Memories from Miranda, Co-chair

These last three years – my heart overflows with gratitude for the support and engagement we have received from our entire school community during this time. I won't lie, it's been challenging at times, juggling home, work and FOSS life. Scott has been very patient while I’m out and about at all the wonderful fundraising events (and meetings in the lead up to them!) It has genuinely been a mind-blowing how many incredible people have stepped up to support our FOSS efforts - it's the most humongous team effort and it has felt like such a privilege to play a key role in the most fantastic team. Working alongside Fay, Emma and Marietjie – we found our synergy early on and I have felt uplifted, energised and motivated by these remarkable women during my FOSS journey. Also, working with Jayne our graphic designer and Richard, who handles our FOSS social media operation; all the parents (and I would like to think friends!) who have picked up existing and/or introduced new events; enthusiastic support from the Reps, actively encouraging their classes to participate and be part of our community and the fun; and every single person who supported us with their helping volunteering hands and/or joined us for our fundraising events. There has been SO much love for our school and FOSS’s mission to support the children's education. This is a really special community of people.

Running FOSS has produced countless moments that I will treasure forever. Some of my favourites have been the assemblies with the kids – THAT’S who we do all of this for and it’s always a buzz to be with them! The excitement when we reveal winners of a competition, or that the Flying Seagulls are coming to town, or pedalling for smoothies.

Personal favourite events: the Silent Disco – getting 350 children through the experience, carrousel-style. With Ali, Debi and Tatiana - it’s a military operation! Followed by the obligatory bottle of wine in a clean-again hall; Filling out the school hall with parents while Jamie entertains with our annual FOSS quiz; Kicking off the festive season in our playground and loving every moment of the Christmas Fair that Jo and Caroline have pulled together the last two years (you are awesome). And the Bike Ride - OH MY GOODNESS I just could not have anticipated everything that has been this event. Where to even start, so I won’t. But planning these rides with Vicky and Dave and then the practices followed by the ride itself with all the incredible cyclists that have joined us – love, love, loved it. And looking forward to the next one already!

‘Stickiest’ moments include the challenges around getting those first cake sales back up and running (thankfully we have had a dream team running it ever since!); the shed chronicles; football tournament politics; debating first cycling jersey design(!); hours-long BBQ bins discussion; the mega shredding-matted-into-astro clear up last Friday – what a last-ever FOSS duty! Was pretty fun polishing off the unsellable Turks wine bottles post-clear up tho.

I step down with a bigger heart for our community than I ever had and wish everyone involved in running FOSS when we leave the best of luck–am sure they can count on everyone’s continued support. I’m looking forward to coming along to events from ‘the other side’ again.

So grateful for our community.

Memories from Fay, Co-Chair

FOSS is built on a tremendous community coming together to spread happiness for the children, parents and teachers and to enable our children to be equipped to learn, play and take part in sport.

For me, the last three years have produced same amazing memories of seeing the joy come from children about how happy they are to be involved with circus days in the playground, and seeing the fantastic bakes produced by all children at the Bake-Off event, plus cheering off the cyclists (aka parents and grandparents) to Paris and Amsterdam and even having a French breakfast laid on for them in the playground.

I love it when children wave and smile at me when I'm out and about, like they know me. The reason for this is that I have stood at an assembly handing out prizes or announcing another fun FOSS event or competition.

I can truly say I have made some great friendships in many year groups. I also recall the FOSS meetings with Miranda, Emma and Marietjie which would always end at 1am in the morning after a drink or two, but my gosh the fun and ideas we would have at these!

I have loved getting to know the school more too, seeing how the teachers invest in our children but yet always get involved like bouncing at the Bouncathon or making a smoothie on a bike!

Lastly, my funniest highlight has to be when one child came up to me and called me 'FOSS' as they thought that was my name! It may not have been my name, but it has been an integral part of me for the last three years and I am truly pleased that I took this role on. 

I wish our successors all the best and hope they feel the same as we have over the coming years.

Good luck FOSS successors!

Memories from Emma, Treasurer 

As cheesey as it sounds my FOSS highlight is without doubt the people!  I leave with a whole bunch of wonderful new friends, many of whom have children in different years to my own and I would never have met had it not been for FOSS.  I would have missed out on much fun and many laughs!

I also remember some of our less successful ideas, often involving animals, such as Miranda’s plan of finding someone to borrow a horse from and charging for rides at the BBQ, and Mrs Bachour’s face when we suggested turning the playground into a small petting farm for a day.  This was only surpassed by Mrs Bachour’s face when we proposed a School Sleepover for all of Key Stage 2 in the Hall…

As for the lowlights I would say it’s a draw between counting out 4,000 small plastic tokens into 400 piles of 10 or trying to clear up all the shredded paper from the lucky dip as darkness fell!!   But the highs far outweigh the lows!  

Best of luck to our FOSS successors!

Memories from Marietjie, Class rep coordinator 

They say all good things must come to an end, and after an epic three years, my reign as the ‘FOSS class rep coordinator’ has officially concluded. What a journey it's been! Being a part of this vibrant community, working alongside a phenomenal group of parents and the fellow FOSS team to deliver a busy programme, truly placed me at the heart of the St Stephen's experience.

Looking back, my time as part of FOSS wasn't just about managing WhatsApp messages and weekly Sunday FOSS reminders (I have learned all about the power of a well-placed emoji! 😉) or co-ordinating class reps, it was about fostering a sense of community with my fellow team, one cake sale (and the occasional lost jumper!) at a time.

Above all, these past three years have been about the amazing people I've met along the way and the friendships I have made. From the tireless fellow FOSS team to the ever-enthusiastic class reps, this journey has been filled with laughter, teamwork, brilliant bike rides and talent shows!

So, as I hand over the comms reins, I do so with a heart overflowing with gratitude for the memories, the friendships, and the sheer volume of amazing moments we have enjoyed along the way. Wishing our successors all the best, enjoy the ride!

END OF YEAR SUMMARY OF FUNDRAISING!!

At the end of another robust year of fundraising efforts AND WITH THANKS TO EVERYONE’S SUPPORT, we wanted to share with you that it’s looking like in 2023-2024 we have made a fundraising PROFIT of...

 <<<<<<drum roll>>>>>>>>

£101,500.00(ish) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We were so pleased to donate £19,500 of this to the Moormead Pavillion Project, ADHD Embrace and The Flying Seagull Project as part of our Bike Ride Fundraiser.

Thanks to previous years’ surplus funds raised, we have been able to support the school by covering the below costs from the SCHOOL WISHLIST - totalling over £115K once we include non-wishlist items. See the chart below for a full breakdown of where the pennies are spent. 

FOSS feels SO proud to have been able to support our school and the children in this way. We say it all the time, but FOSS is 100% a community-wide effort and none of this would have been possible without you all!  😊

Signing off now – but please come along to the AGM in September to celebrate this year with us, vote in the new FOSS Team and hear all about the continued fundraising efforts for next year!

Love from Miranda, Fay, Emma & Marietjie

& Jayne (Richard is staying on for the social!)

xxxxx