Let's Reflect and Move Forward Together!
Thank you to everyone who contributed to making our Halloween Disco a success! Despite a few challenges, the children had a fantastic time, and we exceeded our fundraising expectations. We’re especially grateful for the generous support from our vendors, including Bana's Grill, Cake Crumble, King Pizza Events, and a special thanks to Mexican Fried Chicken, who donated 100% of their profit from the evening. We’d also like to give a big shout-out to Tesco Waltham Abbey for once again supporting our School. Your contributions made all the difference! We’ve also learned valuable lessons from what didn’t work, especially regarding check-in. Please join the forum to discuss, how we ALL can better manage expectations and events.
I’d like to thank the majority of parents who were prepared for check-in and waited patiently in the long queue. I’m truly sorry that we couldn’t deliver the experience we had planned and tested for several months. We had expected to have more volunteers managing a limited number of tickets to ensure a smooth and efficient check-in process. In the end, we had only a hand full volunteers to manage whole the event, and while some joined briefly, many simply didn’t show up as expected. The consequences we all experienced together. There is no system or process that will work if we don't have enough hands to execute it. It’s vital that we all step up so our children can continue to enjoy these events. My sincere apologies for the inconvenience.
Huge thanks to the amazing class reps and volunteers—you made it possible! And for those that come to the rescue, kindly encouraged us to keep going, my deep appreciation. Because of you...we made it. Alima, Arezo and husband, Danielle, Jess, Jeyla, Jinaulu, Maryna, Meems, Mervyn, Michael, Sheniz, Sorima, and all the class rep. THANK YOU!
While Dilan and I have been happily managing the day-to-day PTA responsibilities alongside full-time jobs and motherhood, it has become unsustainable for us without broader community involvement. These roles are open to anyone willing to take them, and if you're ready to step up, we welcome you to join or take over. Please email committee@yardleypta.co.uk with your full name and the role you'd like to take on. We’ll continue to support the PTA as trustees, but we need more hands to keep things running smoothly.
We'll be focusing on securing grants to improve our school’s facilities, and moving forward, events will need to be managed by dedicated subcommittees as suggested below.
Subcommittees Groups:
As you can see on the website, we’ve already secured several dates, but to avoid repeating the challenges we faced at previous events and the Halloween Disco, I’m ready to pause any efforts for the Winter Fair unless we get organised. We need to act quickly, or we won’t be able to hold any events—and we must also start booking suppliers for the Summer Fair 2025 now, or risk having none!
For the Winter Fair, we had planned an event with a Christmas Grotto, food trucks, stalls, and a magical performance show. We were also arranging a stunning light display. However, the event is now on hold. If you want your child to experience a magical Winter Fair, it will depend on your support.
Each class group will take on small tasks for each event to keep things fun and manageable. Trust me—despite the challenges, it’s been an incredible experience! I’ve met wonderful people, heard amazing stories, and made lifelong friends in the last 12 months. Joining the PTA can be a chance to not only contribute to school experience of our pupils but also to build friendships and have a great time doing it.
To make it manageable for everyone, we need at least five members from each class to form subcommittees. Each group will take responsibility for an event and help engage other parents/guardians to get involved:
Nursery, Reception & Year 1: Family Day and Mother’s Day / Fundraising Campaigns
Years 2, 3 & 5: Summer Fair
Years 4 & 6: Disco Party and Winter Fair
Each class will also take responsibility for reaching out to local businesses for raffle donations:
Nursery, Reception & Year 1: Chingford Green and Chingford Hatch
Years 2 & 3: Chingford Mount
Years 4, 5 & 6 : Supermarket donations
Class reps will start gathering names, and we’ll hold a meeting in November to walk through how we can work together. I hope this all makes sense, but if you’ve got better ideas, feel free to share them in the Forum.
Personalised Gifts - IQ Cards:
Last month, we handed out blank templates to our students for them to create special designs for Christmas cards, magnets, stickers, mugs and more, as part of our IQ Cards project. With the help of our teachers, the children come up with some truly beautiful artwork. Get ready to share their adorable artwork with family and friends—it’s a heartwarming treasure that captures their creativity and this unforgettable stage in their lives. Soon, you'll receive a sample of your child’s design, along with details on how to order these personalised items online.
Winter Fair Raffle:
The first prize is £100 in cash!!! The raffle tickets should be distributed in two weeks time and the draw will take place on 13/12.
We’re gearing up for our traditional, stunning raffle baskets and will be collecting donations by end of the month! Keep an eye on the WhatsApp groups for more details. We’re looking for brand new toys, toiletries, luxury tea selections, biscuits, and chocolates to make this year’s raffle extra special.
Fundraising Initiatives
We’re expecting to hear from Tesco Strong Grants soon! Keep in mind that the total cost of the new Sensory Playground for Early Years is £5,500, and while we may receive £1,000 (if 2nd place is confirmed) through the grant, we still need your support to cover the rest.
Become Friends of the PTA
The total cost for our new outdoor learning area, new playground for the early years, kitchen garden, revamped library, and milestone wall comes to around £185 per child, which breaks down to just £15 per month—about the cost of two breakfasts at your favourite Coffee Shop. By contributing, you’ll be helping to create lasting infrastructure that will enrich your child’s school experience and benefit future students for years to come. If you can, please consider setting up a regular donation through our fundraising campaign (link below). You can also email us to set up a monthly direct debit, or use our QR code to donate any amount. You can also donate via the card reader available at the School Office.
We understand it's a significant amount, and we don't expect parents to cover 100% of the funds. We've contacted more companies in the Lea Valley area, hoping to secure substantial donations. With Gift Aid eligibility and companies reviewing their year-end budgets, now is the perfect time to ask for contributions. If you'd like to help with our fundraising efforts, please reach out—we’d love your support!
Crowdfunding
Help us make a difference! By sharing our crowdfunding campaign, you’re not only contributing to a brighter future for our school, but also empowering our community to come together for something truly special. Please share our link with friends, neighbours and family.
ASDA Reward - Last Month!
If you’re planning to shop at ASDA before 30th November, don’t miss the chance to support our school! Download the ASDA Reward App, select Yardley Primary School (E47PH), and they’ll donate £1 to our school cashpot, plus 0.5% of your total shop value to our PTA.
It’s a simple way to make a big difference, just by doing your regular shopping.
Let’s make this final month count!
EASY FUNDRAISING
As we approach the end of the year, now is the perfect time to download the Easy Fundraising app and start securing donations every time you shop online. It’s quick and completely free! By enabling Easy Fundraising to track your purchases, you’ll ensure that donations go directly to our school, at no extra cost to you.
So far, we’ve raised nearly £606, and with your support, we’re aiming to surpass £1,000. Every little helps, and together we can make a big difference! Here is our link: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/yardley-parent-and-teacher-association
Yardley Pre-loved uniform shop
Did you know 10,000 items end up in UK landfills every 5 minutes? We can help reduce that!
We’re excited to partner with Cress, a sustainable marketplace for children’s products, clothes, and accessories. Cress aims to reduce waste and extend the life of kids’ items, helping parents save money while making a positive impact on the planet.
The PTA is collecting branded and non-branded uniforms in excellent condition (free from stains, holes, and signs of wear). If you have uniforms that still look nearly new, please drop them off in a bag with your child’s name and class at the office between 27/10 and 07/11. Cress will set up our online shop after the donations. We will announce when it is live via WhatsApp. The PTA will receive a donation for each sale, and every order from our Cress Store will come with a free book from Awesome Books, which children can choose when they collect their order.
Please note: We’ll triage all items, and anything unsuitable for resale will be returned to you. We’re only accepting uniforms that are in near-new condition. Thank you!
A note on unacceptable behaviour:
Unfortunately, some PTA members and volunteers have been subjected to abusive and inappropriate language. Please be aware that the PTA will not tolerate any form of abuse or harassment. We reserve the right to take appropriate action, including banning individuals from participating in future PTA activities, to ensure the safety and well-being of our children and volunteers. We must all work together respectfully, as a community, to make these events successful no matter the circumstances.
Warm wishes,
Cristina Tosta
PTA Chair.
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