Welcome

NEWSLETTER

Welcome to the first edition of the Richard Hale School

Parents’ Association newsletter.

The Parents’ Association and the school work towards the

same common goal and the success is down to the support of

parent volunteers, teachers and students. We are particularly

looking forward to the next school year focusing on the 400th

anniversary celebrations.

We welcome all of your help and support and hope you find

these newsletters informative, but please feel free to contact

us should you have any ideas or suggestions that you would

like to share.

Welcome ......................................... 1

About the PA ................................... 1

Support your PA .............................. 2

School Uniform ............................... 2

Easyfundraisng / Name Labels ........ 2

Past Events / Fundraising ........... 3/4

Recent purchases ............................ 5

Calendar of Events ........................... 5

400th Anniversary ........................... 6

Sports Hall ........................................ 6

Contact Us ...................................... 6

Richard Hale School

Parents’ Association

The RHS Parents’ Association is made up of parents of present and past pupils of the school as well as members of staff. The PA raises funds throughout the year to assist in the provision of equipment and facilities for the school, and also provides a social link between parents and school. Fundraising activities are very successful, both financially and socially, and have included quiz nights, dances, barbecues, Christmas bazaars, summer fetes and car boot sales. The PA is, of course, always open to suggestions for new activities!

Parental support via these events in recent years has enabled the PA to purchase two mini buses, colour televisions, food technology equipment, a dishwasher, a video and other smaller items to support the education of the pupils at Richard Hale. It was also able to support the school’s bid for specialist science status with a donation of £10,000. As well as fundraising, the PA organises a social evening during the Autumn Term to informally welcome the parents of new Year 7 boys. This has proved to be a well-attended and very successful evening allowing parents, teachers and governors to meet, chat and enjoy a glass or two of wine!

On a practical level, the PA is able to supply a wide range of good-quality used uniform at very reasonable prices. This includes blazers, trousers, shirts and jumpers, rugby shirts, PE vests and cricket gear.

If you require any further information about the Parents’ Association, or wish to become more actively involved, please email parentassoc@richardhale.co.uk.

About the Parents’ Association

Issue 001 July 2016

Inside this issue

Sup

po

rt you

r PA

The Parents’ Association cannot run without the support of the parents and there are various ways to help both directly and indirectly, such as:

We are a friendly group who meet about once a month and have made some close friendships. We also have social planned get-togethers at the end of the school year and Christmas.

As we approach the year of the 400th Anniversary, we are keen to strengthen the Parents’ Association. The PA team will work together with the School on traditional PA fundraising events and also focus on the exciting 2017 celebratory events. To join us, contact parentassoc@richardhale.co.uk.

Provide services—printing, banners, advertising, etc Provide raffle prizes Provide refreshments—cakes, cookies, etc Donate or buy used school uniform Attend meetings

Help at fundraising events Help with other fundraising Attend events Join the committee Shop online via easyfundraising.org.uk

HAS YOUR CHILD GROWN OUT OF

THEIR SCHOOL UNIFORM?

We are looking for used uniform in good condition.

If you have any unwanted uniform or sports kits,

you can leave items with the school reception in a

bag marked USED UNIFORM.

NEED SCHOOL UNIFORM?

For quality used uniform at affordable prices why

not purchase from the PA and raise money for the

school at the same time. We have a selection of

Blazers, Ties, PE/Games Kits, Trousers, Shirts and

Jumpers.

SCHOOL UNIFORM

WANT TO HELP THE SCHOOL BUT DON’T HAVE MUCH TIME?

EasyFundraising is a great way to raise money for your school when you do your shopping online.

Whether you are buying from one of the thousands of retailers including Amazon, M&S, Tesco, Argos,

John Lewis etc. or shopping for a holiday, travel, hotels, insurance, mobiles, electricals, each time you

shop the retailer donates an amount to the PA. You can register via www.easyfundraising.org.uk, then

select the Richard Hale School PA as your chosen cause. Happy shopping !

Easy2Name makes labelling your child’s belongings easy with stick on name labels, shoe label covers,

Easytapes, transfers, iron on woven tapes, sew on woven tapes and bag tags. Just purchase via

www.easy2name.com and when you have finished shopping, don’t forget to select Richard Hale School

PA as your fundraising group before proceeding to the checkout.

SUPPORT YOUR PA

Contact: Martina Cozzi via me_cozzi@yahoo.co.uk or visit the PA uniform stall at school events.

Past Events / Fundraising

Past

Eve

nts

BURNS NIGHT DINNER DANCE Fantastic event: 2016 saw the 11th year that Richard Hale School has hosted this annual event

which continues to be a great success. The evening meal of haggis, neeps and tatties included the usual traditional ceremonies of clapping the arrival of the haggis, stabbing the beastie and toasting the haggis. The dinner was followed by an enjoyable evening of Scottish dancing to the sounds of the school’s ceilidh band led by Mr Camm, and a caller to organise the dancing.

However, without the support of the school’s amazing ceilidh band led by Mr Camm, this event would not have happened so here are some of the band in action performing at past Burns Nights.

GREAT NEWS FOR 2017!

At the next Burns Night supper, we will have the pleasure of being joined by a piper to welcome guests, pipe in the haggis and entertain the lads

and lassies during the evening.

Past Events / Fundraising

Past

Eve

nts

OLD BOYS LUNCH This really is a special event that many of the Parents in the PA look forward to. Not only do we prepare a summer buffet lunch, it is also a great opportunity to meet some of the Schools’ alumni.

QUIZ NIGHT Fantastic event: The autumn quiz night 2015 welcomed 16 teams. This regular event continues to be a successful fundraiser. Recent quiz nights have included the introduction of the “feel the sock” round and prize for “Best Nibbles”. The next quiz night is planned to take place on Friday 23rd September 2016.

REFRESHMENTS The PA often prepares refreshments for the many school concerts, open evenings and presentation evenings.

OUTSIDE FUNDRAISING The PA has also been fundraising in the community including selling homemade cakes and hot rolls, and also running tombola and raffle stalls at some of the Hertford Castle events as well as at other venues. We also manned a hot chocolate and homemade cookies stall at a recent Ware Dickensian evening.

Cakes and hot food stall at a Hertford Castle event Tombola stall at a town event—one for adults and one for children

QUIZ NIGHT : The team with their winning entry for “Best Nibbles”

RECENT PURCHASES

The fundraising efforts of the PA has recently enabled:

The purchase of furniture for the 6th form common room

The purchase of an additional minibus

The installation of a picnic area, including ground surfacing, seating and fencing

A contribution of £20,000 towards the sports hall fund

2016 SEPTEMBER Friday 15th—Year 7 Cheese & Wine evening Friday 23rd—Quiz Night NOVEMBER Friday 11th—‘Seeing it Through’ Theatre performance DECEMBER Saturday 3rd—sale of Christmas Trees

2017 JANUARY Saturday 28th - Burns Night Dinner and Dance MARCH Friday 3rd —Quiz Night MAY Saturday 20th—Year 6 Treasure Hunt

Save the Dates

2017 marks the school’s 400th anniversary and it is actively trying to increase Alumni, Old Hertfordians

and Friends of the School so they can be involved in a truly momentous milestone in the history of

Richard Hale as we celebrate with an unforgettable year.

The Parents’ Association are always looking for volunteers to help staff the numerous functions that they

intend putting on as we lead up to 2017. If you are able to give us some time or expertise please contact

Jill Murray, the new chair of the Parents’ Association, via parentassoc@richardhale.co.uk. Your

attendance at events would be a tangible way in which you could contribute to our 2017 fundraising

efforts so please ensure you put these events in your diaries. They will appear in the School’s weekly

Newsletter and in the School Calendar found on the website. Last term the Parents’ Association provided

the school with another minibus; meaning there is now a fleet of minibuses, all purchased by the PA to

ferry students across the county and beyond for extra-curricular activities.

2017 MARKS 400th ANNIVERSARY

The major focus for all our fundraising efforts is to provide a Community Sports Hall; the aim is to

complete the funding for this ambitious project by 2017 in time for our 400th anniversary celebrations.

Thanks to the Department of Education and the £1.5 million grant – there is now a very realistic

opportunity of building and equipping a state of the art sports hall by the end of 2017. The new building

will be an invaluable asset for the students and staff of Richard Hale School. Sport will be its primary

focus but it will be designed with multi-use in mind. It is the School’s desire to create a centre for

excellence within our town, a resource of which we can all be proud.

For the next 18 months the School’s fundraising efforts will be entirely focused on its quest to raise

£500,000, to build and equip a sports hall fit for the 21st Century.

Also, the School sent a “huge thank you to the Parents’ Association for their incredibly generous donation

towards the 2017 Sports Hall Fund.”

To find out more about making a donation for the Sports Hall Fund and to learn about sponsorship

opportunities throughout 2017 – please contact the 2017 Coordinator, Sue Homan on (01992) 583441 or

email sue.homan@richard.hale.co.uk.

SPORTS HALL

RHSPA on Facebook

Please like & share our new

Facebook page for Parents’

Association information and events.

Updates coming soon.

Look us up at RHSPA Events.

Contact Us

Parents’ Association Richard Hale School Hale Road Hertford, Herts SG13 8EN

Email: parentassoc@richardhale.co.uk