Parent Teacher Association

Well, what a year it has been!

Throughout the 2021-2022 session, thanks to the pandemic, we continued to meet in virtual format, and although not ideal, it was great to see so many smiling faces keen to promote the PTA as best possible in what have been some of the most challenging of circumstances. We had a series of ideas for fun events and fundraising opportunities, but sadly they were curtailed by Covid.

But, after many frustrating starts and stops, with the lifting of restrictions the PTA is thrilled to be finally back in full swing, having being given the go-ahead to resume in-person events at school.

Earlier this year, we put our tentative toe in the water with an Easter Bonnet competition and a gift-bearing visit to the Junior School by the Easter Bunny and Spring Chick – an outing which saw our very adorable giant Chick performing a spontaneous ‘moonwalk’ in the centre of the playground to the sheer delight and cheers of the girls. What a hoot!

With the arrival of summer came Sports Day and in the same week, the School Fair, with an array of activities and stalls that attracted scores of excited youngsters and their equally enthusiastic parents. It was combined with our first in person pre-loved uniform and book sale which saw bumper trade. Among the attractions was a giant inflatable slide, fabulous face painting, nail art, beauty tombola, a book-bola, hook-a-duck, bottle stalls, food and cake stalls, and much, much more.

Parents rallied to both provide the stalls and help with setting up and running of the event, others who turned out with their families and friends and together all helped to make the event a tremendous success. With the sale of refreshments on sports day – organised by vice-chair Marie and her team, and the Summer Fair – PTA funds have now been boosted by a super £6,399.89, all of which will be spent on those wonderful little extras that make our girls school lives all the sweeter.

We have to thank Gillian Corry, who for the last six years, has been responsible for the organisation of the sale with help from her dedicated band of volunteers. Gillian continued to provide this invaluable service, right through lockdown while juggling family and professional commitments and the PTA is truly indebted to her. With her family now off to and heading for university, Gillian has passed the reins on to Mandy Hirst, who is already up and running and doing a great job. Parents have in the past suggested adding to the in-person sales that take place during the year, an opportunity to sell and buy their uniforms online. In the past this has proved challenging but with the arrival of Mandy on the team, she and Gillian have come up with a method that now makes this possible and it is up and running. See the PTA Facebook page for details.

The PTA is also indebted to our fabulous vice-chair and treasurer Marie Harris and Laura Ferrari respectively who have been stalwart in their support and great fun. As with Gillian Corry, they and their invaluable contribution will be sorely missed.

We cannot thank enough all those who made the most recent events this academic year such a success: our thanks go to all who donated time and goods, to our members, and supporters, to parents, school staff and support staff, including the janitorial team and Mark and Chelsea of Entier who cooked up a storm during the sports day and summer fair. We could not be more grateful.

We have more events lined up for the rest of the year. The popular fish and chip quiz – with bar – for the grown-ups and their pals only will be back, along with our fabulous festive family quiz in the run-up to Christmas.

We’d love to see some new faces and new ideas on the PTA so please do contact the secretary via the school office if you’d like to find out more. We’re proof of the pudding that many hands make light, fun work, and we’d love you to be part of that – the benefits the PTA provide for the girls are more than worth the little effort involved. So do, please, get in touch. We can’t wait to hear from you.

Sally McDonald Chair

t has been another busy year for the Development Office as pandemic restrictions eased. We were pleased to be able to meet with former pupils and friends again in person after so long.

Former pupil visits to school

To mark International Day of Women and Girls in Science we held a special assembly featuring an online interview with our former pupil and particle physicist, Professor Sinead Farrington from the University of Edinburgh. Professor Farrington spoke about her work on particle physics, underlying values, her wider interests and ended with a reflection on the school motto.

We were delighted to welcome a former pupil, Mrs Mary Troup, from the class of 1962 as our special guest at our jubilee assembly. Mrs Troup shared her memories of school life during the period when Queen Elizabeth came to the throne including the school uniform worn by pupils at the time and the games they played in break. She shared a particularly special memory from 1953 when, to mark the coronation, her 5J class planted the beautiful cherry tree outside No.15 Albyn Place.

Rachel Paterson-Davies, Head of Development, and Mary Troup, former pupil by cherry tree

At the end of May former pupils and former staff returned to school for our first in-person reunion since 2019. We were particularly delighted to welcome back Elizabeth Patterson from the class of 1946. Guests enjoyed tours of the school with prefects, before having a lovely picnic-style lunch followed by both the old and new school songs.

Annual school reunion guests

Supporting our pupils

Gift to Library

The school received a generous donation from a family of sisters, all former pupils, to support our library.

The family were keen that the school invest in STEM books in particular, which is wonderful as there are so many pupils with a keen interest in STEM.

As well as working with our teaching staff, a group of senior pupils volunteered to research and suggest new titles that reflect their own interests and those of the donors.

Interactive whiteboard

We also received a donation from a current family to meet the cost of a new interactive whiteboard. Our Modern Studies teacher, Mrs Milne, shared how this benefited her classes:

It’s particularly useful for Enquiry Skills as it involves analysing a lot of statistical data such as election results and data regarding the economy.

Giving the girls a good learning experience through technology is vital to them attaining their individual potential. The school are incredibly grateful to our donors for investing in teaching tools which are invaluable for a modern classroom.

School archive

Our school archive is a treasure trove of images, documents and artefacts, a collection which grows annually. Our archive has been supported by a kind benefactor for a number of years which has allowed us to bring in specialists to develop the archive. We now have a searchable inventory for staff which is so handy and there are always new additions to be added.

Pupils in playground, circa 1915

Our Fundraising Priority – Bursary Programme

The education I have received at St Margaret’s is something I will be eternally grateful for. It has provided me with confidence and a multitude of skills I will value and use for the rest of my life. Not only has St Margaret’s aided me in my studies and helped me to pursue my interests, but the school has also taught me valuable lessons and attributes that have shaped who I am today; that of kindness, resilience and confidence. Thank you for giving me the chance to receive a fantastic education, to make lasting friendships and to be part of the St Margaret’s family, a family I will forever be proud to be part of.

BURSARY RECIPIENT

How to Give

Donate online

Visit St Margaret’s Connect at stmargaretsconnect.com/donate

Donate via your bank

Transfer your donation to us using your bank’s phone or online service. For further details contact r.patersondavies@st-margaret.uk

Donate by post

Post a cheque made payable to ‘St Margaret’s School for Girls’ to: Development Office, St Margaret’s School for Girls, 17 Albyn Place, Aberdeen AB10 1RU

VIS Leavers’ Ceremony

n June, we welcomed pupils and their families to school for their Leavers’ Ceremony, marking the end of the school journey for our VIS pupils. Although the sky threatened rain, after the ceremony guests were treated to refreshments in the playground kindly provided and served by our wonderful Former Pupils’ Club.

Our leavers may be moving on from school but they are now part of our alumnae community and we look forward to sharing their news in years to come.

Leavers’ Ceremony Invitation