Filter Content
- Principal's Address
- Virtue Focus - Honesty
- Playgroup
- Bush Kindy, Bush School & Special Visit From Elders
- Karri Kindergarten
- Kindy Enrolment 2022
- Class One
- Class Two
- Class Three
- Class Four/Five
- Class Six
- Dads & Kids Bush Building Afternoon
- Craft Group
- Garden Group
- Book Week Dress Up
- Assembly
- Ag School Visit Class 4/5/6
- Tree Top Walk 25th Anniversary
- Feedback Welcome!
- Nannup Flower & Garden Festival
- Vac Swim
- Denmark Half Marathon
- Denmark Yacht Club Open Day Flyer 2021-2022
- DSHS 2022 Year 7 Enrolment
Bright the sun's gold rays are streaming;
Streaming fills my soul with light.
Light becomes a sword of radiance,
Radiance flashing in dark night.
Night is banished. See Love's sun-rise,
Love's Sun rising, warm and bright.
Dear GHSS Families,
Book Week 2021 has arrived! This year's theme is "Old World, New Worlds, Other Worlds". I am looking forward to visiting classes this week to share some of my favourite stories. This Friday is assembly day and a perfect opportunity to dress up as your favourite book character! I look forward to seeing the creative costumes that families create to bring their book characters to life!
Tree Top Walk 25th Anniversary On Sunday, September 12th, from 10am - 4pm there will be a 25th birthday celebration of the Tree Top Walk in the Valley of the Giants. With gold coin entry for the day, this is an opportunity for a family outing in nature at low cost. There will be free activities for the kids, live music to entertain the family and you can pack a picnic or treat yourself to lunch at one of the food stalls which will include the yummy wares of one of our own Steiner families, Gin Lao, operated by Class 3 parents Haikam and Steve.
We are very excited that Class 3 to Class 6 children from Golden Hill Steiner School have been invited to perform on the Tingle Tree Dance floor along the Ancient Empire Walk at 1.30pm. Parents are asked to let the school know if their child will be attending by completing the form on the Schoolzine App. If you are unable to access the app, then please contact either Jody or Tegan at the front office and they will assist you. I look forward to seeing you there!
Claire Eaton - ROC and Rise TONIGHT! Tickets are still available for this parent talk at the Denmark Civic Centre this evening, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. Claire will be talking about practical strategies that adults in the lives of adolecents can use to raise and support resilient young people in a rapidly changing world. Thanks to the support of Parenting WA this is a free event but you must book a seat! Visit claireeaton.com.au and go to the Speaking tab and then Upcoming Events and scroll to the August 23rd event for Denmark to book your ticket. I hope to see you there!
Jacqui Hollingworth
Principal
Each newsletter we will be sharing a virtue that will be the focus in our school over the following three weeks. Our first Virtue Focus is Honesty.
What is Honesty? Being honest is being open, trustworthy and truthful. When people are honest they can be relied on not to lie, cheat or steal. Honesty is telling the truth. It is admitting mistakes, even when you know someone might be angry or disappointed. Being honest means that you don't pretend to be someone you are not. With honesty, you can trust things to be as they appear.
Why Practice it? Honesty is important because it builds trust. When people lie or cover up mistakes, others can't trust them. When people aren't honest with themselves, they pretend that something doesn't matter or they exaggerate to impress others. When you are honest with yourself, you accept yourself as you are. When you are honest others can believe you.
How do you practice it? When you are honest, you don't try to fool yourself or others. You say what you mean and mean what you say. You only make promises you can keep. Be trustworthy in all your dealings, refusing to lie or cheat. Admit your mistakes and fix them. Be honest with yourself and you will be honest with others. You don't need to make things up to look good.
Signs of Success Congratulations! Your are pracricing honesty when you...
- Say what you mean and mean what you say.
- Make promises you can keep.
- Admit your mistakes.
- Refuse to lie or cheat or steal.
- Tell the truth tactfully.
- Are true to yourself and say what you know is right.
Greetings from Silver Birch Playgroup,
Spring is coming...Spring is coming!
The last few weeks has seen glimpses of spring like weather, just perfect for spending some time outside in our playground before we venture inside to make our bread. It is a gentle way to re-connect with each other, as a week can be such a long time in a little child's life!
There's always busyness to be had in the playground. The wheelbarrows and spades always get a work-out with loads of sand shifted here and there. There's always somewhere to sail off to aboard the sandpit boat, and where will we drop anchor? Cup of tea anyone? "Yes please!" comes the eager replies from the cubbyhouse. Such a cosy little house it is too, with a welcome supply of sandcakes always on hand.
The drier weather and sunnier days will see us picnic outside for morning tea sometimes - after all, who can resist a blue sky sunny day!
It's hard to believe we are mid term already. Our Thursday mornings tend to fly by as well but as we say goodbye for another day, there is a wonderful feeling of nourishment from our time spent together. Truly.
Finally, to Kristi who so generously held the space a few weeks back in my absence, thank you.
Warm regards,
Sophia
Bush Kindy, Bush School & Special Visit From Elders
On Wednesday 18th August Bush School was graced with a visit from Aunty Eliza Woods - Nanny Eliza - and Aunty Annette Eades - Nanny Annie - on what was a beautiful sunny Djilba morning. After the children sang to them in Noongar language, the Elders shared stories of their childhoods on the Gnowangurup Reserve, made damper and taught a traditional sweeping dance using purrung, a native brushwood used for sweeping around campsites. Later the Aunties enjoyed a performance by Class 3 of their play.
For the next few Golden Quills I would like to share a picture of our Karri Kindergarten Monday-Thursday rhythm, beginning with Monday. Associated with the watery moon, it’s a perfect day for us to paint with watercolours, wet-on-wet. It’s also a quiet, calming activity that helps to settle the children into a new week at kindergarten. Once we are seated at the table, the wet paper on wooden boards is given out to the children, and the teacher sits beside them with her painting board in front of her. Then we sing this little song….
“Rainbow, lovely glow
Put some colours in my hand
Together we make a fairy land”
We then speak a verse, which helps the children remember how to clean their brushes between each colour.
“Dive into my deep, dark well
Swim around, swim so well
Dive into my crystal pond
Now I may paint with my magic silver wand”
The teacher begins painting, while telling a little story about the colours. Then it’s time for the assistant to hand out the children’s brushes and sponges and the children begin. Painting time is quiet and reverent, so the children can fully experience the wonder of the colours as they dance across the page. When they are quiet, they can “hear what the colours want to say”.
Watercolour paints are used, enabling the children to experience light radiating through the colour (unlike with tempera paint where they experience light reflected from colour). High quality natural pigment (Stockmar) paints are used in the three primary colours, red, yellow and blue. We offer first one colour, then introduce a second before offering all three. In this way the children can discover the secondary colours in an exploratory way. Because of the mobility of the water on the damp page, the children are able to experience the purity of moving colours, unhampered by the restrictions of form. The young children themselves are still living in the realm of pure movement. Thus the painting experience mirrors the developmental stage of the children.
This week with the return of sunny weather heralding the Djilba season, the children were given just yellow, like the daffodils which are appearing in the garden. Next week blue will join yellow so the children can discover the vibrant green of the new growth in nature we see all around us now.
Warm wishes,
Denise
In Class One we are listening and retelling the stories of Satchkin Patchkin for our Stories and Fairytales main lesson. The children have been enjoying the rhyme and alliteration used in the telling of Satchkin Patchkin - the little green magic man, who lives like a leaf, in an apple tree. The funny ways in which Satchkin Patchkin uses his magic to provide an abundance of milk, eggs and fruit for the kindly Mrs. Farthing yet creates chaos and upheaval for her lean, mean landlord appeals to the children's sense of righteousness and has provoked some interesting discussions about kindness, generosity, honesty and greed.
With a focus on writing in this main lesson, the children are learning some high frequency words and practicing their phonics skills. To put all of this knowledge into practice, the children have been composing their own writing in their kid writing books. I use the term "kid writing" to emphasise to the children - and adults! - that this is their writing - they are doing it all themselves, from the composing of what they want to say, to inventing the spelling to writing the letters down on paper. I am working to create an environment in which the children are relaxed to have a go at their own writing, rather than being worried about "getting it right"! We celebrate making lots of glorious "mistakes" in the process because this is how we learn and have begun to puzzle over the many inconsistencies in written English - such as why do we say "was" but it looks like "wass"?! Kid writing helps children master key literacy skills and is in alignment with Waldorf practices.
In craft, our Class One children have been completing their recorder bags. They are very proud of their work and we look forward to being able to use our recorder bags for future recorder practice and performances! We have also been working on a wet felting project and the children will be completing their felted bookmarks this week to celebrate Book Week.
The children are very excited about Book Week, and we have had some wonderful books brought from home to share with the class. We look forward to more wonderful books to share during the week.
In Class 2 we have been delving into an exciting Maths main lesson called Magical Mystery Math. We are following the story of the characters from Numberland that we have met in previous main lessons. King Counting and Queen Equals and the number gnomes of Numberland are joined by another character – a Pattern Gnome! This little gnome feels he is not a proper number gnome because he loves patterns more than numbers. But with help of our Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division gnome many mysteries about shapes and patterns and their relationship to number are being discovered.
We have been using wool and golden stars to create shapes and patterns on our carpet as we work to solve the mystery at hand. We have practiced on our little chalkboards, folded and cut up paper shapes and drawn in our Main Lesson books. Sometimes the arrangements of numbers, shapes and patterns are quite amazing and it really does seem like magic!
It has been quite exciting in Handcraft as some of our knitted gnomes have been ‘born’ and many others are nearing completion. Completed gnomes are having many knitted accessories created for them including gnome sized scarves, handbags and backpacks. Even little kittens as their pets!
Many thanks to Pat, Beatrix’s grandma, who comes regularly to our Monday afternoon knitting sessions and is a great help with deciphering the knitting pattern and sorting out tangles and dropped stitches.
Our painting skills continue to develop as we discover new techniques for water colour painting. The peace and quiet as everyone concentrates on the colour and form is a lovely moment on painting day. We have been using secondary colours to create mood and movement in our paintings.
Definitely some of the favourite times in the week are running games for Morning Fitness as well as Friday Free Play. This self-directed free time sees the children knitting, playing recorder, drawing, writing, performing puppet plays, building, inventing and generally creating through collaborative group work or individual self-motivation. It is a lovely and therapeutic time for all!
LET MY PEOPLE GO!
Finally the Ancient Hebrews have been emancipated after suffering under the yoke of their oppressive Egyptian rulers! Moses managed to get God on his side in this titanic struggle for freedom and fundamental human rights against the despotic regime of the Pharaoh.
This Old Testament story of Moses with his natural authority and leadership has taken us all on a journey. An archetypically human journey of suffering and hope, that has deepened our understanding of ourselves and each other.
I feel really proud of the way each child in Class 3 rose to this challenge. Some had never been in a play before. Well done Class 3!
Ashley
Class 4 - Human and Animal Main Lesson
In Class 4 we began a formal study of science with a comparative study of the human being and the animal world. We show that each animal is specialised in a unique way i.e. the building ability of a beaver, the swiftness of an impala, the eyesight of an eagle etc. The human develops the same capacities although we do it through tools and machines which surpass the animal.
As in past stories in Classes 1 to 3 children are exposed to many animal characters in stories, such as the animal kingdom in Narnia, where the animals speak and take on human roles.
In Class 4 we look at animals from a more scientific approach and make the comparisons to humans as a threefold being - head, trunk, limbs and thinking, feeling, willing.
Below are some examples of their book work.
Class 5 - Botany Main Lesson
In Class 5 students are ready to observe the world around them and engage with living science. The botany curriculum empowers students with scientific observations and discovery as well as the feeling, ideas and poetry of nature. Through botany lessons in class and our wonderful horticulture program taught by Neal, students realise their role as caretakers of the earth and the relationship between nature and science. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to express their creativity through botanical drawing and poetry.
Below are some examples of the students work.
Robyn
Colourful rainbow serpents and charcoal drawings from Class 4/5’s ‘Spirituality of the Dreamtime’, which we have been enjoying exploring on Mondays.
Kate Woodward
Class 6 have just begun the Australian History main lesson where history, geography, art and literature are integrated to bring the children to a thorough narrative understanding of Australian history from pre-colonisation up to Federation.
The effects of European settlement on Indigenous people are studied and reflected on. Stories, representative biographies, images and poetry are used to study pioneering colonies, early immigrants, and the social, economic and cultural impact of the goldrush.
Though Class 6 have finished up the Business Math main lesson, we have still been very busy operating the Sushi Bubble Bar. This Wednesday is our last day so don’t miss out! A big thank you to everyone for your support, it has been very exciting counting all the money and calculating profits after deducting costs. We will be looking into charities to donate a percent of our profits so please let us know of any local charities seeking donations.
Fridays 9-11
Silver Birch Playgroup
Do you have a creative urge that needs tickling? Come join us on Friday mornings in the Silver Birch Playgroup where you can either bring along your own project or learn something new. Your little ones are very much welcome too so do all come along. We’ll natter and share, make beautiful things and drink warm, good tea… I may even bring cake..
Give a holler if you need or I look forward to seeing you then.
Kat
M: 0439 519 386
Wednesdays 9-11
Meet at the office (with your gloves and wet weather gear!) to sign in..
Oh myyy it has been gloriously WET hasn’t it?! There are some parts of my patch that are more trampoline than path, more like a pond than a veg bed..
Here at our beloved school we have made inroads to our ongoing drainage works. Things are starting to look prettier and promising... hooRAY! Next on the agenda is a revegetation project. With the help of Bill Hollingworth, a whole school plan to plant out natives for groundcover, foraging and habitat has been made. Class 4/5 children with Robyn and Neal will be seed planting in preparation for planting out next season and we may even get some seedlings from the Ag school to go into the earth this year (thanks Lynn Willson!).
With fingers crossed I'm hoping for drier and more inviting weather to be around the corner and so, if you cross your fingers too, we may re-commence Garden Group this month. Little people are very welcome as we will always choose something that is family friendly to do.
If Wednesdays don’t suit you but you would like to help in the garden to make up your Family Participation Scheme hours, do let me know and we could dig-n-do another day.
Yours in dirt,
Kat
M: 0439 519 386
27
Fri
27 Aug 2021
27
Fri
27 Aug 2021
9:00 AM to 9:30 AM
27
Fri
27 Aug 2021
9:00 AM to 9:30 AM
27
Fri
27 Aug 2021
9:00 AM to 9:30 AM
7
Tue
07 Sep 2021
Please know that as a school we are always open to feedback should you wish to provide it. We are constantly striving to refine our processes and make improvements where necessary.
Feel free to contact us via phone (9848 1811), email - office@goldenhill.wa.edu.au or principal@goldenhill.wa.edu.au) or come in and make an appointment to speak with someone.
Positive feedback especially welcome!
Enrolments are now open for VacSwim swimming lessons during the October and summer school holidays. VacSwim offers fun lessons at beach or pool locations. They are a great school holiday activity and they teach valuable safety skills to help keep your child safe in the water.
Enrol at education.wa.edu.au/vacswim