May you find peace in the

promise of the solstice night,

That each day forward is

blessed with more light.

That the cycle of nature,

unbroken and true,

Brings faith to your soul

and wellbeing to you.

Rejoice in the darkness,

In the silence find rest,

And may the days that follow 

be abundantly blessed.

Walking the Spiral
On Wednesday, I joined with Year 8 to walk the spiral, an important ritual in all Steiner schools across the world, marking the Winter Solstice and a time for deep introspection and contemplation. For us in the southern hemisphere, the occasion denotes mid-year as well, so a fitting time to shed negative thoughts and energy that no longer serve us well and to nurture that inner light that burns within us all. A moving and very special experience, I encourage parents and carers to ask their children about this festival experience. And if you missed the community spiral walk on Wednesday evening, do look out for it next year – a gift of strength, inspiration, and hope.

Annual Giving Campaign – Final Opportunity before EOFY
A reminder that the Annual Giving Campaign is still active, right up to the end of the financial year on June 30. This year, we are launching the Glenaeon Staff Innovation Fund, designed to support our staff in the pursuit of innovative projects and ideas that will inspire them and our school community to remain at the forefront of what is possible, now and into the future. You can read more about our Annual Giving Campaign here.

Holidays Ahead
This is the final Newsletter before the break, a much-needed time for families to reconnect, travel and live life at a different pace for a few weeks. Make time to do away with electronic devices, to rest, read books, play and climb trees. Next term, we welcome new opportunities for learning and for growth and I look forward to welcoming students back to school on Wednesday, 19th July.

Warm Regards,
Diana Drummond

SAVE THE DATE - Glenaeon School Concert

The Glenaeon School Concert (Class 5 - Year 11) will be held on Friday, 11th August 2023 in the Concert Hall at The Concourse, Chatswood.
Please put this important date in your calendars. Further details, including ticket sales, will be provided in due course.

We are thrilled to host the 2023 GlenX Reunion on Saturday, 16th September, 3pm-6pm.

Book Now https://www.trybooking.com/CHJRF

Feel like putting your detective hat on? Calling all GlenX Class of 2013, 2003, 1993, 1983 and 1973 volunteer coordinators who can help ID and track down classmates to invite to the reunion. Please email events@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au with your interest.

All Alumni are encouraged to join the Glenaeon Alumni Facebook Group to receive updates about the reunion event. 

Enjoy a trip down memory lane with these Class of 2003, 1993 and 1983 photos below.

What is your new role at Glenaeon?

I teach both English and Society and Culture at Glenaeon. I am also the Year 12 Guardian, along with Pamela Laycock. 

What experience do you bring to Glenaeon?

I completed a Bachelor of Law/Arts at the Australian National University before deciding upon a career in teaching. After undertaking my Masters of Teaching (Secondary) at the University of New South Wales, I worked in public education for six years, teaching English, Society and Culture and Visual Arts. I was the Year Advisor at my previous school, taking the Year 11 cohort through to Year 12. I also have a background in creative arts, which I still pursue in my own time.  

What are your interests?

I love to surf, read, paint, and make functional pottery on the wheel. I am passionate about mental health, educating myself in wellbeing practices. 

What are you most excited about for the year ahead?

Getting to know the students at Glenaeon and immersing myself in the beautiful community. I was particularly excited about the MidWinter Festival celebrated this week and seeing this tradition come to life.

Thrilled to have you at Glenaeon, Sally!

Welcome to ‘The Oasis’!: Part 2

The Garden team’s vision is for the students to experience the Middle Cove biodynamic garden as a place of wellbeing, where they are welcome to relax - whether or not they are engaged in class work! The garden offers a calm environment within the busy campus for those who need it. There is a hammock next to the water garden where many students swing in the breeze and find an equilibrium, also stumps and benches for sitting quietly or gathering to share observations and musings.

The flock of chickens brings interest and comfort to students, many of whom know the birds by name and are attentive to the ‘well being’ of these animals. Last week, Class 5 spotted a DAMSELFLY on the Indigenous Water Grass. How exciting it was to see a REAL damselfly as they are currently writing poetry and making pictures about them with Lucy, Lynne and the Willoughby Council!

The opportunity to do meaningful work in recess or lunch times is sought by some high school students who race to the garden saying "do you need any jobs done?" A spade, crowbar or mattock and accompanying tasks are available for those who want to ‘move mountains’. Scissors, baskets and vases are available for those who would like to harvest flowers and make bouquets to distribute around the campus. Other students enjoy making a pot of tea from herbs harvested in the garden and sharing this refreshment with their peers.

High school teachers hosting classes in the garden or garden classroom find the water garden is a ‘magnet’ for students where they instantly feel connected and relaxed. The water garden has already become a much-appreciated sanctuary!

Parents helping in gardening lessons also benefit as one parent shared recently: "Thanks to your magical gardening classes I had opportunities to build up my physical and mental energy. Also, thank you very much for letting us join the chicken care group! Both my son and I have been interested in animals but were not comfortable around them as we were afraid of them. You gave us opportunities to be relaxed around them and just enjoy the time with them. I really appreciate it."

We are looking for Readers and Writers that may assist students during exams. Exams occur throughout the school year and are generally for 1-2 hours in length.

Years 9-10 Exams: Readers/Writers are Volunteer based
Years 11-12 Exams: Readers/Writers for Year 11 and 12 exams are paid $25/hour

What qualities should a reader/writer have?

• Ability to communicate clearly in English with a sufficient literacy level
• Basic understanding of the subject(s) being examined
• Clear, legible handwriting (if writing for the student)
• Willingness to spend time with the student
• Patience and sensitivity
• Understanding of the need to maintain confidentiality and an ability to do so
  
  

If you are interested in being added to our list for exams, please contact Margaret m.millikin@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au

In an effort to make our policies and procedures highly visible to our Parents and Carers in our community, we will be putting the spotlight on some important information in upcoming Newsletters. In this edition, we are focused on our Student Use of Social Media policy.

You can download and read the policy on GLO by clicking on the Policy Spotlight tile.

Parents and Carers are encouraged to lodge formal feedback, questions and complaints with the School via our Feedback form on GLO.

General school questions should be directed to Reception at the relevant campus, and all inquiries about your child should be directed to your Teacher/Guardian/Mentor in the first instance.

The Glenaeon Playgroups have been celebrating the universal search for symbols of warmth in this season of twinkling stars, warm glowing lanterns and roaring fires too!

The Japanese Playgroup has made fleece fires to warm themselves with and special wishes to hang on a wishing tree. The other Playgroups have enjoyed singing lantern songs and finding stars on our nature walks, and in the fruit when it is opened to reveal a starry form.

Many families from our seven Playgroups enjoyed a soup supper and dramatic story by a roaring fire. We all received a handmade lantern and sang while we walked under the twinkling stars and along the Bales Park Path by the Willoughby Glenaeon Preschool. Thank you to our beloved Preschool Teachers for including us!

Sandra Frain playgroups@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au

Glenaeon’s family-style Playgroups are joyful and supportive of you and your child’s development. 

Our highly skilled Steiner Playgroup Educators create imaginative activities to ensure families enjoy an enriching, uplifting time together. 

We welcome all families with children from birth to five years of age. Each Playgroup meets once a week and is led by a qualified Steiner Early Childhood Educator who guides the group through a two-hour dynamic session including adult discussion. 

Stories and songs, circle activities and free-play both indoors and outdoors, reflect the seasons of the year. 

A shared nourishing morning tea is a cornerstone of the occasion. Everyone develops multiple skills for crafting a happy healthy home. 

Our colourful Playgroup rooms are furnished with quality handmade toys while natural gardens are a safe haven for explorative, active tactile play. 

Playgroup Educators Sandra Frain, Nancy Amini, Natalie Choo and Naoko Murphy are Professional Steiner Early Childhood Educators with a wealth of experience creating dynamic educational programs for all ages. 

For more information and to book, click 'Show more'.

Playgroups Handbook can be found here.

Every winter, Big Kindy cook their bread for Bread Day on the fire. Preparing for the fire is a big process that begins several weeks prior: first, we hunt out the straightest doughie sticks we can find, next we break them to size and sand the ends smooth, then we saw the big logs and collect lots of kindling. When all this is done, we are ready to build the fire. 

The fire pit gets rolled out from storage and everyone helps build the perfect fire with scrunched newspaper, kindling, and then logs carefully piled in. Next comes the cooking - lots of patience is needed here, along with steady hands to prevent burnt bread! And finally, the best part - eating our bread and honey with Kindy friends. 

On Tuesday 13th June, Castlecrag Campus was delighted to welcome Raymond, a Gamilaraay man, who performed a Smoking Ceremony for Class 1 and 2 students and Class 1 parents. Not only did Raymond share knowledge and bush craft, but song and dance. Raymond answered questions and finally, smoked bush leaves on campus to bring on the blessings of the land. Perhaps the show-stopper was the local kookaburra, who sat in the branch above Raymond as he sang and - to the astonishment of all - performed a kookaburra dance. Thanks to all who came to this magical event. 

Classes 1 and 2 walked a beautiful Winter Spiral, formed from cuttings and branches from the families gardens. The Winter Solstice is a time of the shortest day and longest night, and when we celebrate our MidWinter Festivals. The children walked the spiral with an unlit candle in an apple to the centre light, lighting their own in a moment of inner reflection, and place the candle to form an ever-growing spiral of light. By the end, the room is filled with the magic and wonder of the light created. The children all sing beautiful Winter Songs and play recorder, as well as live music, story and poetry. Thanks to our wonderful parent volunteers who helped to create the spiral and apples and Clair Citserne, Monty, Linda, Melony and teachers Jonathan Shaw and Jamie Loftus for this beautiful event. 

The Parent Library is now closed for borrowing until next term. Please return all library books before the end of the term.
Thank you.

This week, the Sylvia Brose Hall was transformed into an enchanting winter spiral to celebrate our MidWinter Festival. As each year group gathered around the soft lighting of candle flames, we were reminded of the inward journey the spiral symbolises. A time to gather, enjoy music, reflect and shed stagnant energy that no longer serves us.

Thank you to each cohort and the many Glenaeon staff members who made this beloved event possible. Thank you to our wider community who joined us on Wednesday evening to walk the spiral. We were thrilled to welcome you into this reflective annual experience.

Class Three recently performed their play "Noah and the Flood". The class worked together beautifully to create vignettes to tell the well loved story to their family and friends. 

The first half of the year in Class 5 has taken us far back in time to learn about some of the earliest civilizations. One of which was Ancient Egypt where mythology became history as the children completed independent research on a chosen topic. There were three components to the project: an information report, a presentation and an artistic creation. The last of which you can see photos of below.

Year 7 performed 3 sets of plays to celebrate the Medieval Festival held in the Sylvia Brose Hall. Beginning with Canterbury Tales - two were told, then Robin Hood, finishing with Joan of Ark. Congratulations Year 7 for your meaningful performances and thank you to all the staff and parents involved.

On Thursday 15^th June, the Year 9 Spanish class went with Sra. Gonzalez into the city for a day of language and cultural immersion. Acting as tour guides to our city, we gave presentations in Spanish about the harbour, the Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Botanical Gardens. We finished the day with comida mexicana in the restaurant El Loco, trying different kinds of tacos, salsas and delicious desserts. The weather was perfect, y lo pasamos bomba- we had a great time!

It’s been over a year since I stepped onto the beautiful grounds at Glenaeon, where has the time gone? The trees and sounds are all the same, some new but mostly familiar faces, and the students are all slightly taller.

In my current work, we are given a Community Service Day each year, and so I asked Jonas if he needed another pair of hands to visit Warrah School with The Cove program this term. I was elated to discover the group I’d be spending the day with, was a group I knew well from my time as receptionist. My day was filled with plenty of hugs and nostalgic stories of scraped knees and class plays.

Up at Warrah where the weather was wintery, and the energy calm, we gathered to set the expectations for the day. Split into groups, the students and I organised chopped wood from the land, to be used for building furniture. With the helpful students of Warrah and the enthusiastic students of Gleno, we had some classroom time learning each other’s names and spelling them out on the blackboard. The Warrah students showed us some of their favourite yoga poses and we all embraced the theme for the day, Tree pose. The biodynamic farm at Warrah is a place for everyone to meet and connect with Mother Earth’s offerings. A huge patch of asparagus needed weeding so our 20 students donned their gloves and had fun seeing who could build the biggest pile of weeds. This task would have taken the farmers hours and together we were able to achieve it in one hour, sprinkled with some silliness and fun in the winter sun. After lunch, we played. Our students made friends, chatted, showed off their trampoline skills, played tug of war, and ended with a group photo and goodbye hugs.

Being able to observe our students show empathy and kindness towards the Warrah students reminded me of the wonderful job the teachers and families do in raising this generation. A humbling day, among old and new friends, amongst the bushlands, was an inspiring change from the office. Thank you, Jonas and the Year 9 students, for welcoming me back for the day. I’ll try not to leave it so long next time!
I hope all the Glenaeon community are well, with love and wildflowers, Sarah Summers.

Dr Stanley Tang accompanied five Yr 12 students who are studying Mathematics Extension 1 & 2 to UTS for the Mathematical Enrichment Day organised by the Mathematical Association of NSW (MANSW). Students had a full day of inspiring lectures and workshops run by university mathematicians and HSC maths teachers. Stanley was also invited to run a couple of workshops on the applications of differential equations, along with four other experienced maths teachers from other schools.

On Monday 5th June our senior soccer players went out to play one of the most successful carnivals for soccer so far. Despite a very energised last game, the team just missed out on the finals. It was again a beautiful display of our small school taking on teams of schools with a much bigger cohorts. We thank all players for their effort and sportspersonship.

Later that week on Friday 9th June, the junior teams took to the field. It was a Yr 8 affair as both Yr 9 and Yr 10 cohorts were involved in exam week and could not participate in the teams.

For the junior boys, it was a huge learning curve playing against older opponents from Yr 9 and Yr 10! They lost their games but drew the last game 2:2, Will T. converting a great penalty shot. The girls team had two losses, a draw and a win, Ava F. successful with a penalty shot.

We thank our Yr 11 sports captains Morgan and Rohan for their guidance of the teams, their leadership on the fields and the goals they contributed. The students enjoyed playing with them as both Morgan and Rohan had been to many carnivals before. Thank you also to assistant coach Paulo Dransfield. We’ll do it all again next year flying the Glenaeon flag high with brand-new jerseys and our camaraderie being our strongest asset.

Art Space is open to Class 5 - Yr 12 students every Thursday 3:30pm - 5:00pm.

Ideal for personal projects, School assignments, and those seeking creativity.

Your choice of project with provided materials and assistance by art Teacher, Marigold Vandenhout.

$75 per term and BYO snacks.

Permission Form on GLO

Scroll to the bottom and click on Art Space tile.

The Gentle Café at Middle Cove Campus will be closed next week and during the winter break. It will reopen on the first day of Term 3.
A reminder to pack your own nourishing recess and lunch for the final days of term next week.

Thinking of how to pack the fun into your winter break? Glenaeon Holiday Care is the perfect place to bring your friends and enjoy the activities on offer at our beautiful Castlecrag campus.

From craft, baking, sport, outdoor excursions, and cultural days there really is something for everyone. Open to all (Glenaeon students or not) from June 29 – July 18. 

To book and view the exciting daily schedule click here. 

The charter bus bookings will open on Monday 19/06/2023 until 17/07/2023 for Term 3, 2023. Please be aware that the seats on our charter buses are limited. To allow adequate planning and capacity to be available for all students using the charter buses, please make your booking by the latest 17/07/2023.
Here's the link to book: Glenaeon Learning Online (GLO) - Glenaeon Charter Bus Bookings
Please email adminteam@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au if you have any questions or need assistance with booking the bus.

Make the most of your Back to School NSW Vouchers before they expire on 30th June with our handpicked selection of sustainable products and arts & craft materials to keep them busy in the holidays!

If you're heading off for some wintery adventures these holidays, we still have a few Woolerina Merino Wool Singlets and long-sleeve Crew Tops to keep you cosy and warm. Available in-store and online in sizes for babies, children and adults.

Pop in-store to pick-up Organic Tealight Candles and Beeswax Sheets to make hand-rolled candles for Winter Solstice celebrations and take a peek at Yuki's beautiful Winter Nature Table creations.

The shop will close for the end of term at 12.30pm on Wednesday 28th June.  

Shop online anytime throughout the holidays: grassrootsecostore.com.au with free local delivery available.

Term 2, 2023  – Opening Hours:

Tuesday: 8:30am—12pm & 2pm—3:45pm
Wednesday: 8:30am—12:30pm
Thursday: 8:30am—12pm & 2pm—3:45pm
Friday: 8:30am—12pm & 2pm—3:45pm

Shop online anytime: grassrootsecostore.com.au

Thank you for shopping locally. A portion of every sale goes to support Glenaeon.
Grassroots Eco Store is located on the Glenaeon Castlecrag Campus, next to the Marion Mahony Griffin Hall. 121 Edinburgh Road, Castlecrag.

The Community Involvement Program provides parents with many ways to contribute their energy and service to the school. The CIP allocates 32 hours of involvement per year to each family with the option for families to recover this cost by volunteering at numerous tasks and events.

Thank you to all the wonderful Parents and Carers who have donated their time to the school this term. A reminder that your CIP form for Term 2 is due by Wednesday, 28th June . For more information about the Community Involvement Program, and to fill out the form go to: https://glo.glenaeon.nsw.edu.au/homepage/1381/

We have loads of lost property!

We will display all lost property in the amphitheatre at lunchtime, Tuesday 27th June for students to look through. If property isn’t claimed on this day, we will donate to our second hand uniform shop or charity.

Can you help?

We need a Parent/Carer volunteer to run the second-hand uniform shop every Thursday at Middle Cove from 3:30pm-4:30pm, effective 20 July 2023.
This is a great way to engage with and help our school community, claim your CIPs and benefit the environment too. For more information, or to put your name forward to assist, please email Anna reception@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au

We are thrilled to announce the production of our limited edition Glenaeon branded car bumper stickers for our families, staff and wider community. 

It will be wonderful to share the spirit of Glenaeon across Sydney roads and beyond!

Stickers are now available to hand to parents at the front desks at our Willoughby, Castlecrag and Middle Cove campuses. Please get in quick there is limited stock available.

Important News for Yr 12

UAC - Year 12 students: early offers explained.

If you’re in Year 12 and planning to go to university next year, there are plenty of opportunities to lock in an early offer before you get your ATAR. In many cases, with just a little effort, you can finish school feeling a bit more relaxed about what’s in store for 2023.

But it's important to remember that most offers to Year 12 students are made in late December, after ATARs have been released. This is because the ATAR is one of the main tools universities use to select students for courses.

We highly recommend you make the most of all the opportunities universities give you to increase your chances of being selected for their courses.

https://www.uac.edu.au/media-centre/news/early-offers-explained

UAC - Studying medicine: application tips and what to expect.

Fifth year student, Josh Lowinger, gives his experience applying for and studying medicine at university. Read about his experience as well as some tips for Year 12 applicants.

https://www.uac.edu.au/media-centre/news/studying-medicine

UAC - Medicine, Dentistry and Vet Key Dates

UAC have put together the key dates for applications to medical degrees from various universities.

Entry into undergraduate medical degrees is highly competitive and the selection process is rigorous. Make sure you’re in the running by getting your application in on time and keeping the interview dates clear.

https://www.uac.edu.au/current-applicants/undergraduate-applications-and-offers/medicine-key-dates

UAC Digital - Why I Chose Medicine

If you are interested in medicine, then this video is for you. Current students from a range of uni's share their experiences of student life. Topics covered include:

●        how they decided on the course they are studying.

●        what they found easy about the process of applying and enrolling, and what they found hard;

●        what they thought university would be like.

●        the best thing about being at university.

●        their hopes and dreams for when they finish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2tLbdffCMM

UAC Will Be At the Western Sydney Careers Expo!

Expo season is up and running! Our Community Engagement team has been enjoying meeting HSC students across the state and we're looking forward to talking to more of you at the HSC and careers expo at Sydney Olympic Park.

Come and meet the UAC team and don’t miss UAC’s seminars:

●        The ATAR and applying through UAC: information for students in Years 11 and 12

●        The ATAR and subject selection: advice for Year 10 students

●        So you want to be a doctor? Q&A on medicine entry.

UAC's seminar times:
Saturday 24 June

10.45am Seminar Room 3: So you want to be a doctor? Q&A on medicine entry

11.30am Seminar Room 1: The ATAR and subject selection: advice for Year 10 students

11.30am Seminar Room 2: The ATAR and applying through UAC: information for students in Years 11 and 12

https://www.uac.edu.au/media-centre/news/hsc-and-careers-expos

For more careers news, click 'Show more'...

We are looking for Prizes to include in the 2023 Glenaeon Fair raffle. The school community has been very generous in recent years and we have had some fantastic prizes! We would love to continue that tradition this year, so please contact Rye Harper on 0404 084 381 (rye.h@bigpond.net.au) or Jochen Schweitzer (Jochen.schweitzer@gmail.com) if you have something you would like to donate as a prize.

It’s a great way to get exposure for your business, while helping the school to raise money! All donations and prize ideas are appreciated!

The 🍋 squeeze is on!

Class 3 need lemons to start preparing for the Fair lemonade stall. We will be collecting lemons while in season and would appreciate any donations or helpful tips on where to find great value lemons to get as many as possible. Also, we would appreciate borrowing any electric juicers available for this task.
Please contact Deahne on 0401 227 037 or deahnemoore@yahoo.com.au if you can help out.

Thank you!

Please note, these dates were updated as of 12/05/23. If you have marked your calendars before this date, please reference below for the correct dates. We send our heartfelt apologies for any inconvenience.

2023 Term Dates

Term 1 Wednesday 1^st February – Wednesday 5th April

Term 2 Wednesday 26^th April – Wednesday 28^th June

Term 3 Wednesday 19^th July – Wednesday 20^th September

Term 4 Wednesday 11^th October – Friday 8^th December

2024 Term Dates

Term 1 Wednesday 31st January – Wednesday 10th April

Term 2 Wednesday 1st May – Wednesday 3rd July

Term 3 Wednesday 24th July – Wednesday 25^th September

Term 4 Monday 14^th October – Wednesday 11^th December  

20 editions of the Glenaeon School Newsletter are published during a school year. Click on the link to Download the 2023 Newsletter Publishing Schedule.

News items listed in our Community Noticeboard are not school endorsed but are included here for the information and benefit of our wider community. We welcome submissions to appear in this section of our newsletter and inclusion is at the discretion of the Editor. A submission will appear in the newsletter for a maximum of two editions.

https://events.humanitix.com/you-and-i-are-we-questions-of-community

YSO Conference 2023 Flyer

Former Glenaeon Parent, Ruth Hymann has created art that will appear in an upcoming Exhibition at the Willoughby Incinerator (building designed by Eric Nicholls and Walter Burly Griffin).

Ruth's daughter Eyvette was a student at Glenaeon from Kindy to Year 12.

Congratulations Ruth!

Details about the exhibition here.

Ruth Hymann, “Middle Harbour”, 2023, mixed media on paper

The Cat in the Hat is coming to The Concourse Chatswood in the July school holidays - Sunday, 9th July! For more information on the show please visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Catinthehataustralia or website: www.catinthehatlive.com