Shearwater, the Mullumbimby Steiner School
Ph (02) 6684 3223
349 Left Bank Road, Mullumbimby, NSW 2482
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Class 3

24/2/2021

 
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The beginning of a new school year seems an especially joyful time. Spirits are revitalised; teeth and limbs have grown; adventures have been had and new adventures are sought.

The year began with much excitement about our new musical journey with our very own cello or violin. We have also been creating with clay in the workshop, under the gentle guidance of Ben, which the children just love. As part of the Class 3 choir, we have been singing with Loani, and what a joy to hear both classes singing together.

New for us also this year - a whole main lesson day dedicated to gardening, planting and growing, caring for and fostering our school gardens and beyond. ​Learning to love and take care of our land is being fostered with our new worm farms and taking care of the Chickenbimby flock. Pictured above are the sunflowers we planted.

This is an important picture for the 9-10 year old child, who is experiencing a stronger sense of self, moving away from the imitative, safe world of their previous years. A bittersweet yearning to be more connected with their physical world, comes with a letting go of the innocence of a time passed. Gardening brings the children into direct connection with this world, and so much fun is had (as you can see above), as we continue to adore our time spent at Crystal Creek.

Many of the main lessons support a practical world of purpose and history, as an antidote to the often lonely and confused emerging soul life. Stories from Persia and the Old Testament also support the moral development of the children, as do the artistic endeavours and daily rhythms of our day.

We are looking forward to the bush dance at the end of term and all the experiences of Class 3 in the year ahead.

Lindsey Gallon
Class 3 Teacher

Swimming Carnival 2021

11/2/2021

 
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​The Primary School swimming carnival on Monday was a great success, with plenty of games for the younger children in the morning, followed by the upper Primary races in the afternoon. Class 1 to 3 students enjoyed the Crystal Dive, the Kick Board Dash, the Dragon Noodle Boat Cruise and the Hoop Obstacle Swim, as well as lane swimming for the capable swimmers in Class 2 and 3.

There were some tired faces by the end of the morning, as Class 1 to 3 headed back to school and the upper Primary students took their place in the pool.

The continuous relay was a fabulous demonstration of participation and enthusisam as every student hit their pace in the pool, followed by the 50m freestyle and breaststroke races. The enthusiasm was contagious with almost every student entering a race. The grand finale was the teachers' race. Class 5 teacher Nick Vuorinen was awarded the blue ribbon, with just enough time for some games before we wrapped up the carnival and headed back to school. 

Thank to all the staff and students for another fabulous fun-filled sports event.

Cathy Jones
Primary School Coordinator


Class 3 Paddock to Plate

9/12/2020

 
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This year, our Class 3 farmers milled a record 21kg of finest biodynamic flour from their wheat harvest, to be baked into bread next week.

The wheat seed, received from the Class 4 students at the Primary School's Autumn Festival, was planted and tended as part of the Class 3 farming curriculum. This season marks the third in which the crop has been sown from Shearwater's own seed bank.

Special thanks to Sally Davison who donated the stone mill (pictured above).

Class 7 camp

9/12/2020

 
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Class 7 recently went on their final Primary School camp. It was with jubilation that restrictions were lifted and we had the opportunity to continue with the tradition of fantastic camps at Shearwater. Although shorter and closer to home than past Class 7 camps, this was no exception.

The two classes came together with the intention of fostering new friendships and getting to know their future Class Guardians. We had a wonderful campsite at Lake Arragan and, after setting up our tents, we got on with the business of weathering storms, facing physical challenges, eating lots of wonderful food and reapplying sunscreen.

Shearwater has many aspects that make it unique but one of the standouts certainly has to be the camps, creating fond memories for our students and graduates.

The benefits of the situated learning that forms this aspect of an outdoor, hands-on curriculum are so valuable and can be readily measured by the social health of the group and smiles of the participants.  

Watching students immersed in nature while learning together is a tremendous highlight for a teacher and now, standing at the end of our seven-year journey, I give thanks not only for the wonderful students of Class 7 but also for Shearwater, for placing an emphasis on a living curriculum. I also acknowledge my wonderful fellow teachers and a further note of appreciation goes to the planners, shoppers and parents who provided lovely food, as well as to Nick Thorne and Venessa Skye who went above and beyond to help this camp run smoothly.

NAIDOC Week 2020

18/11/2020

 

Always Was, Always Will Be was the overarching theme for NAIDOC Week 2020 – an opportunity for us to share with the children and young adults in our care that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years.

The Shearwater school community came together to acknowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to be spiritually and culturally connected to this country.

What does culture mean for us today was the question posed by our guides, Mudjai and Djuaan. Key themes emerged based on connection to the land and the seasons, our shared caring for place, and a deepening of the understanding that the very first footprints on this continent were those belonging to First Nations peoples. With these themes as a thread, the entire school embarked on a week of creativity, sharing in the realms of painting, singing, storytelling and dance.
 
A whole school gathering at the beginning of the week set a reverent and respectful tone, as a rainbow serpent of children, led by the Shearwater Kinship group, weaved through the School bringing everyone together. A fire  lit in the amphitheatre would burn for the entire week until the whole school gathered again on Friday to present their artistic offerings and dance up the energy shared over a week of creative collaboration.
 
Children from early childhood through to the young adults of Year 11 honoured the First Nations custodians of this place as misty rain added to an atmosphere of respect and hope. Finally, the rain, the seasons, the water ways, the ocean and the creatures sustained by these sacred systems unique to this place were celebrated in dance and song in a cacophony of rhythm and exuberance.
 
With respect, 
​Shearwater Mirrabooka Group

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Class 2

17/11/2020

 
Our Main Lessons have accommodated change and growth for this group of children. One could say that the children grow into knowing  and valuing their place in the world - family, school, community and this place we live.

At the start of the second semester, we began with ordering numbers according to their place value. This takes some organisation but, thanks to Granny Barrot’s Carrots, a carrot farm with a packing shed, sorting is not a problem. Boxes of 100s, 10s and singles are ready every day for market, with the tally person keeping clear and accurate account of all those carrots.

Following on was a Science and Literacy lesson in the wonderful world of the water cycle. From clouds growing heavy and raindrops tumbling down to earth, to flowing rivers meandering out to sea, to mist and fog and a languid lagoon, Dripple Drop is once again fanned back up to Father Sun by the Sunlight Dancers, only to once again help form clouds and fall to Mother Earth.

We then returned again to the world of numbers and the four processes. Four Friends meet under a big shady tree to tell their stories and teach each other about their different tasks in the world. One is always sharing, one giving away, one putting into groups, one adding up or collecting, only to share amongst friends.

From the much-loved animals stories, which we continued from earlier in the year, we ventured into the literacy Main Lesson, Brave and True Will I Be, which not only looked at word families, but also people who had to develop courage and determination to make a change in the world: Francis and Brother Wolf; Joan, a farm girl who led the French Army; George, who fought the Dragon and Wiseone and the Sword of Light. From these and many others, we sought inspiration and wonder.

As we continue our counting and tables, our home readers and our painting and modelling, we are ending the year with Stories of India and our class play, the Story of Rama and Sita.

Changing classrooms in weeks to come means only one thing, we are getting ready to start Class 3!

CBCA Book Week 2020

21/10/2020

 
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CBCA Book Week is an annual celebration of quality Australian literature (from picture books to young adult novels) by the Children’s Book Council of Australia.

Author, illustrator and silk artist 
Kim Michelle Toft was our guest author in the library this week, with a wonderful demonstration enjoyed by many of the Primary School classes, that included reading, silk painting and singing.

Other activities included classroom door decorating and a dress-up day relating to the 2020 Book Week theme, Curious Creatures, Wild Minds.

Thank you to everyone for making Book Week 2020 such an enjoyable experience.

Cathy, Terri & Denise
Shearwater Librarians

Class 6 speaks

24/9/2020

 
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Our Class 6 students recently completed the Yellow Lantern public speaking program, culminating in the presentation of their speeches last week - a wonderful display of courage, insight and humour. Yellow Lantern is a national provider of public speaking school programs and speaking clubs for kids, with an emphasis on positive self talk, empowered speech and celebrating personality.

There was a good variety of topics, from animal rights, climate change, bullying and the empowerment of women to model trains, making tiramisu, wave pools, and why we should not fear sharks. There were philosophical speeches about the power of friendship, the bridge between astronomy and astrology and why money can’t buy happiness.

This year, because of crowd restrictions, parents were unable to attend the speeches at school, but the event still carried enough excitement and anticipation to test the nerves of most of the students. They certainly rose to the occasion and presented beautifully written speeches. With thanks to Gemma West from Yellow Lantern who was the facilitator this year.

William Keyte
Class 6 Teacher

Sports News

23/9/2020

 
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​Spaghetti Circus has been at the School this term for some fun skills-building workshops with our Primary classes. We also had Nash Campbell, from Byron Beez, providing basketball sessions which inspired lots of lunch-time ball play.

These additional sports experiences were funded by the federal government's Sporting Schools grant, which will be spent on swimming lessons in Term 4.

The Athletics Carnival results have now been finalised and I am pleased to announce that more than 30 records were broken from classes 4 to 11. Well done Shearwaters! Thanks also to the cheerleading group for their energetic opening of the event and to Year 12 student Bodhi Hallas, for gracefully sharing her experience and enthusiam with the Class 6 student cheerleaders.

In Term 4, Shearwater will participate in two regional sports activities, with tennis in Grafton in October and basketball in Coffs Harbour at the start of November.

Watch this space for more exciting news on the inaugural Shearwater Olympics 2021!

Wishing all our students, families and staff a happy and active school holidays.

Magnum Brotto
PDHPE Teacher

Class 5 Greek Olympics

22/9/2020

 
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​On Friday 4th September, weapons clanged on the floor.  It was 9 o’clock and the time of peace had begun. We took the sun chariot to the location of the Gods - Mount Brunswick - where Class 5 of Ancient Shearwater would join its rival Ancient Cape Byron.

But now it was a time of peace and we had to work together. We would be competing in the one and only Greek Olympics where we would attempt to win glory and fame from our almighty king, Zeus.  We would be competing within the great city-states of Greece. I am a citizen of Athens. The other competitors were Corinth, Delphi, Thebes and Sparta.

At the end of the day, Zeus blessed us all with good fortune medals for our hard work. It was a day I’ll never forget - in a bad way, too, because I was really sore the next morning!

Tai Farrell
Class 5P

Class 3

21/9/2020

 
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​As the nine-year-old child begins to develop an awareness of the wider world and forms opinions and ideas on the way they see the world, we bring them into the development of mankind through farming, creation stories, deeds and misdeeds, human values and more.
 
In their third year of Primary School, the children work by using their hands to mould and form that which is within reach. Working with the elements to nurture seeds; watching them unfold into shoots and moving forward into blossoming and fruiting is fulfilling in their yearly cycle. Using the fruits to turn the harvest into a meal completes this and the children have made turmeric powder, planted wheat, cared for chickens and ducks, weeded and planted gardens, and enjoyed the citrus that grows around the School.

The use of wool, fleece, fabrics, clay, wood and wax allows the children to experience the development of home industry. The beautiful reality of creating something helps develop their sense of will and, with encouragement, they achieve to the best of their ability.

Stories of creation from around the world have allowed the children to see the world from different perspectives whilst noting the connections we all share in our history.

The children are currently writing their own newspaper called Dreams and Scenes, using their English skills to present an insight into their weekends and other events in their lives. This was inspired by our sister class who have been writing for some time, and we hope to move into other areas of classic newspaper writing soon, including a sports section and some advertising.

Class 3 have also been learning about the history of measurement, punctuation, times tables, Indonesian, Eurythmy, painting, form drawing, crochet, choir, the science of air and have begun their strings ensemble lessons.  Our days are full. They are busy with industry and as each day closes, we stand together in completion knowing there is always a new adventure beginning tomorrow.

Julie Marx
Class 3 Teacher

Class 4

9/9/2020

 
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It is now our fourth year together. We have recently stepped over an important line that signifies less time together than what we have already spent. What an incredible moment in our journey to take stock and, indeed, look forward to what is to come. It is a reminder to keep readjusting the way we look at each other. The children in our class are very different from who they were last year and the year before that. In that respect, we must treat each other in a different way and learn to grow with each other.

We have recently started having regular ‘class meetings’ - an important milestone in our schooling life where the children are able to express issues that arise in the class, that need discussion and action. Examples of these include: items going missing from bags; how we treat classroom equipment; and the language we use between class members. We are modelling a way to resolve simple issues with the intention to extend these skills over the next few years. It has been so impressive to witness the children’s level of engagement and willingness to discuss some difficult topics.

We have also been fortunate enough to receive a new teacher into our class group. Bonnie teaches in our class every Thursday and brings amazing content to the group in new and exciting ways. For me, as the original class teacher, it feels like we have welcomed an auntie into the fold. The children love what Bonnie brings and it is turning out to be a really good example of how we can build a team to support a class group.

We are a lucky group of individuals that get to call ourselves class 4N.

Nick Vuorinen
Class 4 Teacher 

Athletics Carnival 2020

9/9/2020

 
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Last week saw students from Class 4 to 11 "breaking-in" our new sports oval, with the School's annual athletics carnival held on campus for the first time. Like most events in this pandemic year, the carnival looked quite different. The Primary School and High School events were held on consecutive days, creating a quieter atmosphere. But there was plenty of grace, speed, strength and sportsmanship on display, as well as lots of smiling faces.

According to PDHPE teacher Magnum Brotto, participation levels were record-breaking and so were the athletes. "Quite a few records were broken, especially in Years 8 and 9," said Magnum, with more details to come in the Week 10 newsletter - watch this space. 

"Many thanks to all the staff and students for a great and fun couple of days."

Class 5

26/8/2020

 
This term, the children of Class 5A are exploring the world of the Ancient Greeks. We began with the mythology, in which the gods play out the whole pantheon of human experiences – being powerful or powerless, being hateful or loving, being generous or exploitative. We also researched the geography of Greece and how this shaped the Greek culture and the Greeks' interactions with other cultures.

The children then delved into the refined art of mapmaking. A reflection on the art of Greece, most prominently found in sculptures, and a comparison with the representations of Ancient Egyptians, brought an admiration of their dynamic and expressive gestures.

The Greeks loved coming together to celebrate athletic competition and sportsmanship, and beauty and grace were held in high regard at these events. In this spirit, the children are preparing for the Greek Olympics that is traditionally held with Class 5s from other Steiner Schools. This is a joyous pathway into athletics which is empowering for both boys and girls alike.

The practical arts have complemented our theme as the children made amphoras with Ben in the clay workshop. Here they showed their individual approach, which they typically apply to any project. Some worked the clay the fast and furious way (with some amphoras collapsing). Some liked thick and sturdy walls, whereas others preferred slender shapes. The individual strokes and the moulding of the material brings out not only creativity but also a new self-awareness about one’s preferences and strengths.

Anja Grapentin
​Class 5 Teacher

Primary School Well Being

12/8/2020

 
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The Primary Well Being Coordinator is a brand-new position within Shearwater and one I am honoured to accept. As part of this new role, I aim to integrate a multi-dimensional social skills program within the Primary School that develops a variety of interpersonal and friendship-making skills. This will incorporate cognitive and behavioural activities and take into consideration specific child development stages. 
 
Having stepped into this new role, I felt my first task was to really get to know all the children within the Primary School. As a Class Teacher, I have the honour of knowing my class inside and out, yet feel that even though I know a lot of faces, it is now time to get to know names and personalities on a deeper level. By experiencing different environments, different friendship groups and dynamics within a class, I have more information at my fingertips to assist Class Teachers with any behaviour issues arising within a learning environment. 
 
The last few weeks has seen me step into most of the Primary classrooms to run sharing circles as an introductory session before beginning the above-mentioned program. It has been a real honour to not only meet all the children in a caring circle space but also to have the opportunity to step into the beautiful classrooms at our School. Not only are we blessed with a rich physical environment, but the love, warmth and support of the teaching staff is a delight to behold and I thank all my colleagues for their support with this new initiative. 
 
Penny Martin
Primary Well Being Coordinator

Class 3

2/6/2020

 
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​What an excellent time of year in our curriculum as Class 3 explores farming with Nadia. About two weeks ago, with the new moon, we planted wheat grain for the year’s harvest at the end of September. Then we prayed for rain and lo – it rained for days. The following week, Nadia took us over to have a look and to our delight our (not so) straight lines of wheat were well under way, popping up and blowing in the wind already. You can imagine the delighted children. It truly is fantastic to put the energy in and see nature working with us. What a wonder-filled gift for the children to remember and carry through life.
 
At home, the children have made a diverse range of stunning dwellings that have just been presented in class over the past week. Yes, we’re busy! Not to stop there, our room is full of letter boxes as the children write and post notes to each other, excited to share their developing communication skills. It’s a beehive of joyful energy.

Our days end, if we’ve listened and worked productively together, with the children’s favourite game, Wave. I’m always the seeker and the children hide. If I see them and call their name, they follow me until someone waves to them and they run off to hide again. The shrieks when I turn a corner quietly and catch them unawares! I must admit, this is such fun for us all.
 
Warm wishes went to our dear assistant Djuaan on his 27th birthday. We celebrated with a birthday circle in class and, of course, his letter box was full that morning!
 
Linda Mayer
Class 3 Teacher

Class 4

19/5/2020

 

This year has certainly presented challenges and this is very much felt by the ten-year-old child. This is a time when the child feels the harmony and comfort of childhood slip away, and the realities of the broader world around them begin to fill their minds. This can be a lonely and difficult period for some children. Even for those not exposed to the news cycle, the events of 2020 have permeated their thoughts and dreams – the summer of fire and then a global pandemic that has thrown the lives of all those around them into chaos.
 
For Class 4D, the year began with a range of artistic and reflective activities based around the summer fires. The classroom became a place to consider what comes from fire – regrowth and renewal – and fire as a tool that when harnessed and respected is an integral part of the cycle of life. To help with the fear and concern many children carried, we made artworks to lift the spirits of those scarred by the harshest of summers.
 
The animal and human main lesson provided the children a wonderful respite, with an opportunity to delve into the diversity and wonder of life on earth. It was during this period that COVID-19 put a stop to face-to-face schooling, and again swept many of the children up in feelings of confusion and fear. Schooling went into the home and the children (and families) felt their way into how this new situation would work. Indeed it was a learning curve for all involved, but we as a class community did our best to ensure the children felt connected and that some normality remained in their shrinking world.
 
Class 4D enjoyed a shared autumn lunch (via Zoom) to create a feeling of seasonal festivity and shared experience. The Main Lesson moved into ancient Egypt where we were introduced to kings, pharaohs, new landscapes and animals, new crops and ways of writing, as well as monuments and tombs dating back 5000 years. We continued to explore the fascinating culture of ancient Egypt when we returned to our classroom last week.
 
The children returned with vigour, energy and engagement. Friendships were rekindled and stories shared. It was an absolute delight to see the enthusiasm and joy brought back to the classroom. We spent the first few days building shelters down at Grandfather Coolamon to really bring us back to our place.
 
The children of Class 4 passed on some of the wheat grain from last year's harvest to the Class 3 students last week, in a traditional handing over of the tasks of the ‘farmer’. This was a very poignant moment in a very unusual year, really bringing the children home to the embrace of our School community. It has been so important to model and share with the children that, although recent life may have been interrupted and difficult to understand, we can still share in the beauty and wonder of life that is all around us.
   
Dallas Hewett
Class 4 Teacher 

Class 1

5/5/2020

 
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​'The best classroom and richest cupboard is roofed only by the sky.'
(Margaret McMillan)

Once upon a time, there was a poor, humble man who, having fallen upon hard times, could no longer bring an offering to the temple. So he got on his knees, bowed down and offered the only thing he had left to give... himself. Waiting quietly for a response and expecting the worst, he was surprised when the gods, acknowledging his good nature, honesty and humbleness, gave him a magic listening cap so that he might hear as he’d never heard before.

“But I can hear quite well!” he said. “What new sounds are there in this world that I have not yet heard?” The gods smiled gently, “Have you ever really heard what the birds say as they fly amongst the trees? Have you ever really understood what the trees whisper to one another when their leaves rustle in the wind? Have you ever really heard the language of a flame as it springs in and out of a wood fire; the cry of the ocean as it beats upon the rocks; the singing of the sparkling stars or the silence of a tumbled stone?”.

The old man shook his head. He understood. “Thank you,” he whispered. “I will treasure my magic listening cap forever.” He rose and went about his daily tasks where, through deep listening, he was able to bring peace and harmony into the world in service to others.

Class 1 often put on their ‘magic listening caps’ at school, for we have not only been learning how to read and write our letters, but to read and listen to nature’s script as well. Whilst at home, the children (and their families) have been encouraged to play and learn outdoors, feeling the warmth of the sun, the increasing coolness of the autumnal night air, the magnitude of the night sky and the wonder of the rising/setting sun.  They have been asked to listen to the sounds of the oceans, rivers and waterfalls whilst foraging in the bush or on the beach, experiencing the healing forces of Mother Nature. They have drawn from her cloak of many colours, creating mandala, natural paints and land art from her bountiful gifts.

With the help of their families, the children have been asked to capture some of the sights, sounds, tastes, textures and smells of nature in metaphor and verse, describing what is special about this place we call home, whilst building a deeper relationship to the four elements of earth, water, fire and air.  In this way, awe, wonder and love for the manifestations of Nature permeated by Spirit are gently being fostered.

Children are deeply connected with the world of nature.  When their natural enthusiasm and inborn feeling of reverence are fostered in childhood, an inner strength and harmony develops in them, leading later to an inner freedom of thought and action in adulthood.  (Sally Schweizer)

This enthusiasm and reverence is also fostered in Class 1 through the telling of wonder tales which, rather than speaking of growth forces, or forces of gravity or levity, present imaginative pictures of the Little People - the gnomes, fairies and elves, generally brought under one concept: the elementals.

As adults, we can also connect with the earth and its servitors through our sense organs, especially when we can call forth from our inner life a constancy, a stillness, that enables us to become one with nature and the elemental world.  As perceiving, discerning beings we can also develop a conscious connection and relationship with the worlds that lay beyond our physical senses. These worlds are where creative, spirit beings, which have borne many different names over the course of time, live. Connecting with nature and spirit, human beings can become mediators, freeing the elementals from enchantment and becoming co-creators in the evolutionary tasks of our time through living deeds of love.
 
May we all strive to wear our ‘magical listening caps’ and perceive the spirit so we may respond to the challenges of our times with new hope for beauty, truth and goodness.
 
Heather Peri
Class 1 Teacher

Class 7

8/4/2020

 
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Together, we have all had an unusual start to 2020. For Class 7, this is an especially important time as it is the beginning of the end of our seven-year cycle. The theme of growth, regeneration and connection seems especially poignant. 
 
7S started our year with great excitement, looking forward to meeting the High School teachers and enjoying more opportunities to mix with the other Class 7.
 
Our English biographies lesson provided us a chance to share, remember and write about the fun of early childhood, the wonderful camps experienced in the Primary School years and also to dream towards the future, through exploring the lives of those that inspire us.
 
Both Class 7s worked hard to contribute to positive climate action during our Bush Regeneration lesson, planting 1800 native trees in the wetland area, west of the Kindergarten and Preschool.  

The 2020 Shearwater tree planting project, organised and facilitated by our wonderful gardener, Nadia de Souza Pietramale, extended the wildlife corridor planted by previous Class 7s to almost 1.5 kilometres. The project was 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 bought another 250 trees and fertiliser; with additional support from the Mullumbimby Rural Cooperative. 
 
When it became clear that our learning experience would take a distinctly different delivery style, we set about creating packs of material with educational content as well as our unique Shearwater hands-on practical work. Hence a Grow your own seedlings project was born (see student images above, at bottom).
 
I would like to finish on our afternoon verse, as we do each day in Class 7, as it also seems particularly apt at this time.

Steadfast I stand in the world
With certainty, I tread the path of light
Love I cherish in the core of my being
Hope I carry into every deed
Confidence I impress upon my thinking
These five lead me to my goals
These five give me life

Sonia Davidian
Class 7 Teacher

Class 2

23/3/2020

 
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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

 
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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

 
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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

 
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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

 
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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

 
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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

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