P.T.A.

St. Andrews is fortunate to have a fabulous group of teachers and staff that are so dedicated to guiding our children through their primary school experience. When you add an equally hardworking PTA Organization to the mix, the result is a 4-star, award-winning recipe for success. It is the collective strength of parents and staff that share concerns and seek solutions that makes St. Andrew’s School the truly special place it is today. Below is an outline of what our PTA is all about.

To improve our children’s daily life experience whilst within the school environment.

1. To identify specific needs and projects required by the school within the remit of advancing the holistic development of children.
2. To set a target of $300,000.00 – Income derived through PTA dues, Dollar Day sales, fund raising activities and donations for the school year 2014-2015. With monies raised we will continue to support students and staff by funding educational materials that enhance their overall learning experience.
3. To improve parent /teacher relations through better communication, class reps who understand their roles and encourage greater participation and involvement and manifest the Virtues withing the community.
4. To promote a sense of community, charity and responsibility for the environment.

At the beginning of every school year, two parents from each class are asked to volunteer to be a Class Representative. These parents as liaison between teachers and parents. They work alongside your child’s teachers to help plan activities and events that occur throughout the year. This is a great opportunity for parents to get involved.

Each class (e.g. Prep 1 or Primary 5) will be assigned ONE Friday per term to supply food and drink items to be sold to the entire school. This sale takes place during the first break. Your Class Representative calls prior to your assigned Friday to request a food or drink item or a monetary donation. Volunteers are asked to assist with the set up and sale of food. Children really look forward to this event. This is a great opportunity to meet other moms and dads in your child’s year, not to mention your child’s excitement in seeing you on that day. The proceeds from these sales go to the PTA to help offset some of our expenses throughout the year. More detailed information will be given out in the first few weeks of school.

Our Christmas Concert is held for one night in the School Hall during the last week of school. Each and every child participates in this Concert, singing songs and performing skits much to the delight of parents. It is an event that our children and their families look forward to every year. A Carnival Jump Up is held in the school the Friday before Carnival every year. The children get very involved in the creative process, transforming their Christmas costumes into Carnival-themed ensembles.

St. Andrew’s Sports Days are divided into Junior and Senior divisions and usually takes place in the second term. Junior Sports consists of Prep 1, 2 and Primary 1 students and Senior Sports consists of Primary 2-5 students. Details regarding these events will be given out in the second term. Our annual Walkathon is held in the second or third term. Our children and their families walk once around the Savannah and after this early morning exercises are invited to remain on the grounds where rides, refreshments and breakfast items are available on sale. The Walkathon is a great day for bonding with our families and friends and provides a host of activities that is sure to bring smiles to all age groups.

The Art Exhibition is held in the third term of the academic year. Children, with the help of their teachers create a variety of artwork for display at the exhibition. From painting and collaging to building and sewing, the creative talents of our children shine brightly in each and every piece.

Class outings are organised during the school year. The school outings are usually based on a topic or theme that the students may have studied in the classroom or an event that may be happening in the country that would prove beneficial to the students. Class reps may call on you to assist with transportation and supervision at some of these outings.

The PTA holds one or two main fundraisers per year to help raise money for projects in the school that need our attention. Last year, The Virtues Project was introduced to all PTA Members. The Virtues Project is a global grassroots initiative to inspire the practice of virtues in everyday life. The mission of The Virtues Project is to inspire people of all cultures to remember who we really are and to live by our highest values.

Our fundraising efforts also allowed some much-needed renovations to our school library. New flooring, shelving, cushioned benches and padded floor areas not to mention a grand supply of new books, all came to fruition because of the hard work and dedication of our committed PTA parents and staff. Additional information regarding our plans for fundraiser will be announced at our AGM later this month.

There are so many ways that can parents contribute and we encourage and invite you to join in our efforts to advocate for our children.