Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Trim Trail is completed


Work was completed on the "Trim Trail" comissioned by the Play Leaders for the yard. The workmen Steve and Stuart dug the footings in the quiet yard and set the logs into holes and filled them with post screed. The play leaders will organise activities in the yard in the new term.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Developments in the playground

Workmen lay the foundations for our new adventure playground
The play leaders and school council have worked together this year to organise and raise funds for developing the school yard. This week we have arranged for work to be completed to paint the yard and errect an adventure playground for the large yard. This structure has been purchased from funds raised by the pupils who have organised our drink drop initiative, the fruit tuck shop and Enterprise week. By employing a reputable construction company the play leaders have become aware of health and safety regulations and our new Year 6 play leaders will organise activities for our pupils to play safely at lunchtimes and playtimes. They have also purchased Basketball posts to be placed in the newly painted basketball court in the ball play area. Llongyfarchiadau bawb.
The new five-a-side and netball basketball court have been painted on they yard.


The balance beam leads on to some stepping logs.
then across to a log walk and finally a suspended walk on a wire.

Friday, July 22, 2011

information for parents

To clarify our policy this document is available in the school prospectus and on the information page of the school website. Parents wishing to disapply their children from images being used as set out in this policy have filled in this form.http://www.gelliprimaryschool.org.uk/Use%20of%20digital%20photographs%20on%20school%20publications.pdf

Posting pupil images on social networking sites.

Please can I remind parents that posting images of pupils on social networking sites is prohibited and contravenes our school policy. Parents do not have permission from parents to use images and therefore are acting illegally. I will be grateful if any images taken by parents during the Sound of Music productions this week are removed immediately. Failure to do this will result in parents being reported to Facebook and possible action taken under Child protection procedures. I hope that we can rely upon your cooperation to avoid this. An official video and photographs taken by Mrs Amanda Smith on behalf of the school will be available in September.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Free Summer Activities for Children

I would like to draw your attention to the following programme which RCT's services for young people have organised. Click here to go to the wicid.tv site and navigate through the news section to the Summer Programme link. Full details and a contact telephone number is available.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Business success for Gelli Dragons - Rhondda Leader article

by Carys Jones, Rhondda Leader
BUDDING Bransons and aspiring Alan Sugars pitted their entrepreneurial skills at Gelli Primary School’s enterprise week.
Each class at the school was handed a business grant of £30 and were challenged to turn it in to as much profit as possible in the week-long Apprentice-style competition.
Headteacher, David Cynan Jones, said: “During our successful Estyn inspection in the summer term last year, one of the recommendations made by the inspection team was that we further develop the pupils’ entrepreneurial skills and introduce them to the concept of how to set up their own business.
“The challenge is an ideal way of introducing the pupils to the concept of establishing a class mini enterprise with the added incentive that the pupils can keep the profit they make from their efforts to purchase resources to improve their classroom.”
As part of the event, pupils enjoyed developing their understanding of how to research their product, cost out any outgoings and balance them against other outlays.
To get the competition off the ground, parents placed pre-orders or donated cash to support their child’s class. The school was then open on the Friday afternoon for a mini fete so that the parents and the local community could see what goods were up for sale.
Among the items for sale at the innovative youngsters’ stalls were handmade cards, key rings, hanging baskets, bird feeders, jewellery and cookies.
Bright sparks in the Reception class even took the initiative to use their start-up grant to buy their own chicken and sell its eggs.
As well as keeping the money made, the class which made the most profit had their total matched by two local entrepreneurs, Neil Gimson, of NRG Heating & Plumbing, and Carl Morecroft, of UPVC Direct.”
The winning class – who took the title of Gelli Dragons – was Year 3 Dosbarth 5, who raised £264.70 selling key rings, face painting and tattoos.
Year 5 Dosbarth 7 were named runners up, with £258.34 made by selling bird feeders and holding a bring and buy sale.
Each class managed to triple their £30 starting cost and the whole school collected £1,671.84.
The pupils now plan to invest the money in new basketball posts for the playground, with the winning class being given the match funding as a special prize.
Delighted with the event’s success, Mr Jones added: “I would like to thank the staff and pupils for their hard work during the week, to our parents and their extended family for their continued support and for our local business partners for their financial support.”
Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/south-wales-news/rhondda/2011/06/23/business-success-for-gelli-dragons-91466-28916488/#ixzz1Q88s7VjO

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Planned Industrial action by members of the NUT and ATL

As you will be aware from the media, colleagues in NUT and ATL will be taking industrial action on the Thursday 30th June 2011. The action (a one day strike) will result in class or whole school closures across the country. I have been informed by members of staff at this school that they intend to take strike action on that day and consequently there will be no school for children. School will open as usual on Friday 1st July 2011. The decision to close the school or send pupils home is never taken lightly, but in this instance, where staff have elected to take lawful industrial action, I will have no choice but to take appropriate steps to ensure the health, safety and well being of all pupils.
We are aware that school closures inconvenience parents and carers and so I am writing to give you advance notice of the likely impact of the action on this school.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.