In misty, moisty autumn air,

Summer lingers still through mellow days,

And light which glimmers gold and fair

Is dimmed and dulled by gentle veils of haze.

I myself can clearly see

How autumn, soft and slow, is creeping.

Summer gave herself to me

And now departs for winter-sleeping.

Dear GHSS Families,

What a wonderfully productive and joyous few weeks it has been here at GHSS. It has been a pleasure to wander around the school lately and have a sneak peek into what the children have been up to. Last week was rather quiet on the grounds, with our Class 6s away at camp in Yallingup and the Class 5s making the most of the extra verandah space in their absence! After four days of surfing, caving and high ropes adventures, the Class 6s returned to GHSS looking a little weary and sun-kissed, but VERY happy. Huge thanks to class teacher Bree and the adults involved for making it all happen. Class 5 and 6 PE students have also been participating in a series of volleyball incursions/ excursions this term, making the most of the sunshine while it is still around.

Sandy in Karri Kindergarten and Laura in Playgroup have both had the pleasure of welcoming several new families into the fold. In the lower primary space, our Class 1/2s have been enjoying their twice weekly Eurythmy sessions and working hard at their writing. Class 4s had a special visit from Simon Cherriman of the Black Cockatoo Project, helping build and install a cockatoo box on the GHSS grounds. This tied in nicely with their Human and Animal main lesson, and it has been a pleasure to watching their various animal studies come to life. Other wonderful artwork has been produced by Class 5s experimenting with their new watercolour pencils to produce beautiful maps, as well as Class 3’s watercolour paintings from the Old Testament stories they have been learning.

Last week, our bursar Oona and I had the pleasure of being invited to the Class 7/8 ‘new school bell’ presentation. Each group of students researched materials, costs and design of a new school bell and support structure, presenting their findings and models to the panel. Considering that public speaking can provoke paralysing anxiety in many of us, I was struck by the calm confidence with which the Class 7/8 children spoke, as well as the way in which they fielded some tough questions from the panel. The level of research into costs, measurements, and design factors was equally impressive, and speaks volumes about the benefits of the in-depth, holistic education that Steiner schools offer.

Our Autumn festival is fast approaching- keep an eye out for class communications detailing our run sheet for the day, as well as various roles and responsibilities. The festival will be held on the last day of term (Thursday 28^th March). It should be a wonderfully fun-filled day for all and a great way to see the term out. Hope to see you there!

Eliza Allan

Principal