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Port Macquarie Steiner School News

May 2019

Kindergarten News

Kindergarten has been busy making a winter vegetable patch at the rear of the garden, and look forward to enjoying some winter greens, such as kale, to add to their Stone Soup each Thursday.

In our story time, Mother Earth has called in all her flower children and bulb babies. They have slipped into their warm, brown nightgowns as they’ve been called into bed. Mother Earth has woven them a lovely warm blanket with the summer grasses and warm wool, and tucked them all in for a lovely sleep, as winter draws near…. Such little imaginations have carried through to some of the children’s play, as some have created some warmer felt cloaks and capes for the standing dolls, for their own play in the stories they create.
In the Early Years’ program, Waldorf education works strongly with the world of imagination and creativity. It allows children space to live into a sense of wonder, and fosters their ability to build imaginative pictures, which they can recapitulate in their creative play time, and their own telling of the world. The children especially at this age enjoy nature stories, and stories with little animal families, such as a little family of mice, searching for a winter home. They feel nourished by the caring and nurturing resolution, as the animals seek and find comfort.

Class 1/2 News

Welcome to term two everyone, week four already, wow!

Our class finishes our Local Environment main lesson this week. This has been a massive lesson incorporating so many different learning opportunities. Class one moved from letters to text and are now writing and trying to read short phrases, while class two extended their knowledge with more descriptive texts and longer sentences. This has been very exciting for the group and I have witnessed many proud faces which has been so lovely.

The main lesson has also had us engaging on a deeper level with our natural environment both in the school yard and on our bushwalk each Thursday afternoon in Koolabung Nature Reserve. Bushwalking offers so many positive and grounding opportunities to the class. We engage in our beautiful natural world, get lots of physical activity and also experience being part of school in a new environment with changed boundaries and challenges. We will continue to walk each Thursday for this and next term.

The natural theme has woven its way into our craft and drawing lessons with eco dying, leaf rubbing and sketching of local animals explored. The children began weaving their own recorder cases during craft, as we prepare for beginning recorder at the start of term three. This project may be taken home by the children occasionally to ensure we get them finished on time.

I hope all our families are enjoying the shift in seasons and crisp afternoons and mornings.

Little Bowerbirds Playgroup News

This term the Little Bowerbirds Playgroup has begun again, with families gathering on Wednesday mornings for a warm and nurturing time of play, creativity, singing and storytelling.

Sessions are held at the Port Macquarie home of Jehni Sheyan, a parent who was part of some of the first playgroup sessions three years ago and helped to establish the group. Jehni has also served as a Board Member and assisted in the early foundations of the school.

Playgroup can be a chance to nourish our little ones with opportunities to experience beauty, creativity and wonder. We use beautiful, natural play materials such as wood, wool and silk, to encourage the imagination of the children. Many of the toys have been handmade by members of the school community.

For many families, coming to playgroup is a precious opportunity and an anticipated time of the week. Working together on playgroup tasks is important in building up a sense of being part of a team and teaches our young children about the joy of contributing to the whole. Sharing a healthy morning tea and a cuppa over supportive conversation gives parents some much-needed nourishing time together too.

For all enquires about playgroup please contact playgroup@portmacquariesteiner.org.au

Waldorf 100 Postcards

Parents and children were sent home with a postcard to design and decorate and send off to an another Steiner School in Australia, a growing educational movement that values and teaches to the developmental stages of childhood, through creativity, nature and the arts. As each school receives a card from us, they will send us a card… we are looking forward to receiving beautiful postcards from around Australia, and then we may even start to send cards abroad to schools internationally.

Scraps of Happiness

Local artist, Gemma Cross and our own Kindergarten teacher, Kylie have teamed together to make some beautiful creations available for purchase at the school. Gemma's works are all handmade and felted from hand-dyed 100% wool. Contact the school or visit us to see her range.

Collect your Stickers at Woolworths

Our school will be participating in Woolworths Earn and Learn program again this year. When you shop at Woolworths you can collect stickers and place them in the Port Macquarie Steiner School boxes that are placed at Port Macquarie and Lake Cathie Woolworths, or drop them to the school. Last year the school was able to 'earn' some exciting equipment for use in the playground and garden.

Board News

Wonderful to report that the school passed our inspection on 10 May by NESA (National Education Standards Authority) with the best outcome expected. The inspector is recommending approval for Class 3 for 2020, with kindergarten already approved until 2023, and Class 1 and 2 recommended to be registered until 2023 also. Congratulations to all involved in the registration process!

Playgroup is on again!

Term 2 saw the resumption of The Little Bowerbirds Playgroup on Wednesday mornings with Jehni Sheyan coordinating at her home. For information about playgroup contact: playgroup@portmacquariesteiner.org.au.

Governance, Leadership and Management Conference

This year we were pleased to have both Kristy and board president, Mel Ayriss attend Steiner Education Australia's 11^th annual GlaM Conference, held in May at Lorien Novalis Steiner School in Sydney. School leaders, administrators, managers, and office personnel from Steiner schools around Australia gather to hear the keynote speaker – this year, international senior educator, Torin Finser – and attend workshops and discussions on the many issues involved in running Steiner schools in Australia today.

AGM date – Saturday 20 July – more on this in the next newsletter.

Planning for our future growth

While the school continues to receive strong interest from families hoping to enrol their children, our current premises can only accommodate limited growth. So the board's main focus has been on planning for the future so that we can not only find land for a permanent home on which to build our school in Port Macquarie, but a solution to the need to house the growing primary classes in the meantime. All options are currently being examined, and there is reason to be hopeful. A site committee has been actively investigating feasible possibilities in discussions with local landowners, and agents. A planning meeting with the committee and board is scheduled for mid-June. The board hopes to have some information to share with the parents and community about developments after that meeting.

Afternoon talk on Threefold Social impulse by Lisa Devine – 7 June

We are especially pleased to announce that educator, eurythmist, and director of Archeus Foundation will be visiting our school to give a talk on the Threefold Social impulse, first introduced by Rudolf Steiner as a way of understanding social structure in a healthful way. Details to be confirmed.

Winter celebration and visit from the NSW Branch Committee

The NSW Branch Committee of the Anthroposophical Society in Australia will be visiting Taree (and possibly Port Macquarie) on the weekend of 22-23 June. Cheryl and Kevan Millican will be hosting a winter celebration at their property in Glenthorne including talks and discussions from members of the Committee on the Saturday afternoon, and an evening candlelight spiral walk after a simple supper of hot soup for all attending. Invitations are extended to Port Macquarie Steiner School families if you would like to come (adults only). If there is enough interest, a morning session may be organised to take place on the Sunday in Port Macquarie. RSVP Cheryl and Kevan 6551 8926 by 7 June.

Susan Perrow - Therapeutic Storytelling

Places for this parent workshop are filling fast so please be sure to book a place.
We are very fortunate to have Susan Perrow visiting our school in Term 2. Susan is a world reknowned writer, storyteller, teacher, trainer and parent educator. For the last 30 years she has been documenting stories from other cultures, writing stories and telling stories to groups of children and adults as well as teaching in Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe and the US/Canada.
Susan's first book Healing Stories for Challenging Behaviour and her second book Therapeutic Storytelling have been translated into many languages. Susan's third and latest English publication is an illustrated collection entitled Behaviour Tales - From Angry Ant to Zestless Zebra.

Stories can strengthen, give hope, enthuse, inspire, soothe ……… some stories can
even heal! In addressing children's behavior, a therapeutic story, through the use
of metaphor and an imaginative journey, can help shift an out of balance behavior

or situation back towards wholeness or balance.

In this talk Susan will share her tried and tested method for crafting stories for
children… ‘story medicine’ to help resolve issues and build emotional resilience.

Monday 24th June
Girl Guides Hall, Hollingsworth St,
Port Macquarie
6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $10
Please RSVP by emailing admin@portmacquariesteinerschool.nsw.edu.au
or calling 0475 083 956

Port Macquarie Steiner Craft Group

All are welcome! We meet fortnightly on a Thursday morning from 9am at the school, weather permitting, for craft, cuppas, conversation, connection. This is a time for parents and friends of the PMSS to meet, chat, share time and craft inspiration.

We aim to make seasonal simple, natural Steiner-inspired craft and decorations for the classroom, PMSS craft cabinet, and for selling at some of the local markets throughout the year. Over our next few parent craft sessions, we will be making for the school lovely autumn inspired pieces.…Patterns and felt provided.

This is a great way to meet other parents and friends of the school, and a simple way to make a little difference to the school community. No skill or experience required!

If you’re interested, please message me on 0417770756.... or just turn up! Our next craft morning is Thursday 6th June at 9am.

Looking forward to sharing some cosy crafting space with you!

Love Robyn

IMPORTANT DATES

Craft mornings - Every Second Thursday morning form 9 am - next date: Thursday 6th June
Talk by Lisa Devine on Threefold Social Impulse - Friday 7 June - details to be announced
Winter Celebration 22-23 June - visit of the NSW Branch of the Anthroposophical Society in Australia
Monday 24th June - Susan Perrow - Healing Power of Stories Parent Educaiton

Port Macquarie Steiner School GoFundMe page is live. Follow this link to read more or to donate.
https://www.gofundme.com/sbqt2-port-macquarie-steiner-school