Myself in my aloneness I must feel.

What if I did not love? Then would there be

No bridge to others.  I would live in fear.

Love leads me out to flower, star and tree,

To rushing river and to people dear;

If I am lonely, only love has power to heal.

Dear GHSS Families,

I am delighted and honoured to extend my warmest greetings as the new principal of Golden Hill Steiner School. A very warm welcome to returning students and families for the 2024 school year, and welcome also to those new families who are joining us here for the first time.

It has been my great pleasure to return to Golden Hill after almost five years of working in leadership roles in the Kimberley region. Being away for a period of time has certainly renewed my sense of appreciation for all the wonder and magic that embodies Golden Hill. Returning once again to Steiner education, I am reminded of the incredible level of care, enthusiasm and dedication that teachers put into their work. Over the last week or two, it has been heartening to watch the chalkboards come to life, curtains and classroom décor lovingly installed, verses and stories crafted and committed to memory.

The school term began for teachers with two days of Professional Development. This was an opportunity for us to come together as a staff and discuss ‘bigger picture’ elements of the school such as festivals, meeting formats, pedagogy and other juicy items! 

Welcoming the children themselves back for the first day of school is always exciting - staff, parents and students alike are full of first day jitters and friendly smiles. With the first week of school now done and dusted, new relationships have been forged and all classes have started to find their rhythms. All in all, a great start to 2024!

I think it is fitting to leave off with a quote from Steiner himself:

“When human beings meet together seeking the spirit with unity of purpose then they will also find their way to each other.”

May we lean into this spirit of ‘finding our way to each other’ as we continue co-creating the wonderful school community that is Golden Hill.

Eliza Allan

Principal

Each newsletter we will be sharing a virtue that will be the focus in our school over the following three weeks.  

What is Confidence? Confidence is having faith in something or someone.  It is a kind of trust.  When you have self-confidence, you trust that you have what it takes to handle whatever happens.  You feel sure of yourself and enjoy trying new things.  When you are confident in others, you rely on them and confide in them.

Why Practice it? Without confidence, fears and doubts hold us back.  We feel worried and uncertain, and afraid of making a mistake.  With confidence, we try new things and learn all the time.

How do you practice it? Practicing confidence is knowing you are worthwhile whether you win or lose, succeed or fail.  You feel sure of yourself and gladly learn from your mistakes.  You don't allow doubt or fear to stop you.  You try lots of new things and discover what you are best at.  You think positively.  You have confidence in life, trusting that all things work together for good.

Signs of Success Congratulations!  You are practicing Confidence when you...

• Remember that you are worthwhile whether you succeed or fail.
• Are willing to try new things.
• Discover your talents.
• Learn from your mistakes.
• Are free of worry.
• Think positively.

"Shoot for the moon.  Even if you miss it you will land among the stars."  Les Brown

Banana, Yoghurt and Apple Muffin Slice

Ingredients

The Rose Ceremony marked a momentous occasion for Class 1/2: a new beginning, a coming together for the first time, entering and engaging with academic learning. The special moments for me were to see the Class 1 parents standing behind each child and to see how openly and confidently each child met the occasion, in the way they held their rose and strode through the archway.

We warmly welcome the Class 1 parents and their extended families to our school community.

Since then, we have begun to settle into our new weekly rhythm. Class 2 children are guiding, helping and modelling and with the passing of each day the many faces and ground beneath our feet becomes more familiar.

In exploratory and enlivening ways, we are engaging with archetypal forms and the sounds and signs of our English alphabet. We have cast (imaginary) arrows as we practice our long “F/f” sound; drawn marshmallows, mangos, milkshakes and macaroni cheese as we Mmmmm! (savour every mouthful of delicious foods beginning with M in our thoughts) and searched for the “B” in butterfly wings and the butterfly tree behind our class. We have been busy engaging our whole body in finding relationships to our subjects, leaving a space to make a living connection to it. Alongside this, Class 2 are deepening and receiving an intensification of these themes.

This year, Class 1/2 will undertake a community project together with the Denmark Bird Group and the Woven Womens Ensemble. Our theme will be Migratory Shorebirds. An important aspect of this will be showcased at the school hall on Saturday 11^th May (World Migratory Bird Day). Please watch this space!

In the meantime, we encourage all families and staff to come along to the Woven Womens Ensemble performance on the 24^th of February at our school hall. You will find further details in the newsletter or on posters throughout the school campus.

On behalf of Class 1/2 I wish everyone a fruitful, healthy and joyful school year ahead.

Sarah

The school year has certainly started with a bang in the vegie patch, with pumpkins, cucumbers, corn, tomatoes and beans keeping the children busy harvesting, cooking and preserving our summer bounty.  These crops were sown before the end of the 2023 year and are showing the abundance that comes from many years of careful soil management and the use of biodynamic preparations.

This year, each class will participate in caring for our bushland with particular focus on the creek line.  Ivy, blackberry, gladioli, asparagus fern and watsonia are the predominant weed species that require different weeding techniques.

In 2024, I will be teaching classes 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8, while Jiffy will take classes 1, 2 and 6.

Of particular delight to the children were the giant pumpkins that we grew and will hopefully last to be on the Autumn harvest table.

With warm weather still with us, we will continue to plant the short-term summer crops (like bush beans and zucchini) and our “all year rounders” like lettuce, potatoes and beetroot.

Of course parent helpers are always welcome to come along to gardening classes.  Just message me on 0456 229 124.

Happy Gardening!

Neal

NAPLAN testing

It is a requirement for all Australian schools to offer NAPLAN testing, which takes place for Class 3, 5 and 7 students at GHSS on 13-15 March. Some of the content within NAPLAN tests does not align with the timing or delivery of the Steiner curriculum. NAPLAN measures numeracy and literacy skills which are generally ahead of our teachings in Year 3. However, by Year 5, the NAPLAN literacy and numeracy content aligns a little more closely with our curriculum, and thus Steiner students generally perform well in these tests as they progress through the upper primary and secondary years.

Key highlights of Steiner students’ NAPLAN results include:⠀

• In reading, in Years 5, 7 and 9 Steiner students perform significantly better than their mainstream counterparts.
• In writing, by Year 9 many Steiner students are performing in the top three NAPLAN bands, a higher achievement than their mainstream counterparts.
• In spelling, at all years, Steiner students perform comparably to their mainstream counterparts.
• In grammar and punctuation, at all years, Steiner students perform better than their mainstream counterparts, with many Steiner students by year 9 performing in the highest three NAPLAN bands.
• In numeracy, by Years 7 and 9 Steiner students perform better than their mainstream counterparts, catching up with them from the primary years and then exceeding their performance

(Results taken from Steiner Education Australia data)

If you have any NAPLAN-related concerns or require further information, please consult with your child’s class teacher or book an appointment with the principal via the office.  If you would like to withdraw your child from NAPLAN testing, please collect a withdrawal form from the office and return by MONDAY 4^th March.

Warm regards, 

Eliza Allan

Principal

There have been several cases of Head Lice found in the school and so we ask that each family do a daily head check of their children/s hair at home (and if necessary treat) for the next fortnight.

Head lice (nits) are a common problem in primary school aged children.  Head lice do not spread disease, but their bites can cause itching and sometimes skin irritation.  There are safe and effective ways to treat head lice at home.

What are head lice?

Head lice are tiny wingless insects about the size of a sesame seed that live in the hair of humans and animals where they feed on blood by biting the skin.  Head lice commonly affect children but adults can also have lice.

What are the symptoms of head lice?

Lice often cause itching of the skin.  Bites can cause the skin to become red and irritated, which can be made worse by scratching.

You can see the lice and nits (eggs) if you look closely at your head and scalp.  Nits look like tiny white dots attached firmly to the hair.  They cannot be brushed or flicked off the hair, but must be physically removed with fingers or fingernails or special nit combs.

How are head lice spread?

Head lice are only found on the human head or hair.  Lice can spread when people are in close contact and when they share an affected comb or hair brush.

Lice need warmth and blood to survive so they do not live for long on furniture, hats, bedding, carpet or anywhere else in the environment.

How are head lice treated?

There are two main treatment options for head lice:

• wet combing using conditioner and a fine-tooth comb
• chemical removal using synthetic or natural insecticides

The wet combing method is a cheap and effective way to treat head lice.  The conditioner doesn’t kill the lice but it briefly stuns them, making it easier for the nit comb to trap and remove the lice and eggs.

If you decide to use chemical treatment, it is important that you follow the instructions closely.  Repeat the chemical treatment in a week to kill any newly hatched eggs.

No single treatment works for everyone.  You might need to try a few different treatments or a combination to find the method that works best for you.

Should I keep my child home from school?

There is no requirement to keep children home from school or child care as long as effective treatment begins before the next day of school or child care.

Can head lice be prevented?

It is difficult to prevent head lice.  There is no evidence that chemical or herbal products can ward off head lice.  Some people think that having clean hair can prevent head lice — but head lice are attracted to hair — long or short, clean or not.

Head lice are not a health threat, but they are very difficult to eradicate.  Therefore, when evidence of head lice is found on a student, this note will be sent to all families within that class.  The presence of head lice is a very common childhood occurrence and being part of a school community, it is inevitable that head lice are present.

If staff at school notice live lice in a student’s hair, parents will be telephoned and asked to come and collect their child and treat their hair.  Students are most welcome to return to school once a treatment has occurred and no live lice are present. 

Thank you in advance for your commitment and assistance with this issue.

Golden Hill Steiner School

Wonderful news has arrived from previous Golden Hill teacher Chrystal and her partner Dji that they have welcomed their precious daughter Fern, to the world on the 25th of January.

Fern is thriving and the new parents are besotted!

Our school calendar can be found here - 

GHSS Calendar

Please check the calendar regularly as new events may be added or sometimes events need to be changed.  

The calendar also includes term dates and holidays for planning purposes. 

Warm Regards

Welcome to the new school year.

My name is Rochelle Klose and I am the School Health Nurse who visits your school.

School Health Nurses work in schools to promote healthy development and wellbeing so students may reach their full potential. A major part of my work is focused on early intervention and the School Entry Health Assessment program.  Additionally, the nurse can be contacted at any time throughout primary school if you have concerns about your child’s health, development or wellbeing.

School Health Nurses serve as a health contact point for children and their families, providing information, assessment, health counselling and referral. They also work in partnership with schools to support teachers in health related curriculum and can assist in the development of health care plans for students with complex and chronic health needs.

The services provided are free and confidential.

Please contact me on 98480616 / 0427426137 and / or rochelle.klose@health.wa.gov.au

A Healthy Lunchbox

Healthy lunches and snacks are important for keeping active kids alert and focused and providing them with the nutrition they need every day.

A healthy lunch box should include:

• Fruit – at least one serve of fresh seasonal fruit. If you don’t have fresh fruit, canned (in natural juice) is a good substitute. Dried fruit is high in sugar and should be avoided
• Vegetables – vegetable sticks, salads or a mix of raw (with dip) or grilled vegetables.
• Dairy – one serve of milk, yoghurt or cheese supports optimal growth and development in children. If your child can’t tolerate dairy provide a suitable alternative.
• Protein – lean meat or poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, legumes/beans, or nuts and seeds.
• Grain foods – wholegrain and high fibre varieties are best.
• Water – the best drink to keep children hydrated.

Remember, children who help plan and prepare their own lunch are more likely to eat it.  Your child might like to try out this fun, ‘Interactive Lunchbox’ website: www.goforyourlife.vic.gov.au/hav/articles.nsf/html/index.html.

For more lunchbox ideas you can also visit www.nutritionaustralia.org.