St John The Baptist
Newsletter

22.11.24

Dear Families, As the days have grown colder and darker this week, the energy and enthusiasm in our school remain as warm and bright as ever. Nativity practice is now in full swing, filling the halls with festive songs and the joyful...

Dear Families,

As the days have grown colder and darker this week, the energy and enthusiasm in our school remain as warm and bright as ever. Nativity practice is now in full swing, filling the halls with festive songs and the joyful spirit of Christmas. The children’s smiles and good cheer continue to light up our school, and it’s such a pleasure to see them embracing this magical time of year.

One of the greatest joys of my role is welcoming children into my office to celebrate their achievements. Whether it’s a fantastic piece of writing, a beautifully solved maths problem, or my favourite, an act of kindness, our children are constantly finding ways to make us proud. This term is always a highlight, packed with excitement and celebration, and I encourage you to check below for a list of key dates so you don’t miss out on any of the wonderful events we have planned.

This week, our school has also been buzzing with excitement as we participated in a London-wide Times Table Rockstars competition! Our students have been giving it their all, using a few extra moments at home and during soft starts in class to win points for their class and represent our school. Congratulations to Chestnut Class for earning the top spot, with Willow and Rowan classes not far behind. It’s been amazing to see the children so engaged and enthusiastic about this academic challenge – well done to everyone who took part!

In other exciting news, we’re thrilled to announce the appointment of a new Chairperson and Treasurer to our school’s PTA. Their leadership and dedication will undoubtedly bring wonderful opportunities to our school community. Please do read the article later in the newsletter to find out more about them, their plans for their leadership and how you can get involved.

Thank you for your continued support as we head into this joyful season together.

Best wishes,

Ms Toni Mason

What is a PTA or Friends of …?

PTA stands for Parent, Teacher Association. Other names can include PA (Parent Association), PTSA (Parent, Teacher, Staff Association), PTFA (Parent, Teacher, Friends Association).

“Friends of” includes Parents/Carers/Guardians, Teachers and Staff and any person over the age of 18 offering appropriate support who is accepted by the committee as a member. Each organisation can choose their name to reflect accurately the members that are involved.

A PTA works alongside but is not governed by the school they are raising funds for.

If a PTA raises £5000 or more in a year, they have to register as a charity with the Charity Commission (and then have a charity number). Some PTAs choose to register as a charity even though they raise less than £5000 a year because of the benefits that come with being a charity.

PTAs primarily run to raise additional funds to be spent on specific projects such as play equipment, funding trips, requested by the school, and agreed by its members. However, each PTA has their own set of aims and specific goals.

Friends of SJB (St John the Baptist Primary School):

Friends of SJB is run by volunteers and operates as a Charitable Organisation and at this time is not currently registered with the Charity Commission but we are working on doing so.

Our main objective is to bring the school and children together with fun, social events whilst raising funds to put back into the school to enhance and support experiences throughout their years at St John the Baptist Primary School.

About us:

Our volunteer committee (being elected Dec 24) consists of 2 members, a Chairperson and a Treasurer plus several Ordinary Committee Members who are all parents and carers of children currently attending St John the Baptist Primary School or staff. All committee members have voting rights on decisions within the PTA.

General members such as parents, carers, teachers and staff are equally as important, and all opinions are considered when making decisions. Members are encouraged to give feedback, suggest fundraising ideas as well as chaperoning a disco or running a stall at our fayres. We also value the members who collect/donate items and share our public events as this is a huge help.

What we do:

We hold fun events and fayres, as well as sell pre-loved uniform and ice creams in the summer.

What we use the money for:

Money raised at our events will be used for various enrichment projects and equipment throughout the school. Each year we review how funds raised will be spent for that year.

It is not all about how much money we can raise, we operate to give every child the opportunity to enjoy special events within school. We are currently working towards getting more involved with the community and joining forces with local organisations.

What you can do to help:

As a parent or carer of a pupil, you are automatically a general member of the PTA, Friends of SJB. You can help us to put on events and raise money for projects that benefit the children and bring our community closer together.

We are also registering with Easyfundraising, which turns your everyday online shopping into free donations for Friends of SJB, watch this space for the link.

If you have any queries, questions and ideas please do not hesitate to contact us at office@st-john.hackney.sch.uk

Friends of SJB Committee

More Exciting News: Our Scholastic Book Fair is Coming Soon!

We are thrilled to announce that our school will host the Scholastic Book Fair from Thursday, 28th November, running for an entire week! This is a fantastic opportunity for parents to purchase books for their children, just in time for Christmas, as books make wonderful presents that inspire creativity and foster a love of reading.

During the fair, a payment machine will be available at school for parents to make their purchases conveniently. We have ensured that all transactions are straightforward, so you can focus on selecting the perfect titles for your young readers.

On dry days, the Book Fair will be set up outside by the sports pitch at the end of the school day, providing a lovely outdoor atmosphere for parents and children to explore the books together. On wet days, however, don’t worry – we will move the fair to the lunch hall, ensuring that everyone has the chance to browse the exciting selection of books.

To preview what will be available, please visit Scholastic Book Fair. We look forward to seeing you there and celebrating the magic of reading with our school community! Happy reading!

Just a reminder about Wet Weather Pickup

When we have very wet weather children are kept under cover to avoid getting soaked. If it is not raining very hard or if it begins to rain while we are outside we will remain outside for collection.

Please see the above map to know where to collect your child. Thank you

Christmas Fayre – We Need Your Help!

We’re already looking forward to our much-loved Christmas Fayre – a highlight for everyone in our school community! Staff and the PTA are working hard to make this year’s event even better and more affordable for families. To help us achieve this, we’re asking for your support with raffle and tombola prizes. On Monday 6th December, we’ll be holding a non-uniform day, but instead of a cash donation, we kindly ask for a tombola prize. Suggested items include food and drink, toiletries, or household goods (nearly new toys and books are great as well) – but please ensure any food or drink donations are new, unopened, and in date. Some of the best tombola prizes include chocolates, non-alcoholics drinks, gift sets, candles, biscuits, or festive decorations. Thank you for helping us make this event a magical start to the Christmas season!

St John The Baptist
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