"The world I see:

A frozen, barren wasteland it would be

Without the work my head and heart and hands can do

To heal its pain.

All things must die and then be born anew.

To help in this great task, that life be not in vain,

The world needs me."

Dear GHSS Families,

We’ve just passed the halfway mark of the term as we inch closer to the winter solstice. Golden Hill seems to be a hive of activity at the moment, but then again, is it ever not?

It’s been a busy term for teaching staff as they gear up for end-of-term report writing and complete their peer observations. Peer observations are a staff development process for Steiner teachers, developed by Andrew Hill of Steiner Education Australia. The process involves teachers pairing up, discussing and observing each other’s lessons, then offering feedback in a collegial way. Just like the students, we are always learning and working towards improving our practise!

Class 5 are about to embark on a series of morning surf lessons, organised by PE teacher Sam. Our GHSS social surfing sessions each Wednesday after school should be a great way for them to put their skills into practise - hope to see a few of you down there this week! A reminder that this is not a formal school event and children therefore remain under the supervision of their parents. 

My highlight for last week was watching the Class 7/8 play, ‘A Comedy of Tragedies.’ It’s always amazing to watch the culmination of many weeks’ work, often resulting in a renewed sense of self-confidence and personal achievement for the students. Unlike in many mainstream school settings, in which students transition through many teachers and set tasks that are relatively quick to complete, Steiner school projects such as the class play are often examples of deep, multi-faceted learning. Whether it is growing a crop of oats, learning how to knit a beanie, or mastering long division, these projects often involve many steps over a number of weeks, thus fostering patience, perseverance and a deep sense of mastery. 

Many would scoff at the idea that learning how to knit fosters resilience, yet Steiner handwork teachers swear by this. At the age of six or seven, when one is still developing finger strength and coordination, following the correct process to knit the correct number of stitches without losing any is no easy feat. There are often tears of frustration, many cries of ‘I can’t do it!’ and perhaps even a knitting needle or two thrown down in despair. How easy it would be to simply let the children ‘give up’ and placate them with something easier.

However, while Steiner schools are often misperceived as schools where the children can ‘do what they like’, our curriculum is in fact one that is grounded in rhythm, structure, and in developing the child’s ‘will’ to ensure that they unfold to their highest potential. And so, like learning knitting in Class 1, or performing a Shakespeare play to a large crowd in  Class 7/8, many of the tasks we ask of our students are not ‘easy’. Children develop self-confidence and mastery not simply from praise, but from repeated experiences of overcoming obstacles or difficulties. In this way, Steiner education seeks to develop an inner mobility and resilience in children in order to help them deal with the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

As both an educator and parent, it is at times a delicate dance between knowing how much to ask of a child in our care and knowing when to simply nurture. However, I can still recall the words of advice that a dad gave to one of my former students, who happened to be struggling with the violin. “Well, nothing great ever comes easy’, was his answer to his daughter’s complaints that violin was just too hard. Certainly a sentiment that is worth some thought I think!

Eliza Allan

Principal