A big thank you to all the parents and children who honoured me with a beautiful retirement send - off at school last Friday with lots of cards, gifts and well wishes.I am so grateful for my 23 years at Golden Hill and being able to bring Steiner education to so many wonderful children and their families.It has been my privilege over the years.I have seen the school grow from a very small place to where it is today and its growing still.The future looks bright for GHSS and I am confident it is in good hands.

I would also like to thank the wonderful staff who treated me to dinner at the Lakehouse which was such a lovely occasion to celebrate.We have a fantastic group of teachers on staff who care deeply about the welfare of each child and are striving to work with Waldorf principles.Thank you one and all and I wish you all a very happy and blessed Christmas.

Stepping over stepping stones, 1,2,3

Steppinig over stepping stones, come with me

Oh the river’s very deep

And the river’s  very wide

And we step on stepping stones to reach the other side

As another year draws to a close, we are preparing to farewell our eleven K6 students as they make the transition from kindergarten to begin their formal education journey in Class One. On Wednesday each child will don a golden crown, lovingly made by their proud parents, hear some words about their special qualities and receive a verse written or selected especially for them. They will then step across the six stepping stones, which represent each year of their life so far, to be greeted by their Class One teacher, Lisa Dowden-Parker. We will be sad to say goodbye to Anderson, August, Austin, Maeve, Mateo, Maya, Olivia, Oliver, Sol, Solomon and Zade, but know they will be in the best hands to begin their primary school education. I look forward to observing their continuing journey at Golden Hill and hopefully watching them graduate in a few years time.

Life brings many changes, some welcome, others not so welcome, but with the sadness we feel in having to close Silver Birch Kindergarten after nine years of operation, comes a silver lining. These children will have a Class teacher who already knows them! They will also have Bruce Anthony part-time, so these relationships with special teachers in their lives will continue. 

It has been so wonderful working with our colleagues, Lisa and Sophia “next door”, collaborating with festivals, sharing the joys and challenges of working in kindergarten and just generally being in a supportive work environment. They have both poured so much love and care into Silver Birch, nurturing the children, parents, the room and gardens to create an environment that is truly worthy of the term “A garden for children”. Thank you both, for everything, you have  been an inspiration. Your legacy continues with the lovely group of children and parents we will receive into karri kindergarten next year and the room and grounds which will be used and appreciated I am sure.

I would also like to warmly thank our special needs education assistant, Heidi Barndon, who is sadly leaving Golden Hill. Over the past two years, we’ve had the pleasure of Heidi’s bright, bubbly presence and her dedication to working with the children has been a blessing indeed. Heidi, we wish you all the best.

Another farewell to Lyzette Stevens who has worked in Peppermint Cottage Playgroup for the past two years. Thank you for all your efforts, Lyzette and good luck!

While we are  very much focussed on our K6 children, as they prepare to graduate, our thoughts also turn to those who will be starting in karri kindergarten next year. Thank you to those parents who were able to attend our first 2020 Class meeting on a very hot afternoon . We will have another meeting to give those who weren’t able to come along, which will be held during the week before school resumes. It will give everyone a chance to see inside the kindergarten, and to meet the staff. Details to come later.

Wishing everyone a wonderful festive season and happy holidays

Warmly,

Denise

We are nearing the end of another school year and we are all looking forward to spending Christmas with our families and having a well deserved holiday.

Last week we enjoyed a cycling excursion to Blue Wren Lodge with Robyn's Class 3's, where the children sang Christmas songs to the residents.  They sang beautifully and the residents seemed to really enjoy our visit.  The children loved the ride to and from the Nature Park and I was really impressed with their behaviour throughout the day.

We have been lucky to have Jewels join our class again for her final two week placement for her Education Assistant qualification.  With Jewels and Evie helping out with the children we were able to have two painting sessions a week and did a series of lovely paintings based on the Creation stories from the Bible.

Our Maths Main Lesson on Magic Numbers was a fascinating look into the patterns that occur in the Times Tables and in Square and Triangular numbers and all the children did some very beautiful work in their books.

We are now concentrating on completing our craft bags and knitting projects and making felted Christmas decorations.  In our Main Lesson time we are consolidating some basic concepts in Maths and English and again I've been impressed with the effort that the children put into their work.  This is such a beautiful way to educate our children and it has been a priviledge to watch them grow and blossom over the past year.

As you know I will not be continuing as a Class Teacher in 2020.  This has been a very difficult decision for me to make and I am greatly saddened to be leaving Golden Hill.  I will miss all 22 of the children in my class.  The Class 1's have been in my care since Term 2 and they took very little time to make their way into my heart, however I know that they will be happy with Ashley, whom they already know well.  It will be very difficult to say goodbye to my Class 2 students as we have spent the last two years together and have formed such deep and abiding bonds of love.  I will miss them terribly but I am very grateful that they will be in the safe and capable hands of Robyn.

Thank you to all of the wonderful parents that I have worked with over the past two years.  Your kindness and friendship has meant so much to me.

I hope to see many of you at our gathering next Tuesday at 1.30 in Kristi's patch where you can join your children as they immerse themselves in creative outdoor free play.

With love,

Jan

CLASS 3

BIODYNAMIC FARMING AND GARDENING

The Class 3 children were able to complete their farming main lesson by releasing both the 500 and 501 biodynamic preparations at their recent sleepover at school.

The journey began back in May when we visited Mr Hick’s farm and collected the necessary cow manure to be buried in cow horns over the winter.  A few weeks ago it was dug up and the smelly wet cow manure appeared as rich granules, completely dry and smell free.

On the afternoon of our sleepover the granules were added to water and then the children had to stir vigorously for one hour.  The mixture turned silky and then was released into the atmosphere over the garden beds.  The 500 preparation supports the richness and diversity of the earth.  The stirring movement is monitored to travel one way, create a vortex and then switch direction gaining energy and momentum through its journey.  The children made swishing sticks from peppy leaves and spread the 500 over the garden beds and orchard at 5pm.  It was wonderful.

Early the following morning, Neal arrived with the Horn silica, a finely ground quartz powder energized through spending the winter in the soil capping the cow horns. 501 acts as a polarity with 500, it is not used on the soil but works the aerial parts of the plants during their growth phase.

The children began the stirring process once again taking turns to stir vigorously for 1 hour.  The liquid was tipped into a spray canister and dispersed by Neal as the children eagerly followed along.  The 501 preparations bring health and vitality to the plants and magnifies the heat and light forces.

It has been a wonderful experience for the children and a highlight of the Class 3 curriculum.

Many thanks to Neal for his inspiration and enthusiasm.  It has been a wonderful experience for us all.

Robyn

The weather forecast predicted 34 degrees celsius on the day of our excursion to Albany last week. But since the class was so keen to go we soldiered on with lots of extra water, cool clothes and spray bottles to keep us cool and hydrated. Bill the bus driver was prompt at picking us up from school and we buzzed  across in the neat little bus to the museum of the Great Southern .We were greeted by Captain Edmund Lockyer a famous British ships commander who brought 23 convicts from Sydney to King George Sound in 1826. The children were very interested in hearing all about the harsh, gruesome conditions the convicts had to face on their journey to Frederickstown or originally known by the Noongar name of Kinjarling which means place of water. They were surprised and horrified at the same time especially after learning about the crimes they had committed like horse stealing or robbery. Many of the men were sentenced to a life of hard labour in building a settlement for the government and early settlers. If they behaved well the convicts were freed after 4 or 7 years depending. They were then able to return to England or stay and settle down and work the land which they were allowed to settle on. We were then invited to tour the Brig Amity and were put into chains to walk there just to make it more authentic. We lunched at the beautiful Eyre Park near Middleton beach and the new playground was extremely popular with the class. After lunch we headed to Izzafield Riding School where we were greeted by our horses for the next few hours. Grooming and saddling up was a very good exercise for the children who were keen to get on and ride (well most of them). In the end everyone had a ride on one of the horses, some being lead and some riding alone. They played horseback games and enjoyed learning to trot. Then it was time to farewell our new furry friends and head back to Denmark with Bill. The bus was quiet on the way back and all the children said they had had a wonderful time. Thanks to Bill for keeping up safe on the bus and being there to take us wherever we needed to go and also Ennica , Siennas mum, who was such a great help with everything on our excursion. Also Tegan and Jacqui for assisting with organising. A great day was had by all the class and their teacher too.

After much anticipation all year, Class 4 finally embarked on their first class-camp. The children were dropped off at Shelley Beach where we commenced the 8km trek along the Biblumun track to Perkins Beach. It was a glorious day weather-wise and though the walk was long and hot and we had many flies to accompany us, the views were beautiful and we made it to our destination quicker than expected.

We were lucky enough to hire a yurt to sleep in and the children were very excited to rest after our walk and watch this awesome structure be assembled at Camp Kennedy. Once we were set up, it was time to hit the ocean and cool down! We had a hearty meal of lentil bolognaise which was eagerly devoured for dinner. After a long and exhausting day, the children fell asleep in the yurt with ease.

Over the next two days, we swam in the ocean, made sand sculptures, cooked delicious plant-based food, played spot-light, completed a navigation course and had our first ukulele lesson as a class. Some children were even inspired to write their own songs!

As the final day came to an end, we were all sad to be leaving but looking forward even more so to our future camps together.

Back in the classroom, we finished up our final Human and Animal main lesson where the children learnt all about amphibians and reptiles. We are currently completing our last main lesson for the year – geometry! Another one of my many interests, it’s wonderful to see the children take a genuine interest in geometry and engage themselves in the lessons so well.

This year has been awesome in so many ways and I feel very proud and lucky to have worked with these wonderful children. And though its now time to say goodbye to this little chapter, I’m very much looking forward to our new chapter together.

Happy Holidays!

It is said the longest journey a person must make is the distance from their head to their heart. As we turn our heads to look back down the steep, and sometimes rocky path we have travelled up this year, our hearts open up in awareness of the heights that we have scaled and the achievements we have attained in reaching these lofty December peaks.

If you shade your eyes, you may still be able to see the distant foothills where the journey began. There, between those two distant rivers, in the land of Mesopotamia we set out, what now seems an age ago. Through the delights of Ancient Persia and the arid Geography of Australian History, past Decimal point with its crashing surf and on across the rolling hills of Grammar-land our intrepid guide, Eliza, led us on fearlessly.After passing through the scorching sands of Ancient Egypt without so much as a bite to eat our weary travellers cried out in joy upon arrival in the near mythical area of food vans! 

Sadly, it was here that we parted ways with our beloved guide and mentor Eliza. Many tears were shed as she explained that her path called her in a new direction and that she also must follow her heart. Our suffering was very real, but the wisdom of the Buddha helped us to accept that change itself, is inevitable. Two new guides were sought, one for each of Eliza’s large and well-travelled shoes. 

Kate and Ashley led us out of Ancient India, over the mountains and down to the city-states of Ancient Greece where we were immediately thrown into intense physical training in preparation for the Olympics. The oracle of Delphi herself could not have foreseen the transformation of our ragged band into the graceful athletes you now behold. A gruelling Spartan regime was forced upon us by our new trainers. Democracy was much spoken of but very little in evidence as experienced athletes were forced to reveal their secrets of success and survival to those seeking to eclipse their exploits. As our chariot rolled into Olympia, we set up camp by a frog infested lake and tried, without much luck, to get some sleep. After exploring the wonders of culture found within this exciting metropolis our elder citizens sought adventure in the hills as our younger athletes covered themselves in glory on the field.

Upon return, we explored the wonders of English Language and Literacy and travelled to Hades and back to keep the seasons turning. All daughters, including Persephone, were returned to their mothers unhurt, albeit not entirely unchanged, and even the boys emerged relatively unscathed.

Inspired by the unceasing questioning of the Socratic method and the great thinkers of antiquity we then began to question the very nature of existence itself through the study of physics. The class took the matter in hand even as the guides wondered where they were going to find the energy! Experiments with sound, light, magnetism and electricity were conducted and exciting discoveries made.

Here on the rugged heights, we still follow the golden vein of Australian History that led us here even as we cast our eyes over the Geometry of the school year. Our heads are clear as we gaze ahead to what the future may have in store and our hearts are full, with the certain knowledge that it has, indeed, been a journey. Long may they hold the memories of friends that we have made upon the way!

P&F Meeting - Wednesday 5th February at 6pm - The Green Room
We have had two great Friday morning meetings but there will always be families that can't make that time and we have gone for a 6pm meeting on Wednesday 5th February.  Meetings will be short with an aim of 30 mins and workshop can continue on afterwards if ideas need to be expanded upon for the next meeting.  If anyone has family members or friends who would like to be part of the P&F, they are most welcome.  

P&F to becoming an Incorporated Association
We passed a motion at our recent P&F meeting to become an association.  We will be called Golden Hill Steiner School Parents & Friends Association Inc. and it will allow us to have our own ABN and bank account.  We will have access to more funding opportunities and P&F administration time for the school admin will be greatly reduced.  A huge thank you to Jacqui, Tegan & Oona for helping us with the set up stage and we are creating a P&F file to allow for greater succession planning in the future.

Colour of the Day
Here are a few highlights from our P&F December meeting.  We have decided to embrace the daily colours of the week to support the rhythm of our school.  School shirts will be ordered that correspond to different days of the week, not compulsory to wear shirts but a wonderful way for younger children to learn day names and know what they will be doing that day.  Kristi expanded upon the colours & how they link in with the planets.  It was great to get positive feedback from parents who would like to see this return to our school.  Please note the Friday colour is wrong in the December P&F minutes and the actual list is Monday - Moon day - Purple or White, Tuesday - Mars day - Red, Wednesday - Mercury day - Yellow, Thursday - Jupiter day - Orange or Turquoise, Friday - Venus Day - Green, Saturday - Saturn day - Blue, Sunday - Sun Day - Gold or White.  Thank you to Kristi, Robyn & Silvia for sharing your knowledge with us.

We have a few events happening in 2020 and the backbone to the success of these events is the people that join in and give their time to make everything run smoothly.  It would be excellent if families could look at the list of events and see where they would like to be involved.  Ideally, we all do small jobs that make everyone feel part of their success.  A great example is our ice cream days, we just need 3 volunteers for 30 mins from 12.50 - 1.20pm on Thursdays in the hall.  We understand people work and life is busy but if you can, please get involved.  Guaranteed feelings of connectedness, satisfaction at a job well done, plenty of laughs and FREE ICE CREAM if you come this Thursday. 

Hands in the Earth Days

Hands in the Earth Days will be back in 2020 and we hope to weave them into the social fabric of our school community.  

With inspiration from Kristi the P&F will host 6 days throughout the year, inline with the changing seasons.  We have decided to ask for a $20 donation per family, per day, to cover food costs & we ask that people RSVP by way of text/call to Pen on 0437663002, or say you are going on facebook event or email goodiesfarm@outlook.com.  Additionally, if you would like to be part of the cook up day on the Fridays before please get in contact too.  Hands in the Earth Days are not busy bees, they are simply opportunities to be together in our beautiful school grounds.  Friends & extended family are welcome.  The first one is during Bunuru Season in week one on Saturday 8th February 2020 at 10am till 4pm.  The second one will be in between our Autumn Festival and the end of Term on week 9 in Djeran Season, Saturday 4th April 2020 at 10am till 4pm.

Supa IGA Sausage Sizzle - Saturday 15th February - 8am till 2pm
We will be running a sausage sizzle stall Week 2 on Saturday 15th February.  The sausages & buns are provided by Supa IGA.  We just need to provide trestle tables, BBQ and additional goods to sell on the day.  We have also decided to run a Thermomix Raffle with 150 tickets at $30 being sold.  The aim is to be able to do the draw on 15th February depending on tickets sold.  Tickets are being created and printed and will hopefully be available before the end of term for pre summer sales.

Golden Hill Bush Dance - 7th March 2020

We had so much fun at the last one, we are going to do another Bush Dance on Saturday 7th March 2020.  Mike is on board with his band so make a note in your diaries.  More details to follow in 2020.

Golden Hill Steiner School Spring Fair - Sunday 22 November 2020 at 9am till 2pm
The P&F will be running the Spring Fair next year with a theme of 'No Such Thing as Waste' and Charlie McGee from Formidable Vegetable has agreed to play on the day.  Stall holders will be extended to the wider community for a fee with families at GHSS being given first choice.  Stalls will need to follow the waste free guideliness and be inline with our school's Steiner principles.  The Kwoorabup Markets will also be on that day and they have offered us the kitchen to run a food stall.  Theresa & Penny will coordinate the day, please feel free to contact us now to book a stall or suggest ideas.

Minutes of P&F Meeting 6th December -