School Newsletter 2024 Wrap Up
Kaya WCSS Community
By Class 6 graduating student, Norah.
A Little Breathing Space at Christmas
Leunig reminds us how easily a festival can become overtaken by commercial interests and lose what a festival should do: provide us with a window to a bigger view of human life and the cycles of existence….a little breathing space to contemplate life’s bigger picture.
In our fragmented world, it’s becoming ever more important to seek a common human understanding, to lift our gaze to the more universal human image that is celebrated in any world festival. Our view is then greater than membership in a particular faith and illumined by something beyond culture or creed. As global citizens, we can apply that lens to all world festival traditions and appreciate the gifts that each festival brings its followers.
First Nations festivals are wonderfully seasonal and profoundly connected with the living source of nature. For example, now it’s Birak, also known as the “Season of the Young” and it is a time of celebration, when Noongar people would gather together and move towards the coast where the ocean provides plenty of fresh food. At this time of the year the beautiful orange-yellow flowers of the Moodjar, a very spiritually significant tree for Noongar people, are in full bloom and dot the landscape with splashes of bright colour.
Hannukah (coinciding with Christmas) celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, marked by the daily lighting of candles, a fitting Festival for Class 3 to note.
The Hindu Diwali, the festival of Lights, celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. It is associated with Rama’s return to Ayodhya bringing back Sita after defeating the Demon King in the Ramayana, something that every Class 5 can celebrate knowing the origins of the festival.
Each of these festivals has a mood, a feeling that inwardly nourishes the members of the community.
And Christmas? Whatever your relationship with the traditional picture of Christmas may be, the core image of Christmas is a mother with a child. We celebrate the fragile vulnerability of a newborn touched by a divine intervention into human life on earth. Beyond this simple image, Rudolf Steiner outlined a world of deeper meanings that underlie the gifts of the Magi with their wisdom of learning, and the warmth of the shepherds in their simple heartfelt adoration. This whole picture is illuminated by the motif of the Angels' chorus:
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace!
Bearing this image quietly within us creates a mood that is not a matter of belief, but a feeling: joy to the world indeed! When we place the Advent preparations and celebrations of Christmas within this much larger context, we can embrace this long-held tradition as a fulfilling and nourishing time for our school community. May the joy of Christmas this year provide you and yours with the inner nourishment this festival promises and give you what all festivals should do… a little breathing space.
So now we close the year and look forward to the summer break. The office at West Coast Steiner School will close on Friday 20 December at 3 pm and reopen on Monday 6 January 2025. I wish all our Steiner school community a restful and refreshing break and may the promise of a little breathing space leave you feeling prepared for the new year ahead.
With warmth,
Jacqui Hollingworth
School Administrator/Principal
When I look out into the world, I see
Such wondrous beauty bursting forth in each direction.
When in my heart I look, I feel in me
How Nature's beauty here must find its true reflection.
For when my heart expands and grows aright,
When, on the wings of beauty, to the farthest realms of space
I'm taken,
Then is my own self lost within the light,
In quiet joy at last within the arms of God to waken.
In the Light of a Child, Michael Hedley Burton
Class 6 Graduation 2024
“Each one of us has it in themselves to be a free spirit, just as every rosebud has in it a rose.” - Rudolf Steiner
Congratulations to our graduating Class 6 students! Thank you to all those who attended their graduation ceremony at the end of term, to the primary classes for their beautiful performances, to their teachers Elaine and Holly for their dedication, and to their parents and caregivers who lovingly prepared the evening.
"May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand."
Our graduating Class 6 gifted mosaic bird baths, based on the six Noongar seasons, to different areas of our school grounds. Keep an eye out for them when you return in 2025! Students also created a school song for WCSS which they performed at the ceremony. Have a listen and read the lyrics below.
Administration Matters
Student Registration Form 2025
All schools are required to collect a Student Registration Form for every child each year. The form is due by January 31, 2025. Hard copies have been sent out with Semester 2 School Reports, and we appreciate your prompt attention to the completion and submission of the form. For those who prefer to complete this online please do so here.
2025 TERM DATES
Term 1: Wednesday February 5 - Friday April 11
Term 2: Thursday April 29 - Thursday June 26
Term 3: Monday July 21 - Thursday September 25
Term 4: Tuesday October 14 - Tuesday December 11
We are thrilled to announce that our playground upgrades have been completed. We look forward to seeing primary students engaging with the new slide, potion tables, climbing wall and frames in 2025.
Thank you to our Community Association, WCSSCA for the end of year Christmas Market - a lovely way to end the term and school year. We would like to acknowledge WCSSCA for all their efforts across 2024 in supporting our school. WCSSCA are a small group of parents who meet monthly and coordinate ways to enrich our community and student experience. If you wish to join WCSSCA in 2025 look out for details of their Welcome Morning Tea or email wcssca@wcss.wa.edu.au. All contributions of time, big or small, are welcomed and membership is very rewarding!
Early Childhood
Class 1, 2025 are received by their Primary Class Teacher, Mel Lenzi
On Monday December 9 after several days of considered and loving preparation, our Kindergarten Teachers guided their students across the river, leaving behind kindergarten to meet their Class 1 Teacher, Mel. After each child crossed the river they formed our Class 1, 2025. On the first day of Term 1, 2025 Class 1 will be welcomed into the Primary school by a song from Classes 2 - 6. All are invited to welcome them by staying just ten minutes or so after drop off and singing along.
Primary News
Class 2 Koodjal
As we come to the end of a beautiful year and the holidays arrive, it is a perfect time to pause and reflect on all the wonderful experiences that have woven the rich tapestry of our Class 2 journey. This year has been one of growth, creativity, and joyful connection, and it has been a blessing to share it with such a vibrant group of children.
Our days have been filled with stories and learning that have touched our hearts and inspired our imaginations. The children immersed themselves in the Saintly Lives and World Legends main lessons, where they explored tales of courage, humility, and compassion. These stories helped shape their moral understanding and sparked creativity through illustrations and dramatic retellings. The exploration of Fables deepened their appreciation of timeless wisdom, allowing them to reflect on the lessons hidden in each tale.
One of the shining highlights of the year was our class play, The King of Ireland’s Son. With dedication and joy, each child stepped into their role, bringing the story to life with expressive performances and heartfelt enthusiasm. This experience nurtured their confidence, teamwork, and love of storytelling, filling our classroom with magic and wonder.
Our foray into Celtic dance brought movement and rhythm into our days, where the children delighted in the joy of coordinated steps and lively music. This beautiful experience not only strengthened their sense of community but also connected them to the rich cultural traditions of the past.
We recently had the joy of visiting Whiteman Park, where the children connected with the natural world, engaged in hands-on activities, and experienced the wonder of the outdoors. I am including some photos from this excursion to share the smiles, laughter, and moments of discovery that made it so memorable.
In every corner of learning, from the careful work of Handwork to the exploration of patterns in Mathematics to the discovery of a new language in Indonesian, the children brought their curiosity and determination. Their hands, hearts, and minds have been busy creating, exploring, and growing.
As we look ahead to the holidays, I wish you all a time of rest, joy, and togetherness. Thank you, dear parents, for your unwavering support, your trust, and your partnership in this journey. Your presence and care have enriched our classroom community in countless ways.
May this festive season bring warmth to your hearts, and may the new year continue to nourish the beautiful seeds of learning and wonder we have planted together.
Love, Kasia
Class 2 Koodjal Teacher
Class 3 Dambart
Beautiful Christmas angels from Class 3!
Class 6 Maar Keyen
Class 6 have spent their final month at school exploring the geography of our Earth. We began by looking at the creation of the planet and formation of supercontinents over time due to tectonic forces. We then launched into a 3-day challenge to seek evidence of tectonic plate movement across the globe, affording us the opportunity to become adept at using atlases, strengthen our mapping skills, and gain an overview of Earth’s topography.
The remaining weeks were spent studying continental geography, and the movement of mankind across the globe. We began in Africa with the discovery of Lucy, a precursor to Homo sapiens, gaining a rich view of humanity’s shared origins in the “Cradle of Life.” Next, we travelled to Antarctica in 1911, joining explorers Amundsen and Scott as they raced to be the first to reach the South Pole, and the legendary Shackelton who rescued his team from the Weddel Sea, while documenting the treacherous landscape and incredible wildlife. Back home in Australia, we studied the states, climate and topography to understand why our continent is so flat yet so varied, and why 80% of our flora and fauna are found nowhere else on the globe. In South America, we each researched and presented a different country to the class to complete the map; while in North America, we lived into the story of the Land of the Great Turtle and how First Nations people communed with the landscape. We raced each other across Asia in a bingo challenge where the answers to the clues lay in our Atlases; before concluding with a visit to the in-class “travel agent”, working our way through a brochure of the countries so we could develop itineraries for our own Europetravel Adventure. Despite a little jetlag after our round-the-world journey, we managed to write our very own class verse to conclude the Main Lesson. We hope you enjoy it!
Seven Continents of Wonder – by Class 6
From the Cradle of Africa where humanity was born,
Humankind evolved and changed our form.
No longer quadrupedal, we founded many a nation;
Mama Africa holds the origins of our creation.
From South of the Equator, we reach the hottest land,
Arid, dry deserts filled with ochre red sand;
For 65,000 years, First Nations Australians have been here;
From Kimberleys to Uluru to Lutruwita, they fill the land with Spirit Care.
From the home of the Grand Canyon, rainforests and mountains,
North America has volcanos which spray out lava fountains.
First Nations fought to survive. Now like the eagle, they rise;
North America endures on Spirit Turtle’s back—giant in size.
From the Amazon, the world’s biggest rainforest,
South America’s beauty attracts many tourists.
From the marvels of ancient cities to Machu Pichu’s peak,
Many cultures to explore, many languages to speak.
From the forested Northwest to the humid East,
With 48 countries, Himalayas towering like a beast;
From the lowest Dead Sea to the highest peak, Everest,
No wonder tourists think that Asia is the best!
From the green hills in Ireland where the leprechauns dance,
To the ice hills of Lapland where the reindeer prance;
Europe is a continent filled with delights.
Grab a pretzel or baguette and enjoy the wondrous sights.
From two months with no sun in the treacherous polar South,
Where Emperor penguins huddle with fishes in their mouth;
Explorers and scientists braved the ice, risking their lives
To discover Antarctica—some meeting their demise.
Our Earth is a wonder: North, South, East and West.
Seven Continents to explore—which one is your best?
Compass in hand, Class 6 are now ready to explore the world beyond West Coast Steiner School. We are deeply thankful to the entire community for holding us with so much love throughout our pre-primary and primary years, and we particularly appreciate your support now as we move into high school and the next phase of our ongoing learning journey.
Elaine Meyer
Class 6 Maar Keyen Teacher
Indonesian
Holiday greetings from our sister school in Bali!
Woodwork
Class 5 woodwork projects.
Handwork
Class 1 completed projects.
Class 2.
Class 3
Class 4
Class 5
Class 6 completed their final handwork project for primary school, a hand sewn doll, guided by their Handwork teacher, Cheryl. No handmade doll is the same and the project requires determination and firm will as there is much sewing involved. Students utilise 3D design skills and planning in the creation of the doll and its clothing. Those who have made a doll will know of the assessment needed, the error and correction, and the joy and satisfaction of getting it just right!
The culmination of the project is the much loved Doll Naming Ceremony where students switch dolls and students from Classes 1 -5 try and guess which doll belongs to which student.
Bravo Class 6!
