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Why Do We Have A PTA? We are very fortunate at our school to have a PTA that is and has been such an integral part of the school community for a number of years. In its time the PTA has raised thousands of pounds, which have been spent on improving equipment and resources to enhance our children’s education and the facilities in school in general. Our PTA is about much, much more than just fundraising. The PTA exists to provide closer links between home and school, and it is an excellent way to bring staff and parents together socially in support of the school, working towards a common goal. It is fun too - just ask any of the PTA committee members or helpers. Obviously as in any organisation, there are times when it is more ‘challenging’, but with the continued support of parents and staff, our PTA has always succeeded in its efforts. All parents and members of the school community can get involved if they want to, even if they only have a small amount of time available, and all parents are automatically members of the PTA when their children join our school. The PTA is extremely conscious of the ethos and morals of our school and we try very hard when organising and planning events to respect this. Not all of our events are run as fundraisers. Some events are run with the aim of giving the children a good time and as a way of thanking families for their continued support for the PTA. Role of the Committee Our PTA committee consists of 3 Officers (Chair – Catriona Savage 07768 635499, Treasurer – Elaine James 07973 855664 and Secretary – Mark Greetham 07867 904965). We also have 14 other ordinary committee members to make up the full committee. The Committee meet on a regular basis usually two or three times every term. Annual General Meeting (AGM) Our Annual General Meeting is held at the beginning of the academic year and this is an opportunity for all parents to come along and hear in more detail about events run, funds raised and how the money has been spent. Support from the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations - NCPTA Our PTA is a member of the NCPTA, which is the national charity that advances education and supports PTAs, throughout How We Raise Money Like most PTAs, the majority of our funds are raised through the events that we run. We always try and respond to the children’s requests for events and it is truly the icing on the cake to see them having fun at the events or enjoying using a piece of new equipment that the PTA has donated. We are fortunate however to have other opportunities open to us to raise money. Donations are extremely important. These can be time, money, items for sale, donations for raffles or offers of services and skills. How We Spend the Money We Raise Once money is raised from events the funds are banked straight away. It is at our PTA Committee Meetings, that the decisions on how to spend the money are agreed. Usually, Miss Davies (our Head teacher) will have a ‘shopping list’ of items that the school would like to purchase. In the main the PTA funds are for the ‘extras’ not provided by the school budget, that make our children’s learning experiences so much more fulfilling and exciting. We always endeavour to spend our funds in ways that will benefit all our children across all areas of the school and curriculum. The money we raise is usually spent fairly quickly. That way, you can be sure that in supporting our school, your child/children will feel the benefit, along with everybody else. Of course there are times when we have fundraising for a large project. For example: ICT and the Library. However, whilst saving for these, we have still managed to find funds for smaller items thanks to the generous and continued support of our parents. How We Get Information to You PTA information on forthcoming events and dates plus requests for assistance is attached to the school newsletter. How Can You Get Involved There are lots of ways you can help and support your child through the PTA. Offering to help before events or at other times during the year is so valuable – it really is a case of ‘many hands make light work’. It doesn’t matter if you can’t help on a regular basis, or even if you can’t come into school. There are always little jobs that can be done from home if you have half an hour to spare e.g. wrapping gifts, preparing raffle tickets etc. We really couldn’t achieve what we do without the unseen ‘army of help’ that exists in school. You can of course if you feel able, volunteer to be a Committee Member. Or you can simply support the AGM and give us your ideas for fundraising events – this is also the time to ask questions or voice your opinion. You can help by letting us know if you have any contacts or skills we could use – everything is potentially valuable to us. Finally, we are always extremely grateful to receive donations as mentioned before. Thank you for taking the time to read our leaflet. We hope you now know a little more about your Parent Teacher Association. On behalf of all the children we would like to thank you for your very valuable support which enriches their learning experiences and makes their time in school so enjoyable. From all the PTA Committee
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