Last day activities

We all joined in to sing "Five little angels".

Our 100% attenders this term. Da iawn Well done.

Our most improved attenders since half term.

Here comes Christmas

Here's the video of the Junior Concert.

I-Spy Christmas

Here is the video of Dosbarth 1 and 2's production of I-Spy Christmas. We hope you enjoy it.

Nosiy Nativity

Here is our video of Dosbarth 3 and 4's production of Noisy Nativity. We hope you enjoy it.

Arrangements for the last week of term

Children's Christmas Jumper Day

The School Council has requested that we observe Christmas Jumper Day this year.
We will NOT be observing it on this Friday BUT we will celebrate it on FRIDAY 17th DECEMBER - THE LAST DAY OF TERM when the pupils will be visiting the Cinema in Nantgarw. It will be a lovely end to a busy and productive term. We will be collecting a coin donation of your choice as we understand that this is an expensive time of the year but we wish to support this cause and especially as it is a charity devoted to supporting children.

Christmas Concert Arrangements

 Arrangements for obtaining tickets for the Christmas Concerts will be sent home by pupil post tomorrow. They have also been published on the school website and details put on our social media outlets.You can click here to go to the link on the school website.

You can download a pdf of the letter if your child has mislaid it.

You may also wish to read this information.

Anti bullying assembly

This is the presentation that PC Bennett made in our end of Anti Bullying week assembly. We thought you'd like to share it with parents.

Penblwydd hapus

Penblwydd hapus Mr Jones. It was Mr. Jones' birthday today and everyone always makes a fuss of him. But he shares a birthday with Ieuan and Kian and every year they remember each other's birthdays. It will be Ieuan's last at Gelli, but Kian will have a few more opportunities to share a birthday with Sir.

Coming Soon New School Menus

Class Twitter accounts

This year each class will have an account on the social networking site Twitter. Each day the class will be posting tweets about what they are up to for you to keep in touch with the various activities your children are involved in each day. Our aims will be to teach them to use social networking appropriately; develop their literacy skills by using just the 140 characters allowed they will need to write succinctly and lastly to improve home school communication. Twitter can be accessed from any smart phone or computer. That's all you need to do is to sign up and follow the appropriate class. Please re-tweet any messages that the class send out to your followers. May I remind you that any unacceptable use will result in the offending account being blocked and reported to Twitter and to the Police if necessary. We hope that this will be a very positive initiative that you will enjoy.

You can follow Dosbarth 4 - Mrs Fraser's class on @gellipriclass4 and Miss Davis and Dosbarth 7 on @GelliPriclass7

You can follow the school on @gellipri and our PE in School Sports @gellipripess.

When other accounts have been set up we will post on here so that you are able to follow each class.

Proposed strike by Unions on Tuesday 14th October.

I have been informed that some of the trade unions are planning a one day strike on Tuesday 14th October. School is likely to be disrupted and as a result I will have no option but to close the school on health and safety grounds. Please make alternative arrangements for child care that day. I will update parents closer to the day and notify you be text.

INSET Days 2 and 3

I have just received confirmation from the providers that school will be closed on WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 1st and FRIDAY OCTOBER 17th. These are two of the Five INSET days that we are allocated for staff training by Welsh Government.
On these two days the school will be CLOSED FOR ALL PUPILS as the staff will be participating in training for the Literacy and Numeracy Framework. News of the other two remaining days will be posed as soon as they are confirmed. I hope this give everyone ample time to make appropriate childcare arrangements on these days.

Holidays in term time

I wish to inform you of changes to our arrangements for authorising holidays from school during term time.

As part of the fixed penalty notice consultation process, opinions were sought on replicating a zero tolerance approach to holidays in term time, like that in place in Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil and all ERW (South West and Mid Wales) Councils. The outcome of the consultation favoured a consistent approach across all schools, with a majority agreeing with a zero tolerance approach. Following this, a Cabinet decision was taken to approve a zero tolerance approach with effect from the 1st September 2014.  

With Cabinet approval for consistency across all schools, head teachers are being encouraged to adopt a zero tolerance to term time holidays from the 1st September 2014. Whilst the legislation under Section 7 (3 and 4) of The Education (Pupil Registration) (Wales) Regulations 2010 allows head teachers to “grant leave of absence from school for the purposes of a family holiday for no more that 10 days in an academic year”, the local authority stance is one which will discourage holiday absence unless the pupil and family are exempt under one of the three “exceptional” circumstance criteria.   Those exemptions are:

•           Families of serving armed forces personnel;

•           Parent or child experiencing a life limiting illness;

•           Families that have suffered an acute trauma.

In the event of holiday leave for a pupil being requested by a parent/carer, the school is asked to record the sessions as unauthorised absences in line with the Cabinet decision and then make a formal request for a fixed penalty notice to be issued.

Unlike other circumstances for a fixed penalty notice, a holiday absence will not be subject to a monitoring period (15 school days) for improvement to happen but a fixed penalty notice will be automatically issued on receipt of the school’s request. Payment will, as with other circumstances, be £60 if paid within 28 days, £120 if paid within 42 days. 

School attendance data will be monitored for the use of the holiday absence codes, so that the authority is in a position to ensure the consistent application of both the codes and the requests for fixed penalty notices.

To this effect I have devised a new holiday form to reflect these changes. Copies are available via pupil post or from the secretary's office

Gelli Playgroup Open Morning

The school is delighted to announce that Mrs Leanne Stanton has agreed to take responsibility for the day to day running of the Gelli Playgroup. Mrs. Stanton is an experienced provider of child care and after school provision in the Tonyrefail area and we are very fortunate that she has agreed to give the Gelli Playgroup the benefit of her expertise and experience. Mrs Stanton is working with the Pastor and Elders at Mount Zion baptist Church in order to expand the provision and take it to a new level.

There is an open morning that is taking place on Friday 5th September 2014 between 10 and 11 a.m. where prospective parents can pop along to see the playgroup and chat with staff. Currently there are space available for boys and girls from the age of 2.

Llongyfarchiadau Jamie

Jamie has successfully passed his Level 1 examination on the cornet. He undertook the exam during the last week of term and we had a nice surprise when we opened the mail after the summer holidays to see that it contained his certificate.

We also had good news that Erin from Year 6 had also passed her Grade 3 and as now she is a member of Year 7 in Treorchy Comprehensive we pass on our congratulations and wish her every future success there.

Welcome back everyone

The pupils and staff have returned to school with renewed energy after the summer break and are settling into their new routines.
During the coming days I will be posting updates on here regarding upcoming events such as our Parents meetings, Grandparents concerts and any proposed visits.
We will also continue to share these posts on our facebook and Twitter sites.

New School Logo

Earlier this year we asked the School Council to organise a competition to design a new school logo. The old logo has served us well but now we have a new one that we can be equally proud of. The winner of the competition was Josie and she is pictured here with the first Polo shirt made by the manufacturers. It was made up for me in rather a larger size that would fit Josie and in Navy Blue instead of our usual Royal Blue. It depicts a hand holding a book with the valley and mountains surrounding in the background. The school council thought that is summed up what we do in Gelli Primary, we help each other by supporting everyone with helping hands, also reading is a key to understanding everything we do in school. We also came up with a new vision statement - The future is in our hands. Congratulations Josie on winning the competition and for giving us a new beginning. The new School uniform is available in U-Design in Treorchy and Ystrad and in Topstitch in Ystrad.

Here is the logo in more detail.

Thank you for everything and good luck for the future

We said goodbye to three members of staff this week who have been with us during the year.
Miss Evans has been covering the maternity leave of Miss Mathias in Nursery. Miss Peppin has been job sharing with Mrs Dyer in Year 3. They have contributed so much to us this year we shall be sad to see them move on. We wish them well in future and hope that some day we will be able to accommodate them on our staff roster in the future.

Mrs Davidge is leaving us after a long association which began when she was a 16 year old student in Treorchy Comprehensive School. She is taking a place on a PGCE course in UWIC Cardiff in September to train to become a teacher. We wish her well next year.

End of term news

At the end of term we were experiencing problems with our photocopier and we were unable to publish an end of term newsletter as usual. We shall be adding posts to this blog and updating our Social Networking feeds with updated news throughout the summer until the pupils return on TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 2nd 2014. Staff will be training on 1/9/2014.
Breakfast Club will be open as usual from 8a.m. on the TUESDAY.

May I take this opportunity to thank you on behalf of the staff for all the cards and presents we received at the end of term. They were really appreciated.

Goodbye and good luck in you new schools

We say a fond farewell to our Class of 2014. They have been excellent role models and they go to their new schools with our best wishes.

Latest Statement from the Local Authority regarding Nursery provision

New Council Leader Cllr Andrew Morgan has confirmed today at the meeting of the School Budget Forum that no amendments will be made to nursery provision during the next academic year. The Council currently provides one of the most generous levels of nursery provision in Wales. A letter from the education department to all parents, to be issued shortly, will confirm that if the Cabinet does seek to reconsider nursery admission funding in the coming months, the current arrangements will remain in place for the duration of the new academic year September 2014 to July 2015.

County Borough Councillor Andrew Morgan, Leader of the Council said:

"I have made clear previously that nothing is ruled in and that nothing is ruled out in terms of how the Cabinet may respond and proceed following the recent judicial review judgment relating to our decision to amend nursery funding.

"I do however personally feel it is important that we inform parents what to expect in the coming academic year and I therefore have instructed Officers to communicate to parents, governors and schools that the current nursery admission arrangements will remain in place for the next academic year, that is until July 2015.

"The severity of the public spending cuts we face means that as a Council we could potentially have no alternative other than to revisit this decision during the coming months. I am however aware of the uncertainty the current situation is causing and I therefore think it is only reasonable that we make clear the arrangements for the next school year, however we may decide to proceed on this matter in future after September 2015.

"As we have made clear time and time again, we cannot avoid difficult decisions which will unfortunately impact on people and will inevitably be unpopular because of the dramatic reductions in funding we face. We should as a council however seek to bring people with us when we consider these unpalatable choices and that is why I think this reassurance in terms of the next school year is essential. Tough choices cannot be avoided but I want us to be reasonable in our approach to these difficult decisions.

"By stating clearly the arrangements for the 2014/2015 academic year  I hope we can engage constructively with the public around the difficult financial challenges we face and this could mean having to reconsider this area of provision for Rhondda Cynon Taf. This is especially so when many other Local Authorities in Wales have reduced their level of provision to that vastly below that currently offered by this Council.

"The Council is now in receipt of the official transcript of the judicial review judgment which I have considered. Having done so I feel the only course of action we should reasonably take is to rule out any changes that would affect the new academic year to allow us to reflect on this very important and extremely contentious matter.

"I also want to make clear that should Cabinet decide to reconsider this issue we would seek to initiate a fresh consultation with the public before doing so."

"Based on what we currently think our funding levels will be next year, we face a £30M funding gap in the next year alone because of UK government cuts to public spending and we cannot therefore avoid making difficult decisions. As a new Leader I want us to be as reasonable as we can practically be in making these tough choices to ensure we communicate the rational and need for these decisions with the public. I hope by making the position clear in respect of the 2014/2015 academic school year it will ensure a more constructive dialogue with parents in the future."

Raffle Prize Winners

Here are the list of Raffle Prize Winners which were drawn at the Fete last Saturday. Please could prize winner collect their prizes from the School Secretary's Office

RAFFLE PRIZES

Photo Frame                                                  Pink 351-355              Halle Roblin

Wooden Photo Frame                                   Orange 471-475         Isabelle Jones

Shed cosmetic set                                           White 371-375            Ella Davies

Red Wine                                                       Green 171-175           Danny Stephens

Natural cosmetic set                                      Yellow 546-550          Josh Wigley

Hardys wine                                                   Pink 576-580              Elliott Davies

Yankee Candle                                              Yellow 26-30              Karen Dowling

Cruet Set                                                        Pink 31-35                  Darran (Shop)

Heart Alarm Clock                                       White 411-415            Madison Bevan

£10 Gift Voucher                                          Green 291-295           Gethin Bebb

Sactuary Gift Set                                           Yellow 171-175          Sammy Blow

Hanging Metal Heart                                    Yellow 1-5                  Suzanne Young

Wicker Heart                                                 Yelow 421-425           Holly Summerhill

Car Print                                                        Yellow 206-210          Carys Woodmass

Heart Print                                                     Yellow 136-140          Mason Bevan

Keep Calm Print                                           Yellow 321-325          Robert Black

Love Photo Frame                                        White 461-465            Reuben Adams

Memories Photo Frame                                White 396-400            Tink Old

Car Print                                                        Yellow 246-250          Lewis Meats

Sports update and other events this week

Industrial Action by NUT, UNISON, GMB

Just a reminder that SCHOOL WILL BE CLOSED TO ALL PUPILS on Thursday 10^th July due to the above mentioned industrial action taken by the joint unions. School will recommence on Friday as usual.

School Sports

We needed to postpone our School Sports on Friday due to the adverse weather. We now propose to hold it on Wednesday 9th July at Pentre Astroturf, starting at 1.00 pm.

Pupils will come to school as normal but dressed in their sports kit that morning.

Lunch will be at 11.30 a.m. EXCEPT FOR DOSBARTH 1 and 2. We would like parents to pick those pupils up from school at 11.30 and bring them to the Sports field by 12.45. We do not have sufficient staffing to transport them safely to the Astroturf. Other pupils will be walked up by staff, support staff and lunchtime supervisors.

Pupils will be dismissed into the care of their parents at the end of the sports. Please will you make arrangements for this. Any pupil not collected will be brought back to school and dismissed from here as normal.

I hope that these arrangements will be reasonable for most parents. There will be a £1 entry fee per adult which we will use towards purchasing medals for the winning team.

Sports Awards

Despite the planned industrial action our Second Annual Sports Awards will take place at the Ton Pentre Football Club on Thursday as planned for those pupils and parents that have been invited. We hope to welcome you to what will be an enjoyable evening.

School Summer Fete

The Friends of Gelli Primary School Fete will be held in the school grounds on Saturday The Summer School fete will be held in the school grounds on Saturday 12^th July 2014 to start at 11.00 a.m. We will be very pleased to receive donations for the following stalls – TOYS & GAMES especially Cuddly toys , TINS & BOTTLES, BOOKS RAFFLE PRIZES, articles for WHITE ELEPHANT STALL and CAKES All items donated to the fete can be brought to school from WEDNESDAY July 9^th  onwards, but the later the better as we have limited storage in school. The school will be open at 9.00 a.m. on the Saturday morning for all parents and friends who are responsible for running stalls to begin to set up either in the yard area or indoors if wet. This year we will be requesting each family to sell £1.00 of raffle tickets in the week leading up to the fete. This should ensure that we make at least £200 before we start and that these can be sold to friend and work colleagues to boost the funds.

Mrs Sims will be very pleased to hear from any volunteers who will be able to give some help on any stall, especially new parents. You can contact her on 01443 431395.I hope that as many of you as possible can attend and support the school. 

SPORTS ARE CANCELLED TODAY

Due to the uncertainty of the weather we have taken a decision to cancel the Sports today.
School is open as normal and your child need not wear school uniform if they are in school in their Sports Kit.
There are no Canteen facilities available today as you were requested to provide your child with a packed lunch. If you were planning to take your child home after the Sports this afternoon and have lunch at home then please do so.
We are attempting to re-arrange the Sports for next week and will contact parents via text to confirm this.
Thank you for your understanding in what has been a frustrating morning. We can arrange most things we cannot control the weather.

Contingency Plans for the School Sports in case of rain.

Looking at tomorrow’s weather forecast there is light rain forecast from early morning turning to heavy rain at 10 a.m. if this does not change we will have to re-arrange the school sports.

At present the arrangements are as follows

Your child will need to be in school for registration and will walk to the Astroturf with members of staff.

We anticipate that the event will finish at approximately 1pm.

Your child will need:-

•                    To wear their team colour

•                    Trainers

•                    A drink and a snack

•                    Sun hat and cream

•                    Jumper or coat if wet

•                    A packed lunch (if returning to school for the afternoon)

We will make a decision as early as possible and TEXT PARENTS BETWEEN 8.45 and 9.00 a.m. if we have to make alternative arrangements.

This will be as follows –

•                    Pupils will be required to come to school as soon as possible.

•                    There is NO provision for school dinners tomorrow; all pupils should bring a packed lunch as previously arranged.

•                    Pupils will be dismissed from school as usual at the end of the day.

•                    Sports kit may be worn if desired.

If we decide to carry on with the sports and the weather turns against us we will continue with the sports regardless.

I hope that this clarifies the situation and we can manage the situation as effectively as we can.

Year 6 Leaver's Ball

May I remind parents that the Leaver’s Ball is primarily for our Year 6 pupils but it is also an end of Year Disco for the whole school and parents to attend. This year it will take place on Wednesday 2nd July at the Ton Pentre Football Club from 6.00 p.m. until 9.00. p.m.  This disco is open to ALL PUPILS. Children from Nursery through to Year 4 MUST be accompanied by a responsible adult (18+).  During the evening, the presentations will be made to the Year 6 pupils who will leave to join their Comprehensive schools in September. Come along and help us give them a good “Gelli Primary” send off!!  Entry is £1 per child. Hot dogs will be available on the night.

Proposed Industrial Action by members of the NUT, UNISON and GMB

Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), UNISON and the GMB have notified their employers that the school will be involved in industrial action on Thursday 10th July 2014. I am required to undertake a risk assessment relating to the potential impact of the action. Under current industrial legislation employees who continue to work cannot be required to undertake work beyond their normal duties. The risk assessment is made against the impact that the action will have on the health and safety of pupils, staff and visitors, whether the school is able to deliver a full or amended curriculum and ultimately whether the school should remain open or whether it should close.

I have informed the Director of Education and Chair of Governors that the school will be closed for pupils on that day. The reasons are that it is not possible to provide adequate staffing cover for all or some of the pupils; No first aid cover be available; There will be inadequate supervision of children at lunchtime and break times neither will there be sufficient support staff available in class to assist with children with special needs etc and the particular demands of nursery and Key Stage 1. Emergency hazards will not be dealt with appropriately, such as broken glass, spillages and hygiene issues such as cleaning of toilets and dealing with vomit and other bodily fluids.

Please will you make alternative arrangements for your children on this day as the school will not be open to receive any pupils. School will recommence for all pupils on Friday 11th July with Breakfast Club opening at 8.00 a.m.

Feedback from the West Midland Safari Park Trip.

On Friday after returning home from meeting the buses from West Midlands Safari Park I received this message from a parent. I'd like to share it with you.

"I had to let you know that today was organised superbly by very professional, kind, approachable staff that you should be proud of.
The pupils had a memorable and enjoyable experience, all thanks to the staff who organised it!
Pupils behaviour on board the coaches and in the park was fantastic."

I would like to add my thanks to those of this parent. I don't always have the opportunity to thank staff for the hard work and dedication they put in to providing our pupils with these experiences. The main reason that things go well on our excursions is the high expectations that the staff have of our pupils and the relationship they have with them. A day that started at 7 a.m. and continued without a break, ending after 8 p.m.without all but minor hitches should be applauded.

Thank you very much to everybody who contributed to a fantastic day.

West Midlands Safari Trip

A letter outlining the arrangements for Friday's trip to West Midlands safari Park was distributed by pupil post.

A copy is attached below.










West Midlands Safari Park Arrangements

Here are the arrangements for our visit to West Midlands Safari Park on Friday 20th June.

The coach will leave Gelli Primary at 7 am Please arrive in school at least 5 minutes early.

We will leave the Safari Park at 5 pm with an estimated return time of 7.45 pm

We are hoping to arrive at the park prior to opening time to enable us to distribute the wristbands

Each bus will go through the safari park first. We will then be dropped off in the car park to enter the park.

We have 4 Ferris buses travelling to the Safari Park. You will be notified by Thursday as to which bus you have been allocated. Please do not change buses.

Other arrangements:-

1.       Food and drink

You are permitted to take food and drink on the bus but we ask that you are mindful of the other passengers and refrain from any overly strong smelling foods. We have found in the past that this is a benefactor in some people being ill on the bus. Alcohol is not permitted as refreshment. Please ensure your child has enough food to travel to the park and back.

2.       Adult Supervision and safety arrangements

We have an adult child ratio of 1:5 for the trip. If your child is attending alone they will be allocated a member of staff to look after them. We will insist that your child listens to the member of staff at all times, follows instructions and co-operates. Children will be supervised at ALL times. If YOU are accompanying your child on the trip, they will be your responsibility throughout the trip unless it is stated that they are under staff supervision. In this case, your child may not be on the same bus as you.

3.       Medication and travel sickness

If your child has difficulty travelling please will you ensure that she/he takes some travel tablets to avoid this? (I would appreciate if you could let us know if this is the case.)

Also if your child needs to take asthma pump with them that this is given to the teacher in charge of your child's group and inform us.

4.       Money

Your child will be responsible for their own money. They will be given time to purchase a photograph or a gift in the shop. They can also buy food if they do not want to carry their packed lunch around with them.

5.       Clothing

There is NO NEED to wear school uniform. Please provide spare clothing so your child can change if they get wet on the water rides. Please dress your child in suitable clothing and footwear and also weather appropriate.

If your child is not going on the school trip to West Midlands Safari Park it is expected that your child will be in school. If your child is not present the absence will be unauthorised unless we have a letter of explanation. There will be members of staff in school to supervise all pupils and the School Cook has requested that I notify her how many pupils will require a school lunch that day. Breakfast club will operate as normal.

Code of Conduct for the West Midlands Safari Trip
Running a trip of this magnitude requires a great deal of co-operation on your behalf. I hope you will read the following agreement and sign it and respect the Learner Traveller Code which is an important part of our behaviour policy. The staff have arranged the trip so that everything should go without a hitch. Here are a few things that we will insist upon for the smooth running of the trip. Please take time to read them and bring them with you on the coach.
1. Will parents please remember that you have been allocated places on a specific bus and under no circumstances will they be allowed to change these arrangements.
2. Please refrain from smoking in front of the children either on the bus or at services stops or in the park.
3. The consumption of alcohol is also strictly forbidden in front of the children. If parents are suspected of arriving on the bus under the influence of alcohol we are duty bound to inform the police under Safeguarding procedures. This also applies to any other form of anti-social behaviour.
4. Please will everyone be punctual and meet at the agreed time and place. The staff will undertake frequent “head counts” to establish that everyone in the party is present before moving on. The staff will be taking the school iPad so they can contact everyone through our text2parents service. You will also be given the school mobile number to contact a member of staff if needed or in the case of any emergency. Parents will receive a message when the staff have news of the arrangements for our arrival back at school.
5. Politeness and respect on the bus is vital. We will ask everyone to stay in your seat for the whole journey; please do not block the aisle with your bag or other belongings;

Always wear a seatbelt if one is provided; Please do not distract the driver when he or she is driving. Please will you refrain from eating or drinking on the bus.
6. There will be a senior member of staff available in school. A text message will be sent to all parents about a half hour before the coaches arrive at school.
7. Junior pupils will be limited to a maximum of £10 spending money. May I remind parents that staff are NOT responsible for pupils money and if they bring over the suggested amount it is done at their own risk. For pupils accompanied by adults you can set your own budget limit.
8. Please will Junior children NOT bring mobile telephones or any other portable electronic devices such as Nintendo DS, iPods or MP3 players. The school is not responsible for these if lost or broken.
9. Please can you make sure that your child’s name is put on items of clothing and bags. Again the school is not responsible for any clothing lost or left in West Midlands Safari or on the bus and you will be responsible for arranging for it to be retrieved from the Lost property facility at the park.

I am sure that if we follow these guidelines the trip will be a very enjoyable and successful experience for all.

I hope that we can count on your co-operation and have an even more successful trip than last year.

Year 5 Practice Song for Assembly

Here is a Youtube video for Year 5 to practice for their class assembly

Hwb is coming to Gelli Pri

Hwb is coming to Gelli Primary.

Hwb is the all Wales Learning Platform

Supporting national action to:

• encourage, support and prepare teachers to share digital practice
• develop a national collection for creating, storing and sharing digital resources

During this term each pupil will be given a password that can be used to access Hwb and Hwb + from school and at home.

Hwb will be a communication tool with areas for each class to blog, create discussions, conduct surveys and submit homework online.

It has a class and school calendar that can be accessed from home and letters and other information attached.

Look on here for updates and for information when the Gelli Primary site will be live.

Design a new school logo

Our School Logo needs updating,  The School Council want to modernise it so that we can use it on our new school uniform from September onwards. Please will you spend the Easter holidays designing a new one. Entries will close at the beginning of next term. The design needs to reflect our local area and what your child thinks about what the school represents, our heritage, our values and our ethos.

The competition will be judged by members of the School Council, the Governing Body  and representatives from our local uniform suppliers.

School uniform with the old logo can still be worn until you need to replace it.

The winning entrant will see the design being processed by our manufacturers and receive a prize and recognition on our school website and publicity material.

Easter Celebration Video by the School Council

Easter Bonnet Parade and Easter Project for the Juniors

Gelli Primary School Easter Celebrations

On Thursday 10^th April, we will be holding an Easter bonnet parade for classes 1, 2, 3 & 4 (infant classes).  Could you please help your child to make a bonnet of their choice as prizes will be given to the most creative entry?

Our school council would also like to run an Easter competition for all the junior classes i.e. class 5, 6, 7 & 8 where they need to produce a project that relates to Easter.  This could be a poster telling the story the Easter, decorating an egg, Easter bonnet, bake a cake etc.  Again prizes will be given to the most creative.

All creations will be judged by our school council.

On Friday 11^th April, children are allowed to bring a toy of their choice.  Please do not allow your child to bring in expensive equipment i.e. iPads, Mobile phones, Nintendo DS etc as any loss or damage is entirely at your own risk.

Many thanks for your continued support

Gelli Primary School Council

Pont Choir of the Year Semi Final

The School Choir has successfully won its way through to the final of the Pont Choir of the Year Final. This will be held at Pontypridd High School on Wednesday April 3^rd. Tickets for the event and further details will be circulated to parents as soon as we receive them from the organisers. Thank you to Mrs Johnson for rehearsing with the choir and we wish them every success in the final.

The PESS team have requested that we observe Sport Relief day this year tomorrow, Friday 21^st March. This year we are really excited to be raising money for Sport Relief 2014! As one of the UK’s biggest fundraising events, Sport Relief brings the entire nation together to get active, raise cash and change Gelli Primary School has decided to get involved and help raise money for this incredible cause.

To do our bit and raise money we will be: allowing pupils to wear sports kit for the day and complete a Sport Relief walk around the school playground. Please will you send in a donation of your choice. The money raised by the public is spent by Comic Relief to help people living incredibly tough lives, both at home in the UK and across the world's poorest countries. To find out more about Sport Relief visit sportrelief.com/schools.

We will also be using Sport Relief as a teaching opportunity so that our students can learn about the issues children across the world face, and how the money we raise can help them.

We really appreciate your support and hope that you’ll have fun helping our school raise lots of money for Sport Relief!

Proposed Industrial action by the NUT

Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) have notified their employers that the school will be involved in industrial action on Wednesday 26th March 2014. I am required to undertake a risk assessment relating to the potential impact of the action. Under current industrial legislation employees who continue to work cannot be required to undertake work beyond their normal duties. The risk assessment is made against the impact that the action will have on the health and safety of pupils, staff and visitors, whether the school is able to deliver a full or amended curriculum and ultimately whether the school should remain open or whether it should close.

I have informed the Director of Education and Chair of Governors that the school will be closed for pupils on that day. The reasons are that it is not possible to provide adequate staffing cover for all or some of the pupils; No first aid cover be available; There will be inadequate supervision of children at lunchtime and break times neither will there be sufficient support staff available in class to assist with children with special needs etc and the particular demands of nursery and Key Stage 1. Emergency hazards will not be dealt with appropriately, such as broken glass, spillages and hygiene issues such as cleaning of toilets and dealing with vomit and other bodily fluids.

Please will you make alternative arrangements for your children on this day as the school will not be open to receive any pupils. School will recommence for all pupils on Thursday with Breakfast Club opening at 8.00 a.m.

Internet Safety - more information for parents

Following on from activities undertaken in school I have been asked to post a link to the SID site.

Link to Internet Safety Day 2014

Parental information regarding the Literacy and Numeracy Framework

The links below are for the interactive Literacy and Numeracy Framework - the first one gets you to the 'How to use the interactive LNF' - there's a video explaining what the LNF is and how to use the exemplification materials. This could be useful for parents wishing to know more about this initiative

Literacy and Numeracy Framework link for parents

Year 6 meeting for pupils going to Abernant.

We have arranged a meeting for Year 6 pupils and their parents who are going on the Abernant Trip at the end of the month. We will go through the itinerary, update you on the expectations we demand from pupils and answer any last minute questions. The meeting will take place at 3.45 on Thursday 13th March in the school Hall. We will also distribute any letters that you may have mislaid.

So that you can see what the pupils are likely to get up to here is an iMovie trailer that the pupils in 2012 made.

Reporting to Parents Evenings for the Spring Term 2014

I would like to offer you an appointment to discuss your child’s progress with your class teacher during the week beginning on Monday 17^th March until Thursday 20^th March. The teachers are working at different times during the week and a list of their appointment times are included below.

Here are the arrangements for our parent evenings

• You are invited to report to the school main hall FIVE MINUTES prior to your appointment where you will be taken to meet your child’s teacher by one of our Year 6 pupils.
• The bell will ring after each ten minute appointment.
• Please will you complete a parental response form after your appointment commenting on your child’s achievements and progress to date.
• Please will JUNIOR PARENTS - Classes 5, 6, 7 & 8 ring Mrs Thomas, the school secretary to make a specific appointment or if you are available to come at any time then an appointment will be made for you.
• FOUNDATION PHASE PARENTS WILL FILL IN THE POSTER OUTSIDE THEIR CLASS.
• If you have not made an appointment we will assume that you are free to come at any time and an appointment will be made for you.
• You will receive confirmation of your appointment be letter on Friday 15th March.

This system proved successful in previous years and avoided unnecessary delays to those who will have later appointments.

Class 1

Nursery

Miss Evans

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 3.20 – 4.20 p.m.

Class 2

Reception

Mrs Flanary-Davies

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 3.20 – 4.20 p.m.

Class 3

Year 1

Mrs Dyer

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 3.20 – 4.20 p.m.

Class 4

Year 2

Mrs Fraser

Tuesday, 3.20 – 5.30 p.m and Wednesday 3.20  - 4.40 p.m.

Class 5

Year 3

Mrs Dyer / Miss Peppin

Wednesday & Thursday 3.20 – 5.30 p.m.

Class 6

Year 4

Mrs Johnson

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 3.20 – 4.20 p.m.

Class 7

Year 5

Miss Davis

Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday 3.20 – 4.50 p.m.

Class 8

Year 6

Mrs Carly

Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday from 3.20 to 4.20 p.m.

Dosbarth 1 - Nursery - Miss Evans - Order No.195

Dosbarth 2 - Reception - Mrs Flanary-Davies - Order No 193

Dosbarth 3 - Year 1 - Mrs Dyer Order No 196

Dosbarth 4 - Year 2 - Mrs Fraser - Order No192

Dosbarth 5 - Year 3 - Mrs Dyer & Miss Peppin - Order No 191

Dosbarth 6 - Yea 4 - Mrs Johnson - Order No 190

Dosbarth 7 - Year 5 - Miss Davis - Order No 189

Dosbarth 8 - Year 6 - Mrs Carly - Order No 188

St David's Day Photographs from the Rhondda Leader

This year’s St David's day pictures will appear in editions of the Rhondda Leader in the coming weeks. Pictures are on sale, a large number of parents contact us each year, wondering where they can purchase the pictures. They are available from - Mrs M Gunton 5 Bryn Terrace, Tylorstown CF43 3AU If you have any questions regarding your St David's day picture's please contact her on 01443 733277. Please send your order along with a cheque, made payable to M Gunton to the above address. Prices are a highly competitive £7.00 for an 8 x 6, colour photograph, presented in an attractive folder. Mrs Gunton informs us that each school will once again retain 10% of the money raised by the school, as a good will gesture. The Order number is required for each photograph. Please be mindful that the school is not responsible for ordering these photographs.

Arrangements for Friday 7th February 2014

There seems to have been some confusion regarding the arrangements for next Friday. It is a non-uniform day in support of nominated charity this term and subsequently pupils will be invited to donate a small amount of money to help this cause. In addition the Rhondda Leader photographer will be in school to take photographs for the St David's Day edition of the paper. If you wish you may either send your child in a red or Welsh costume or in normal clothes that's fine. I felt that it was more appropriate to combine the two occasions so that those pupils not wishing to dress up in Red would not feel left out. The donation for not wearing school uniform, as you know is, a way of publicising and raising awareness of the initiative. We will have a representative from the Book Bus in assembly on Friday to share this with the pupils. I hope this clarifies the situation.

Non uniform day to support the Book Bus initiative in Africa.

On Friday 7^th February we are holding a non-uniform day to raise funds for a journey to Zambia to fund a volunteer on the book bus. The Book Bus was founded by publisher Tom Maschler with the aim of supplying books and making them accessible to children. In 2008 the Book Bus began delivering books to schools in Zambia and working with children to inspire them to read. Five years on and Girlguiding Cymru has opened reading schemes in Zambia, Malawi, Ecuador and India where over 5,000 children now have books that are relevant and accessible to read. Gelli Primary School has been asked to assist with this venture and we look forward to continuing the reading schemes in 2014 with the aim of reaching a further 10,000 children by 2015. School uniform will not be needed to be worn for the children on that day in return for a small donation to the appeal.