The Russett School PTA
Who are we?
The Russett School and Cheshire MSI Unit is located in Weaverham, Cheshire and caters for 93 children aged 2 to 19 who have severe/profound and complex needs. Every child has their own unique needs, and the school and the expert staff cater brilliantly to each personality with dedication, patience and goodwill.
The Russett School Parent Teachers Association (PTA) committee is an open and inclusive charitable group (governed by the Charities Commission of the UK) whereby all parents and staff are automatically members. The Russett School PTA Committee comprises a small dedicated group of parents and staff voted into key roles at the annual AGM. We aim to deliver as much as we can both financially and socially to enrich the lives of the children who attend our school.
Our objectives are to:-
· Raise funds to enable the purchase of much needed specialist equipment
· Improve the school experience for the students by hosting fun activities both in school and in the wider community
· Bring the curriculum to the children through sport, activity, cooking, gardening skills and social development. We provide the means to enable this and link with community partners to ‘enliven’ these skills
· Support the staff who provide a 1st class service to our children
· Engage with the general community, spread awareness of special needs, and break down social barriers
· We also aim to bring parents together to share information and support each other
What has been achieved to date?
· Full upgrade of the Class 2-3-4 outdoor play area, with specialist play equipment and safety flooring (2012)
· Provision of I-Pads in class rooms (ongoing)
· Multi-Purpose Sports Track £48,772
· 16 Seater Mini Bus £46,000
· Trampoline & Hoist £6,177.70
Our targets for 2013 and beyond
· Full upgrade of all remaining outdoor play areas, commencing with all-weather activity wallboards for Classes 5-6
· Continued purchase of I-pads for all classes
· Funding for several Sixth Form students to attend an ‘independent living’ trip to Pontins Southport in June 2013
· Commence building fund for new build, subject to planning permission
· Secure grants for further equipment (to be confirmed) from organisations which invest in special needs environments
Activities undertaken to date
· April 2013
o bag pack at Asda Winsford. £244.92 raised in 3 hours by 7 volunteers
o set up easyfundraising.co.uk Russett School PTA account for donations via online shopping (retailers donate when registered members use their site)
o Sponsored slim in conjunction with ladies of Slimming World, Hartford Methodist Church group
· March 2013 –
o Mother’s Day Gift shop in school. 68 items purchased and £206 raised
o Easter party with bouncy castles and chocolate eggs donated by PTA and ASDA Winsford. Easter bunny raffle raised £19.
· February 2013 – Happy School Bags clothes/shoes collection from school – 416kg collected and £257 raised
· January 2013 – Sponsored Hug. 15 children participated and raised £163
· December 2012
o Santa’s Gift shop – 124 items purchased and £88 raised for PTA
o Visit by Santa and gifts for all children
· October 2012 – October Ball shared with Diabetes Research UK (Glam Rock)
· Previous PTA activity
o Christmas Fayre December 2011 raised a fantastic £2,482.63.
o Regular fund raising activities, such as Bingo evenings and Rag Bags
o BBQ during parents evening with raffle
o Stall at the Disability Awareness Day which is an annual event held in Warrington. The theme was cuddly toys. Thanks to supporters who donated soft toys.
Upcoming Activity
· May 2013 –
o Quiz and Pizza night
o School pyjama party and gift giving to all participants
· June
o Father ‘s Day gift shop
o Asda Winsford in-store raffle
· July
o Parent Evening, Barbeque and Summer Fair – Tuesday 2nd July
o Sixth form visit to Alton Towers
o Disability Awareness Day stall (Warrington)
o Sixth form leavers assembly and gift presentation
· September – Happy School bag collection (2) – 26th September
· October – Russett Autumn Ball @ Forest Hills Hotel on 12th October (Michael Buble tribute)
· December
o Christmas Fair – 1st December
o Asda Winsford bag pack day – 2nDecember
o Santa’s Gift Shop
o Santa visit and gifts for all children
Key Supporters
We would like to acknowledge the support and wonderful generosity of the following people and organisations which support the school:-
· Peter Harrison Foundation
· Eatonbrook LTD
· Brian Wilson Trust
· Duchess of Westminster
· The Lord & Lady Taverners Fund
· Parents/carers, staff, families & friends
· Keith Darlington, KDE Ltd (Joint organiser of Autumn balls)
· Asda Winsford (Tina Holt) for bag packing, donation of food products for events
· Barclays Bank (Jane Bowyer et al) for volunteer days and matched funding
· Northwich Vale Royal Rotary Club - £200
· Rotary Club of Crewe - £150
· The ladies of the Inner Wheel, Winsford - £100
· The ladies of Wednesday Club, Hartford - £100
· The ladies of Slimming World, Hartford (donation to be presented 11th May)
Contact Us
The Russett governors and staff appreciate and support all the fund raising that is carried out by the PTA. Everything we do is targeted towards helping all our children. If you would like to help the PTA support the school, please do not hesitate to contact Jo Lakeland (Chair) via russettpta@yahoo.co.uk or via the school office.
We hold PTA meetings on a monthly basis (alternating daytime and evening to allow working parents to attend if they wish). All parents and staff are welcome to attend, and the more who do so ensure the PTA is as representative as possible of the different year groups and differing special needs requirements. We are pleased to consider all fundraising ideas. See calendar of events for meeting dates.
Help is always appreciated for any of the fund raising events, even if you are not able to commit to joining the RSPTA committee on a regular basis.
The Russett School & Cheshire MSI Confirmed Meeting Dates and Potential Events 2013
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