Our teachers and staff are looking forward to fully reopening on 2nd September 2020, after the long summer break and of course, the enforced partial closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.
 
Education Manager, Jeff van Zyl is feeling positive about the autumn term as the school prepares to welcome back all pupils, as well as upwards of forty new students across the full age range (3-18 years).
 
Jeff said "I am so proud of our students who have demonstrated real resilience during this unprecedented time in history; they have generally shown a real commitment to our distance learning programme and engaged well". 
 
He went on "For our Upper School students, their hard work has allowed them to continue accruing points towards their NZCSE qualifications, throughout the lockdown period. This has provided reassurance at a time when the mainstream qualification system has left so many young people feeling anxious about their future. We are delighted to see many of our Upper School graduates heading off to the universities of their choice, varied employment and also for gap years, after receiving their Level 3 qualification”.
 
For a glimpse of life at SDSS, follow @SouthDevonSteinerSchool on Instagram.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) News
​

​You can find the latest information and advice about Coronavirus (COVID-19) from the Government here. 
The page will be updated at 2pm daily.

​Update 15.3.2020

Symptoms
The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of:

• new continuous cough and/or
• high temperature

For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild infection

Main messages

• if you have symptoms of coronavirus infection (COVID-19), however mild, do not leave your home for 7 days from when your symptoms started. (See ending isolation section below for more information)
• this action will help protect others in your community while you are infectious
• plan ahead and ask others for help to ensure that you can successfully stay at home
• ask your employer, friends and family to help you get the things you need to stay at home
• stay at least 2 metres (about 3 steps) away from other people in your home if possible
• sleep alone, if possible
• wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds, each time using soap and water, or use hand sanitiser
• stay away from vulnerable individuals, such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions, as much as possible
• you do not need to call NHS 111 to go into self-isolation. If your symptoms worsen during home isolation or are no better after 7 days, contact NHS 111 online. If you have no internet access, call NHS 111. For a medical emergency dial 999

Who this guidance is for

This advice is intended for people with symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), including those with a diagnosis of coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, who must remain at home until they are well.

​
Further advice on self isolation

If you find that you need to self isolate, please follow the Government advice on how to minimise the potential spread of infection to others.


Importance of self isolation

The Government has issued important advice around the importance of self isolation if you, or a member of your household develop symptoms of Coronavirus COVID-19, however mild.



The importance of hygiene 

Personal hygiene is the most important way we can tackle COVID-19, especially washing hands more; and the catch it, bin it, kill it strategy for those with coughs and sneezes.

How to wash your hands properly
Wash your hands more often for 20 seconds with soap and hot water.

Watch this short NHS film for guidance:

• https://youtu.be/bQCP7waTRWU

Teach young children how to wash their hands with the NHS handwashing song:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9VjeIWLnEg

Public Health England recommends that in addition to handwashing before eating, and after coughing and sneezing, everyone should also wash hands after using toilets and travelling on public transport.

Department for Education coronavirus helpline

The Department for Education coronavirus helpline is available to answer questions about COVID-19 relating to education and children’s social care. Staff, parents and young people can contact this helpline as follows:

Phone: 0800 046 8687
Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk

Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday)

Where to find the latest information

Updates on COVID-19:

• https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

Guidance for educational settings:

• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19

Travel advice for those travelling and living overseas:

• https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus

Educational resources:

• https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/resources/campaigns/101-coronavirus-/resources
• https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/schools

Latest Department for Education information:

• https://twitter.com/educationgovuk
•  https://www.facebook.com/educationgovuk/

​A happy community came together yesterday (19 September) to celebrate the momentous occasion of the 100th anniversary of Steiner education!

And special guest, the Mayor of Totnes, Jacqui Hodgson, and her husband, Consort Richard, also came along to join in the festivities.

Thank you to Rob Carney, John Platt and Tom Parker for holding the event, and special thanks to parents, Becci Erickson and Alexander Gifford for their presentations.  Music was beautifully performed by Oliver on Cello.

On this momentous occasion, it’s worth reflecting on why we have all chosen Waldorf education for our children (as parents, and as teachers).  Here follows a snippet of the official press release that will be released today:

The Steiner movement is the most successful alternative educational movement on the planet with over 3000 schools and kindergartens in nearly 90 countries worldwide. 

It is based upon a holistic understanding of the development of the child and young person, with a strong emphasis on craft, artistic activity and self-expression, combined with a rigorous academic approach that encourages independent and flexible thinking.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for us to celebrate our global, educational vision.” said Tom Parker, a senior teacher at the school. 

“In a world where young people will grow up to face considerable social, economical and environmental challenges, they need to be far more adaptable and resilient. 

Having useful skills and a store of knowledge, although important, is not enough. Young people need to be sure of who they are and have confidence to apply their own ideas and approaches to life. 

When young people are able to think their own thoughts, these new ideas will bring the positive change that the world needs, as well as allowing them to create their own unique and fulfilling path through life.”

As part of the celebrations, Alexander Gifford, a parent at the school, gave a talk on the founding of the first Steiner school, one hundred years ago. 

“It was very much a response to the devastation of World War One,” he says. “The burning question for many people was: how can we educate our children in a new way so that this will never happen again? 

Rudolf Steiner, a respected philosopher and pedagogue, proposed some impressive answers and pretty quickly there were schools, based on his ideas, springing up all over Europe. 

The first one was in the Waldorf Astoria Cigarette Factory in Stuttgart, which is why Steiner schools are also called Waldorf schools. 

Their goal is to create confident, responsible young people, who will want to contribute to building a better world and not just fit themselves into the social status quo.”  

The South Devon Steiner School is itself celebrating its 40th anniversary this year; and so the celebrations on the 19th were also an opportunity for the school to mark an important, personal milestone. 

“We’ve hit middle-age” says John Platt, an ex-teacher at the school, “and with that comes a feeling of being grounded and established. At the same time, we are constantly evolving and finding new ways to adapt our curriculum and practice to make it more relevant and meaningful for children here and now.”

Bundle McLaren, a current parent of the school, gave this picture:

“I was on the beach with my children and some friends from the school last autumn. The children were looking at the rocks and seaweed together in a way that struck a passer-by as being impressively curious and collaborative. 

He said to his friends: “They must be from the South Devon Steiner School” – which shows how well-known for the right reasons we are.”    

On the eve of the centenary celebrations of the Waldorf movement, one of South Devon Steiner College’s pioneering graduates walks the catwalk of an award-winning design-duo at London Fashion Week.

Francesca Drewell (19) joined eco-fabric designers, Vin and Omi, as an intern for a week as part of her Art Foundation Course at Oxford Brookes, and was quickly asked to join the models to showcase their Nettle collection, in collaboration with Prince Charles.

Those who know her would fondly describe her as down-to-earth and with a passion for back-stage theatre and costume design. They would also mention that, given half a chance, she would be barefoot and baking cakes - hardly the type to mingle with high-brow celebs and wearing high fashion.

So, when the opportunity came to join the models in presenting the revolutionary eco-fabric made by Vin and Omi from High Grove nettles (yes, nettles from Prince Charle’s Estate), she shocked herself by agreeing.

As part of our ‘Focus on Waldorf 100’, Francesca answered two questions that’s we have been asking of parents (check out our Facebook Page to see the interviews). Waldorf 100 will be celebrated by Waldorf schools around the world tomorrow, 19 September.

Q: What has Waldorf Steiner education meant to you?

A: I don’t really have any experience of any other types of schooling system because I started at Steiner when I was two years old in a Steiner playgroup in South Africa. However, now that I’m out of the system, I can sense that my outlook on education and world is quite different from other students in my current course in Oxford. I feel I have a broader perspective and more commitment than a lot of other students I have come across - probably brought about things like our extensive school trips, and maybe our more independent learning, and broader curriculum.

Q : What is the one thing that Waldorf Steiner education has given you?

Creativity. This helps because it has given me adaptability and confidence to try as many things as I can. As one of the interns on the collection, I was able to do a wider range of tasks, obviously with things like sewing and knitting because we learn these things at Steiner, but I was also more committed to working and finishing. I think this comes from the structure of lessons at Steiner, starting in class one where we do Main Lessons (blocks of a subject) where you are able to explore topics in-depth. This could be part of it.