DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Tuesday 12th  – Saturday 16th February: Panto Week
18 – 22 February Half Term
21 – 24 March  Long Easter Weekend
Friday 28th March Auction of Promises
Friday 4th April End of Term
 
Every Tuesday morning in the community room: Coffee Morning
Every Friday afternoon in the Junior school playground Abel & Cole organic fruit & veg sale
1st Tuesday of every month, 9am 2nd hand uniform sale
(all dates are correct at the time of printing, but are subject to change without notice

PANTO – ALI BABA

Once again we need your help with designing a poster for this year’s pantomime.  Designs should be: A4 size, with no writing on it (we will add that later), no solid dark backgrounds (they are very expensive to print).  All entries should be left at the office by 9am on Tuesday 22nd January with your name, and class details on the back.

URGENT HELP NEEDED

We urgently need help for the panto in the following ways:
Musical Director – unfortunately, due to work commitments the musical director has had to step down.  Can you play the piano, or have you (or anyone you know) ever wanted to try musical directing?  Well now’s your chance – NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY (just the ability to play an instrument – preferably the piano).
Band – we need a lead guitarist, bass guitarist, drummer and pianist.  If you know anyone who fits this description please let us know.
Back-stage – painting scenery, making props, and helping out with the shows – it’s a lot of fun.  Even if you can only spare a couple of hours your help is very much appreciated – please call Rebecca Child on 020 8995 4377 –thank you.
Costumes – could you help with costumes???
Chorus – Being in the chorus is a laugh a minute.  Absolutely NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY just come along and have a lot of fun!!!
If any of these are of interest to you, or someone you know please call Jo Barrett (Producer) on 07719 377 783, or Lori Bell (Director) on 07707 380 794.
FRONT OF HOUSE We have a great team of people organising the bar, raffle, ticket sales etc, for which they need your help. Please call Suzanne Mackie on 07769 883 400 or e-mail her at Suzanne@harbourpictures.com to put your name on a rota, or help with the stock take or the run to the cash and carry – thank you. 
STAR HELPS PROMOTE THE PANTO We are delighted to say that Basienka Blake who is a former pupil of Strand, and is currently appearing in the hugely successful west end musical DIRTY DANCING, has agreed to help with the promotion of the show.
TICKETS  a booking form should be in school bags on 25th January, and will go on general sale in both schools on 30th January.  This year the week-day shows will be starting at 7pm, and the Director assures me it will be finished by 9pm, so these shows will be much more accessible for younger children.

AUCTION OF PROMISES

On March 28th we will be holding an Auction of Promises, which is an auction where people bid for pledges donated by parents and carers, as well as local businesses.  Past pledges have included: To cook dinner for 8 people; To run a child’s birthday party; A backstage tour of a west end theatre / BBC, Guitar lessons; A chance for your child to be head teacher for one day; To do someone’s ironing – the opportunities are endless.  More details will follow shortly, but put the date in your diary if you think you would like to come along.  The event will be run by years 5, 1 and Nursery.  We will have a meeting about it very soon.

www.strandfriends.org

If you want to find out more about Friends of Strand, take a look at photos of past events, or find out about forthcoming events, then go to www.strandfriends.org.

Oliver Finn

Not only have Oliver Finn sponsored the Fireworks and Christmas Fair, they are now sponsoring the Panto as well!!!  They also offer a great deal to any householder who sells or lets their house/flat through them – they will give 10% of their fee to the school.  They have fixed fees of £5,000 to sell a house, £2,500 to sell a flat, and £1,500 to let a property.  – Grove Park School have already raised £12,500 for their school in this way so just imagine what we could raise!!!