I hope you all had a lovely summer with plenty of time to rest, relax and enjoy family adventures. It’s wonderful to see the school full of energy again, and I’d like to give a heartfelt welcome back to our families, both familiar faces and those who are joining us for the very first time. We’re so pleased to have you with us.
Vision and Community
I’m really excited about the year ahead as we take our next steps together. My vision is very much about growing our sense of community – a place where children feel they belong, where families feel part of the journey, and where we can achieve even more by working together. Volunteers play such an important part in this, and we’ll be seeking to open up more opportunities this year for parents, carers and friends of the school to get involved.
Uniform
You’ll also hear us talking a little about uniform over the coming weeks. While we don’t insist on it, we do encourage children to wear it, as it helps to create a sense of belonging and pride in our school. We’ll be exploring ways to make this easier for everyone, including the possibility of a swap shop to recycle and share items. For families who’d like to buy new, J & S Products in Tycoch continues to be a good place to source.
Communication
This term we’ll also be starting some gentle awareness-raising around Schools of Sanctuary – more details and updates are on our website here. Linked to this is clear information and communication. We currently use Class Dojo for updates and our website for public-facing information. This year we expect changes to our school data and communication systems that are managed by the local authority. We rely on your child’s education being a partnership between us and parents, and I would emphasise that the website will remain the key area for information at https://brynmill-primary-school1.j2bloggy.com/
A new start
As part of any new leadership, there is an opportunity to look at what is working well and what needs to change. Some of those changes are already in place with our new staff and roles. I look forward to listening to the views of pupils, parents, staff and our wider community to help shape the future direction together.
Thank you for your support so far – it really does make such a difference. I’m looking forward to a year full of learning, laughter, and shared achievements.
Being recognised as a School of Sanctuary means a school has evidenced their commitment to making sure every child and family feel welcomed, safe and is supported to thrive. This includes upholding comprehensive safeguarding practices and policies as our highest priority.
The Schools of Sanctuary programme is not political – in a worryingly divided society where hateful rhetoric is widespread, it simply helps schools to talk factually about the different reasons people may have been forced to flee and their experiences arriving in the UK. Whatever a person’s viewpoint, the Schools of Sanctuary encourages children and adults alike to lead with kindness and humanity.
Stories of arriving in the UK are not abstract but are also shared by many in our school community. Being a School of Sanctuary not only helps us to understand the challenges newly arrivals might be experiencing and best support them, as we work hard to do for every one of our learners, but it also ensures that these children’s experiences are recognised and represented. In doing so, we hope that children seeking safety can feel just as safe, welcomed and valued in our community as their peers.
We are proud to be a school where every child feels safe, where we try to understand and meet every child’s individual needs, and we equip our pupils to be kind and thoughtful members of our communities. This is at the heart of who we are.
You can learn more about theSchools of Sanctuary programme herebut if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Happy Half Term! We hope you all have a wonderful half term. We’ll see you back at school on Tuesday June 3rd.
This past week:
Pobbles made good use of the plastic boxes and cardboard they brought in to make recycled musical instruments. They formed a junk band and had a dance party which they all liked.
Bracelet enjoyed their class trip to the National Botanical Gardens of Wales, where they saw plants from all across the world. They did themselves and the school proud as active and inquisitive learners.
Caswell where able to participate in a special workshop all about Amy Johnson, a pioneering pilot. They learned about the principles of flight, navigation, and enjoyed making a bi-plane model to take home.
Oxwich were able to attend a workshop at school lead by Swansea University. They had a great time learning about rovers in space. Some of them also went out for a litter pick around the school grounds as they focus on pollution this term.
Fruit Tuck Shop –The fund is now on iPayImpact, Summer Term 2. Please remember to pay for School Fruit in advance.
School of Sanctuary Award – We have just had the news that we have secured Re-accreditation of our Schools of Sanctuary Award. Our Oxwich Young Interpreters impressed our City of Sanctuary visitors. We have been invited to attend an awards ceremony in June. We are very proud to be a recognised School of Sanctuary which means we are committed to creating a culture of welcome, understanding and belonging for those forced to flee.
June 13th – Day of Welcome (Non-School Uniform Day)The Young Interpreters have decided to organise a non-school uniform day fundraising for local charities. Theme: Traditional Outfits from home countries to celebrate the diversity of our school OR Yellow / blue. £1.00 donation welcomed.
Sports Day – Our Caswell and Oxwich Sports Day is on Thursday July 10th. It will be in the morning at at the Athletics Track at Swansea University Sports Park, Sketty Lane. Caswell and Oxwich parents are welcome to join us there.
This year for Sports Day we have had to consider an alternative venue, given that St Helens will not be available while improvements are under way. We felt that this would be unsuitable for the younger children and we are instead proposing that Bracelet and Pobbles Bay Team hold separate fun and Games Sessions in Brynmill Park during the week of 7th July.
We understand that there may be some disappointment that there is not a whole school event, but we feel confident that this is the best way forward for this year taking into account safety, practical arrangements and cost.
We hope to return to St Helens once the stadium is renovated.
We will update you further as we finalise arrangements.
Governor Elections – We are pleased to announce that a new parent governor has been appointed. Ms Selma Abdalla has kindly agreed to take on the role. She has been an active voice in our Community Group and we welcome her input and presence on the Governing Body.
PTA News – Thank you to everyone who came along to our Usborne Book Fair! We’re thrilled to share that we sold £902 worth of books over the two days, earning an amazing £541 worth of free books for our school. Your support means so much!
A big thank you as well to those who attended our Summer Fete planning meeting earlier this week. We’re now looking for volunteers to help on the day, with setting up, running stalls, and packing down afterwards. If you’re able to lend a hand in any way, please get in touch with us at friendsofbrynmill@gmail.com.
Looking ahead, our next badminton evening at The LC is happening on Monday 2nd June from 6-9 PM, feel free to drop in anytime and stay as long as you want. It’s a great way to get active and have some fun, everyone is welcome, and we hope to see you there!
Cofion/ Regards Mr Davies
As always, thank you for your continued support!
Bridging Communities Project – Led by VIBE YOUTH CIC this bold, inter-generational programme consists of four weekly sessions that brings people together across race, age, and culture to build a more inclusive Swansea. Kind thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund for supporting this vision of unity and change. Starting Mondays from 4 August | 1pm-3pm at the Swansea Building Society Arena. Book your free tickets at the link below.
