The Friends of John of Rolleston Primary School held their A.G.M. on 25th September. Three new officers were elected and five new members. The committee is now made up of Chair: Caroline Mills, Vice Chair: Alison Rhodes, Secretary: Julie Snelling, Treasurer: Wanda Russell, and Richard Abel, Sarah Abel, Julie Bellm, Mandy Gibbs, Jeremy Marshall, Brigitte Rak, David Snelling, Clare Stewart, Jo Wright, the Head Teacher and two staff members.

We all look forward to continuing the success of the previous committee. On behalf of the committee, I express thanks to the retiring members for their invaluable help and assistance.

Every child in the school benefits from FOJORPS fundraising activities and whilst the majority of the money is used for educational purposes, we also regularly fund good old-fashioned fun, especially at Christmas. Last Christmas the Infant children went to a pantomime at the Meadowside and the Junior children had a Christmas party funded largely by FOJORPS and we will be doing the same this season.

We try to ensure that the events organised are good value and lots of fun. We have received many favourable comments about our recent quiz night and we are sure the children really enjoy the discos. Future events already booked include another quiz, which will be on 26th January 2002 and a children's disco on 2nd February 2002.

Local support and encouragement is very important and willing help from non-committee members is very much appreciated.

We would be delighted to hear from you about any aspect of FOJORPS activities.

Merry Christmas to you all!!

On behalf of FOJORPS, Caroline.

Last time I wrote something for Rollestonian, I was mainly thinking ahead to Community Day, which took place on June 9th this year. As usual, the major worry was what the good old British weather might choose to throw at us this year, as the forecasts hadn't been good at all.

However, in true Michael Fish style, the forecasters got it wrong again, and we had a marvellous day full of fun for a large crowd. We always find it hard to work out numbers, as we don't know the split between children and adults, but I am certain there were more people this year than in 2000, and so I thank you all who came for supporting us in this way. We made a few changes to the format, introducing a huge inflatable slide which proved very popular, and increasing the number of participants in the youngsters football contest, which was, as ever, keenly and entertainingly fought out.

My thanks go to everyone who helped, in whatever way, to make the event a success once more. I can't mention them all here as there are so many, but you may recall me mentioning the sterling work the previous year of the Rector - well he did us proud on the PA again in 2001, proving entertaining and enthusiastic all day. I hope the voice was able to cope for Sunday's services!

That was pretty much the culmination of another busy year for us, and I am pleased to say a successful one again in fund raising for the benefit of all at the school. Our treasurer is on holiday at the moment, so I don't know how much is in the accounts for the year, but I do know it will make a difference to a lot of children in the coming school year. To those who have helped, sponsored, supported and enjoyed our events this year, I say a heartfelt Thank You.

Early in September, we'll announce the details of the FOJORPS AGM, which will be probably even more important than usual this year. Quite a lot of our current committee members have only one more year with children at the school, and for the good work of FOJORPS to continue, they need replacing. Please make the effort to come along and if you can help out please tell us - it's not really all that hard work, and it really is good fun getting on with things.

Well, I'm off to enjoy my holidays now, and no doubt by the time this is published any suntan that I manage to pick up will have long gone, leaving me with just memories. No doubt that applies to most reading this as well. Time to think ahead to next year - but lets get on with the school year first - there's plenty to look forward to there as well.

Richard Leverington, Chairman.

This issue of Rollestonian is due out around the time of our biggest event of the year - Community Day, on 9th June.

We look forward to this event all year, and preparation starts way back before Christmas. This is our biggest fund-raiser of the whole year, but more than that it's the village's best opportunity to get together and have a lot of fun, hopefully with the benefit of good weather!

You'll be receiving a programme (already had it?) during half term week, so I won't spend time here telling you what will be there this year - as it is now only the end of April, I don't even know the full list - but you can be sure we'll do our best to make it an enjoyable day. I expect lots of people will be trying to sell you draw tickets about now - please do buy these, as not only are there great prizes, but just in case the weather is unkind, this is our "insurance".

If you are new to the village, please make a special effort to come to school for the day. It's always a way of getting to know people locally, and you never know how it might turn out. A few years back, Kevin and Karen Potts arrived, fresh into the school, and promptly, in their first go at the draw, won the main prize of two British Midland Air tickets! You might, also, if we're lucky, get to see the Rector try and cap last year's momentous occasion of featuring in the stocks!

After Community Day, that will almost be it for another year. We've got a plan for an afternoon event late on in the school year, following last year's sports day and the previous year's treasure hunt. We don't yet know the format, although by the time you read this we probably will. This last event is designed to be a pleasant family way to end the school year, and as such we try to keep the costs as low as we can, and the fun as high as we can. Look out for details in the school newsletter.

One last thing - next year will be the last year at John of Rolleston for a number of committee members' children. That means a number of our current helpers will be leaving with them. If you would like to help us keep the success of the Friends moving onwards, and you have children at either site of the school, please look out for the AGM notices, which go out early in September, and put yourselves forward. Your school needs you!

Richard Leverington, Chairman

Despite the vagaries of the British climate, our fund raising year has got off to an flying start, with excellent results from all three events already held – the October Quiz, Craft Fair and childrens’ discos. Our thanks go to all those who helped in any way on these events, and to all those who made them successful by spending their hard earned cash!

There’s plenty more to come, as by the time you read this we will have held another two discos, and may well have had another quiz night. This will be the first time for our new quiz team, which continues with the “Old Hands” of Karen and Kevin Potts, but to whom we have added Julie and Dave Snelling. We wish them luck – having run the quiz with the Potts for some years now, my wife and I know how much hard work it is, but what fun it can be too!

I’m writing this on the first day of the 2001 Six Nations Championship, and as we look forward to this exciting sporting competition, it reminds me that the school now has a new football kit, thanks to sponsorship from the Nationwide Building Society, and very smart the team looks too. Yes, I know it’s a different shape ball, but there you are! The team have become much stronger this season under the guidance of Mr Cruise, and we look forward to great things in the future.

We’ve already started working towards Community Day, which this year will be held on Saturday June 9^th. Tutbury Band will provide the music this year during the day, and we hope to have more stalls than before. We also hope to have a sporting theme to the day, as we shall hold the usual football

competition, but would also like to involve as many children as we can in sporting activity throughout the day – watch out for more information nearer the time, as this is in the planning stages at the moment.

As usual, this is a mammoth event to plan and prepare for, and it takes a veritable army of people to run – although I’ve never known anyone say afterwards that they didn’t enjoy themselves doing it! Mind you, quite how we can top last year’s highlight of the Rector in the stocks has yet to be considered – but we’ll try.

Diary of Events

17^th March -Fun Quiz
9^th June - Community Day 2001
7^th July - Midsummer event, details t.b.a
13^th - October Fun quiz
18^th - November Craft Fayre
15^th - June 2002 Community Day 2002

Preparations have now commenced for this year’s Community Day. We held a meeting recently, at which we were able to set some targets for the event in June. This being Millennium year, we would like to try to make Community Day even more memorable than it usually is, if at all possible, and so we set out to brainstorm ideas. A lot of great ideas were generated, which we hope we will be able to develop into activities, events and features in June’s event. We are currently researching the new ideas generated, and I hope you will see the fruits of these labours in June.

For the event to continue to be such a resounding success, we will be calling on the local community to support us in any way it can. This may be by placing an advert for your business (contact Kevin Pott) in our programme, by donating prizes for the Grand Draw (contact Julie or Dave Snelling), or helping on the day itself (contact Sarah Leverington). We will also be asking parents to donate prizes for the Tombola stall - but more of that will be publicised through school newsletters.

If you have/know of anyone who would like a stall at Community Day, please let us know, via school, as soon as possible. The school field fills up very quickly these days, especially as there are now 2 classrooms where we used to have space, and it can become quite a logistical problem fitting everything in. The earlier I know, the easier it is to plan who and what goes where.

Shortly after this issue is due to be published, we should be able to start selling draw tickets. We have always seen these as our "storm insurance", just in case the weather is so bad on the day that nobody comes. Mind you, it’s never stopped you yet! Families at school will receive these, so please do buy them if asked - the prizes are always well worthwhile. Many of the prizes are kindly provided by local people and companies, as is most of the revenue from advertising - please support the businesses that support us - without their help we simply couldn’t do the things we do around the school.

(Richard Leverington, Chairman)

Return to Home Page or Organisations Page

Last updated: 13 December 2001