This term, as well as raising money for our three school charities with which we have longstanding relationships: Katherine Low Settlement, In-Deep and Mvumi School, we have also made it a priority to support various appeals in relation to the war in Ukraine.
Outreach Review
This term we have also conducted a review of our guiding principles for Outreach, which are as follows:
- Develop and strengthen links between partner charities and all members of the FHS Community via fundraising, volunteering, campaigning and other initiatives.
- Plan a sustainable, organised and inclusive calendar of charitable activities while leaving room to respond to unforeseen events, pupil enthusiasm, and other opportunities.
- Promote an attitude amongst members of the FHS community that prioritises a respectful, well-informed, and sustainable approach to charitable activities.
- Encourage all members of the school community to get involved in charitable activities using the vocabulary of sharing their ‘time, talent and treasure’.
As always, your input, support and enthusiasm are very welcome in making Outreach become a vital part of our identity as a community!
Hope and Homes For Children
Led by Anya V, and after a particularly eye-opening Psychology lesson, Year 12 were mobilised to raise £1000 for Hope and Homes For Children, a charity that aims to keep vulnerable families together in countries where support to do so is limited.
After a stunning playground takeover on Monday (Tarot Card Reading! Face Paints! Personal Poems!) Anya and her team gave a fantastic assembly on Valentine’s Day explaining the charity and its work (and the importance of giving during the Valentine’s season). We were also treated to the once-in-a-breaktime chance at seeing Dr Upcott and Miss Vickery on their romantic getaway (to the playground) following their success in Blind Date! ❤️
A Mufti Day (wear something RED) followed on Friday, which brought our grand total of funds raised for the week to £1273.45p, which smashed our £1000 target! Well done Anya and everyone who helped out!
KLS Easter Initiative
For several years we have involved all of Year 7 in the KLS Christmas Present Wrapping initiative, and Year 8, quite rightly, asked ‘What about us?!’. This year, with the support of parents and Mrs Annabel Bennett at KLS, we put together an ‘Easter Eggs for Elders’ programme. Every student in Year 8 was encouraged to bring in a chocolate Easter Egg (over 100 in total) to donate to one of the elders supported by The Katherine Low Settlement. These were then wrapped by a brilliant team of keen Year 8 students after school in the Dining Hall and packaged up ready to take to KLS. But that’s not all… Year 8 then found time to create and decorate over 100 Easter Cards too!
We then had the opportunity to take a small group of Year 8 students to visit the Elders’ Lunch Club on Thursdays in March. After battling tube strikes, we managed two trips in all, with 8 girls in total making the trip across to get to know the elders, many of whom were very excited to share their stories and experiences with the FHS students! We were delighted with how the trips worked out, as were KLS, and this programme will continue next year as we find ways of involving as many students as possible with our Outreach programme.
Huge thanks to Mr Omole for his help with these trips too – the elderly ladies have asked specifically for ‘that very handsome man’ to come back next term!
Going the Extra Mile for Ukraine
Led by the indefatigable Mr Dyson, with phenomenal contributions from hundreds of the school community, over £3000 was raised for the David Beckham UNICEF Fund for Ukraine. The initial plan was to run a marathon distance + one ‘extra mile’ (27.4 miles) up and down the playground. Inevitably, the FHS community ended up totally smashing this total… but I don’t think anyone realised by just how much. In total, the FHS community collectively ran 306 miles. For context, that’s the equivalent distance from school to the Eiffel Tower… with enough left over to jog further on to Disneyland Paris!
I know from my conversation with a very tired Mr Dyson at the end of the day, that this had been a huge and overwhelming success. He remarked on the impressive individual efforts (Miss Hunt ran a half marathon herself), but also his joy at the fact that so many of the school community got involved. What a way to raise money and to show our solidarity and support for humanity at this important moment. Stunning work, Mr Dyson!
Lower Sixth Volunteering
We are delighted to say that the Lower Sixth students have been able to restart their volunteering placements at KLS and St Barnabas after the Omicron enforced pause. Students are finding the process incredibly rewarding as they help students at St Barnabas with extra-curricular clubs and independent reading.
Pi Day Cake Sale
The 14th of March, aka 14/3 (or, if you’re from the USA, 3/14) is obviously PI Day – a celebration of that transcendental number! This year the Math prefects ran a very successful Maths-themed bake sale to raise money for the Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal. Over £130 was raised in just one lunchtime. As Sonya writes: “Some honourable mentions include a delicious lemon drizzle cake, maths-themed cookies and a perfectly crisp apple π pie.” Who knew Maths could be so dodecalicious?
Book Week Mufti
As well as all of the author talks and fun in English lessons, we also raised £1163.37p for the Red Cross Emergency Ukraine Appeal as part of our Book Character Mufti Day. Highlights included Miss Lorimer’s, frankly terrifying, Ms Trunchbull and Mrs Corrigan’s Lizzie Bennett, from Pride and Prejudice… and Zombies! Wow!
Y12 also stepped up again, led by the English prefects, to create some fun activities in the playground at lunchtime, including a Harry Potter Quiz, and a ‘guess the pages in the book’ competition (like ‘sweets in a jar’). A very special and memorable day!
Year 10 Newspapers
Our creative Year 10s designed newspapers which were sold to other year groups and enjoyed in the lunchtime sunshine in the playground yesterday, raising another £60 for the Red Cross Emergency Ukraine Appeal.
Summer Term 2022!
Next term we have some wonderful plans for Outreach! We will (finally) hold our Teacher Talent Show on 28th April (put that date in your diary). We’ll host KLS, St Barnabas and In Deep for our Community Summer Tea in the second half of term (date tbc) and there are exciting plans afoot from Year 12 as they take on their fundraising challenge for ‘The Cycle’.
Thank you all for your support and for the support you give to the students with their fundraising plans and activities. It’s my privilege to witness the very real difference much of your work makes – let me know if you’d like to get more involved!
Mr Galloway (Gallowayman), Head of Outreach
