I remember being at school as a child and sitting in PFA meetings with my mum. Getting to sneak a look at the staff room and helping out with the younger years school discos. There was something extra special about knowing your mum was on the PFA.
Now I'm a mum myself, I remember my mum telling me the best thing I could do when Max started school was join myself. Whether I could help out once a term or just once a year, it would be something that I would love and would be a fantastic thing to do.
And I must say I completely agree, with Max going into year 2 I've loved every moment I've helped the PFA in my time as a school mum. Whilst I was at Waterstones, I didn't have half as much time to help as I do now I'm a work at home parent, but I did what I could and I'm looking forward to help out. And with school starting back, I'm eager to see how I can lend a hand.
Whilst joining the PFA might be an intimidating experience, It's one that definitely worthwhile. So here's a few reasons why I think you should join your schools PFA.
- You are helping the school out. It's an easy one to figure out really, schools are under funded and have cuts left right and centre. I don't want my child to suffer from a cut that my council/government think is appropriate. So where there is an opportunity to raise some money and get the school some much needed funds for those extra bits, It's always worth seeing how you can help. I've done everything from helping at a school disco, to collecting Easter eggs for a tombola. Any offer to help, big or small will be most welcome!
- You learn more about the school. I always remember my mum telling me that one of the reasons she joined the PFA was to know the teachers and the system a bit better in case I needed some help. Luckily neither me or my brother did, but it always stuck with me and it's true. Being on the PFA meant that I regularly chatted with the heads of year and knew who to speak to when Max was having some trouble in class. By knowing the school system a bit better, I found helping Max much easier.
- You make new friends. Making friends at the school gate can be a really intimidating experience. Not only is it hard to weed out the bad eggs from the good ones, but it's a scary time to walk up to someone and essentially ask them to be your friend. We aren't as confident as kids! Joining the PFA gave me a whole host of friendly faces for me to say hello to on the school run or in the playground. And whilst they aren't best friends, it's good to know that there are people I know across the years.
- There's a fab community feel. I remember being a kid and the PFA put on all the amazing events for us kids. From school discos to summer fayres, there was always something for us to get excited about. Unfortunately, without the parents to help, the PFA can't put on amazing events for kids. Helping out doesn't just make you happy to see the money raised, it feels like you are helping and being part of a community.
- It's fun. Whilst you might sit there for hours putting raffle tickets in a box and complaining about your feet, it's actually fun to help out. For me it's all about the burnt shoulders in summer, hot chocolates at movie night and dancing with the kids at the disco. Seeing their happy faces makes it all worthwhile.
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