Category Archives: latest news

It’s Halloween disco time!

On Friday 23rd October 2015, as we break up for half term, the PTFA is holding the traditional Halloween discos. here are all the details you need plus the ticket request form.

5-6.30pm – Foundation Stage + Key Stage One Disco

7-8.30pm – Key Stage Two Disco

Tickets £3 per child

Unlimited free squash, snacks and other drinks available to buy

**Please note, children must be accompanied to the FS+KS1 disco and contact/collection details will be required for KS2 children**

Click here for the Ticket Request form which must be returned to the school office by Monday 19th October.

PTFA Summer newsletter and a big thank you

Pages from PCCAtt11045491-20150717114613683It’s the end of another wonderful year at Dickens Heath County Primary School.

Click the image (right) for our round up of the year’s fundraising activity and a hint of things to come next term!

Thank you everyone for all your support. See you in September!

 

 

PTFA helps to fund fantastic KS2 production of The Lion King

Dickens Heath School PTFA is proud and thrilled to have supported the fabulous Key Stage 2 production of The Lion King, which was performed in the Edge Theatre at Alderbrook School this week (30 June 2015).

PTFA funds contributed to the success of the production by funding the licence to put on the show and it’s another example of how important and valuable the money is that the parents, friends, teachers and pupils of the school raise through PTFA events.

If you’d like to see more of this kind of thing happening at the school please get involved in PTFA events, either helping to run them or just turning up and enjoying them!

PTFA Survey – what you told us and what we’re going to do

Thank you to everyone who responded to our online survey. It’s great to get positive feedback and to know that many parents appreciate the work put in by parent and teacher volunteers.

However we’re equally grateful for the constructive feedback and suggestions for new events or different ways of doing things.

You told us:

  • The Christmas and Summer Fayres are the ones you are most likely to attend
  • The Christmas Fayre is the one you’re most likely to help out at
  • Your favourite idea for a new event is a family quiz – but you’re not so bothered about a parents-only social event
  • Events in the hall can be crowded, noisy and stressful!
  • You are sometimes unsure as to how to get more involved in the PTFA
  • We need to communicate more and make sure the committee is more visible

As a result of your responses to the survey we’re looking at the following:

  • New events such as quizzes, car boot sales, cinema nights and more discos too.
  • We acknowlege that events in the school hall can be an assault on the senses and particularly tricky for those with younger kids. In the winter months its almost impossible to run events outside (and, annoyingly, sometimes in the summer too!) but we’ll take on board all the points made and try hard to do something about them.
  • We recognise that it can be difficult to get involved in the PTFA if you’re working or have younger kids to take care of during events. We are going to try and come up with other ways for people to get involved  – such as the idea we’ve started where we encourage families to run a stall together.
  • We are going to communicate more frequently and make it easier to find out who the PTFA committee is and how to get hold of them.
  • We are going to provide some information to help anyone who wants to undertake a sponsored challenge to raise money for the PTFA. We’re a registered charity so that next ice bucket-style challenge you do could help raise funds for the school perhaps!

Recycle your printer cartridges for cash!

images_recycle3 smallDon’t throw away your ink cartidges. You can now recycle them at the school to help raise funds for the PTFA.

Every branded cartridge earns the PTFA £1.00 and every refilled cartridge is worth 50 pence!

Here’s how it works:

  1. Drop your cartridges at Dickens Heath library or school reception – or wait for the recycling bags that will be sent home at the end of term.
  2. Return your filled bag to the school office or library.
  3. Done!
  4. If you would like to take a box to your place of work and collect for us there too we can arrange one

Tell your friends and family – let’s see how much we can raise!

Below is a list of cartridges accepted:

  • HP (EXCEPT 363, 364, 88, 920, 940, 10, 11, 13 and 14. Unrecyclable from 2nd March 2015, we have not been able to pay for HP 364 since 2014)
  • Lexmark
  • Dell
  • Samsung
  • Canon that are labelled – PG37, PG40, PG50, PG510, PG512, PG540, PG545, CL37, CL38, CL41, CL51, CL52, CL511, CL51, CL541 and CL546

Unfortunately we are UNABLE to ‘recycle and pay’ for the following INK cartridges…

  • Epson
  • Brother
  • Kodak
  • Canon ‘individual colour’ ink tanks (CLI and PGI codes)
  • HP that are labelled – 363, 364, 88, 920, 940, 10, 11, 13 and 14 (Unrecyclable from 2nd March 2015. We have been unable to pay for HP 364 since 2014)

If you have any ‘Original Branded’ TONERS to recycle please contact us at ptfa@dickensheath.org.uk with brand name and code of the toner and we will see if we can help.

For more information please visit: http://www.emptiesplease.com/schools

Can you support the Easter Fayre with a tombola donation or an hour or two of your time?

Dickens Heath School Easter Fayre

Friday 20th March – 4pm to 6pm

Not long to go until the Easter Fayre! Planning is well underway for treasure hunts, games and lots of family fun.

Donations are needed for the Chocolate Tombola. There’ll be a box in the foyer from Monday  2nd March, and all contributions would be most welcome.

For the cake stall, we’ll be asking for donations in the week of 16th – 20th March.

Entrance to the Fayre will be 50p on the door.

Volunteers are also needed to man stalls. Please fill in the list in the foyer if you’re able to help at all or email ptfa@dickensheath.org.uk.

Thank you!

Have your say…PTFA survey 2015

The Parent Teacher and Friends Association (PTFA) aims to raise thousands of pounds every year for our school with the support and participation of many parents.

Run by a small group of volunteer parents and teachers the PTFA is keen to hear views on what events you feel work best as fundraisers, any ideas you have for new events or activities and how the PTFA can make it easier for more parents to get involved.

We have created this short, anonymous online survey. Please do take a moment to complete it. Feel free to share your views honestly, both the good and the not-so-good, as having a clear picture of what the school community feels will help the PTFA to raise even more money for our children to benefit from.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CNCGQ3M

 

Christmas Fayre raises £2,100 – thank you everyone!

The PTFA team, led by chair Darren Hulbert, would like to thank everyone who helped organise, volunteered at or came along to the Christmas Fayre.

We raised an amazing £2,100 towards new playground equipment for both the Foundation Stage and main playgrounds.

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone – you’re fantastic!

 

Save your printer cartridges – we can recycle them for cash!

images_recycle3 smallAfter Christmas the PTFA will be starting an inkjet cartridge and laser toner recycling scheme to raise funds for school.

If you get new printers over Christmas or you are just renewing cartridges over the next few  weeks please hold onto the old ones and we will post details on this site and also on Facebook on how you can recycle them to help raise funds for new playground equipment.