Click on the image below to read a full size version of our Spring Newsletter:

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!

Don’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