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Friends of WHS
THE ROLE OF FORM REPRESENTATIVES
There are two Form Representatives (Reps) for each year group. Your term of office as a Form Rep starts in the second half of the summer term, enabling you to work alongside the current Form Rep before taking over in September until the end of the following summer term.
We hope that the two Form Reps will work together, sharing ideas and workloads. Listed below are the ways in which we would like you to help with the work of the Hippos but that doesn’t mean you can’t do more!
Support for new children and their families at WHS
This is the primary function of the Hippos and you will be given details before the start of each term of any new children coming into your year.
Your job is to make an introductory phone call to the parents welcoming them on behalf of the Hippos; offering to answer any queries they may have regarding uniform, school routine, lift shares etc.; and if geographically and otherwise practicable, perhaps arranging for them to meet up with you and/or any other children from the year, or put them in touch with someone who lives nearby.
Arranging a get-together is not essential but has been very much appreciated by those children, and their parents, who have had such an opportunity. Occasionally a prospective parent may contact you for a general chat about the school/year group.
There are events organised at school for new children, which you should try to attend if at all possible. Shortly before the start of the Michaelmas Term the New Children’s Picnic is held in order to “break the ice” for new families ahead of the first day of term.
Early in the term, Coffee and Croissant mornings are held for each year group, giving new parents a chance to start meeting more of the parents in their year(s).
Social Activity
The Committee will normally arrange a programme of social events open to the whole school, and you are likely to be asked to help at these, but during the school year Form Reps are also asked to arrange some informal get-togethers for parents and/or the children in their own year.
The appetite for this will vary among the year groups and it is up to the Form Reps to gauge the level of support and respond appropriately. This might range from a couple of events during the year or a couple each term, but it is important to remember that there will always be parents in each year who rely on the Hippos for their social contact with the school, so your efforts do matter. A typical calendar might be to meet early in each term for coffee/breakfast after school drop-off, to schedule a pub supper to celebrate Christmas/New Year and either to hold a children’s playground picnic after school one day in the spring/summer (for Pre-Prep/Yr 3) or to get together for an end of year parents’ supper before the summer holidays.
But there is no compulsion about what to do and new ideas are always valued - it’s up to you!
Fund Raising
You aren’t expected to raise money from your year group, but you will be asked to help with whole school events organised by the Committee, such as the Advent Fayre or the Quiz Night held in 2007. Generally this will mean organising a couple of games/activities on behalf of your year (this is often done in collaboration with the form teachers and tutors); perhaps arranging a rota of parents to help run a stall; or mobilising support for ticket sales to a social evening.
All of the above suggestions are examples of events/activities that have been tried and tested and all have been, not only a success, but also greatly appreciated by everyone involved.
In order to keep you informed about the Hippos’ calendar of events, and to allow you to share ideas and talk to all the other Form Reps, you will be invited to a joint meeting with the Committee at the beginning of each term. You will also receive an update following each Committee meeting.
Finally, you are NOT expected to voice opinions on behalf of your year group. The Hippos are not a political group and we do not get involved in the running of the school. If anyone comes to you with a complaint, or asks you to speak on behalf of the year, please refer them directly on to school staff.
July 2007
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