The end of the school year brings a torrent of waves, surging voluptuously, towards the end of term. Teachers experience the need to finish main lessons and fill in gaps, before the new year arrives. Then there’s assessing the children, formally and informally, with a view to school reports, looming so large during November. Adding to the picture, many classes work on their class plays, verses and music introduced from early in the term.

The Class Play! Our little ones, so vibrant and full of energy, learning to work together, oblivious to the impact they have on each other, waif-like, they barely have their heels on the ground. It’s not the final performance that sums up the whole, it’s the piecing together of the fabric of the class along the way, that has a lasting effect. Steiner indicated that throughout the younger years, before Class 5, the children are rarely able to put their new-formed selves aside to embody a character. Then there is the transformation at around 11 years of age, enabling the child to live into a character and meet the audience whole-heartedly, as someone other than themselves. Main lesson stories and characters are drawn, written about, discussed and embodied. Then with many aspects of the play already under their belts, the Class Teacher brings the play to the class. Roles are sought after, some are evident, some therapeutic, others left begging. There is choral work, backstage, costumes, and always music, that brings the play to life.

You may ask why this work is honoured with so much time and space in Steiner education? Why do we revere storytelling and drama? At Shearwater, the work in the Primary classes establishes the foundations within the children, for our High School teachers to recognise, acknowledge, utilise, and mould into the dynamic program and performance that is WAVE. Indeed, we do this to bring the young human being to its fullest potential — to extend; to provide boundaries; to nourish growth through experiencing working alongside one another; pulling and pushing together; meeting new horizons; striving towards aspirations, and supporting each other to achieve the same; holding hands, listening and growing together.

As parents, you come in at the end, often not until later in Primary School, to witness the final product — The Performance, a result of the long, growth-full process that underpins the class play. The performance has brought the class together, discovering success and elation through sharing the fruits of their labours; an achievement to be reflected upon in years to come; preparation for the future, when working collaboratively is the key to productive outcomes.

We offer our High School students an amazing opportunity to explore individual choice and skill development through WAVE. When I first arrived at Shearwater in 2018, I volunteered to support WAVE behind the scenes, where students prepared to perform. Each student had a choice to commit and take personal responsibility to work collaboratively towards the production of WAVE. I observed the students working around each other, knowing themselves and the other, with respect and purpose.

This is the outcome of freedom to make choices, to know thy self and work collaboratively. To celebrate being a part of a whole, a breathing, thriving organism that is holistic and alive — the Class Play in a broader sense. A community Class Play. After experiencing now quite a few class plays and WAVE in various forms, it is with wonder and a lot of work, supportive of each other, students of all ages, and teachers in every sphere of the School, that we move forward together, always aware of the stages of development of the human being — our precious youngsters, the budding middle years, our blossoming teens and our graduates, bearing with them the fruits of schooling at Shearwater. Now these young adults are about to go forth into the play of life - with inner strength and with our blessings.

Linda Mayer
Shearwater College

This term, several of our High School students attended a Try a Trade day at Kingscliff TAFE where they participated in practical activities and demonstrations, including house building, brick laying, electrical work and mechanics, as well as trying out a working at heights virtual reality simulator.

The students then got to put their new skills into action at the Kingscliff Hospital work site, building scaffolds and plastering, as well as installing ducting and fire safe devices. It was a great day and everyone came away from it with a better picture of the training and career options available to them.

Lachlan Gibbs
High School Science Teacher

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​In Class 6, it has been a busy semester with a series of Main Lessons that have allowed these twelve- and thirteen-year-old children to delve deeply into a range of learning areas, with the expanding intellect that characterises early adolescence. The Class 6 curriculum provides many wonderful opportunities to connect our academic studies with real-life situations and lived experiences.

In English, the children explored and extended their understanding of different text types, with a focus on narrative and persuasive texts. The persuasive text task involved a collaborative learning exercise, in which the children wrote a letter to our Head of School, James Goodlet, outlining their ideas for new playground facilities — a great opportunity to use persuasive writing techniques in a real life context.

Our key numeracy study this semester was business maths, in which the students created an imaginary business, selling products or services. We explored a variety of mathematical concepts during this Main Lesson, including creating tables, using the four processes, calculating costs, business incomings and revenue, marketing and finally calculating profit (or loss). 

In Science, we explored light and colour, for which our classroom became a darkroom! The students discovered that colours are the result of the interaction between light and darkness, as exemplified in the rainbow. When we study the human eye we see this secret mirrored — between the white of the eye and the black of the pupil, spreads the coloured band of the iris, which is the Greek word for rainbow. Each experiment in light was conducted in a phenomenological way, with observation, recording observations and reflection as the main way of gauging experience.

Exciting work! But the highlight of the year for Class 6D was our Geography study — a wonderfully experiential exploration of the Kosciuszko National Park, including a trip to the nation’s capital. In visiting and interacting with a number of environments very different to that of their home communities, the children extended their appreciation for, and knowledge of, a range of geographical landscapes and environments.

We also visited the Old and New Houses of Parliament, as part of our study of Governance, and took the opportunity to explore the intersection of art and personality at the National Portrait Gallery.
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In the high country, the children were fortunate enough to enjoy the full spectrum of mountain weather - from bluebird conditions, to wind, sleet and falling snow. During our stay in Jindabyne we experienced one of the largest dumps of snow seen this year. To experience the uniquely beautiful Australian Alps fully blanketed in snow is something that will live with these children forever. It also meant that our final day of skiing and snow-boarding saw us carving up some of the best powder the mountains had seen in years! 

Dallas Hewett
Class 6 Teacher

It was so incredible to see our audiences back on site enjoying the show after two years of in-house performances. And we couldn’t do it without the creative genius of all of you fabulous makers, doers, builders, sewers and dreamers who give so much time, energy and love to the event.

​We hope you will join us again next year - same time, same place, new vision! Plans are already afoot for WAVE 2023. Keep an eye out for the launch of the costume competition in autumn.

Congratulations to the winners listed below (and to everyone who got a garment across the finish line and onto the catwalk!).

Don't miss our show gallery on the WAVE website and stand by for the Horizons video and announcement of next year's show early next year.

And the winners are…

Overall Grand Winner (Gold Sponsor James Hardware Mitre 10, Mullumbimby)
Dame Denim by Tiehj Kerry

Director’s Award (Gold Sponsor James Hardware Mitre 10, Mullumbimby)
Punkcycle by Olivia Weir & Jasmine Von Bertouch  (Year 10 Shearwater)   

Section 1 – The Event Horizon (Bronze Sponsor Fuji Xerox Business Centre Northern Rivers)
Winner — Kaleidoscope Bloom by Kirra Canty
Highly Commended — Space Oddity by Tobsha Haig (Year 11 Shearwater) 

Section 2 – Punk Bricolage (Bronze Sponsor Oliver’s Hens)
Winner — Honestly Trash by Lucette Richer, Mika Asherovitch & Lennox Thomson (Year 10 Shearwater)
Highly Commended — Punk Princess by Scarlett Rushton (Year 7 Shearwater)

Section 3 – Headdress single garment section (Bronze Sponsors Fuji Xerox Business Centre Northern Rivers & Oliver’s Hens)
Winner — Space Pilgrim by Serena Susanna-Davies
Highly Commended — Starry Night Van Gogh by Maggie Wretham  

Section 4 – Double Denim Dynamite (Akash Waddell, Outdoorism Camp Store, Murwillumbah & Joy Ben-Hur)
Winner — Let Them Eat Cake: Marie Antoinette in Denim by Maggie Wretham  

Section 5 – Love the Earth (Mercurius & Melbourne Rudolf Steiner Seminar)
Winner -- Freyja the Warrior Goddess of Love by Elke Van Rees
Highly Commended — Our Love of the Earth Chronology by Sumari Geitz (Year 11 Shearwater)    

Creative Use of Materials (Bronze Sponsor Baxter & Jacobson Architects)
Om Mane Gerard’s Tide of Love/Deirdre’s Diameter of Consciousness/Nick’s A Bit of This and That Creativity by Michael Lester                

Emerging Artist (Crystal Castle)
Punk Princess by Scarlett Rushton (Year 7 Shearwater)

Youth Award —18 years and under (Elena B Williams Music)
Space Oddity by Tobsha Haig (Year 11 Shearwater)  

Youth Award — 12 years and under (Delzoppo Occupational Therapy Services)
Promised to Punk by Luzius Rushton & Aston Lawrence (Year 6 Shearwater)  

​Internal Student Award
The Queen is Dead, All Hail the People by Aimee Green, Eliana Mutimer-Korn, Nina Backhausen & Erin Bulmer (Year 10 Shearwater)  

Class 3M have had a productive and fulfilling year. As we prepare for our first off-site camping experience to Broken Head, we relish all we have experienced together; from overnight classroom sleepovers to completing our craft project and all that lies between!
 
For craft, each child made a beautiful wooden clock to conclude our Time Main Lesson. These clocks represent the timeless qualities of beauty, love and craftsmanship, with which they have been imbued. I personally hope they will adorn our homes for decades to come, if not a lifetime. 

Recently, we completed our Money Main Lesson, in which we explored the bartering systems of earlier civilisations and the complex introduction of the decimal point dividing the dollar from the cent. We finished the lesson with our very own cafe, when we enjoyed the rewards of calculating change in dollars and cents and filling our bellies with good food and homemade lemonade. 

Our weekly gardening lessons have been an integral part of the curriculum this year. Lindsey brings to the children such a warm, calm wholesome experience, for which we are truly grateful. Recently we were blessed to have an excursion to Conscious Ground in Myocum. Here we learnt the importance of regenerative farming techniques within both agricultural and horticultural spheres. During lessons at School we have prepared and distributed biodynamic horn manure formula, stirring magic into the potions which will increase plant immunity, strengthen photosynthesis, and enhance ripening. We have also harvested fresh ingredients and made rice paper rolls.

Our class play Esther Queen of Persia was another highlight of the year. The experience of rehearsing and refining a production can be a challenging yet utterly rewarding experience. We certainly experienced both polarities!

As I review the amazing pastimes of our year together, I am in awe of the gifts these children bring. We achieve so much and experience such beauty here at Shearwater. How lucky we are to spend our days here on magical Bundjalung Land.

Maria Moston
Class 3 Teacher

Working towards a sustainable future is one of our School's strategic goals and children are never too young to start learning how to care for our planet. Recently we began a project to replace all of our disposable sponges with knitted reusable cleaning cloths. Parents and grandparents have enjoyed learning to knit and supporting us to minimise our footprint and the children are proud to use the new cloths for all their busy work.

Daily house duties are very important at Playgroup. These very first steps are an integral part of our educational program. We sweep and scrub the table after baking our bread together. Some children are very focused on their tasks and others need a little more motivation by being brought in gently by their parents or myself. Having the same routine every day helps the children to know what is coming next.

It is wonderful to see so many fathers and grandparents bringing the children to Playgroup, bringing a welcome diversity to our mornings. 

Some of the older children will be heading off to Preschool next year and their play has become more engaging and interactive with each other. It is very exciting to watch their tea parties and creative dressing up becoming richer and more imaginative.

Some of our youngest children have just attempted their very first wet on wet painting; some are making little blue-banded bees out of banksias and fleece and others are painting their completed clay work. What will we do next? Well I’ll keep that as a surprise!
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Carina Halliday
Playgroup Coordinator

The buzz is building at Shearwater and it's not just the bees! With just a week to go until curtains up on WAVE 2022, the high school has hit Term 4 running! Tickets are on sale now for this year's Wearable Arts performance event - the school's 22nd, titled 'Horizons’.
“Amidst all the disruptions of COVID, students and staff pulled off two incredible events over the past two years,” says WAVE Director Josh Rushton. “But in 2022, eyes firmly on the horizon, we look forward to welcoming our audiences back on site to experience WAVE in all its transcendent glory.”

For the first four weeks of Term 4, every year, the Shearwater high school begins to look and sound like an episode of 80s TV drama Fame (or Glee for our milennials).

A highlight of the school’s performing arts calendar, WAVE is embedded in the curriculum  (and also a ton of fun!), with around 200 students taking on roles as dancers, musicians, actors, writers, filmmakers and editors, lighting and audio technicians, carpenters, tailors, set and prop designers and builders, choreographers, photographers, stage hands, models and caterers.

“It's always an exciting moment when the competition garments, created by students, staff and the wider creative community, begin arriving at the school,” says Rushton. 

“In this sense, Shearwater’s Wearable Arts event has built, over more than two decades, a true artistic interface between high school and world. A competition that goes out to the community; a high school production that builds an incredible show around an inspiring theme; and finally the integration of competition entries that brings the show to life.”

The performances will take place in the Shearwater Hall from November 2 to 5. Wed, Thu and Sat performances will commence at 8pm, with refreshments available from 6.30pm. The Fri performance will commence at 6pm. Winners will be announced on opening night. 

Tickets are $35 for adults and $20 for school students, with family options available (not suitable for children under eight years). Book early to avoid disappointment!

Book your tickets via the WAVE website at shearwaterperformingarts.com. All ticketing enquiries to wavetickets@shearwater.nsw.edu.au or phone Shearwater on (02) 6684 3223.​

Congratulations to Year 9 dancer Amani Wiriyanjara, who recently performed the role of Hermia, in the Byron Ballet company's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. The performance featured Amani's first pas de deux, opposite Zac Healy. She also performed as one of Tatania's fairies for the other two performances.

​Last month, we had a group of 13 students from Years 7 to 9 represent Shearwater at the NCIS regional athletics carnival in Coffs Harbour. With a variety of students participating in track and field, they all prepared themselves physically and mentally for a sunny day amongst some of the most talented athletes in the region.

With true Shearwater spirit, we were not the biggest cohort of students, however the support and positive encouragement for all teammates during their events was prominent! All of our athletes represented the School with great enthusiasm and some students placed on the podium, including Sol Bailey, Shanti Puzzarini and Polly Jefed. We were all proud of the students for the long day and the hard work. Congratulations to all of them!

Tai Johnston
High School Teacher

Term 3 has focused on reading for pleasure and the enjoyment of books. Students are immersed in DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) during library sessions. The literacy focus culminated in Shearwater’s Book Week during Week 7. Primary students enjoyed dressing up as a favourite book character and listening to visiting author, Zanni Louise. 

“I like Zanni Louise because she is funny and explains all of her books. She inspires people. I liked the act!” 

“Zanni Louise was very creative with her activities, and it was fun. The characters were very interesting and our stories really fun to write.”

“I like Zanni Louise because she talked to us (she didn’t just speak) and she has put a picture in my head for when I’m older that I might be a book author!”

One other fun activity included The Great Book Swap which raised funds for The Indigenous Literacy Foundation. Money from our Spring Festival book stall also went toward this very worthwhile literacy organisation. This year $420 was raised! Thank you to our students and the Shearwater community for their support.

Another activity promoting shared reading this term was Read Across the Years. Primary classes had special guest readers from different areas of the School visit to read a picture book. The Primary and Year 7 students particularly enjoyed buddy reading to Preschool classes who visited the library for Book Week. 

Research shows that reading for pleasure and shared reading has educational benefits for academic performance and personal development, as well as:

• reading attainment and writing ability
• text comprehension and grammar
• breadth of vocabulary
• positive reading attitudes
• self-confidence as a reader
• pleasure in reading in later life
• building general knowledge
• understanding of other cultures
• community participation
• developing social and oral skills
• insight into human nature, building empathy and decision-making

Source:  Research evidence on reading for pleasure (pdf, 364KB) — UK Department of Education, Education Standards Research Team, 2012.

Whether at home or school, conversations about books, shared reading and connecting everyday experiences are valued activities (Melor,M., Reading for pleasure and literacy achievement).   

*Reminder for our younger readers in Years 2 to 4 to please bring a waterproof library bag each week for borrowing.

Yvonne Barrett
Shearwater Library
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In Term 3, the gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece gathered in Brunswick Heads for the 2022 Greek Olympics. Athletes from Chrysalis, Casuarina, Tallowood, Rainbow Ridge, Cape Byron and Shearwater Steiner schools travelled from near and far, representing with honour the city states of Athens, Sparta, Delphi, Thebes and the mighty Corinth.

An impressive opening ceremony was presented with verse, singing and musical talent from across all city states, and Zeus declared the Greek Olympics of 2022 officially open!
Athletes represented their city state in five events. Running was judged for style and grace as athletes tried themselves at high knee running, skipping, backwards high knee running, and finished with the grape vine, requiring great coordination.

Long Jump was taken to with poise and concentration as the athletes hurled themselves across vast distances from I to XI.

In Wrestling, athletes prepared themselves with strength, will, and tactics as they took to the ring; with long-standing champions taking on one another in a battle royale. Great sportsmanship pleased the gods and goddesses as competitors graciously shook hands after their match.

Athletes required great determination in the Javelin, bringing together skill and strength to arc the spear skywards to land point down in the earth.

In the Discus the gods and goddesses were looking for the composure of the athlete, and well as the cosmic spin of the disc as it spun through the air.

At the end of the day all city states came together for a grand finale marathon, in which athletes joined forces to break the Greek Olympics Marathon record. In 2020, the Class 5 marathon runners set a record of 13.38 minutes and in 2022 athletes were pleased to set a new Greek Olympic Marathon record of 13.34 minutes!

All in all, the gods and goddesses were very pleased by the comradeship of the contenders, the grace and beauty of all participants, and the calibre of athletic performance that took place throughout the day. All athletes returned home to continue the celebrations with pride and glistening medals.
 
Athena (Shosheena Stone)
Teachers Assistant

Thank you to all of the families, staff, students and community who celebrated the Shearwater story at our Spring Festival last Saturday. It was a vibrant expression of who we are as a community. Heartfelt thanks also to the Arakwal women's dance group (above) for opening our event and welcoming us to this beautiful Land, which we share, and which we acknowledge has never been ceded. And special thanks to Event Coordinator Veronika Beck, and Michael Lester and the amazing Bush Dance band!

​There is nothing like the smell of crisp mountain air and the sound of skis and boards carving through fresh snow – at the start of this term, Year 7 finally made it to their snow camp!

For most of the students, this was their first experience in Australia’s alpine region of the Snowy Mountains, and they certainly made the most of the opportunity. After plenty of warnings of cold and icy weather, we were met by blue skies and beautiful sun shining down on us throughout our days on the snow.

All the students skied or snowboarded at Thredbo, strapped on some snowshoes and cross country skis at Perisher and succumbed to fits of uncontrollable laughter during the daily snowball fights.  There is nothing like seeing pure joy radiate from the faces of our students with the Snowy Mountains as their background.

On our return journey, we visited Parliament House for a tour and education session.  We arrived the day before the current sitting of Parliament so there was plenty of activity in and around the building.  We were even treated to members of the armed forces practising their marching in formation in preparation for the ceremonies.

One of the highlights of the Year 7 camp is the opportunities it provides for the students to come together as one class and spend time with their new Guardians, who will guide them through their five years of High School. We would like to thank April, Sarah and Tom for all their support and the care and warmth they showed to the kids throughout the camp.


Penny Martin and Anja Grapentin
Class 7 Teachers

​As part of our Year 8 Science course students undertake a mini Scientific Research Task, an exercise implemented to improve and facilitate scientific writing skills. Mini-research is not limited to practicing writing skills but also trains students to communicate their writing in a scientific presentation and provides a ‘field study’ experience. 

This year students planted peas, measuring their growth (in cms) under two conditions, one in the greenhouse, the other in an open field garden plot. Both research groups were undertaken at the School’s biodynamic farm. The project, a collaboration between Science teachers and Farm staff, has seen students set up trials testing the effects of biodynamic and conventional soil treatments.

In the field trial, students prepared and planted two garden areas separated into biodynamic, control and NPK treatments. The biodynamic treatments used a compost known as cow pat pit (sometimes called manure concentrate), the control had no treatment and the conventional had a nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) fertiliser added.  Lachie ran a pot trial in the greenhouse, in which small groups each planted three pots, biodynamic, control and NPK.

The trial encouraged students to deepen their understanding of scientific research methods and design. They were able to consider the various limitations of the trial and measure, observe (and taste) the results of the research.  To sweeten the experience, students also had a chance to forage amongst the mandarins and other citrus.

There were some challenges along the way. Rodents ate almost all of the seeds in one of the field trials and strong winds blew over the nursery pots. But the trial produced some interesting results.

In the pot trial, the NPK treatment increased growth significantly above the other treatments. In the field trial, the biodynamic treatment produced slightly better growth to the NPK and plants had a more upright growth pattern.

Biodynamics works with growth forces in the soil and atmosphere to create balanced growth and plants that are nutritious and disease resistant. The conventional approach is akin to force-feeding the plants. It can result in greater growth in the short term but also leads to poor soil conditions and plants that require continual inputs, as well as ongoing pest and disease management. 

Andrew Carter
Teacher, Primary Industries and Agriculture
Farm Manager
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​​One of the happiest times during the learning week for Class 1 the Sun Rose is our ‘together’ time with Buddy Class 5L (Linda). On our ‘Yellow Day’ the Rainbow Buddy Bird flies into our room and sits way up high on the wooden beam and sings the most wonderful song – it is the song that tells us it can see our buddies walking from the most far away Primary classroom and that we must pack away our Main Lesson learning and form a circle for our buddies to join us. It is amazing how quickly and efficiently Class 1 can transition with such excitement and ease on Buddy Day – clearly the most enjoyable time of the week!

The aim of this program is to offer each student the opportunity to develop a relationship, with an ‘elder’, of warmth, trust, love and respect. With these delicious ingredients we have been able to consistently gather each week to embrace a variety of adventures and skills that have supported Class 1 to begin their Primary journey with such ease and satisfaction.

This unique Shearwater opportunity brings a joy-filled rhythm to our week and is deeply nourishing - full of warmth, laughter and discovery. Together with our buddies, we exchange conversations, questions, skills and joy.

Life Guides, Linda (Class 5) and Rin (Class 1) work together to bring weekly activities that enable the students to go out into the unique School nature land and make artworks, sing Shearwater songs, practice class skills, listen to stories, play and deeply connect through body language and conversations. Recently we walked over to the school Farm to observe nature and discuss all of the changes since the return from the winter holidays. As the sweet wattles danced under a blanket of blue Class 1 were introduced to ‘the magic liquorice tree’. ‘It really tastes like liquorice’ said Class 1 as they were gifted one leaf each to chew on.

We believe in the deep power of learning life skills through being together and we know these friendships are true and will travel with us far and wide throughout our Primary School journey and beyond.
 
Rin Dorczak
Class 1 Teacher