School Newsletter Term 2 Week 4

Kaya WCSS Community

Kaya WCSS Community

So much learning has been going on in our school over the past fortnight as you will see when you read this newsletter. We all enjoyed the wonderful choral singing in rounds of our Choir this week at Assembly and Class 2 held a very beautiful Lyre Presentation Ceremony today with their class community, coming together and sharing this special time with so much love evident. Class 2 parents should feel very proud of the dedication and care they put into the creation of lyres for their children which I am sure will become family heirlooms.

Class 5 is busily preparing for their play which will be performed for us next week. We are very much looking forward to this. All the children have enjoyed making gifts and cards to give to their mothers this weekend. I’m hoping all the mothers, mother-in- laws, step- mothers, grandmothers and motherly figures in our community enjoy a very Happy Mother's Day on Sunday. We honour you for all that you do. Our hearts are with those of you whose Mums have passed and are missed always and on this day.

Please enjoy reading this newsletter and sharing in the delightful community we have created together.

May your week be lived with warmth of heart.

Jenny Dougan

School Administrator/Principal

From Administration

VIOLA UPDATE

Our dear Indonesian Teacher, Viola is bravely continuing her chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer, diagnosed last term. Viola wants you to know that she is going well and to thank you for the support you have offered her. If any families would like to cook a meal for Viola’s family of five, this would be much appreciated. There are no specific dietary requirements, just healthy, nourishing food. Meals should be freshly prepared and then frozen. They can be delivered to Reception with an ingredients list, and we can pass them on to Viola. Containers will be returned to you if you name them.

I will be contacting Viola in June to see whether she may be able to return to work in Semester Two. It is likely that surgery may also be required so at present, we are unsure of her return date. We are liaising with a prospective Indonesian Teacher for Term 3 should this be required. In the meantime, Ramneek is providing the children with cultural enrichment in Indian languages and arts on Wednesdays and Renee and Chris, both very experienced Steiner teachers, are providing children with enriching artistic experiences on Mondays.

2024 WCSS Newsletter Publishing Schedule and Archives

Our newsletter is published fortnightly ( from Week 2) on Fridays of each term.

Did you know we keep archive copies of past newsletters on our website so you can always go back and look at the most recent editions. Just click on the NEWS Tab and then select the edition you would like to view. Past editions can also be accessed via the Schoolzine App, SZapp.

If you are subscribed, but not getting the newsletter in your inbox as you should, please send an email to reception@wcss.wa.edu.au including your correct email address to be added to the database. Interested family and friends are also able to subscribe here.

Council

“There can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to help others without expecting anything in return.”  -Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

Call for Nominations: Join the WCSS Council

We are excited to extend an invitation to all passionate members of our community to nominate themselves to join the School Council for 2024 to 2026.

The WCSS Council serves as the guiding force behind our school's governance and strategic direction. We believe in the power of collaboration and stewardship to nurture an environment where every student can thrive and grow.

We are seeking individuals with diverse skills and backgrounds, including expertise in governance, strategic management, education, human resources, construction, the environment and law. If you have a passion for education and a desire to make a difference, we want to hear from you!  If you or someone you know feels they wish to contribute please do submit a nomination. 

To learn more about the responsibilities and opportunities of serving on the Council, please contact Justin Coombs at 0427 834 758 or via email at chair@wcss.edu.wa.au.

Steiner Spotlight

A unique feature of Steiner/Waldorf schools is the role of the Class Teacher. At WCSS, ideally and often,  a Class Teacher takes students from Class 1 through to Class 6. The Class Teacher strives to assist each child to reach their full potential, recognising the diverse differences in each child, and their lives. Along with educational continuity and the ability to truly monitor the children’s progress, there are also the inherent advantages of deepened knowing, understanding and trust. Following is an article by Steiner Education Australia, Andrew Hill on his experiences as a Class Teacher.

Tales of One Thousand and One Days,

or The Secret Life of Class Teachers: a very personal reflection

Sheherazade told a thousand and one stories to entrance her husband, the fabled Arabian King Shahryar. She told one story per night and the stories have long been known in English as The Tales from the Arabian Nights. Class Teachers in Steiner schools can tell a similar number of stories over the cycle of the primary school: one per school day for anywhere between five and eight years of the class teacher cycle. That's roughly a thousand stories, with some give and take for days off, excursions, camps and the usual school routines.

I was pondering this similarity recently as I enjoyed an afternoon and evening of cocktails, conversation and board games with a group of former students from my last class teacher cycle. We all reconnected last year at their 10 year reunion, and this year there's been two catch ups with eight of these 28 year olds, plus me. While the board game seemed an excuse for the cocktails and conversation, it was actually a lot of fun, and taken seriously by three of the guys who organised the afternoon: when you have an IT manager, an aeronautical engineer and a PhD student in quantum computing (who said Steiner students are stereotypically arty?) doing the scoring, you know it's going to be serious.

The others too have blossomed into respectable careers: an architect, an actor in musical theatre, an interior designer, an environmental scientist. As the conversation flowed over some interesting cocktails I remembered my first meeting with five of them when they were all of 6 years old. The first story I told them was the Grimms fairy tale, Bearskin which set the scene before launching into some imaginative story creations of my own.

They followed the adventures of two children called Crispin and Cecelia as they journeyed across fabled lands in search of the secrets of words and numbers: how to add, subtract, multiply and divide, how to do vertical sums, even how to measure and write down the notes of music. We had finally said goodbye to them by the end of Class 3, by which time their world had merged into the world of the present day. New characters from legends, sagas and then history emerged to fuel and fill their imaginations, from Australia's First Nations heritage and history, through global, world stories like Rama and Sita in Indian myth through to Leonardo and Joan of Arc in the West. In Class 1 we learned to play the recorder and how to add up and subtract through stories: six years later in Class 7 I taught them the Theorem of Pythagoras and how to express the intervals of the major scale as mathematical ratios.

It was a mellow moment to reflect on this long journey of learning and the imagination, I shared every school day with these growing young people over their primary schooling. The cocktails might have helped of course, but as I sat enjoying the moment and contemplating the happy gathering in the IT manager's apartment I wondered, who else would get this? It's a unique journey, and hard to understand the special bond that grows unless you've been through it.

The relationship has an organic ending as it tails off in upper primary and early high school, sometimes rockily, but natural nonetheless. Of course like all schools, Steiner schools need to have support in place to manage classes when teachers go off to start families or when there are performance issues.

I've often thought that the class teacher journey in Steiner schools, when it works well, is one of the great secrets of education. As modern Sheherazades, these story journeys of One Thousand and One (school) Days are like the secret life of class teachers, building a special bond that is hard to put into words and explain to other people who haven't done it, but knowable and tangible to those who have. It's a trade secret, shared only by those class teachers who have gone the distance of the primary school.

We talk of Occupational Hazards as a WHS issue: the class teacher journey is the reverse, it's an Occupational Gift, a special value-added experience that lifts the occupation of "primary school teacher" into another realm, one that touches the stars.

Andrew Hill

CEO

Steiner Education Australia

Family Commitment Opportunities

This newsletter section includes special Family Commitment Hours projects but there are many other ways to help out and claim hours including joining the WCSSCA Committee, gardening, volunteering at Golden Threads or the Library, monitoring Kiss 'n' Drive, baking for various events and attending talks on Steiner education. Voluntering at school provides many benefits beyond FCH.

Early Childhood

AISWA KINDERGARTEN VISIT

Last week WCSS hosted participants from an AISWA (Association of Independent Schools of WA) project focused on children's agency. The group has been exploring rituals, rhythms and the role of play for children aged 4- 6 years and were interested to learn more about how Steiner educaiton incorporates these. Early Childhood Teachers from a range of schools visited our kindergartens and received a talk from Rose Kindergarten Teacher, Vanessa Fountain. 

We have a few rare spaces in our Bina Baby Group and Playgroup for a Term 3 start. Email enrolments@wcss.wa.edu.au to book a trial session or learn more.

CIRCLE OF SECURITY AT WCSS

Congratulations to our staff members who recently completed the Circle of Security Classroom (COSC) course (not all pictured above). We are delighted to have COSC training as part of our Strategic Plan and look forward to supporting the program across the school.

Primary News

Class 2 Koodjal 

In Class 2, we recently completed the Fables Main Lesson block. For the final piece, the children put on an entertaining shadow theatre show. They used their own puppets, chose their favourite stories, and took on the roles of both narrator and actor. The audience, including EA Claudia and practicum student Cate, were truly amazed.

We have recently started a new Main Lesson block on place value. The children are learning to count using concrete materials, such as bundling objects into groups of tens and hundreds. We are also incorporating outdoor math games like hopscotch to make the learning process more enjoyable. In the upcoming lessons, the children will learn the benefit of counting objects by ten, twenty, thirty, forty, and then counting the remaining objects one by one, fifty-one, fifty-two, and so on. This learning is accompanied by a captivating story that takes their main characters, Lucy and Peter, on an adventure to the Kingdom of Counting. The story has already sparked excitement among the children.

Kasia Rymarczyk

Class 2 Koodjal Teacher

Class 3 Dambart  Zoo Excursion

Class 4 Koodjal Koodjal

Classes 4 and 5 participated in sculpture incursions with Lesley Cotter, who usually works as part of the teacher training programme at PWS. Class 4 worked on the mouse and the cow, reflecting their studies on the Human Being and the Animal Main Lesson, and Class 5 spent the two sessions completing a Buddha as part of their studies of India.

To draw out and sculpt the final product from a lump of clay is a will exercise and required concentration and great determination. Our students were very proud of their efforts and are now looking forward to seeing them fired. 

Donna Shaw

Class 4 Koodjal Koodjal Teacher

Class 5 Maar

We have begun the term diving straight into our  play rehearsals. We will be performing the play ‘The Epic of Gilgamesh’ written by Diane Tatum. This story is the oldest written story of humanity, an archetypal tale of life and death, of love, loyalty and courage, as well as true heroism. It was impressed on a clay tablet over 4500 years ago. All other stories we know have a link to this epic and play out it's themes in endless variations. As Gilgamesh went in search of his friend, Enkidu, he was confronted with extraordinary hardships, and had to rise above his own limitations and fears.

This story is from Ancient Mesopotamia, so we have taken a deep dive into this mythology, as well as learning about the ancient culture, including the fascinating city of Babylon. We have been busily creating and choosing costumes, painting backdrops, collecting and making props and rehearsing our lines ready for our performances in next week!

Our play will be performed on Thursday May 16 for students and Friday May 17 for parents.

Aimee Waller

Class 5 Maar Teacher

Class 6 Maar Keyen have begun our Geometry Main Lesson with a look at the etymology and definition of the term. We discovered that, like many mathematical concepts, its name has Greek and Latin origins. One thing that makes Geometry so special is its emphasis on precision. Any imprecision in our measurements creates visibly imbalanced results, while care, patience and meticulous following of steps bring us magnificent artworks in which we experience beauty and balance.

This week, we have enjoyed two very special incursions in support of our upcoming Australian History play. The first incursion was from Sergey Volotovskiy, who introduced us to the history, proper names, cultural lore and techniques to play the didgeridoo. While it has over 29 different names from Arnhem land, surrounding country and islands, the word didgeridoo is more likely to be of Irish origin. Sergey had special permission from his teacher, Yawaru and Karajarri Elder Lindsay Haji-Ali, to share his wisdom and skills with us. Some of the boys in our class have been staying in at recess to practise, and look forward to sharing their new skills with the community when we perform the play next term.

The second incursion was from Irish-born teacher Pádraigín Ní Cheannabháin, better known in the Steiner community as Patricia Crook. Trish grew up in Baile Átha Cliath (Dublin) where she learned Gaeilge (Irish language), dance and history. She has written all of the Gaeilge for our upcoming play and we are so fortunate to have her generous expertise. She brought us the fascinating biography of Fenian freedom fighter, journalist and poet John Boyle Ó Reilly, also sharing with us the history of her own grandfather, Pádraig who fought for Irish independence.

Heartfelt thanks to Sergey and Patricia for enriching and deepening our learning. We feel blessed with so much outside support as we prepare to bring the incredible story of the Fenians to the WCSS community next term.

Elaine Meyer

Class 6 Maar Keyen Teacher

Music

As I write this I’ve had a lovely start to the week, singing Winter Festival songs with keen parents at The Hub. All parents who are interested in being more familiar with the songs we will be singing for the lantern walk and around the bonfire at the Winter Festival are welcome to join. We hope to have many voices sining at this year's festival. Next week we are adding the kindy songs, so any kindy parents who would like to know how to sing those songs are most welcome to join in too. We are meeting on Monday mornings after drop-off at the hub.

This term is a tremendous one for music making. Class 3 have been learning many facets of music theory. They are able to recognise and notate two distinct pitches and different rhythms. In Week 3 they learned that bar lines tell us where the strong beats in a piece of music fall and how to conduct two beats in a bar. Samples of their written work can be seen in the photos below. Towards the end of the term, Class 3 will be introduced to the violin, viola and cello at which point they will decide their preference for which of these instruments they would like to learn to play.

Class 4 have been eagerly expanding their skills in music. They enjoyed their first performance with the orchestra at the Celtic Dance in Term 1 and are sinking their teeth into more challenging repertoire this term. This week they started to learn their new class piece. The piece is called "Yggdrasil" and explores the concept of the World Tree in Norse mythology through music. It starts softly and with icy sounds at the roots of the tree and gradually rises up until the whole ensemble plays the melody together. I have written the piece especially to accommodate Class 4’s level of playing and tie in with their Norse mythology Main Lesson. You will be able to hear the piece performed at the Strings Assembly in Week 9.

Class 5 have started to learn about graphic scores. Each week they are exposed to a different way to notate music, introducing alternatives to traditional Western Art Music notation. This will culminate in the class writing their own graphic score composition in small groups later this term. Class 5 have also been working on their ensemble skills, playing their instruments and singing together, creating a cohesive sound through various pieces.

Class 6 have started to write their own compositions. At a minimum these will be 12 bars long, but some students have written the first third of their composition and have already far exceeded 12 bars. It is exciting to see the culmination of their theoretical and practical knowledge come together and to see the students explore their creative side in music. Class 6 also sing and play beautifully as a group. They have many songs to learn for their class play which will happen in Term 3 and are doing a fantastic job of working together to make beautiful music.

The choir has been learning songs about Bunuru which is now well and truly over. It has been a joy to hear the students effortlessly embrace songs in Noongar. For the Summer Round, which is about Bunuru, although it never mentions the season by name each class came up with actions for part of the round. The students surprised me by teaching each other the actions when I was absent from rehearsal one week last term. I think you will agree with me that Class 6s introduction and conclusion to the Summer Round in Noongar in addition to the whole choir splitting into an 8 part round with actions made for an engaging performance at the Choir assembly this week. The performance concluded by a song called Bunuru, which as the title and the frequently repeated word in the song give away is all about the season of Bunuru. Now that Bunuru has gone we are preparing for the coming season of Makuru and our Winter Festival.

Prior to the Winter Festival the students have one other big performance coming up in Week 9 of this term. The String Orchestra is already busily rehearsing for our Strings Assembly. Each Class will be performing a piece and then the whole orchestra will perform two pieces. Save the date now, it is sure to be a wonderful performance.

The students in Class 4, 5 and 6 have one more exciting event coming up this term. In Week 6 we are going to head to the Perth Concert Hall to see the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra in performance. It is sure to be a fantastic experience for students and staff alike! Some of my friends will be playing in the orchestra and I can’t wait to share the gift of seeing a live orchestral performance with the students.

Cristina Filgueira

Strings Specialist

Handwork

Woodwork

Sustainability

The Sustainability Group is three parents and me, working to promote sustainability here at West Coast Steiner School.  Our first job this term will be setting up the bins for recycling.  We will have bins for plastic lids, dishwashing packaging, dental products packaging as well as toothbrushes.  We are also researching printer cartridges, cosmetics packaging and plastic bread tags. 

First though, we need to clean the bins! Perhaps a job (that goes towards Family Commitment Hours) after school as your children are playing?

Other recycling opportunities:

• Lightbulbs, electronic devices and plastic lids at your tip.
• Mobile phones and batteries (we have cardboard boxes to collect them in) at your local library.
• Containers for Change here at school
• Clothing/shoes and accessories recycling here at school (no matter the condition of items).

Sustainability Tip

Make your own foaming hand wash.  One part castile soap to 3 parts water (add essential oils if you like) in a container that has a foaming pump.  You may have one from a product that you already own and can refill. 

The next sustainability meeting is in the Hub on Tuesday June 4 after drop off.  We’d love to see you there to talk about further sustainability ideas for the school including our Waste Sorted accreditation and initiatives for the Kamabarang Fair and the All Steiner Schools Staff Day.

Items available, see me in the office or on Wednesday morning in the Hub at our Yarning Circle.

• Cardboard containers for collecting batteries.
• A small number of foaming pump bottles left over from my last Aussie Soap Supplies order.

Available at the next meeting:

• Produce bags.
• Shower timers.
• Any leftover battery boxes or foaming pump bottles.

Thank you,

Vanessa Beesley

Deputy Principal

Alumni Focus

Class 12 Projects ~ Kaliyah Lochrie

WCSS Class of 2018

When it became time to think about my Class 12 Project this year, I discovered I didn't need to look any further than my own back yard.   

With the increasing awareness that my generation is facing challenges in affordable housing, I wondered whether tiny houses or backyard dwellings could really offer a solution to the housing crisis and how affordable and sustainable were they. It's clear they occupy less space, cost less to build and maintain, and leave a smaller carbon footprint.  With over 640,000 households across Australia struggling and often paying over 30% of their income on their housing, finding solutions has become really important. So, when it was time to figure out what to do for my project, it was perfect. I could use the shed in my backyard and turn it into a small dwelling while researching sustainable building options. 

My interest initially focused on converting a neglected shed into a space I could live in. However, as I looked further, I found myself interested in the idea of living sustainably within limited means and wondered how affordable it is to live sustainably. Thinking about living sustainably sounds like it should also be affordable, but what I am discovering, unfortunately, is that the most sustainable options are not always the most cost-effective .I ended up being more passionate about sustainability and affordability, this led me to my question; 

‘What is the process required to sustainably create/renovate a Tiny House within an affordable budget?’

I have had many eye-opening steps on my initial building process - beginning enthusiastically (which is often the case I'm told). However, reality struck when I confronted the limitations of the space and had to revaluation of my design plans. This has been influenced by my wish to up-cycles and re-use as much as I can. So far, I have really enjoyed going to the salvage yard and looking at all the furniture they have. I have gotten an old 1950s kitchenette and a kitchen storage/bench from a similar time. I have also gotten a wooden bed with storage and a few other appliances second hand. I will also try to get second-hand solar panels and insulation to both reduce costs and make it more sustainable. 

I have found while researching that there are many different types of solar panels. Originally, I thought they could only be mounted to roofs, but I found out there are three different ways to mount solar panels. There is ground mounted, pole mounted, roof mounted. A roof mounted is the most common choice for houses, simply being attached to the north side of the house to absorb the solar energy as the sun moves through the sky. Pole mounted solar panels are fixed to the end of a pole, some can be adjusted to get the maximum amount of sun. Then the ground mounted solar panels which particularly interested me. They are fixed to a metal frame that can range from just above the ground, to tall enough for a person to stand underneath. Being fixed the way they are gives the option to make them rotate during the day, so they follow the sun across the sky. I found the mechanics on how they worked quite interesting. 

I am still in the early stages of my Practical but my research for my report is helping me to make good decisions in building my future home.  

WCSS Community Association

Dear School Community,

Autumn has truly arrived with her beautiful cool mornings and glorious days! Perfect for enjoying your favourite warm brew at the Hub. For those who need a bit more we are now trialling chia pots! They are a delicious, healthy and plant-based snack. We would love to know what you think of them, so come along and give them a taste.

WCSSCA (pronounced “whiska”) is looking for a Soup Day Coordinator and volunteers for Soup Day. Soup Days will commence on Wednesdays each week, from June 5. Volunteers will be needed for food preparation, serving and cleaning up. This is a wonderful way to support the nourishment of our precious children during the cold winter months, and Family Commitment Hours are claimable. If you can help, please contact Maria on 0423 678 254.

Craft Group is held each Thursday at 12:35pm at the Hub. This term, we are making adorable, weighted cats. Come along and spend a relaxing afternoon of craft guided by the lovely Sarah. 

There will be a lantern making workshop in preparation for the Winter Festival. The lantern workshop will be on Wednesday June 12 after drop-off at the Hub. Save the date and join us to make beautiful star wax paper lanterns.

WCSSCA is delighted to announce that we will be funding a Spelling Mastery Program for the upper school, as requested by teaching staff.  The Spelling Mastery Program is a direct instruction approach to spelling and is a great evidence-based program that will be used by Class 4, 5 and 6.

With kindness in community,

Rachael (Class 2 parent) 

Community News

News items listed in our Community Noticeboard are not school endorsed but are included here for the information and benefit of our wider community. We welcome submissions to appear in this section of our newsletter and inclusion is at the discretion of WCSS. 

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

Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (BCST) is a soft therapy with no pressure, manipulation or force. Virginie will use light touch while bringing a safe space to calm your nervous system which will bring the whole system into a state of balance. In that state, healing and change will take place in your body. BCST is like a big hug to the nervous system. It can help with releasing emotional or physical restrictions throughout the body, stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, aches and pain, improve sleep, energy, wellbeing and so much more.

With love

Virginie Barker - WCSS Parent
Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy
08 93413020
vi.craniosacraltherapy@gmail.com

To learn more visit www.vicraniosacraltherapy.com.au

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

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. These workshops are great for team building activities, get togethers, birthdays or just if you owuld like to learn some skills and have creative fun!

                                                              Explore the Facebook Page for more info.

Coming Events

MAY

Sunday 12: Mother's Day

Tuesday 14: Market Day Class 4

Friday 17: Class 5 Play Performance for Parents

Tuesday 21: Market Day Class 2

Wednesday 22: School Tour 9.15am

Thursday 23: WASO Excursion Class 4 - 6

Save the Date:

June 11: Council AGM after school

 June 14: Parent & Staff Mixer 7.00pm 

June 20: Pajama Day Fundraiser

For further Term Dates check the school website calendar

WEEKLY

Winter Festival Song Practice: Mondays after drop off at The Hub

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

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