Everyone who visits Park School-children, parents, staff and visitors- recognise that this is a very special, happy place. We are located on the beautiful Dartington Hall Estate in the heart of Devon’s glorious countryside. But it is more than our location that makes us unique.

We are a very close and caring community all working together to nurture our children to help them to grow into strong and positive individuals. As we are a very small school we know every child very well and can help them develop at their own pace. This means that strong foundations are built that help them to love learning throughout their time at Park and beyond.

Words on a page can only do so much to tell you all that we have to offer. I would encourage you to come and see for yourself. In the meantime please enjoy this short film about Park which catches a glimpse of what we are about. The film was kindly made by Drum, Kate Daws and Richard Daws. Many thanks for their time and expertise.

Best wishes
Amanda Bellamy (Teacher-in-charge.)

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Saturday 7 July 2012 from 11 til 3.

Come along to share a bowl of strawberries, eat cake, listen to music and enjoy our delightful grounds. There will be childrens games, stalls and circus skills workshops. All welcome!

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We deciced that we needed some small benches to sit on inside our willow structures. Our art teacher,Martin, sourced us some recycled oak and the children set to work to make 3 small benches as part of their Forest School Gardening sessions. Martin is also a carpenter and he taught them how to put them all together. The benches have prooved to be a huge success for picnics, stories and games.

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Our children entered classroom designs into the competition Refurb or Rebuild LIVE!

The national competition was set up to inspire children’s interest in design and architecture, and to encourage creativity in these areas. The winning designs, some inspired by the schools relationship with Totnes’ Transition Town movement, beat off competition from over 400 schools.  Park School was one of only four primary school finalists invited to take part in the exciting last stage of the competition held at The London Design Centre in Islington last week.

On the competition day, pupils, staff and a parent from Park School were again challenged to design a more comprehensive learning resource centre. The four children from Park, aged 9 -11, showed confidence and stamina spending a whole day producing a “blue sky” design that embraced sustainability and extended the relationship with the extensive school grounds.

At the end of the day a panel of industry experts crowned Park as the overall winner of the competition and won a £100k classroom.

Park School Teacher in Charge, Amanda Bellamy said “I am so proud that on the big day the Park team showed their characteristic creativity and with great resilience and determination, built on the original ideas of all of our children that had got us to the finals. We were already delighted that the competition had inspired and empowered them. Actually winning the new classroom is beyond our wildest dreams and will be an amazing addition to our school.”

Park pupil Rose, aged ten, said “When they started to announce the results I was terrified even though I believed in my heart that we would win. When we came back to school the next day a special school meeting was held so we could share our experience and celebrate with the whole school. Everyone was ecstatic.”

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Spring is the time for new light and new life so we had our annual Spring Festival this week. Some people call this time Beltaine meaning the bright one and fire. The children and adults all dressed up in spring colours or fairies to celebrate the age old tradition of celebrating coming out of winter into the lighted half of the year. The children made up their own dances to teach the adults and we paraded around the school grounds with drums and other instruments to wake up the earth. A giant cicle had been made in the field  with flags, bunting and  greenery . We all entered it to dance and sing together. We also took  a moment of silence together to listen to the nature all around us and to be presesnt with one another. The children sung a song all about sending peace, hope love and joy into the world and gave each of their family a small decorated stone to symbolise their desire to try do this themselves. They also talked about things that they wanted to get better at and walked through a willow hoop to give themselves a new spring name and to carefully think what they want to get better at. They thought of being better football players, hugging more and making new friends. We followed all of this with a  wonderful cafe full of homemade cakes and goodies. And it did not rain once!

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Park School, Dartington, could be dreaming their dream classroom into reality.

Park School children are off to London to be in the finals of a nationwide competition to design and win a brand new classroom!  After discussion about various eco initiatives the whole class worked out a design for their dream classroom.  Amongst other things it had geothermal heating, a sound proof music studio, a kitchen for healthy food menus, water collection areas, a greenhouse dome, solar heating and a big comfortable sofa!  Parent Hamid Van Koten, a design consultant, has been working alongside the children and said ‘It’s been such fun working with the children and we have been really impressed with their commitment and enthusiasm as well as their understanding of sustainability’.

They sent these plans into a nationwide competition called ‘Refurbish or Rebuild’ put together by Building Future Education UK.  They have been selected to attend the final round in the London Business Design Centre.  They will work with an architect who will provide invaluable expertise and knowledge to help them develop their unique and original design proposals for a learning space that fits with the school’s values and identity.  ‘This is a wonderful opportunity for the children to engage in dialogues with design and construction professionals in a very exciting and real way’ says Teacher in Charge Amanda Bellamy. ‘And who knows we may win the 1^st prize of a brand new classroom too!’

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Pleasee note that the dates and times of various events are not put on the website for child protection reasons -but can be found on your hard copies in the school pigion holes

Welcome to the summer term!  I hope that your Easter holidays were fun and that ‘The Bunny’ visited your gardens.

We had such a lot on towards the end of last term. Thank you for the wonderful Barn Dance, which many of you made delicious food for – and so many helped to decorate and tidy up the hall.  I would like to say a special thank you to Dylan, Laura and Adelaide who were so generous with the help that they continued to offer from beginning to end.  Complete stars!  We had a lot of fun, got to know each other a bit more and raised £82.

Our Open Afternoon was blessed by beautiful weather and drew in about 12 new families.  Your delicious cakes, fun activities and friendly faces all helped them to feel very welcome.  Some have asked to have a formal look at the school this term.  I would like to say thank you to all of the people who came to the Work Party the previous weekend to ensure that the school looked super lovely and to all of you who are on the Essential Jobs team.  The kitchen cups are shining, the tea towels are crisp, the garden just gets better and better, Pauline has some wonderful office help, the main flower bed to the office is beautiful, the publicity around Totnes and surrounding villages has never been so good and the Fundraising cupboard is very tidy.  Thanks also to Drum who has given many hours to update the office computers and help me to maintain an up to date and useful website.

I thought that I should clarify that we do not have two separate parent contribution groups.  We now only have one parent contribution group which involves all of the fundraising, social events and building and grounds work.  Stephanie and Ruth coordinate separate areas but you can help in all of them!  There are one or two jobs on the essential jobs list that still need to be covered.  Look on the green notice board if you have not fulfilled your expected contribution hours, which are at least 1 hour a week, or 12 hours each term and time for fairs and work days.  Please talk to Ruth or Stephanie for job ideas or talk to Pauline about paying the voluntary opt out fee.  Please talk to them early on in the term so that jobs can be planned and you are not left with a week to go before the end of term realizing that you have several hours to give to the school still.  Once again thank you for the care and time that so many of you give to make our school a very special place.

Ben needs some help!

Please can a parent sharpen a set of 15 knives, which we use in the forest gardening sessions?  They are rather blunt and the children need sharp tools to work with.

Do you have any unwanted, unused cards or postcards or envelopes? – The children are writing to parents, friends and favourite bears/aunties.

Please speak to Ben if you can help with either of these requests.

A note from Inge-chair of Council

At its regular half-termly meetings, the school Council has been discussing the budget for the next academic year.  We have to plan well in advance to ensure the ongoing financial stability of the school.  This includes making decisions on staffing levels, whether we should increase pay for staff and if so by how much, whether we should increase the fees and if so by how much, and any other provisions that need to be made for increased expenses such as higher energy bills.  We have considered a range of possible options prepared by our Finance Committee, and discussed them with staff and with parent representatives on the Council (Kate van Dyke and Ross Robens). The figures are now being finalized and will be shared with parents before half term.

School starting time

Classrooms open at 8.50am in the main school and all children should be supervised by an adult before this time outside of the classroom.  Teachers are busy preparing for the day or having meetings and cannot be responsible prior to this.  School starts at 9 o’clock.  Please can all children be ready in class at 9 o’clock in the main school.  Being on time is such an important part of feeling settled, secure and calm.  Please do not interrupt the class teacher after 9 o’clock because they really want to get on and be with the children.  8.50 is a good time to catch teachers for quick messages.  For longer conversations appointments should be made.  Early Years open their doors at 9.00 and offer a slightly more staggered arrival time.

After school

Can I remind you that once you have collected your child you are responsible for them.  Your child knows that if they want to play in the grounds the school safety rules remain the same.  This includes only playing with sticks shorter than their arms, no rough fighting games, only one person on the swings at a time, keeping off the banks and being generally lovely together!  Please help them to stick to these rules.

Sun cream

To protect your child from the sum it would really help if you could make sure that you apply a long lasting sun cream if you use sun cream in the morning before school as the weather gets warmer.  We do have sun cream at school, which we apply if necessary in an emergency.  Please let the office know if you do not want us to use sun cream on your child.  If you would like your child to have their own sun cream in school please send a bottle in with their name on it.

Water play

We hope to have some fun water play as the days heat up.  Your child will need a named towel, a swimsuit or wet water play clothes in school every day to be able to join in the fun.

Reminder for all children

Children will need a waterproof coat, wellies, a full change of clothes and a sun hat in school every day – all named please!

Young Dartington

Young Dartington summer camps for children aged 8-14 are running for 3 weeks this year in Park’s grounds beginning on 23 July.  Park children receive a discount.  If you would like more information there are brochures on the table outside the school office.  Their website is www.ydsummercamps.co.uk and they can be contacted on 07818032443 or email:info@youngdartington.co.uk

School lunches

In order to help Tabitha collect payments more easily you will need to book and pay for all meals by the end of the first week of each half term.  This term it will be by 20 April.  Payment after this time will have the usual surcharge added.  Refunds can only be provided if your child is off school due to illness for more than three consecutive lunch days (in one week) and in this circumstance reimbursement (starting from the fourth day of absence) will be by deduction from the following invoice.  Holidays should be notified to Tabitha by the first day of the half term, as invoices need to be issued.  Unfortunately it will not be possible to make any other refunds.  I know that parents will appreciate that it is difficult to provide an organic and nutritious lunch on a budget, so I hope that you will support this on the basis that once the food is ordered and paid for it isn’t possible to recoup the outlay.  As of the summer term the price for meals for special dietary requirements will be £3.

Dates:

• 24 April 2-3  Meet Ben in his classroom.

An invitation to all Early Years parents to find out a little more about the transition to Ben’s class and what kind of activities they do.

• 26 April 1.30-3 CAP workshop for parents at school in the quiet classroom.  If you are unable to get to this meeting CAP have offered one on 26 April 6-7.30pm.  Please come and talk to Amanda if you can only manage this time.
• Spring Celebration All come dressed as fairies or spring creatures.  Everyone welcome.  A musical procession with a café opening .  Please be here to collect your children promptly as they are the parent’s responsibility after this time.
• Jumble Sale 12 May Methodist Church Hall Totnes 10.30am

Please only bring good quality jumble.  We are collecting it during the week beginning 7 May.  Please leave under the covered way.  Help needed on Friday evening 6-9pm and Saturday 9-3pm.  Please see the sign up sheet or talk to Stephanie.

• Earth Education Parent Evening 

Ben and Mark’s class parents invited to find out what their child has done in the Earth Medicine workshops.

• Hop, hang glide, cycle or walk to school day Wednesday 23 May.

If you do not come by car or other vehicle and you need a bit longer to get here you can be at school by 9.30 with a story to tell!

• School Play ‘The Borrowers’  in the Hexagon- all welcome.  Tickets (£4 adults and £1 child) on sale from the office nearer the time.  Marks’ class is putting on the play with support from Ben’s class.  Please could these children be at school by 5.30 to be dressed and ready for 6pm.  Early Years will watch the dress rehearsal on Monday afternoon but are welcome to come back in the evening with their parents!
• Blitz the Head lice Week 28-31 May

Please check all heads at least once a week but this week let’s all make a special effort to check twice a week and get rid of these beasties.  More information is available from the office.

• Pizza oven Day 29 May

Please book and pay Tabitha as soon as possible.

• 1^st June – Education (non-pupil) Day, Half term 4-8 June
• Scarecrow event at Shops at Dartington 3 June – flier with further information to follow.
• 12 and 13 June Parents Evenings 3.30-5.30pm.  Sign up sheets will be put up nearer the time.
• CAMPS-dates in hard copy of school news
• Bike week 18-22 June

All children in main school please have your bike in school in good working order along with a good fitting helmet.

• Sports Day 26 June or (3 July if wet) 2-3
• Work day 30 June (10-2) and Park Family Camp 30 June (‘til 11am on 1 July). 

Bring supper (6pm) and breakfast to share.

• Strawberry Fair 7 July 11am-3pm.
• Leavers Ceremony

Term ends at 12 noon followed by a picnic together.  Bring your own food and rug.

The summer term is my very favourite term at Park.   There are expeditions, canoe trips, water play, camps, Strawberry Fair and lots of other exciting things to do together.  I look forward to sharing lots of them with you.

 Best wishes,

Amanda Bellamy

Teacher in Charge

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Ben’s class have been talking about different sorts of journeys and decided to build rockets! They built 5 spendid ones together and learnt how to work as a team, all about right angles to get the fins to work well, sang songs about space and made up poems. They had a special launch session as these rockets were designed to fly using a mixture of vinegar and bicarbonate of soda. They had lots of fun watching them shoot off-especially the one that soaked Martin who is out art teacher!

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The children in Mark and Ben’s class have been learning some den making skills during their Forest School sessions.  It has been a lot of fun but has been a great way to help children to understand how to cooperate and work together too.  These are skills that will last a lifetime.

March has arrived at last!  The daffodils are holding up their golden heads and the crocuses are yawning themselves awake, while the cherry trees blow blossom around the buzzing bees.  The school really is looking so beautiful.  This is mainly due to the work of parents and children giving and planting so many bulbs over the years – leaving their laughter in the blooms.  Thank you to all of you and to all that have left in the last 26 years who have given these gifts for us all to enjoy.

I want to say a very big thank you for a fantastic gift that Richard, Kate Daws and Drum have made for the school this term.  It is a Park School short film.  They have worked very hard to create a stunning and moving film (it brings tears to my eyes every time I watch it).  I feel it catches the essence of what we are about.  It has now been added to our website so please have a look www.parkschoolonline.com   Drum has put some onto DVDs to help publicize the school.

Thanks also to those parents who have been decorating the school.  A gang came in to clean light shades, paint the toilet walls, doors and radiators.  It all looks so much fresher.

Project ‘Children’s Fire’

Mark and Ben’s classes are starting a new project.  They will be joined by Earth Guides Carlos Glover and Mark Jefferys to embark on a pilot project to enhance children’s environmental education.  Mark Jefferys is a very experienced Earth Education teacher and Carlos Glover has worked with the American Indians with Earth Wisdom for many years.  They have combined their skills to create a project for our children, which they plan to take to other schools and groups.  It will be all about encouraging them to look at the natural world in new ways, build awareness through all 5 senses and awaken a sense of wonder.  There will be songs, games and written activities as well as maths and time to be still.  The aim is to offer the children the chance to have a greater connection to the earth, a deeper understanding of how it works and a sense of inspiration to do more for our precious planet.  I know that it will be loads of fun too!  The last session will be on May 21^st after school (3-6pm).  Parents are also warmly invited to come along to this session to celebrate what the children have learnt.

We had fun during our French Day eating lots of delicious food in the Park café.  Martin showed the children some pictures of Matisse and then they made their own wonderful pictures.  Mark showed the children a very cute model of France lent by Stephanie (Finn’s Mum) and made cut out Eiffel Towers.  I went round to each group and was amazed by the French that was spoken and fascinated by all the extra general knowledge and conversations that were happening around the French activities.  For example the Early Years had a map of the world and found where France is but the conversation took them to where Eljas and Nicholas had come from and the transport they had to use to get to the UK.  The Eiffel Tower activity took us to when it was built, the Victorians and why it was built with all those triangles.  The French café had lots of conversations but Cian said ‘This is a good way to start the day‘ with a big grin on his face as he tucked into a bowl of hot chocolate, French stick and Nutella.’  I couldn’t have agreed with him more!

Book Week

Book Week was a huge success with lots of reading and sharing of books.  Thank you to all of you who came to read in the mornings in your child’s class.  We also had a wonderful story told to the whole school while sitting in the sun on the field.  Martin played us his Didgeridoo and told us about the first story as told by the Australian Aboriginals.  Storytelling is such a wonderful thing to offer the children.  If you have skills in the area please let your class teacher know.

We made books and went on an expedition around the Estate telling jokes to each other.  (‘Why are elephants grey, big and wrinkly?  Because if they were smooth, white and small they would be an Aspirin.’ – by Esther!)

Our dressing up day was an enormous success with nearly everyone dressing up as a book character.  We all had a parade and took it in turns to stand on a stage to tell each other who we were.  Thanks for all the time and energy you gave to make those costumes so much fun.

We also had an Extreme Reading Day where children could read wherever they wanted and also draw pictures of where they could imagine reading a book.

The book swap will happen this week and we have a regular shelf to swap books in the Music Room if your child ever needs a book.

Our Twin School in Sri Lanka sent us some more letters.  This time they told us about different festivals that they celebrate through their various religions.  They sent us pictures and poems, which we looked at in the school meeting.  These are up in the quiet classroom.

Early next term we will be having CAP come into school.  This is the Child Abuse Protection team.  It will be in school for 3 days to work with Mark and Ben’s children and the older Early Years children.  I will be sending a full letter out about this nearer the time.

A message from Martin

I am trying to get rid of the old playhouses but need someone with a big trailer and vehicle or someone who has a vehicle that can tow a big trailer.  Please come and talk to me or the office.

A message from Stephanie

The Social and Fundraising group contribution hours are really starting to need as many parents as possible to fulfil all the events which are up and coming over the remaining months until the end of this school year.  I’ve outlined a few below, but firstly can I remind everyone:

We are a short hop and jump away from the Barn Dance – and ticket sales need to be flying out of the office.  If you haven’t already pledged your money for tickets please do so. This isn’t a large fundraiser for the School.  It’s our annual evening bash where we chat and dance together merrily with a Band – However, the event will cost us £400.00 to organize hence the need to sell tickets, so as we aren’t dipping into our social fundraising pot.  Please help by running to the office and grabbing your tickets.

Events lined up:

29th March School Open Day – To help with the successful running of this event, the Social and Fundraising group is urgently needed. The help of at least 4 Parents to help with running 2 activities, arranged as 2 1 hour slots of 2.30 -3.30 and 3.30- 4.30.  Can any parent who wishes to make a contribution from their hours please contact myself?  Amanda will be able to fill you in on more details.  Also extra help needed on the day to help set up and run a small tea & coffee café. Eljas’ parents, Lotta and Dale (Early Years), have kindly come forward but we really need some extra help.  Again this is another great way to contribute your hours.  Let me know.

You can email me. From a point of view of administration of the Social and Fundraising group it would be really helpful if all those who correspond by email confirm this note by emailing me, this ensures that all future emails I send out to the Social and Fundraising Group include all.  If you are part of the group and not on email, please confirm by putting a note in my Pig. Hole.

Some other dates and Events for your diary:

 May Day Cafe for the benefit of all new parents – this is a large Spring Celebration event.

12th May – Our big town Jumble Sale

7th July Strawberry Fair

Best wishes,

Stephanie

A message from Ruth

Big thank you to all our decorators and light shade cleaners over the half term. Premium job done on the downstairs loos. Just the ceiling and floor to do and that’s another job ticked off.
Anyone who wants to help with putting up the yurt after Easter email me to let me know.
I’ll be emailing round after the school workday on Saturday with anything that’s left for the Summer Term.

Thanks for all you help

Pizza Oven Day

We will be having another Pizza Oven lunch day on 20 March.  If your child normally has pizza then you do not have to do anything but if not please order this directly with Tabitha by 14 March so that she has time to get all of the ingredients.

School lunches

Please remember to give Tabitha your email address if you would prefer to receive invoices in this way.  Tabitha’s email address is..(ask at office).  Please remember that the cook at Park is self-employed which means that prompt payment is essential as late payment affects them directly.  Refunds can only be provided if your child is off school due to illness for more than three consecutive lunch days (in one week) and in this circumstance reimbursement (starting from the fourth day of absence) will be by deduction from the following invoice. Holidays should be notified by the first day of the half term as invoices need to be issued.  Unfortunately it will not be possible to make any other refunds.   I know that parents will appreciate that it is difficult to provide an organic and nutritious lunch on a budget, so I hope that you will support this on the basis that once the food is ordered and paid for it isn’t possible to recoup the outlay.  As of the summer term the price for meals for special dietary requirements will be £3.

Dates:

• Work Party 10 March 10-2.  Bring a wheelbarrow if you have one.

A time to meet and work on projects together that help the school.  Hannah and Julia have kindly offered to make lunch for us again.  Please sign up for lunch under the covered way.

• Early Years ‘Bring a Friend’ Afternoon

If you have a child in the Early Years and have a friend who wants to come along for a free afternoon to see what we are about please tell Bridie and come along with them for a lovely afternoon of play.  Children aged 3-6 welcome.

• Whole School Open Day 29 March 2.30-4pm.  We are planning an Easter Treasure Trail around the grounds for our visitors (our children will have their own separate hunt).  This will be followed by a café for all of us – do stay and introduce yourself to visitors.  Please help to publicize the event by displaying the posters and speak to Stephanie if you can help with the Treasure Trail or café.

• Tickets for the School Barn Dance at Rattery Village Hall are now available in the office. There will be some soft drinks available but no bar so you are welcome to bring a bottle if you want to. Please bring a friend or two to this wonderful fundraiser.  We need some more offers of food for the buffet so please sign up on the board.

• Jumble Sale 12 May

Please save your jumble!  Stephanie will be organizing collections early in the summer term.

 .

Best wishes,

Amanda Bellamy

Teacher in Charge

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Lucina Swain, GRSM Hons (Lond), LRAM, ARCO, PGCE

Lucina leads music sessions in all classes and also teaches the piano one day a week. After studying at the Royal Academy of Music she worked in mainstream schools for 23 years, the last 13 as a Primary Headteacher. She sings with Exeter Festival Chorus and Exeter University Choral Society and has accompanied both choirs in concert. She also teaches mainstream music, piano and organ, and at Stagecoach. Lucina brings her skills and enjoyment of the arts, tai chi, reiki, languages and communication to her music with the children.

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