Here's a chance to reduce, reuse and recycle with our Bags2School Collection. Fill your bags with any unwanted clothing and leather items. It's an opportunity for an early spring clear out that will generate some much needed funds for Croesty Primary School.

Please bring in your bags on the day of collection:

Thursday 24th January 

and leave them outside our junior gate for the start of the school day.

Unfortunately we will not accept any bags before the day of collection because we have nowhere to store them.

Imogen in Year 6 has been appointed by the School Council to be our School Photographer this year and she will be assisted by Joe in Year 5. Seven children applied for the job and the School Council shortlisted three children to be interviewed. All three children who were interviewed today gave a fantastic account of themselves and why they felt they would make a good school photographer. The School Council then asked the three children to take three portrait shots on the school camera. They had to catch the character of their subject. This was the ultimate test and the council were amazed at just how well each photographer set up their portrait shots. They had to do this on the spot using a camera that they had never used before. However, this did not phase any of the three applicants who calmly got on with the job and they really tested the decision making skills of the interview panel.

I wonder how many adults would have coped so well in such a situation and as the only adult observer there I was very impressed with the candidates and the interview panel - they've experienced a real life interview process. Take a look at the candidate photographs!

Mrs Sian John will be leaving us at the end of  this week to start a new full time role with Maesteg Comprehensive school after Christmas. Mrs John has been a class teacher with us since 2005 and over that time she has worked in many of our Junior Classes from year 3 to year 6. Mrs john currently works with our Year 3 class on Thursdays and Fridays. We wish her every success in her new role.

Our Choir put on a fantastic performance in this year's Love Light Concert for tenovus. You can check out the video vault to hear their performance.

Dr Wyatt Archaeologist came to work with Year 4 this week exploring aspects of medieval life with our children. Year 4 have made a study of life in Medieval times this term finding out about the events of 1066 using evidence sources like the Bayeux Tapestry and making visits to Cardiff Castle and the Medieval Village at Cosmeston.  

Year 3 had a Roman afternoon on the 28th November. This was a chance for the children to share their learning about the topic. Parents were invited to join in and they tried out some Roman honey biscuits that the children had made and watched our Roman legionaries marching. 

A very big thank you to the children who represented the school for us in this year's Remembrance Parade. Tom, Katie, Abigail, Evie, Ffion, Cora, Alex, Bryan, Ellie, Ruby, Cordilia, Grace,Toby and Morgan took part in this historic event for us and perhaps there will not be a similar occasion until 2039/2045 with the beginning and end of the Second World War.

The children each wore a sash bearing the name of one soldier from Pencoed who went out to fight in the Great War and who never came back.

The Revd. Hodges drew attention to the statistics for those lost in the Great War estimated at ten million troops and a further seven million civilians - truly shocking numbers only eclipsed by an estimated eighty million civilians and military personnel lost in World War 2. The figure becomes even more alarming when we realise that there are just over sixty million people in Britain today.

Some of our junior children had been invited to RAF St Athan to explore the base and to help them with their confidence and team building skills. They had a fantastic day exploring aircraft in and outside one of the maintenance hangers. One of the planes, a Percival Pembroke actually flew President Richard Nixon to Cuba at the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis in the 1960s.

The children were also able to explore some of the military vehicles at the base. Here are some quotes from the children after making the visit:

'I loved RAF St Athan because it was so brilliant' Kamile

'My favourite part of the day was when we had a photo on the RAF trucks' Imogen

'I liked everything about the day but my favourite things were sitting in the trucks and giving a salute in the end' Jayden

'I loved everything. I had a fantastic day with my friends' Ethan

'When we went to St Athans I enjoyed playing games with Rob because I find teamwork games really fun. When we were all trying to get under the rope it was really hard!' Abigail

 

There are more pictures to see in the web site gallery

 

Lucy has had some fantastic news. After a lot of hard work and training she has made it into the National Welsh Gymnastics Squad, and she will now train at the National Sports Arena Wales in Sofia Gardens in Cardiff. Well done Lucy!

Four of our Year 5 children have been working really hard and have made superb progress on their individual mathematics learning programmes.

Summer, Ruby, Thomas and Ieuan have all gained special Mathlettics certificates in recognition of their great learning.