Welcome to Cottenham Primary School's PTCA!
What is a PTCA (Parent, Teacher and Community Association)?
The PTCA is an organisation that you, as parents/guardians, automatically become members of when your child joins Cottenham Primary School. Membership is free, and how much you get involved is completely up to you. Each year at our AGM a new committee is elected, and they stand for 12 months - or more if they are re-elected at the next AGM.
How can I contact the PTCA?
You can email CPS PTCA on cps-ptca@outlook.com. You can also keep up to date with our activities on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CPSPTCA.
Why have a PTCA?
The PTCA's main aim is to support the school which it does in a variety of ways.
It can help parents:
- improve the school
- get to know each other through a range of events and activities
- find out more about how the school works
- raise funds to be used for the enrichment of the children's education
It can help children receive a richer education by helping to fund resources, trips and experiences.
And it can help teachers to reach potential volunteers and enthusiasts who could help with school projects.
How does Cottenham Primary School’s PTCA do this?
Looking around the school, it is not hard to see where the PTCA has made a difference over the years. As well as interactive whiteboards and playground apparatus, we have also financially supported a host of extra curricular activities such as workshops, productions, swimming pool maintenance and school trip subsidies.
We raise funds for this work by organising or supporting a range of events for parents and children, including our ever-popular Summer and Winter Fairs, an annual fireworks event, bingo, quizzes, raffles and much more.
How can you help?
There are lots of ways you can help Cottenham Primary School's PTCA.
- Come along to some of the fun events we put on throughout the year.
- Volunteer to help at an event – email us on cps-ptca@outlook.com for more information.
- Join the committee - either by election for 12 months, or by co-option to help with a particular task.
- Sign up to Easyfundraising (https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk) and select us as your cause. We’ll receive a donation every time you shop with selected online retailers via Easyfundraising.
- Ask your employer about match-funding and other work-based schemes that could help us.
- Keep an eye on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/CPSPTCA) for more quick and easy ways to help, as well as details of our events and activities.
Fab Fridays
Every Friday during morning break (weather and other school activities permitting) we offer children the opportunity to buy a small treat (an ice pop when it’s warmer, or a hot chocolate in the colder months). If you would like your child to take part, please send them along with 40p cash on a Friday.
If you prefer not to send cash then you can purchase a pre-paid card (valid for 10 ice pops or hot chocolates) via MCAS (My Child at School). You will find Fab Fridays cards in the MCAS shop, however please note that they are unavailable to purchase from 2pm on Thursdays and all day Friday, to allow the team enough time to issue the new cards each week. If you have any questions about Fab Fridays, please email cps-ptca@outlook.com.
Dear Parents and Carers,
As you may be aware, every year the PTCA organises an art project for all children to take part in, with the opportunity to buy products featuring your child’s artwork which helps to raise funds for the school.
This year, we are asking children to complete their artwork at home, over the October half-term break. You will then have the opportunity to buy Christmas card packs featuring your child’s very own artwork.
We have tried to make this project as easy as possible for children to take part in, hopefully without adding too much to your half-term “to do list”! All your child needs to do is create a Christmas design on A4 paper, following the guidelines below:
- Bold and bright designs that fill the paper produce the best effect. Avoid large areas of white background.
- Colour pencils and pencil drawings do not work well. The best media to use are pastels, paints, collage or felt tips.
- Avoid foil and other reflective materials. If using cotton wool (or other white materials), make sure to use a coloured background so that it stands out. If using collage, make sure everything is well stuck down.
- Keep important details at least 1cm from the paper's edge, to avoid them being trimmed off during printing.
- If you need inspiration for your child’s design, please take a look at the Cauliflower Cards gallery here.
- IMPORTANT: Please write your child’s name and class clearly on the back of their design.
If your child would prefer to use a colouring sheet rather than creating their own design then you will find some options to download here [PLEASE LINK TO COLOURING SHEETS]. If you are unable to print then we will leave a selection of these in the school office which you can collect at pick-up today, or between 9am and 3pm on Monday or Tuesday of next week (the office will not be staffed but the office foyer will be accessible.)
Please return your child’s completed and named artwork to their teacher by Tuesday 4th November. We will then send you details of how to place your order online.
If you have any questions about this project, please email cps-ptca@outlook.com.
Thank you for your continued support, and have a great half-term!
Cottenham Primary School PTCA