Croeso!

Welcome to Dosbarth Usk 

2021/2022

This year we welcome a new teacher to our class team - Angeliki

and a new TA Siân to join us ‘oldies’ Anita and Bernie.

We also have some new pupils who will soon settle into Team Usk.

We will have just as many fun and happy times as we learn and grow together and we look forward to posting photos of our work here on our Class page. 
 

Introducing our Class Team

Here are our amazing pupils.

Autumn Term 2021

Our topic for the first half of this term is 'Keeping Healthy'

We will be exploring how we keep fit and healthy

 and enjoying sensory activities to enhance our learning. 

After Half Term our topic will be Seasons Greetings.

We will base all our activities around the many Celebrations that occur this term

We will also be working hard to produce our Christmas Concert item as well as enjoying all the Special events happening during the weeks leading up to the Christmas Holidays

We hope you enjoy viewing our photos. 

* If at any time any Dosbarth Usk pupils return to Blended learning at home

 some activities / videos etc. will be included under each topic icon

 for you to follow if you wish *

Autumn Term 2

Autumn Term 1 

In Dosbarth Usk we use a multi-sensory approach in all areas and activities such as Sensory Packs, Touch therapy, yoga, aerobics, sensory massage etc. These activities help to stimulate self-awareness, develop self-esteem and confidence, reduce tensions and anxieties, allowing for improved communication and therefore, learning opportunities. 

To complement this, this approach is replicated throughout all areas of the curriculum, with adapted environments allowing for a unique and differentiated approach for each child, giving him /her the best possible opportunity to maximize their learning potential. To begin with, we make sure each child is suitably positioned, postural management being essential, whether the child is working from the floor, in a specialist chair, wheelchair, or utilizing any other piece of equipment. Within the classroom, the position of the child is important, taking into account utilizing effective light and sound, and reducing distractions, e.g. un-necessary light, sound and “clutter”. ICT is a very important asset, e.g. the use of a light-board to enhance the visual field of a child, and helping thechild to focus on a particular area during both work and leisure time activities. This may be re-inforced with UV lighting and the use of various switches, specifically adapted to each child`s ability.

All of these considerations are taken into account, whilst developing each child`s IEP, encouraging co-operation, communication, choice making and an opportunity to demonstrate independence and self-determination.

Bye Bye Steve!

It was a sad last day of the half term as we said Goodbye to Steve. He finally retired after nearly 30 years at Ty Gwyn. Team Usk have had an emotional rollercoaster over the past few years. We've had the happiest of times and the saddest of times and for Steve's final year there was a Global Pandemic to deal with.  But Steve has supported his Team, his class and their families throughout and we will always be grateful.

We wish him a Long Happy Healthy Retirement x

(But we won't miss his corny jokes!)

Welcome back to a new Half Term Dosbarth Usk!

This is Welsh Month and we will be working on activities in class with our friends who have returned that celebrate why 'Wales is Magic'  and uploading videos, activity suggestions etc online for those working at home who wish to join in. We appreciate these are still very strange times for us all so only participate if you want to and are able. Otherwise just enjoy the sensory stimulation videos and other videos on offer.

Each week Steve will choose something from our Magic Welsh Bag

to be the theme for the week!

ROWND A ROWND

LAN A LAWR

BETH SYDD YN Y BAG?

We hope you enjoy seeing how hard we have worked this half term!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

A hearty welcome back to all of our amazing “Uskateers”…

We are continuing to grow!

(Welcome on board Ruthie Berry, we`ve missed you!)

We hope you all had a lovely Christmas and were able to spend time with your loved ones, and are now feeling fit, healthy and raring to go on another fun-packed thrilling term with the rest of us-K!

What a year 2020 turned out to be. There were undoubtedly some very sad and trying moments, but hopefully, the spirit of Dosbarth Usk kept a beacon of light shining, and we could help bring a little cheer to you all. 

This year, we will continue to try our hardest to deliver lots of ideas, based upon our theme for the half-term,

    “I Like That”

    (Making choices)

There will be sensory stimulating arts/crafts, stories and music, to help us get through these difficult times. Hopefully, a little light can now be seen at the end of the tunnel and normal service will be resumed in the very near future!

As mentioned before, don’t forget to take  photos and videos of yourselves and your work  if you join in at home we look forward to seeing them, although don't feel obliged to attempt all the ideas given, just enjoy the songs, stories, sensory videos and music on offer.

We just want to remind you that during these very trying times there is absolutely no demand on any of our lovely families to put themselves under pressure to complete all or indeed any of the suggested activities. We realise that craft items etc may not be available to you - the photos and videos are just to enhance the topics.

Click through all of the icons as we're regularly adding videos etc we feel will keep some sense of familiarity and stimulation.

Steve, Anita, Beverley and Bernie x

 During  all our activities we offer choices - whether that be choosing colours - tools - working partners etc. As 'making choices' is the emphasis for this term's topics - hopefully when we're together in class we'll demonstrate how this is achieved in the photos we post. As we're a class of Teenagers we have to respect the choice of .... Nope not doing that! 

Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello!

Autumn 1 2020

Welcome back Uskateers! We've missed you!

We still find ourselves in the most unusual of circumstances, and will continue to strive to provide the best of all worlds, both in class and online, for our regulars, along with any new Uskateers we meet along the way!

This term we will be investigating Autumnal activities, exploring colours, textures, smells and tastes (where applicable) to experience the changing of the seasons, leading up to our Halloween celebrations before half term.

We`ll also be looking at the topic of “Friends” and relationships. We are blessed to have so many good friends in Dosbarth Usk

There'll be the usual blend of arts, crafts, songs and stories to help keep you all busy.

We will strive to make the environment as safe as possible, the children are slowly getting used to the new routines and the staff's new PPE look!

Please feel free to join in, have a go at the ideas, or simply sit back and enjoy the songs or stories.

Have a lovely Half-term!

Team Usk!

xx

Autumn 2 2020

Greetings once again from all of US-K!

We hope you are all continuing to stay safe and well during these very trying times.

To help keep spirits up, we are inviting you to "pop" along and help us make some poppies for our Remembrance Day celebrations.

Then you may wish to help us add a bit of "sparkle" to our bonfire night extravaganza! We have found some lovely music to help you "Rock-et!"

Then, before you know it , we'll be onto our Christmas festivities ...

Are you ready Joely-Noely?

Join in if you wish - click on the icons below or simply sit back and enjoy the wonderful sensory ideas and activities .. we'll be adding to these as the weeks go on.

Finally....for those of you who thought we wouldn't be doing a Christmas concert this year... Remember the old saying,

"We got locked down, but we got up again...Ain't nothing gonna keep US-K down!"

Watch this Space!!!

Have a great half-term

Steve, Anita, Bev and Bernie 

xxxx

This Term we will be working from the MSI and RFL Curriculum as well as P-Scales/LNF with the targets being, whenever possible, 

Responding to stimuli

Making clear choices

Sharing attention

Develop social skills

and Working cooperatively in a range of settings alongside adults and peers.

Dosbarth Usk.

Welcome to a brand new and very different term.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone very much after such a long time apart.

We hope that things will soon return to normal but until such a time we're doing everything we can to minimise risks for us all. 

So ... here are a few photo's to show you things we've put in place in class.

DOSBARTH USK!

It’s the final week of this school year and what a year it’s been! 
Our final upload ... a Celebration of Team Usk! X

Stay safe and well Dosbarth Usk! Enjoy the Summer and we’ll see you soon! X

Hello Dosbath Usk , our fantastic “Uskateers”, and our growing band of avid followers!

We hope you all had a safe and restful break and are feeling fit, healthy and ready to embark upon another action-packed, fun-filled half-term, to help you all cope with the difficult times which we`re all continuing to face at the moment.  

Once again, we`ll be giving you lots of ideas and activities, based upon our theme for the half-term,  “The Great Escape”  (Please excuse the irony!)

There`ll be “silly” intros, fun staff stories, video links for our favourite songs and stories, and sensory motivators, and of course, lots and lots of fabulous craft ideas from the multi-talented Anita, Beverley and Bernie!

As before, don’t forget to take lots of photos and videos of yourselves and your work, we look forward to seeing them, although don`t feel obliged to attempt all the ideas given, just enjoy the songs, videos and music  on offer. 

Can we say a great big thank you to all the mums and dads, brothers and sisters, and other family members for all their help throughout, we couldn`t have done it without you!

Finally, it wouldn`t be right if we didn`t mention how saddened we were about losing Tyler. He was a brilliant young man, full of fun, full of love, and possessed with an outrageous sense of humour. He was an amazing character. 

He will be missed greatly.

Have a great half-term and keep safe!

Steve, Anita, Bev and Bernie

xxxx

A big hello to our intrepid “Uskateers”

We hope you all managed to have a peaceful and restful Easter break during these very difficult and trying times which we`re all, unfortunately, facing at the moment.

Hopefully, to help everyone at home, we`re going to try and give to you a sense of “normality”, covering all aspects of our regular Ty Gwyn life, based on our topic for the half-term, which is….

“Animals”.

There`ll be lots of ideas and activities, (these will change each week), which you may be able to do at home with a little help from our lovely mums and dads. There will be some video links giving you access to our children`s familiarsongs, books and characters, plus a few “renditions” by your favourite staff of some of our crazy sensory stories. (please bear with us, they usually go wrong!)

Don`t forget to take lots of photos, and send us your pictures for us to see, either online or when we eventually manage to all meet up again in school!

In the mean-time have a great “half-term” and keep safe!

Steve, Anita, Bev and Bernie 

We're updating activities and resources in the following areas.

We hope you find them useful.

We just want to remind you that during these very trying times there is absolutely no demand on any of our lovely families to put themselves under pressure to complete all or indeed any of the suggested activities. We realise that craft items etc  may not be available to you - the photos and videos are just to enhance the topics (also doing bits and bobs at home is helping the Uskateers stay sane - and it makes us feel closer to you too! )

We just want to provide ideas and activities that may just fill some time.

 Click through all of the icons as we're regularly adding videos etc we feel will keep some sense of familiarity and stimulation.

Croeso i Dosbarth Usk!

This half term we are supporting Canada in the Rugby World Cup (although our hearts belong to Wales!)

Here are some photos of us enjoying our Canadian Themed Activities.

Oct '19