Category: Kids

Wonderful 50th Celebration

 

Well what a wonderful 50th celebration it was for Wenvoe Playgroup. Thank you to all those who supported the event in various ways. It was lovely to see staff and families, past and present, in attendance and although it was raining it didn’t dampen our spirits. The children thoroughly enjoyed the bouncy castles and tattoos available, with a warm, friendly atmosphere about them. It was lovely to bring everyone together.

We would like to mention a few people who supported our event both local and from surrounding communities.Thanks go to:

  • Dinas Vets – For providing the Banner to advertise the event
  • Jacky and Ken Rattenbury – For their cash Donation of £200 which paid for the Soft Play and Bouncy Castle. Also, for the cake donations to sell at the event.
  • Brickability- Donation of Vale Golf Vouchers for the raffle
  • Beech Tree – Donation of a Meal voucher for the raffle
  • S.R. Davis Meat & Poultry – For the donation of meat for the BBQ
  • Yates Fruit & Veg – Strawberry donations for the yummy chocolate dipped strawberries
  • Wenvoe Wheelers – For their Cash Donation of £150 as a birthday gift, supporting the event
  • Wenvoe Village Hall Management Committee – For the free hire to hold and celebrate the event.

 

Although the event was about celebrating 50 Years of Wenvoe Playgroup and not necessarily making money, the raffle raised £210 which Barclays Bank has offered to match doubling the money, so thank you Barclays.

Thank you to: Jody, Amy, Lisa, Michelle, Emily, Ceris and their families, for all their hard work in making the day such a success. You did us proud.

It is good to know that many support Wenvoe Playgroup, our Community Charity.

As we are a not for profit group, fees cover the basics and any profit is used for equipment for the children. Our Management Committee give all their time voluntarily and over the years they have worked tirelessly to support the group with their fundraising ideas and events. This ensures that Playgroup continues for the Community and surrounding communities, so a big ‘Thankyou’ to all those who have kept the Playgroup going for 50 years and well done.

By the time you are reading this, we will be closed and enjoying our summer holidays.

We re-open on Wednesday 4th September for all returning children and those who start Nursery at Gwenfo School. Breakfast club also starts for not only Nursery and Playgroup children, we are also taking Reception children. Please make sure you

are booked into breakfast club prior to attending. Breakfast club starts at 8am daily.

There are no afternoon sessions or all day care sessions between 4th and 6th September. Our full service will start from Monday 9th September. Our new families and younger members are welcome to visit from Wednesday 4th to Friday 6th September as settling in days ready to start from Monday 9th September.

For further information please visit our website www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk or email us at wenvoeplaygroup@btinternet.com (all contacts are on the website).

Enjoy the holidays and see you all in September.

 

 

August Gwenfo School News

August Gwenfo School News 

 

As always time seems to be flying! At the time of writing, we now have only 4 days left until the summer break!

Our Christian value is still respect with the theme of saying goodbye and moving on.

The school has recently had their sports day. Everyone did amazingly and Greaves won! Tia from Year 6 won the School Sports Personality award for being an important part of the Netball Team and a good sporting role model to all.

The Netball Team did really well in the Kent Tour! Both A and B teams won in the first tournament and B team won again in the second tournament! The A team did well and came second! They have also recently hosted our own tournament in which they won again! The next day they also won the Saint Patrick’s School Tournament. Well done Gwenfo Netball!

The whole school got very emotional during Year 6 Leavers Assembly. The Year 6 class then went to Cosmeston to have their Leavers BBQ. They all enjoyed it a lot!

Year 4 have taken part in a Rugby Tournament. They were unbeaten in the Tournament and brought back another trophy for Gwenfo School. Year 3 have had fun walking up to the woods and measuring the trees there. They have also enjoyed doing tennis in their PE sessions. Year 2 are preparing to move up from the Infants to the Juniors. They have also been out in the sun learning to cross the road. They have been doing very well. Year 1 have also been learning to play tennis. It’s clear they’re all having an amazing time. Reception will be having a Mini Beast Ball. What a great end to the year!

The choir have done amazing singing at the Motorpoint Arena. They all did their best. They sang songs like ‘A Million Dreams’ and ‘Roar’. Lots of money was raised for Cancer Research when the school did their own Race for Life.

There will be lots of fun and sunshine in the last couple of days in school before summer break!

Alfie Osborne and Ella Darko

 

 

June School News

 

As always, time seems to be flying! At the time of writing, we now have only 4 and a half weeks left until the Summer break!

Our Christian value this half term is: RESPECT Show Respect to Everyone 1 Peter 2:17

Our pupils have been engaging in some wonderful activities; Year 6, accompanied by Miss Starke, Mrs Gordon and Mrs Briscombe, enjoyed a super day at the Hay Book Festival.

The Reception class have thoroughly enjoyed their Music and Movement sessions on a Thursday afternoon and Year 5 have worked so well together as a team to complete physical challenges – during Forces Fitness Sessions.

Several of our pupils enjoyed celebrating Eid with their families and told us, in such excellent detail, about the lovely experiences they had enjoyed.

We celebrated our own Gwenfo Book Day last Friday (14th June); the children were able to come into school as a favourite character or in their pyjamas. It was truly lovely to observe the older and younger children sharing books and stories together.

Due to the inclement weather, our sports day had to be postponed; we are now keeping our fingers crossed that the sun will shine on our reserve date of July 1st!

You will probably have noticed that we are having building work done in school; this is to complete our complement of super Foundation Phase classrooms. The plan is that it will be completed in time for when the children return to school in September!

Our netballers are currently “on tour” in Kent. They are playing at two different venues and we send them all our good wishes. Thanks really must go to Mrs Plevey and family, Mrs Kennedy and Mrs Morris for giving so freely and generously of their time in accompanying the team.

Year 6 are currently having cycling proficiency sessions and Year 4, swimming lessons. Swimming lessons are undertaken in a fortnightly block.

So as we head into our final few weeks of term, we will be very busy, including with transition activities and hopefully, enjoying some lovely sunshine too!

 

 

All About The Wenvoe Playgroup

Wenvoe Playgroup started back in 1969 here at the Village Hall in Wenvoe.

In 1974/5 Playgroup moved for a short time to the Cricket Pavilion (no longer standing) whilst the hall was re-built by local residents. The New Village Hall as it stands today was designed and built with Playgroup very much in mind.

Again in 1996 when the roof slid on the Village Hall (due to the lack of bracing to hold the roof trusses) the hall was immediately closed and deemed unsafe. Whilst the Management Committee of the hall were fundraising for coffers and seeking grants to fix the roof, the Playgroup moved to the Church Hall.

Over the years the Village Hall has been known for many celebrations and various classes; however its one main purpose for the last 50 years has been ‘The Home of Playgroup’

We are thrilled that over the years, many residents who care about the community we live in, have come together to support and keep the Playgroup open successfully for a remarkable 50 years, WOW!

Many Parents past and present have contributed to Playgroup’s success with their fundraising efforts and serving on the Management Committee whom we would like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to. However, as Parents come and go over the years, there is a set of Parents who came and stayed behind the scenes. A BIG THANK YOU must go to Lisa and Darren who have been friends of Playgroup for many years, supporting silently in the background. Lisa supporting annual raffles, fayres and fundraising events, and Darren who volunteers to manage our website, putting up with late night emails to change documents at short notice. We (especially me) are grateful to you for all your help throughout the years and we hope that Playgroup will be around for another 50 years (however, I don’t think I will be).

My History:- The Village Hall has been a big part of my life, with 25 years to date spent on The Management Committee of the hall. In 2008 the Playgroup was under threat of closure, and without the rent for the hall, my thought was that we would lose the hall. Fearing losing our Village Hall to become a block of flats or houses, I came to run the Playgroup with a future vision of wrap around care. Although the School was unable to obtain a Nursery (as the Vale said they had no money) as soon as the new housing development was underway, a friend mentioned the S106 payments and I supported the previous Head Teacher of Gwenfo School to request that a Nursery be built. Obviously, Playgroup numbers fell dramatically, back to similar numbers that we had back in 2008. After 5 years of love of, and the generous support from everyone at Playgroup (and friends and residents), we are now thriving once more. My plan took 11 years to come to fruition and I would like to thank all those who believed in me. I have completed everything I set out to do as a Registered Leader and now it’s the feeling of what’s next.

Big thanks to the staff, friends, parents and everyone around me who supported my vision and helped achieve it. I couldn’t have done it without your love and support. When people ask me if I enjoy my job, my answer is always,’ it’s not a job, it’s a way of life.’

From this year 2019, Wenvoe Playgroup is changing its structure and will be known as Wenvoe Playgroup CIO. Again, moving with the times to make the Playgroup stronger and hopefully continue for many years to come.

I am now no longer the Registered Person; I am now proud to be part of a fantastic team to a vision I once had. Onwards and Upwards.

Love and thanks to everyone who has supported me in my venture

Sandra xxxxxxxxxxxx

 

The Playgroup is fully booked for the morning sessions from September this year until July 2020. However, we do have a few afternoon spaces left and pick up for lunch from Gwenfo Nursery School.

I would recommend if you are thinking of joining us from September 2020 to email us and put your Child’s name on the waiting list as we expect to go from strength to strength.

Also, if you wish to add to our waiting list, if someone changes their mind in the coming school year, again email us and we can keep you up-to-date.

At this time, we are looking to support Gwenfo School with Breakfast Club for reception age children. Breakfast club is for children aged 2 years and 4 months to age 4 years and 11 months at this time. However, hopefully from September it will be available for those up to 5 years inclusive. Breakfast club for reception will cost £5 per morning available Monday to Friday 8 am with transition onto Gwenfo Reception for 8:50am. Spaces will be limited.

Contact us on 02920597494 or email wenvoeplaygroup@btinternet.com for further information. Our website is www.wenvoeplaygroup. co.uk. For further information, please read our Statement of Purpose.

 

 

Playgroup Changing Its Structure

 

From September this year, Wenvoe Playgroup will be changing its structure to Wenvoe Playgroup CIO, securing the group for many years to come. We have a high intake for 2019 to 2020 so if you are thinking of joining and haven’t already done so, please contact us for availability

Here at the Playgroup, we work alongside Gwenfo Nursery providing wrap around care, with many children attending mornings with us and on to afternoon nursery. We do have some spaces available for pick up from Gwenfo Nursery at this time from 11:20am to 12:45pm Monday to Friday £8 per day and afternoon spaces available 11:20pm until 3:15pm on Wednesday and Thursday at £18 per day.

Both Cardiff and The Vale of Glamorgan now offer the 30 Hour Free Childcare which allows you 17.5 hours free at Playgroup, if you meet the Welsh Government,s criteria.

Visit www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk. Telephone: 02920 59749; email wenvoeplaygroup@btinternet.com

 

 

The Changing Structure Of The Wenvoe Playgroup

 

First of all, apologies for missing last month’s magazine. We have been very busy behind the scenes changing the structure of Wenvoe Playgroup into Wenvoe Playgroup CIO. This will bring the playgroup up to date and secure the Playgroup for many years to come. We hope the process will be complete by 31st August 2019.

We most recently celebrated Easter by holding our annual Easter Fayre with 33 Children in attendance, singing to their families (one of the best turn outs ever). We thought we would share a photo of our surprise visitor, who offered an Easter Egg to each child for the beautiful singing. We would like to thank the Friends of Playgroup and the Parents at Playgroup who supported this event.

We understand from a local resident that the Playgroup opened its doors back in 1969, here at the Village Hall. This means that Wenvoe Playgroup will be celebrating its 50th Birthday this year, wow! Everyone involved with Wenvoe Playgroup at this time is thinking that June would be a great time to celebrate 50 years of Wenvoe Playgroup, especially as from September it will be changing its name to Wenvoe Playgroup CIO. Plans are therefore in motion as I type this to celebrate on Sunday afternoon, 23rd June.

We plan to hold a ‘Fun Afternoon’ at the Village Hall, ‘Home of the Playgroup’ in hope that the Community attends to celebrate with us. We hope to have stalls, refreshments and fun for all the Children past and present. Please mark this date in your diary. We would very much like to welcome everyone who has attended, supported or worked in the Playgroup over the past 50 years, to share their memories.

If anyone has photos from the early days we would be most interested to view them. Please call into the Playgroup any time during May if you are happy for us to use them on the day. We have some photos from the 90’s moving forward, however, none from the early days.

We would like to thank ‘Style Gardens’ for their recent donation of soil and daffodils for the Children’s activities in the Garden. We would also like to thank ‘The Works’ at the Garden Centre who supported our Easter Fayre by donating a generous raffle prize. Thank you both for supporting our Playgroup, your local charity.

If anyone would like to donate to our 50th Birthday Raffle to be held in June, then please let us know. As a charity we are always grateful for any support the community can give. Thanks again, Sandra.

Up-to-date information on Welsh Government 30 Hour Care. 12.5 hours – Local LEA Nursery, up to 17.5 hours – Playgroup.

We are now up and running with both Cardiff and The Vale 30 Hour Free Childcare Offer. We have very limited part-time space from May to July with numbers already high on September’s waiting list through into January 2020.

If your Child is 3 prior to 31st August and you are looking to apply for the 30 Hour Free Childcare from September, then we would suggest contacting the Vale Family Information Service on 01446 704704 a.s.a.p. to enquire as to what date you may apply. We think it is sometime in July, however, we don’t have the exact date at this time sorry.

We will be holding a drop in session here at Playgroup on Thursday 23rd May from 2pm for all those who wish to view our provision. This will also allow the time for Parents with Children wishing to join from September into January to secure their space by completing contracts. We are hopeful that around this time Nursery notifications will be issued from the Vale of Glamorgan.

Families must complete a contract with us and agree to the hours or attendance prior to applying for the 30 hour Free Childcare Offer.

If you have any further questions regarding the 30 hour Free Childcare Offer or Playgroup Life then please email Sandra at wenvoeplaygroup@ btinternet.com or for eligibility to the 30 Hour Free Childcare contact FIS on 01446 704704

Please view our website to keep updated on all aspects of playgroup life, for our Policies and Procedures and latest changes.

Thank you

 

 

Exciting Learning Opportunities

 

Time continues to fly in school!

Due to half term break being slightly later this year, we celebrated Saint David’s Day in school on Wednesday 5 March. For the home/School competi-tion, the children completed weatherproof daffodils for our Peace garden – to form a beautiful spring dis-play. The children wore traditional Welsh costumes, Welsh shirts or dressed in red to mark the day of cel-ebrations. Ella Darko in Year 6 was crowned the Bard for writing a super poem about air raids. All the children entered various competitions, including art, story writing and handwriting. Well done to every-one!

The children have been engaging in some exciting learning opportunities; Mrs Ford accompanied a group of Year 5 and 6 pupils to a Modern Foreign Languages taster session; Years 5 and 6 marked the end of their WW2 topic with a street party.

Throughout Lent, we are collecting food for our local food bank and have invited the children to bring in a tin of food each week – we are aiming to collect 1,000 cans by Easter.

Year 3 led a wonderful assembly about our planet. Class assembly is always a special time, with fami-lies invited to attend.

We are very proud of our footballers and netballers. Mr Bean, Mr Thomas and Mr Atkins accompanied our football team to the Cardiff and Vale football competition. They were placed second in the second group. Our netballers competed at St Patrick’s and won all games played. A very big well done to all involved and a massive thank you to our volunteer coaches.

 

 

Situation Vacant

 

SITUATION VACANT

BREAKFAST CLUB SUPERVISOR

Gwenfo Church in Wales Primary School

Weekdays 7.50am-8.50am

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Supervise and organise the staff of the Breakfast Club.

Complete weekly record sheets & staff timesheets where relevant.

Place orders, undertake stock takes and stock rotation.

Process invoices.

Check equipment and supplies.

Provide quality care and supervision to pupils at-tending breakfast club.

Prepare tables/benches for pupils attending breakfast club.

Set up and participate in a wide range of stimulating activities both indoors and outdoors, appropriate to the ages and needs of the pupils while in breakfast club.

Ensure pupils have breakfast and a drink.

Clean up after breakfast club has finished.

Put tables/benches away.

Please call into school to speak to Miss Starke, or ring 029 2059 3225. For more information or an application form or email gwenfops@valeof gla-morgan.gov.uk

Closing Date: Tuesday 2 April, 2019.

 

 

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