Little Kindy has started with a beautiful summer sea and beach nature table and songs from the beach and the oceans in their song circles.

Led by new kindergarten teacher Julie Torrisi, the Little Kindy' three-day program is a place of gentle play, painting, baking and beeswax, and the children play with natural toys in a home-like atmosphere. The parents had their first parent teacher night and sewed these beautiful snuggle dolls as a surprise for their children while Julie shared the experiences and rhythms of the first two weeks.

Come one, come all and gather round, 
To see what treasures can be found.
A cup of tea a bite of cake, 
See what friendships and magic we can make.

If you can dab glue or sand a stick end, or sew a simple running stitch, you have the skill needed for wielding such magic.

All welcome from Kindy to year 12, parents and grandparents alike.

Wednesday mornings after drop off, 9am-12noon or part thereof in the Marion Mahony Griffin Hall. CIP points a bonus!

Next week, we'll be starting some wet felting.

The craft group from Class 5 have begun knitting socks on three needles, which uses both pearl and garter stitch together, creating 'rib stitch'. This requires an enormous amount of thinking, planning and the capacity to follow a pattern in three dimensions....to think, just a few years ago they were just learning finger knitting! Glenaeon places a great importance on handcraft, recognising also the connection between knitting, craft and brain development. A warm pair of socks for winter is a bonus! 

This beautiful finch pictured below is a canary in the coal mine.

Ornithologist and Glenaeon high school teacher, Stanley Tang, has been collecting data on the endangered Black-throated Finch. He was featured in a recent Australian Conservation Foundation newsletter, because his research is being used to help oppose the Adani mine in western Queensland. Adani has said they will protect the endangered Black-throated Finch but based on work like Stanley's and others, the ACF think their measures are grossly inadequate and the bird could be wiped out forever.

Stanley Tang collects data on the endangered Black-throated Finch. Photo: Ali Sanderson

Using clay gathered on site, Class 3 builders have been making bricks with ceramicist and Year 8 guardian, Brendan Strobl.

Students can receive assistance with homework, assignments, planning, study advice, and tips for exam technique after school.

When: 3.30pm on MONDAYS, TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS

Venue: Ancient History Room.

Deborah Lloyd
Learning Support Teacher High School and Careers Advisor

11 February 2019

Dear Member of the Glenaeon Community,

ELECTION OF NEW MEMBERS TO THE SCHOOL COUNCIL

In accordance with the Constitution of Glenaeon, I am writing to Company Members, parents of students at the School, teachers and other members of the community to ask for suggestions of suitable candidates to be considered for election to the School Council.  The process will be as follows: 

1.   If you would like to suggest someone as a suitable candidate for election to the School Council, please write to the Company Secretary no later than Friday, 15 March 2019, giving brief details of that person, including reasons why you consider he or she would be a suitable candidate. Letters should be addressed to The Secretary, Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School Limited, 5a Glenroy Avenue, Middle Cove NSW 2068.

Please click SHOW MORE to read more...

Hi, my name is Abbey and I am producing a major project for Year 12 Visual Art and I am asking people from the school community if they can donate fashion magazines and barbie dolls. My work is looking at how female body image is impacted by popular culture and those two things are playing a key role in how I will explore this idea. 

Thank you, Abbey Hardwick

abbeyhardwick646@gmail.com

0403 597 883 

Our trusty Maintenance team have been working flat out recently, so when we heard that two tonnes of sand needed to be bucketed to the sandpit for its regular ‘freshen up’, Classes 3 – 6 leapt to the challenge!

Class 5 began the day and put a great dent in the pile before school began.  Classes 3, 4 and 6 then worked at different times throughout the afternoon.  It was heavy work but great fun! Authentic challenges of this kind are the perfect opportunity to model and teach the power of team work, the satisfaction in a job well done and the real power of striving together in the natural environment.

They will sleep well tonight (and so will I)!

Dani Finch
Deputy Head of School
K-6

Dear Parents,

We had a wonderful turn-out to our first combined GPA/Class Parent meeting for 2019. Every year from Little Kindy to Year 12 was represented by at least one parent and we were joined by Andrew Hill & Robin Borrud representing the School Executive and School Council and also Clare Gordon the School's Events Manager.

The photo shows the beautifully decorated table we were all able to surround and conduct our meeting. This was created by the parent craft group lead amazingly by Melanie Harper. This provided an inspirational atmosphere for all of the discussions. We were spoilt. 

Our new Secretary, Melony Browell, will compile notes from the meeting and these will be distributed out to all parents via your Class Parents in the next week or so. Some of the key dates for your diaries:

·       Year 7 Mid Winter Ball co-ordinators are already underway with preparations and have an exciting new approach to our fun mid year fundraiser. It promises to be a great night. Please save the date: Saturday 1 June 2019.

·       The Term One Twilight Market is on Friday 5 April 2019 at the Castlecrag Campus and will be run by Class 1 and 2. All welcome. Its always a lovely afternoon.

·       Class 10 preparations for Pirates of Penzance are well advanced. Opening night is Friday 5 April 2019, then a matinee performance on Sunday 7 April 2019, and night performances on Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 April 2019. Tickets on sale soon.

·       Friday 1 November 2019, Opening Night of the Artshow, and Friday 2 November 2019 being the Family Fair.

·       Our parent body Annual General Meeting (AGM) is on Wednesday 27 March 2019, Castlecrag Hall. All parents welcome. Members of the School Council and School Executive will be present to provide an overview for the year ahead and seek feedback and suggestions from us. At the AGM we will also need to elect new Co-Chairs and Treasurer, so please come along or email me at gpa@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au if you wish to nominate yourself or a friend.

A special thank you to all of the parents who attended last night and those that have taken on the role of Class Parents for 2019 - its very much appreciated.

Warm regards
Matthew
Chair

Did you do a Major Project? Were you an educational pioneer?

Glenaeon pioneered a unique, creative end of school credential for Year 12 in the Major Project. From 1998 to 2011, around 80 students completed a substantial individual project on a topic chosen by themselves and approved by the school: topics ranged from Contemporary Women’s Literature to Ethical Furniture Design to The Environment in Modern Western Thought and an amazing range of other diverse interests. Students were mentored by experts and assessed by academics. They wrote a thesis (most over 20,000 words) as well as put theory into action in a practical application of their creative ideas. These Projects were creative, intelligent and intensely practical.

The school was ahead of its time: today many educators are searching for more meaningful and personalized pathways that also demonstrate rigour and prepare for the independent learning of university and the workplace. The recent Gonski 2 review of education is but one voice calling for such change.

This alternate pathway paved the way for later success. We know of many who went on to academic courses, including a number of Masters and PhD’s, plus success in many different industries.

This story needs to be told, not just for our school, but for the future of education. We are researching this remarkable chapter in Glenaeon’s history and would like hear the stories of Major Project pioneers: what are you doing now, what do you think now of your Project experience?

We would like to contact as many Project pioneers as possible. If you are a pioneer, or know of one, please contact Nicole Crabb, Director of Development at nicolec@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au  We’d love to hear from you.

With Susan Laing

When you meet your children with insight and compassion, when you accept that their troubled behaviours are ‘cries for help’ which need attending to,when you truly meet their individual and developmental needs, you are creating the foundation for mutually respectful relationships. This is a complex task because children’s needs are constantly changing according to their age and circumstances— for example, what environment most nurtures healthy growth, what approaches to parental authority are appropriate, and what responses to challenging behaviours are most helpful as they grow older. There is no one rule that fits all. This talk looks at some helpful approaches based on research into child development and behaviours at different stages of childhood.

NOTE: ALL 'Glenaeon Parent Education' sessions are FREE of charge. We welcome parents to join in, learn and participate. Occasionally there is a nominal fee for craft materials which will be advised beforehand.

DATE AND TIME 
Friday 15 March 9:15am

Marion Mahony Griffin Hall
Castlecrag campus, 121 Edinburgh Road

BOOKINGS AND ENQUIRIES
Castlecrag office: 9958 0774
castlecrag@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au

With Lyn Clifton
Tuesday March 5
Marion Mahony Griffin Hall 
9.15 – 10.45am

with Mary Heard 

In this three-hour workshop we will look at how to declutter our family lives. You choose what you want to keep and what you want to get rid of and this way we will create our homes as places of rest and rejuvenation, ‘sanctuaries’ from a fast paced world that is overwhelming adults and robbing children of their childhood. We become the architects of our family life as we realign with our own values and choose what is workable for our families and so create an ideal environment for the slow emergence of our children’s identities, resilience and wellbeing.

DATE AND TIME: Saturday 23 March 2-5pm
Marion Mahony Hall, Castlecrag

BOOKINGS AND ENQUIRIES
Castlecrag office: 9958 0774
castlecrag@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au

Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School's Open Day is next Friday 1 March and we'd love you to share the news with family and friends!

Gates open from 9.00am – 11.30am, and there will be an opportunity to view the classrooms in action, tour the bushland campus, listen to a short presentation about a Glenaeon education and enjoy a homemade morning tea from our cafe. Students from other schools are very welcome to attend.

For more information, call our Enrolments Registrar on 02 9932 2315 or go to http://www.glenaeon.nsw.edu.au/enrolments/school-tours

Saturday  9  March  2019  9:30-11:30am

Current parents, their friends and families, are invited to come and find out more about Glenaeon's balanced education at the High School level.

Glenaeon students sit the HSC and last year, we placed in the top 50 NSW schools based on 2018 HSC results. Our top ATAR was 99.80.

From 9.30am – 11.30am, there will be an opportunity to view the classrooms, tour the campus, listen to a short presentation about a Glenaeon education from various specialist teachers and enjoy a homemade morning tea from our cafe. Students from other schools are very welcome.

Bookings  are  essential  at: www.glenaeon.nsw.edu.au/enrolments/school-tours

Have you tried using Sonett products in your home yet? Now is your chance to try them and receive a complimentary Calendula liquid hand soap with every bottle of 1 litre Sonett purchased, of any type, until stocks last. A portion of every sale goes to support Glenaeon. I appreciate your visits and support and hope to see you in the store soon. To shop at any other time please call me on 0416 035 173. Please let me know if there are any products you'd like to see in the store and I'll try to source them for you. Warmly, Felicity
Open on the Castlecrag Campus during school terms:
Monday: open by request
Tuesday: 8.45am—11.30am
Wednesday: 8.45am—3.15pm
Thursday: 8.30am—10.30am
Friday: 2.30pm—4.00pm 
Click below to read about Sonett and Felicity's complimentary liquid hand soap.

Art Space on The Concourse, 409 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood NSW 2067
Exhibition dates:  Wednesday 20 March - Sunday 7 April 2019  
Opening event:  Saturday 23 March – 3pm until 5pm - By Dr Therese Kenyon
Gallery hours:   Wednesday to Friday 11.00 am – 5.00 pm, Saturday & Sunday 11.00 am – 4.00 pm  

Joanne Gwatkin-Williams, formerly of the Glenaeon Music Department, will be exhibiting a couple of pieces in this show as she is a member of the Sydney Printmakers and she will be manning the show on Wednesday morning would love to catch up with some folk from Glenaeon. Call in and say hi!

There are currently 3 language groups held after school by private groups/tutors. Mandarin and French are held on campus, and a small privately organised class in German is held in a home in Neutral Bay. Mandarin students have had a wonderful term, and had this to say about it! : 

Please CLICK below for more information on all language class times, locations, contact details and prices.

Maths and English Tutor available:  High School up to HSC by teacher Neil Anderson (Bachelor of Education (Hons): English, Master of Education (Distinction): Mathematics, Master of Linguistics:  Literacy, Phd in Theatre (in progress) .
Mobile  0404382192   Email: russelife03@gmail.com

Maths Tutor available:  Hi, my name is Chiara,
I am a year 11 student at Glenaeon and am available for maths tutoring for students up to Year 11. My rates are very reasonable and I'm flexible with tutoring times. I can supply references from my teachers if required. For further enquiries please contact me on calmdotti@gmail.com

The Christian Community​...a movement for the renewal of the religious impulse in humanity, founded out of the spiritual scientific work of Rudolf Steiner. Please click below for information about their playgroup, youth group, services, talks and events that are coming up. 
‘To us it is given at no stage ever to rest. There live and there strive active human beings from life to life, as plants grow aloft from springtime to springtime. Ever raising themselves, through error upward to truth, through fetters upward to freedom, through sickness and death upward to beauty, to health and to life.’ Rudolf Steiner

WEDNESDAY MORNING ON THE SYLVIA BROSE HALL DECK OR ANNEXE IN RAINY WEATHER (MIDDLE COVE CAMPUS):
Come and experience what half an hour of yoga can do for you to start your day. Held on the deck of the hall, overlooking the bush, this class is restorative and rejuvenating. Children welcome to attend this class. See image below.

SATURDAY MORNING IN THE MARION MAHONEY GRIFFIN HALL (CASTLECRAG CAMPUS)
Ki seasonal yoga with Lisa Kavanagh; also Wednesday mornings in the Uniting Church Hall in Charles St (near Castlecrag Campus). 

Please click to see images below of yoga classes an times.

My name is Laura Julia Hilpert. I am 21 years old and I come from Germany. At the moment I am in Brisbane. I am looking for a friendly Waldorf family because I want to be au pair. I went to a Waldorf school in Germany and I will study in a Waldorf university. I have an international driver’s licence. My hobbies are yoga, vegan cooking, bush hiking, running, surfing, belly dancing, painting, laughing and having fun with children. I just want to have a good time with you. If you are interested, just write me an email:  laura-julia22@gmx.de Thanks!

Classroom of Hope is a a non-profit organisation providing access to quality education in developing countries. Find out more at https://classroomofhope.org/  They are holding a night of music and mantras on Thursday 19 March at 7.30pm to raise funds and you are most welcome.

Monday 25th February 7:30pm
Lou Harvey-Zahra presents Thriving Children, Positive Rhythms of Connections from Toddler to Teen

Suitable for parents from playgroup through the school years (toddlers to teens), this talk will cover how to include daily, weekly and yearly rhythms to create strong family connections and happiness, and for children of all ages to thrive.

This talk is free to attend, please RSVP to parented@kamaroi.nsw.edu.au 

Thursday 28th February 7:30pm
Meaghan Witri and Seamus Maynard present Living Song

This term we are lucky to have the very talented Meaghan Witri and Seamus Maynard host an evening of community singing and performances. Meaghan and Seamus are ex-students, educators and musicians from Waldorf schools in New York. Everyone is invited to join in this community event of singing and music and it promises to be an evening of Steiner School for grown ups!

This event is free to attend, please RSVP to parented@kamaroi.nsw.edu.au 

Sunday 3rd March 10:30am - 3:00pm
Lou Harvey-Zahra presents her highly recommended Creative Discipline Workshop

• Suitable for parents from playgroup to school years. 
• Learn how to provide boundaries without shouting, rewards and punishments. 
• Understand the key reasons behind children’s behaviour. 
• Learn practical parenting tools to teach positive family values for a harmonious home
• Many inspiring tips to transform common everyday behaviours

The cost of this workshop is $75 or $135 for a couple. Bookings direct to lou@skiptomylouparenting.com or 0425 780 681

Humming has both sushi and sandwiches, pesto and pasta on it's school lunch menu

Humming Cafe provides delicious lunch on Mondays and Tuesdays for the Middle Cove campus. Does your child have a favourite sushi or meal from the Humming Cafe selection? Now, as another option from Humming Cafe, if you would like them to deliver a regular lunch on Mon/Tue, you can simply drop into the Humming Cafe and 'pre-book and pay' for a whole term's regular order (or however many weeks are left). It must be the same each week, and can be changed each term. It is a convenient way to manage some lunches in advance! There is no need then to fill in the order form and give to reception each week once this is done. This is the only way Class 3 are allowed to order from Humming Cafe this term (so the kids don't forget to take their orders to the office!).  As per usual though, daily order forms are ALWAYS available from reception, behind the Parent Portal on the school website or on the School Stream app. Order forms need to be placed in the basket in reception by 9am, and lunches are delivered at 12.50pm. 
Shop 4, 217 Eastern Valley Way, Middle Cove 2068 (02) 8959 4641 . Click fore photos from Humming Cafe.

Next Tuesday (26th February) your first direct debit will be processed as per your direct debit authority form. Can you please ensure there are sufficient funds in your account to cover the payment?

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Warm regards,

Amanda Ford
Accounts Receivable Coordinator
Direct: 02 9932 2310
(In the Office Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays 9am – 3pm)

The Waldorf 100 Australian Youth Conference is the major student focused event in Australia to celebrate 100 years since the first Waldorf school opened.

The Youth Conference will explore social renewal as its major theme, focusing on issues of our times – racism and prejudice, divisions and world conflict, Indigenous perspectives, minority groups, Australian and world-wide response to refugees, the environment and sustainability, education and imagining the future, the role of the Arts, money and ethical business.

The Conference is open to students in Years 10 and up, attending an Australian or New Zealand Steiner School.

The Conference will run from 4-8 September, 2019 at Samford Valley Steiner School. 

For more information about the program, and for registration please see the listing on the SEA website.

https://www.steinereducation.edu.au/events/australian-youth-conference/

For more information please contact Joan Weir at Samford Valley Steiner School, jweir@samfordsteiner.qld.edu.au

As part of the Glenaeon learning community Glenaeon Studios seeks to provide opportunities for you to explore and develop your skills in a variety of artistic and practical, hands on workshops.  These may include ceramics, eco printing, indigo dyeing, basket making, painting, collage, felting, knitting and crochet.  Participant numbers are kept to a minimum to engender a more meaningful experience for everyone. Click below for the Program and more information on the wonderful classes and courses available. Our next workshop is Zimmi Forest's 'Woven Lampshades'.

Gentle Café Morning Tea

The Directors of the Glenaeon Foundation would like to invite you to a Morning Tea and dedication for the Gentle Café on Wednesday 6th March at 9.30am at the Middle Cove Campus.  The Café has been named after Stuart and Rosemary Gentle who dedicated many years of service to the School in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

We hope you can join us on the 6th. For catering purposes please RSVP to nicolec@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au           

Upgrade of the Sylvia Brose Hall

The 2017 Annual Giving Program focused on upgrading our iconic Sylvia Brose Hall and great progress has been made – floors have been sanded, new stage quality curtains have been installed and the Deck has been re-vamped. We have also upgraded the electrical system and we plan to install an energy efficient heating and cooling system.

Outdoor Education Playground Project

Last year many of you generously supported our Outdoor Education Playground Project. Over $125,000 was raised to re-develop the Primary and Secondary School Playgrounds and add more interactive and sustainable features.

In the second half of 2018, we commenced the Primary School Playground Project. We held consultation sessions with teachers to understand their requirements for the playground and to incorporate play elements that would maximise interactivity and excitement amongst the students. The Project has been tendered to a number of Landscape Architects and we are awaiting costings and detailed plans.

The High School Playground is in concept stage and  consultation sessions will be held in Term 2 and 3.

A Sustainable Future for the Middle Cove Campus

It has been a long held goal to introduce more sustainable elements into our Middle Cove campus and we have been fortunate to be working along-side Glenaeon parent and sustainability expert Andrew Rogers to make this a reality. Andrew is currently working with our Eco-Council to review and make recommendations on how we can introduce Solar  energy to the campus. Watch this space for an update!

Thank you for supporting our Fundraising programs. We very much appreciate your support and we are investing wisely to continue to upgrade the schools facilities.