Welcome from FoGMS

FoGMS writes a warm welcome. 

On behalf of Friends of Great Marlow School (FoGMS), we warmly welcome our new students and those returning after a long break and hope you all have settled in well and are enjoying school life. We welcome all our parents and carers to the 2020-21 school year, too.  

We all certainly face an unusual school year ahead: the Covid-19 pandemic has brought many challenges globally and to our school community.

This year FoGMS is working hard to find opportunities to preserve our fun and traditional activities in this ‘new norm’. We are searching for innovative ways and ideas to fundraise that still capture the essence and spirit of all that makes GMS such a unique, special place within a caring and kind community.

Although things may be different in and out of school, as the rules change week by week, we still want to find a way of keeping our community spirits up, united and strong; FoGMS are looking forward to connecting and meeting up in whatever ways we can, with returning families, with staff and with all the new members of our GMS community.

 JOINING FoGMS

All GMS parents are members of FoGMS. At the start off this school term, we would like to invite you to

FoGMS Virtual ZOOM AGM at 6pm on 29th September.

This will be followed by our first FoGMS meeting of the term.

A Zoom link will be issued via Xpressions and on the website nearer the time, so please look out for the link if you would like to attend – albeit virtually!

We would absolutely love you to join us on Zoom. You will discover what we have planned for this school year, but also we can hear from you ideas for fundraising and community events.  If there’s one thing these past few months has shown us, it’s how reliant we are on each other. Our parent/carer volunteers have always contributed with fantastic ideas and organised wonderful community events and activities.  They can’t happen without you and we are extremely grateful and indebted to you for giving of your time and energy so generously and selflessly.

OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP

One of the ways that you can help if you do not have the time to be involved in our activities/committee is by donation. So if you can’t attend an event or take part, then please remember you can still support our fundraising efforts by donating via the donate button on the GMS website.0 

A fantastic way to fundraise for us is by making every online purchase count: flights, holidays, groceries. (Much grocery shopping has been done of late.) All that is required is a sign in to easyfundraising and thereafter using this page every time you buy something online.

Remember, too, that every time you buy something from Amazon, if you go via smile.amazon.co.uk you can nominate Great Marlow School as your chosen charity.  It’s SO easy and makes the world of difference to our fundraising, as it’s an easy win!

Do you work for a company that MATCH FUNDS or MATCH GIVES?  Do please ask the company you work for, because it is a simple, cost effective way to maximise fundraising. If you are not sure, please do ask and perhaps, if they don’t maybe suggest they might be interested.  It benefits all concerned. 

Barclays, for example, offers its employees the opportunity to match funds they raise for their chosen charity up to £750 per year. This is available for three activities a year! Aviva, in response to feedback from their staff, has introduced a ‘£Plus’ matching scheme. The scheme gives Aviva employees the chance to receive matched funds for any money raised on behalf of a registered charity of their choice.

NEW PARENTS & CARERS COFFEE MORNING

Sadly, due to the recent announcements and guidelines, we have had to postpone again our new parents/carers Welcome Coffee Morning.  Apologies for this as it is always a fun occasion where we meet each other, form new friendships and discover the qualities of FoGMS – what we do, how we help and support the school, how you can join us and how we can all work together.  Rest assured we will be back in touch when we are able to reschedule this event safely.

In the meantime, we do have an active Facebook page named Great Marlow School Parents, so this is another brilliant way of feeling connected and being in touch with what’s going on.

FoGMS FUNDRAISING AND HOW WE SUPPORTED SCHOOL LAST YEAR

Through FoGMS fundraising in 2019/20, we have been able to supply

Mini buses £11040.00

P.E. Equipment £1100.00

Water Fountain £1679.00

We are also able to fund the mini buses again this year, but we will need to top up our funds to be able to support other exciting projects in the pipeline.

FUNDRAISING EVENTS COMING UP THIS TERM

Year 7 Disco – 22^nd October

Bag2School Collection – 4^th November

XMAS Raffle – Launched online mid November

The Big Quiz – TBA

250 Club (previously 100 Club) – We’re going to 250 numbers meaning more prizes each month!

More information for all of the above events coming soon via Xpressions and the website.

FoGMS wants to be able to continue to support our school despite the challenges posed by the early closure in March due to Covid-19, when we lost all of our major fundraising activities, but we can only do this with your on-going valued help, generosity, support and goodwill.

You are ALL critical to the continued success of FoGMS. Through your support, we build a stronger and more vibrant GMS community, but most importantly, enhance the experience of all our children at school.

We look forward to seeing you at our AGM in September and to working with you in service to our school community.

If you would like to make contact, then please email fogmschair@gmail.com

Kind regards on behalf of all the FoGMS Committee,

Jane Trainer – Vice-Chair FoGMS