Ysgol Y Mynydd Du

01/09/2026

🎶 SPACES AVAILABLE - Piano, Flute or Clarinet! 🎶

It has been wonderful to see our children’s confidence grow through music, and our end-of-term performance was a fantastic celebration of all their hard work! 👏🎵

“Learning a musical instrument helps young people develop confidence, discipline, creativity, and perseverance while giving them a rewarding skill they can enjoy for life. Starting lessons early can also improve concentration and self-expression, making music a valuable investment in your child’s development.
The start of the new term is the perfect time to begin lessons, and I have 2 spaces available for piano, flute or clarinet lessons. Please get in touch today to secure your child's place!”

Diolch, Beth Walker

16/07/2026

In case you missed the Schoop… 💦 Water Fight Tomorrow! 💦

The children have been asking (very enthusiastically! 😄) if they can have a water fight tomorrow... so we've decided to say YES!

If your child would like to join in, please send them to school with:

💧 A change of clothes (named)
💧 A towel (named)
💧 A sun hat

💧Sun cream for reapplication
💧 A small water pistol (if they have one – please don't feel you need to buy one)

We'll make sure it's lots of fun and a great way to celebrate the end of a fantastic school year while keeping cool in the warm weather! ☀️

16/07/2026

🎭 It's Show Time! 🎭

Our Musical Theatre Club will be taking to the stage this afternoon, and we would love to see as many people there as possible to support our fantastic pupils!

We have been lucky enough to watch the dress rehearsal today, and all we can say is... you are in for a real treat! 🌟 The children have worked incredibly hard over the past few months, showing so much dedication, confidence and talent. Diolch Miss Meacham!

📍 School Hall
🕓 4:00pm

🎟️ There will be a raffle and refreshments available, so come along, enjoy the performance and help us celebrate all of the hard work our amazing pupils have put in.

We can't wait to see you there! 💙

14/07/2026

📚✨ Wow, what a lovely morning we’ve had at the Talgarth Community Library! ✨📚

Every child had the opportunity to visit today, and those who are already library members or have signed up now have their packs and books ready to begin the Summer Reading Challenge! 🌟📖

We received such a warm welcome from the wonderful library volunteers, who created such a friendly and welcoming atmosphere for all of our pupils. A huge thank you to them for having us! 💜

The library is still open after school today, so if your child hasn’t yet signed up for the Summer Reading Challenge, would like to ask any questions, or simply wants to pop back in for another visit, the doors are open and everyone is welcome! 🎈

Don’t forget to keep visiting throughout the summer to return, swap and choose new books, as well as collect stickers and work towards completing the challenge! 🏅📚

Reading is so important, and it doesn’t matter whether children read independently, share a book with an adult, or enjoy listening to a story together — every book and every bit of reading counts! 💫

We can’t wait to see how much our pupils read this summer & celebrate their achievements! 📚☀️🌟

13/07/2026

🌼🌿 What a wonderful morning! 🌿🌼

Today we had the privilege of welcoming Jim Goodwin, RHS Judge for Wales in Bloom, to Ysgol Y Mynydd Du as part of Talgarth in Bloom.

Our children were fantastic ambassadors for the school, confidently showing Jim around our beautiful gardens and sharing the incredible journey of how they have transformed the outdoor spaces. They spoke with such pride about the work they have done, from planting and caring for our flower beds to creating inviting spaces for wildlife and learning.

One of the highlights was showcasing our flourishing wildflower meadow, which the children were especially proud to talk about. 🌸🦋🐝

It was also lovely to be joined by Rosie and Janice from Grow for Talgarth, whose continued support and passion for our community make such a difference.

We couldn't be prouder of how brilliantly our pupils represented the school today. Their enthusiasm, knowledge and love for their environment truly shone through.

A huge thank you to our community volunteers, Louise, Kate and Sarah from Nature Child and to everyone who has helped make our gardens such a special place to learn and grow. 🌼💚

12/07/2026

🌟 Our Final Weekly Update of the 2025–2026 School Year is Here! 🌟

We can't quite believe we're sharing our last weekly update of the academic year! What a fantastic year it has been, filled with learning, laughter, achievements and unforgettable memories. Thank you to all of our families for your continued support throughout the year – we couldn't do it without you! 💙

Here's a taste of what's happening during our final week...

🎓 Year 6 Celebration Week
🥞 Leavers' Breakfast
🦎 Animal Encounters
🍟 Chippy Lunch
🏰 Inflatables & Games
💦 Water Fight
👕 Shirt Signing
🎉 Leavers' Assembly – everyone is welcome on Friday at 9:30am!

🎭 Musical Theatre Club Performance – Thursday at 4:00pm. Everyone is welcome! There'll be refreshments, cakes and a raffle too! 🎟️🍰

🎵 Beth Walker Music Performance – Our talented musicians will be performing for parents.

📚 Summer Reading Challenge – Sign up over the holidays and earn rewards from the library... plus a special celebration party at school in September for everyone who takes part!

☀️ Hot Weather Reminder – Please remember water bottles, hats, sun cream and cool clothing as we continue to monitor classroom temperatures throughout the week.

🌟 Exciting News! Puddle Ducks at Ysgol Y Mynydd Du is now an official Flying Start setting, allowing us to offer even more support to eligible local families.

💙 We'd also like to say a heartfelt thank you to Mr Jones and Miss Meacham for everything they have done for our school, and to all of our amazing staff and volunteers who have given up their own time to run after-school clubs this year.

It's going to be a brilliant final week—we can't wait to celebrate it with you all! 🎉

Full update on Schoop...
A few snaps from last week to enjoy!

10/07/2026

🌟 Exciting News – We Are Now a Flying Start Setting! 🌟

We are delighted to share that Puddle Ducks at Ysgol Y Mynydd Du is now an official Flying Start setting.

This is fantastic news for our school and local community and means that eligible families will now be able to access high-quality early years education and support through our school.

What is Flying Start?

Flying Start is a Welsh Government programme designed to give young children the very best start in life. It provides funded, high-quality childcare and access to a range of support services for eligible families with children under the age of four.

By becoming a Flying Start setting, we will be able to welcome more children into our nurturing environment, helping them to develop confidence, independence and a love of learning before they begin full-time school.

What does this mean for families?

Eligible families may be able to benefit from:

⭐ Funded high-quality childcare sessions.
⭐ A smooth transition into school through familiar staff and surroundings.
⭐ Opportunities for children to learn through play in a safe, stimulating environment.
⭐ Access to wider family support and early years services.

We are incredibly proud to be able to offer this provision and look forward to welcoming even more families into our school community.

If you think your child may be eligible for Flying Start, or you would like to find out more, please speak to a member of staff in the school office. We would be happy to help and answer any questions you may have.

We look forward to sharing more information over the coming weeks as we begin this exciting new chapter.

09/07/2026

We were so proud to visit Hay Castle Art Gallery and see Ysgol Y Mynydd Du classes’ wonderful work on display as part of the Refugee Week Creative Challenge! 🎨✨

Miss HP & Mrs Foster loved spotting our pupils’ fantastic creations showcased in the gallery — such a special moment and a real celebration of all their creativity and thoughtful contributions🌟

If you’re in Hay this weekend, do pop into the gallery and take a look! 💜💜💜

06/07/2026

📚☀️ Summer Reading Challenge 2026 ☀️📚

Today, all pupils brought home information about this year’s Summer Reading Challenge. We are proud to be supporting Talgarth Community Library in promoting the challenge, but children can take part through any local library.

We would love as many children as possible to join in over the summer holidays — whether they read 1 book or 100 books! 📖✨

As a school, we are also offering a special reward for everyone who takes part: a Summer Reading Challenge Party on the first Thursday afternoon back at school with Golden Time, cakes and a celebration together 🥳🧁🎉

Please check your child’s bag for the information pack sent home today.

You can also take part online at: summerreadingchallenge.org.uk - set a reading goal and log your books on your profile. When you reach your goal you will unlock digital prizes. ⁠

Happy reading!

03/07/2026

📢 Parents & Carers of Year 5 & 6 pupils – we'd love your help!

Researchers at Cardiff University are still looking for parents and carers of children aged 9–11 years (Years 5 & 6) to take part in the BEARS Study, which aims to improve understanding of children's attention, behaviour and emotions, including ADHD.

✅ Children with or without ADHD can take part.
⏱️ The survey only takes a short time to complete.
🎁 Everyone who completes the study (parents/carers, children and teachers) will be entered into a prize draw to win a £20 gift voucher at the end of July 2026.

Find out more:
📽️ Watch the short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j-bYD8ADv8
🌐 Visit the study page: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/wolfson-centre-for-young-peoples-mental-health/take-part/child-development-wales

Thank you for helping support research that could improve understanding of ADHD and help shape better support for children in the future.

Take part in a new study which aims to better understand children's attention, behaviours, and emotions.