this much needed information. We need to know exactly how many pupils will be returning on June 29th. This will enable us to plan and organise staffing as well as rooms. If we know numbers we can start working on provision. This helps us with year groups and numbers. It is clear that not all pupils will come in every day, they will need to come in on a rota basis. This needs considerable planning.
Could you please respond to this short survey of 4 questions before Friday 12th June.
Thank you all for your help.
-
Return to school
Wed 03 Jun 2020If you have not already heard I am sure you will watch the news tonight. We have just been informed by Kirsty Williams the Education Minister that schools will be re-opening on 29th June until 27th July. At the moment we do not have clear guidance as to which year groups and we need to take time to sort out the organisation of this. As soon as I can get more information to you I will. If you do not want your child to return to school on 29th June , could you please let us know. This decision is entirely yours to make. We will make he environment as safe as we possibly can. Thank you
