Have A Great Christmas Break!

The Last Day And It's Big Thanks To Mr Bowden… AND His Mum!

As we all know, this being a church school, it's all about a child and his mother at this time of year.

And it's no different on the HTSA Thank You Advent Calendar.

Only here in N2 the child is our very own head teacher Mr Bowden and the mother is none other than his mum Jean!

Jean and Mr Bowden put in a spectacular shift in the "count room" (ooh! It's SO Vegas!) at the Holy Trinity School Xmas Fair.

Indeed the last of the coppers didn't rattle into the bags until nigh-on 5:00p.m. 

We are, of course, ALL volunteers at the HTSA, each of us giving what time we can. We do it, after all, for our own and each other's children.

That Mr Bowden even ropes his own mother into the proceedings tells us a lot about how this school is lead.

Mrs Kimani does it too, and ALL the staff: they take time out of their weekends and their evenings to help us and support us. This ON TOP of educating our kids.

Mr Bowden, thanks. And Jean, thanks for Mr Bowden!

That's it from the HTSA Thank You Advent Calendar (until next year!) – click HERE to view the full calendar.

A joyful Christmas to you all, well done, thanks and…

God bless us! Everyone!

Day 18. And We're STILL Not Running Out Of Thank Yous! (Last Day Tomorrow!)

Karina (Layla's mum)! We hadn't forgotten! Thanks for the treasure map!

Last one tomorrow!

Have we missed anyone? Yesterday's advent window, where we name-checked Ebere, is a great example of the modus operandi of many HTSA parents and carers. So many of you turn up, muck in, get your heads down and get on with it, giving up your precious time to help our children. The parents, for example, who helped to clear away the chairs at the end of the Snow White performance last night. Great job.

We are bound to have missed someone on our Thank You Advent Calendar. But it's never too late to grass someone up for good behaviour. Drop us a line at n2htsa@gmail.com.

Besides, like a puppy, thanks are not just for Christmas, they're for term time too! Every week in the new term we'll post our "Ask Me What I Did Post" here and nominations are always open. 

Our Thank You posts are sponsored, as always, by Tony's Continental on the High Road.

Day 17 Of Our Thank You Advent Calendar! Only Two Days To Go!

Thanks today go to Ebere – mum of Raphaella, Deborah and Gabriella. At the Xmas Fir Ebere arrived early, left late and every time you looked around there she was. Thanks for ALL your contributions Ebere!

A Letter From The Headteacher

Dear HTSA,

Thank you for all your hard work this term with the HTSA. You have raised £5000+ for the first term and this is a remarkable amount for such a small parent community. Well done!

It is particularly gratifying to see so many new faces getting involved with the HTSA and the life of our school.

We constantly strive to find new ways to improve our school, and your fundraising efforts this term have allowed us to:

• Re-landscape the climbing slide area in the infant playground

• Purchase rubber mulch to create an all weather access to play areas

• Purchase netball posts

• Fund coach travel

• Increase individual classroom allowance for equipment and supplies

Your hard work is greatly appreciated – and I look forward to seeing what new fundraising initiatives you come up with next year!

Have a wonderful Christmas break!

Mr Bowden

Headteacher

Day 16 Thanks To…

Special mention goes to Emma (Charlie's mum in Y1G) who looked after the Rodeo Reindeer for most of the day at the Xmas Fair. It was Emma's first HTSA event and she did a great job. Thanks Emma!

We don't have a picture of Emma, but we do have this one of Clint Eastwood instead…

You can view the rest of our Thank You Advent calendar HERE.

Day 15 And It's A Galaxy of Stars!

Thanks to ALL the class reps for their efforts on the Xmas Fair! Particular thanks to those who haven't been thanked elsewhere on our calendar, namely:

Nicola (Rupert's mum) in Nursery AM

Louise (Fergus) in Nursery PM

Helen (Kitty) and Catherine (Luca) in Reception

Ella (Tristan) in Y1G

Sophie (Sadie) in Y1J

Louise (Eliott) & Mary (Evie) in Y2

Tracy (Sasha) Y3

Alex (Will Y4)

Paula (Harvey) and Judy (Alex) Y6.

You all work so hard, both for the school and elsewhere. We couldn't do it without you!

Catch up with our earlier Thank You windows HERE.

Day 14 (Only 5 Days Left!) Of Our Thank You Advent Calendar!

Karen (mum of Albert Y4 and Louis Y3) your Santa's Grotto was a thing of beauty and a joy to behold. Thanks!

View the earlier advent windows HERE. 

Day 13 Of Our Thank You Advent Calendar!

We LOVED our Christmas Fair poster & map, designed for us by Francesco (Eduardo's dad Y1G). 

Extra thanks are due to Francesco for being our photographer in Santa's grotto (pics will be sent out soon!).

Well done Francesco, we're lucky to have you!

View the earlier advent windows HERE.

Day 12 – So Many Thanks, So Little Time

Ginie, mum of Lucy in Y1G thanks for the raffle prize, the balloons, the volunteering your husband to burn Xmas DVDs, the photos and the EVERYTHING!


Catch up with our 11 earlier windows HERE.

Day 11 of Our Thank You Advent Calendar!

Please sir… I want some more.

Well folks we're sorry to say that we're clean out of Xmas puddings… by which we mean we're DELIGHTED to say we're clean out of Xmas puddings. They were a great success.

Thanks to Chen (mum of Thea Y6 and Eddie Y3) for organising our fabulous HTS-branded Xmas puds!

Catch up with our earlier advent calendar windows HERE. 

An End of Term Letter From the Chair of Governors

A letter from Mark Chapman, Chair of Governors…

This academic year one-third done already! Governors have been hard at work, with Mr Bowden and team setting, as usual, a fast pace.

We’re (still) awaiting our OFSTED inspection, and some Governor time has been spent with the school leadership team making sure we’re as ready as we can be for the event, whenever it comes. The day to day running of the school, and the education of our children will always take first priority of course, but we’d be foolish to not prepare thoroughly, and be ready to present ourselves as best we possibly can. We look forward to showing off our fabulous school, staff and children whenever the time comes.

We’re also not immune from the wider world of political change.

Spending cuts at Barnet are driving a restructure of Education Services in the borough, including many of which we use frequently. Governors have been working to understand the impact of proposed changes, and to respond to the current consultation.

Sadly services are likely to reduce, making our own fundraising efforts, including through the parents, even more essential.

On a more positive note, Parent governors have been working hard elsewhere, including not least the final lap of our re-contracting of the school meal service. A tasting session had some rather good food on offer I believe. Other work done this term has included Governors monitoring our safeguarding arrangements (which we consider excellent), and our provision for children with Special Educational Needs. 

Finally, you may have noticed one or two elf-like Governors manning (as usual) Santa’s grotto at the recent fair – it’s not all committee work.

Our Elfin Chair of Governors

And on that closing plug, I’d like to inform you that a vacancy on the Governing Body has arisen, for a Foundation Parent Governor. Such Governors are practising Christians as well as parents, and are recruited to uphold the religious nature of the school, as well as to represent all parents.  A request for nominations will be made soon.

On behalf of all the Governors, I wish you a great holiday season, and a safe and prosperous new year

Mark

Day 10 of Our Thank You Advent Calendar

Today we thanks our very own Arts & Crafts movement. Sylvie (Amelie's mum, Y4) and Wiebke (mum of Oscar Y4, Louis Y2 and Albert in morning nursery) kept the children busy all day with the arts and crafts room at our Xmas Fair. Thanks!

Extra thanks to Wiebke for running the raffle!


Catch up with our earlier windows HERE.

Thank You Advent Calendar Day 9!

Not only is today's star a class rep… not only did today's star help out at the Xmas Fair in untold ways… not only does today's star like and share posts on our Facebook page (thus increasing our readership & advertising earning potential at the click of a mouse)… not only does she badger away at HTSA business all the year round… not only ALL that… but she was nominated by a couple of her fellow parents. Grassed up for good behaviour! We catch parents IN not out here at Holy Trinity!

Step forward LINDA, mum of Freya in Year 5.


And that's not even mentioning the fact that she had to nurse a sickly Santa! Well done Linda! You're a star.


Catch up with our earlier Advent windows HERE.

Our Thank You Film For Our Xmas Fair Sponsors 2014

Day 8 of our HTSA Advent Calendar of Thanks!

Them school governors of ours, they're good for your elf.

In fact 'ere's one now…

Thanks to Mark Chapman (above), Nicki Ford, Jac Miller and Lucy Barrett Kavanagh, our governors who came to Santa's aid at the grotto. Well done all! Only four elves and two Santas (JUST!) this year but, as the PM says, in these straitened times we're all in this together and we mucked in and got by. Great job Governors!



You can catch up with the earlier advent windows by clicking HERE.

The Pop-Up Pudding & Xmas Sweets Sale Raised £193!

Thanks to EVERYONE involved in the pop-up Xmas Pud sale last Friday. Between sales in the playground and extra sales at church yesterday you raised £193!

(In real terms that's equivalent to 39 reams – 19,896.9 sheets – of A4 graph paper.)

Day 7 of the HTSA Thank You Advent Calendar

Our Xmas Fair 2014 Thank You's continue…Today is dedicated to our teaching staff who mucked in on a Saturday to help our school. The phrase "going the extra mile" barely begins to cover it. Thank you.

Here's a pic of the first shift of the Human Fruit Machine…

Name checks (please email or grab us in the playground if we miss anyone out!)… Mrs Huegdon, Miss Essery, Miss Edge, Miss Grove, Miss Wiltshire, Mrs Kimani, Mrs Christou, Miss Saunders and Miss Jameson. Not only was your input invaluable, but the children loved seeing you there. You helped us raise money, and your presence raised the happiness count.


Catch up with the previous windows on our advent calendar HERE.

HTSA Thank You Advent Calendar Day 6

Pirates? Pirates aren't very Christmassy!

Well ours most certainly was. 

Thanks go to Russell (dad of Cerys Y2) for his outstanding turn as Pirate Pete and his Guess My Parrot's Name turn. 

The advent calendar window above features an ACTUAL photograph of Russell in full pirate get up. Thanks Russell, you are a helluva fella.



View the full advent calendar so far by clicking HERE.

The HTSA Advent Calendar Day 5

You'll be reading our "official" thanks on the HTS newsletter later today, but before the week was out we wanted to thank Mr Ritson for ALL of his efforts: baking, setting up and advice on Santa's Grotto being just the tip of the iceberg. And thanks also for being the first to test out the Rodeo Reindeer early last Saturday morning. Here he is…

Catch up with our earlier advent calendar windows by CLICKING HERE.

The HTSA Thank You Advent Calendar Day 4

Who's that in our advent calendar window today?

It's a disguise. And it represents all our HTS parents who muck-in and don't like to make a fuss about it.

Parents such as Judy Pang (mum of Max in Reception and Alex in Year 6). Wrapping, selling and baking for the Xmas Fair was merely the tip of the iceberg.

Thanks Judy!

(Help us out folks! Are we missing a star turn? Can you "grass someone up for good behaviour"? Drop us a line!)

See the earlier windows on the HTSA Thank You Advent Calendar HERE.

The HTSA Thank You Advent Calendar Day 3!

Kat (with Harry in nursery, Ruby in Y3 and Freddie in Y5) and Maria (with Charlie in Y1J and Frankie in Y4) are next in line for HUGE thanks for… rattling those pots and pans in the kitchen on Saturday, a relentless shift done with smiles aplenty. And they made cups of tea for the volunteers who helped set up the fair, too. Quality.

Please Ma'am… can we 'ave some more?

The HTSA Thank You Advent Calendar Day 2!

Over the past few weeks we have been PESTS at the school office… and every day Sara and Tina have been helpful beyond the call of duty. 

We really couldn't do it without you, so thanks for all your help… and thanks moreover for having the patience of angels. 

P.S. We will have more unreasonable demands next term. Thanks in advance, you are GREAT!

Movember Hijack: It's Mr Ritson By A Whisker!

Our Movember Hijack has drawn to a close and our two fundraising gringos (Adam, Isobella's dad Y3 and Mr Ritson) are heading toward the razor.

The HTSA caught up with them yesterday to find out who had raised the most money. Here's what they told us…

Isobella's Dad: "It's not about the money really. It's about teamwork."

Mr Ritson: "Well he would say that because I raised £160 and he only raised £100!"

£260 raised in total! Thanks to EVERYONE who donated & sponsored!

The HTSA Thank You Advent Calendar Day 1!

So many people to thank. Our Xmas Fair was a HUGE success. We are such a small school community and we rely on everyone to help out so that we can raise funds.

The rest of the term on this website is dedicated to thanking everyone who donated, lifted, attended, spent, sold, baked, wrapped, bought, ate, organised, cooked, decorated, counted and finally swept up at the Christmas Fair. 

Our advent calendar – like our weekly Ask Me What I Did posts – is sponsored by Tony's Continental. 

Day One of our HTSA Thank You Advent Calendar

On Friday night, the eve of the Xmas Fair, we had to look to our loaves and to our fishes. 5pm and still no sign of Santa!

(Well, that's not strictly true… he had been spotted… by his wife Linda, hurtling towards the loo at a speed that would put Rudolph & Co to shame. Get well soon Rich!)

Enter Simon & Nick – known now and forevermore as The Men Who Saved Christmas ® – dads of Logan (Y6) and Sam (Y5).

Thanks gents, what a save! What a performance!

The Total Raised At the Holy Trinity Xmas Fair Is…

Thanks to everyone who joined in with the Christmas Fair on Saturday. We have one or two smaller expenses yet to be confirmed, but early indications suggest that we will clear the magic number of… 

£3000!

We're currently writing our Thank You letters! They will begin to appear this afternoon in the shape of our HTSA Thank You Advent Calendar!