NEATH ABBEY INFANTS' SCHOOL
New Road, Neath Abbey, Neath. SA10 7NG. 01792812227/fax 01792814349
Hello to everyone from head-teacher Beverly Newman,
All the staff and pupils at the school.
Our school motto is ‘Happily Learning Together,'
and we certainly do this with the 190 pupils we have on roll at present.
The school is split over two sites with the Early Years Unit in Heol Penlan, Longford and Years 1 & 2 at New Road, Neath Abbey.
We have just raised £823 sponsorship with Fit 4 Fun - fun physical activities as we believe in healthy minds in healthy bodies. Another sponsored event, with which we are hoping to raise about £1800, is with Schools Football Initiative.
Our ECO committee has just held an Action week to tidy up the community field and plant new flowers shrubs and vegetables. We regularly take part in planting, litter picking and conservation projects with groups such as the Dyffryn Clydach Environmental Group.
We have just received an award for Safe Routes to School, an award for the Healthy Schools Scheme for 2006, and we are working towards the award for 2007.
Our planting day at Longford Memorial Hall!
Mrs. Powell brought twelve of her Reception class over to the hall to work with the Dyffryn Clydach Environmental Group on Monday 18th June. We dodged the showers and planted up the borders with colourful summer bedding plants. It was great fun and afterwards we had squash and biscuits and then a special playtime in the playground at the hall.
Councillor Alyson Thomas goes back to school and learns all about 'Mary, Mary, quite Contrary!'
On June 11th I paid an afternoon visit to the nursery class in the Early Years Unit up at Heol Penlan. I had a marvellous afternoon with all the children, their teacher Miss Harris, nursery nurse Mrs. Griffiths and the teaching assistants and trainees.The unit is currently undergoing a facelift and is light and airy with new murals in the wet play area and cloakrooms.
I was one of the first customers in their 'Garden Centre' where I was able to buy compost, seeds, trays and plant food. The children are all working together on the nursery rhyme theme of 'Mary, Mary, quite Contrary and they are certainly getting their garden to grow with lovely flowers, tomatoes and lettuces. They are also using cockle shells for counting practice.
On the day I was there Mrs. Williams, one of the mums, was weeding out some raised beds ready for more plants and there were many little hands helping her. One Longford resident has generously donated many of the plants for the children's project which is great.
The children are learning songs about gardening and stories like 'Jack and the Beanstalk' and painting leaves to grow on their very own beanstalk. .
I really enjoyed story time and singing and I think the children all enjoyed their healthy afternoon snack of fruit and milk.
I was very impressed by the way that Miss Harris used Welsh as well as English as she talked to the children and the lovely warm atmosphere in which the children were thriving and learning together.
I wonder what I will learn next time I visit?
DEMOCRACY IN ACTION.
You are never too young to learn to vote!
The children in Neath Abbey Infants have been exercising their rights over new mural work in the cloakroom of the school. Artist Mr. John Davies was invited to work with the children and each child had to draw a picture of what they thought would look best.
Then the class all had to vote for which were the pictures that they would most like to see in the mural and these were then painted into the design.
The result is a fantastic underwater theme full of fishy creations, seaweed and watery whatnots. Fantastic.
Dyffryn Clydach Community Council Announces the Winners of the Children's Art Competition.
The children of Neath Abbey Infants and Early Years Unit produced some marvellous work this year.
The theme of the competition was ' Animal Magic' and the entries certainly lived up to the title.
We saw some truly scary tigers and a crafty spider, a fabulousy feathery duck and shiny rainbow fish.
Nursery and Reception Class winners
1st Prize Winner Luke Jones , 2nd Ebony Robinson, Joint 3rd Harry Leatherland and Matilda Holmes
Neath Abbey Infants winners
1st Prize Ellie Davies, 2nd Alisha Jenkins, Joint 3rd Samantha Brown and Olivia Seymour.
All the children who entered received prizes of art materials and our two first prize winners won £10 WHSmith Tokens donated kindly by Longford Stores. The prizes were presented at a special assembly at the Infants School by Council Chairman Martyn Peters and Chair of Halls Committee, Cllr.Jennifer Davies and Competition Organiser Cllr. Alyson Thomas.
'At the recent Family Fun Day the children's work was displayed at the Memorial Hall, Longford for all to see and it was a real privilege for us,' said Jennifer. Head Teacher Beverly Newman expressed her joy in having the children's work at the heart of the celebrations and paid tribute to the staff who are all so dedicated in their work with the little ones.
The PTA are running a Christmas Shopping trip to Cribbs Causeway in November
[please see Dyffryn Clydach diary for further details]
If you are new to the area and would like to pop in to the school please ring our secretary Anthea Jackson on 01792 812227, who will be only too pleased to arrange a visit for you!
Our school website address is www.neathabbey.ik.org