Spirits of water, spirits of air,

Weave in the world full of nurture and care.

Sons of bright fire and gnomes of quick gait - 

All of them speak to me whilst they create:

"Oh, we work within the world for purest joyfulness alone,

But remember please the deeds we do - they must not pass unknown,

For you free us from enchantment when you make our life your own."

Dear GHSS Families,

High School Our Year 7 and Beyond! information afternoon on Friday was well attended and we have already received an Enrolment Application.  If you are intending to enrol in our Class 7 class for next year, please complete an application and return it to the school as soon as is convenient as this will assist us with our planning. 

Spring Festival Date Change To mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth, a one-off public holiday has been declared for Thursday September 22nd.  As a result, our Spring Festival will move to Wednesday September 21st.  The times will remain the same and parents will still be welcome to sign their children out at the end of the events, however all staff will be present for the afternoon and students who remain will be with their class teacher until the usual end of the day.  Friday remains a Pupil Free Day as staff will still be travelling to Perth on Thursday for Steiner Schools Day for all staff.

Kindergarten for 2023 We still have places left in our kindergarten for next year.  If you are yet to apply for a place or know of others yet to apply, please do so as soon as possible.  We are now also taking applications for children who turn 4 in the first half of 2019.

Spring Fair and Open Day You're Invited! Staff are hosting an Open Day for parents and community - and thanks to the awesomeness of a couple of our Karri Kindy parents, we are going to incorporate a Spring Fair as well!  These wonderful women will be looking for helpers for their organising committee so if you are keen to be involved then Laura Egan and Marieke De Vries would love to hear from you. 

In the meantime, the date of Saturday November 5th, 10am - 2pm, has been set.   Mark the date in your calendar now, spread the word and let's get set to promote all that is great about our school.  Class carers will be in touch with further details shortly!

Board Members  There are currently positions available on our school board for any parents who are interested in contributing their skill set to the governance of our school.  If you are interested in a position on the board do not hesitate to contact Jacqui at the school, principal@goldenhill.wa.edu.au or Board Chair, David Stockdale, chair@goldenhill.wa.edu.au  for further information.

Happy holidays! Wishing everyone a joyful break.  May you have the chance to take in some Kambarang sunshine and we look forward to welcoming the children back to school on Monday, October 10th.  

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 Courtesy? Courtesy is being polite and having good manners.  It is a gracious way of speaking and acting which gives others a feeling of being valued and respected.  It is greeting others with respect.  "Please", "Thank you", "Excuse me", "Hello", "Goodbye", "You're welcome" are not just words.  They are courteous expressions that show people you respect them and care about them.

Why Practice it? When a person doesn't practice courtesy, people feel insulted and disrespected.  They think this person is rude and ignorant, not caring about anyone or anything.  Practicing courtesy gives people a sense that they are valued.  Courtesy is like a magnet.  It makes you attractive to others.

How do you practice it? Courtesy is remembering your manners.  Speak politely.  Wait your turn.  Instead of interrupting someone, say "Excuse me," and then wait patiently for them to give you their attention.  Greet people pleasantly.  When you are courteous, you make requests instead of demands.  Bring courtesy home.  Your family needs it most of all.  Courtesy helps life to go smoothly.

Signs of Success Congratulations!  You are practicing Courtesy when you...

• Show others that you value and respect them.
• Remember to treat elders, parents, teachers, and children politely.
• Think about how your actions affect others.
• Eat, speak and move graciously.
• Make requests instead of demands.
• Greet people with a smile.

"Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for courtesy."  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Interviews are being organised for Kindergarten in 2023.

If you would like your child to attend Karri Kindergarten please see Jody in the office to get an Enrolment Pack or email enrolments@goldenhill.wa.edu.au.

The Kambarang Bush School / K6 Bush Kindy Camp is a two day family camp to be held at Nowanup on the 21st-23rd October.  This camp is an annual highlight of our Bush School and Bush Kindy programmes at GHSS. 

After observing and experiencing the Six Noongar Seasons in our beautiful forest and school setting, this camp experience will extend and deeply enrich what the children have learnt over their time in Bush Kindy and Bush School.

Please see the attached PDF for more details.

One afternoon last week while I worked inside with half of the K6 children on their handwork, the other half were outside along with the K5 children.  A child began setting up an “obstacle course” using various “loose parts” and play equipment.  The aim they established for themselves was to be able to travel from the verandah to the cubby without touching the ground!  When the handwork group went outside, their friends were excited to show them the obstacle course.  This is an example of the type of creative play requiring many problem-solving and co-operative skills which children in their sixth and seventh year will  engage in if they are given time and space, and an opportunity to sometimes be “bored”.  The adult’s role is to ensure what they are doing is basically safe, and perhaps to offer more items to support the play, rather than to entertain them, or think up a new activity.  

The previous week, also during outside play, one of the children had the idea of making a boat, and several children collaborated to find some equipment to create one, emptying out baskets to use as seats and finding a straight stick for a “rudder”.  When adults are busy with their own work nearby, a safe space can be created where the children are free to pursue  their creative play, unencumbered by adults ideas.

These opportunities to solve problems socially, emotionally and practically within themselves and with their peers is the focus when it comes to self-directed play in the kindergarten.  This is where the life-long learning takes place.  The teacher’s role is that of a facilitator, a guide on many different levels.  Within the security of the rhythm of the kindergarten, the child has the opportunity to meet challenges.  It is healthy for the child to say “I don’t know what to do”, or “I’ve got no-one to play with”, as out of these experiences new impulses for play and problem-solving can arise.

It is truly a privilege to work with young children guided by a curriculum that recognises self-directed play as the underlying principle of all that we do.

“The present day task of the Steiner Kindergarten is primarily a therapeutic one.  It provides children with basic experiences which they need for healthy development, overcoming deficiencies which often occur today in the first years of life.  A very large part of these experiences are sensory, as the development of the physical senses (touch, life, self-movement and balance) lays the foundations for the later unfolding of spiritual capacities (thinking, speech, etc).  The kindergarten is not a mirror of our daily lives, but an extract of the many activities, distilled to their essence.  This provides a simplicity and basic necessity for the content of kindergarten life which the child can understand and imitate wholeheartedly.  The meaningful activity around the child awakens his/her interest in the world, and this interest becomes the mainspring of later learning. “

Jennifer Aulie

With warmest wishes,

Denise

The Book Week costumes were amazing – well done to all the parents who assisted in the devising of outfits!

Class 1 wishes to extend a heartfelt thank you to Class 1 and 2 families for the bake sale and to all those who devoured the sweets and treats.

Last Friday, we invited Class 5 to our space to share the incredibly rich tales of the Maori.  It was a wonderful opportunity to recall that which we have learnt, and perhaps Maui’s gifts inspire Class 5 in their final preparations for the upcoming Greek Olympics.  καλή δύναμη, Kali dunami!

We have now begun to discover stories of the plant world just as they begin to form new growth and open to the light.  In handcraft news – we are now experimenting with wet felting – watch this space. Our form drawing continues to improve and evolve.  Inspired by Paul Klee’s relationship with form, colour and music, we create soundscapes on the Glockenspiel once we have moved and practiced a particular form.  A very special mood has arisen as we experience the joy and freedom of music making.

To Chris Robins and his family and to all the lyre making participants, thank you for your ingenuity, flexibility and generosity.  May their beautiful melodies fill our hearts for many years to come.

As we come to the end of Term 3, Class 2 is nearing the end of our Magic Numbers main lesson. Over the past few weeks the children have been exploring patterns and shapes in numbers, practicing solving maths problems using all of the operations, observing the relationships between the numbers in the times tables, and learning different tricks to help our understanding and recall the times tables from 1 - 12.  Some of these patterns have truly amazed me and have grown my own appreciation and awe for mathematics!  It's wonderful to share in the magic of numbers with the children.

The children have also been enjoying recorder practice, and the opportunity to practice each Monday with our Class 6 recorder buddies has been helping the children master several songs in preparation for our class play next term.  I wonder if you might guess the story inspiring our play from our dragon chalk board drawing?  Class 2 is also learning Ode to Joy on recorder - a song with more complex notes and timing for recorder and a lovely song for springtime/Djilba. 

Several children have been very proud to bring their own lyres in, made by our amazing Class 2 parents during the lyre making workshop for Class 1/2 parents.  We've been lucky to have Sophia teaching lyre on Wednesday afternoons this term and we've enjoyed regular practice during our morning circles to accompany our singing and keep up our lyre practice.  The children are learning a beautiful spring song and Sophia has been helping us rewrite the lyrics to fit with our seasonal Djilba observations and incorporate some Noongar language.  We hope to share the song with you at an assembly soon.

In morning fitness the children have enjoyed having Mala's mum Brooke come in weekly to teach some skills in hula hooping.  This has been lots of fun, coordination and fitness!

It has been a very hands on time in Class 3 as we have begun our Building Project. 

We are excited about constructing a Bike Shelter near the area where the current bike racks are situated.

Having used our imaginations and innovative ideas to envisage the ‘Ultimate Bike Shelter’, we were brought down to earth with the limitations and practicalities of the materials and space we have to work with. 

With the help of many skilled and experienced parents, such as Summer’s dad, we are finding out how important it is to plan and measure correctly.

Sourcing materials, such as jarrah bush poles from Beatrix’s family farm, and finding out the type of equipment that is needed, like Solomon's Dad's auger for making the holes for the bush poles, has been an educational beginning.

We are enjoying the opportunity to put our measurement skills into practise.  Having just made our own rulers in woodwork with Heather, we are ready to measure and mark the timber for the wooden roof frame. 

It was eye opening to see how Carl, Reed and our gardener Matthew worked together to put the poles in the ground last week.

We are finding out that, even for a bike shelter, construction and building is a team effort with a variety of skills and experience needed. 

Imagine building a house!  We are grateful for the wonderful people in the community we live in!

“Oh build for me builder
A house of my own,
With plank and with timber,
With tiling and stone;
 
A solid foundation,
Four walls stout and thick,
A roof of good oak beam,
And chimney of brick.”
 
“Yes, I’ll build you a house,
The best that I can,
But the measurements true
I’ll need for the plan.

How deep the foundation?
What height for the wall?
What length for the rooms,
And the passage and hall?
 
How high is the chimney?
How wide are the floors?
How broad is the staircase?
How narrow the doors?
 
Give me the measure
To build your house right:
The width and the length,
The depth and the height.”

Let it be known that the dragon Fafnir has been slain and that the curse of the ring has run its course!  Class Four returns triumphant from our foray into the dark and dangerous depths of Norse Mythology.

We are so proud of each and every one of our class for the fabulous effort they put into our first play in the hall.  We, as teachers, couldn’t have asked for more.  We have seen glimpses of the actors, musicians and team members they will become.  To go through such an intense and challenging creative endeavour together makes us more confident as individuals and stronger as a group.  Forged with fire!  Real bravery and determination was shown.  More than one fearful dragon was put to rest.  We would like to express our grateful thanks to all adults who helped us make the play one we could be proud of.  Sara for the wonderful backdrops, Heather for our sturdy swords and shields, Jewels for our costumes, Marie for arranging the violins and every patient parent and caregiver who found themselves in the role of an acting and voice coach. Thank you!

Upon return from this heroic quest we have found fractions with Ashley far less intimidating. We are half as confused and 7/10 of the way to clear understanding.  The students even created a song about how to divide a fraction by a fraction.  Such courage in the face of a monster that gets bigger when you divide it!

Keeping us well grounded in this beautiful place we are lucky enough to call our school, Renee has been leading us to a deeper understanding of the six Noongar seasons in our Spirituality of the Dreaming main lesson.  Now that we know and are quite familiar with the standard Noongar (Whadjuk) words for each season, we have begun to learn the specific Menang (Merningar) seasonal terms used in this area.  We also look forward to sharing Yagan’s ceremonial chant - a poem written by Noongar poet and playwright Jack Davis - with you all at the Spring Festival!

Threads of indigenous wisdom from both sides of our planet woven together into a vessel for greater understanding.  Distant lands, ancient ancestors, living elders and the land that holds us all.  There is such wonder in the world and so much to learn.

With the sunny days getting warmer and more frequent, I have been wondering if it was due to all the renditions of Glorious Apollo that the Class Five students have been working hard on. They have been reciting this ode to the sun god on piano, cello, recorder and learning both the melody and the harmony.  No wonder the clouds have parted!

The students have also been busy completing and presenting their inquiry projects, based on their chosen Greek god, and writing a review of the Book Week assembly.  They have also been learning about the amygdala in Health and Wellbeing, and how deep breathing and positive thinking can turn around stress and anxiety.

In our Maths Main Lesson, we have been continuing with decimals and metrics.  The logistical aspects of planning our upcoming trip to Perth has provided lots of fodder for maths problems that are authentic and relatable, as we practise adding, subtracting, multiplication and division for a range of distances, quantities, and costs.

With the Greek Olympics fast approaching, it was good to recall the precious gift of fire from the Titan god, Prometheus, for painting last week, and reflect on the significance and history of the Olympic flame.  Also, the students sent a wonderful A3 poster to their fellow Olympiads in Perth, joyfully receiving in return posters from the other six participating schools.

Last week, the students worked with much tenderness and dedication, making Father’s Day wallets for their chosen father figure.  The wallets were filled with love notes and thank you notes, and IOU credit cards.  Not to mention the odd dad joke.  We hope families enjoyed rummaging through these creative offerings.

Healing Hut Update

It has been heartening to see the construction of our Bush Classroom/Healing Hut unfold over the course of this term, from our initial meeting with Noongar Elder Eugene Eades on a Sunday back in late July, to our session yesterday where we were able to complete the first stage of the wiring needed to support the Purrung (broombush) walls. 

From the communal cut and fill session to create a level site, to construction of the metal frame and the wiring just mentioned (see photos), it has been an ongoing community process, involving plenty of overcoming of unforeseen obstacles and shared problem-solving to arrive at this point.  A special thanks to David Stockdale, Rob Perisic and Callum Lamb who contributed a day last week to cement in the poles and make the upper hole as circular as the laws of physics will allow.

The process has not unfolded quite at the pace we anticipated initially.  Yesterday we were without Eugene, who had come down with the flu, or the Purrung to begin weaving the walls.  Next weekend, 18th September, we will require the help of a smaller group of parents to help with the wiring at the upper roof levels, so while not suitable for children (everyone is welcome to come and watch from outside the structure), we would appreciate assistance from anyone with fencing/wiring skills and who is comfortable up on scaffolding.  Extra ladders, scaffolding and hands on deck will enable us to accomplish the tasks at a faster pace, and give our dedicated team of staff members more of their Sunday for their own leisure.

We are hoping to have a day of Purrung weaving on the last Sunday of the school holidays, October 9th, and would love to see as many families from the school community as possible help to weave the walls of the hut.  We will send a further update closer to the event.

If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the go fund me link for this project.   

https://gofund.me/e28fe904

Funding will make it more possible to cover the costs of having elders visit the hut, with the larger intention of the bush classroom to be a place of reconciliation and healing.  

Please share the link widely!

If you’d prefer to donate direct to the usual school account, be sure to note ‘bush classroom’ when depositing. 

Thank you so much to everyone for making this happen. 

Via Stidwell

for the Bush Classroom Committee. 

With the wintery weather well upon us, we can think of nothing better than a warm soup to nourish tummies and add a lovely smell to the house whilst it's cooking!  As such we would love to share with you a recipe from the book - The Waldorf School Book of Soups.

Chicken Chilli Soup

500 - 600g chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

red onion, chopped

1 tsp garlic

2 Tbsp oil

400g can kidney beans

400g can pinto beans

800g can chopped tomatoes

200 - 250g tomato sauce

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chilli powder

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tomato, diced

1 green capsicum, diced

3 to 4 mushrooms, diced

1 Tbsp cornflour, dissolved in 2 cups warm water

Combine chicken, onion, garlic, and oil in a bit pot and cook until chicken is done.  Add beans, tinned tomatoes, and spices to pot.  Bring to boil, simmer for 30 minutes.  Add tomato, green capsicum, mushrooms and cornflour to pot.  Cook on high for 5 minutes, stirring the entire time.

Serves 4-5

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 has turned 14 years old, or will be turning 14 years in the same calendar year of the course, 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!