Pupil Camp, Velskola Finland, February 2016.
A team of staff and 10 pupils from Dunkirk have recently returned from an amazing experience taking part in a week long residential camp in the forests of Finland with our link school Rastaala.
Children and staff from both schools worked together throughout the week to explore the project themes of community cohesion, migration, connections and exploring ways to create kind, caring places to live.
We stayed at Velskola - a great residential centre in the middle of vast forests and lakes not too far from the outskirts of Espoo and Helsinki. It was a very large old house converted into a residential study centre – and for our group from Dunkirk this seemed like a massive mansion, they talked about the actual setting a lot. It’s a great place with a really welcoming cosy feel to it and just the right spaces for us to work in, including a lovely light, big, central room which we could use for the drama sessions (complete with huge windows looking out to the forest).
We had a packed programme which we had carefully devised to ensure there was a lot of time to explore the project issues around building caring communities; but with time also for exploration of the landscape and local area, time to experience the Finnish school in Espoo, time to unwind and chatter, time for bedtime relaxation sessions for the children in front of the fire…
As we did last March in Derbyshire, the work with the children was based around a carefully chosen story which would give scope to ask deep questions and explore some key issues around community, borders, safety and ways of reaching out to strangers. The story we used in Finland is “The Island” and is a hard hitting and stunningly illustrated book by Armin Greder. Parmjit Sagoo led sessions exploring the story as it stood - but then also exploring many other scenarios that could have happened and alternative endings. The children created some very moving scenarios and their ideas about ways of reaching out in friendship were very touching.
Deepening our engagement and relationship with the natural world is a key part of the project. Connections to nature and use of the outdoors permeates everything in Finland – as in the rest of Scandinavia; and part of our project is to ensure an ongoing dialogue about this so that we can share ideas and inspirations. We had walks along snowy paths through the forest taking in the lakes, streams, trees, animal tracks and looking at just what might be around us. We had a wonderful night time walk through the snowy forest, moving in small (quiet) groups using torches to find our way through a trail of reflectors that had been laid earlier that day. And time to really experience the very deep snow when it fell at the end of the week - the forests looked magical. Amazing experiences which really made a big impression on everyone – adults and children.
Click on the images in the gallery below to have a look at some of the things that happened during our week in Finland.
There's lots more information on the project website on the link here.
And more images and thoughts from Claire Simpson on her blog about the project here.
A team of staff and 10 pupils from Dunkirk have recently returned from an amazing experience taking part in a week long residential camp in the forests of Finland with our link school Rastaala.
Children and staff from both schools worked together throughout the week to explore the project themes of community cohesion, migration, connections and exploring ways to create kind, caring places to live.
We stayed at Velskola - a great residential centre in the middle of vast forests and lakes not too far from the outskirts of Espoo and Helsinki. It was a very large old house converted into a residential study centre – and for our group from Dunkirk this seemed like a massive mansion, they talked about the actual setting a lot. It’s a great place with a really welcoming cosy feel to it and just the right spaces for us to work in, including a lovely light, big, central room which we could use for the drama sessions (complete with huge windows looking out to the forest).
We had a packed programme which we had carefully devised to ensure there was a lot of time to explore the project issues around building caring communities; but with time also for exploration of the landscape and local area, time to experience the Finnish school in Espoo, time to unwind and chatter, time for bedtime relaxation sessions for the children in front of the fire…
As we did last March in Derbyshire, the work with the children was based around a carefully chosen story which would give scope to ask deep questions and explore some key issues around community, borders, safety and ways of reaching out to strangers. The story we used in Finland is “The Island” and is a hard hitting and stunningly illustrated book by Armin Greder. Parmjit Sagoo led sessions exploring the story as it stood - but then also exploring many other scenarios that could have happened and alternative endings. The children created some very moving scenarios and their ideas about ways of reaching out in friendship were very touching.
Deepening our engagement and relationship with the natural world is a key part of the project. Connections to nature and use of the outdoors permeates everything in Finland – as in the rest of Scandinavia; and part of our project is to ensure an ongoing dialogue about this so that we can share ideas and inspirations. We had walks along snowy paths through the forest taking in the lakes, streams, trees, animal tracks and looking at just what might be around us. We had a wonderful night time walk through the snowy forest, moving in small (quiet) groups using torches to find our way through a trail of reflectors that had been laid earlier that day. And time to really experience the very deep snow when it fell at the end of the week - the forests looked magical. Amazing experiences which really made a big impression on everyone – adults and children.
Click on the images in the gallery below to have a look at some of the things that happened during our week in Finland.
There's lots more information on the project website on the link here.
And more images and thoughts from Claire Simpson on her blog about the project here.
5 teachers from Rastaala visit Dunkirk in October 2015. Ms Taija, Ms Maarit, Ms Tiina, Ms Hanna and Mr Harri spent a few days in their link classes at Dunkirk. They worked with their classes on the theme of Community and looked at how Dunkirk was tackling the Big Questions the children have been asking over the last few weeks.
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Behind the Scenes Film Beyond the Wall Film
Erasmus+ pupil camp, Lockerbrook Farm study centre, March 2015.
Some of our staff and year 6 pupils have just returned from an amazing, intensely busy, creative and nurturing week on the Erasmus + pupil camp. Some photos are below and many more will follow - everyone is incredibly eager to share what took place during such a memorable and monumental residential project with our Finnish colleagues.
There were pupils and staff form each school, combining their ideas, resources, thoughts and energies to create an incredibly moving theatre piece about connecting communities and creating peace. The week was packed from dawn to bedtime with drama, yoga, devising theatre, making books, creating clay sculptures, music, songs, composition, walks and exploring the landscape, gathering ideas, writing, eating - and helping to serve food, searching for natural treasures, walks in the night with torches to watch the stars and listen to owls... and so much more.
More information, links and images will follow. A film is being created of the theatre piece we created together - centred around a wonderfully moving story called "The Music of the Maple" by Tahmina Anam, taken from a wonderful book called "Why Willows Weep, published by the Woodland Trust.
We spent the week in the amazing setting of Lockerbrook Farm residential study centre - and we can't praise it highly enough! The staff there looked after us wonderfully and the stunning landscape was highly inspirational and awe-inspiring for all of us. Children commented on how they had no idea that a place as spectacular existed in England. Lockerbrook is on the hills high above Ladybower Reservoir in the north part of the Peak District - its not that far in miles really from Nottingham, but it felt like another world.
Pupils and staff from Dunkirk and Rastaala worked together brilliantly all week and the project demanded a lot of everyone (adults and children) but every single person pulled their weight and as a result there was a wonderful team all pulling together to make the week feel so special.
“Lockerbrook was an amazing place with a forest at the back”
“I never knew somewhere like this existed in England”
“I also really loved the views, you wake up and its like a painted picture out of the window... normally its rubbish and streets and things to look at that are quite ugly”
“the drama was about barriers, hate, unity and peace and we acted it out together, thinking in-depth about what we were doing”
“Meeting the Finnish was amazing, they were kind and very friendly and we made friends very quickly”
“the walk was hard but I was proud of myself for completing it. The scenery was great as well. I didn’t give up”
“my highlight was everything, but if I was choosing one thing it would be meeting new people.”
Miss Claire has also added thoughts about the project onto her blog here at Stories Under Stones.
Some of our staff and year 6 pupils have just returned from an amazing, intensely busy, creative and nurturing week on the Erasmus + pupil camp. Some photos are below and many more will follow - everyone is incredibly eager to share what took place during such a memorable and monumental residential project with our Finnish colleagues.
There were pupils and staff form each school, combining their ideas, resources, thoughts and energies to create an incredibly moving theatre piece about connecting communities and creating peace. The week was packed from dawn to bedtime with drama, yoga, devising theatre, making books, creating clay sculptures, music, songs, composition, walks and exploring the landscape, gathering ideas, writing, eating - and helping to serve food, searching for natural treasures, walks in the night with torches to watch the stars and listen to owls... and so much more.
More information, links and images will follow. A film is being created of the theatre piece we created together - centred around a wonderfully moving story called "The Music of the Maple" by Tahmina Anam, taken from a wonderful book called "Why Willows Weep, published by the Woodland Trust.
We spent the week in the amazing setting of Lockerbrook Farm residential study centre - and we can't praise it highly enough! The staff there looked after us wonderfully and the stunning landscape was highly inspirational and awe-inspiring for all of us. Children commented on how they had no idea that a place as spectacular existed in England. Lockerbrook is on the hills high above Ladybower Reservoir in the north part of the Peak District - its not that far in miles really from Nottingham, but it felt like another world.
Pupils and staff from Dunkirk and Rastaala worked together brilliantly all week and the project demanded a lot of everyone (adults and children) but every single person pulled their weight and as a result there was a wonderful team all pulling together to make the week feel so special.
“Lockerbrook was an amazing place with a forest at the back”
“I never knew somewhere like this existed in England”
“I also really loved the views, you wake up and its like a painted picture out of the window... normally its rubbish and streets and things to look at that are quite ugly”
“the drama was about barriers, hate, unity and peace and we acted it out together, thinking in-depth about what we were doing”
“Meeting the Finnish was amazing, they were kind and very friendly and we made friends very quickly”
“the walk was hard but I was proud of myself for completing it. The scenery was great as well. I didn’t give up”
“my highlight was everything, but if I was choosing one thing it would be meeting new people.”
Miss Claire has also added thoughts about the project onto her blog here at Stories Under Stones.