Category: Kids

  Gwenfo School News February Notes

We have had a lovely half term at Gwenfo exploring our topics and learning a lot. Our action for happiness for February was Direction. We have been learning how to set achievable goals, challenging ourselves to do something a bit difficult. This has fitted in well with our value of Perseverance.

We have welcomed our new set of student teachers this month. We are so glad to have them and hope they enjoy their time with us.

For Children’s Mental Health Week, we had a virtual visit from Matt Lewis and Luke. They helped us think about all the ways we can look after our mental health, from exercise to being present. Across Key Stage 2 we have been thinking about being kind to each other. We used the example of a heart which we crumpled up. No matter how much we smooth it out, the heart is never going to be the same. Just as saying sorry does not fix unkind words or actions.

Years 3 and 4 had a fantastic engagement day for their topic. They planted seeds, made scarecrows, and wrote spring poetry. Year 6 went for a walk around the village to look for examples of positive and negative human behaviour. They were delighted to see the new library building open.

After our half term break, we look forward to celebrating Eisteddfod. Each class is currently preparing a song and working on stories, artwork, and poems to celebrate the best of Wales. For the week of St Da-vid’s Day, we will be doing carousels of activities such as sewing and cooking.

  Gwenfo School News For February 2022

We’ve been so delighted to welcome back our children after our Christmas break. We look forward to a busy and enjoyable Spring Term. We are glad to welcome back our friends from The Baxter Project and Cardiff City Foundation.

This half term our value is Perseverance, which fits in perfectly with our Action for Happiness this month, Trying New Things. We’ve been trying new things and not giving up when things get difficult. We’ve been making new friends in school and talking to people we don’t usually talk to in our classes. Year 2 learnt to make pompoms and did a fantastic job. Year 6 had a first session with Forces Fitness, taking part in team building activities including a very competitive tug of war.

We have some exciting new topics to explore this term. Years 5 and 6 are learning about Identity. They’ve been talking about what it means to be us. Year 6 are also looking at some great science fiction texts such as War of the Worlds. Years 3 and 4 are learning about coal mines with their history-based topic, Pits and Ponies, Years 1 and 2 have an exciting space-based topic called Moon Zoom. Year 1 have been busy creating a class Space Station, whilst Nursery and Reception are exploring nighttime. They’ll be learning about bedtime, people who work at night and nocturnal animals.

On January 25th we took part in Mr Urdd Day, dressing in green, red and white, and taking part in a World Record attempt singing and dancing to Hei Mistar Urdd with schools across Wales. This exciting day was to celebrate 100 years of Mr Urdd, the mascot of Urdd Gobaith Cymru, who provide experiences to young people in Wales through the medium of Welsh

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Gwenfo School News For November

At Gwenfo we’re buzzing to be back for a very exciting half term. Preparations for Christmas are well underway with lots of fun planned.

This half term our value is Trust. We have been talking about what trust is, who we trust and how we can put our trust in God when we are finding things difficult.

Our November Action for Happiness is Exercise and the children are exploring the benefits of exercise and movement for making us feel happy.

Our Nursery and Reception classes are exploring their Sparkle and Shine topic. In Nursery the children have been busy learning all about exciting celebrations like Diwali, Bonfire Night, and will be learning the Christmas story. They had an exciting time holding sparklers for Bonfire Night. Reception have created an amazing party role play area and are learning all about celebrations like Diwali, Remembrance Day and birthdays. They invited some animal friends to a party with lots of decorations and party food.

Year 3 and 4 have a wonderful geography-based topic this half term called Misty Mountains, Winding Rivers. They have been learning to use an atlas to find out where some famous rivers are.

In Year 5 and 6 their topic is called Roses and Royals and is all about the Tudors. They have started by learning about Henry VII and are writing their own biographies. They have even mapped the route Henry VII took before the Battle of Bosworth.

Year 6 made a poppy wreath for Remembrance Day on which they wrote their wishes for the future. Some of Year 6’s wishes included an end to climate change, no more wars and an end to suffering across the world. The wreath was placed at the War Memorial at a special service on Remembrance Day. Huge thanks to Parry for leading the service and talking to the children about the significance and history of the memorial in Wenvoe.

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Gwenfo School News For July

Another wonderful busy month at Gwenfo. This month our Action for Happiness theme is Relating. We’ve had lovely assemblies thinking about how to connect with each other. Next month we’ll be talking about the importance of Exercising and taking care of our bodies.

Foundation Phase had a wonderful Superhero Day as part of their topic. It was lovely to see them all dressed up. They are learning about the power of good deeds and being kind. Reception watched the story of the Rainbow fish to help them with this.

Year 3 and 4 end the half term with their own Roman dress up day. They’ve been learning a Roman numerals song and writing diary entries as if they were Roman children. Year 3 and 4 also enjoyed a virtual music lesson with Rocksteady Music School. On Fridays Year 3 and 4 enjoy ‘My Day Friday’. They’ve created Disney characters, drawn Dinosaurs and learnt about Space!

Year 5 and 6 have been working hard creating Potion bottles out of clay and looking at the solubility of different substances. They’ve been looking at significant children’s authors such as Lewis Carroll and Roald Dahl and creating story maps for their favourite Roald Dahl books.

As a school we celebrated World Mental Health Day on October 8th by wearing yellow and thinking about how to look after our and others mental health.

We’re extending a huge Gwenfo welcome to our new PGCE students who begin their first teaching placement with us. We’re delighted to have them and hope they enjoy their time here.

We had a bittersweet afternoon saying goodbye to Vicar Jon. Each class sang a hymn and as a school we sang ‘Goodbye Vicar Jon’ which Mrs. Jones very kindly wrote to mark the occasion. Vicar Jon will be very much missed at Gwenfo. We are all so grateful for everything he has done for us and we wish him well at his new parish. They are very lucky to have him.