Meet up for girls going to TWGGS in Sept 2017?

[Curveball]

Hello! Our daughter is going to TWGGS in September and she doesn't know anyone going (she's still commuting to her school in Sussex for year 6). Would anyone like to meet in town/go for a walk/head to the trampolining or climbing place before the June events at the school (or I'm happy to join in with something already happening)?

It would be great for her to see a familiar face or two when turning up to the school and nice for me to meet other local mums (or dads!). We live a five min walk from the school.

Feel free to reply on here or send me a message if you fancy it.

Thanks!

M

[PanicMode]

My DD started at TWGGS last year and once the classes were allocated, there were lots of opportunities for meet ups. We all met up for fish and chips in St John's Park the week before they started too, and there are a few girls in her class who didn't know anyone else when they started - so it won't take her long to find friends.

[Curveball]

Oh that's really helpful - I hadn't thought about the class allocations. Just to clarify, are they shared before term starts, then? I'd assumed she'd find out on the first day.

Fish and chips in St John's park sounds like a fab idea.

Thanks.

[PanicMode]

Yes, the school do a 'new parents and girls' evening in about June I think - sadly my DD was on a school trip so missed meeting everyone at the first one, but they find out their forms and go and meet their form tutor/class prefects whilst you get a lecture (sorry, given a chat ) by the head, and then they go in for an induction day before the end of the summer term.

[twellsmum]

I don't know if this will help but my sons are both at TWGSB and for the youngest I set up a Facebook group just for Y7 parents called TWGSB 2016 joiners. I was quite lucky because having lived in the town for the last 25 years and having gone to school here too, and also with my son being at a large local primary school I knew quite a few parents already so I just invited those people and they invited their friends and it snowballed. I think we have over 150 parents on the page now and it has been invaluable for getting/keeping in touch/finding out what hte homework/cookery ingredients etc are and generally putting parents in touch. I arranged some meet ups over the summer holidays too and then individual classes arranged their own meet ups too.

Also if you are on Facebook there is a page called TWGGS PTA which is for all TWGGS parents and you may be able to post on there too to see if you can find any other new parents as there are lots of people who have two or more daughters at the school so may be on there for their older daughter but have a younger one starting in September. Hope this helps,

[twellsmum]

With regard to class allocations, the class lists are put up at the new parents' evening in June and you will find out then if your daughter is in 7T, 7W, 7I, 7G or 7S. It's a while since my daughters started but I did suggest that they copied the Boys' Grammar and put something in the information pack asking parents if they were willing to share their contact details with other new parents. BG do that and send out lists to all parents of contact details of parents who want to be on the list.

[Curveball]

Thank you twellsmum - really helpful! I'll have a good think about a Facebook group and wll ask about shared contact details in advance of June.

[twellsmum]

Let me know if you do set it up as I still have contact at St John's School in TW so could pass the info on to the new TWGGS parents there. When my daughters started it was one of the biggest feeders to TWGGS (I think about 17/18 girls each went from St John's to TWGGS).