School Newsletter Term 2 Week 2

Kaya WCSS Community

Our term has started very well with children returning excited and happy to meet friends again and begin some new learning projects. We are happy to welcome Chris, our gardener and Kindy EA, back from her Long Service Leave and already our gardens are flourishing under her care.

Last week, we updated and resubmitted our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) for 2023. A big focus for this year is on making connections with local Elders and finding out more about our school site. On Tuesday Mel and I and some of our parents met with Mr Len Yarran, Chair of Wadjuk Northside Aboriginal Community Centre in Balga. Len is a learned Noongar man who has worked extensively in education and is a cultural connector, working to connect Noongar elders with communities to share knowledge and culture. Len enjoyed visiting our school and agreed it was situated on land which would have had historical importance as a meeting and gathering place for Noongar peoples over thousands of years. He explored the very old Grandfather tree and confirmed its importance as a tree which had been put to many uses over its life, as the carvings in its trunk suggest, perhaps for making bowls and carriers over the years and for connecting people. We are building a relationship with Len so he can share culture and stories with our students and staff and connect us further with Elders in the local area.

I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter to find out a little more about what is planned for this term, and I encourage you to participate in the life of our school as much as possible. Please continue to reach out to us and share in your child’s learning.

To our families who recently celebrated Eid al-Fitr, Eid Mubarak! I hope it was a peaceful and joyous time.

As usual, my door is almost always open to you if there is anything you wish to chat about or feel welcome to join Vanessa and I with a cuppa at a Yarning Circle in The Hub on Tuesdays at 9.00am, held most weeks of every term.

May your week be lived with warmth of heart.

Jenny Dougan

SA/Principal

STORY TIME on TOUR

Christopher Gleeson is a Waldorf Teacher and Storyteller currently touring the country studying Australian indigenous culture and mythology. He has brought some stories with him to present at Waldorf schools that he encounters in his travels and we warmly welcome him to WCSS. Christopher will present a workshop for staff and parents on June 8, 2.30pm-4.30pm. Please note that due to the content this session cannot have children in attendance. Places are limited so please RSVP to reception@wcss.wa.edu.au  or by clicking here.

From Administration

Blackboard Beauty

Shining a Light on...

In order to ensure our policies and procedures are highly visible to parents/carers, we will highlight a policy in each newsletter. If you are interested in a specific policy check the Key Info Tab on the school website or email reception@wcss.wa.edu.au.  All WCSS policies are reviewed periodically, updated  and/or amended guided by compliance and best practice and ratified by the School Council. 

In this edition we highlight the Concerns and Complaints Management Policy.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to explain what to do should a parent or member of the community have a concern or complaint. Guidelines and procedures are set out to ensure all stakeholders are aware of the process for managing concerns and complaints and that such claims are dealt with in a fair, transparent and consistent manner.

Background

At West Coast Steiner School, we acknowledge that differences of opinion, understanding and feelings inevitably arise in human relationships, including in schools. We strive to deal with these in a way which is helpful for all those who are involved and in line with our school values as a community guided by goodness, beauty and truth. This policy applies equally to parents, community members and staff. We understand that each situation is different, and these are guidelines to assist with resolution.

Definitions

A concern will be treated as a less serious matter that may be resolved with a more informal approach.

A complaint will be treated as an expression of genuine dissatisfaction that requires following a formal process as detailed below. A complaint may be made about the whole school, about a specific class, about a specific school activity, about an individual member of staff, about a parent or about one or more students.

For the full policy click the link below.

Sustainability

For more information on what you can recycle at school click below.

Early Childhood

Gumnut Kindergarten

“Did you see the wind today,

Blow the autumn leaves away?

From the trees they fluttered down.

Some were red and some were brown.

Rustling up and down the street, dancing ‘round my little feet,

Did you see the wind today, blow the leaves away?” 

~ Zoe McHenry

Cooler nights, the presence of early morning dew, light winds, the magnificent fresh blooms of the banksia and the changing of colour of leaves on our deciduous trees all tell us that Autumn and the Noongar season of Djeran are now with us. It is so good to see the children arriving to kindy in warmer clothing and with raincoats and boots.

To meet this change in the seasons, the little Gumnut Kindy children are commencing their morning inside where we play, cook, paint, draw and later on in the term, will be preparing our lanterns for our Makuru Winter Festival. This new rhythm has taken the children by surprise, but with it consistently held by the adults in the room, it won’t take the children long to adjust. Our menu has also changed to meet the cooler weather and we now cut vegetables for our Autumn soup as part of our Thursday morning programme. We also prepare our spicy fruit oatmeal for Friday mornings on Thursday, leaving the oats and dried fruit to soak overnight. This enables us to fit painting, which  the children enjoy so much, into the curriculum on Friday mornings. Soon Spindlekin the spider will come to visit, seeking shelter from the south winds. The children will make their own Spindlekin in a colourful web, and pehaps you will have a little nature table or a hook or somewhere in your home in which to place your child’s creation.

Outside, we are preparing our garden to plant potatoes, spinach and parsley. We gather to look at our garden each morning and notice any changes, before we venture off to play. In our garden last Friday, Zac found a small, twisted pinecone frayed at the top. It became a wasp with the fraying bits the wasp’s wings.

 A friend has sliced some dried banksia wood for us, from her property in the Porongurups. When we receive it, you may see us sanding it smooth while we are outside in the garden.

We wish you all a wonderful Term 2 and hope that like us, you are finding something new to marvel at in this changing of the seasons!

Janet Happe

Gumnut Kindergarten Teacher

Many Happy Returns - Birthdays in Rose Kindy

By Vanessa Fountain

One of the special occasions that we get to share with families in Kindergarten is the ‘Birthday Celebration.’ It is an opportunity to celebrate and honour the journey of the child and parents. I particularly love that it affirms the parent at a time when we realise that the child didn’t come with an instruction booklet and doesn’t seem to know about or particularly care for, the picture you had imagined for them. Or perhaps it just reminds us of the miracle of life. Perhaps it’s both.

I watched a TED talk recently that put the chances of being born at 1 in 400 trillion. Another study put it at 1 in 300 trillion, either way, the fact that you and your child are here, together, in relationship, is reason to pause, marvel and celebrate.

To read the full article click the link below.

Primary News

Class 1 

The new term has started, and it was wonderful to welcome all the enthusiastic and well-rested children on Thursday. We have two new students joining our class and the children have welcomed them with open hearts and kindness.

Our learning this term builds on the strong foundations and rhythms established in Term 1.

We will continue to learn through stories and connect our learning to the world around us and our lives. Our first Main Lesson block is dedicated to literacy where we will cover the remaining alphabet letters. With the strong images created from stories in the first language block, and the many readiness exercises, the children are currently working with the sounds of those letters to build their writing skills. Following from this we will have another Mathematics Block, learning the first mathematical processes, with an imaginative story of four characters, Mul De Plier, Prince Divider, Minus Miner, and Andy Plus. Through various challenges and collaborations, these characters use their special gifts to overcome many obstacles that they meet on their adventures. The story is meant to stir the emotions of the children so that they will connect with the people in the story. The children think in images, so the stories have far more impact than numbers and symbols alone. Then we will dive into the world of Fairy Tales. I have chosen International Stories that will nourish the soul as well as include new literacy learning. The last week of the term will be dedicated to science and geography where we will learn about the changing seasons. Morning circle activities this term will become much more elaborate, we will be using beanbags to learn different number patterns and practise counting forward and backwards while stepping to the numbers around the circle.

During practice lessons, we will continue with the Sounds-Write program, and practise our handwriting focusing on letter formation, full stops, and spaces between words. In form drawing lessons running forms will become more complex, the children will use their will forces to first draw consistent straight lines and then to place a curved running form evenly within the first form. These exercises strengthen fine motor skills and help develop executive function which involves planning and monitoring progress. After doing the forms first by walking on the floor and then drawing the forms in the air, the children practise the form on paper. After several lines, the form becomes relaxing for the child. We will also do a lot of seasonal crafts and start a new sustainability project of our paper making where we will use the scrap paper around the school and give it a new life by compressing it into new unique pages.

Let it be a happy, healthy and productive Term 2.

Kasia Rymarczyk

Class 1/Keyen Teacher

Class 2

Class 2  have started Term 2 with the Fables Main Lesson - a Main Lesson that strives to illustrate the qualities of the nature of the animal kingdom as it personifies human nature. Our language is already so rich with these connections: 'as clever as a fox' or 'eagle-eyed' for example, and it is easy for the children to gain the metaphorical understanding of the morality underpinning each story. The children are working with creative expression; drawing, puppet making and dramatisation to live through each of the stories. The Class 2 year explores the two polarities of the human nature with animal qualities in fables and later, the Saints Main Lesson, as we are all just a little bit animal and a little bit saintly.   

Jayne Wylie

Class 2/Koodjal Teacher

Class 3

Class 3 are immersed in practising our class play, the story of “Joseph the Dreamer.”  It is always fascinating to watch a character come to life, and how different it can be with just a slight change in intonation or actions.  We usually warm up with some dramatic exercises and I have been impressed with how expressive and supportive the children have been with each other.   Well done so far Class 3.  I’m looking forward to a wonderful performance!

Donna Shaw

Dambart/Class 3 Teacher

Class 4 

On the Map

After an exciting treasure hunt around the school Class 4 students each received a golden compass, so that every time we were sent on a mapping expedition, we could tell which way was North! After mapping our desk, classroom, playground, and school we trekked around the suburb of Nollamara mapping out the streets, schools, shops, and ovals. We ended up at ‘Des Penman Reserve,’ where we ate lunch and sketched the mural on the clubhouse, which we later used as inspiration for our Main Lesson front cover. We also travelled to ‘Kaarta Koomba’ (Kings Park) to see the beautiful botanic gardens, walked over the glass bridge, and took in the view of the City of Perth. We will continue Part 2 of our Mapping Main Lesson later this term.

Fun with Fractions

Class 4 are diving straight into our Fraction Main Lesson this term. Some of the students acting as the Mighty Thor, wielded Mjolnir to smash the icebergs of Jotunheim (a big block of ice), fracturing the ice into unequal smaller shards. Other students represented Baldur, as they thoughtfully cut up some pieces of cake to share with their peers, making sure that each piece was equal. This term, during, our Fraction Main Lesson, we will be cooking up a storm, as we divide whole dishes equally into smaller parts to share them with each other.

Class 6  

A sense of lawfulness permeates the Class 6 curriculum. It is observed in such geometric constructions as the division of a circle. It is also recognised in the patterns of the night sky in astronomy. It is present when studying sound, light, warmth and cold, and magnetism and electricity as conclusions are drawn from observable phenomena in the study of physics. It is observed in the Twelve Tables or laws of the ancient Roman civilization. 

With blocks such as ancient Rome, the lawfulness so necessary at this  developmental phase can be readily observed. In this ancient culture, law and order were essential, allowing the Romans to amass land that resulted in a mighty empire. The “letter of the law” was fervently upheld in an effort to maintain order and civility.  

Children learn best by doing. Today,we set up our classroom as a Roman courtroom and a real Roman case taken from a Roman legal text of the the later empire was re- enacted. The trial took place after morning tea. Lawyers were  ready with their arguments, the jury listened carefully, the witnesses were cross examined and the verdict then delivered.  Yes, we are doing it again due to popular demand!

Ramneek Kaur

Maar Keyen/Class 6 Teacher

From the Library

Thank you to our lovely volunteers who have been coming in to help us with re-shelving, re-organising and preparing maths resources. The library is now looking beautiful and functioning efficiently.  We are always eager to welcome new volunteers to our peaceful space, so if you have an hour to spare, consider helping with the books!

We have many new books for the children, with a focus on difference in children, such as neurodiversity, deafness, and wearing glasses, amongst others.

We also have a new book in the parent section by Michael Hawton who aims to build resilience in anxious children.

Parents, do you recognise 'Up with Birds'?  This is from Wanneroo Public Library, so if you're getting nasty letters from the librarians there, please come and collect it from us!

With warmth, 

Sally and Mary Anne

Handwork

Class 3 are very busy learning crochet stitches; the wristband is the first project using double crochet with lots of changing colour skill.

Class 5; beautiful bluebirds, the welcome to knitting project for new knitters or warm up project for students returning to knitting.

Class 5 lovely Owl Puffs, the first project knitted on a set of needles. Once this is completed the student is ready to start their major project with the wool they have dyed. 

Class 6 are embarking on sewing projects this year. The first project is a pin cushion to start their hand stitching journey.  The project is both practical and beautiful.

Woodwork

Students in Class 5 have been working hard to complete the mallet. The mallet is the first project that students undertake in woodwork and is the hand tool that stays with them until Class 12 when they do their final wood project. Students in Class 6 have been finishing the spoon, bowl, or stool. 

Yolanda Millar

Woodwork Teacher

WCSS Community Association

Dear Community,

At our recent AGM we acknowledged outgoing Chair, Ian Burthem and Treasurer, Shelia Lunn. Ian and Sheila have given much of their hearts and hands over the past year and we are so grateful for their contributions. 

We are delighted to welcome Maria Katsikandarakis to the role of Chair and know she will be strongly supported by our continuing and new committee members. 

The position of Treasurer is still vacant and we encourage anyone who is interested to have a chat with Sheila (see below) and/or come along to our next Committee Meeting on Wednesday May 10 at 1.30pm. If you would like to join WSCCA as an ordinary committee member just submit the form below or pop in to the next meeting. Many hands make light work and membership  means you will be one of the first to know about upcoming events and volunteering opportunities. 

Thank you to all families for their support and contribution to Market Days - it is  delight to see the healthy homemade snacks and fresh produce each week! Parent Craft Group continues on Thursdays at 12.30pm and Parent Study Group is on Mondays at 1.50pm.

See you in the Hub!

WCSSCA

wcssca@wcss.wa.edu.au

WCSSCA Treasurer’s Report for 2022

West Coast Steiner School Community Association (WCSSCA) is the School’s Parents and Friends Group.  The group comprises parents from all year groups in the school and is responsible for running the shop in the Hub, co-ordinating fundraising events and making payments and donations to the school as requested.

The year to December 2022 was a time for re-grouping for the Community after the restrictions around COVID protocols.  With massive support from the Community WCSSCA managed to navigate these obstacles and return a $5,000 profit. The shop continued to be the ‘Hub’ for WCSSCA and managed to more than break even thanks to the tireless effort of both Jane and Ayla who kept everything going. In addition to our normal fundraising events we were also able to secure a $15,000 COVID related Government Grant.

The following is a shortform of the other sources of income and expenditure for the year.

Income

Fundraising         Everlastings                    $     650

                                  Market Day                         $  4,700

                                  Walkathon                          $  2,000

                                  WCSS Open Day                 $  4,000

                                 Winter Soup                       $  1,000

                                 Total                                      $12,350

Payments

WCSS

 Plumbing Grant                           $ 10,000

Class 6 Graduation - gift          $   1,500

School Tours - gift                      $      600

Chess Set                                          $     350              

                                                             $12,450

WCSSCA

Hub Blinds                                          $  6,000   (Part of a Grant)

Hub Improvements                         $  1,400

Shed                                                      $     200

BBQ                                                       $     200

Craft Group                                         $     300

                                                                $ 8,100

After 2 years as Treasurer, I am stepping down from the role and we are looking for someone to take over.  We have financial protocols in place, so the position is not required to be ‘hands on’ on a daily basis but requires someone to prepare Monthly Management Accounts and oversee the statutory financial requirements of the organisation. If you believe you have the skills to undertake this position, I would encourage you to contact WCSSCA for more information.  Currently the accounts are prepared on MYOB and full training and handover can be given if/as required.

This is a great way of being connected to the school community and could also help you to fulfill your Family Commitment Hours.

Regards

Sheila Lunn

Alumni Focus

Starting high school can be very scary and daunting but let me tell you, “You are going to be fine.”
 
When I first started high school at Perth College, I was worried about so many things.  I worried that I would get lost and go into every class late, I worried that I would not wear my uniform correctly, I worried that I would not make any friends. However, all my worries disappeared as all the teachers are nice, understanding, and supportive, all my year 7 friends are fun, even though some of them are a bit crazy but they are all very kind. I even met a girl who lives around the corner from me and comes over to my house to clean my room. When she leaves, my room looks like a 5-star hotel room, another plus of having great friends.
 
High school offers many clubs and extra co-curricular activities. I have attended some clubs with my friends. It is a fun way to try out new things.  Every Friday morning last term, I went to fitness club with my friends from 7am to 8am, it is always fun because we can listen to music and support each other in that hour of pain…            
                                                                    
In Term 1, I decided that I would try out an extra curriculum sport, so I joined volleyball. I really enjoyed it, I trained once a week and every week we got to play against other girl schools either at school or away at the other schools. Perth College came third out of the eight girl schools at the end of Term 1.
 
For those who know me, I love music. I am in two orchestras, Camerata which is for year 7 and year 8 students and the Senior Strings for year 9 to year 12 students.  I love the Senior Strings Orchestra because we get to play many beautiful pieces like Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Debussy’s Girl with the Flaxen Hair. All the senior students know how to uses dynamics and intonation which makes me so happy. I also enjoy it very much because there are so many amazing musicians whom I can learn from. 
 
In high school, it is important to stay fit and healthy both physically and mentally. It is important to be active. If you do not have any after school activities or sports, you can always go for a walk or ride your bike to help you to stay fit. 

By Mirja Virgin

Class of 2022

Community News

Through A Glass Darkly

Artificial Intelligence and Waldorf Education

An Online Weekend Course

With Eugene Schwartz

Four Lectures + Three Slideshows Streaming

From Friday, May 12 through Sunday, May 14

The launch of the chatbot system ChatGPT in November 2022 took the world by storm; within weeks, over one hundred million people had availed themselves of its astonishing powers. Its speed, clarity, and writing skills appear to be harbingers of a new stage of artificial intelligence that may transform almost every field of human endeavor. And what about Waldorf schools? Some enterprising Waldorf high school students are already using ChatGPT to assist them with history essay assignments or mastering concepts in science, and more than a few teachers have sought its assistance in lesson preparation and may get its help with those onerous end-of-year reports.

Even if your school, or your own class, has not yet been affected by ChatGPT, it is only a matter of time. It is very likely that any student older than nine years – and many quite a bit younger, as well – will experience the phenomenon of  ChatGPT at home or with friends (or even with grandparents).

Decisions that teachers and parents make about AI over the next months will have far-reaching consequences for our students and our schools. Forewarned is forearmed, and Eugene Schwartz contends that the only meaningful way to counterbalance the seemingly oracular powers of artificial intelligence is to understand them. He also believes that Waldorf education, and the Anthroposophy that underlies it, provide the best path to that understanding. The eight hours of audio lectures and slideshows offered in this weekend course represent the most comprehensive and insightful view of AI available in the Waldorf movement.

To learn more about this important course and to register, visit  iwaldorf.net/chatbot.html

Biography Work is based on the understanding that our lives unfold in specific rhythms and developmental stages. Rudolf Steiner looked at the human lifespan on earth as working in seven year cycles. He also saw the human being as a threefold being, so when we look at a biography we consider the life rhythms in relation to body, soul and spirit.

One of the most important things Steiner/Waldorf teachers do in their teacher training is to look at their own biographies. It is a vital step, because children respond to not just WHAT we teach, but WHO we are. This is true in parenting as well.

Life Phases: Holistic Biography Work -ONLINE COURSE

Join Holistic Biography experts Karl-Heinz Finke and Laura Summerfield in a self-paced online course that guides participants through an exploration of their own life stories to inspire self-knowledge, inner development and transformation. Learn about life phases, archetypes and the human journey, with an introduction to Anthroposophy.

“…A transformative process that has brought me immeasurable gifts of recollection, processing and completion. I have never encountered such life-changing work before.” E.C. – former student, 2022

Begins Tuesday 9 May
$198 (incl GST)

ENROL NOW

Coming Events

MAY

Wednesday 10: WCSSCA Committee Meeting, 1.30pm at the Hub

Save the Dates 

Parent Info Evening -Cyber Safety & Digital Wellness, Thursday May 18, 6.30pm

Winter Festivals:

Gumnut Kindy - June 19 at 5.15pm (note date change)

Gungurra, Rose and Sunflower Kindys - June 20 at 5.00pm

Primary School - June 22 at 6.00pm

For further Term Dates check the school website calendar.

WEEKLY
Craft Group
Thursdays 12.30pm at The Hub

Parent Study Group
Mondays 01.50pm at The Hub or Library

Yarning Circle
Tuesdays 08.45am at The Hub

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