The Recreation Road Parent Teachers Association (PTA) is a group of parents, carers and school staff who volunteer their time and energy to raise vital funds for the school. The PTA also plays an important role in creating social events and get-togethers to support parents, teachers, children and the wider community in NR2. These include the annual Bike Day and welcoming new and prospective parents when they visit the school.
The funds raised by the PTA have enabled Recreation Road to invest in important facilities at a time when budgets at every school are under considerable strain. Recent projects have included renovation of the butterfly garden alongside the school swimming pool, purchase of waterproofs for reception year children to wear in the forest school, provision of new books and Lego to be used in the classrooms and subsidies that ensure all our pupils can enjoy our school trips.
How do I get involved?
If you’d like to know more, or to join our list of helpers, please email us: recroadpta@gmail.com.
And you can get updates by liking our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/RecRoadPTA.
The PTA is also signed up to Amazon Smile as a charity, so if you go to smile.amazon.co.uk and search for “Recreation Road Parent Teacher Association” you can earn us a few extra pennies every time you shop at Amazon.
Our Annual General Meeting is held at the school in early October and, like all our meetings, is open to everyone connected to the school. Email us for more details.
Finally, you can go green AND boost the PTA coffers by donating to the BIC-sponsored Used Writing Instruments Recycling scheme. Drop off any used pens, highlighters, felt-tips and correction fluid in our collection box at school. We’ll send them off for recycling and get a small donation in return.
Headteacher, Michael Bunting, said: “The PTA is such an asset to our school. It brings together the community and helps us to improve the children’s learning environment. Without the wonderful support of the PTA and its volunteers, many recent investments would not have been possible, given the difficult financial outlook for schools.”
Benefits for you, as well as the school
The PTA is run by a committee including a chair, secretary and treasurer, but you don’t have to be on the committee to get involved. You don’t have to come to meetings, and you don’t have to dedicate loads of time. There are lots of ways to help – from designing newsletters and posters to running cake sales, collecting Christmas card orders, stuffing raffle tickets into envelopes, labelling tombola donations, or staffing the bar at the summer fete. What talents do you have to offer?
Helping out with the PTA is fun, and it’s rewarding. You’ll meet new people and be among the first to know what’s happening at the school.
We encourage at least one parent from each of the school’s classes to join our team of helpers, helping to spread the word about upcoming events and co-ordinate donations. It’s a great way to get to know other parents in your class and build links with school staff. And it’s not just for mums, it’s really important to have dads and other male carers represented on the PTA too.
On behalf of the staff and governors, Mr. Bunting encourages everyone connected to school to consider taking a role with the PTA. “Please get involved if you can,” he said. “You’ll be making a significant positive difference to the children in our care.”