West Coast Steiner School eNewsletter

Kaya WCSS Community

Advent Blackboard by Class 1 Parent, Liam.

Kaya WCSS Community

Welcome to the Noongar season of Birak which runs from December - January. Birak sees the rains ease and the warm weather commence and is represented by the colour red as it symbolises heat, sun, and fire. Many fledglings venture out of nests in Birak, though some still stay close to their parents such as magpies and parrots. With the rising temperatures and decreasing rainfall, it's also a time for the baby frogs to complete their transformation into adulthood. What a perfect time to be saying our farewells to our Class 6 students as they prepare to graduate!

Class 1 presented their beautiful Nativity play to us last week with so much pride and joy. This week we have been blown away by the Class 6 performance of A Christmas Carol. I often hear from other people or read misperceptions that Steiner/Waldorf schools are not places that encourage and facilitate academic learning in their students. This could not be further from the truth and the Class 6 play was a perfect example of a rich student learning experience with a very high standard of work produced. The children rose magnificently to this task and were confident to recite complex and lengthy verses. Some children knew every word of the hour long play by heart, were able to step into roles when classmates were absent and required almost no direction at all from their Class Teacher. Some children usually more reserved, stepped up and commanded the stage which was a joy to behold. I saw intense focus and concentration and complete engagement, as well as the delight and satisfaction of knowing they had entertained their audience and performed their roles with such magnificence. What a testament to excellent teaching and a creative and rigorous curriculum! I am sure many Class 6 parents will beam with pride at how far their children have come over the course of their primary years.

Next week we begin engaging in Advent preparations. I hope you will join us at our special end of year events that round out the rhythm of our year - the Gamelan performance, the Orchestra Advent Assembly, the Kindergarten Christmas festivals, the Kindergarten 6 Crowning Ceremony, the Graduation Ceremony, and our Christmas Markets. You will find more information about these in this newsletter. It is a busy and joyful time as we approach the end of our school year.

To our families celebrating Hanukkah, or Bodhi Day next week, we wish you peace and joy. May everyone enjoy this special festive time.

May your week be lived with warmth of heart.

Jenny Dougan

School Administrator/Principal

The waves of warmth

That strongly through the land are radiating, spreading,

Proclaim that we

To glorious, golden days of summer-sun are heading.

“Be filled with light!”

My spirit understands these words which Nature everywhere is showing.

“Let thoughts take flight!”

My heart is told; “Be ever earthbound but be always changing, growing!”

In the Light of a Child, Michael Hedley Burton

From Administration

STUDENT REGISTRATION FORM 2024

All schools are required to collect a Student Registration Form for every child each year. The form is due by January 31, 2024. Hard copies will be sent out with Semester 2 School Reports and we appreciate your prompt attention to the completion and submission of the form. The link is available now for those who wish to complete it online.

Student Registration Form 2024

LOST PROPERTY - LAST CHANCE!

A reminder that items left at school at the end of term will be donated to charity. Please collect anything which belongs to you!

FAMILY COMMITMENT HOURS DEADLINE

All 2023 Family Commitment Hours are due by Tuesday December 12, 5.00pm. Please note any forms/claims after this date cannot be processed. Forms are available from Reception and the school website.

KISS N DRIVE

Our Kiss 'n' Drive Zone continues to be challenging for our staff to monitor. This area was created by parents for parents and it would be fitting to have parents volunteering as per the original vision. If you use Kiss 'n' Drive please consider donating half an hour of your time weekly, fortnightly or monthly when possible. Our staff monitor this area to ensure the safety of students. Please cooperate by ensuring your child knows they are being picked up and must arrive promptly and wait in the designated area, only entering the car when it has arrived in the Kiss 'n' Drive zone and come to a complete stop. As adults it is crucial we model the behaviour we wish to instil in our children.

PARENT PLANNER 2024

Please find below the Parent Planner for 2024 with confirmed term dates, pupil free days, half days and festivals for next year to help with your planning. It is also available on the school website Key Info page.

2024_Parent_Planner.pdf

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 bring your awareness to the Behaviour Development Policy.

At West Coast Steiner School behaviour development is a process of both proactive initiatives and meaningful consequences to support students in taking responsibility for their actions. The intentional creation and maintenance of appropriate supportive relationships between students, teachers and parents is at the heart of our approach. We aim to guide children to develop a positive self-discipline based on understanding and appreciation of others’ needs, rights and feelings. In doing this, each child’s individual experiences and developmental level will be taken into account by the staff.

Our behaviour development framework is based on the following understandings about behaviour:

behaviour is learned – responses to behaviour in a student’s environment and the modelling of significant others all serve to reinforce the learning of specific behaviours;
behaviour is purposeful and communicates needs in a social environment – understanding the function of the behaviour and the unmet needs provides valuable information to inform support and intervention;
behaviour can be taught and changed.

Discipline is a response to individuals and situations in such a way as to foster the development of skills that promote responsibility and accountability. Such responses are tailored to different age levels - what is appropriate in the Kindergarten may be different in the Primary years - but recognise that all children need the security of firm, consistent boundaries set by the adults in their lives. As a Steiner school, we aim to resolve most situations through the use of creative discipline with young children. With the older children a more direct process is sometimes more appropriate.

We embrace a Restorative Practice approach to discipline where the intention is to resolve conflict between people through a peaceful and fair process in which all parties are heard and respected.

To read the full policy click the link below.

Behaviour_Development_Policy.pdf

Steiner Spotlight

The purpose of Steiner education, at it's core is education for a healthy world. Steiner schools aim to support children to become healthy, purposeful, and creative adults who can do the good of fostering a healthy society. Steiner education is based on seven year periods which it meets with:

0-7 years - PLAY: creative, self directed play to unlock initiative and flexibility, and form the basis for innovative thought in adult life.

Primary years - IMAGINE: Arts-integrated academics to promote engagement, inspire deep learning and support a developing imagination

High School - REASON: Building capacity for discernment and developing voice by fostering initiative and independent, flexible thinking.

Parents can support their child's education by allowing space for imaginative, creative play in the early years with a selection of open ended toys, strong and clear boundaries, rhythm and routine, and no screen time. Loving consistent boundaries, adequate sleep, continued modelling by adults of goodness and truth, and, whilst some families may choose to allow limited screen time for children +9 years, no social media, personal devices or unsupervised access to digital media is the ideal for this age group.

Advent

ADVENT VERSE

The gift of light we thankfully take

But shall it not be alone, for our sake.

The more we give light, one to the other

It shines and it spreads and it glows still further.

Until every spark by friends set aflame,

Until every heart with joy to proclaim.

In the depths of our souls,

A shining sun glows.

Advent starts this year on Sunday December 3 and is celebrated for the four Sundays leading up to Christmas until Sunday December 24. Advent is frequently celebrated by people of every religious background, every faith, every spiritual path as part of the festivals of the cycle of the year.

For more information on Advent traditions and how to make this time of year more mindful and meaningful check out our Blog.

Creating a peaceful, meaningful Christmas by Susan Laing

Fewer people feel a close religious connection to Christmas today, but nearly everyone celebrates
Christmas. For most people in Australia at least, Christmas has become a secular event for social
activities with families and friends and Santa Claus for the children. It has become a commercial opportunity. Nevertheless, you can make Christmas what you want it to be. You can make Christmas a festival about love, care and respect for each other in your family. What you make it is what will nurture your children and what they will remember.

Christmas time can be stressful and crass as a result of the commercialisation of what was once a religious holy day. However in our own families we can plan to bring good sense, beauty and meaning back into Christmas and truly make it into a festival of love, so that the warm memories of this festival can sustain us through our lives, even when times are hard. Increasingly families are rationalising present giving, food preparation and times of Christmas gatherings to make it more suitable for the season (summer in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere), in ever more hectic times and in consideration of children’s needs. The following strategies are worth considering in helping to make Christmas sane and beautiful! They include reducing the stress on you and the children as well as ways to enrich the Christmas celebration. It is written particularly, but not exclusively, for those in the Southern Hemisphere.

To continue reading click the link below.

Creating_a_peaceful_meaningful_Christmas.pdf

Early Childhood

Primary News

Class 1

Last week, the little stars of our community shone brightly on stage, enchanting us all with their innocence, enthusiasm, and heartwarming performance.

The Class 1 students worked tirelessly to bring the Nativity story to life. From the adorable shepherds to the radiant angels, each child embraced their role with dedication and delight. Their sweet voices filled the room as they sang carols, and their carefully rehearsed lines were delivered with the utmost sincerity. Seeing our youngest learners stepping into the spotlight with such confidence and joy was a magical sight.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the parents who supported our young performers throughout this journey. Your encouragement, help with the costumes and mesmerising blackboard drawing by talented Liam (Theo’s dad) was admired by many. Your involvement made this event a success and demonstrated the strength of our supportive community.

Thank you once again to everyone who made the Class 1 Nativity Play a resounding success. We are incredibly proud of our little performers.

Warm regards,

Kasia Rymarczyk

Class 1/Keyen Teacher

Class 4 were very excited to receive a visit from Judith Ann, a calligrapher, letter artist and penwomen. As Judith Ann showed us her vast array of different writing tools, the students investigated and categorised them, and discussed their similarities and differences. Once the tools were grouped, Judith Ann started dipping the tools in ink and writing, showing her skills, and giving information about how to hold the pen. We discussed the country of origin and the year each alphabet originated as the talented artist flicked through her huge folio of handwritten alphabet pages demonstrating each font as we went. The children of Class 4 were entranced by her skill and precision. At the end of the session, students chose their favourite font and ink colour for Judith Ann to write their name on A3 paper. Later Class 4 students experimented with the skills they learnt and wrote messages and cards to family and friends for Christmas in calligraphy.

Aimee Waller

Koodjal Koodjal/Class 4 Teacher

Class 5 are loving their final Main Lesson. It is called “Keeping Safe,” and is all about knowing ourselves and having strong boundaries so we can enjoy healthy relationships. In place of the usual Main Lesson books, we have each been given our own special diaries, to record our reflections, mindmaps, and creative responses to the content we are exploring.

We are very lucky to have 3 incursions in support of this important work.

The first incursion, from Dr Naomi Fudge and her midwife sister Cath, helped the girls in our class to understand our amazing bodies, how to support ourselves and one another for the upcoming changes, and how to ensure that we are describing our bodies accurately and speaking with reverence about ourselves and one other’s bodies. She also taught us how to listen to our bodies, and how exercise and sleep help us heal and grow. We began by each lighting a candle that links us to the generations of women that have come before us, and sharing soothing cups of tea and cookies. We are so grateful to Naomi and Cath for sharing their expertise, and for the caring and gentle way that they presented this important material.

The second incursion was from Kayelene Kerr from the eSafeKids, who spoke with the Class 5s and 6s about Cyber Safety. We learned some astonishing facts, including: 50% of the planet has no access to the internet; our generation spends 18 years of our lives online; the more time we spend online, the more money companies make; apps are designed to addict us with tricks such as bottomless scrolling which causes our brains to lose track of time; we become addicted to a false sense of community and a dependency on the social feedback loop which (like any addiction) changes our brains; we give permission for the content we share to be owned and stored forever by companies like Meta; our data is used for marketing and can be used by law enforcement; we are more likely to make impulsive decisions, respond to scams, or cyber bully at night when our cerebral cortex shuts down; myopia (eye damage) has doubled in 6 years; and 70% of young people are clinically sleep deprived since the advent of smart phones and tablets, increasing depression and anxiety.

As our brains can’t self-regulate until our 20s, Kayelene gave us tips to reduce the risk of harm, including: co-regulating our online use with our caregivers; avoiding interactive engagement (eg. gaming) and backlit devices (which disrupt our circadian rhythm by delaying time and quantity of melatonin released) 90 minutes before bedtime; keeping devices out of bedrooms overnight; turning off location services; taking care with images and words we share; using deep breathing to reactivate the cerebral cortex to avoid impulsivity; practicing eye hygiene; and telling a trusted adult if anything makes us feel uncomfortable. Kayelene reminded us all that we have a right to feel safe, and a responsibility not to make others feel unsafe.

The third incursion will be a visit from Noongar bush medicine expert Bel Cox. Bel will teach us about how to harness the healing properties in the bush all around us. From this natural medicine chest called Noongar Boodja, we will learn how to make bush medicine to support our immunity. Self-care is a core component of the Keeping Safe curriculum and we thank Bel for sharing her millennia-old wisdom with us.

We thank our class parents for their support, and encourage families to continue these critical conversations with your young person at home.

Elaine Meyer

Maar/Class 5 Teacher

GIFTED AND TALENTED SECONDARY SELECTIVE ENTRANCE PROGRAM - YEAR 7, 2025

Gifted and Talented Secondary Selective Entrance Program applications for Year 7 in 2025 are now open.

These unique academic, arts and languages programs are available at 24 select public secondary schools, including a fully selective academic school and an arts college. To learn more or apply visit the Department of Education site, email or call 9264 4307.

Class 6

Indonesian

Students in Class 1 are learning to describe animals using simple opposite words such as big and small, long and short. They have made the Birds of Paradise, a bird native to East Indonesia- Papua.

They use their birds whilst reciting the fingerplay (taken from Two Blackbirds)

Dua burung duduk di pohon.

Burung besar namanya Ali.

Burung kecil namanya Siti.

Terbanglah Ali.

Terbanglah Siti.

Kembalilah Ali.

Kembablilah Siti.

Indonesian Creativity for Schools Incursion

Thank you to the Department of Local Government, Sport, and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) for the Community Arts Grant which has enabled the above learnings and experiences. This will culminate in a whole school event on December 6 at 11.15am in the Performance Room. We do hope you can come!

Handwork

Chickens are being knitted with determination. It is the first project using knitting needles.

Class 3 crochet: granny squares, pockets for pencil cases and terrific treasure pouches.

Class 4 Fantastic fountain pen holders

The first Class 5 beanie finished for Term 4! The wool is magnificent and dyed by the student.

Woodwork

WCSS Community Association

Dear School Community,

As the year draws to a close, we look forward to time together with family and the beautiful season of Christmas. To celebrate WCSSCA brings the Christmas Markets as our last event and fundraiser of the year, a festive send off before the holidays.

What to expect:

Fun Christmas activities for a gold coin donation!
Local stalls for Christmas shopping!
Golden Threads open for icy poles, coffee, and last-minute shopping!
Carol singing!

Come and enjoy the lovely relaxing atmosphere and an afternoon of Christmas cheer. The market begins at 12pm on the last day of school. Invite your family and friends.

If you are interested in having a stall at the market, please contact mariaadau@outlook.com

WCSSCA is seeking a Treasurer to join our committee! As treasurer your role and benefits will be: