03 July 2018
Primary schools and nursery groups throughout Wales are preparing for a colourful birthday party as S4C children's service Cyw (translation, Chick) celebrates its tenth anniversary.
The Welsh television channel has sent bumper party packs to every primary school and nursery group in Wales, with an invitation to the party on Thursday, 5 July.
A whistle-stop tour of at least 50 of the country's schools and nursery groups has been organised; school visits that will be a total surprise to the children. Various popular characters from the channel's highly successful kid's service will visit venues all over Wales to greet the children as they enjoy the party.
The party pack includes party invitations, decorations for small cakes, birthday banners, a fun mini book of activities for each child and a colourful A3 Cyw party poster with vocabulary and ideas for additional activities.
Along with the party pack and the television coverage, a new educational Cyw package work scheme for nursery assistants and schoolteachers has been designed and can be downloaded from the S4C website, s4c.cymru.
Commissioned by S4C and written and designed by Carmarthen-based educational resources company Canolfan Peniarth, the educational pack is available online at s4c.cymru/cyw for Welsh-language and English-language primary teachers and nursery group leaders throughout Wales.
The colourful fun-filled pack has been designed in conjunction with the curriculum's Early Years Foundation Phase Framework and is packed with original and relevant activities.
The S4C Cyw work-scheme develops literacy and numeracy skills, encouraging young pupils to work independently and develop creativity. Alongside the scheme of work, activity sheets are available in PDF format online.
S4C Content Commissioner, children's programmes, Sioned Wyn Roberts said, "We are hoping that many schools will celebrate Cyw's birthday on 5 July.
"We have had a great response from schools to the birthday pack and the educational Scheme of Work that has been designed to go with it. It is truly the icing on the cake."
A teacher at Ysgol y Dderwen primary school, Carmarthen, Kiri Thomas said, "There has been a great deal of excitement in the school since the pack has arrived - especially as Cyw sent all the children a personal invitation, and because the invitations were sent to their homes it's also raised awareness of this important celebration among parents."
There will be further celebrations at the Cardiff National Eisteddfod in August where Cyw will join up with the BBC National Orchestra Wales for the classical music extravaganza at the BBC Hoddinnot Hsll, Millennium Centre.
