Category Archives: PTA and all that

Stepping up and breaking down…

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IMG_0262_2Following three years loyal service to the Valley PTA, our dear chair, Mrs Marcou, otherwise known as “That Loon” or, more affectionately, “The Kent Arm” and “Queen of Support Vests in Small Rooms”, has decided to step down in order to have a life. This I whole heartedly understand, she has put in long hours, often drafting programs and newsletters at 2 am, whilst juggling her family, rental portfolio, three days at work, her other work as an artist and of course also managing to squeeze in running her fabulous Vintage Social events at her home. She is a gem, one in a million.

What I don’t understand is, in what moment of weakness, I managed to volunteer to take on the job. I was definitely sober, so what on earth possessed me to grasp the poisoned chalice and sup deep? If not already certifiable from my bizarre eating habits this should surely be the final tick on my mental health check that brings the men in white coats running in.

I know I have been cursed with an over-developed sense of duty but this really is a step too far even for me. Or is it? I love our school. I have deep respect for its staff, many of whom strive above and beyond the call of duty to deliver our children a quality education. I like the fact that it is socially and economically diverse – I think this makes it a true reflection of the melting pot of modern day society. And, I also believe that the PTA can play a key role in ensuring our kids have the most positive learning experience possible. In my mind the key role of the PTA is not to raise funds, although this too often becomes the key focus, the more important responsibility is to build a community of which our children feel a part.

IMG_0263School is a major part of our children’s life with primary aged children, with their earlier bedtimes, spending a massive part of their waking hours there. I strongly believe that if children feel a sense of belonging to their school and feel that that their parents are also working in partnership with the school they will have a more positive learning experience. Mrs Marcou, with our lovely head Mr Brown has set our school firmly on this path. Maybe it is my mantle to finish what she has started…

Help!

Do You Want To Build A (Sock) Snowman?

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Right, as promised (although a little bit tardy), the step-by-step guide to creating your very own Olaf Snowman courtesy of our lovely Charlotte. Can I also mention at this time that Charlotte is also know as That Crafty Mummy, who can (for a very reasonable fee) organize kids crafts parties for you in the Bromley area! Please let me know if you want contact details and I shall share – our kids all had a fab time making Olaf, an owl out of CD’s and possibly another 50 items that Charlotte had up her sleeve if I hadn’t removed them!

On with the Olaf…

You will need:

  • A man’s sports sock – available at a very reasonable rate from pound shops, sport shops, Primark etc.
  • Hollow Fibre Toy Stuffing – available from craft shops, Amazon etc. This is bought by weight and is very light. DO NOT make the mistake I did of buying 4 kilos and leaving the sack in a room with six children. It looked like a snow storm had occurred internally and needed 3 bin bags to put the stuff back in once it had been uncompressed. 500 grams will easily do several Olafs and not create a storage nightmare.
  • 2 black or brown pipe cleaners
  • 2 googly craft eyes
  • 3 buttons
  • Orange pom pom
  • Black marker pen
  • PVA Glue
  • 4 looms bands

You’ve built a snowman!

PTA Christmas Fair – Part 2!

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Well it turns out sticking Christmassy stickers and gems and a couple of porcelain pens is exactly what kids want to do with 500 baubles and are prepared to pay £1 a bauble for the privilege. I strongly recommend that PTA’s across the UK buy up baubles (shatterproof!) in the January sales and give it a go next year. Whilst this did not fully deplete our entire bauble mountain, it made a jolly fine dent and on the plus side we have a Christmas craft activity in the bag for the next few years!

In addition to this, feeding off the current Frozen mania, our HO craft, Charlotte, came up with a fab idea for sock Olaf Snowmen, which were a sell out success. Utilising mens’s sport socks, loom bands, an orange pom pom, pipe cleaners and a black felt tip these were simple for the kids to do, appealed to girls and boys and low cost – genius!  Below is an image of the little fellow and next week I shall provide, courtesy of the lovely Charlotte, a step by step guide to how you make them!

FullSizeRender

Indeed, despite my previous grinch like rant, the fair was a great success (most money raised to date at over £4,500!) and gave me a jolly good Christmas cuddle to kick off the festive season!  Hats off to “HO Everything”, our Chair, Mrs Marcou, the rest of the committee, the lovely happy to help crew (who were just that) and all the staff who did not have clashing events (which turned out to be quite a few!) who made it the success it was!

Next on the agenda is the now legendary PTA quiz night! Anyone out there got any good question rounds we could utilise to save me 12 hours of googling?! If so, please email me at heather.leveton@live.co.uk – all help gratefully received!

PTA Christmas Fair

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Which bright spark first came up with idea of PTA’s holding Christmas Fairs?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m their biggest fan, once they’re in full flow, but really? Just before Christmas?

I can’t argue that the Festive Fair is a lovely money spinner for the school, I appreciate it is wonderful way to bring some Christmas cheer and make the families feel enfranchised with their school, and thus, more likely to support the learning experience.  However, for some reason, at this time of year, simple conundrums, which you would usually brush off with a gay laugh and a quick solution, become like trying to broker piece in the Middle East. I just don’t know…

1. How you collect the free Starbucks coffee from Bromley, when it:

Weighs a ton so you need to park nearby

  1. You can’t park nearby because you can’t get into the INTU car park because… it’s December
  2. You can’t pick it up early because it will go cold
  3. You can’t really afford the time to pick it up anyhow because you are so blooming short of volunteers to help… at the aforementioned Christmas fair!

Which brings me nicely onto the eternal PTA problem of an overall shortfall in the “volunteers to help” category.

2. How the dickens do we get more people to lend a willing helping hand ?

 Who can imagine the chances of such a vast proportion of the teaching staff all having major personal life events happening of that date of the Christmas Fair. Moving house, Dec 6th. Kids birthday, Dec 6th. Root canal surgery, Dec 6th. I’m surprised the world hasn’t ended with the probability paradox of it all.

The most common excuse from parents not to help is that they will be going around the fair with their kids. Clearly, we do need some people going around the fair with their kids or the whole thing is pointless, but could they not spare one hour of the three? I don’t think I’ve ever actually taken my girls to a PTA event and actually just enjoyed it with them and they don’t appear to be psychologically damaged. Although, I have a suspicion the leading man might have been by three hours and three girls in a packed Christmas fair!

  1. Santa’s CRB – or as it is called now DAB – who knew he needed one?

But then again, any chap who is sauntering down chimneys into houses with kids, should probably have all the appropriate police checks!

  1. What can we do with 500 free Selfridge baubles?

baubles

Dilemmas, dilemmas… of which I must now try to resolve… arghhhh!