Category: Primary School

Class 2

23/3/2020

The children climbed to the top of the Mighty Mountain just as the colours of the sunrise filled the sky. They knew it was their task to help find the Little Letters. From the top of the mountain, they could see the ocean stretched out to the horizon. In the heat of the summer sun, the children went to greet the ocean. First, they had to follow a stream that joined a river. In following the river, they would reach the ocean and, it was told, the letters had been blown across the ocean. What wonder! There in the stream was a "feather-finned fish, able to do whatever you wish". In following him, the children found the Little Letters and the Singing Star Sounds (the vowels). Thus began their next adventure in uncovering words.

Following on from this, Class 2 have been visiting the Circus of the Sun. Here, the Ringmaster and Storyteller has many incredible performers who help him sort out everything, as well as bringing wonder-filled acts and tricks. Adding-up, sharing, giving and grouping makes for a circus loved by everyone. There are tight-rope walkers, high swings, cartwheels, back flips and clowns (everything Class 2 love to perform at play time). Writing numbers, counting, writing sums and number patterns have all been a part of our happy journey.

In addition to this, we have been putting a big effort into our knitting, which most children have completed, ready to transform into an owl. Apart from out love of hand craft, is our love of Japanese with Katsuko, Indonesian with Emily, Eurythmy with Kira and Gardening with Nadia.

The children enjoy each others' company. They love morning tea and lunch time play and going home at the end of each day. We are indeed fortunate friends.

Jenny Lott
Class 2 Teacher

The Art of Knitting

11/3/2020

Knitting has been gathering a lot of attention lately by crafters and scientists alike. It turns out knitting and handwork provides a host of brain and wellbeing benefits to people of all ages. For students, in particular, knitting provides an essential learning medium.

A child who is knitting a hat or a toy kitten sees their will transformed into art. They see their focused, detailed work turn into something beautiful and purpose filled. They experience how the conceptual becomes concrete.
This is why Waldorf education founder, Rudolf Steiner, lectured on the importance of handwork for students: From Play, through Beauty, to Work: This is a golden path for education. In later life the most abstract tasks, the most difficult techniques, do not arouse antipathy if this path has been followed during childhood.

But knitting teaches and offers more than abstract concept mastery like creating art from will or tangibles from follow through. It also teaches simple and complex mathematics; hand, eye and brain coordination; sensory integration; and resiliency of habit... all while promoting peace of mind.

Mathematics
Counting is required in knitting. Students must count stitching and rows often in complicated ways. There are different colours and different row lengths based on what’s being created, which force children to think flexibly about patterns that emerge and transform. Those patterns and pattern thinking impressed electrical engineering professor, Dr. Karen Shoop, of Queen Mary University in London. When she took her first knitting class, she immediately saw a connection between computer coding and knitting. As she says in this MindShift article — Can Learning to Knit Help Learning to Code:

“We ‘code’ in our outside world... Computers ultimately started off partially inspired by weaving and the Jacquard loom, or earlier Bouchon’s loom... Knitting instructions are largely binary [and] read just like regular expressions [of code], used for string matching and manipulation.”

It’s not just coding, according to mathematics professor, Sarah Jensen at Carthage College. It’s geometry at its most complex. As she reports in her article in Smithsonian Magazine, What Knitting can Teach You About Math, the abstract, spatial oriented, concept of rubber sheet geometry is perfectly illustrated through knitting.

“One way of knitting objects that are round – like hats or gloves – is with special knitting needles called double pointed needles. While being made, the hat is shaped by three needles, making it look triangular. Then, once it comes off the needles, the stretchy yarn relaxes into a circle, making a much more typical hat. This is the concept that rubber sheet geometry is trying to capture. All polygons become circles in this field of study.”

She says knitting also teaches “abstract algebra and topology – typically reserved for math majors in their junior and senior years of college. Yet the philosophies of these subjects are very accessible, given the right mediums.”

Last, but not least, the simple act of working with hands in math results in better learning outcomes. Studies show that using physical materials, or manipulatives as they call them, improve math skills and learning.

Eye, Hand and Brain Coordination
Many essential developmental skills are required of children as they knit and do other handwork. These include engaging in small motor skills, eye tracking, eye hand coordination, crossing the midline, bilateral hand movement and spatial oriented thinking.

Playing a stringed musical instrument, also a standard curriculum component in Waldorf schools, is often the task studied for brain benefits from these types of brain building activities. But knitting is also a multisensory experience that requires much of the same coordination, motor skills and left and right hemisphere activity as playing an instrument, and so arguably, could offer similar benefits. Much is also written and studied about sensory engagement in brain development and knitting offers students an array of textures and colours that are pleasingly tactile and visual and offer perceptual feedback.

Resiliency Through Habit
There is a place in education for abstract concepts, but engaging students in hands-on relevant work that requires patience, persistence and follow through allows learning to really take hold. Students who knit must concentrate on the task at hand and must stay with it day after day. Then they are rewarded with a tangible, beautiful item. They learn to create something from nothing, they learn the value of hardwork and the value of the handmade all around us. Rudolf Steiner put it this way, “The value of such an occupation consists in the fact that on the one hand it introduces the world of mechanism and brings movement, while on the other it trains in the power of attention.”

Wellbeing and Self Esteem
Last, but hardly least, knitting is good for the soul and good for the esteem. According to [Waldorf] Handwork and Fine Arts Teacher, Nicole Nicola, “Mathematics are there. We know working with the hands develops specific parts of the brain that help with other kinds of learning. All of that is absolutely true and scientifically proven and it is so important to have that academic basis, but there is another level. The self esteem building. And that is what’s missing in a lot of young people today and a lot of education.”

The New York Times Article, The Health Benefits of Knitting, focused on qualities like these, with one study looking specifically at enhanced confidence and the sense of accomplishment that comes with knitting. The article cited many other studies as well that looked at cognition and memory benefits, but also other emotional benefits including reduction in anxiety and stress, alleviation of chronic pain and the self reported happiness and confidence.

Knitting, like recess, play, social emotional learning, music and art can seem like a softer skill to pursue during a busy academic day, and yet, it is clearly an amazing tool and medium for teaching these and other essential skills to school children, especially in our STEM focused world.

But, for Steiner and for Waldorf teachers like Nicole Nicola, it goes far beyond the practical. Handwork is a way to deepen learning, not to do well on tests or get a good job, but to educate the whole child. As Steiner said, “Headwork alone, which only occupies the intellect, does not reach the spirit.”

Reprinted from the Waldorf School of Philadelphia blog Loving Learning

Class 7 Bush Regeneration

24/2/2020

Huge thanks to Maximo Bottaro, Tashi Maizey, Matthew Stanley and Michael Martin from Reforest Now (pictured above), who made the planting a hole lot easier with their augers!

With the arrival of the rain, our Class 7 students began a month-long gardening block, in which they will plant close to 2000 native shrubs and trees – part of a 20-year bush regeneration project that has transformed the School's degraded creek-side and agricultural land into a wildlife refuge.

"The students are learning how to address climate change by increasing the carbon-capturing capacity of the soil," said project coordinator and bush regenerator Nadia de Souza Pietramale. "We are using the school grounds as a giant class room, in which computers and books are replaced with wheel barrows, and shovels."
The students get out their gumboots and gloves every afternoon after lunch, for more than an hour of planting with the help of their teachers and the School bush regeneration team.

Students Thea and Amy said planting trees made them feel good. "It makes us feel like we can make a change and, by being proactive regarding climate change, we can give ourselves and others hope for our future environment." These same students had previously expressed their despair for the future. "Right now at 12 years of age we already don’t want to envision our future. We are afraid that its already too late. So we are begging you to listen and more importantly take heed of what we say."

This year, the School’s bush regeneration focus will be on extending the flood plain plant community, which is swamp sclerophyll forest - an important habitat for koalas and many other local wildlife species. This project is part of the development of a wildlife corridor across the campus from the east to the north-west, where it will join established plantings on the western boundary of the property. When completed in the next few years, this wildlife corridor will be almost 2km long.

This year, the students will also add understory plants to areas planted in previous years. These will include indigenous bush food species such as Davidson's Plum, Small-leaved Tamarind, Native Ginger and Midginberry.

Sourcing our Trees
But trees are not for free. The 2020 Shearwater tree planting project has been made possible with incredible community support including the following donations: 1000 trees from Reforest Now (who also came in with four augers and dug all the holes for the project!); 230 plants from Burringbar Rainforest Nursery; six trucks of mulch from Rainforest 4 Foundation, and a grant from the NSW Government’s Biodiversity Conservation Trust that will buy another 250 trees and fertiliser; with additional support from Mullumbimby Rural Cooperative. Shearwater's Primary School children, who propagate bush food plants in the school nursery, have grown another 250 trees to go in the ground.

The ongoing management of the reforestation of the School grounds is a huge job that is supported by the school administration. "All planting and maintenance of the trees follows sustainable, organic and biodynamic land management principles," said Nadia.

"We will cover all the gaps between the trees with biomass, such as pruned branches and palm fronds - resources abundant in the School grounds. This organic material will suppress grass growth. It will also feed soil micro-organisms such as the mycorrhizal fungi which make minerals and other nutrients available to the plants in exchange for the sugars produced by the trees through photosynthesis. Nature is cooperation in action!"

"We hope that this becomes a model for managing young forests, where waste biomass covers the forest floor, feeding the soil, reducing waste burning, and controlling weeds. As we cover the grounds with biomass, we increase the capacity of the soil to hold water, which also increases carbon storage. For some species such as bandicoots this ground cover will create habitat.

"The process of returning biomass to the earth also restores the intelligence in the soil, assisting the trees to catch carbon to their full capacity, helping to restore the solar balance on earth and reducing the risks of climate change."

PDHPE

12/2/2020

Term 1 started with some challenging weather for our physical activities at Shearwater - hot and wet! That didn't deter our competitors at the High School Swimming carnival, which saw some record-breaking swims. Twenty students will be attending the North Coast Independent Schools (NCIS) swimming regional competition on March 5, at Alstonville, where we are hoping to see some qualifiers for the state event later this term.

Outside of the pool, most classes are working on their teamwork skills, with a variety of games in PE lessons, such as volleyball, Ultimate Frisbee, futsal, basketball and dodgeball. This has included discussion about the history, rules, technique, importance, social aspect, aims, similarities and differences of these games.

In the Primary School, we are looking forward to a year of cooperation, activity and movement in our PDHPE program. Students will be participating in the NCIS regional events for cross country and athletics, along with Bothmer Gymnastics and Spaghetti Circus for upper Primary students.

The aim in the Primary School is to provide whole class activities that are developmentally appropriate and inclusive of all levels and abilities. The focus will be enjoyment, fitness, spatial awareness, balance and improving physical ability.

PDHPE Teacher Magnum Brotto and Primary School Coordinator Cathy Jones

Class 1 Crossing the Bridge Ceremony

12/2/2020

The first day of the year for our Primary School is always busy and bustling with expectations and excitement. After each student reunites with their teacher and classmates, the whole Primary School gather together to welcome Class 1. This year, the strings teachers played while the Class 1 children crossed the bridge with their teachers Maria and Heather and their assistants Emma and Karin. Each Class 1 child was greeted by a Year 12 student who presented them with a rose and accompanied them to their classroom, where they were welcomed with songs by the rest of the Primary School.

Shearwater's Crossing the Bridge ceremony brings the youngest and oldest students of our K-12 school together at the beginning of each year. The growth that takes place between these stages of development is remarkable to see. Many of the older students (as well as parents and teachers) remember back to their first day of school - the crossing of a threshold, and are able to reflect on how much they have grown and learned in the intervening years.

We welcome all our Class 1 children and their parents to the Shearwater Primary School and we wish them well as they begin the next phase of the journey through their child's school life.

Catherine Jones
Primary School Coordinator

Eurythmy

11/12/2019

Once a week, Classes K to 5 have a eurythmy lesson, accompanied by Ken Naughton on piano, in our beautiful eurythmy room. Here is a summary of our recent work. I look forward to lots more lovely work in the new year.

Class 1
In Class 1 Eurythmy we have continued our exploration of movement to music and speech adding various arm gestures representing vowels and consonants. Most of these elements have been woven into stories inspired by the folktales The Turnip and Tiddilick. These have helped build on and develop the children’s spatial awareness and their relationship to the world around them.

Class 2
Class 2 Eurythmy has had a stronger emphasis on movement in formation. This has allowed each child the opportunity to practice adapting their own movement into a larger social group, as well as developing their own initiative and courage. Our main spring-themed lesson has been a eurythmy form called We Seek One Another, a square form with a curbed crossing. Working with this form has helped the children to adjust quickly to a change in orientation whilst moving in time to music and a verse of Banjo Patterson’s, The Australian Way.

Class 3
As the children’s appreciation and understanding of music has grown this year, so has the complexity of expression in eurythmy. Class 3 commenced Term 3 by learning the C major scale, and then moved with it on the Crown Form. Later in Term 4 they moved to the music Star of Ester. Exercises with copper rods and concentration exercises have also been a major focus.

Class 4
To support the Class 4 child's growing independence and the development of their feeling life, we started Term 3 experiencing major and minor chords in tone eurythmy. This term, we have worked on a choreographic form called the Harmonious Eight, in which we focused on slowing ourselves down and moving harmoniously with each other in time with the music. Rod exercises and concentration exercises continued in Class 4, with an emphasis on precision and, increasingly, calling on the individual child's initiative.

Class 5
Commencing in Term 3, Class 5 has continued with dynamic fast rhythmical movement, with lots of jumping and thematic repetition. In the Hall of the Mountain King and The Sugar Plum Fairy from the Nutcracker have been favourite music pieces for this work. In conclusion to all the dynamic work this year, Class 5 are also enjoying the relative peace and calm of the Harmonious Eight. Rod exercises, such as Waterfall and Nightsong, have been a mainstay, where we either pass our rods on to our neighbours or drop and catch in rapid succession.

Kira Rea
Eurythmy Teacher

Class 6

6/12/2019

At the end of Term 3, Class 6C started a small sewing project. Each student sewed a square with their chosen virtue on it. As a class they decided to create a quilt and donate it to the aged care facility in Pottsville. The class presented the quilt to the residents and performed a repertoire of violin and cello pieces and songs, which were received with gratitude and joy. It was a wonderful morning getting to know one another. Both the students and elders are very keen to continue this relationship next year.

Sport news

21/11/2019

Our Primary School boys and girls basketball teams headed down to the NCIS regional carnival in Coffs Harbour recently, where 80 students from independent schools across the region (Tweed Heads to Coffs Harbour) enjoyed the perfect conditions and the friendly competition.

It was a big day, with an early start and a long drive either end. The students played 4 matches each but their enthusiasm never flagged - losing or winning, they were having lots of fun! They were a joy to watch with a great improvement on last year’s event. Both teams have the finals within their sights for next year.

Thank you to all the staff, parents and students who supported these teams this year, especially Anthony Hack, Monica Brandolini and Taj Gough.

Our annual calendar of NCIS carnivals has now finished for the year. Well done to everyone who participated. Next year, we start early with the swimming regionals in Astonville, following the Shearwater carnival at the beginning of Term 1.

In other sports news, students from upper Primary to High School have been enjoying the extra movement activities this term, funded by the Federal Government's Sporting Schools grant, including gymnastics with Spaghetti Circus, basketball and capoeira.

Finally, the mapping of the School campus by Orienteering NSW has now been completed, ready for next year's inaugural orienteering events!

Magnum Brotto
Sports Coordinator

Class 2

21/11/2019

Adventurous at heart, a class of born leaders, Class 2M packed their trailer to the hilt and hit the road, en route to our first off-site camping trip. Excitement brimming, the weather lords shined on us and we were blessed with great blue skies, cool nights and warm days.

Working enthusiastically in groups, the children prepped, cooked, served and cleaned up for each meal, a truly noble act of selflessness that builds social renewal and deepens a sense of purpose and family.

Visiting bandicoots and coastal emu tracks were an exciting surprise, with long swims at the swimming holes and long walks exploring the caves of coffee rock, the camp flew by just as fast as a Class 2 student (or three) zooming down a sand dune on a boogie board. As fast and fun as it was, many great memories were created to be cherished.

Michael Caterer
Class 2 Teacher

Class 1

5/11/2019

What a busy year Class 1L are having. The children returned to school for Term 4 with much joy and happy faces. It is always a pleasure to be greeted by their toothless grins, enthusiasm and growing bodies!

We began this term with an indigenous main lesson where the children enjoyed stories from the first peoples of this country. We had a visit from Mudjai (a Bundjalung parent from 5M), who told stories, made a fire with just sticks and taught us some special dances. The children were delighted and so engaged.

We have been doing lots of work on letters and sounds and writing whole sentences in our capital letters. We love our craft and making things with our hands.

We have been visiting the homes of all of our classmates over the past weeks. It has been a special time for the children, as they develop a deeper sense of where their friends come from and who their families are. This will likely be a point of reference in future years as they grow together. I have certainly appreciated seeing their special spaces.

Fridays continue to be a day of adventure at Crystal Creek where, sadly, we recently discovered no water. We desperately need Sister Rain. Always the children learn so much through play - a natural exploration of their world and relationships, that allows them to use their creativity, while developing their imaginations and their physical dexterity.

As we come to the end of a busy and happy year, we are all awaiting a long and well-deserved break!

Lindsey Gallon
Class 1 Teacher

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Class 2

The Art of Knitting

Class 7 Bush Regeneration

PDHPE

Class 1 Crossing the Bridge Ceremony

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Class 6

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