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

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

Shearwater's tennis team headed down to the AIS regional carnival in Grafton this week, where 120 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 an average of five short matches each but their enthusiasm never flagged - losing or winning, they were having lots of fun! They were a joy to watch.

Congratulations to the whole team and a special mention to Dylan, who came in 3rd in the Open Boys, and Class 6 student Oliver Fernley, 2nd in the Primary Boys. 

Our next regional sporting event will be the Primary Basketball in Coffs Harbour at the start of November. Our basketball team is putting in lots of time on the court and we wish them luck.

Magnum Brotto
​PDHPE Teacher

If you have practiced hard for Olympia
And if you have not been lazy or done
Anything dishonourable, then
Go forward with confidence.
We will judge before the gods
with truth and honour
All those who compete before us.
Judges' verse
​

Last Friday, athletes from the mighty city-states of ancient Greece (Shearwater, Cape Byron, Aetaomah, Casuarina, Chrysalis, Tallowood and Rainbow Ridge Steiner schools) came together, in the shadow of Olympus, to prove their strength, grace and agility before the gods. Irascible Zeus opened the proceedings, imploring the athletes to lift their efforts into the realm of truth, beauty and goodness. With gifts of song, strings, verse and gymnastics, let the games begin!
 
Mixed-school groups went around the pentathlon stations where rigorous standards of sportsmanship were apparent in each and every encounter. New friends encouraged each other to greater and more graceful efforts. 

Discus events aimed at 'floating' the discus aerodynamically; Running was approached as 'graceful technique.;
the Standing Long Jump employed 'coordination and weight shift', Wrestling worked on 'balance, strength and poise.; Javelin, demonstrated by Zeus with lightning bolts, required parabolic arcing and point-perfect landings.

Throughout the day, the athlete's inner qualities of determination, effort and sportsmanship were as highly valued as strength and skill.

After suitable midday repasts, Zeus called all athletes to relive the exploits of Pheidippides, the first Marathon runner. Mighty praise was showered on all athletes and medals presented. Athletes returned in glory to their city-states fulfilled and honoured.

Accurate Historic Account rendered by
Rheumatoid Pseudo Zeus the Imposter (aka Michael Lester)
Class 5 Teacher

​Congratulations to Year 10's rising soccer stars Daisy Scriven and Jade Kerry, who were recently selected to represent Football Gold Coast in their under 16 girls' team who traveled to Cairns to compete in the Queensland State Community Cup tournament.  The girls' team came second out of all regions in Queensland! 

Both girls started playing soccer at the age of seven and fell in love with the game, for its fun, freedom and fitness, and now train three to four times a week.  Daisy plays in the Brisbane Women's Premier League with her Gold Coast club, Broadbeach United, and Jade with her Lismore club, Liverpool.  Daisy, whose whole family have played for the Mullumbimby Football Club was also selected for trials for the professional pathway training program with the Queensland Academy of Sport.

Well done Daisy and Jade!

Magnum Brotto
PDHPE Teacher

The 11-year-old child learns fast, developing graceful agility in all endeavours, thus ushering in a ‘golden year’ of childhood. With a subtle balance in heart rate and breathing achieved, new neural pathways emerge.

This year, we have begun to deepen our learning into many of the subjects introduced in previous years. We have expanded fractions into decimals, dollars and percentages and approached science through the observation of natural phenomena. 

The thematic thread in 2019 has been the wisdom of the ancient Greeks. Whether through myth, history, mathematical knowledge or artistic pursuits, the quest for beauty and perfection has broadened the children’s scope and attitude towards learning, with artistic work embracing more individuality. We traced the influence of Ancient Greek on the English language and began to recite passages from the works of Homer. This was complimented in Eurythmy with Greek poetry and the representation of the Ancient Greek alphabet. 
 
After our sports carnival early this term, we began training for the Greek Olympics, which will include several other Steiner schools from our region. While some of the events will be similar to those of the athletics carnival, many of the techniques will be different, with an added emphasis on grace and beauty, in addition to speed and strength. Long jump will be done from a standing start and javelin introduced, along with discus. The students will also compete in wrestling, for which training has begun, with much enthusiasm (pictured above)! Our regular classes in Bothmer Gymnastics have also been building the students' strength, agility and coordination.

Our first main Lesson of Term 3 is a study of the Antarctic. Along with the fascinating animal forms and dramatic geography, the students were enthralled by the incredibly heroic journeys of Shackleton, Amundsen, Scott and Mawson. We have also done numerous experiments involving ice, salt and water, one of which involved measuring the temperature of ice in fresh water, compared to ice in salty water. While the fresh water was measured at two degrees celsius, the salty water plunged well below zero. We will conclude this fascinating main lesson with a project and an ice skating excursion.

The students are currently weaving , knitting and learning leather craft, and soon will begin to build and fire a Greek urn, a classic Class 5 project. We have also begun to learn the alto recorder and some fun pieces on our violins, violas, cellos and basses for a concert at the end of term.

William Keyte
Class 5 Teacher 

Class 4 and 5 students have been enjoying some extra opportunities for physical activity for this term, with gymnastics lessons by Spaghetti Circus. The students have been developing their fundamental movement skills by participating in a range of safe and engaging activities. The lesson plans have been developed by coaches and teachers and are aligned with the newly endorsed Australian Curriculum. They are also lots of fun!

Magnum Brotto
PDHPE Teacher  

There was sunshine, rain and some fast feet flying around Lennox Head recently, as Shearwater students raced in the NCIS Regional Cross Country Carnival. 

It was the first year at a new venue with new event coordinators and the results indicate that Shearwater students approve of the sandy bush track. With over 40 students qualifying and 35 attending the day it was our highest level of participation on record. We had nine students qualify for the state championships, with three podium finishes! Isabella Devitt from Class 5 crossed the finish line 1st in the Girls 11 Year Old 3km race. Not too far behind her was Lani Goodwin in 3rd place. Charlie Heath smashed the Boys 13 Year Old 3km course coming 1st well in front of his competitors.

The Year 10 students and parents coordinated a catering tent for the day, raising money for their Vanuatu building project. A great effort for a great cause. Big thanks to Magnum for his enthusiasm and energy training the students before the day, and for some cool and calm coordinating on the day. Thanks to Djuann for assisting Magnum with student supervision. Thanks to Nick for coming early and staying late to help with the set up and pack down, and for sitting out on the track in the rain and mozzies all day. Thanks to Marcella and Nelle from my Year 11 PDHPE class who volunteered their time on the day and to Lee and Paul who travelled down to Lennox to help me with all the heavy lifting! 

Thank you and congratulations to all competitors, it was great to see Shearwater students competing happily and healthy in an inter-school sporting event. Well done and best of luck to our state runners. Run Shearwater Run! ​

Emma Sweeney
PDHPE Teacher