In shining majesty the mighty sun, 

A king upon his chariot of gold,

Climbs higher till the heights of heaven are won

In glory streaming, blessed to behold.

And watching him, I feel a strange sense grow

That speaks of things that now I cannot see;

For only later will I truly know

How at his hour, God's Spirit of the Sun is touching me. 

Dear GHSS Families,

Birak Festival This Friday afternoon, December 10th from 1.30pm we invite our school community to join us for our Birak Festival.  This is a lovely way to round out the year, with each class presenting an item, all stitched together with our community singing songs of the season in between performances.  We shall gather outdoors, under the trees in front of Classes 1 & 2 or, should the weather be inhospitable, we always have the option of the hall.  I look forward to this gathering together of our community.

Memorial for Sol On Monday, December 13th we shall be holding a memorial in honour of Sol.  This has been organised in consultation with Sol's family.  Classes will spend the morning making kites.  The memorial is then open to the attendance of parents from our school community from 1.30pm.  We ask that parents gather with their child's class to proceed to the hall rather than gathering outside or entering the hall ahead of the classes.  The Memorial will begin in the hall with music and readings and then move to the oval for kite flying.  At 3 tolls of the bell, we will conclude our flying and gather in a circle on the oval to sing our school song.  Classes will then move back to their classrooms and we ask that parents collect them from there at the days end, to ensure an appropriately reverent end to the day.

Let us dress ourselves in Yellow to honour Sol's name and the love he had for his favourite yellow jumper.

COVID-19 Vaccination Concerns It has been brought to my attention that there are community concerns around the COVID-19 vaccinations and if children will be required to be vaccinated to attend school.

The directions are very clear on the fact that children are exempt from the requirement to be vaccinated in order to attend school.  This is inline with current requirements regarding childhood vaccinations and compulsory school aged children.  For those who have shared concerns about stories coming out of the USA and Europe, where it has been reported there have been mandates in relation to primary-aged children, it is to be noted that, unlike for Australia, childhood vaccinations are considered mandatory in many parts of Europe and in the USA they are mandatory for school entry.  This is in contrast to Australia where childhood vaccinations are simply recommended.  Schools currently do not prevent children who are unvaccinated from attending school once they reach compulsory school age, as to do so would contravene the Education Act which enshrines in law the requirement for all children to be enrolled in a suitable program of education.  I hope this clears up any concerns held by parents regarding the mandating of COVID vaccination for children under the current Education Act.  See the following link for further information. 

Which countries have mandatory childhood vaccination policies? - Our World in Data

The directions also make clear that parents will be able to attend school to collect and drop off their children and to attend festivals, assemblies and parent meetings, regardless of vaccination status.  Those who volunteer may do so on an ad hoc basis. This is defined as attending for no more than 1 day a week at no more than 1 school.  Parents wishing to attend more regularly than that will be required to provide the office with evidence of their double vaccination status.  Follow this link to read the directions in full.

Thank you to those community members who have met with me to discuss concerns and ask questions.  Should you have any concerns I encourage you to direct your queries to the school and if I am unable to give you an immediate answer, I will investigate further and get back to you. 

Jacqui Hollingworth

Principal

Each newsletter we will be sharing a virtue that will be the focus in our school over the following three weeks.  

What is Generosity? Generosity is giving and sharing.  It is giving freely because you want to, not with the idea of receiving a reward or gift in return.  Generosity is being aware that there is plenty for everyone.  It is seeing a chance to give what you have and then giving just for the joy of giving.  It is one of the best ways to show love and friendship.

Why Practice it? Without generosity, people act uncaring, refusing to share their belongings, their time, and their friendship.  People who need help feel helpless because no one will give them what they need.  When we give freely, especially if a sacrifice is involved, our spirit grows strong.  When one person is generous, other people want to be generous too.

How do you practice it? When you are generous, you think of ways to share what you have.  You think about what people need and do things to give them happiness.  You share your time, your ideas, your things, or your money.  When you give away something that is really special to you, that is a very generous way to show love.  It feels good to give freely, just for the sake of giving.

Signs of Success Congratulations!  Your are practicing generosity when you...

• Are thoughtful about the needs of others.
• Notice when someone needs help.
• Give freely without expectation of reward.
• Give fully without holding back.
• Are willing to make sacrifices for others.
• Use wisdom about sharing treasured belongings.

"Whatever you give to others is also a gift to yourself."  Sanaya Roman

Advent, advent, a candle burns……  This week we have begun our celebration of Advent, the waiting time, which begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas.  In our kindergarten, as in Steiner schools everywhere this time is filled with gratitude for the four kingdoms on earth which support life.  The mineral kingdom is first, and we give thanks and appreciation to the rocks from which soil comes…. we owe our existence to soil, yet so rarely consider it.

One candle is lit in the wreath, and a verse spoken;

The first light of Advent
It is the light of stones
The light that lives in crystals
In seashells and in bones

Then one by one, following the teacher’s example, the children place their gift from the mineral kingdom on the bottom of our Advent tableau.  This is done reverently, in silence.

Then we sing a song…..

One little candle lighted in the wreath;
The earth below prepares to glow (sing 3 times to here the first week)
Two little candles lighted in the wreath;
The plant lifts up a blossom cup (sing twice to here the second week)
Three little candles lighted in the wreath;
The animals run to see the sun (sing to here the third week)
Four little candles lighted ion the wreath;
The baby is born, to warm the earth, to fill the cup,
To light the sun, to lift me up. ( sing to the end fourth week)

Over the coming weeks we will honour the plant and animal kingdoms in the same way, speaking the following verses;

The second light of Advent
It is the light of plants
Plants that reach up to the sun
And in the breezes dance
The third light of Advent
It is the light of beasts
The light of hope that we may see
In greatest and in least.

In this way we build up our Advent table with contributions from all of our children, and this forms a backdrop for our kindergarten graduation “Stepping Stones” ceremony.  This year seven K6 children will graduate on Wednesday 15th December, our last day of kindergarten for the year.

Here is the final verse, you may like to celebrate this at home;

The fourth light of Advent
It is the light of humans
The light of love, the light of thought
To give and to understand.

With gratitude and warmest wishes for a wonderful holiday season to all our families.

Love from Denise, Clare and Evie

Birak is coming

Peppy trees are flowering

The Moodja tree is blossoming and Christmas time is near.

In the final weeks of the school year we transition from the season of Kambarang (late spring) to the season of Birak (early summer).  As Naangk (sun) returns to the blue skies and Midjal (rain) eases, our beloved creek once again settles into the tranquility of summer and dragonflies return to hover and dance over the shallow sparkling waters.  The weather becomes karung (hot and dry).  The children have their last opportunities for the year to splash in her cool waters, cross over to the other side, and explore all the revealed wonders up and down her banks that have been hidden away beneath her fast flowing depths over the many longs months of Makuru, Djilba and Kambarang.

As we wrap up the odds and ends of the year, our attention begins to turn to the excitement of Christmas, fond farewells to dear friends, some of whom may not be returning, and the anticipation of time spent with family, holidays, and the beach.  The new begins to call us as we bring to a close the deeds of this year.  Bush Kindy and Bush School parents are invited to join us for a final picnic celebration of our time together in the bush - please see the notices in this newsletter

And to truly celebrate Birak bonar (season), look out for Moodja, the sacred native ‘Christmas Tree’ of Noongar Boodja, and point her out to your children if you can.  Her beautiful blossoms are yoont (yellow) or mirrda-yoont (orange) and not to be picked as they are said to represent the spirits of those who have deceased and passed on from this world. 

To close, I would like to share the following song we collaboratively created at our Birak language camp at Nowanup on the weekend with Aunty Iris Woods.  It is based on her recollections of her childhood in the season of Birak:

Mirrda-yoont is the kala (colour)

of the flowering Moodja 

at Christmas time.

Ngalak yeyi (We now wort koorl mambakoort travel to the seaside)

Ngany wort koorl mambakoort  (I go to the seaside)

Nidjak norba ngany wordiny nort (At the beach I throw my scent)

Birak bonar moort nyininy (In Birak season our family are sitting)

Koorlangar djipa-djopaliny  (the children are swimming and playing)

Baalang yookil wer narla (Getting seashells and seaweed

Ngarning periwinkles       (cooking and eating periwinkles)

Birak bonar kwobidak    (Birak season is beautiful)

(Thank you to Aunty Iris Woods from Tambellup for sharing her language and stories with us.)

Birak Celebration

Bush School (Class 1/2) Picnic Lunch & Final Afternoon Session

Wednesday 15th December  12.45-2.45pm

Dear parents

Next week (Week 10), as we move into the Noongar season of Birak (early summer), it is our last session of Bush School for 2021 on Wednesday 15th December. As the morning session clashes with the Stepping Stones K6 graduation ceremony, which I need to attend, Heather has volunteered to take Cl 1 and Cl 2  for activities during the morning.  As such, we will defer our final Bush School session for the year until the afternoon.

To celebrate the coming of summer, and our journey through the six seasons over the course of the school year, I would like to invite any parents who are available on the day to bring a plate of healthy tucker to join us for a picnic lunch celebration at the creek between 12.45 and 2.45pm.  The children are encouraged to bring bathers, a towel and a change of clothes (or two) to splash and play in the shallow waters.  As well as a picnic lunch, we will sing some Birak songs, listen to an end-of-year Christmas bush story, and pay special acknowledgement to our Class 2 students who will be moving on to Class 3 next year.  Parents are welcome to stay on until home time at 2.50pm.

Thanks, Bruce

The term is flying by and the year is drawing to a close.  What an amazing year it has been.  It's been a steep learning journey for me, immersing myself in the beautiful Steiner curriculum and getting to know and love the Class One children, their families and find my place in the school community.  Thank you all for the honor.  I look forward to continuing the learning journey next year, moving with the children into Class Two. 

Term 4 is always an interesting time of reflection.  I've been writing reports and reflecting on the children's individual growth and development over the course of the year.  It's heartwarming to think back to the wide-eyed children that started in Class One at the beginning of the year.  They have certainly grown in every way and have formed a strong and caring class community. 

Our upcoming class play will be a celebration of this growth and connection.  The Class One Nativity play will be performed on Monday the 6th and Tuesday the 7th of December at 10am.  Our focus with the nativity story is its message of compassion, generosity, hope and a celebration of new life.  The children have been working hard to learn their lines, as well as practicing recorder, lyre and singing for the many songs in our play.  Thanks to Class One families for helping children to practice at home.  They have done very well at learning their lines by heart and did very well at our final dress rehearsal on Friday.  Thanks to Robyn and Class 4/5 for being our warm-up audience for this rehearsal! 

Star of wonder, star of light 

Star with shining beauty bright 

Westward leading, still proceeding 

Guide us with your perfect light 

In Class 2 we have been hearing interesting tales of insects in an enchanted garden as they walk, fly, crawl and swim around many interesting forms.  From the hexagonal design of beeswax to the horizonal symmetry to be found in reflections.  From the perfect roundness of bubbles and ripples on the water to the vertical symmetry to be found in some plants and trees.

In this Form Drawing main lesson we have been using our little chalkboards on the verandah as well as sidewalk chalk on the basketball court, and we also use the sandpit to practice creating various forms.  Many of the freehand geometrical forms are revision of what we have discovered in our magic numbers math main lesson, whilst the running forms will lead into cursive writing.

Together we are finding, exploring and using our bodies to move complex lines and ribbon forms.  We experience changing direction and transforming lines from straight to curved and vice versa.  In this main lesson we are discovering the harmony, beauty, symmetry and order of form. 

Our wonderful knitted gnomes have gone home, and with great excitement we have begun stitching our pencil pouches in preparation for Class 3.  In craft we enjoyed stitching bunting for a Denmark community project with the aim of having hand - and locally - made plastic free decorations for the Shire.  The children did a remarkable job with great results.  Thanks Jewels for coordinating this project for us.  Now we are doing some Birak Christmas weaving!

Our musical talents are coming to the fore as we combine our lyre tunes and recorder pieces with various percussion instruments.  It has been lots of fun revising and remembering songs and poems from throughout the year in morning circle.  We are choosing some of our favourites to present to the residents at Blue Wren Lodge when we visit at the end of the year which is oh so fast approaching!

Since the last Golden Quill, Class 3 have had their sleepover, which was a big event for everybody involved! We had a treasure hunt, played spotlight, ate pizza and some students even slept in the constructions they had made as part of our Shelter main lesson!

After recovering from waves of sickness, we began to focus on our Money main lesson.  We set up the Golden Lemon stall, selling lemonade to the school, and many budding entrepreneurs initiated setting up their own small businesses with great success!

As we head toward the end of the year with alarming speed, we are now finishing our mud brick constructions and continuing to focus on reading, including impromptu class plays retelling the main events in simple stories.

Renee and Ashley

Finally having recovered from our camp, Class 6 have begun preparing for graduation by writing speeches and studying physics.  Physics can be a scary word for some and also a very exciting word for others.  In Steiner Education, the science lessons in primary school are all experiment-driven, providing an exciting experience of how the world around us works.  Before conducting any experiment, we make predictions of what we think will happen.  We write down any observations made during the experiment, and then reflect on what these observations show us about the nature of what ever we are studying.

We began our Physics main lesson with a focus on acoustics.  We have experimented with many different instruments such as violin, cello, a variety of wind instruments and percussion.  We learnt about how pitch and volume are affected by different materials, force and pressure.  Most recently, we have experienced how sound travels through different media (air, solids and water).  It wouldn’t be an acoustics lesson in Steiner Education without reflecting on the emotional quality of sounds and music.  We’ve begun listening to different types of music, noting the emotions evoked and how volume, tempo, pitch, instruments and lyrics are major contributors to the varying emotions.  We will finish off the Physics main lesson with studying optics and warmth.

In preparation for next year, the children have participated in two excursions to the high school.  While nerves were high, so was the excitement to begin this new chapter.  Our journey together has been a memorable one to say the least.  Filled with many laughs, some tears, and so much growth, I will miss all these children so much but I could not be more proud of them or more excited for the many new adventures and experiences they have in store.

Please click on this link to read an interesting report researching prior Steiner student's school experiences and how they felt about the impact their education had on their life after school - 

https://www.steinereducation.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/FINAL-RESEARCH-REPORT_8-NOV-2021.pdf

Gastroenteritis

There has been an increase in the number of reported gastroenteritis cases in the Great Southern.

Gastroenteritis, or ‘gastro’ is a common condition of all ages.  It occurs when the bowel is infected by a virus or bacteria.  Symptoms include diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach cramps and sometimes, fever. 

Most cases are not serious, but it is very important to make sure that a person with gastro receives enough fluid.

If your child has gastro, keep them away from school for 48 hours after vomiting and diarrhoea have stopped.  If symptoms persist see your family doctor.

The easiest way to prevent gastro is to make sure everyone in the family washes their hands regularly, especially before eating and after going to the toilet.

For more information go to Gastroenteritis (healthywa.wa.gov.au)  

Bedwetting

Bedwetting, or nocturnal enuresis, is very common in children.  Bedwetting has nothing to do with dreaming, and children who wet the bed are not “just being lazy”.

If your child wets the bed, there are a number of things you can do to help, such as using a waterproof mattress cover and establishing a before-bed toilet routine.  It is not helpful to punish children who wet the bed.  Fluids should not be restricted, even before bedtime.  Sugary or caffeinated drinks should be avoided.

If your child is still wetting the bed after five and a half years of age, seek help through a referral by your local doctor.  A bedwetting alarm is an effective and safe method of treatment available for nocturnal enuresis and may be appropriate for your child. 

Great Southern Population Health facilitates a bedwetting program which is delivered by School Health Nurses.  The program is free.  It is run through the school term and there are vacancies for Term 1 2022.

Contact your local School Health Nurse’s, Paula Stretton and Rochelle Klose on 98480100 or 0427922663 for more information or email:  Paula.Stretton@health.wa.gov.au or Rochelle.Klose@health.wa.gov.au 

Primary school

Enrolments are now open for VacSwim swimming lessons during the 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

Secondary school

If your child is over 13 years old, you can enrol them in VacSwim so they can get their Bronze Medallion during the summer school holidays.  They’ll learn advanced survival, rescue and resuscitation skills to help keep them and others safe in the water.

Enrol now at education.wa.edu.au/vacswim

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!