Dear Parents, Caregivers and Friends of St Mary’s School,

As we move into Week Five of Term One for this year, I wish to highlight that one of the most important , though often understated events of our school year happens this term.

The PTA Annual General Meeting is a very important occasion for a number of reasons. The most important being that the PTA at our school is a vital component of our school’s special character. We have dedicated and motivated group who put in a large amount of time to arrange social events, raise funds and support the links between home and school.

As a Decile Eight school we receive little additional money in the form of grants from the Ministry of Education and yet we would be one of the best resourced primary schools that I am aware of. The reason for this is the funds that our PTA raise annually through the school fair and other activities. The money raised on a per capita basis would easily be the highest that I am aware of, and this money is the reason our pupils enjoy the excellent resources and support that they do.

The PTA AGM is in the school Foyer at 7pm this Thursday. Our guest speaker is David Young, an expert on e Learning and ICT, and he will talk about what electronic devices are the best option for your child and cyber safety. Dave spoke last year and he was such a popular guest speaker a number of people wanted to hear more. On top of this at our recent parent information evenings a number of parents asked questions on the matters, so here is someone to give you the answers.

The reason that our PTA is so strong is because of the exceptional group of people on it, but there is always room for more helpers, if you would like to support your child’s learning in this most positive way then please come along to the AGM and be prepared to serve on the committee.

Have a great week,

Mike Brosnahan.