Gledhow Primary School PSA Meeting
Tuesday 16th January 2018 at 7.30pm
NOTE OF MEETING
1. Welcome and Introductions.
Attendees: Ali (Chair), Sarah, Angie, Chloe, Rebecca, Michael, Susie, Hazel, Kim, Sarah B, Katherine (minutes – thank you), Claire, Jaime, Onorina.
Apologies: Mark, Lisa S, Jenny, Gill, Rose, Lisa H, Nicola
2. Update on recent events
2a Christmas discos - Kathy did huge job organising, many thanks. The children had a great time and as a bonus the discos raised £758 for PSA funds.
Action: Chloe to check Mr Shuffles booked for Thursday 6th December 2018.
2b Christmas Shops - thanks to Angie, the children love buying secret gifts for their family. It worked well going to reception children in their classrooms. Raised £155 after costs. Plan same again for 2018, plus Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
2c Christmas cards - Thanks to Claire, lots of work this year, bigger job than usual. Issues with forms getting lost and not correctly completed, also confusion as selling Wendy’s cards too. Wendy’s cards not big seller. But got there in the end and raised £564.
For 2018 just offer kids own designed cards, kids to do designs in class first week back after autumn half term, template of finished product done for all kids and sent home. Ordering needs to be done before discos. Feel this would make more money and be easier to plan.
Action: Ali to discuss when meeting with senior managers. Claire to organise.
2d Christmas parties/chocolates - PSA paid for drinks and chocolates in the last week of term. Action: Chloe to thank Santa!
2e DBS checks for PSA volunteers - most PSA volunteers now checked. Anyone who hasn’t should find Gail’s email, go online to fill in details, bring ID into school, certificate gets sent home. Gail will send reminders to people who haven’t done it yet.
Action - Claire to check how much is charged for DBS check and what each level of clearance means for the school
3 Upcoming Events
3a 2nd hand uniform sale parents evening 6 and 7 Feb - Set up as for last parents evening. Lots of coats in lost property which has been passed to PSA but these can't be sold unless Gledhow badge - send to charity.
Hazel co-ordinating (thank you), Chloe, Ali, Angie and Claire can help set up, need more helpers.
Action - Ali to ask for more volunteers, Ping for donation of 2nd hand uniform especially jumpers and cardigans.
3b World book day 2 March 2018 - (World Book day on 1/3/18 but Fridays work better for events)
Susie and Hazel leading buns and books, quizzes “Share a story” pyjama theme, bring bedtime book and where PJs and onesies, charge £1.
Quiz around the library, picture quiz in hall, ks1 and ks2 quizes, prize (sweet) for completing. 50p a go
Have lots of second hand books already, 10 boxes of pre-school and adult books. Could we target nurseries to sell pre-school books?
Usual prices 20p/50p/£1.
Need more primary aged books.
Book reviews from teachers and children. Prize for best review?
Could year 6s design a word activity?
Drinks and refreshments in dining hall, (free from 1.05pm to set up but rest of hall in use for PE) Pay for cakes, drinks and books, 50p.
Reading bedtime story in the library, teachers could read a short story. Extract from longer book. 3.10-5pm.
Making bookmarks for a donation.
Have a session earlier in week to sort books.
Discussion around inviting people not connected with the school but decided against this.
Action Hazel/Susie/Ali Ping to ask for primary aged books before half term, new and used but not half completed activity or sticker books.
Advertise after half term, FB, Ping, newsletter, posters on doors.
Sarah B to ask staff to volunteer to read a story.
Ali to ask for helpers on the day and for someone to be Gledwig
3c Mother's Day shops (Mother's Day 11th March) - lunchtime (12-1pm) and after school on Friday 9th March, note to go in registers for teachers to read out day before. Go to reception at 1pm after lunchtime shop.
Action - Angie organising and buying stock, Sarah to help with both lunch and after school. Ali to ask for more helpers – particularly to do wrapping.
3d Easter bunny 29th March - PSA to buy every child an egg. Not for end of term reward, everyone should get one
Action - Ali to find volunteer shopper.
3e Fun Friday Decided not needed this term as world book day event happening.
3f Fun run 12th May. Use Eventbrite to organise.
Action Ali organising, Sarah back up if Ali can’t attend a meeting. Get date onto newsletter.
3g Summer fair 2018 - 23rd June, date provisionally agreed. Ali to check with Mark/Lisa that this date is OK before publicising it.
Themes suggested South Africa, Festival, World Cup, Harry Potter.
Outdoor stage – are current/former pupils in bands?
Bar !
Action Chloe to book bouncy slide and obstacle course
Claire to organise and send dates for separate summer fair meeting
Ali to seek volunteers for summer fair organising team
Sarah B to help with stage and performers.
Claire to talk to schools who have run a bar to see what profit can be made.
4. Financial report. Ali presented the draft 2017 accounts. Big thank you to Kathy Moore (Treasurer) for putting them together. Still owe £5000 to the library (for cataloguing system, PC and books. Action: Kim to check whether the £5000 has been spent. Healthy financial position.
5. Funding requests
5a Gardening Michael Walker £200 - supported but need to look at alternative suppliers. PSA willing to increase funding a bit to buy better quality equipment.
5b Nurture Suite Resources Elvina Jeffery £1200 - supplement with donations, ask for specifics, supported in principle, need more info on budget. Can resources be sourced more cheaply? Could games be given as donations?
5c School council enterprise fund Sarah Black, Liz Montefiore, Michael Walker, Lisa Seton £200 - supported, plan to use to raise more money, should fund itself in future.
5d Bringing science to life Sarah Black £300 - supported.
Action: Ali to confirm in writing the PSA support for these proposals.
5e Michael - outdoor equipment, ?£3k school, £1k pamper evening and shortfall from PSA. Want a trim trail, quote £6k. Only 1 quote, get more quotes, build in Easter/summer depending on whether can get approval in time for Easter, can PSA offer extra money? Supported in principle. The group loved the design! Great way to use the outdoor space. Michael to clarify find out amount to spend and what is required. Could old trim trail also be rejuvenated?
5f Rebecca set out a proposal to build a covered outdoor space for reception children – to enable outdoor play in all weathers. The group were interested but would require more information on costs. Discussed possibility of specific fundraising events run by reception to support it?
6 Ideas for future fundraising
Clothes bin - Jaime - clothing recycling bin on site, get £400 per tonne, best one found - Starlight, grants wishes for children, £400 for school, £100 for charity. Supported
Action Jaime to discuss with Mr Brennan where it can go.
Spring Raffle - discussed briefly, Jamie ran very successfully last year, money could be used for early years outdoor learning area? Sarah considering if can help organise and get a team of reception parents involved.
7 AOB
Kim - need volunteers for listening to reading, need DBS check so PSA members who already have one would be idea. Ali to email PSA group to see if anyone interested. 1 year commitment if have to pay for DBS. School to Ping for volunteers. Need to clarify whether volunteers can read in the classroom.
Kim – has found a way of publishing stories the children have written and then selling to raise funds. Could do 1 per class? Kim to investigate further.
Library - Kim looking into match funding and following up Foyles foundation grant with Amy, also school library service sell books already bar coded and on the catalogue, Lindsey Ward has details.
8 Date of next meeting – Monday 5th March 2018.
Post-meeting note. Shortly after the meeting a suggestion came from Kate Blacker (Governor) that the PSA could fund a theatre company coming into the school. Tutti Frutti (who have very successfully been into school before funded by the PSA) are offering a very good deal on their “Keepy Uppy” play aimed at 3-7 year olds if it is booked before 5 February. Exceptionally, as there wouldn’t be another meeting before then, this was ‘discussed’ by PSA parents on Whatsapp and email and funding was agreed – provided the school finds something similar for KS2.