How gloriously blessed we were with perfect days AND evenings for our Winter Festivals last Thursday and Friday!

Of course, awesome events like that don’t just happen without a lot of forethought and planning.

Many thanks to the organising committees and collective efforts of the staff in planning the Festivals and preparing the children so well.

I would especially like to acknowledge the following people:

Lisa, Sophia, Denise, Bruce, Clare and Merveena for preparing such a reverent evening for the Kindergarten classes on Thursday. Also to David Stockdale for his didgeridoo playing and to all the wonderful parents who prepared delicious soups for the evening. It was a truly magical gathering.

Friday had a true community feel about it as everyone pitched in to prepare for the night. Heartfelt acknowledgement to: Kristy McMullan and Teresa Beecroft for creating and holding the outdoor spiral space that allowed each of the classes to walk the spiral individually; Kristy again, for the creation of another spectacular bonfire and the way she was able to involve the children in its creation; Robyn and Mick Miller and the band of parent helpers from Class 3 who assisted with the creation of the outdoor community spiral; Katerina for the engaging story she delivered to the hall of parents, visitors and siblings; the Class parents that provided soup for the classes and hall; families that contributed greenery; Class 4 parents who lit the lantern walk; and Eliza and the Class 5/6 students for the way they performed around the bonfire. It is such an amazing rite of passage to witness our Class 6 students lighting the bonfire! Many thanks to those who attended and shared in this magnificent festival with us.

Congratulations to Robyn and the students of Class 3 for their fabulous Noah’s Ark play that they performed today. You were all fabulous!

As this will be our last newsletter before the holiday break of 3 weeks,  a reminder that we will have an assembly on the Friday, the last day of Term 3. Staff and students on Monday July 29^th. I wish all of the GHSS community a wonderful and cosy winter break and look forward to seeing you all in the new term!

Up above the ground, King Winter wears his crown

The days are cold, the winds doth blow,  We’ll soon need our little lanterns to glow

In Silver Birch Kindergarten we enjoyed many stories and songs about the winter weather as we eagerly prepared for our Mid-winter Festival.  King Winter is definitely about, and beanies and raincoats are getting plenty of wear.   We go outside in all but the wildest weather.

We have heard the story about the little gnomes who are busy in winter looking after the roots and seeds underground.  Even though some of the trees have no leaves they are still alive and their roots are being cared for under the earth.  We have tucked some little bulbs under the ground for the busy gnomes to tend until the sunny days return and the bulbs and seeds are ready to sprout.

In painting we have moved from our autumnal red to a wintery blue. 

It was a wonderful surprise to blend these two colours on our page and discover something new.  We immerse ourselves in the colours and process of watercolour painting with an intent of inner quietness which allows each colour to give rise to a new feeling in us.  We used some of our paintings to create our own lanterns for the festival.  How magical to see the lanterns glimmering in the forest at night.

Glimmer lantern glimmer, little stars a shimmer

Over rock and river stone, wandering tripping little gnome

Open up my heart to see starry light surrounding me

Another magical Early Childhood Winter Festival was held last Thursday evening to celebrate the Midwinter Solstice. At this turning point of the year, our community of little children and their parents/grandparents and younger siblings gathered together to share their warmth and light.  It was lovely to see everyone including Peppermint Cottage Playgroup,  Silver Birch and Karri Kindergarten families.

As the days grew ever shorter, our preparations were beginning, from making lanterns, asking parents for soup and firewood, singing winter songs,  making firelighters from old wax and pine cones and gathering kindling for the fires. Excitement bubbled up as the karri kindergarten fire was built by Kristy McMullan with help from the children on Thursday afternoon. After school whilst the children rested, the Kindergarten and nearby bushland were a hive of activity as lanterns were hung, lanterns laid out and lit for the lantern walk, and the fire lit. Families began arriving with soup and lanterns, an acknowledgment of Country spoken, Nidja Noongar song sung, and after a blessing, soup eaten around the fire. Lanterns lit, hand in hand with parents, our little ones made their way along the magical trail which led us to the bush kindy fireplace as we sang our lantern songs, and marvelled at the sparkling fairy grottos along the way. The haunting sound of the didgerdoo welcomed us into the forest as we gathered around the fireplace. As we sang “Rise Up O Flame” the fire sprang to life, warming us and making little faces glow. Bruce then led us singing traditional winter songs along with bush kindy favourites, and a beautiful Noongar translation of “Twinkle Twinkle” . A little one drifted off in her mother’s arms as a lilting lullaby was sung, and the digeridoo led us back along the lantern walk to the kindergarten and home.

It is hoped that wonderful memories of this special night will, as the song says, “Warm our hearts til Spring time comes”

Many thanks to; parents who brought along pots of soup and firewood. Thank you so much to all who  respected  our wish to keep this festival for children under seven and adults only, so that we can hold the reverence and magic at this special time of year. This meant for some, having older siblings cared for by friends, or that one parent only was able to attend. We appreciate your thoughtfulness and understanding!

Sophia spent many hours constructing extra lanterns to light up the area around the fire (in addition to many she has made in previous years), and these were made from her two daughter’s watercolour paintings (created over their years at Golden Hill). Thank you so much to Sophia for all her hard work  in planning and constructing the lantern walk, and to Lisa and Clare who helped set up and pack away the lanterns for the walk.

Thank you to Kristy for building the beautiful fire we gathered around for soup!

Thank you to Bruce for leading us in song with  his magical musical artistry and lovely warming forest fire.

Thank you to David Stockdale for the grounding sounds of the didgeridoo that led us into the forest and farewelled us when it was time to leave!

Thank you to all our little ones who remind us how to experience wonder and magic!

Hi everyone,

A huge congratulations to those children who participated at the Eisteddfod and did both themselves and the school proud. It is a very scary thing indeed to maintain your composure as you walk out on stage, in front of a crowd with bright lights shining in your face, and the quiet confidence that GHSS children show is commendable.

In class, we are finishing up our Main lesson on Egypt, and there were a few eyebrows raised in the staffroom when I mentioned I needed enough metal tooling sheets for 26 small coffins- one for each child in the class. Rest assured however, these are simply miniature pencil box coffins to sit atop the children’s desks, which they have artfully decorated with Egyptian designs. 

Learning about the Ancient Egyptian culture and beliefs has been fascinating- its not just all mummies and hieroglyphs, you know! It seems that the Egyptians were also a wise old lot, who loved a good proverb or two. Here are some of the children’s responses to the proverbs:

“Emotions are good servants but poor masters”

Emotions are good things to have, but don't let them rule over you. For example, when i was in the Eisteddfod to play violin, I was very frightened. So frightened that I felt like running off the stage! But if I had run off stage, that would have been letting my emotions take control of me. Which isn't always a good idea!

-Poppyanna-

“I think this proverb is a great one. It means that you should have emotions, but don't let them take over your life.”

-Alba-

I think that this is true, because it’s happened to me a few times. I remember times when I was so angry that I said things I didn't mean, or so confused that I just burst into tears. When it mentions that emotions make good servants, it is quite right, as without emotions helping you, the world would be boring because you wouldn't have an opinion to express. When you think about it, emotions inform your opinion on everything. For example, if you went to a restaurant and they got your order wrong, your opinion then might be negative because your emotion towards them was negative.

-Luiza-

“You shall exist for millions and millions of years”

I think there is a lot of truth in this proverb. For example, my grandad is dead, but he still lives on in the memory of his relations. In addition, he will be talked about by future generations.

-Joe-

To me, this proverb means that you may be gone but you have lots of other people that will remember you. They may have a song you wrote, or just a picture or photos. This is one of my favourite proverbs.

-Lilla-

It’s not literally saying you’re immortal, but it means, “don't say mean things if you can help it.” You will make lots of people happier and you will feel good too.

-Sienna-

“As you think, so shall you become”

This is true for me. If you think, “I’m gunna throw a book at you”, it is as bad as actually throwing a book at them. If you're always thinking bad thoughts, then you’ll always be grumpy and bad-tempered. I cant imagine somebody always thinking bad things, yet being happy and carefree. It would be non-human.

-Anu-

“As joy is not without its measure of pain, so neither is sorrow without its portion of happiness.”

Say for example that I wrote a song about my cat that died, I would be happy that I did, but also sad that I no longer had him. This one is my favourite.

-Evie-

This one means that often you can’t be happy without a bit of sadness. For instance, when I went to Canada, it was amazing that I saw all my friends, but when I had to leave, it was upsetting.

-Gavin-

As we move onto our decimals main lesson, the children will be designing a food van and creating a miniature version of it, with lots of decimal calculations taking place  with prices, area, perimeter and even foreign exchange rates.

I thought it might be nice to share some of the fruits of labours from uni this semester if anyone if interested. At the beginning of the year, I began a Masters in Steiner Education and recently wrote an assignment on Steiner Education in the light of modern neuroscientific findings. I was heartened to find that much modern research echoes the ideas and philosophies that Steiner himself came up with 100 years ago. Following is the first part of the paper:

Contemporary Education in the Light of Neuroscientific Research: How Steiner Pedagogies May Support Healthy Brain Development in Children: Part 1

The aim of educational neuroscience is to generate research that will provide a new transdisciplinary account of learning and teaching which is capable of informing education. Due to advances in modern technology, researchers in the last few decades have been able to obtain a detailed look at the brain’s inner workings. This report examines the findings of recent neuroscientific research in the field of education and the ways in which Steiner pedagogies may support these, thus resulting in the healthy brain development of children.

1. The Brain is Plastic

Perhaps the most interesting development in the field of neuroscience has been the findings around the plasticity of the brain. While once it was thought of as fixed and limited to the mental abilities it was born with, researchers are now proving that even highly damaged brains are quite capable of remarkable change (Cherry, 2019).

Modern neuroscience thus tells us that the brain changes constantly as a result of learning, and remains ‘plastic’ throughout life. Each time we learn a new skill, our brain changes and these changes also revert when practise of the skill ceases (The Royal Society, 2011). In addition, young brains generally tend to be more sensitive and responsive to experiences than much older brains (Cherry, 2019), and the structure and connectivity of the brain suggest that there are sensitive periods in brain development extending beyond childhood and into adolescence (The Royal Society, 2011).

This is of particular significance for educators, perhaps especially so for those in a Steiner/ Waldorf setting. Despite the peers of Steiner’s time believing the brain to be something of a super-computer, the abilities of which were largely determined by genetics, Steiner appears to have had an early insight into the true nature of the brain. While his contemporaries hung firmly onto the idea that it was nature rather than nurture that determined cognitive ability, Steiner emphasised the value of education in changing or developing the brain. He also believed that the brain was no more than the ground into which the activities of speaking and thinking imprinted what was received from the surrounding world, as embodied in the following statement: “The brain is not the cause, but the ground on which the soul develops” (Steiner 1996, p.65), thus paralleling contemporary findings on the mutability of the human brain.   

2. Memory matters

Over the last few decades, mainstream education has largely shunned the practise of rote-learning or memorisation tactics in schools, instead emphasising the development of critical-thinking or problem solving skills.

However, rote-learning can be an important tool in building a foundation for higher-level critical thinking skills, and memorisation is in fact a cornerstone of critical thinking (Klemm 2013). As

Klemm (2013), senior professor of neuroscience at Texas A&M University, points out: “We think and solve problems with what is in working memory, which in turn is memory of currently available information or recall of previously memorised information. Numerous studies show that the amount of information you can hold in working memory is tightly correlated with IQ and problem-solving ability.”

Neuroscientific researchers have also found that when young maths students memorise the basics, their brains reorganise to accomodate the greater demands of more complex math (Brain Balance Achievement Centres, 2019). The memorisation of long poems or chanting of multiplication tables so oft found in Steiner schools can often draw questions or criticism around the rote-learning tactics or seemingly lower-order thinking skills being utilised. However, this research shows that these actives may well well be beneficial for early brain development.

3. Stress Disrupts

The past few decades have seen a boom in parents and educators wanting to get a head-start in accelerating their children academically, as can be witnessed in the proliferation of early-learning ‘hyper-stimulation’ programs such as ‘Baby-Einstein’. However, over two decades ago, neurological scientist and researcher David Elkind warned that education was not ‘a race’ (Weiner 1986). He believed that generations of children were increasingly missing out on free time, unstructured play and the space to daydream. This is a sentiment which has been largely echoed by Steiner schools and communities around the world and is now largely supported by modern neuroscience.

The ‘fight or flight’ mechanisms of the brain are a product of our evolution, designed to ensure our survival. These have changed very little over time, and the stimulation of such a stress response elevates cortisol levels, hindering thinking and shutting down learning. These powerful brain chemicals can impact on the growth and development of important regions of the brain, especially when children have not yet acquired a repertoire of skills for handling stress (Nagel 2009).

What this means for eduction is that when academic expectations are not developmentally appropriate and the child is afraid of “failing”, their brain can become flooded with cortisol and they then enter a fight/flight/freeze stress response (Nagel 2009). Interestingly, a recognised suppressant of cortisol is laughter. Rudolf Steiner himself said that everything should be tinted with spontaneous humour (Steiner 1996 p.159), and that at school we must do everything we can to awaken love (Steiner 1996 p. 163). It has subsequently been found that when teachers use strategies to reduce stress and build a positive emotional environment, students gain emotional resilience and learn more efficiently and at higher levels of cognition (Willis 2014).

Partly in recognition that schools should be low-stress environments, Steiner education integrates thinking, feeling and will (cognition, emotion and physiological aspects) in equal measures, with knitting, recorder playing and painting being regarded as equally valuable as activities of a more academic nature. The entire Steiner curriculum is based on a harmonious, ‘breathing’ rhythm, where each ‘in-breath’ is followed by a metaphorical ‘out-breath’. Rhythmically-based pursuits such as singing, poetry recitation and even sawing wood which occur throughout the Steiner school day also regulate the breathing and therefore the heart rhythms (Davidow, 2019). The results of a recent study, in which Steiner students appeared to have a more balanced Autonomic Nervous System than their public and private school counterparts (Davidow 2019), could perhaps by attributed somewhat to the three ‘R’s of the Steiner school- rhythm, routine and repetition.

4. Media may have a detrimental effect on the developing brain

Much research has been carried out on the effects of ‘screen time’ during childhood. The subsequent findings have caused many to advocate for a screen-minimised childhood for the sake of healthy brain development. As Davidow (2013) points out, we know that children’s brains are being formed every second of the day, so it matters enormously what they repeatedly do. She states, “As our children sit quietly in front of a screen, behaving themselves and thankfully not causing any trouble, their hearts might be racing and their bodies are potentially flooded with stress hormones. They are glued to the screen in what is often a virtual life-or-death battle with real physiological consequences” (Davidow 2014, p.112).

In addition to the physiological side-effects media consumption may have on children, an additional problem with video games and other media is that it reduces theory of mind. In neuroscientific terms, Theory of mind (often abbreviated "ToM") is the ability to attribute mental states—beliefs, intents, desires, pretending, knowledge, etc.—to oneself and others and to understand that others have beliefs, desires, and intentions that are different from one's own (Bergland 2014). But perhaps most pertinent for education is the recognition in Steiner schools that television can hinder imagination. Although television hadn't been invented during Steiner’s time, he stated “Of prime importance for the cultivation of the child’s feeling-life is that the child develops a relationship to the world in a way such as that which develops when we are inclined towards fantasy” (Steiner 2008).

Steiner primary schools are therefore well known for the absence of computers or digital technology. Backing up this stance is a global report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The report suggested that education systems that have invested heavily in computers have seen “no noticeable improvement” in their results for reading, maths and science in the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) tests (Jenkin 2015).

5. Engaging the feelings is the way forward

Neurobiological research has just begun to identify the brain networks that are active when processing stories, finding that when students become engrossed in a novel, brain connectivity and function is enhanced (Bergland 2014). These findings may be of particular interest to Steiner educators, for whom stories are often the vehicle through which curriculum content is delivered. Although the study explicitly focused on ‘novels’ rather than the oral-storytelling so prominent in Steiner schools, it could be argued that any mode of story that engages and causes children to become ‘engrossed’ could have similar positive effects. After all, brain research demonstrates that superior learning takes place when classroom experiences are motivating and engaging. Positive motivation impacts brain metabolism, conduction of nerve impulses through the memory areas, and the release of neurotransmitters that increase executive function and attention (Willis 2014).

 In the words of Post (2010), what affective neuroscience tells us is that reasoning, decision-making, and processes related to language, reading, and math do not function correctly without emotion.  Emotions affect performance and learning, as well as our ability to recruit previously learned material and apply what we have learned in school to decisions and situations in the rest of our lives, even in nonemotional contexts.  Following this premise, Steiner educators in the primary school seek to provide content that is ‘alive’ and relevant to both the child and the human condition, heeding Steiner’s statement that stirrings of feelings aid memory (Steiner 1996) as well as his warning that when we teach or bring something ‘dead’, we wound what is alive in the child (Steiner 1996). In Melrose’s (2013) words, Steiner teachers “involve and nourish the sensing, feeling parts of the brain, those easily accessed by young children, so that essential foundational neural connections needed for later academic learning are solidly laid.”

Additionally, the above-mentioned study also found that reading fiction improved the reader's ability to put themselves in another person’s shoes and flex the imagination in a way that is similar to the visualisation of a muscle memory in sports (Berns, Blaine et al. 2013). This research appears to confirm Steiner’s theories on the importance of imagination for brain development, and his view that for young children, “thinking can only unite with what is pictorial” (Steiner 1996 p. 79).

Allowing the children to live deeply and slowly into a Steiner main lesson block without ‘jumping around’ disconnectedly from subject to subject may also prove beneficial for brain development. As SmartMinds (2018) points out, multitasking is an enemy of learning as it introduces interference and noise and blocks neurons from creating strong connections in the brain (Smart Minds, 2018).

Bibliography

Bergland, C. (2014). Reading Fiction Improves Brain Connectivity and Function. Psychology Today.

Berns, G. S., K. Blaine, M. J. Prietula and B. E. Pye (2013). "Short- and long-term effects of a novel on connectivity in the brain." Brain Connect 3(6): 590-600.

Davidow, S. (2014). Raising Stress-Proof Kids.

Jenkin, M. (2015). "Tablets out, Imagination in: The Schools that Shun Technology." The Guardian.

Klemm, W. R. (2013). "Memorization is not a Dirty Word." Psychology Today.

Nagel, M. (2009). Fighting First Day Fear. Sydney’s Child.

Nagel, M. (2009). "Too Much, Too Soon." Brisbane’s Child.

Steiner, R. (1996). The Child’s Changing Consciousness, Anthroposophic Press.

Steiner, R. (1996). Education for Adolescents. Switzerland, Anthroposophic Press.

Steiner, R. (2008). An Introduction to Waldorf Education and Other Essays, SMK Books.

Weiner, L. M. (1986). "Parent Pressure Cited as Harmful." The New York Times.

Willis, J. (2014). "The Neuroscience Behind Stress and Learning."

In celebration of Waldorf 100, the WA Branch of the Anthroposophical Society in Australia is hosting two visiting speakers in September, Horst Hellman, and Joan Sleigh.

Horst will be here between 15^th - 25^th September, and Joan for a shorter period, 18^th – 19^th. By ‘happy coincidence’ they will both be in WA at the same time – perhaps it is the first time their paths have crossed!

We invite you to participate in their visits by hosting talks for teachers and parents and we welcome contributions towards their costs.

For your information here is a brief of their Biographies:

Horst Hellman:

Born 1943 in Germany

In this year of the 100^th anniversary of Waldorf Education, Horst Hellman is celebrating 50 years since first studying to become a Waldorf teacher.  He spent over 30 years teaching in Steiner schools in Germany.

In 1981, he spent his sabbatical year in Australia, and gave talks on Waldorf/Steiner education in many places and the seeds from those talks grew into Steiner Schools, including Balinga Valley Steiner School, Perth Waldorf School, Yallingup Steiner School and Golden Hill Steiner School. 

Since 1982 until the present, he has been lecturing, conducting teacher-training seminars and mentoring Waldorf teachers in Australia, India, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. 

In 2000 he became the founding teacher of the school in Berlin "Eugen Kolisko/ Havelhoehe".   After retiring in 2005, his activity in Asia has grown stronger.  Presently, he is mentoring at Waldorf Schools in the Phillipines and Thailand, and is facilitating teacher training in Thailand and Indonesia.  Horst lives now in a village near the University City of Goettingen.

Horst is a very engaging speaker and has a long list of topics on which he can speak with assurance, energy and deep knowledge.   Please find attached a list of possible topics for you to choose from.

Joan Sleigh

born 1962 in South Africa
Birth and childhood in the Camphill communities in South Africa. Attended part Waldorf and part rural State education. Moved to Germany in 1982, mothered four children and trained as Waldorf Class Teacher in Witten-Annen. Returned to Cape Town, South Africa in 1995. Worked as class teacher at Michael Oak Waldorf School from 1995 – 2012 and as teacher trainer at the Centre for Creative Education from 2006 – 2012. Member of the International Forum for Steiner / Waldorf Schools (Hague Circle) and co-ordinator of the Pedagogical Section in Cape Town since 2010. She became a member of the Executive Council of the General Anthroposophical Society in 2013.

Joan will be visiting other locations in Australia and will begin her visit by giving a talk at the Waldorf 100 event being held by Samford Valley Steiner School. Overall she is willing to go into schools to meet and work with teachers, as well as meeting with Anthroposophical Society branches. She is keen to talk about the Social Initiative Forum and we note that ‘googling’ her also brings up videos of her speaking on the topic of Empathy.  She is also ideally placed to speak about developments in the Goetheanum.

Proposed Programme

We have developed an outline for a programme for their visits and invite you to advise us whether or not you would like to be included.  The coincidence of them both being here at the same time is both an opportunity and a challenge for scheduling, but certainly means that every school can receive a visit from one or the other visitor.