FOMS

FOMS (Friends of Meonstoke School) is the parent-teacher association for Meonstoke C of E Infant School.

If you’re new to Meonstoke school or you want to contribute to the children's education and make some new friends at the same time – get involved! FOMS is a great place to get all of this.

What do we do?

Our mission is to:

• Maintain a great relationship between the staff, parents, and the wider community;
• Do cool fun things that support the school and advance the education of the pupils attending it, whilst including the children and their families; and
• Help provide facilities, experiences, or items for education at the school (not provided from statutory funds) that are agreed between the committee and the school’s governing body.

 What have we funded recently?

• Weatherproof outdoor classroom
• Sunny spot pond area
• New canopy / play surface outside classrooms 1 & 2
• Updated Year R outdoor area
• Laptops
• New role play area and nature table
• School Milk
• School Trips
• Hinduism Workshop
• Art Workshop

How do we do it?

Fundraising

FOMS organises a number of annual fundraising events at school and in the local community. Whilst the majority of these raise funds for the school, we also arrange and support fundraising events for other charities and organisations including the Exton/Meonstoke Church Fete.

Annual FOMS events include:

• Christmas Fair (December, at Meon Hall) including a silent auction, raffle and Fire Pit BBQ.
• Quiz night (early in Summer term);
• Film nights;
• School Disco;
• Christmas cards, Tea towels, Father's Day Coasters and Aprons
• Sports Day games, BBQ and refreshments
• Chit chat, cuppa and cake stall
• Non uniform Days

In addition to helping set up, run, promote, attend and support these fundraising events, parents, family and friends can raise funds for FOMS at no expense to themselves.

Social Events

It’s not just about fundraising, FOMS also aim to build and maintain relationships between the school, parents and the wider community by organising social events. For example, the FOMS Quiz is very well attended by members of the wider community because it’s a great laugh. We are also looking ahead to informal Friday Family gatherings at the Bucks Head beer garden in the summer term and Class Reps usually arrange a night out for parents to get to know one another, particularly in the Reception Year.

Throughout the year, the committee also provide refreshments at school events: AGM; Christmas Show; Sports Day and welcome for in-coming reception parents during a school familiarisation event known as ‘The Teddy Bear’s Picnic’ (end of Summer Term).

Communication is a two-way process!

Why not follow FOMS on Facebook?

There are many ways you can find out what’s going on: social media, Parentmail and, of course, word of mouth.

There are many ways we often source donations for events, such as the bottle stall and raffle hampers at the Christmas Fair or the Chocolate Tombola we’ve run for some years at the Droxford Fair; when children are invited to ‘wear home clothes’ for the day in exchange for a donated item.

FOMS is a great way for new parents to become part of the school community. Between us we have many years of experience of the school and are happy to act as a source of advice, experience, skills and practical help for the governing body, staff and parents and an additional forum for discussions of issues affecting the school. So if you can’t find your Class Rep, do catch any of us at drop off or collection, and you can always leave a message for us via the school office (adminoffice@meonstoke.hants.sch.uk).

The Committee

A new committee is elected each year at an AGM which takes place in school, straight after drop-off, fairly early in the Autumn Term.

The current committee:

Chair - Harriet Parker, Year 2 Mum

Treasurer - Danielle Brady-Collins, Year 2 Mum

Secretary & Year 1 Representative - Janet Eason, Year 1 Mum

Social Media - Sophie Milne, Year 2 Mum

Year R Representative - Victoria Ellis, Year R Mum

Patti Carter, Year 1 Mum

Lucy Stewart, Year 1 Mum

Lucia Vazquez, Year 2 Mum

Ceri Gordon, Year 2 Mum

We need your help:

The committee is always made of those people that resist the temptation to shy away and let someone else do the work, but that means there aren’t many of us, so we need help.

Offers of help are always welcome, particularly at the Christmas Fair which is our biggest fundraising event. We hope you’ll consider joining the committee at some point during your child’s journey through Meonstoke School. Not only are the funds raised essential to the school but it’s a great way to get to know some awesome people!

A new committee is required for September 2021.

As we are an Infant school, many members step down when their children leave in Year 2. Danielle Brady-Collins will stand down in July so we need a new Treasurer. We also require a Vice Chair. So it’s so very important that we have a new enthusiastic committee ready to come on board - please consider stepping up and making FOMS a continued success.