School Newsletter Term 2 Week 2

Kaya WCSS Community

The months of April and May herald in the season of Djeran, where we experience a break in the hot weather. A key indicator of the change of season is the cool nights and a dewy presence in the early mornings. As the season progresses, the nights will become cooler and damp. The onset of cool and rainy days meant that traditional mia mias (houses or shelters) were repaired and updated to make sure they were waterproofed and facing in the right direction in readiness for the deep wintery months to come.

Djeran is a time of red flowers, especially from the red flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), as well as the more petite flowers of the summer flame (Beaufortia aestiva). As you travel around the Perth area, you may also notice the red ‘rust’ and seed cones forming on the male and female sheoaks (Allocasuarina fraseriana). Banksias start to display their flowers, ensuring that there are nectar food sources for the many small mammals and birds that rely upon them. Traditionally, foods at this time of year included the zamia seeds that had been collected and stored for treatment during the previous season. The root bulbs of the yanget (Bullrushes), freshwater fish, turtles and frogs were also common foods.  

Speaking of frogs, did you know that the southwest of WA is home to over 30 species of frogs?  Frogs are found near wet areas – deep water, ponds, or bogs. With the right balance of plants and animals, you can make the perfect frog habitat. Evidence shows that frogs have roamed the Earth for as long as dinosaurs. Frogs were also the first animals to have vocal cords, and each frog species has a unique call. Have you ever headed out at night to listen for as many frogs sounds as you can? It’s a magical experience – give it a go one evening!

Class 1-6 children took part in the Walkathon on Thursday. The weather was perfect and it was wonderful to have staff, children and families along, enjoying the event together! Now begins the task of collecting pledged funds. Contributions can be made electronically via Pay ID 0494 187 162 or by cash, which can be returned to Reception in the envelope provided, along with the pledge form. ALL pledge forms must be returned to school, even if no pledges have been made. We would like all forms and pledges to be returned by the end of Term 2, Thursday, June 26. The school is grateful to WCSSCA who donate these funds to worthy projects that enhance the learning of our children.

Our staff have been working with our architects at LeanHaus on the interior finishes of the new classrooms. We’re also incredibly fortunate to have talented parents at WCSS, including award winning landscape architects. Staff and Council have now begun working with REALMstudios to envision the design of outdoor spaces.

Keep an eye out next week for Edition 3 of our Looking Forward newsletter, where we will share some insights into the interior design selections, give an outline of timelines and answer some of the questions that have been posed through the survey. For those yet to submit a survey response, it is now available electronically. Just click here to provide your feedback. Alternatively, to ask questions email development@wcss.wa.edu.au for a response from the School Council.

See you tonight from 7pm at the Oxford Hotel for our 30th Birthday Sundowner!

With warmth,

Jacqui Hollingworth

School Administrator/Principal

Administration Matters

DENTAL SERVICE

Every year Dental Health Services (DHS) offers parents and carers the chance to register their kids for free dental care at the School Dental Service (SDS). The offer is open to every student from the year they turn 5 until their 17^th birthday and includes check-ups, fillings, and simple extractions.

Children who are new to WCSS or not yet enrolled in the SDS will bring home an envelope on Monday May 12 with an enrolment form, FAQs, and reply-paid envelope. Just fill in the enrolment form, pop it in the reply-paid envelope, and put it in your nearest post box.

Once we receive your form our team will register your child and you will receive an appointment in the mail.

If you would like further information on DHS services and the SDS please visit our website: www.dental.wa.gov.au or scan the QR code.

Shining a Light On...

In order to ensure our policies and procedures are highly visible to parents/carers, we highlight a policy or important procedure in each newsletter. If you are interested in a specific policy check the Key Info Tab on the school website or email Reception to receive a copy. 

All WCSS policies are reviewed periodically and updated and/or amended guided by compliance and best practice and ratified by the School Council.

In this edition we highlight the Learning Support Policy. Commencing this term and resulting from parent feedback and our Strategic Plan, we welcome a new expanded Learning Support team. You can read more about this in the "Learning Support" section in this newsletter and view the policy by clicking the link below.

Family Commitment Opportunities

Steiner Spotlight

Out this week on Steiner Education Australia’s podcast series, Steiner Voices XYZ, is Sophia Montefiore. Sophia is Senior High School Coordinator at the Newcastle Waldorf School. As well as teaching across a number of subjects, Sophia is an artist, published illustrator and more recently a worldwide teacher of Projective Geometry, a discipline that blends the rigour of Mathematics with the beauty of Art. In this episode she discusses her work and speaks about the power of this subject to change how we see the world: by expanding our awareness out to Infinity and back, we learn to see the profound connections that underlie our existence. As a Main Lesson in Year 11, Projective Geometry opens the doors of perception for students to see the interconnectedness and beauty of our material, and non-material worlds.

Parent Education

View the rich offerings for Term 2 below. To book go to the link at the bottom of each poster and follow the prompts. When your booking is complete choose the calendar option of your choice at the top of your booking confirmation. Here you can change the time from AEST to AWST and set your reminder. You can then choose to watch live or receive the recording link.

We trust you will find value in these presentations and welcome your feedback. Family Commitment Hours are claimable for completing these sessions. 

WCSS Parent Engagement team

Parent Engagement

EMPIRE GAME OF THE WEEK

CASCADIA

Eager elk, slippery salmon, and hungry hawks need your help to create the most harmonious habitat possible. Cascadia is a puzzly tile-laying and token-drafting game featuring the habitats and wildlife of the Pacific Northwest.

Through fun gameplay and a beautiful theme, it supports critical thinking, mathematical processes, and spatial awareness. 

Released in 2021 by Flatout Games, Cascadia won the most prestigious award in board gaming, the Spiel Des Jahres in 2023 (among countless others).

Cascadia suits 1-4 players, Age 10+ for 30-45 minutes.

It costs around $75 and now has several expansions available. 

I hope you enjoy playing it and would love to hear your feedback!

David “The Wanderer” Hammond

WCSS Teacher and Host of Empire

www.empireboardgamesclub.com 

Early Childhood News

Primary News

Class 3 Dambart

Welcome to Term 2. I hope the holidays brought some rest and connection to your families. The children have returned with open hearts and lively energy, and we’ve stepped straight into our new Grammar Main Lesson.

Through stories, rhythm, and bookwork, we’ve been exploring the world of words, starting with Queen Noun, who names all things proper and common. We celebrated the Festival of Places and acted out verbs in motion. This week, we’ve met the Three Time Travellers, Past, Present, and Future, who’ve helped us understand how verbs change depending on when something happens.

There’s been lots of fun with games, movement, sentence building, and colourful grammar stories. The children are working with great focus and care in their books, illustrating, copying, and creating their own examples as their confidence grows.

After Grammar, we’ll move into our Measurement (capacity) and Time Main Lesson. We also hope to visit Landsdale Farm and start rehearsing for our Class Play later this term. Exciting things ahead!

Along with Class 2 and Class 5, we also celebrated our mothers this week with a relaxing sound healing session  and special morning tea!

Kasia Rymarczyk

Class 3 Dambart Teacher

Class 4 Koodjal Koodjal

Class 4 experienced their first camp last week, enjoying three glorious days immersed in the joys of horse riding on our Human Being and the Animal Kingdom camp.

Every student had the opportunity to build confidence in all elements of horse care, from feeding and grooming to walking, trotting, and leading our friends on horseback through obstacle courses. We got a chance to experience a ride in the horse float, learned about horse anatomy, visit the farrier and the equine dentist, and frolic with the resident dogs, goats, alpacas, and sheep.

Back at the beautiful new campsite in Sorrento, we enjoyed team-building games on the beach, an “Escape the Night” treasure hunt challenge, feasted like kings, and slept like logs after our long days with the horses.

The weather was just perfect, and we were so sad to say goodbye to the beautiful horses and ponies with whom we had bonded. Every child stepped up and showed courage and trust in the horses and in one another. It was a most beautiful thing for a teacher to behold.

A lot of planning and expertise goes into ensuring that these annual camps are memorable and confidence-building experiences for our upper-school students. Class Teachers rely on the support of the whole parent group, as well as staff and volunteers who set aside their family time to support the camp.

My heartfelt thanks go to the staff at Ern Halliday and at the Wanneroo Riding and Therapeutic Centre, who made the experience so immersive, engaging, and joyful for our students. Deepest gratitude, too, to parents who baked and fundraised for an extra-special camp this year. Special thanks to Ramneek, Claire, and Amy S for supporting the students, along with our parent volunteers: Rob, who helped look after the boys, and the amazing Ebynee, who drove our bus!

We have been writing poems to our horses and look forward to sharing these with you at our next assembly. 

Elaine Meyer

Class 4 Koodjal-Koodjal Teacher

Class 6 Maar Keyen 

Ancient Romans were proud to be a part of the Roman Republic. They saw themselves as powerful, courageous, and just. But did they stand actually for justice? During the second century BC, Lady Cornelia was a prominent Roman matron and lived on Palatine Hill in a beautiful patrician house in Rome. Patrician houses were centred around an atrium, with intricate tapestries and marble pillars. Sunlight would stream through a hole in the centre of the house that would let in water when it rained, falling into a little pool. The word palace comes from patrician.

At the time of Lady Cornelius, Roman society was primarily divided into two main classes, the patricians (upper class) and the plebians (the lower class). Lady Cornelia had two sons, Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus. One day she took her two sons down the hill into the valley to show them how the plebians lived. The boys were shocked to see them living in small one room houses surrounded by mud, with little sanitation and few possessions. Despite the plebians fighting bravely and proudly alongside the patricians in war time, they owned little land and worked hard to just survive. They also had fewer rights and were not permitted to be part of the Roman government. That day, the two brothers pledged to their mother, that when they grew up, they would set things right and make Rome more just!

As the story continues, the two boys became great orators and vowed to make great reforms in Rome. First Tiberius, then Gaius were elected as tribunes in the Roman Government. Tribunes were elected every year to represent the plebians. The other patricians that made up the government did not want to give land to the plebians or change their ways and the two brothers paid with their lives. They become heroes and due to the reforms they made created a legacy.

Class 6 imagined they were a tour guide in a famous museum. As they stopped at the exhibit of the Gracchus brothers, they explained to the tourist the inspiring story about how the two brothers stood up for their fellow Romans and changed the laws creating a fairer Rome.

As student senators, Class 6 are excited about creating change and a safe and supportive environment for their fellow students. This term they are working on a number of projects, giving a voice to the students and taking all their suggestions into consideration.

This term their initiatives include…

Promoting the Premier's Reading Challenge.

The students will talk to the classes about their own love of reading, create posters and get everyone excited about books! They will distribute ‘Reading Trackers’ and each student will track the books they read over the month. Student senators will collect them each week, calculate the number of books read by each class as a percentage and create a graph to present at assembly.

The Golden Broom Challenge

Senators will encourage keeping our school free from litter and promote the importance of each of us taking responsibility for keeping our classrooms, verandas and playgrounds tidy. They will talk at assembly about the topic and mingle with the students during eating time introducing themselves and promoting the importance of cleanliness. At each assembly they will present a Golden Broom to a different class each week for their efforts.

Healthy Lunchboxes

Senators will set a good example with healthy low/no packaging foods and creatively bring up healthy eating for strong bodies and minds.

Wednesday Sausage Sizzle

The senators want to get involved in school life and create a fun atmosphere. They will organise and execute a sausage sizzle at lunchtime on Wednesdays in Week 3, 4 and 5! We are fundraising for various things at school such as graduation and music stands. 

Aimee Waller

Class 6 Maar Keyen Teacher

Learning Support

Dear West Coast Community,

We have said farewell to our much-loved Learning Support Teacher, Liz Separovich. Liz has built up our Learning Support Programme since 2017 using her many amazing skills in analytics and assessment and has shared her great knowledge in neurodiversity and learning difficulties.

I would like to introduce myself to the community as the new Learning Support Co-ordinator, my name is Aimee Waller. This year I will be working on Wednesdays in Learning Support and will be collaborating with an amazing team of educators to bring support to students and teachers in learning and assessment. Our dedicated team also includes Ramneek Kaur, Jayne Wylie and Sarah Jordan who are all committed to supporting student growth and learning.

 I am currently the Class 6 Teacher, having supported my beautiful class since Class 1. They are now in their final year and are proud leaders of the school, getting excited about all things Class 6 and looking towards a new and exciting journey through to high school. I am a mother of two boys, one at West Coast Steiner School (WCSS) and one at Perth Waldorf High School (PWS), and have been working as an educator for more than 2 decades. I will be taking the role on in a fuller capacity in 2026. I have a BPsych and MTeach and looking forward to furthering my qualifications and knowledge in the area of Learning Support.

In the role of Literacy Learning Support Teacher, the wonderful Jayne Wylie is returning from maternity leave after taking a class from Class 4 to Class 6 (Class of 2021) and then a Class 1 to Class 3 cycle before she had her second baby girl. Jayne’s eldest daughter attends WCSS. She will be working Wednesdays and Fridays. We will also be partnered with the beautiful Ramneek Kaur who will continue to work hard in administration and Mathematics extension and support.  Ramneek is a very experienced Steiner teacher, completing two cycles (Class of 2019 and Class of 2023) and is the mother of two boys who graduated from WCSS. Ramneek has a wealth of knowledge in the underpinning anthroposophical understanding behind Steiner education and is dedicated to upholding these values and core principles.

Finally, Sarah our gorgeous Playgroup Coordinator who is also a qualified and skilled Extra Lesson Teacher. Sarah is the mother of 3 children who have graduated from WCSS. Extra Lesson is an intervention program designed for children experiencing learning and/or behavioural difficulties. It is a movement-based approach that utilises a holistic integrated perspective involving movement, speech, rhythm, and arts. It is a vital component of Steiner Education and is designed for one-on-one work with students. Sarah will be utilising her expertise to adapt Extra Lesson elements to also work with small groups and whole classes.

We are all very excited at the prospect of working as a Learning Support Team this year and bringing renewed vibrancy and ideas to this area.

Learning Support comprises of ‘Whole School Assessment’ and ‘Analytics’ that keep our school accredited and accountable. However, most importantly, it is to support the children, aiming to provide them with the best opportunities to thrive. We are committed to educating the whole child and will take into account all their needs - emotionally, physically, intellectually, and spiritually, before curating any intervention. Learning Support can happen within the classroom and outside the classroom. In the classrooms, the educators provide quality instruction and differentiation, tailoring their instruction and assessment to meet the diverse needs of learners, considering their readiness and learning styles. Outside the classroom in our support room, we work with small groups or individuals aimed to target their specific needs. We aim to accommodate all different requirements including sensory needs and learning goals.

All four of us are committed to collaborating with, Class Teachers, Ruth Powell (Holistic Counsellor), administration, and of course, you, the parents, to best support  student needs. We use a combination of best practise intervention programmes and professional teacher curated programmes that are underpinned by the Steiner philosophy. We understand that communication is key and welcome parents to come and talk with us and share and/or ask questions regarding Learning Support. Having children of our own, with various needs, we understand that every child is uniquely, beautifully, and wonderfully different. Working closely with the child’s teacher and using various screening methods we will identify your children’s needs. You will receive communication from us if your child is identified by their teacher as needing remedial or extension support and welcome your input and perspective in this area.

This is a thrilling time to be a part of the West Coast Steiner community, with the new building project nearly underway, as our school continues to work towards an exciting future.  It is a time for change and renewal, and we are all delighted to be a part of this! We look forward to working with your gorgeous children and meeting their wonderful families who make WCSS the amazing school that it is.

If you would like to know more about Learning Support, please email me.

Aimee Waller

Class 6 Teacher and Learning Support Coordinator

Aimee.waller@wcss.wa.edu.au

You can also check out our School Learning Support Policy in the Shining a Light On section of this newsletter.

Music

As the seasons change we are back at school and right back in with music making.

The choir is learning new songs to perform at our next Choir Assembly (June 5 at 8.45am), after which we will start relearning our songs for the Winter Festival. Parents who love to sing and want to be more confident around the bonfire at the Winter Festival are welcome to join me on Monday mornings from 8.30am at the Hub where we will be singing both the Early Childhood and Primary Winter Festival songs. It is a lovely way to start the morning after dropping your children off at school. The singing usually takes 10-20 minutes. Everybody is welcome and no prior singing experience is required.

The Orchestra is busily learning new pieces to perform at our Strings Assembly (date TBC) this term. Each class are also working on class pieces which will also be performed at the assembly.

Class 1 are enjoying learning new songs on the recorder. So far they have learned how to play four songs by joining a girl called Melody on her musical journey. They learned how to make a beautiful sound on their recorders from the wind and some ants taught them to have the left hand on top when they play. Each student waits patiently as I check if they have the correct hand on top and whether they are covering the correct holes as we are learning new notes. It has been a joy to bring the beauty of this instrument to Class 1.

Cristina Filgueira

Strings Specialist and Choir Teacher

Soft Handwork

At the end of Term 1, Class 3 were finishing their last term of knitting. Some students had time to knit a beanie for their doll- but they did not fit them! We also saw lots of lovely hairstyles!

Woodwork

Sustainability

We are now an accredited Waste Sorted School! A big and sincere thank you to Class 3 Teacher, Kasia for all her passionate, hard work in helping to make this happen. 

We’ve covered Reducing and Re-using in the newsletters recently, so this week it’s Recycling.  I have just been through the Recycling Hub. Lots of families are taking advantage of the recycling available here at school.  I’m sure it extends into our communities too, my mum is giving me her milk lids, empty toothpaste tubes and old toothbrushes to recycle. 

Two big bags of lids are in the boot of my car and ready to drop off at the tip. 

A few tips and notes on things found in the recycling bin today;

• Metal lids can be put in your yellow top bin
• Batteries can be recycled at the tip
• Cardboard bread tags can be put into your compost
• Lids bigger than the palm of your hand can be put in your yellow top bin 
• Plastic bread tags go in your red top bin
• Aluminium lids can go into aluminium cans and go in the yellow top bin, otherwise your red top bin
• Lids to silver lined containers (aseptic bricks/long life cartons) make up a large proportion of the lids in our bin.  The containers themselves can’t be recycled, can you find an alternative?
• Plastic pouches, such as those used for kids’ yoghurt are also not recyclable.  Could you buy the reusable pouches*?  Could you put yoghurt into a container and children could eat it with a spoon? (one way of recycling the yellow spoons we get with kiwifruit) 

*Reusable food pouches.  Choice magazine (2022) recommends ChooMee, Little Mashies, Squooshies, and more. 

My recycling this week?

• We adopted a dog yesterday, from the Dogs’ Refuge Home.  His name is Tiger and he is a staffy/kelpie cross
• And not really recycling …  at the end of the week I stew any fruit that is not going to be eaten. Max , 16, eats it either on its own or with plain yoghurt. It would be great to put in food pouches. It never lasts long enough in our house to make it to school lunches!

Vanessa Beesley - Deputy Principal

WCSS Community Association

Dear School Community,

WCSSCA wish to thank everyone who assisted and participated in making the school Walkathon a successful and fun filled event. Everyone involved did an amazing job and should feel proud of their contribution. All of the effort and the money raised goes towards making the school even better. If you got sponsors, don’t forget to collect the donations and drop the money and your forms into Reception.

On another note, the Community Association's Annual General Meeting will be held 2pm, Friday 13th June, at the Hub and we are now calling for nominations for election to the committee. The WCSSCA committee is run by volunteers and we are always welcoming people who would like to be involved. With the AGM coming soon, it is a great opportunity for people to get to know who we are and what we do and become part of it.

Warmly  

WSCCSA

wcssca@wcss.wa.edu.au

Parent Business Directory

Welcome to the section where we share information on WCSS family owned businesses. If you are an enrolled WCSS family, run a business and would like to promote this to our school community please send your details (a few sentences describing your business, contact details and a logo or image) to marketing@wcss.wa.edu.au

Cheesebuddy is an Australian made Brazilian cheese bread which is gluten free, versatile, delicious... and owned and operated by a WCSS family! Cheesebuddy products are available at Woolworths, Costco, IGA, Farmer Jack’s and others. Chat with Yuri - M:0402730490

BREATHWORK: What is it? And how it can help?

Breathwork is a practice that relaxes your nervous system with the power of your own breath. 

Breathwork will bring you out of the fight and flight state your body and mind are constantly in,  allowing you to find joy, peace and bliss in your life. 

The benefits of breathwork are endless, including helping you work on your chronic pain as well as helping with PTSD and trauma. To learn more about breathwork contact kindergarten parent, Giulia on 0451 119 102

Rhema Group is a WCSS family owned  building and carpentry company specialising on all structural carpentry projects, from house framing to decks and patios. Contact them via the details below or visit their website to  learn more. 

Yol Creative

Run by our very own Woodwork Specialist, Yolanda Millar, Yol Creative provides creative workshops for anyone who would like to explore their artistic side. Workshops are great for team building activities, get togethers, birthdays or just if you would like to learn some skills and have some fun! Explore the Facebook Page for more info.

Author - Nicole Watts

WCSS parent and author, Nicole Watts has a Bachelor of Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts. She has been on both sides of the mental health divide, having worked in the mental health sector and having a history of depression and anxiety. Nicole's book, Little Bundle of Sorrow, is a collection of womens' stories of postnatal depression. Find out more at her website. Copies of the book can be ordered from Amazon or publisher, Austin McCauley.

Community News

CONGRATULATIONS ZENITH

A big congratulations to Class 6 student, Zenith, on winning gold in the under 28kg division at The Penang Invitational Judo Championship. This international tournament brought together over 200 competitors from 11 countries and 10 Malaysian states. Zenith is incredibly committed to his training and has worked hard to represent his club internationally - well done Zenith!

DAVID'S EUROPEAN TRAVELS

Games Teacher and Class 6 Wednesday Teacher, David's European adventure started a couple of weeks ago, and he has kindly shared some photos of his travels so far! Week 1 was spent in Spain, then Croatia and Greece for week 3 - what a journey! We look forward to hearing more from David in the coming weeks.

Looking for an engaging and enriching after-school activity for your child?

Empire is a unique opportunity for students in Classes 3 - 6 to dive into a world of modern board games designed to spark creativity, critical thinking, and teamwork. With over 100 award-winning games to choose from, students will explore new strategies, build friendships, and develop key skills – all while having loads of fun!

Run by David Hammond, an experienced Steiner primary school teacher, Empire offers a positive and inclusive environment where every child is encouraged to learn, play, and grow.

Ready for your child to become part of this exciting community?

Discover more about how they can join the adventure at: www.empiregamesclub.com

HOUSE TO RENT IN BALCATTA

Our house in Balcatta is available for rent for 1-2 years. We are looking for a suitable family that appreciates gardening, will look after our house and our sweet 15 year old cat (low maintenance, indoor/outdoor cat) while we are overseas.

The house has 3 bedrooms, one bathroom, an outdoor shower, garage, solar panels, and spacious backyard with a climbing wall (if wanted).

There is a big veggie patch at the front, fruit trees (lime, grapevines, passionfruit, pawpaw, banana, apple), cubby house and a park across the road.

Can be half furnished or unfurnished. Can also come with 4 chickens (if wanted).

It is a good location in a quiet street: a 5 minute drive or bike ride to school, 15-minute drive to the city (5-minute walk from public transport on Wanneroo Rd, Main St or Karrinyup Rd) and 15 minute-drive to the beach.

The house will be available around the second half of July (exact date not available yet).

Contact Tim 0409 800 856 of Julia 0415 898 101 for more info and/or to visit the house.

Coming Events

May

Tuesday 15: Class 3 Market Day

Wednesday 14: Class 6 Fundraiser Sausage Sizzle Lunch

Tuesday 20: Class 4 Market Day

Wednesday 21: Class 5 Gym Excursion, Class 6 Fundraiser Sausage Sizzle Lunch

Friday 30: Pupil Free Day

SAVE THE DATES

Choir Assembly: June 5 at 8.45am

For further Term Dates check the school website calendar

WEEKLY

Market Day: Tuesdays 3.05pm

Craft Group: Thursdays 12.45pm at The Hub

Parent Study Group: Thursdays 9.00am at The Hub or Library

Yarning Circle: Wednesdays 8.40am at The Hub

Weeding Wednesday: Wednesday 1.45pm - 2.45pm

Winter Festival Song Practice: Mondays at the Hub 8.30am

WA Anthroposophical Study Group: Mondays 7.30pm in the Staff Room

Golden Threads
Monday-Friday 8.00am-10.30am
Mon, Weds, Fri 2.30pm-3.30pm
Thursday 1.30pm - 3.00pm