Though much is changing, I stand strong

And in the darkness, shine.

For sleep, the plants and creatures long

But I have work divine.

For sun-seeds golden I'll be sowing,

Warmly from my heart's depth's glowing,

Into winter's icy flowing.

Dear GHSS Families,

The end of the term is upon us and we eagerly await our forthcoming Autumn festival, to be held at the Hall this Thursday (the last day of term). Our Autumn festival is a celebration of the harvest and abundance often found locally at this time of the year, and is an opportunity to feel and express gratitude for all the gifts that come our way.

Our bush school students have been eagerly anticipating the return of the flowing creek, but alas, the rains have yet to come. This is an exciting time of year for gardeners, when a variety of produce is fruiting and we finally reap the rewards of all our efforts. Likewise, this was also a time of abundance for the Noongar people - a great time for living and fishing by the coast, rivers and estuaries. Freshwater foods and seafood made up major parts of the Noongar people’s diet during Bunuru, the hottest time of the year.

Late March, however, is in fact a time of transition between the Noongar seasons of Bunuru (around Feb/March) and Djeran (April/May). As such, we never seem to know what the weather will bring on our Autumn festival - some years we have had to retreat to the hall to shelter from the rain, other years bring blistering sunshine. It always feels a bit odd to be singing about the ‘cold winter coming in’ when the festival gods decide to turn up the sunshine on the day! This year’s festival promises to be another warm one, so remember to bring along sunscreen, hats and drink bottles.

In many Steiner schools, the Autumn festival also coincides with Michaelmas celebrations. In Autumn, as some of the life forces of nature recede, turning toward a winter sleep, the inner life of the human soul is awakening. It is a time when we celebrate the building and strengthening of our inner life. It is at this time that the image of Michael with the dragon appears before us as a mighty imagination, challenging us to develop strong, brave, free wills, to overcome love of ease, anxiety and fear. At GHSS, the themes of gratitude, abundance and courage permeate our Autumn festival through songs, story, harvest offerings, shared food, and ‘courage games’ such as the crossing of the rope bridge or attempting a ‘trust fall’.

As the year continues to surge forward, it certainly seems to be an especially busy time as everyone does their best to stay on top of work, family and personal commitments. In our fast-paced world, there always seems to be more to do and something else to look ahead to. With this in mind, I’d like to wish everyone a wonderfully restful Easter holiday, and hope you all manage to find some stillness and calm amongst the demands of life! On that note, I’d like to leave off with poem by David Whyte.

‘Enough’

If not these words, this breath.
If not this breath, this sitting here.

This opening to life
we have refused
again and again
until now.

Until now.

David Whyte from
Where Many Rivers Meet

Eliza Allan

Principal

Hello everyone - the P&F will be having a harvest market stall at the Djeran festival. If anyone has any produce or plants to donate please let me know and I can organise collection if necessary, or you can drop off that morning.

Everything garden-ish welcome!

There is also the opportunity for anyone to run their own stall if they would like to, please  contact Vic at vickylee29@hotmail.com

Each newsletter we will be sharing a virtue from the Virtues Project. These virtue cards are often referred to and discussed in classes at GHSS. 

What is Assertiveness? 

Being assertive means being positive and confident. It begins by being aware that you are a worthy person with your own special gifts. When you are assertive you think for yourself and ask for what you need. You have the self-confidence to tell the truth about what is just.

Why Practice it? 

Without assertiveness, we would be passive, allowing others to bully us or lead us into trouble. We would have a hard time saying no. We would be afraid to tell if someone is hurting us. Without assertiveness, we might be too aggressive, bullying, fighting or trying to control others. When we are assertive, others respect us and we respect others. We stand up for what is right.

How do you practice it?

When you are assertive, you are your own leader. You stand up and speak out. You don't accept unfair or hurtful treatment. You set boundaries about what you will and will not do, and get help when you need it. You share your true feelings - tactfully. You express your one-of-a-kind ideas, opinions and talents. You make a difference in the world in your own special way.

Signs of Success 

Congratulations! You are practicing Assertiveness when you...

• Think for yourself
• Share your own ideas and feelings
• Tactfully tell others what you really think
• Choose not to allow others to lead you into trouble
• Ask for what you want and need
• Expect respect at all times

"This above all -  to thine own self be true, and it must follow as the night follows the day, thou canst not then be false to any man."  William Shakespeare, Hamlet

Steiner educators have long been aware of the harmful effects of screen time on a developing child. The rapid flashing of two-dimensional electronic images impairs the senses, which are best developed when a child experiences the natural environment. Additionally, the act of sitting and watching a screen has little to do with the natural instinct of childhood, and for many parent of teens, the highly addictive nature of technology is becoming uncomfortably apparent. 

While these beliefs were once rather counter-culture, it is perhaps both heartening and concerning that more and more research seems to be coming to the fore on just how dangerous screen time really is for children. Earlier this month, the Guardian published an article reviewing the findings of a recent study. It was found that the average toddler is missing out on hearing more than 1,000 words spoken by an adult each day due to screen time, dramatically setting back their language skills. The article can be found at: Screen time robs average toddler of hearing 1,000 words spoken by adult a day, study finds | Australia news | The Guardian

For ideas on screen free holiday ideas, check out some of the activities shared by Washington Waldorf screen for Washington’s ‘screen-free week’  screen-free-week-activities.pdf (washingtonwaldorf.org).

A massive thanks to all those families who came along and helped out at our Busy Bee last Saturday. We know everyone’s time is valuable and your contributions on the day were much appreciated!  Doors and window frames were oiled, gardens weeded, mountains of mulch were moved, and new play spaces for the playgroup were created.

If you weren’t able to make it on the day, but have an hour or two you would like to tick off from your Family Participation hours, please let the office know. There is always more weeding, oiling, sorting, or classroom help to do.  

Just a bit of a run down on our Family Participation scheme for those families who are new to the school:

Parent involvement is essential for the healthy functioning of our school. The main aim of the Family Participation Scheme is to allow families to volunteer their time to support the school and keep costs down. Each family may choose to volunteer 10 hours per semester (two terms) or pay $100 for the semester.

There are many ways to volunteer - baking a cake for the cake stall, making a play costume, helping at busy bees, working in the garden, attending a camp - the list is endless!

( Excerpt from GHSS parent handbook)

Please email the office to notify them of the hours you participated if you did attend the Busy Bee on Saturday.

office@goldenhill.wa.edu.au

Thank you!

High School – Robyn

It has been a great start to the year to re-engage with the Class 8 students and welcome our Class 7 students into High School. Each year in my journey as a Steiner teacher I feel truly blessed to learn each new curriculum and am in awe of Rudolf Steiner and his insight of meeting students with their endeavours and challenges. Who knew in 1919 that the Steiner/Waldorf curriculum would be so pertinent for our adolescents in the 21^st Century?

My role along with Sam and Jiffy is to bring the many enriching main lessons to the students and I feel fortunate to be team-teaching with such thoughtful and creative teachers. Class 7 and 8 receive separate main lessons, however, to begin we came together for the introduction of Shakespeare which will conclude with our Class play next term.

We first became acquainted with the Elizabethan times and the many twists and turns of Henry Xlll and his many wives. This led to much deceit, treachery, adultery and the laws of succession. A role play activity acted out the colourful journey of King Henry as we became immersed in what life was like during his reign and subsequently Queen Elizabeth.

William Shakespeare lived during Elizabeth’s reign and from this came his famous plays full of tragedy, history, and comedy. We studied the Taming of the Shrew and watched the modern-day visual adaptation culminating in an analytical comparative piece of writing. This followed with the tragedies of Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and of course, Hamlet. At present the students are becoming acquainted with their scripts as we will begin play rehearsals in earnest next term in preparation for our Class 7 and 8 production. Stay tuned…..

Class 8 then delved into the Industrial Revolution, perfectly placed to meet the students with such change and direction as they meet in their 14^th year. We began in a small village in Lancashire with John and Jenny Hargreaves and the family spinning wheel. An accidental discovery led to the mass production of cotton, hydro-powered mills and the rest is, let’s say…..history!

We looked closely at why the revolution took place in England and discovered that as a small country geographically, the proximity and abundance of fossil fuels enabled the revolution to take place. From mere accidental discoveries to engineering and mining feats brought the cycle of change and progress. A topic of discussion came about whether much sudden progress brings about a regression in humanity. It was wonderful to have such robust and insightful discussions with the students and I have been most impressed with their learnt knowledge and ability to relate the industrial revolution to today’s society. Our adolescents are very much aware of the internet and the progress of technology, but all feel the regression of human connection. As part of their bookwork and independent writing they have produced wonderful summaries of the Industrial age, including links with the Americas, culminating in exportation and importation.

Charles Dickens was introduced through his written text of ‘Hard Times’, where we heard of the hardships for families caught up in the so-called progressive cycle and what this meant for children. The students wrote wonderful fictional pieces depicting what life would be like using the observations and works of Dickens. The main lesson has been a wonderful flow on from the Class 7 studies in Medieval History, Age of Discovery and the Renaissance. Earlier in the term the students also studied the Heat, Steam and Electricity main lesson with Jiffy, giving the students information and scientific practice regarding steam engine power and our first wired communication in Morse Code. Whilst we all benefit from the technological and telegraphic inspirations, it has been humbling when the students remind me of the importance of interaction and the value of connection. In the essence of our curriculum lies the relationship between teacher and student which underpins all that we do.

Robyn

Physics Main lesson: Mechanics of simple machines  

Class 7 has had a fantastic start to their high school journey with children bringing enthusiasm and focus to their science and mathematics main lessons. Our term began with an exploration into the mechanics of simple machines. This saw students participate in practical demonstrations to experience the mechanical advantage of simple tools. This lesson really gives children a chance to explore and describe key concepts through their own experiences. These included measuring their effort (heart rate) after pushing wheelbarrows up different inclined planes and understanding the principles of the lever through balancing their weight on a seesaw. Our unit ended with a focus on our science inquiry skills during an investigation into the Archimedes water screw.    

Algebra:

The second half of the term has been very busy with class 7 completing NAPLAN and their Algebra main lesson. The introduction of Algebra represents a significant conceptual leap for children, combining the world of logical rules with abstract ideas and unknown variables. Our journey began with a focus on prime numbers and the principles of integers, that included completing operations with negative numbers.  This led into the establishment of several important rules and processes of Algebra with students developing their skills in simplifying expressions, brackets and order of operations. In week 8 children were introduced to linear equations and the golden rule of balancing.  These skills will be further developed and applied to practical problem-solving during practice mathematics lessons in Term 2.

Sam Vinton-Boot

Term 2 - Changes to Class 5-8 Ensemble Class

This term, GHSS trialed running a Class 5-8 ensemble class during the school day. The music ensemble consists of a group of Class 5-8 instrumentalists and is facilitated by our violin teacher, Marie Limondin.

Unfortunately, timetabling the ensemble class during the school day means that many other areas of the curriculum are interrupted. To ensure a smoother school day for our students and allow adequate learning time for Literacy and Numeracy, as well as the suite of other specialist lessons GHSS offers, ensemble will now be held on Friday mornings. This change will take effect from Term 2, with the session running from 8.35am- 9.20am.

Please contact Marie at marie@goldenhill.wa.edu.au for further information on music ensemble.

It has been a great privilege to be given the role of Learning Enrichment this year at Golden Hill Steiner School. The Learning Enrichment role has allowed me to integrate my work as an author (on my non-teaching days) with my work as a teacher, and it has been a joy to foster the student’s rich imaginative worlds, while building on critical literacy skills though our creative endeavours.

In Class Three, students have been reinforcing their knowledge of nouns, verbs and adjectives through literacy games. We have also looked at narrative structure through examining the work of exemplary Australian authors and illustrators such as Margaret Wild, Shaun Tan and Ron Brooks. We have brought these writers’ and artists’ ideas into our own journal work and stories with great effect!

In Class Four, we have kept a creative writing journal and learnt about the key components of a narrative. We have also learnt a series of poems about animals and written poems about seasons and nature, focusing on form, sound, senses and using specific detail.

In Class Five we have focused on reading in small groups and building on our reading comprehension. Class Six have been focusing exclusively on narrative structure, including exploring narrative point of view and creating believable and engaging characters through action, dialogue, body language as well as conveying a sense of the character’s humanity. We hope you enjoy this small sample of what we have been writing about, and keep an ear out at the autumn festival for our wonderful Bunuru seasonal poems!

Class 6

Maggie Carruthers (excerpt)

‘I woke this morning and knew it was my time; maybe it was the rain against the windows or maybe it was my thoughts, but either way I knew it was time. I saw the way my daughter’s face drooped when she saw me in my bed all frail and tiredꟷ I think she knew too. So I pulled myself out of my bed…and used the last of my energy and took Sophie out. I showed her the reflections on the lake, the leaves on the trees and the clouds moving with the wind like gentle hands.’

Class 4

‘Water’ by Isaac Kostera

Looks like glass reflecting light

Feels like silk mixed with honey

Sounds like tiny tinkling silver bells

Smells like the salty brine of the deep

‘Bunuru’ by Leeuwin David

The creek trickling like a serpent

Honeyeaters flying through the canopy

looking for a mate to build their nests

gentle sound of the leaves softly falling

whitetails nibbling eucalyptus leaves

sea breeze under my nose

water drying like a leaf in summer sun

Class 3

Safi Watkins (excerpt)

‘Then I saw a wallaby off in the distance. Fox leapt, he thrust out his paws. His claws looked like the talons of a sea eagle about to grasp its prey. The moment seemed to freeze for a second, then it was gone. Fox growled...’

Renee Schipp

Little creek stopped flowing, 

Her beds are all dry…

As we approach the end of Term 1, the creek and bush environments are as dry and parched as we have ever experienced them. 

When Class 1/2 went for our annual Bunuru trek along the creek in late February, sections of it had already ceased to flow, and the children took great pleasure in digging channels between some of the remaining pools in an attempt to help the water find its course. But a week later we discovered that our digging was to no avail, and so it has remained for the month of March. 

Usually by the time autumn equinox comes around there is a steady stream of water again, and we are building bridges across it; also fungi is beginning to pop up in unexpected places as we feel the moisture in the air as the evenings grow cooler. But as yet there are no signs that the first rains are about to bring in the change of season, and a mood of waiting and quiet anticipation pervades the dry bush environment.

Little creek is waiting

For drops from the sky.

Class 1/2 were fortunate to have Lyra’s mum Linda come and share her knowledge and skills in making bush baskets with materials from the bush. We went for a walk to see what plants would be suitable for basket making, and then had a go at splitting reeds and learning the technique for making cord from the materials. We have been honing our skills ever since, and look forward to spending a second morning with Linda for our final session for the term on Wednesday.

It has been heartening to see our younger Bush Kindy children develop in confidence and resilience over the course of the first term. A few who were new at the beginning of the year were initially quite nervous of the creek environment, and there were some challenges taking the group for short walks. But as the weeks have rolled by confidence and enthusiasm have grown, and the dry creek has enabled some adventurous exploring. 

Last week a special discovery was made by one of our younger explorers. Upon turning over one small rock among many in a particular stretch of the creek bed, she discovered a tiny djilgi sheltering in the moist sand. Djilgies of different sizes were found under different rocks. Of course, as caretakers of country great care was taken to place all creatures and rocks back where they were found.

Bruce Anthony

Corn and Buttermilk Fritters

Ingredients

Are you handy at Woodwork, or would just like to learn more? Or maybe just love hanging out with kids?

Gill, our amazing woodwork teacher would love a parent helper in the following woodwork classes:

TERM 2:

Class 7/8: Tuesdays, 11am- 12.35pm

Class 7/8: Tuesdays, 1.15pm- 2.55pm

Class 6: Fridays, 11am- 12.35pm.

If you can help out with any of the above, please contact Gill (gill@goldenhill.wa.edu.au) or the GHSS office.

Congratulations to our Class 6 student Makiah - we are so proud of you!

This was Makiah's 3rd Surf Life Saving State Championships and she got stronger and more confident each year. This year she was aiming for a medal and got the bronze in her first event - the 100m beach sprint. She was so happy, but then she went on to win the gold in the beach flags!

To get to the final, she did 14 races, beating the last year's winner in the final, and becoming state champion.

This year it was held at Sorrento surf club and to get to the state championship Makiah had to win the Great Southern regional in which she won 4 gold and 1 silver which gave her entry into the state chamionship. Over 500 kids competed from all over WA to make the last 18 in each event.

What an achievement, so well done, Makiah!

Ever wondered who keeps are school grounds looking magnificent? 

Matthew Bracknell our talented Groundskeeper not only creates landscaping masterpieces here at Golden Hill but is also a gifted songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and vocalist! Matthew has created the perfect alias in Echo Omen! Having released two albums already, you can also witness his humble stage presence on many tours around the Great Southern and beyond.

Echo Omen crafts soulful, atmospheric sounds from acoustic folk to downtempo indietronica and abstract hip-hop, drawing from the stories of the land where he lives and belongs.

https://linktr.ee/echo.omen?fbclid=IwAR0E70XLz33oKXgB2AYJgddzLEHubuVpoSrGmy5ou1d8y_hPCY2MUpRqfvY

This term, GHSS parents have enjoyed a series of workshops on various topics related to child development or the Steiner curriculum. Last Friday, Fran’s wet-on-wet watercolour painting workshop was especially well received, with parents being guided through an Easter-themed watercolour painting. Rudolf Steiner believed that colour and soul are intimately connected. Although a Steiner student’s finished work is often a product of function and beauty, it is often the experience itself that is just as, if not more, important. In this way, the Steiner curriculum emphasises a phenomenological approach, which is the direct observation of the natural world through one’s senses.

In the case of watercolour painting, children experience the colour washing onto the page on many different levels. Parents had a little taster of this in the workshop - watching the colours magically blend and swirl together to form new colours and interesting patterns.

Keep an eye out for next term’s Parent workshop offerings!

We recently received an enquiry about our fees and how we manage them from year to year.

The following table was compiled to demonstrate the fee increase history over the past few years and we thought to share it with the wider school community as it may be of interest.

From the above table, it is evident that:

• Fees did not increase from 2019-2021.
• Our largest fee increase in the last 6 years has been 7% in 2023 and this was a direct result of all costs going up across the board (including wages) and not having increased our fees for so many years prior to this. This also equates to an overall increase of 10.8% from 2019-2023, or an annual increase of 2.7%.
• Our most recent fee increase from 2023 to 2024 was 2%, half of annual CPI.

In addition to the above, in 2020 we gave a 50% COVID relief discount on tuition fees to all families who opted in to the offer.

We do endeavour to keep our fees and charges manageable while also providing the best learning resources, environments and adventures that we can.

We are always welcome to receiving your feedback.

All children at Golden Hill Steiner school learn about child safety through a very comprehensive curriculum called Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum.  Many of our teachers have received explicit training in the use of the curriculum, while teachers who have just joined Golden Hill this year will be undergoing Keeping Safe curriculum training in Term 2.  

What is Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum?

• The Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum is an evidence-based respectful relationships and child safety curriculum that teaches all children and young people they have the right to be safe and they can help themselves to be safe by talking to people they trust. The curriculum was developed in South Australia and is constantly being updated to ensure it stays relevant and responsive to our times. The Keeping Safe curriculum was developed collaboratively with child protection experts, teachers, educational leaders and other professionals, and has international recognition. This curriculum has been mandated in all public preschools and schools in SA where it was developed and is used by a range of other Australian and international schools, including Catholic Education WA and Association of Independent Schools WA.

The Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum aligns with our child protection requirements and National Principles for Child Safe Organizations.

How is the curriculum structured?

The KS:CPC is divided into 5 documents specific to the age and year level of students, starting from age 3 and progressing to age 17+. It focuses on two main themes which are presented through topics and activities of increasing complexity. The two KS:CPC Themes are:

• Theme 1: We all have the right to be safe
• Theme 2: We can help ourselves to be safe by talking to people we trust.

These two themes are explored through four Focus Areas, which are examined in growing complexity in accordance with the age of the students. The Focus Areas are:

• Focus Area 1: The right to be safe
• Focus Area 2: Relationships
• Focus Area 3: Recognising and reporting abuse
• Focus Area 4: Protective strategies

Keeping Safe Curriculum at Golden Hill 

The activities of the curriculum are structured  so that they are developmentally appropriate, covering a range of topics accordingly.  At Golden Hill, the Keeping Safe Curriculum is embedded in a number of different learning areas and each class teacher structures their lessons on these themes in the most age-appropriate way for their class.  For example, our teachers may tell or read stories to the class, hold class discussions, or the children may have journals that they write in.  Feel free to chat to your class teacher about how this curriculum is delivered in your child’s classroom.

There is a range of fact sheets, concept summaries and further information on the Keeping Safe website: http://kscpc.2.vu/DE_ParentsCarers. However, please feel free to contact our GHSS curriculum coordinator, Robyn at robyn@goldenhill.wa.edu.au if you have any questions.  

Bedwetting, or nocturnal enuresis, is very common in children.  Bedwetting has nothing to do with dreaming, and children who wet the bed are not “just being lazy”.

If your child wets the bed, there are a number of things you can do to help, such as using a waterproof mattress cover and establishing a before-bed toilet routine. It is not helpful to punish children who wet the bed. Fluids should not be restricted, even before bedtime. Sugary or caffeinated drinks should be avoided.

If your child is still wetting the bed after five and a half years of age, seek help through a referral by your local doctor. A bedwetting alarm is an effective and safe method of treatment available for nocturnal enuresis and may be appropriate for your child. 

Contact your local Community Health Nurse Rochelle Klose on 98480616 / 0427426137 or rochelle.klose@health.wa.gov.au for more information.

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

A boys' Rite of Passage Camp for Fathers/Caregivers and their sons aged between 14 and 18 has been organised annually for a number of years here in Denmark. 

The 2024 one will take place from May 2nd to the 5th, 2024 on bush land between Denmark and Walpole. There are still places available for this year's camp.

It is a very powerful, honouring and enriching experience for both the to-be-young men and their fathers/father figures. The positive impact of the camp will be felt on the more mature relationship that is seeded between your teenager and yourselves as parents. Please do reach out for more information and a chat!

Please contact Nigel Marsh on 0459 576 587 or John Davey on 0479 141 242.

COUPERIN BY CANDLELIGHT

Wednesday 27 March at 7pm - All Saints’ Anglican Church, Mount Barker

This is a traditional Tenebrae service and includes a well-known French hymn and bible readings. 

Meditative readings, and exquisite music from the court of Versailles.

Shamara de Tissera - soprano

Marie Limondin - violin

Julie Parish - violoncello

Adam Cook - spinet

THE QUIET SPACE

Saturday 30 March at 2pm - Wesley Uniting Church, Albany

Music for reflection with choir and harp.

Directed by Shamara de Tissera

ENTRY BY DONATION (Suggested $25) - No need to book!

Hello Parents, don't forget to book into fantastic activities offered over the Easter school holidays by the Shire of Denmark. For the program and more info visit this link:

https://www.denmark.wa.gov.au/news/school-holiday-program-find-a-local-activity-for-your-kids/31274

If you've ever wondered how to tell a stoy orally and make it engaging, this is the workshop for you! No prior performance experience is necessary and it is guaranteed to be super fun!

Carve out a full weekend of time in your calandar now and enjoy this immersion in the world of traditional fairytales.

Please contact Silvia Lehmann for more information or to book on 0435 006 228 or greatsouthernstorytellers@gmail.com

Starkick is back for another year, an All-Abilities football program that caters for boys and girls 5 to 17 years of age. 

Children who by circumstance or choice, who may be unable or unwilling to participate in a traditional sporting team environment, are provided the support and resources they require to enable them to participate and most importantly - have fun!  Starkick aims to cater for all disabilities, and runs with the simple mantra – if you want to play, we’ll find the way!

Online registration is open via PlayHQ for Starkick All Abilities and Auskick. Both programs will run on Saturday in 2024.

Starkick is supported by kidsport. Nominate Southern Districts Junior Football Association when applying.

Starkick (5-18 years)

https://www.playhq.com/afl/register/16e6c1

Auskick (PP-Y1-Y2)

https://www.playhq.com/afl/register/b0a860