School Newsletter Term 1 Week 4
Kaya WCSS Community
Thank you to all parents and carers who have been on campus over the past few weeks to attend Class Meetings. This investment of time in your child’s education is so very important. It gives you the chance to establish and strengthen your ties with your class community and teacher and helps to increase your understanding about our approach to learning and teaching. Most importantly, it sends that strong message to your child that you care deeply about their school life, and it shows your support of our teachers and willingness to work with us in placing the children at the centre of what we do. I encourage you to continue to attend Class Meetings and parent education events over the year. It will be possible to claim Family Commitment Hours for attendance at any special school talks and workshops, not including Class Meetings.
As we reach the half-way mark of our first term, we soon take a moment to pause and breathe and enjoy a long weekend. On Friday 3 March, our Pupil Free Day next week, our dedicated staff will be engaged in professional learning related to increasing our awareness of Restorative Justice practices, discussing Spelling teaching and assessment, and participating in Anthroposophical study and creative practices.
I hope you enjoy some peaceful and happy family time over the break and look forward to seeing everyone return refreshed on Tuesday 7 March. Please take time to read about what classes have been up to over the past fortnight and to share in the wonderful learning that is taking place. There are many more joyful special events to come this term such as our Cliff Humphries Book Launch, our Harmony Week festivities, the Celtic Dance and Easter celebrations.
With warmth
Jenny Dougan
SA/Principal
The light rains down. My king, in this late-summer hour,
You reign within my heart as well, with growing power.
You shine with strength. You gleam and glance and glisten.
You lead me into depths where I, within the silence, learn to listen.
And there you form life's fruits, fruits good to eat,
In weaving soul-light warm, where they grow ripe and rich and sweet.
In the Light of a Child, Michael Hedley Burton
Class 5 (2022) students working on the Elder Cliff Humphries Project
West Coast Steiner School is inviting the community to share in a powerful reconciliation project that students have undertaken with the family of the late Noongar Elder Cliff Humphries, one of the last fluent Noongar speakers in the world.
A senior Ballardong Elder who held within him a library of ancient Noongar knowledge, the Elder recorded hundreds of these Dreamtime stories and songs prior to his passing, and tasked his family with sharing these with the Noongar and wider community in an effort to preserve Noongar language and culture.
Surviving family members have now begun the publishing process, working with WCSS students to get the archival materials shared through the Elder Cliff Humphries Reconciliation Project.
Our students collaborated with the Elder’s family to illustrate the Elder’s collection of Noongar anatomical terms, believed to be the largest collection from a single source. This collection showcases the depth of Noongar scientific knowledge embedded in the ancient language.
Having won a Community Creativity Fund grant from the City of Stirling for the project, we have been able to publish 1,000 copies of the book which will be on sale at the Launch .
The launch will be held at 9:30am on Thursday 9 March at the school campus. It will include an opportunity to see an authentic Noongar Welcome to Country in the ancient tradition, learn about the Elder from his surviving daughters, be taught an ancient middar by the Elder’s great grandson around the fire, and enjoy a bush tucker tea and yarn with the family.
From Administration
CELTIC DANCE RAFFLE DONATIONS
Our 2023 Celtic Dance is on March 24 and we are planning another amazing raffle! Please drop donations of natural personal care products,organic coffee, hot chocolate powders, long-life barista plant milk, organic chocolate (e.g. PANA, Greens & Blacks) and Steiner inspired felt craft items to Reception.
Dental Enrolment Forms
Dental Enrolment Forms were issued on Wednesday 15 February. Please return completed forms to Reception by Tuesday, 28 February.
GIVING
Thank you to Sally from Dulux for a kind donation to our school this week of sealant to protect our deadly new mural! If you would like to give to WCSS all donations to our Building Fund (over $2) are tax deductible.
BSB: 633 000 ACC: 199346107
Family Commitment Hours Opportunities
Our new newsletter section will include special Family Commitment Hours projects but there are always many ways to help out including joining WCSSCA, gardening, volunteering at Golden Threads or the Library, monitoring Kiss 'n' Drive or baking for staff meetings to name a few!
WORD SKILLS
Do you have intermediate to high level Word skills? We need someone to create several forms for Administration. Contact reception@wcss.wa.edu.au if you would like to take on this project.
BAKING/CATERING
We always need healthy sweet and savoury food for various events. If you would like to contribute and earn family commiment hours just drop off your donation (ie. cake, slice, quiche, fruit platter, savoury platter) to Reception on the morning of the event. Please include an ingredient list.
Upcoming dates are:
Friday March 3: Staff PD Day
Thursday March 16: All Staff Meeting 2.30pm
Monday March 20: Heads of Steiner Schools Meeting 9.45am
Friday March 24: Celtic Dance Cake Stall
Building/Woodwork
This cubby was made for the school several years ago by parents, it has seen many years of joyful play and now needs rebuilding. If you can help please email financeofficer@wcss.wa.edu.au
Early Childhood
The first weeks of kindergarten are filled with excitement and many challenges. The Kindy 4s are starting school for the first time. The Kindy 5s are now staying for three full days, enjoying the rest time and the afternoons with their group. The Kindy 6s are experiencing five full days and building a new group; our Rainbow Class.
This might look simple, but they are significant milestones for our little ones. During the first weeks, we plant the seed for the rest of the year and build healthy, loving rhythms and routines. Then, through gentle repetition, we support them in adjusting to the new environment and changes in the room. Our children have faced significant challenges which will support their learning and development. This time allows them to work and develop independence, strength, resilience, and confidence. We feel very proud of observing how far they have come in such a short time.
Julia Noronha
Sunflower and Rainbow Kindergarten Teacher
Primary News
Class 1 start the day with morning circle, greeting the morning singing nature songs accompanied with gestures and movements. The children learn how to guess the tune of a song from me and when they know the tune, they put their hands up eagerly and sing the tune in unison. We really have fun learning new songs in this manner and it is a healthy way to set up the classroom routine.
We have been busily working through our first Main Lesson on curved and straight lines over the past few weeks, finishing up last Wednesday. It has been a big achievement for the children to complete this first unit of work and they have done a fabulous job. There have been many new things to become familiar with; recapping stories each day, knowing what page of their Main Lesson book to write and draw on, and taking care of their crayons by carefully placing them back in their crayon rolls.
We began our second Main Lesson on 'The Alphabet Kingdom', which they have eagerly taken to. They also enjoy finding the shape of the letter that may emerge from their drawing or is hidden around the classroom; on their name tag or a cushion! Some children made letters with bread dough and used sticks to write them in the sand. The group has been engrossed in the various Grimm's fairy tales that are told each day as part of Main Lesson, making it a special part of our day. The stories told in class are not merely for entertainment or information, they provide a meaningful context for learning and reflect the children’s stage of development. The narratives allow the children to create their own imagery and they respond strongly to the swings of the emotion in the narratives. Behind the stories lies the understanding that these stories have been told in the past by real people and a sense of history develops.
We also had our first birthday celebration of the year, where a story of a child crossing the great grade of learning was told, Birthday children's parents are invited to share this special moment with the class.
There are many treasures hidden in our garden and some of the Class 1 detectives have been finding them; they have come to the conclusion that we must have a visitor who only comes at night. Because of the visitor's kindness and generosity a group of keen builders have started work constructing a sound and strong house where he/she can sleep if they get tired of sprinkling goods around.
Kasia Rymarczyk
Keyen/Class 1 Teacher
Class 2
One very creative Class 2 requested a photo with Laheen the Eagle, from The King of Ireland's Son. Soon, all the children were lining up for their very own portrait with the Lawmaker of the Animals. In the story Laheen is wrestling with an eel, battling for the title of lawmaker of the animals for one whole year. The King of Ireland's Son gallops towards the commotion, dismounts and slices the eel in two. The children looked on in shock and awe as I told this story, eyes glistening with intrigue and mouths agape. Strong teacher-child eye contact during story telling enlivens the tale, the children take the stories into their sleep to be worked in a two or three day rhythm in the classroom. Storytelling in this way connects with the soul of the child.
Jayne Wylie
Koodjal/Class 2 Teacher
Class 2 in their Form Drawing lesson have been exploring ‘line’ in the most artistic and imaginative ways. Through fun movement activities they experience the form as a gesture. Here the students are creating rhythmic patterns out of found manmade and natural materials. The students have been working in groups to explore a variety of these patterns over the week before we arrive at the end point of drawing the forms.
Mel Lenzi
Koodjal/Class 2 Wednesday Teacher
Class 3 were lucky enough to have a visit from Elaine, where we listened to stories from the Torah, made some challah, sang Hebrew songs, and got to write our name in Hebrew. How privileged we are to have someone who speaks Hebrew and lives the Jewish traditions in our community.
Donna Shaw
Dambart/Class 3 Teacher
The Challah Song
I made a little challah
I made it by myself
I put it in a oven
I put it on the shelf
Now listen little challah
You must not run away!
I need you for my Shabbat,
So please, be here to stay.
I didn’t mean to touch it,
But oh! It looked so nice…
I took a little nibble…
Then I took a GREAT BIG SLICE!
And then, before I knew it,
The challah wasn’t there.
There wasn’t any challah…
The cupboard was all bare!
Class 4
The language of the Norsemen was spoken with ferocious power. As the Norse warriors held their shields and prepared for battle, the thunderous sound of their war cries struck terror into the hearts of their enemies. In Class 4 we are reciting sections of the “Poetic Edda”, a central poem of the Norse People. We are reciting these alliterative verses accompanied by stamping, drumbeats and the thunderous sound of wooden staves making sure that everyone in the school know that the Class 4s are present. Using the genius work of Diane Tatum, an accomplished and very experienced Eurythmy Teacher, the students of Class 4 are line wrestling, practising space mastery, learning “The Giant's Battle” and reciting “Forge me with Fire” in battle stance.
Aimee Waller
Koodjal Koodjal/Class 4 Teacher
Class 5
Class 6 Pedagogical Overview: The twelfth year is the gateway to pre-adolescence and idealism, and although the sixth grader is increasingly able to experience internal logic, their sense impressions can often be clouded by emotion and whimsy. Twelve-year-olds are developing a stronger sense for cause and effect, and they enjoy creating causes in order to see what effect they might have. There is a growing orientation towards the world, and peer values become increasingly important. The child begins to anticipate adolescence during this year of dramatic physical, social, and emotional growth.
In geometry, constructions with compass and straight edge meet the students’ increasing sense for precision, while strengthening their aesthetic sensibilities. They explore the dimensions of space through distinguishing point, line, and plane, and learn to find perimeter and area. This subject offers a fine blend of beauty, thinking and disciplined technique.
Ramneek Kaur
Maar Keyen/Class 6 Teacher
Week 4 Assembly Leaders.
Handwork
Class 2 chickens and recorder bags.
Woodwork
Class 6 students are finishing off their bowls. They used hand saws to cut the external convex bowl shape and gouges to shape the concave bowl. Students burnt designs onto the exterior of their bowl to finish it off. Tom did a wonderful job on his bowl pictured above.
Yolanda Millar
Woodwork Teacher
As part of their Celtic Myths Main Lesson Class 2 students experienced a taste of our Woodwork Program making their very own wooden swords. They worked dilgently and with much enthusiasm to shape and sand the sword.
WCSS Community Association
Thank you to Sheila who created our beautiful new cushion covers!
Community News
RECOMMEND A FRIEND!
Our next School Tour is on March 28 at 9.15am. If you know someone interested in Steiner Education invite them to come along. They can call or email for further info: 9440 1771 / enrolments@wcss.wa.edu.au
Two musical instruments for sale (pictured below).
Reverie Harp - $900
Mountain Dulcimer - $600
Contact: Barry Calverley
T: 0417 900 256
Email: barryc2@bigpond.com
Coming Events
FEBRUARY
Monday 27: Rose Kindy Parent Meeting 3.15pm / Gumnut Kindy Parent Meeting 7.00pm
Tuesday 28: WCSS School Council Meeting 7.00pm
MARCH
Wednesday 01: Class 6 Leadership Conference Excursion
Thursday 02: Parent Craft Group 12.30pm / Rainbow Kindy Parent Meeting 1.30pm
Friday 03: Pupil Free Day (Staff PD)
Monday 06: Labour Day Public Holiday
Wednesday 09: Elder Cliff Humphries Reconciliation Project Book Launch, Thursday, 9.30am
Save the Date: The Celtic Dance, Friday March 24, 5.30pm
For further Term Dates check the school website calendar.
WEEKLY
Craft Group
Thursdays 1.30pm at The Hub
Yarning Circle
Tuesdays 8.45am at the Hub
Parent Study Group
Mondays 1.50pm at The Hub or Library
WA Anthroposophical Study Group
Mondays 7.30pm in the Staff Room
Golden Threads
Monday-Friday 8.00am-10.30am
Mon, Weds, Fri 2.00pm-3.30pm
Thursday 1.30pm - 3.00pm