Welcome to the PTA page of the QEGS website
WHO ARE WE? The PTA is a small but active group that enjoys getting involved with school life. Our main purpose is to fund-raise for non-essential school projects which enhance the experience of all students. In addition, we enjoy meeting other parents and having an opportunity to socialise and come together on behalf of the school.
MUSIC TO OUR EARS! Our most recent purchase was a piano, costing nearly £2,500, which we bought for the music department in April. Other funds have supported the refurbishment of new science labs, flood lighting for the all-weather pitch (which enables matches to take place after school in winter months) and the library. We also sponsor the annual Merit Award Scheme prizes in School. We encourage students to let us know what they would like us to help them with – we paid for one Sixth Former to run a lunchtime Science Club for younger students.
PUTTING THE FUN IN FUNDRAISING. Each term we have at least one event to which all parents and students are welcome. Events include wine tastings, quizzes, auctions, musical concerts etc. In addition, we support the school at its own events by running bars, refreshments and raffles at open days and performances and are open to any other requests! We are now pretty experienced bartenders and our flower decked tables and strawberries and cream at "A Midsummer Night's Dream" were a big hit!
GET INVOLVED! The School staff appreciates having an active PTA behind them and we like them to know that parents value what they do for our children. We feel the PTA also offers an opportunity for the wider community to see what goes on at QEGS and to experience at first hand the talent, fun and sense of purpose that exists here.
Forthcoming Events:
Friday 7th December - Late Night Christmas Shopping in Ashbourne. Look out for the PTA stall outside the Ashbourne News Telegraph Office and Chic. Games suitable for all the Family. From 6pm.
Friday 14th December - our annual big hit! Hot House Youth Jazz Orchestra will be raising the roof once again. Concert starts at 7pm and includes a light supper. Tickets are now on sale at School Main Reception, Natural Choice and through the Hot House Orchestras. £10 and £5 for under 16s. This is always a barnstorming performance and perfect for the start of the Christmas festivities.
Fund Raising while you shop online!
The QEGS PTA has subscribed to easyfundraising.org.uk. This scheme enables parents to create a cashback donation to the PTA from online purchases made from many well known retailers. Donations vary from 3% to as much as 15%. (Read about how it works). Please remember this when you are doing your online shopping! Have a look at the website and please give it a try.
Simply click here to register as a supporter
The Committee:
Chair: Martin Sales
Vice Chair: Marie Montague
Secretary: Claire Tresidder
Treasurer: Susan Miller
Joint Treasurer: Les Redlaff
Publicity: Gordon Hart and Jane Bower
PTA Subscription Scheme:
In 2009 we set up our PTA Subscription Scheme. This has been successfully implemented in other schools and we wanted to see if it would work for us. Parents make a modest annual donation (of a suggested minimum £5 per adult) to the PTA. This allows parents who are too busy to help in practical ways to feel that they are doing something towards fund-raising and it provides a known strand of income. In our first year we were successful in getting nearly 90 families on board and we are hoping to continue building on that. We send out a mailing to capture the attention of new parents from time to time, so you may well have seen one of these already.
Members receive a newsletter during the school year and are entered into a Prize Draw in July where a cheque for £50 and a bottle of champagne await the lucky winner!
Parents donate via standing order so that they do not need to worry about remembering each year and they can then terminate the order when their children leave School.
PLEASE CONSIDER BECOMING A MEMBER OF OUR SUBSCRIPTION SCHEME AND HELPING THE SCHOOL IN THIS WAY.
How the PTA works:
We hold meetings two or three times a term, depending on what needs organising for specific events. Any parent is welcome to attend these meetings, which are open to all.
If you would like to help, but find evening meetings are not your cup of tea, then we hold a database of people who are happy to be contacted when something is being organised and when helpers are needed. If you would like to be one of these people, then please get in touch. See ‘Contact Us’ below.
Communication with parents:
We usually communicate by letter, sent home via students. We know that some of these do not get passed on! It is worth checking your child’s pockets and looking out for letters from the PTA which are on School headed paper and which let you know about forthcoming events. In addition, we will be using this PTA Web Page, so do please check it regularly. We are also hoping to use text messaging to highlight forthcoming dates.
Contact us:
For further information on anything you have read here or to offer your help please email: pta@queenelizabeths.derbyshire.sch.uk or telephone 01335 342351 and speak to PTA Secretary Claire Tresidder. Written communication can be sent via the School and will be passed on.
We hope to meet you soon.
