Events and Initiaitves
Annual Christmas Ball
The Annual Christmas Ball is the main social event of the year for parents. In recent years, the Christmas Ball has been held at Sopwell House and Country Club, with a live band, disco, vodka luge and ice carving, digital photo booth, professional photographer and casino tables.
Around three hundred parents from the Prep and the Senior Schools attend and tickets are in high demand. This fantastic event is organised by the Prep Parents Association but all parents are welcome.
Children’s Fun Run
In June each year, the SCPA helps to encourage participation in the St Albans Children’s Fun Run, which runs alongside the St Albans Half Marathon. Applications must be made online for this event, which is very popular with the children. Participants meet at school at 9.30am and then head down to Verulamium Park near Westminster Lodge for the start of the race.
A team of SCC staff, students and parents are responsible for manning the medal station every year. Look out for the St Columba’s College gazebo and support the participants at the next Fun Run!
Coffee Mornings
We usually hold one coffee morning for Prep and Senior parents and guardians each term, usually on Fridays, in the Alumni Hall, which is beside the Dining Room. These coffee mornings take place from 8.30am to 10.00am. We will always have Prep and Senior School Second Hand Uniform available to purchase at these events. All staff, parents and carers are very welcome to join us for a cup of tea, coffee and pastries. Coffee mornings are currently taking place at limited capacity on the Iona lawn.
Your cooperation in not parking on the school site is appreciated. Free parking is available at Westminster Lodge (please make sure you obtain a ticket from the machine first though!).
Columban Family BBQ
The SCPA holds an annual Summer Family BBQ, which involves games and free hot BBQ food. In recent years, Kool Kidz have entertained the children, and Football Future have attended with an electronic football shooting tent!
This is a fun afternoon for all families and staff and a great way to see out the school year with the students, friends and staff.
The Columban Fayre
The Columban Fayre in November is the main fundraiser for the school and a highlight of the calendar.
Every year there is a host of fantastic stalls such as the stocks, the BBQ, and of course not forgetting the infamous ‘Columban Fayre 1000 Bottle Stall’. There are many brilliant House stalls thought up and run by the Prep and Senior School students, parents and staff and a great variety of external vendors for you to enjoy. In addition, there is the grand raffle where you have the chance to win £1000!
The SCPA provides volunteers to help with this event and runs the PPA Café, serving tea, coffee and cakes.
PPA Sponsored Bounce
This popular event takes place in January each year and is one of the main fundraising initiatives for the PPA. The Sponsored Bounce is a voluntary event, in which the children are sponsored to see how many bounces they can achieve in one minute on a bouncy castle. It raises about £3,000 every year and there are prizes for the winning bouncers in each class! To ensure that no-one is left out, children with injuries or difficulties that prevent them from taking part are challenged to bounce a ball instead.
PPA Seed Fund Challenge
The Seed Fund Challenge is an annual fundraising initiative where each child is given £2 in an envelope to buy ingredients or materials for a project, or to invest it and see how much it grows.
In the Lent term the pupils set up stalls in the Prep hall and playground where they either sell products or services or demonstrate how much their investment has raised. The stalls range from shoe shiners and Smoothie Bars, to homegrown tomato plants, delicious homemade cakes and even a car wash! The first year that this was held, it raised almost £3,000 with around one hundred pupils taking up the challenge.
Prep 6 Leavers Yearbook and Hoodies
The PPA arranges an annual Leavers’ Yearbook for Prep 6, containing images of their time in the Prep School. Copies of previous yearbooks can be viewed in the Prep Office. This is a lovely memento for the boys to keep. The PPA also subsidizes a Leavers’ Hoodie for Prep 6 pupils.
Quiz Night
SCPA Quiz Nights take place termly, either in the Prep or Alumni Hall. This is always a very popular and enjoyable event which raises considerable funds for the SCPA. Parents and guests bring their own nibbles and there is a cash bar. It’s a great way for parents to meet other parents in their child’s year group. In recent years, the teachers have had a habit of winning the quiz!
Welcome BBQ
Every September, there is a Saturday afternoon Welcome BBQ to welcome all new families to the College. Many staff and existing parents attend and it is an excellent way to meet members of the Columban community. There is always a children’s entertainer, in addition to other activities for them.
Second hand uniform is available at all BBQs.
Forms 1, 2 and 3 Socials
Socials are held once a year for Forms 1, 2 and 3. They are held in the Sixth Form block at the College and girls from Abbot’s Hill School are invited to attend.
The Sixth Form is turned into a social venue which includes a ‘Chill and Chat’ lounge, with a games room containing a table football, pool table, Twister, music lounge, Wii lounge, Karaoke and snack bar. The boys and girls are entertained and supervised by staff, Sixth Form students and parents. They are very popular events with the students and well supported.
Hosting Drinks at Events
SCPA volunteers help to serve drinks at many school events throughout the year, including Grandparents’ Day, the Christmas Nativity productions, the Summer Open Evenings, Sports Days, Prizegiving, and other social occasions at which we are pleased to welcome families into the school.
PPA Family Christmas Panto Trip
The Christmas Panto Trip has become an annual event for families from the Prep School, at the end of the Michaelmas Term, and is always a great trip to attend.
PPA Popcorn Film Night
Popcorn Film Nights for the Prep children are held once a term in the Prep Hall, on Friday evenings. In the past, the PPA has shown The Lego Movie, Toy Story and Alvin and the Chipmunks. Each of the events raise about £200 for the PPA: tickets cost around £4 per person.