Who are the Friends of St John's?
All parents are automatically members of the Friends of St John’s School (FSJS) which raises a considerable amount of money for the school and also organises a number of social events for parents and children. Several items of equipment have recently been purchased by the FSJS including computers, brass instruments, colour television, stage lighting, classroom resources and books. They also subsidise educational visits by the children and provide finance for performances by theatre groups in school.
Every parent with a son or daughter at St John’s School, is automatically considered a member of its Friends organisation (FSJS). Although you will have been invited to attend meetings, you may have been put off by not knowing what you might be letting yourself in for or just not known when the next meeting is.
I don’t know what they do?
Traditionally, our main focus has been on fundraising for the benefit of our children. You will have (hopefully) attended our Christmas Fairs, Quiz Nights and Fun Days or been coaxed into buying a raffle ticket or a cake! Recently, FSJS have purchased books for the library and a stage system. The money raised has also helped to subsidise the school’s trips and visits from theatre groups etc. This will continue, but perhaps with more input from you, we could have a wider remit.
So who are the FSFS?
The FSJS is mainly made up of staff and parents as well as a couple of true “friends” of the school. We really appreciate the extra help we get when we have an event and thanks to all who help out when we have a disco or a cake sale, but the regular ‘core’ FSJS is just a few dedicated parents. The staff team is represented by teaching and support staff as well as the office staff, who all give up their spare time.
Could I join?
We would love the FSJS to expand. We’d like more people to be able to share the workload, and of course as children move up through the school, we need new parents all the time. There are absolutely no barriers to joining us. If you’re feeling a little shy, why not bring a friend?
Does it take up much time?
Most of us have more than one child, and we all work full or part time, so it is possible to contribute something, even when your life is a little ... shall we say ... crowded?! It doesn’t matter whether you have any special skills, a lot of time, or even if you don’t have children currently at the school. We just need your support, ideas and enthusiasm and we’d love you to join us. We meet once or twice a term, usually in the evenings for an hour or so. The meetings are flexible, and we’re sure we can help provide a creche if you’re stuck for babysitters.
What if I don’t have a child at the school?
If you as a parent can’t help out, have you thought about asking Nan or Uncle, who might enjoy being involved with the group? Non-parents are very welcome too!
Please visit our website at : http://fsjs.org.uk/
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