We have been having lots of fun in the autumn sun (and rain) here at Birdsong Kindy. Even though it has been much wetter than usual we have still been able to notice the changes all around, helping us to feel that autumn days are here.

From our Kindy table we can see the mistlings dance on Lady Koonyum each morning as Wonder Waterfall rushes down. We have noticed the colours changing in our garden (and even seen the first gold-tipped leaves), and of course, we have seen the autumn rainbows shine bright above our Kindy when the rain dancers and sun dancers play together.

We are learning new songs, rhymes and dances ready to share with our families when they come to celebrate with us at our Autumn Festival next week. We hope they will bring their dancing shoes! Our clever hands have been busy making invitations, decorations and costumes, too.

Kat Barwick
Kindergarten Teacher

Class 2M have settled rather beautifully into the new year. We have been very busy and attentive in our studies and our play.

The year began with The Dragon’s Celtic Tale where we delicately absorbed the trials and tribulations of the three fisherman’s sons. Continuing with our prior learning of sounding out letters and words, the children have begun the process of creating their own sentences while working in small groups.

Our second main lesson was Mathematics, beginning with a wonderful exploration of symmetry, which we began to discover everywhere in nature! In a beetle, a butterfly, an eagle, a leaf and even within our own very own face! Symmetry was a wonderland of joyful discovery, and we followed on with our work on number patterns and counting.
 
Our final main lesson for the term has been the ‘Animal Dreamtime’ stories.  We have contemplated the beauty of Aboriginal art and drawn our own depictions. The lesson began with the tale of Rainbow Serpent who, in the beginning, when all animals were peacefully sleeping underground, pried open a small part of the crusty earth layer. He then slithered upon and across the earth, creating indents and mountainous landscapes. Once his work was complete, he encouraged the frogs to peep out and come forth, where he promptly tickled them until water flowed from their mouths creating the waterfalls, lakes and oceans we know of today. 
 
Handwork is sustaining our motor development, supporting the progression of ‘nimble hands creating nimble minds.’ We are busily creating beautiful name tags and Celtic knot embroidery spheres, using long stitch. These will adorn our newly dyed handwork bags. 

We have sung autumn songs galore, played in the sunshine, amongst the sunflowers, and fed the new baby ducks. We have run through the rain, sailed paper boats at Crystal Creek, raked grass, mulched a garden bed and danced a multitude of bush dances. Our days are overflowing with exploratory play and good old-fashioned hard work!  A beautiful balance of mind, body and soul.
 
I wish you all a wonderful upcoming term break. Perhaps you are lucky enough to be one of those who get to take off into the air once again like a bird with open wings. Perhaps you get to discover some wonderful new places or sacred sites within which the Rainbow Serpent so graciously prepared.
 
With respect and admiration for our wonderful school community,

Maria Moston
Class 2 Teacher
 

Despite the challenges posed by the weather in recent days, it was wonderful to see our beloved Crystal Creek, on the School's southern boundary, in full flow, following a number of consecutive dry years. 

​Shearwater has made the switch to solar in a big way, installing a 99-kilowatt system to power the School into the future. The new system is part of a multifaceted approach to reduce emissions and improve environmental outcomes.
 
Head of School James Goodlet said the School’s existing 8kw solar array was failing and the time was right for a major upgrade.
 
“We had planned to install the panels in 2020. But with the onset of COVID-19 came financial uncertainty and a need to halt spending on infrastructure projects until we had a clearer picture of the impact of the pandemic.
 
“With the increase in electricity prices and the reduction in solar panel prices, came the opportunity to install now and make a quick enough return on our investment without a huge financial risk. We estimate the School will cover installation costs in four years. So it’s a win for the environment and a win for our finances.
 
“Shearwater has a long history of integrating the natural environment into our educational experiences and philosophy. There is a big push from students to make Shearwater a more sustainable place and it’s great that we’ve been able to support that vision with this project.”
 
The new solar array is made up of 242 solar panels, each producing 410 watts per module, creating the 99.22 kW system.
 
“Unlike a regular household, which is empty most of the day while family members are out studying or working, the majority of our power-usage happens during the school day, when our solar panels are hard at work. So on school days we’ll be using most of the energy we produce. On weekends and holidays, up to 60kW of energy will be fed into the town grid. The payment for this electricity produced will offset the cost of running data centres and refrigerators overnight when our solar system is not producing any power."
 
Importantly at this time of year, there are enough panels to take into account fluctuations caused by wet and cloudy weather.
 
While at this stage the school doesn’t have a specific zero emissions target, James said he was confident the School would continue the great work done by many passionate staff and students over its history.
 
“There has been much work done in this area already, with many great achievements, such as regenerative farming practices, waste management and the decades-long bush regeneration project that has seen the planting of more than 20 thousand trees, transforming degraded agricultural land into a thriving wildlife corridor.
 
“Our Class 7 students have recently finished planting over 700 native shrubs and trees, creating a small forest that they can watch grow over the years ahead. Every class across the School is given regular opportunities to help repair and restore the local environment.

"Climate anxiety is impacting on the wellbeing of many of our young people today. We want our students to know they can be part of the solution.”
 
This report was produced by Shearwater's Year 12 English Studies class

The Year 12 English Studies class have been learning about the key role language plays in shaping the way we view critical events, through coverage of news and current affairs in print, radio and television. 

This week, we were lucky enough to have long-time local journalist Javier Encalada Querat from the Northern Star sharing his experiences in the industry, especially in these times of a shifting media landscape. 

He told students everything from why it's important to have a good breakfast (because you never know when a big story is going to break), to what it was like being part of the first cohort of journalists to be trained in Chile following the Pinochet regime, right through to media ownership and staying aware of your own bias. 

On Monday, the class went on an excursion to Bay FM where award-winning local journalist, Mia Armitage showed them the ropes at the station and gave them a chance to get behind the desk and record a news bulletin. 

From here all students will be writing their own stories and working together on covering a local story. We thank Javier and Mia for their generosity and we look forward to being a bit more media savvy as a result.

​A warm welcome to all of our new families and of course especially our ‘old’ friends. The new year and Term 1 is in full swing over here at Rosewood Cottage Playgroup. We have been very lucky to have been gifted three guinea pigs with a great little hutch. The children are holding them with the supervision of the parents in a little pouch made from a repurposed towel… this makes the guinea pigs feel more secure and it is easier for the children to cuddle them. This is a new experience for some of the children who are eager to feed them grasses they find in the garden. The older children enjoy helping me clean the hutch and making sure they have enough water.

It is wonderful to observe the children’s enthusiasm to help and imitate the adults. "I can do it, too!". Putting up all the chairs on the table takes a strong will and perseverance, and sometimes the helping hand of a friend. Not only does this activity strengthen gross motor and social skills, it is also an example of learning that is entirely self-directed.

Our parents have been sewing a little felted toy for their children; some are making bunnies, others bilbies or chick-shaped egg warmers for Easter.

Our first painting experience was with Lemon Light yellow - a summer color, which we turned into a Sunbeam Spiral. I am looking forward to observing the autumn changes in our garden and painting with the colours of Golden, Vermillion and Carmine red.

Carina Halliday
Playgroup Coordinator

Board members after their last meeting for 2020 (absent Josh Rushton)

The Board frequently gets asked questions about how to get particular changes made within the School. For example, we were recently asked about establishing a bike/walking trail connecting Shearwater to Mullumbimby. 
 
As the Board is responsible for the governance of the school, we refer operational questions like this to our Head of School or another relevant person from the school community.
 
The best way to get a change made within the School is to become involved. The Board has representatives on  several School committees that you can become involved in, including the Parents and Friends or the Planning and Development committee. Please contact the Office of the Head of School at hos@shearwater.nsw.edu.au for more information about how to get involved.

​Have more questions about the School Board? Click here to see all Ask the Board questions to date.

​Class 5D have been loving their Wednesdays at the Pass where, under the expert guidance of Beau, they have been learning the basics of surfing, and how to identify and appreciate the surfing vibe - often referred to as stoke. I am happy to report that everyone has been thoroughly stoked and the Pass has treated us to some wonderful waves to practice our new skills.
 
In the classroom, the children have been studying significant early explorers of Australia. These European explorers opened up parts of the continent thought previously inaccessible, and allowed the spread of livestock, the finding of new land for crop growth and the expansion of early settlements. It was they who documented many of the early interactions with the indigenous peoples who already had ancient and well-established systems of settlements, languages and nations.

We have considered what the exploration of Australia by the Europeans meant for the First Australians. The children have thoughtfully discussed the terms we often hear when we speak of early Australia, such as discovery, exploration, invasion and dispossession. Finally, we looked at reconciliation and how we can each play a part in creating an inclusive modern nation for all Australians, capable of delving into the truth of our history with empathy and compassion.      
 
The gift of the 11-year-old is an enthusiastic interest in the world and a wide-ranging sociability. Through a deepening observation of the natural world, the Class 5 child is able to engage this enthusiasm. The children have been collecting leaves to use for rubbings, as well as seed pods, bark and other natural wonders for illustration and observational writing. The awakening of the thinking realm for the 11-year-child is met with an increase in the rigour of numeracy work and the mental strategies of problem solving; daily reflective journal writing and our first group project and book review.
 
Our weekly specialist lessons see us sharing eurythmy, ensemble, choir, music, plaster carving, painting, sport and Indonesian culture – never a dull moment for the 11-year-old who, while glancing back to childhood for reassurance, looks forward with vigour and curiosity to early adolescence.      
 
Dallas Hewett
Class 5 Teacher

Developed and created by Rudolf Steiner and his wife Marie von Sivers, eurythmy is a movement art form that aims to give expression to the inner nature of music and the spoken word. At Shearwater, eurythmy is an integral part of the curriculum and the program has steadily grown along with the School, spanning from Kindergarten to Year 12.
 
Music eurythmy is often featured in our work, blessed as we are with wonderful piano accompanists Ken Naughton and Ross Nobel. Children learn to move elements of music such as pitch, rhythm, beat, tones and intervals. These aspects of music, as well as poems, verses and stories are moved on specific choreographic forms.
 
Eurythmy forms start simply with straight lines and curves in the early years, moving onto more complex geometric forms with elaborate transitions. Working with these forms allows the children to move together with increasing independence, complementing the children's growing spatial and social awareness.
 
Our eurythmy classes also include exercises with copper rods and concentration exercises, which aim to increase dexterity and flexibility of both body and mind. The aspect of working together as a class on a form, and the
satisfaction of striving and doing these exercises well, helps to build the social fabric of the class and the School.
 
Kira teaches K -5 eurythmy. She completed her Diploma of Eurythmy through Aurora Australis college of Arts in 2007 and an Advanced Diploma of R.S Education through the Melbourne Rudolf Steiner Teachers Seminar. Kira taught at Lorien Novalis Steiner School in Sydney before moving to
Shearwater in 2018.