The school has the wonderful support of a very active Parent Teacher Association who organise a variety of activities from Family Fun Days, Bingo, Discos, Christmas Fair to Guest speakers to support families.
The association regularly support fundraising for additional resources for use in the school.
- The Association shall be called “The St. John the Baptist National School Parents Teachers Association” (PTA).
- All parents/guardians with children enrolled in the school are members of the PTA.
- The Committee of the PTA shall consist of chairperson, treasurer, secretary, Principal, teacher and 4 other parents/guardians. Gender balance shall be observed. New members of the Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Association.
- The Principal and one other teacher are members of the Committee but may not be officers.
- Families are limited to one member per family serving on the Committee.
- The seven parents/guardians members may serve for a two-year term. To maintain continuity of on-going PTA activities, 3 and 4 parents/guardians members respectively retire and are elected in alternate years.
- To allow participation on the Committee by as many parents/guardians, retiring parents/guardians members of the Committee may not seek re-election.
- The Principal is an ex officio member of the Committee, and is the liaison between the PTA and the Board of Management of the school.
- The teacher nominee on the Committee is elected by the teaching staff on an annual basis.
- Should a vacancy occur on the Committee during the year the committee may co-opt a member of the association to fill in the vacancy until the next Annual General Meeting.
- Committee meetings shall require a quorum of at least one member of the teaching staff and four parent/guardian members.
- Approval for events and expenditure must be sought from the Board of Management through the Principal. The Principal shall guide the Committee in recommending specific projects for which the funds raised can be used. The Committee shall present a schedule of planned events to the Board of Management for approval at the start of the school year.
- All monies raised and expended by the Committee shall be accounted for, and reported to the Treasurer of the Board of Management for inclusion in the annual report. Funds must only be used for the purpose for which they were raised, any variation must be agreed with the Board.
- There is no requirement for the PTA to maintain a “cash float” of money on an on-going basis. All funds raised must be immediately lodged to the PTA bank account.
- Prior to the Annual General Meeting, the Chairperson and Treasurer of both the Committee and Board of Management, together with the Principal, will meet to review year-end finances of PTA. Surplus funds (more than reasonably required to run PTA events) shall be transferred to the main school account.
- The aims of the PTA shall be as follows:
- To run functions of educational and social value for parents/guardians and pupils.
- To organise events which will provide finance to support initiatives of the school.
- To provide support for parents especially new arrivals in the school.
- To provide practical help when required in the school.
- The PTA shall not:
- Interfere with matters concerning curriculum or teaching methods.
- Discuss matters in relation to individual pupils, parents, staff or Board of Management.
- Be a channel for complaints for other parents.
- Make decisions on management issues in the school.
