We asked our parents, what does our vision 'Let Your Light Shine' mean to you? They said...
"It means be the best you can be, be yourself, let God shine through you, let your light shine on others to lift them up and give happiness."
"We feel it means be the best you can be or make the most of yourself/talents with the objective of helping others for the greater good. It's all about flourishing."
"Showing a little of Jesus and his character through the school which all those values above mimic."
"Helping our children to be themselves and all they can be to the best of their ability - and that each one of them is important and valued."
"I feel that it encourages every child to be themselves and do the things that makes them happy. The school is composed of individuals and each child is encouraged and supported to work with their strengths."
"The children have the opportunity to excel in many ways - in arts, sport, music and academically. These opportunities are there for all but the foundation of all these is to help each child to be a well rounded citizen, with values that shape the community - being kind, respectful with the courage to try new things and to enjoy each day."
"Sharing, caring being mindful of each other are all key attributes. Politeness and listening skills are also instilled in the children to ensure that all have the opportunity to reflect on what a teacher - or whilst in church, the vicar - is saying."
Some of our parents agreed that community is an area where we can pull together even more, and share our vision and values more widely. This will be seen in work coming up.
We asked our parents about our values and if/how they had seen them in action at school. Here are some of their responses - we were totally overwhelmed and exceptionally proud to receive them:
RESPECT:
"My children have learnt to respect each others feelings and opinions. They may not always agree but they have been taught to be kind and respect each other."
"My children understand how to treat others, listening to other people's points of views. Teachers listen to the children as well which is important."
"Children are encouraged to speak to each other with respect and consider how behaviours affect others. As a parent I have always been treated with the upmost consideration and my concerns and opinions always respected."
"There is certainly a strong attitude of respect amongst the staff, and it appears to us that there is a high level of respect and politeness amongst the children and from them to the staff."
JOY:
"Diptford does appear to be a happy school amongst the children, and our children look forward to going to school each day. They enjoy the variety of activities offered. From what we used to see of the children in the playground, joy was evident."
"Yes in abundance. the school is a happy place filled with fun and activity. They take joy from their lessons and their friends as well as the overall school culture."
"My children have loved their time at Diptford, grasping the opportunities a small school can offer - there's always a main part in the school play, there's always the opportunity to be a part of a team - and its important they all participate and support each other! They look and feel proud to represent the school and they have the belief they can achieve, always giving their 100%! There is always a lot of laughter in everything that they do."
"From what I have seen, the children are so happy. I feel joy is injected into daily activities within the school. Work is fun and new angles found to encourage the kids to explore their own capabilities."
"Weekly newsletters tell us all the fun and achievements the children have had throughout the week."
"Joy, so when (my child) comes back from school sometimes she speaks with so much joy about what’s done that day."
KINDNESS:
"During the Sports days I’ve always seen how kind and encouraging the older ones have been to (my child), so lovely to watch and listen to that."
"I've only ever experienced and witnessed kindness and understanding to the children. I see it in the way my child behaves and talks at home (sharing is caring, etc), but also when he has been upset or hurt at school."
"Kindness is the foundation for Diptford. This does not mean that the children do not have times when they have disagreements but they are taught to talk things through and to be kind. This value is the foundation for their growth into secondary school and beyond and is a strong value that resonates throughout all Old Dippers."
"The school operates a whole school approach so all children are nurtured, when my children have had a bump or knock, other children have wanted to help and make sure they are okay. The children know what kindness means."
"We have observed and heard of the older children supporting the younger ones in class, in the playground and at lunch time. There are many small acts of kindness which take place and which appear to happen spontaneously."
COURAGE:
"Every day, especially in the face of this pandemic. From a parent point of view, I feel the staff at Diptford met this challenge head on, with the children’s best interests always at the heart of things. It is a credit to you all that the kids have been able to return, and for things to feel almost normal for them."
"Courage to learn and make mistakes - my children seem keen to step up and contribute so the environment they are in enables them to be courageous."
"Presenting themselves at church festivals and school plays, seeing the children develop through the school, starting with the courage to stand up and face the parents - to being courageous enough to either sing by themselves or take a part in the school play - its not only a pleasure to see your own child flourish but to see them praise their peers. The courage to be a part of the school teams - the importance to their peers that they contribute to ensure they have enough participants for a team!"
"The staff seem willing to take on any challenge thrown at them with conviction and confidence. Many of the children display the same attributes..."
"Courage is definitely shown by staff, my child is often feeling happy when they have achieved something, and proud to tell me how well they have done."
THANKFULNESS:
"Diptford is very humble, but the school has so much heart. And fundraising efforts and contributions from parents and teachers is always so appreciated."
"The school are thankful when parents can help with fundraising and any resources that might be needed for the school. They teach the children to be thankful in there approach to school work and learning."
"Yes through harvest festival they were thankful for what they have, considerate to those with less."
"As with "respect", this is evident in the school amongst both staff and children, including our own."
"The children do collective worship over the screen classrooms at the moment, each week and they continue to do a prayer of thanks before lunch each day."
COMMUNITY:
"I think the interaction with the community is really special, such as the food collection for harvest, and how many of the kids communicated throughout lockdown."
"The families that attend Diptford school are a strong community who help and support the school, shown by friends of Diptford school putting on events and fundraising for the school."