In class 4/5 we have been busy with our main lessons, preparing for the Greek Olympics, beginning our animal projects and writing poetry alongside ‘Poem Forest’ an initiative from Red Room Poetry.

Class 4 are continuing their animal and human main lesson and have begun their individual projects, which consist of 3 components - a written research section, building of a diorama and an oral presentation.  The children have all chosen their animal and are in the research phase of their project.  There are questions to answer as the children are learning to gather specific research and put the information into their own words to meet the criteria of the project.

In Class 5 the children have begun their Greek Mythology main lesson focusing on the geographical aspects to begin and then moving onto the wonderful stories of the Gods of Olympus.  This Thursday our Olympians will make the trip to Perth Waldorf School to compete in the Class 5 Greek Olympics.  On the Saturday before returning the children will visit the Greek Mythology exhibit at the Perth Museum, which ties in beautifully with their Ancient Greek Civilizations Study.

For the past 4 weeks the children in both Class 4 and 5 have learnt about the many forms of poetry.  They have also been introduced to and practiced many poetic techniques such as the use of syllables in rhyme and Haiku poems, sensory similes, clichés, metaphors, alliteration, personification and onomatopoeia (to describe what you hear).  I was gifted a wonderful resource by Renee from the Red Room Poetry organization, titled ‘Poem Forest’.  The intent was to encourage children to deepen their connections with nature through poetry, honoring habitats, and planting trees to care for country.  For every poem entered a tree is planted.

Below are some of the completed poems.

My Special Place

The rain falls, the birds call,

The water ripples.

Everything in the world has its own different call.

It fills me with joy to stand on the shores and watch the sunset.

It reminds me of when we came here as a family.

This place is special.

This place holds every memory of the past.

Sometimes it feels like this place holds the future.

Tall trees are the giants towering over me.

It reminds me of every memory I have ever made here.

All the good ones and bad ones.

All the memories are like photos taken to remember

Flicking through photos like memories in my mind.

By Rosie

 

Cry of the Forest 

I walk through the native forest.

There is not much left at all.

It’s getting cleared, at the rate of a football field a day.

So as I walk through this last little bit,

I wonder what’s going to happen.

We wont have any air.

Birds wont have anywhere to live.

Everything will die unless we make a change….

And learn how to work with nature

By Ilya

 

Forest Poem 

The sunlight shines through the branches onto the leaf-covered ground.

A single leaf falls down and lands in a glassy puddle.

Sending ripples in every direction.

An old oak tree stands silently, like a wise old mountain holding many stories.

I sit under the oak tree and listen to nature… birds chirping, frogs quietly croaking and the wind rustling.

I think of all that’s happened and feel that I want to stay here in the forest forever.

I start to walk deeper into the forest.

It gets colder and darker, but also calmer and calmer.

I start to notice the details….

The dew hanging from the branches reflecting everything around them in tiny form.

The details on one leaf.

The rough feel of the bark on the tree.

It is calm.

It is creative.

 It is nature.

By Heidi G

 

Summer Holidays

The fine dry sand feels soft under my feet.

The waves are crashing.

The gentle breeze makes the ferns sway.

The sun is warm.

The crabs clamber slowly sideways.

Their scuttling sounds like castanets.

The wind blows my hair back.

The water is as clear as diamonds.

The sun is as bright as a tall bon fire.

I hear the splash as I tread on the soaked wet shore.

I feel loved.

This place, reminds me of summer holidays.

The warmth, the comfort, the fun, the play.

The refreshing air, it gives me strength to run up and down, to see the entire place.

All the birds are perched in a tree.

They are singing and chirping.

The rock pools are as cold as a bowl of ice cream.

I am free. 

By Sophie