The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is made up of all AISL community members, and is there to support and enhance student learning. The PTA Executive Committee consists of 8 members, including the school Director. The annual calendar of fund-raising events, and other activities that support the school curriculum, are designed and managed by the Executive Committee. The annual calendar for the school year can be viewed below.

PTA Calendar
AISL PTA Constitution

Gallery Art List
Gallery Operational Guidelines for Artists

A key role of the PTA is to maintain good communication channels between parents, teachers, school management, the Board. At the beginning of each new school year, the Executive Committee identifies room parents for each class, who are there to ensure that important information is passed on to parents. Room parents also assist with setting agenda for coffee mornings. The latter are managed by the school heads of primary and secondary, where feedback is provided in response to parents’ questions to school grade issues. The room parent network is also used to identify volunteers for selected PTA and school-led activities. The PTA Chairperson reports on PTA activities at monthly open Board meetings. Notices of forthcoming PTA events are published in the weekly Leopard’s Tale newsletter. All parents are encouraged to attend monthly PTA meetings, where they can keep abreast of events and activities. During these meetings parents can offer their support by volunteering for an activity, or provide inputs for selected activities, drawing on their personal knowledge and expertise. Parents can also communicate directly with the Executive Committee via the suggestions box or the PTA’s dedicated e-mail address: pta@aislusaka.org

The PTA provides a variety of events and services for the benefit of the school and its community. Some of these services are ongoing, such as - overseeing the management of the school supply shop, and managing the art gallery and room parent network. An important focus for the PTA during 2010-2011 was improving its administrative arrangements, particularly for financial tracking and management. The parent/teacher survey conducted earlier in the year informed on the content of the Constitution, which was recently finalised and endorsed by the school Board. The PTA’s Constitution can be downloaded from the school’s website.

Other events and activities are performed on an annual basis and include:

• The travelling dinner – held at the beginning of the school year to introduce new parents to other parents with similarly aged children. This is always enjoyed, and considered by many to be the best event of the year!
• UN Day Food Fayre – held in October. This is a school curriculum event. The PTA supports the food fayre component and provides parent volunteers to assist.
• Halloween trunk or treat – Held in October. Volunteer parents and teachers decorate their car boots to provide a scary, spook-tacular event.
• Santa’s Grotto – held in December on the school grounds. Gives children an opportunity to shop for Christmas gifts for their siblings and parents.
• Blood Drives – held twice a year. Blood is donated by community members for use by local hospitals.
• Car boot sale – Held twice a year near the end of school terms, so that parents and teachers moving on have an opportunity to sell off low cost items.
• Triathlon – held in April. This is a swimming, running and cycling event for all ages. Great fun for the whole family and external school community.
• Book week – held in May. This is a school curriculum event. The PTA assists with the book sale/exchange component. Book vouchers are exchanged for book donations, which are either sold for cash or exchanged for a book voucher.
• Clothes sale – held in June. New or nearly new, good quality clothes, donated by the school community, are sold for PTA profits.

During the 2010-2011 school year, PTA funds were used for the following

• Pool cover for secondary pool
• Contribution towards improvements in primary playground
• Contribution towards hanging/lighting system for art gallery
• Charitable contribution in support of local school projects
• Other small classroom grants