15th December 2017

We’ve made it to Christmas! This is our last newsletter of 2017, and what a busy term it’s been! Thank you to everyone who has organised, helped and attended the events we’ve put on, and for all of your continued support. J

PTA Family Christmas Challenge The Family Christmas Holiday Challenge is now available to buy at only £2. By identifying all the brands from parts of their logos, you can be in with a chance to win a family ticket to Birdland!! Look out for Nathalie Dawson and Rachel Arthur before and after school by the gates.

Popcorn Club Y2-Y6 – Friday 5th January, 3-5pm

This is a PTA supervised private showing of a film on the 3m screen in the main hall, with a drink and bag of popcorn (or biscuits if preferred). PTA helpers collect your child from their classroom at 3pm, so you only need to collect them from the foyer at 5pm. Tickets cost £3.50.

NEW SYSTEM: If you would like your child to attend please print off and complete the attached form and pop it in an envelope with your payment, clearly marked ‘Popcorn Club’. Post it into the black PTA post box in the school foyer no later than 3pm on Thursday 4th January. Tickets are limited and allocated on a first come first served basis, and will be on sale from Monday 18th December. If you don’t hear back from us then your child is on the list to attend. We’ll only contact people to say if their child does not have a place.

Spare forms are available in the foyer now. Tickets must be purchased in advance as both the teachers and PTA helpers need to know which children are attending. Entry is strictly limited to current St James school children only in the years stated above. As the new term starts on 4th January, we suggest you get your forms in before the end of term.

More helpers are still needed for this Popcorn Club, so please let Rose or Tessa know if you can help. Unfortunately no preschool children are allowed with helpers due to health and safety. Thanks.

Parent’s Quiz Night Friday 2nd February, 7pm Tickets for the Parent’s Quiz Night with Fish & Chip Supper will be on sale in the new year, so please look out for the forms. More information coming soon! In the meantime you can be gathering your teams of four together and deciding on team names. This is always a very popular event and tables are limited, so once forms go out please act quickly to ensure you receive a place. We always have an amazing raffle on the night too! J

Pretty Please Requests! Fancy Dress Costumes – We hope you enjoyed the amazing nativities put on by the infants this week… the kids and teachers all did such an amazing job! If you no longer need your Nativity costumes we are now collecting them again for next year. We’re also collected all kids fancy dress costumes, so please think of us if they are no longer wanted or have been outgrown. The last Year 5 Enterprise Sale for this academic year will be happening in February, just in time for World Book Day, and we are extremely short of costumes, so would be grateful for any you have. We can accept costumes from you at any time in the school year, so please just add them to the box in the foyer underneath our post box, bagged up and marked as ‘Costumes’. Thank you J Library – School are looking for any parents who would be willing to help with the school library please?

We have bought and had donated lots of new books recently and the school would be really grateful if there were any parents who would mind helping to tidy and organise them? If you think you could help please speak to Charlotte Price (Reception) or Lisa Harford. Thank you.

The Current PTA Team We’d like to introduce ourselves to you a bit more, so if you have any questions you’ll know who we are! Chair: Rachel Arthur – Samuel, Y3 & Joshua, Reception

Secretary: Rachel Reisner – Elodie, Y3

Secretary: Nathalie Dawson – Harry, Y5 & Mathilda, Y3. Freddie joining us next year for Reception!

Treasurer: Louise & Craig Baldwin – Millie, Y6

The other valuable members of our committee: Rose Rudd – Joshua, Y3 Caroline Holder – Emily, Y5 Maiken Reiner – Lucas, Y6 Jenny Long – Charis, Y4 & Zoë, Y2 Tessa Ingram – Charlie, Y4 Alex Oakes – Annabelle, Y4 & Josie, Y3

I’d also like to add a special mention and ‘Thank You’ to Sarah Goddard, who has been an amazing help over the last few years; running Popcorn Club, the Christmas Card project and the Textile Collection. You’ve been such an essential part of our team, and we’ll really miss you.

As you can see we are very much a small minority, especially as two of our group will be leaving us soon! The main roles have to be filled to ensure the PTA can continue as a charity, and at the moment we don’t have anyone with the skills needed to take on the ‘Treasurer’ role after July. If you think you could help, please contact Rose Rudd. We’ll outline all the roles we need help with in the next newsletter.

Remember that school finishes at 2pm on Wednesday, and please check lost property before you leave, as there is a mountain of stuff!

St James PTA

Junior Popcorn Club Ticket Request Form

Date: Friday 5th January 2018 Time: 3-5pm Cost: £3.50 per child Year Groups: 2-6 Film: Captain Underpants (U)

Please fill in this form and add it, along with the correct money, to an envelope clearly labelled ‘Popcorn

Club’. Once completed please place it in the black PTA post box in the school foyer, no later than 3pm on Thursday 4th January. Tickets are limited and are allocated on a first come first served basis.

I’d like my child/children** to attend this Popcorn Club. Child’s name: ……………………………………………………….. Class No: ....……..... Child’s name: ……………………………………………………….. Class No: ....……..... Child’s name: ……………………………………………………….. Class No: ....……..... Parent’s/Carer’s name: ………………………………………………………………………. Emergency Contact No: …………………………………………………………………….. Total Cost: £ ....…….... Allergies/Information to be aware of (please state child this relates to): ……………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ** Delete as appropriate.

This Popcorn Club is open to St James school children currently in Years 2-6 only. By completing this form you are giving us permission to look after your child during this period and for them to watch the film stated above. Please note that no teachers will be in the hall supervising, although one will be present at school.

Payment can be made by cash or cheque. Please make cheques payable to ‘St James PTA’. Information you provide us with on this form will only be used for this club and not stored for any other purpose. You will only be contacted by us if a ticket is not available for your child/children.