AGM - what happened, what is planned for this year and where we still need your help...

Following our AGM on 30th September 2021, we're delighted to be able to introduce the new Committee and update you all on our plans for this year. We welcome Sami Fotoohi as our new Treasurer and Lucy Prior and Sam Walker as new Committee members. Details on the whole Committee can be found on the About page on our website.

We discussed how much we need to raise this year - which we have estimated to be £35,000 to be able to meet all the school's needs (which they've set out in the attached poster).

We looked at how much we hope to raise from the events we know we can run - which amounts to a whopping £20,000 - but we know we could raise the additional £15,000 needed if we ran more events.

Crucially, the Summer Fete cannot currently take place due to lack of volunteers, yet it could raise £10,000 alone! Nor do we have enough volunteers to run parent socials.

So we very much STILL NEED YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS TO COME FORWARD to help us run these, or any other events that you're interested in, to raise valuable funds for the school as set out in this poster from Mrs Roberts:

Fundraising Poster Oct 2021.pdf

Download PDF • 725KB

The full list of PTA events that we know can happen are:

- Autumn Raffle (Exec Committee)

- Christmas Cards (Jilly Thomas & Michelle Yeatman)

- In school Christmas Secret Room (Clare Lynch, Theo Tully, Loran Haines)

- Christmas Wreath Making Social (Ami Parker & Natalie Jolliffe)

- Christmas Cinema Club (Sam Walker)

- Scavenger Hunt (Kate Bourne)

- In school Easter egg hunt (Lucy Prior)

- Family physical challenge (Kate Cooper)

- Clarefest (Emma Butterworth & team)

- In school discos (Claudine Cerrini)

- Monthly 2nd hand uniform sales (Nicki Webb)

Events we could run but require volunteers for:

- Summer Fete

- Parent socials

- Any new events..all ideas welcome!

We look forward to hearing from you.

Claire, Natalie, Sami & Sara

PTA Christmas Cards - What is it and how does your child participate?

What is the PTA Christmas Cards initiative? Each year the PTA gives the pupils of Claremont the chance to design their own Christmas Card and for their designs to appear on cards and other novelty items (mugs, wrapping paper, gift tags and A5 spiral bound notebook). Should you wish to, then you, the parents, can buy these items to spread your child’s creative joy to everyone you know and raise funds for the PTA at the same time!

But it’s only October! Why now?!

Christmas is only 2 months away! And that means we have to get the designs back to the company in the first week of November so they can print them to get them back to us in good time for international posting deadlines. Plus, what better thing is there to do on a rainy day over half- term!

Why else should I sign up?

Prizes! Your little one’s artwork will be automatically entered into a school competition with the chance to win a £10 Waterstones voucher for the best entry from the Infants and the best entry from the Juniors, selected by Mrs Roberts.

I’m in! What do I do now? 1 - Don’t lose the Order Form that your child will bring home before half term (each one has a unique code so can’t be easily replaced)

2 - Before you start, check out the “artwork guidelines” on the Order Form and inspiration here.

3 - Encourage your child to release their artistic expression! (within the guidelines, of course, for optimal printing)

4 - Carefully stick the completed artwork onto the Order Form.

5 - Circle the tree on the Order Form which shows the correct orientation for the card

6 - Complete your child’s details and your order request on the Order Form (boxes 1-3)

7 - Pay online using your unique two part code found at the top of the order form by Tuesday 2nd November.

8 - Return your completed Order Form with artwork attached, in a plastic envelope or sleeve, back to your child’s class teacher by TUESDAY 2nd NOVEMBER.

9 - Sit back and await your delivery; the items you order will be sent home with your children in Term 2.

——————————————— FAQs

Any questions not covered below please contact Michelle at michelleyeatman@live.com. How much do the cards cost? The first pack of 12 cards costs £5.50. Packs of gift labels cost £2.50 and the mugs are £6.50 each. This is set out as well as bumper and value packs on the Order Forms. Why are the cards being done at home and not at school? The school is under enormous curriculum pressure. To complete the cards at school, in October, would present the teaching staff with a huge additional but avoidable stress. Additionally, we have found that conducting this project in class means that pupils, especially in the infant section of school, are constrained artistically whereas at home the only limit to their design is their imagination! The project is run as a fun way of giving pupils a chance to get their own design printed so that they can be proud of their work and for parents to see their children be inspired by freedom of expression. This is not a compulsory project. If parents or pupils do not wish to get involved that is absolutely fine. For that reason, to avoid embarrassment for people who choose not to participate, individual parents/pupils who have not submitted forms/artwork will not be chased after the deadline. Can I use any medium/product?

Please refer to the Artwork Guidelines which are clearly set out on the Order Form. If you use materials which are not recommended, do not stick down properly, or if you fold the artwork, this will affect the end result and you may be disappointed. Please follow the guidelines. Will the cards be printed the right way up? Yes, provided you circle the tree showing the correct orientation for your card. The tree is clearly shown on the Order Form where you complete your child’s details

How big should the card be?

The artwork must be A4 or A5 size and must fit within the square box marked on the Order Form. Anything bigger than this and the edges will not come out. I have lost my Order Form... Please contact michelleyeatman@live.com My child’s usual name is different to their formal Christian name – which do I use? Whichever you prefer, as long as it is written clearly on the Order Form. The name you write on the Order Form will be the one which appears on the finished cards. I do not get to see my child’s book/homework bag often so may not see the Order Form. Can I still order? Absolutely! Any requests of this nature can be made directly to us michelleyeatman@live.com. To ensure discretion we are happy to personally arrange for products ordered in these circumstances to be posted to your home/work address rather than be returned “home” via your child’s book/homework bag. Please just email with order requests and postal address/collection requests and we can deal with this separately. Will I be reminded of deadlines and chased if I forget? The deadline for your payment to be made online is TUESDAY 2nd NOVEMBER. Order Forms with artwork attached are also to be submitted to school by TUESDAY 2nd NOVEMBER.

Reminders will be sent out but we will not be chasing individual parents where orders have not been placed, to avoid embarrassing those parents who do not wish to order. If you are forgetful, keep an eye out for the reminder!

Please don't be late! We unfortunately can’t accept orders submitted after this date.

Can I submit late orders? If you have not submitted payment or your order form by the deadline of TUESDAY 2nd NOVEMBER you can still order directly through Cauliflower Cards – details on their website. How much money does the PTA make through the card scheme? The PTA makes £1.00 profit for every pack of cards sold, 50p for every pack of gift labels and £1.50 for every mug. The cards are much cheaper than shop/charity bought cards. The PTA is a registered charity and funds raised work directly benefit your child’s education and well-being. Please order as many as you can. You will also show your child how much you love their creativity! In 2020 we raised approximately £550 through this project, let’s see if we can beat that in 2021!

2nd Hand Uniform Schedule for the Year!

We are pleased to announce a full schedule for the 2nd Hand Uniform sales for the year- including all donation days, sale weekends and collection days.

Sales will take place online over the FIRST WEEKEND OF EVERY MONTH within term time. Donations and collections are at the School Field, at the top of Banner Farm Road. Donation mornings take place the Monday before the sale (or the earliest day the week before that school is open). Collection of orders is on the Thursday following the sale.

DONATION DAY	ONLINE SALE	COLLECTION DAY
MONDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER	2ND - 3RD OCTOBER	THURSDAY 7TH OCTOBER
MONDAY 1ST NOVEMBER	6TH - 7TH NOVEMBER	THURSDAY 11TH NOVEMBER
MONDAY 29TH NOVEMBER	4TH - 5TH DECEMBER	THURSDAY 9TH DECEMBER
WEDNESDAY 5TH JANUARY (1ST DAY BACK)	8TH - 9TH JANUARY	THURSDAY 13TH JANUARY
MONDAY 31ST JANUARY	5TH - 6TH FEBRUARY	THURSDAY 10TH FEBRUARY
MONDAY 28TH FEBRUARY	5TH - 6TH MARCH	THURSDAY 10TH MARCH
N/A	NO SALE IN EASTER HOLS (APRIL)	N/A
MONDAY 25TH APRIL	30TH APRIL - 1ST MAY	THURSDAY 5TH MAY
TUES 7TH JUNE (1ST DAY BACK)	11TH - 12TH JUNE	THURSDAY 16TH JUNE
MONDAY 27TH JUNE	2ND - 3RD JULY	THURSDAY 7TH JULY
FRIDAY 22ND JULY (LAST DAY OF TERM)	NO SALE (SUMMER HOLS)	NO COLLECTION (SUMMER HOLS)

Dates may be subject to change although we hope not to have to. If we do, we will communicate via the school.