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SaMS AGM 25th February
Marianne Harding
Christmas concert
Summer concert
Friends of SaMS
SaMS funding and fees
Spring concert
Totnes MP's visit to SaMS

SaMS AGM 25th February

Our next AGM is at 12.30 pm on Saturday 25th February 2012. AGMs are open to all students, parents, helpers, staff and supporters; please come along and support us. As well as the usual business, the main topic of discussion will be our recent application to Youth Music for funding for the next 18 months. By then we should have heard whether or not we have got through the first round and the implications of the decision either way. Here is the agenda of the AGM.

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Marianne Harding

Marianne Harding, our Sing & Play tutor, has had an eventful Christmas "break" (her pun) having broken her leg in three places in an ice skating accident and so is not going to be at SaMS for about 8 weeks. Fortunately Bernie Artuso is able to fill in for her again with the Sing and Play session, and we are grateful to her for stepping in at the last moment.

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Christmas concert

Our Christmas concert was on Saturday 3rd December at the Ariel Centre. It was a great success and enjoyed by all who attended. All the SaMS groups gave impressive performances of the music they have been working on during the term. The Friends of SaMS provided refreshments and ran a raffle, which raised over £400 towards our funds. Here is the concert programme.

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Summer concert

Our Summer end-of-term concert was held on Saturday 2nd July at the Ariel Centre. All the SaMS young musicians performed the music they had been working on during the term. Here is the programme of the concert.

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Friends of SaMS

From September 2011 SaMS has been financially independent (see below) and needs to raise funds to cover its costs and keep fees at a reasonable level. Several parents, led by Clare Davies and Kathryn Bennett, have formed a Friends of SaMS group to co-ordinate fundraising and support for SaMS. They are now planning several fundraising events, so watch this space for more details over the coming months. They would like the Friends of SaMS to include as many parents and friends as possible. If you are willing to be involved or would like more details please email the Friends of SaMS.

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SaMS funding and fees

For the last ten years SaMS has received substantial financial support from KEVICC, which has meant that fees paid by parents have not had to reflect our real costs. Because the funding of schools has been restructured KEVICC is no longer able to offer the same level of financial support. They remain very supportive of what we do and continue to allow us to use school facilities.

We have set up a fundraising committee to consider how to bridge the financial gap. They have approached a professional fundraiser with an excellent track record, whom we hope to engage in the near future. We have already had two offers of financial support; an anonymous donation from a SaMS parent, and funding from a local trust. The Friends of SaMS are planning several fundraising events. This is a great start but we still have a long way to go.

If you have any queries or suggestions about SaMS funding please contact the Friends of SaMS, or Lewis, or any member of the Committee.

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Spring concert

Our Spring end-of-term concert was on Saturday 2nd April at the Ariel Centre. All the SaMS young musicians performed. Parents, relatives and friends enjoyed the music we have been working on this term. Here is the concert programme.

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Totnes MP's visit to SaMS

Dr Sarah Wollaston, the new MP for Totnes, visited SaMS on Saturday 19th March. She was with us for about an hour and was able to see what our groups were doing, hear the music we made and meet staff and students. She was impressed with what she saw and heard and offered her support and encouragement. Here is the letter Dr Wollaston sent us.

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Newsletters

SaMS produces a newsletter each term. This gives details of any changes to SaMS workshops, lessons, tutors or other arrangements; information about concerts; news of other musical events coming up in the area; information about other local opportunities for young musicians; reports by students on their experiences in SaMS and elsewhere; and other information of interest.

SaMS students and their parents should make sure they read the newsletter soon after it is issued as it contains some important information. Students are given copies to take home but if you find you have missed it you can read it here.

Click on the links below to read our newsletters; they are in Adobe pdf format. The most recent come first.

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