Hello Everyone!
I hope you have had a nice summer break and that we’ve all come back full of enthusiasm and ready to get started.
As some of you may know the school is fast approaching its 20 year anniversary so we have a LOT of work to do!
The FUNdraising Committee had its first meeting at the end of the last term and I’d like to say a hearty thanks to the parents who attended.
At that meeting several proposals were discussed but the key point that was decided is that we need to streamline the process and create a set of annual activities that should generate repeat income.
The proposals that have been approved by the school are below, but these are not exhaustive and we welcome additional suggestions and feedback as to the viability of the options now being considered:
ANNUAL ACTIVITIES
At the meeting it was agreed that it might be best to split the year into 4 quarters and attempt to fit a fund raiser into each.
The ones discussed were:
(i) Meet & Mingle Craft Show
Students should be encouraged to work on craft projects with the aim of displaying and auctioning them at a pre-Christmas event.
The children could also be encouraged to make hats, jewellery or clothing using recycled materials and those items could be modelled during the evening.
This would be a fundraiser with the aim of allowing parents to meet and mingle. Many parents pass each other going into and out of classrooms but there is no structured event that allows them to meet other parents whose children are in the same class as theirs, so this event should also include some “getting to know you” activities for the parents.
NB. As the Money Club’s Fashion Show was postponed, perhaps this year the 2 activities could be combined…..
(i) Spring Fair – “Swap & Save Event”
This would be a fair held on the school grounds on a Saturday in the first quarter of the year. There would possibly be a minimum fee charged for entrance and we would sell “stalls” to any interested persons who could then bring in items for sale after they’d completed their spring cleaning. The emphasis would be on children’s items but all items would be welcomed.
Persons could also be encouraged to donate items to a general stall and all proceeds from items sold would go to the school.
There would be activities for children – bounce about, face painting etc.
Food and drinks would be on sale as well.
(ii) Pirate Party
This would be a fun day and costume party on the beach with a Pirate Theme. The aim would be to try to coordinate it for the end of the Primary School year i.e. around June.
Food would be on sale, there would be children’s activities and there would be pirate themed games, an adult treasure hunt as well as a children’s treasure hunt.
(iii) Pictures in the Park
This would be a series of movie nights at Palm Grove Park or another outdoor venue.
We would show Disney or children friendly movies on an outdoor screen, sell popcorn and other snacks and charge an entrance fee.
People would be encouraged to bring blankets and have a fun family evening under the stars.
OTHER FUNDRAISERS
Teacher Appreciation Fundraisers
The parents seemed delighted with the genuine affection shown to children by the school’s teachers and it was suggested that in addition to raising funds for school projects that ad hoc fund raisers should also be organised with the aim of making a financial gift to the school’s teachers on Teacher’s Day. These are likely to take the form of food sales and dress up days but other suggestions are welcome.
OTHER MATTERS
Donations
It was suggested that parents should be encouraged to donate a book a year to further develop the school’s library. Parents would donate books that were age appropriate for their child. This would be entirely discretionary but would allow for a wide selection of reading items for each class. Spread the word but please speak with your class teacher first to determine what is needed.
PRIORITISATION OF NEEDS
We decided that each fundraiser should where possible be done with specific project(s) in mind and we should indicate before the fund raiser what the aim was.
We would therefore need to compile a list of about 5 projects and put them up on the website and allow parents to vote as to which projects they would like to see tackled first.
CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS
Many hands lighten the load!
A sub-committee will be created for each of the annual fundraisers and also a 5th sub-committee for the teacher appreciation fundraisers.
Please let me know by FRIDAY 9 SEPTEMBER 2011 what event(s) you’d like to work on and whether you’d like to chair a sub-committee.
If you know of any new or existing parents that may wish to get involved we would be happy to have them, so drop me a line with their details so I can add them to the circulation list!
Bye for now and sorry for the LONNGGGGG e-mail! 😉
Jacqui