Welcome to Bilya Bardip (River Stories), Helena River Steiner School's parent, caregiver and community newsletter. We warmly invite you to read on and keep up to date with news, important information and upcoming events at our school.
PRINCIPAL'S ADDRESS
Kaya Parents and Caregivers,
Despite the extra COVID measures currently in place, the year has gotten off to a wonderful start.
We began with two big transitions: the single streaming of several of our classes, and a separate campus for high school.
The renovations at our new property at Hazelmere have been delayed so the High School classes are instead located this term at the Swan Valley Adventure Centre (SVAC) in Middle Swan. Please see the video below for a peek inside! This is very exciting as it is the perfect location for us to prepare the students for their 2022 Outdoor Education kayaking camp, which will occur once camp restrictions are lifted. At SVAC we have access to a pool for on-water training as well as direct access to the Swan River. We have the benefit of extensive outdoor grounds—including volleyball, basketball and netball courts; an oval and obstacle course. Next week students are completing CPR and Resuscitation Introduction and Water Survival and Rescue with a trainer from the Royal Life Saving WA.
This term the High School starts its focus on our first Area of Excellence—Ecology and Sustainability. Students are engaging in activities which introduce them to the notion of custodianship of the land on which they stand (at any given time) and their place in the ecological impact on the land, flora and fauna.
Students and staff alike are enjoying their increased space and separation from the primary school.
New Craft Teacher, Hollie Butler, says this: What a wonderful couple of weeks it’s been, getting to know the students of the newly gathered Helena River Highschool! All groups have been assigned tasks of embroidering, as it allows an easily adaptable, mobile craft lesson. Class 7 have begun their embroidery tasks with the aim of embroidering one side of a face mask, the other side will be printed. The idea behind this task came to me as I realised that students have a tendency to say less when their masks are on- and I wanted to enable the students to produce a statement piece that is both beautiful and practical. I am deeply impressed with the concentration that class 7 displays. Classes 8 and 9 have been busy on their practice pieces revising stitches many have previously learnt and may have forgotten. The aim of the task is to construct a collaborative wall hanging in a multi-textured textile artwork that represents the 6 Noongar seasons. We will be researching and brainstorming ideas for this next week. I have enjoyed getting to know the students and am so impressed with the dedication that so many show.
Blessings on our school,
Tanami Magnus
Principal
DIARY DATES
WEDNESDAY 15 DECEMBER
Labour Day Public Holiday - Mon 7 March
Pupil Free Day - Tue 8 March
Student Photos - Tue 22 March
Early Childhood Easter in Djeran Festival - Tue 29 March: CANCELLED AT THIS STAGE
Easter in Djeran Festival - Thu 7 April: CANCELLED AT THIS STAGE
Students last day of Term 1 - Thu 7 April
Congratulations to the RAP Team, led by Melissa Harvey for coordinating the development and approval process for the HRSS Reconciliation Action Plan, which is now live (here)
Our school Education Coordinators will be using our RAP to inform planning, policy and curriculum for the year ahead.
Pictured are the committee members, who attended the very first committee meeting in 2021.
CLASS NEWS
We hope you enjoy learning about what our students have been up to, as much as we enjoy sharing it with you!
CLASS 7
We spent the first two weeks of the year on a This is Me, Main Lesson.
It was an opportunity for the class & teacher to get to know each other and for the students to identify/think about their strengths/areas for growth/self-knowledge and the meaning of friendship.
We used quotes, affirmations, discussions and activities to explore this transition from primary to middle school, culminating in a group project where we created a calico wall-hanging with the Desiderata written on a painted background. Each class member contributed and we intend for this to hang in our class each year of our high school journey as a reminder of where we began.
Angela Hogarth
Class 7 Teacher
MUSIC PROGRAM
Students in Class 1 to 9 have been involved in various musical activities such as singing, starting to play or continuing to learn various instruments in the first 3 weeks of Term 1. The aim was not only teaching them to sing or play music, but to immerse them in the beauty of the sound and develop appreciation and love of music. The most important aim for me was getting to know each student in these early weeks so they can receive each musical experience at the right time and amount.
In class 1-2, glockenspiels and recorder sounds are used to tell the story with music after students hear the story, live the story with their imagination and involve in a circle game. When their imagination was activated, they were keen to learn to play the sounds of the song with their instruments. Students in every class are encouraged to ‘live and be part of the music’ rather than ‘playing’ the music. This is achieved by dancing to certain songs and playing circle games with body percussion.
In Class 3-4 and 5-6, lessons start with age-appropriate learning of a new song while some actions help them to internalise the rhythms and giving them a playful familiarization of intervals. In the joint class, Class 3’s experience singing and percussion instruments while Class 4’s learn to play good tone on the violins.
Class 5-6 started experiencing and appreciating the harmony to the melody they play.
Class 7, 8 and 9 start their lessons with singing to internalise the rhythms and tones. Once they are familiar with the song, the elements of music gets revealed and various writing, notation and solfa singing with hand signs are practised. While Class 7 students explore sounds and rhythms created by the violin, Class 8-9 is encouraged to work as a mixed ensemble class that appreciates the value of individual practice as well as an ensemble practice in working with others to achieve a common goal.
Yesim Atila
Music Coordinator
THANK YOU
The very lovely Stacie (Teaching Assistant in Billy Mila Kindergarten) has brought in some beautiful, wooden classroom name plaques made by her partner Don. There is one each for Bilya Mia and Djardak Mia. We are so fortunate and blessed to have been gifted something so special. Thank you Stacie and Don!
LUNCH ORDERS
WHOLE | LOCAL | YUMMY
apeltree is a new business venture which is being launched by a local Steiner mum. Bec Apel was over the highly processed samey-same lunchbox sized, children's food being offered by established supermarket chains. Bec saw the need for a school food provider, who was able to offer a nutritional, tasty food experience for our kids. Introducing... apeltree!
Launching Mid-March (stay tuned for date)
- Online Ordering
- Seasonal Menu
- Food Delivered by 10.45am (Recess)
Edstart is an organisation which provides families with flexible payment plans to help them manage their education costs. They have payment plans designed to fit around family budgets.
