Dear Parents, Guardians, and Llangan Legends,

It has been a bustling week at Llangan filled with exciting events and valuable learning experiences for our wonderful students. Here's a glimpse of what happened and a sneak peek into what's coming up next!

1. Workshop with PC Laura

This week, we had the pleasure of hosting PC Laura, our School Police Officer from South Wales Police. She visited Year 6 to deliver a workshop on child exploitation, which is part of the Schools Beat program – a national initiative delivering crucial lessons in schools across Wales. PC Laura will be returning next week to work with Years 3, 4, and 5, and she plans to visit all classes throughout the year. We appreciate her dedication to keeping our students safe.

2. NSPCC Lessons on Staying Safe

On Thursday, we welcomed three volunteers from the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children). They delivered lessons to students from Year Groups 1 to 6, focusing on staying safe, speaking out, and accessing the ChildLine. The NSPCC is a prominent children's charity in the United Kingdom, and we are excited to announce our close collaboration with them this year. 

Llangan will be working with the NSPCC  closely this year. It is a charity I have supported for several years through fundraising. This year I have a place to run the London Marathon whilst raising money for them I am setting the children in Llangan the challenge of joining me in running the virtual London Marathon as class teams over the weeks leading up to the event and helping me to raise money for this fantastic charity. More information to follow.

3. Llangan Arboretum Cleanup with Amazing Volunteers

Our school arboretum, a collection of different trees near the car park, received special attention this week. Llangan Legends, parents, and grandparents volunteered their time to join Mrs. Stevens in clearing the area. The arboretum, planted by previous staff, parents, children, and dad's club, had become overgrown with blackthorn. The hardworking volunteers made a significant impact, but please ensure that children steer clear of the removed bushes as they contain painful thorns.

A heartfelt thank you to all our incredible volunteers – your dedication makes Llangan a truly special place!

4. World Number Day with NSPCC

On Friday, all classes participated in the NSPCC's World Number Day, promoting the importance of numeracy skills. The children engaged in activities challenging their numeracy skills in real-life situations. While we did not raise funds for this event, the school will be organising different fundraising activities for the NSPCC throughout the year.

5. Visit from Rev Duncan Ballard

On Friday, we had the pleasure of welcoming Rev Duncan Ballard, a vicar who has recently become part of the Cowbridge Ministry Area, to our school. Rev Duncan visited all the classes and joined us for our weekly celebration assembly, where he shared insights into his role as a priest and discussed how he contributes to our community. The children had the opportunity to ask him questions and learn more about his career. We are excited to share that Rev Duncan will be returning to our school in the future. During these visits, he will engage with the children, discussing his job and supporting our RVE (religion, values education) learning by providing information about the activities in his Church. It's important to note that Llangan is not a Church school, so Rev Duncan's visits are not focused on evangelisation but rather on sharing his faith to help our children explore and understand various religions.

1. Parents' Evening Meetings (Tuesday and Thursday): Our second set of Parents' Evening meetings is scheduled for next week. Please book your appointments via the Parent Portal on our school website or school app before Monday, 5th February, at 3:30 pm when the booking system closes.

2. Dwr Cymru Water Workshops (Monday): Dwr Cymru will be joining us for workshops on the water cycle and water sustainability.

3. Educational Visits (Tuesday): Year 6 pupils will explore the Brecon Beacons, while Year 1/2 will visit Cowbridge to learn more about the town's history and carry out geography fieldwork.

4. Half-Term Break (Friday 9th February): The last day before the half-term break is a non-school uniform day. Pupils are encouraged to contribute £1 towards school funds. The PTA is also organizing a 'Doughnut Forget How Amazing You Are' event, selling doughnuts for £1 at playtime.

5. PTA Preloved Costumes Sale (Friday 9th during Parents' Evening): The PTA, in collaboration with the Eco Owls Committee, will host a preloved costumes sale. Parents can donate costumes for a contribution to the PTA funds.

6. Fire Safety Talk (Friday 9th): The Cowbridge Fire Brigade will visit the school to discuss their job and fire safety.

Updates: The original school building is undergoing renovation starting Monday, and while it won't affect school lunches next week, we anticipate a reduced menu after half-term. We will confirm details once we have more information.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to another exciting and productive week ahead!

Best regards,

Mr James Griffihts