Category: Kids

Journeying Into High School

Journeying Into High School

We would like to wish our Year 6 pupils every happiness and success as they continue on their journey into high school. They recently had a super day together in the park, playing games together and enjoying hot dogs and ice cream. They also shared a lovely assembly, in which they reminisced about their memories at Gwenfo.

Last week, we had a special outdoor ‘Songs of Praise’ assembly for, Mrs Claire James, who will be retiring at the end of term. Each class sang a hymn for Mrs. James; it was a very beautiful and moving service. Mrs. James has taught in Gwenfo for over 25 years, with so many pupils benefiting from her dedication and commitment to providing the best possible opportunities and learning experiences for all. She has also been a wonderful colleague and we would all like to wish her all the very best for retirement, including spending precious time with her family and grandchildren.

Last week, staff and children alike dressed in Welsh colours to celebrate a very special Welsh week- good fun was had by all. Thanks must go to Mrs. Crouch for her very hard work in the organisation of it.

We would like to say a very big thankyou to the Cubs and their leaders who came and weeded the school grounds this week. It is hugely appreciated.

Many Year 6 children completed a shortened version of their cycling proficiency with all pupils passing their Level 1 award. Year 2 have also taken part in kerbcraft sessions, in which they learnt how to cross the roads safely.

We cannot believe we have come to the end of the academic year! The time has simply flown! We would like to say a heartfelt thankyou to our pupils and their families for their wonderful support during the challenges of this past year.

Wishing you all a very happy summer with hopefully lots of sunshine

 

 

Gwenfo News Again!

GWENFO SCHOOL NEWS FOR JULY

It is lovely to be writing our school news for the Gwenfo News again!

What a year, but through it all, we have continued to thrive and flourish as a team and learning community.

During lockdown, our ICT skills grew immeasurably!!!

It was absolutely lovely to welcome the children back to school when they returned during the Spring term; they all settled back in quickly and beautifully.

Time passes so quickly and it is hard to believe that we are now in our final half term before the summer break. Although things still look very different in school with regards to social distancing and keeping in our bubbles, we have many lovely activities planned, including theatre workshops and Gwenfo Book Day.

We look forward to keeping you updated with our news.

Best wishes from all of us at Gwenfo Primary!

 

 

Scouting Is Good For You

Scouting is good for you. Your wellbeing and your knowledge benefits from being part of the Scout movement as an adult volunteer or as a young person by learning new skills, supporting the community and meeting new people. I am very proud of the leaders in the Wenvoe Group, who have struggled to ensure that the boys and girls in the group have benefited from being Beavers (6-8 years), Cubs (8-10 ½ years) or Scouts (10 ½ -14 years) despite lockdowns over the last 14 months. As a result, they have learnt how to plan for and hold meetings via Zoom with the support of the Scout movement. Now they are looking at how they can safely return to face-to-face meetings. How we do this is controlled by the Scouting Movement and the Youth Council, so transition is controlled, and all feel safe.

Volunteers are always required as the Group develops locally. Training is available on line and face to face as Covid restrictions reduce. The Scouts offer a broad programme of youth training, which is supported by badges. If you would like to know more or to get involved, please contact me. You can see more information on the website www.scouts.org.uk . Volunteers can be 14 years or over and there is a wide range of activities from becoming a leader or meeting helper to serving behind the scenes. For young people it can count towards DofE awards and for those completing training as part of Youth Accredited Training

If you have young people, who want to get involved then email 1stwenvoe.join@penarthdistrict.org.uk. Older young people can join the Penarth Explorers (14-18 years) or Network (18-25 years).

To all those who have supported the Wenvoe Group, been leaders or helpers and to all the young people I would like to say a Big Thank You.

Jane Fenton-May.

Chair Wenvoe Scout Group

jfm@fenton-may.org

 

 

Wenvoe Playgroup CIO Update

WENVOE PLAYGROUP CIO UPDATE

It has been sometime since we last wrote in the What’s On, which was mainly due to the constant changes and paperwork throughout the pandemic. We hope that moving forward we will be able to operate a little more ‘normal’ moving into the Summer months. To see what we have been doing, please view our gallery on our website www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk

The paper work that Covid-19 brought with it was tremendous, especially trying to keep everyone updated due to social distancing. How we have missed chatting alongside the Parents and Carers this last year.

Of course with the heavy paper load, came the need for storage space. We would like to thank Simon of Office Visions Ltd in Pentwyn for the fabulous filing cabinet that was donated and delivered to our door. One moan to Chris Evans and he was on the phone to Office Visions. Thank you both so much for your support.

As many of you know, the Playgroup has operated for over 50 years as a Charity, relying upon the support of the community for its success. There are many people behind the scenes supporting the group which is going from strength to strength and we thank you all for your tremendous hard work and dedication. From sprucing up the garden, to managing the web-site, fundraising and supporting the Management Team to operate as a Registered Charity. We couldn’t do it without you.

We are now fully booked for the Summer, with over 40 children on our registers. We have high waiting lists for September 2021 which we will be dealing with as you read this and a waiting list has been started for children up to September 2022.

We take payments via the Welsh Government Tax Free Childcare scheme and of course we are signed up to The Welsh Government’s scheme for both The Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff

’30 Hour FREE Childcare Offer’. If you would like more information on the 30 Hour Free childcare offer then please email us at wenvoeplaygroup@ btinternet.com

We offer:- Breakfast club for reception and year 1 children who attend Gwenfo School age 4 – 6 years: 8am until 8:50am: £5 per day

We mainly care for pre-school children under 5 offering; Breakfast from 8am daily for £5 a day and on into Playgroup or across to Gwenfo Nursery for 9am

From 9am until 11:45am £13.50

Until 12:45pm and/or onto Gwenfo Nursery for 1pm £18.00

We pick up daily from Gwenfo Nursery at 11:20am and care for the children until 12:45pm, known as lunch club for that extra few hours @ £8 per day

Wednesday and Thursday we pick up at 11:20am until 15:15pm – cost £18 per day.

For those parents who are eligible for the 30 Hour FREE childcare offer (the term after their Child’s 3rd birthday) then up to 4 days per week could be free paying a small fee for the fifth day.

If you would like more information then please email Sandra on the group email wenvoeplaygroup @btinternet.com who can send further information.

You may find it useful to visit our website www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk and view our Statement of Purpose and Admissions Policy. There are numerous policies and procedures for your information on our website.

We hope to plan a socially distanced open day in June or July, so watch this space and hopefully we will see you all soon.

 

 

Support 1st Wenvoe Scout Group

SUPPORT 1ST WENVOE SCOUT GROUP

Sadly as some of you are already aware due to Covid-19 restrictions, Cardiff and Vale Scout Post has been cancelled this year. We realise that some of you use this to spread greetings to friends as well as supporting the local Scouts. Instead we at 1st Wenvoe Scout Group rely on this fantastic fundraiser to raise more than £2000 each year to support developing #SkillsForLife for Young People in our Wenvoe community. If you usually buy stamps from us and are able to continue to support us this year, you can make a donation directly on https://www.totalgiving.co.uk/appeal/Scoutpost. We would appreciate you naming 1st Wenvoe when asked if you would like to support a particular Group. Thank you

 

In addition, 1st Wenvoe Scout Group is running a local fundraising campaign by selling Christmas patterned face-coverings and Christmas treats. The masks are hand made by volunteers out of cotton and come in adult and 2 small and large children’s sizes. They come in a variety of Christmas patterns. Please support us and help spread cheer by pre-ordering the face masks and baubles. Please note patterns may vary depending on available material.

Face coverings are £5 each and Christmas tree baubles filled with Smarties or Skittles are a bargain at £1 each.

Contact me at jfm@fenton-may.org /07787510179 and you will be sent information about how to pay for your order by PayPal. Once made, your item will be delivered locally. Postage can be arranged but must be paid in advance. Last orders Friday 18 December

Jane Fenton-May

 

 

 

 

Wenvoe Playgroup CIO

WENVOE PLAYGROUP CIO

Wenvoe Playgroup are a Registered Charity, who operate from the Village Hall as Daycare from Monday to Friday 8am until 1pm daily. We offer wrap around to Gwenfo Nursery 5 mornings per week and offer pick up from the Nursery 11:20am until 12:45pm 3 days per week, with Wednesday and Thursday until 3:15pm. We are full for afternoon places at this time.

We started the Autumn term on 7th September 2020, with our afternoons starting from 7th October. We would like to thank everyone for their continued support in ensuring we can operate safely.

Writing this in November, we have operated successfully for the past 10 weeks, offering care for the children from our community and the surrounding areas. We have 5 weeks to go until Christmas, so fingers crossed it all goes to plan.

Like many, we have had to adapt to many changes in our playgroup due to Covid-19, and we are doing all we can to support our community and surrounding areas with Childcare.

Our numbers are very high on the waiting list and we hope to expand slowly, to keep the group as safe as possible. We hope to review our waiting lists in January. However, please be mindful that we have very limited space. Many families on our waiting lists have been waiting some time for places and we thank you for your patience.

Should you wish to add your names to our waiting list for September 2021, then please get in touch, by emailing your interest to wenvoeplaygroup @btinternet.com. Places for September 2020 were allocated in February this year and we also started our waiting list for next year 2021 at the same time. With the 30 Hour Free Childcare Offer, we are finding many families are showing an interest early, starting children from the age of 2 years and 4 months to secure their care in time for the term after their Child’s 3rd birthday when the 30 Hour Childcare Offer is available. We also accept payment via the Government Tax Free Child Care along with Childcare company schemes.

For further information, please visit our website www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk or contact us at wenvoeplaygroup@btinternet.com

We hope to send further information regarding the 30 Hour Free Childcare and how it works in the New Year.

All that remains, is for us to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, from the Staff and Management Committee at the Playgroup.

 

 

New Rules To Follow

New Rules To Follow

Since our return to school in September we have enjoyed being back together, learning and growing with our friends. We have lots of new rules to follow to keep each other safe but School is very happy and settled. Please take a look at our Twitter feed @GwenfoCWPrimary for pictures of some of our school activities. Thank you to our whole community for your smiles, kind words and letters of support. It really does mean so much in these uncertain times.

Both Cardiff and the Vale remain areas of local lockdown and we are so thankful for all that our families are doing to keep each other and us safe. In school we remain in our year group bubbles and follow strict guidelines to ensure this. Please help us by replicating this in the community. We are aware of a number of incidences of anti-social behaviour within the village which have been reported to local Headteachers. We urge anyone to phone 101 to log incidences of bad behaviour and have requested that our local PCSO can patrol past the park. We have also reported our concerns to the Community Council. The park is currently one of the few places that families can meet outdoors and it saddens me to see a small number of children spoiling it for everyone.

 

 

Scout Post Cancelled

Scout Post Cancelled

Sadly I have to announce that the Cardiff and Vale Scout Post 2020 has been cancelled, due to concerns, amongst the 46 participating groups, about potential handling of money, stamps and cards and difficulties with sorting mail, while maintaining social distancing.

Thank you to our many local volunteers, stamp sellers, sorters, deliverers and organisers of this major operation.

We realise that many of you enjoy sending and receiving cards with the added bonus of supporting the local Scouts. In addition the sorting office in Wenvoe Community Centre was a social gathering of old friends. Hold on to any old stamps as they will be honoured in 2021, when we will be back.

The stamps sold via the Wenvoe Scout Group raised much need funds to help support our young people to enjoy Scouting by ensuring we could have up to date equipment. It was our main annual fund raising event and so we hope to organise some sponsored events to help brighten up the winter months in Wenvoe. So look out in What’s On for further news.

Scouts hope to restart activities in October with a mixture of outdoor and video meetings. If your child is on the waiting list they should be updated soon. If you wish to have your child put on the list email 1stwenvoe.join@penarthanddistrict.org.uk. If you are interested in helping as an adult, contact me at jfm@fenton-may.org or 07787510179

More information about Scouting, which is now for boys and girls, can be found at https://www.scouts.org.uk/. In Wenvoe we have a Beavers- 6-8 years, Cubs- 8- 10 ½ years and Scouts- 10 ½ to 14 years. Explorers aged 14 to 18 years join with the Penarth District groups.

Jane Fenton-May (Chair)

 

 

Wenvoe Playgroup CIO

WENVOE PLAYGROUP CIO

Just a quick reminder that we continue to move for-ward with our plans to start our Autumn term on Monday 7th September.

Breakfast club will be introduced as we move for-ward along with our daycare and transitions to and from Gwenfo Nursery.

There will be no wrap around care with Gwenfo School for the first week back. We will be starting transitions to the Nursery week commencing 14th September.

We have large numbers joining us in September, with contracts in hand, so please be patient with us as we address the waiting lists.

We will keep everyone informed of the latest information and changes via our website: www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk and share our plans via the What’s On Magazine each month.

We have many children and families on our waiting lists into 2021, and we suggest that if you are planning to join Wenvoe Playgroup, that you email Sandra and put your Child’s name on the waiting list.

There is a link directly to our email on our above website.

Thanks to all the Playgroup families for your patience. We hope to see you very soon.

Sandra & Staff

 

 

Wenvoe Playgroup Re-Opening

Wenvoe Playgroup Re-Opening

On the 20th March 2020 we were given the news to take an extended Easter Holiday due to COVID-19. Little did we know then, that we wouldn’t return until 29th June 2020.

Throughout March and the months that followed to June, we lived in uncertain times like everyone, not knowing when and how we could return safely to the group. However, we did, and I would like to thank our wonderful Management Committee who have helped us to return safely.

Wenvoe Playgroup CIO is a registered charity, belonging to the residents of Wenvoe and run by the Parents of children who attend the setting. We also have many people in our village who support the Playgroup year after year, helping with our Website and fundraising. We are grateful for all the support that everyone together provides, to make it the success it is today.

Writing this, we are now near the end of summer term. We have successfully operated the last three weeks, working with 16 children in two groups of 8 at the Village Hall. Children returned and adapted well to the new routines, being happy to return to the familiar setting with their Aunties, relaying all their experiences and stories from the past 3 months.

Moving forward into September, we will be re-opening on Monday 7th September. Some of our services may take a little while to put in place, however, we will do our best to return to ‘normal’ as soon as possible. We will re-open our waiting lists into September as we move forward.

The 30 Hour Free Childcare Offer closed to new applicants at the end of March, however, they hope to be open once more by the end of August. If you visited the Playgroup in February and completed a contract, then you are able to contact the Vale Family Information centre Tel: 01446 704704 / E-mail: fis@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk who will happily take your details and contact you once the offer is open for those applying for September 2020

 

What is the 30 Hour Free Childcare Offer and how does it work?

The 30 Hour Free Childcare offer is all about the Child and where they live, not where the Childcare Provider is located. It is available to children the term after their 3rd Birthday.

If your Child is 3:

  • 1 Sept – 31 Dec they will be eligible in January
  • 1 January – 31 March they will be eligible in April (after the Easter Hols)
  • 1 April – 31August – they will be eligible in September

 

If the Child is living with 2 parents, both parents work 16 hours or more per week at National Minimum Wage (NMW)

If the Child is living with 1 parent, that you work 16 hours or more per week at NMW.

If you earn more than £100,000.00 per parent then the Child is not eligible

Wenvoe Playgroup can offer free care for up to 17.5 hours of the 30 hours during term time. On holiday weeks, 30 Hours may be claimed through another provider. 12.5 of the 30 Hours is used by LEA Nursery, however, you can just use up to 17.5hrs. Some of our children this year have attended 4 days free of charge at Playgroup or 5 days with a small top up fee. The choice is yours.

Should you wish for further information, then please view our website www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk where you will find information and a link to our email wenvoeplaygroup@btinternet.com to ask questions throughout August.

For those parents who have been in contact with the group, you will be kept up-to-date via email as we move forward into September.

Have a lovely summer everyone and we will keep you updated with any changes

 

 

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