News
Eco Balloon Jubilee Race Results June 2022
We had 143 balloons enter the race raising nearly £400 for the JGA to support the School. Each class designed their own balloon, and Mr Belton entered two of his own in to the race.
In our inaugural race in 2021, one of the Jesse Gray balloons came second in the national race and the lucky family won a brand-new iPad. With thousands of entrants nationwide, a repeat of that success was not to be this year! We had some great results nonetheless.
In the end, the school race was won by “Twinning is Winning” an apt name if ever we saw one. This balloon travelled 445 km from the starting point. Our winning class was 4G, who's balloon travelled 56 km, closely followed by Mr Smith at 54km and 1G at 53km.
Well done to everyone who took part. We hope you all had fun tracking the balloons, some of which went round in circles!
April 2022 update
Late Summer Madness
We were so lucky with the weather and the event raised over £2,300 towards our big goal of £10,000 for a permanent shelter on the school field.
Fireworks Extravaganza
It was a hard act to live up to Miss Law’s Last Blast fireworks event in 2019, but we think we came close! The event was another explosive success, and we had some great feedback. This event raised over £800, taking us over a third of the way to our big target. The demand for tickets has always outstripped the availability however we have made some enquiries with the council re licensing and worked with the fireworks and school teams and are delighted to report that the next event will not be so restricted.
We have also decided the event is such a well-attended one that we will move to running this annually with 2022 already booked for Friday, 4th November.
Reverse Santa
This annual JGA event is now something of a tradition within the school. The children and elf helpers always enjoy the day with Santa and it provides local charities with much- needed Christmas gifts. This year, we managed to fulfil the charity’s requirements for 2 presents for each child – thank you!
Amazon Smile
We’ve really noticed an uptake in parents and carers nominating the Jesse Gray Association as their charity. This small update to your online account makes a big difference with nearly £100 raised in the last quarter through no additional effort. Please consider us when making your next Amazon purchase!
Easter Egg Hunt Winners
The Easter Egg Hunt used clues from what three words to navigate towards four Easter clues. Congratulations to all the winners of the Easter Egg hunt, and to all who took part. There’s also a small treat for everyone who took part. All prizes and treats will be handed out next week.
2021 AGM and First meeting of the year
Thank you for everyone that joined us, it was great to get together again, lots of ideas discussed and some fun projects to be worked on, thank you for your time.
We also elected a new board of Trustees, so please watch this space, more interesting fun times ahead!
Twelve Streets of Christmas (2020)
Even on a winterer day(s) fun was had. Twelve Clues, Twelve Hidden Letter and One Map. All you had to do was crack the riddle, it naturally had a Christmas message.
Thank you for everyone that joined in and for everyone that helped with signage, I know from experience, ‘letters’ did go missing from time to time.
Well done to the winners…………………………..
We can do more of this sort of activity, if you have any ideas, please share them with us.
Disco Success! (2020)
What a night! The JGA disco was the first of the year’s PTA events and we were thrilled to see so many of you…on a chilly Monday night…there certainly were a lot red, happy faces!
We are DELIGHTED to announce that, through profits from the disco and your amazing donations on the night, we will be adding over £550 to Mr. Reckless family’s fundraising page for William.
As always, THANK YOU to our amazing parent volunteers, we saw over 40 parents help out at the discos. From serving cookies and juice… to supporting children who wanted some quiet time to sit and colour… to ensuring we had the right number of adults to children in the disco hall… we simply cannot do these events without you. As always, all volunteers go into a prize drawer with a name chosen at random to win a thank you gift from the JGA, you know who you are…enjoy
We would also like to thank the huge number of teaching staff who stayed behind to support us at the disco. From a PTA point of view, your support is incredibly reassuring as it enables us to run these events while experienced and trained school staff help us to follow correct guidelines ensuring all our children’s safety.
Firework Fayre – Miss Law's Last Blast
October was wet but we were lucky with the weather on that November night and nothing could dampen the spirits for MISS LAW’S LAST BLAST, a great time was had by all.
There was a real buzz about the place and a real bang too! Thank you all for attending, we hope you enjoyed the event as much as we did, you raised in the region of £800 for the school!
As always, we like to take this opportunity to thank the huge team of supporters, all of whom make JGA events possible.
HELPERS – Yes you know who you are, thank you to everyone who gave up their time on that day to help.
GENEROUS DONATIONS – Thank you to everyone who donated cakes, gifts and prizes.
THE LOCAL HIGH STREET - Every year we are supported by a great number of retailers many who are local, they kindly offer their products, offers and discounts to us as prizes. This year we would like to thank:
Carluccios, Gusto, Juggling Octopus (Derby), Portello Lounge, Refinery, Tall Frog, Manor Farm, Penny Lane, Rattle and Roll, Theatre Royal and Frank Key for suppling the lights for the event.
BEHIND THE SCENES – As always, Mr. Radford, Jesse Gray’s Site Manager, we cannot run anything without you, many thanks for your continued support.
ABOVE AND BEYOND – Thank you to all the Jesse Gray Staff for their help too, we know we can rely on you!
Mid-Summer Madness 2019 – A fun time had by all
On the run to the event it did nothing but rain and we did worry that it might be a wash out but the British Weather was kind to us that June afternoon/evening and with the sun shining down on us, it is safe to say everyone had a good time. We had record gate receipts and you raised a staggering £2,000, truly amazing!
Please join us in thanking our huge team of supporters, all of whom make our JGA events possible.
HELPERS - Thank you to everyone who gave up their time on that day to help create this wonderful event and whom make these events possible.
GENEROUS DONATIONS – Thank you to everyone who donated prizes, gifts, and cakes. The offering was fantastic and tasty!
THE LOCAL HIGH STREET - Every year we are supported by a great number of local retailers who kindly offer their products, offers and discounts to us as prizes. This year we would like to thank:
Cook, Escabeche, Jay Face Painter, Nottingham Rugby Club, Penny Lane, Virgin Active and Waterstones
BEHIND THE SCENES – Thank you Mr. Radford, Jesse Gray’s Site Manager. It is true to say you play an integral part in JGA events, you are always the first on site and certainly the last to leave.
ABOVE AND BEYOND – Thank you to all the Jesse Gray Staff for their help, if we have a few spots to fill, they always come to our rescue.
School Disco – Everyone loves a dance!
This is always an enjoyable event and we would like to organize another one, believe it or not, finding a suitable date is not as easy as one would think, but watch this space.
You raised almost £500 at the last Disco, no mean feat!
2018 CHRISTMAS FAYRE
Many thanks to everyone who helped at, and attended, this year’s Christmas Fayre. The evening was full of festive fun and happy smiling faces as our families enjoyed the array of stalls on offer. We are delighted to report that…
…we raised a whopping £1500.00!
Please join us in thanking our huge team of supporters, all of whom make our JGA events possible.
OUR LOCAL HIGH STREET- Every year we are supported by a great number of local retailers who kindly offer their products, offers and discounts to us as prizes. This year, our thanks go to:
LET THERE BE LIGHT– Frank Keys West Bridgford supported us for yet another year by providing outdoor lighting free of charge. A personal shout out to Mark at Frank Keys who ensures we get everything we need!
ABOVE AND BEYOND– Thank you to all the Jesse Gray staff for their help on the stalls this year. We always have a few spots to fill and they always come to our rescue!
BEHIND THE SCENES– Mark Radford, Jesse Gray’s site manager, remains a huge part of all of our JGA events. He’s the first one on site to set up… and the last one to leave! Thanks Mark!
EXTERNAL SUPPORT– We were visited this year by Kerry O’Brien, Jojo Chen, Porco, Gusto and Jay Thomas face painting. They served everything from Christmas gifts to free hot chocolate and all were a pleasure to host.
DONATIONS GALORE– Thank you to everyone who donated prizes, gifts, cakes and chocolate for the stalls. The offering was fantastic!
OUR JGA SUPPORTERS– Last but not least is the HUGE thank you to all the parents who were able to offer their time to make the Christmas Fayrehappen. We had over 60 parents offer their time for stall design and preparation, set up of the evening, running of stalls on the night, collecting up money, tidying up, poster design, raffle prize sourcing, bunting making and more! Thank you for your brilliant support, we truly cannot run any of our JGA events without you. Our ‘name out of the hat’ who has won a thank you prize from the JGA is… HELEN ADAMS. Helen, your gift is ready to collect from the school office!
NOVEMBER 2018
THE JGA IS HAS BEEN CHOSEN FOR CO-OP FUNDING!
We are very excited to announce that the JGA is now a registered charity with The Co-op. This means that the next time Co-op Members shop, they can choose the JGA (listed as The Jesse GrayAssociation) to give their 1% to when they spend on selected own-brand products and services.
The funding period will run for 12 months and will end on 26thOctober 2019.
If you are not already a member, please sign up so you can support us! To find out more information about becoming a Co-op member, please visit https://www.coop.co.uk/membership
If you are an existing member, log onto your account and select the JGA as your chosen charity. It’s that easy!
LADIES’ NIGHT SUCCESS!
What an amazing night! A fantastic turn out and it was so good to see so many new faces! A massive thank you to all who helped on the night and attended. You all helped us to raise £150.00 that will now be spent on new books for the new reading dens.
We can announce that the volunteer’s name selected randomly for a thank you gift is… (MARTHA) MAJOR. Please collect your gift from School reception from Monday 12thNovember. Many thanks indeed!
WHY WE GIVE PRESENTS TO SANTA AT JESSE GRAY
This year’s Santa’s Grotto will be held, as always, during school hours on Friday 14thDecember. The day consists of each class visiting Santa to receive a small sweet treat (all dietary requirements catered for!) but ultimately, to donate a gift. That gift is given to a child who is unlikely to receive a gift this Christmas due their circumstances at home and who is consequently seeking shelter. This is an annual tradition that Jesse Grayhas encouraged and nurtured for many years and it is an occasion we feel very passionate about. A more in depth letter will be sent home, via email, over the next few weeks with all the details you will need as well as information on how we work with our chosen charities… but we wanted to give you the heads up as we know that the concept of givingSanta a gift, rather than receivingone, can be a tricky conversation for some families. Thank you in advance for your compassion and support.
COULD YOU HELP US AT SANTA’S GROTTO?
The JGA arranges Santa’s Grotto with a team of incredibly festive and helpful volunteers. We have a number of regular parents who return to be elves every year but we always have a few extra slots to fill. Our team of elves help us to welcome each class into the Grotto and then check all the presents to ensure they have correct labels on them and are packed ready to send to our charities. We have front and back of house elf duties so if you’d like to help but don’t want to be spotted by your child, that’s not a problem! If you’d like to volunteer to be an elf, please email us at jga@ga.jessegray.notts.sch.ukand let us know if you’d prefer a morning (9am-12pm) or afternoon (1pm-3.15pm) slot. We have X3 morning and X3 afternoon slots to fill on a first come, first served basis.
CHRISTMAS FAYRE
TICKETS! DONATIONS! COMPETITION ENTRIES! It’s all going on! Please do what you can to support our amazing Christmas fayre – we are still looking for volunteers to both prep and own a couple of stalls and also help on the night. We cannot run these events without the support of our families so please get stuck in if you can!
TWEET TWEET!
We are gaining momentum with a whopping 98 followers so please join our first followers on Twitter to ensure you keep abreast of JGA news. Please follow us using Twitter handle @the_jga.
OCTOBER 2018
LADIES’ NIGHT UPDATE - Thursday 25thOctober 7.30-10.45pm
Tickets are still available for our upcoming Ladies’ Night and we can’t wait! We’re raising money for new books for the Reading Dens and we can’t do that without your support so please invite friends and family. It promises to be a great evening with the JGA’s first bar! The bar will be cash only, but the purchase of clothes is by card. Please remember that the school hall remains a stiletto free environment!
JGA TWITTER ACCOUNT @the_jga
Due to the huge popularity of the class Twitter accounts, it has been suggested that the JGA twitter account is resurrected. Please follow us using Twitter handle @the_jga. We will do our best to keep you as updated as possible… and if you’re a parent who feels that this is something you could support us on, please get in touch as we’d love to hear from you! jga@ga.jessegray.notts.sch.uk
COFFEE MORNING SUCCESS!
A massive thank you to everyone who popped in to support the Macmillan Coffee morning last month. We had great support with setting up, serving and tidying up, from our JGA team. It was a pleasure to meet so many new faces!
TUCK SHOP TREATS
On Friday 5thwe held this term’s Tuck Shop, with sweets suitable for everyone, raising £75 profit. We had an incredible response to the Halal offering so we will ensure this is catered for in much greater quantities at the next Tuck Shop in February. Based on the popularity of the Tuck Shop, we could do with additional support at the event in February (Friday 1stFeb). If you can pre-pack pick’n’mix or help from 3pm on the day to host the stands in either playground, please do get in touch. jga@ga.jessegray.notts.sch.uk
CHRISTMAS PLANS
The lead up to Christmas is a busy time for the JGA as we plan the Christmas Fayre (Friday 7thDec 6pm-7.30pm) and Santa’s Grotto for the children (Friday 14thDec) during school hours. The next JGA meeting on Monday 22ndOctober will have a heavy focus on Christmas plans so if you can spare the time, please do come along and find out how you can help this year. We have had lots of interest from external suppliers hoping to sell exciting products at the Fayre so this year looks set to be bigger and better than ever… which means that your help is needed more than ever.
WHAT’S BEING SPENT IN YOUR CLASS?
We are very pleased to announce that class funds are already being spent! So far we can report:
- Class 3TH: Time telling watches
- Class 3P: Classroom caddies
- Class 2L: Repeat subscription of The Week Junior
- Class 1WV: Numonic flash cards
- Foundation: The classes pooled their allocation and put it towards the beautiful upgrade of the Foundation outdoor space
HOW IS JGA MONEY CURRENTLY BEING SPENT?
As well as the class donations, we have recently supported the installation of additional school hall speakers in a 50/50 joint venture with the school. The speakers will allow the children to hear their voices and their instruments during performances to an audience, which is an important part of any production. Thank you to all our families for making this donation possible.
SEPTEMBER
A FRESH NEW YEAR
A very warm welcome to both our existing and new Jesse Grayfamilies. The JGA will be working as hard as ever to help make this year as good as the last, continuing to raise money to bridge the funding gap for our school. Our year of events has already been planned and can be found on the JGA section of the school website. A view of this term’s events are also listed below.
We look forward to enjoying a great year with you all and bringing you lots of great family occasions to look forward to!
HOW TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE JGA
Look out for posters around the school grounds to find out more about what the JGA is up to this year and how your amazing donations and support helped us raise over £4,000 for our school last year.
You can also find out all you need to know about the who, what, where, when and how of the JGA, via the Jesse Graywebsite – or simply email us at jga@ga.jessegray.notts.sch.uk
CLASSROOM SUPPORT FROM THE JGA
Every class is being provided with their annual £100 from money raised by the JGA. We will keep you posted with how those funds are being spent in each class this year!
A REMINDER OF THE MACMILLAN COFFEE MORNING – FRIDAY 28THSEPTEMBER
Come and join us for coffee, cake and a chat – a great, informal way to get to know a few new faces or catch up with well-known ones!! All proceeds to be donated to Macmillan Cancer Relief World’s Biggest Coffee Morning Appeal. 8.45am until 10.00am. Thank you to the volunteers who have stepped forward to support with serving and clearing up.
TUCK SHOP – FRIDAY 5THOCTOBER
Usually held following our quarterly coffee afternoons, this term we will be hosting just the Tuck Shop as we are already supporting the Macmillan Coffee Morning in September.
The Tuck Shop will be held in the Junior Playground, from 3.15pm – 3.25pm. A selection of sweets will also be made available to After School Club, so please don’t forget to send your child/children in with their pocket money. We’ll send a reminder nearer the time.
INSTALLATION OF READING DENS IN BOTH PLAYGROUNDS – CAN YOU HELP US DRESS THEM?
April’s successful ‘Curry & Quiz’ night saw us raising money to fund ‘Our Next Big Adventure’ in which all pupils were able to vote for what they wanted to have at school. With help from the School Council, the shortlisted entries were issued and voted for, culminating in Reading Dens for both playgrounds as the winning choice.
The dens will be installed in the next month or so and we are now looking to make them as cosy as we can so if you have any items you can donate, we’d be very grateful. A list of hoped for items will be sent home separately.
OUR FIRST FUNDRAISER OF 2018/19… LADIES NIGHT! THURSDAY 25THOCTOBER
This school year’s first fundraising event is being held to raise £300.00 for new books for the reading dens. The event, a fashion show hosted by Risley Fashion House, will take place on Thursday 25thOctober in the School Hall, from 7.30pm. The event will be the first JGA event in a long time to offer a (cash only) bar, stocked with prosecco, wine, lager, cider and soft drinks. An invite to this year’s event will be sent home towards the end of the month with tickets on sale, via Agora only, from Thursday 27thSeptember.
YEAR GROUP REPS: SEPTEMBER 2018 – JULY 2019
Our Year Group reps continue to be a fantastic support and are integral in assisting the JGA in making it the success that it is. Thank you to all those who offered their support this year – the first where we have had multiple offers for the roles. We are delighted to announce this year’s reps are:
- Foundation rep: Rosie Illingworth
- Year 1 rep: Sarah Eberhardt
- Year 2 rep: Sarah Rennoldson
- Year 3 rep: Claire Clarkson
- Year 4 rep: Natalie Cooper
- Year 5 rep: Tori Heaps
- Year 6 rep: Sonia Gilmore