Category: Gwenfo Primary School

How to make a journey stick

How to make a journey stick

Have you ever made a journey stick when you are out for a walk? It is a fun way of remembering what you have seen and where you have been. Aboriginal people in Australia used journey sticks to more easily recount their journeys to other people upon their return. They found a large walking stick, collected materials found along the way, and tied them to the stick in chronological order. Native Americans also decorated sticks to recount their journeys and tell about their travels.

You will need a stick that is about 30cm long and quite thick, some coloured wool and a pair of scissors.

As you go out for your walk collect things that you see, such as a feather or a leaf. Each time you find a new treasure use the wool to tie it to your stick. When you get home see if you can use your journey stick to tell someone about your walk

 

 

Celebrating Saint David’s Day Etc

Celebrating Saint David’s Day

We celebrated Saint David’s Day with a wonderful Eisteddfod. It was a day of celebrating super competi-tion entries, including home projects – thank you to all for your wonderful efforts. Greaves were the overall winners and Maddie Coles in Year 6 was crowned as The Bard.

Our choir excelled when they sang at a Barnardo’s Concert in Saint David’s Hall in Cardiff. We really were incredibly proud of them all. A massive well done and thank you also to Mrs Jones, who provides so much musical talent and inspiration.

We were extremely fortunate to have had a visit from the Welsh rugby player, Justin Tipuric. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 enjoyed the opportunity to ask him lots of questions.

Netball Success

Well done to our netballers who played in a tournament at Cadoxton and won all 5 of their matches! Well done to Amelia and Maliah who were awarded Players of the Match. Thanks really must go to Mrs Plevey for her time commitment to our netballers – it is hugely appreciated!

Cardiff Museum Visit

Years 5 and 6 visited Cardiff Museum where they en-joyed viewing the art exhibits and also taking part in a sculpture workshop. They were a real credit to school.

Barry and District News visited school last week; keep an eye out in the local news for photographs of our children happily engaging in a variety of activities.

 

 

Gwenfo School Choir Event

 

In Gwenfo school their choir will be going to sing at saint Barnardos church on Monday 2nd of march. Go see Gwenfo school sing it’s worth it and Gwenfo choir has improved massively this month.

On March the 4th Gwenfo will celebrate saint David’s Day by wearing traditional Welsh clothes or red tops for the red dragon. Gwenfo school does competitions for best handwriting, best story, best art, best poetry and best drawing on a flag. Children are divided into houses Greaves, Whitehall, Ballas and Wrinstone. To see who can get the most house points. These houses are so competitive that the hall is like a rugby stadium it’s so loud in a competitive way. When a house wins, they go crazy and they feel happy for their team and their self.

 

We hope you all have a great half term from Gwenfo School.

 

Theo & Alex

 

 

Start of the Spring Term

Start of the Spring Term

Well it’s hard to believe that we are back in school! The Christmas holidays flashed by in a whizz! It was lovely to welcome our pupils back to school for the start of the Spring term. We would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year!

The Spring term is always such a lovely and busy time in school.

In the next couple of weeks, we will be saying goodbye to our students, including six Canadians, who have been with us since the end of September. We wish them every success as they continue their training in different schools and also in their future careers.

Our school chickens have now officially retired! They have gone to join Sam Miller and his family to enjoy their retirement in peace and tranquillity! Thank you very much to Mr and Mrs Miller, Maisie and Sam.

Our value this half term is Perseverance. Vicar Jon led a super assembly last week, showed us his beautiful new stole (which he had for Christmas) and told an engaging action story, which the children loved.

Mrs Ford will be taking a group of children to a Modern Foreign languages conference in which they will be having taster sessions in French, Spanish, German and Mandarin! Tres bien Mrs Ford! Danke schoen!

Bake Off Competition

On Friday, Staff took part in a Bake Off competition for Children In Need. Congratulations to Mr Bean, who came first and to the runner up, Mrs Ure. The children were able to buy the cakes to raise money for this excellent cause. Many thanks to our judges, Mr Sonny, Mrs Flynn, Mrs Hazelton and Nicola, our cook, who had the hard job of tasting all the cakes!!! Pupils also enjoyed wearing their own clothes for the day.

As part of anti-bullying week, last Tuesday, was ‘wear odd socks to school day’! Pupils in Years 5 and 6 also engaged in workshops run by Kidscape.

Parents and carers of prospective Nursery and Reception pupils were invited to an open morning or afternoon last week; they enjoyed a tour of the school with Miss Starke.

It’s this time of year again – the children and staff are busy rehearsing for their Christmas concerts! It is always a very busy and wonderful time of the year! If you pass school, you may well hear some lovely singing as the children practice for their performances.

We are very much looking forward to the run up to Christmas, with theatre trips and festive activities planned.

A Happy Christmas from all the staff and pupils.

 

 

First Half Term Completed!

First Half Term Completed!

We are finding it hard to believe that we have nearly completed our first half term! They say time flies when you are having fun and that is certainly true for us in school!

Our Reception class have settled beautifully into school life. They are busy learning to read key words and recognise sounds and numbers and we are so proud of them.

Year 1 are enjoying learning in their new classroom: their outdoor space is also completed, with a canopy for shade and shelter.

Year 5 led Worship; family and friends were invited and they enjoyed a super Harvest celebration.

To celebrate Harvest, all the children enjoyed sharing and eating delicious bread.

Year 6 led an information session on staying steady and avoiding falls – this was for the over 55 age bracket. Thank you Year 6.

As we approach half term, we will reflect on the past 8 weeks as a time of new beginnings, filled with exciting new challenges and fun times.

 

 

Children’s Corner – Washable Paint

How to make washable chalk paint

 

You will need:

Cornflour

Water

Food colouring

Mix the water and cornflour in equal parts (try 1/2 cup of each to begin with) then add food coloring until it reaches the color desired. It will dry lighter. You can use the paint on paper, chalk boards or even to paint on your patio – but remember to ask a grown up first!

 

 

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!

 

 

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.

 

 

1 2 3 4 5 6