• Class 2/3 Teacher

What a busy and exciting time it is in Djet Mia Kindergarten - the beginning of a new year. Arriving with anticipation, it is special to witness the children relax as they get to know each other - in the fig tree or over morning tea, in the cubby or while singing songs in circle, playing in the mud kitchen or caring for the garden.We are blessed to be part of their rich imaginations and learning, where friendships are formed.

We have had a number of new families join us this year and we welcome them into our School community. We are looking forward to a wonder-filled year. 

Warmest of wishes, 

Sarah and Annie,
Djet Mia Teachers

Dear friends and families of Helena River Steiner School,

Our Class 4 children have had a wonderful start to the school year, settling right into the beautiful rhythms that make our schools such lovely places to learn. We have begun the year with a Norse Myths Main Lesson, discovering the rich and immense tales from Northern Europe. 

Some of our favourite characters so far are Odin the wise, Freya the Goddess of beauty, and Loki the mischievous. Many of these wonderful characters are reflected within our own inner worlds. They serve as guides as we journey through life and choose the good and honest path.

The Main Lesson work this year has involved a higher degree of focus as we present detailed drawings and beautifully crafted sentences. Each child has such pride in their work, and this is evident in the presentation of each Main Lesson book. 

We have enjoyed occasional lessons outside in the fresh air and mastered the art of swift and cooperative transitions to our outdoor classroom. As we continue to endure the hot temperatures of Bunuru, we must pay attention to the environment and select which days we feel are appropriate for these lessons. 

Diving deeper into the Norse Myths, the children are learning about the ancient writing system known as Runes. The class demonstrated great will and focus as they carved these symbols into wooden planks. These will be displayed around our classroom and add to the atmosphere of our Norse-themed Cabin. 

Thank you for sharing in our endeavours so far. We look forward to updating you again in the future of new and exciting discoveries.

Regards, 
Thomas and the Kaarak Class

When I was asked to set up the High School woodwork room for Helena River Steiner School, I was so excited to be able to introduce to the students a new and improved shaving horse combo (combining other devices).  

• The shaving horse works with a foot-pushing motion, which firmly clamps the stool leg in the jaws of the upper clamp.  
• In contrast, the spoon mule operates by pushing the bottom of the two long vertical pieces of wood apart with your legs while the top part of the wood firmly clamps the spoon.  
• The kuksa cow uses a platform with different holes and wooden wedges to firmly hold the bowl in place for gouging.   

I asked Stefan Kiefer (High School Woodwork Teacher from Perth Waldorf School) to create an improved version of the traditional shaving horse. During the design phase Stefan and I brainstormed many options including: 

• general improved stability and adjustable back rests (to prevent students from slipping) 
• changing the position of the kuksa cow to allow for easy carving of the bowl by hooking it into the holes of the adjustable back rests and more hole options to enable the use of different sized bowls with wedges of the shaving horse, curved option in the jaws to hold branches more securely, and,
• of the spoon mule, larger clamp to hold a larger number of different sized spoons.

Paddy Hocking (Primary School Woodwork Teacher from Perth Waldorf School) had the great idea of using the kuksa cow on a woodwork bench making it interchangeable.   

The shaving horse combo caters for more students of all abilities to be able to sit down and use their bodies (legs) to clamp wood either by pushing down or pushing apart. 

I am truly grateful to have the opportunity to work collaboratively with my woodwork colleagues across multiple Steiner Schools delivering a dynamic and unified Steiner woodwork curriculum and other exciting woodwork endeavours.

Yolanda Millar  

Primary & High School Woodwork Teacher  

• Weekly Craft Group - Mondays, 9.00am - 11.30am - Bolt Cafe.
• Anthroposophical Study Group - Tuesdays, 7.00pm - 13 Stirling Crescent, Hazelmere.

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.

The Edstart brochure and payments plans can be found on our website.