Congratulations Glenaeon HSC Class of 2024!
18 Dec 2024
Dear Glenaeon Community,
It is with immense joy and pride that I share the outstanding achievements of our graduating Class of 2024.
The journey undertaken by this cohort of Year 12 students not only reflects our school ethos but also highlights their ability to engage deeply with meaningful questions about human purpose while at the same time, diligently tackle a demanding academic program.
The diversity of courses pursued by students this year showcases the breadth of interests and talents within the Class of 2024. Their accomplishments across various subject areas are testament to the holistic and enriching education that Glenaeon provides. As always, we take pride in being a non-selective school where every student is supported to graduate with an HSC credential.
The dedication and resilience of our students have been remarkable. These achievements are made possible by collective efforts of our community, from the expert guidance and support of our teachers and staff, to the unwavering encouragement from parents and carers. Your contributions have been invaluable in shaping these young adults. Thank you for walking alongside them on this journey.
To our graduating Class of 2024, we extend our heartfelt congratulations. May you continue to find success, fulfillment, and purpose as you step into the next chapter of your meaningful lives.
Diana Drummond
Head of School
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Yr 7 -10 Languages Restaurant Excursions
04 Jul 2024
Last term, our high school Languages students enjoyed participating in excursions where they sampled traditional food from Japan, Germany and Spain. Our Year 9 and 10 Japanese students visited the The Japan Foundation in Chippendale to participate in workshops and share lunch together. This non-profit cultural organisation was established by the Japanese government to promote cultural and intellectual exchange between Japan and other nations. The students enjoyed a Japanese lunch at IPPUDO where they chose their meals like Ramen and Bento from the menu by ordering in Japanese language.
Our Year 7 and 8 Spanish students also enjoyed lunch together at Lola Cocina, a delicious tapas restaurant in Crows Nest. The students learned about the origins and tradition of sharing tapas and sampled patatas bravas, ensalada mixta, empanadas de verduras, albóndigas y churros- all accompanied by festive, unsweetened sangria. A wonderful time was had by all.
On the Northern Beaches, Yr 7 and 8 German students visited the Bavarian Cafe on Manly Wharf where they sampled a typical Southern German feast - giant pretzels to start, sausages, meats, schnitzel and potatoes, followed by a traditional pancake dessert.
Year 9 and 10 Spanish and German students spent a day in the city - in the Rocks, Circular Quay and Botanic Gardens to enjoy a scavenger hunt. They had to direct, find clues and ask questions in Spanish and German to navigate. Combining forces was a great opportunity to teach each other and exchange language skills. They then went to lunch at El Camino Cantina in The Rocks and enjoyed sampling tacos and burritos.
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30 Years of Glenaeon Castlecrag Campus, 1994-2024
01 May 2024
This year, 2024, Glenaeon marks 30 years of our campus at Castlecrag; however, our campus’ history stretches back to 1950.
Despite Glenaeon’s Castlecrag campus opening in 1994, we were not the first school there. In 1950, the Castlecrag Infants School opened and was a key part of the Castlecrag community, educating children from Kindergarten to Year 2 until its unfortunate closure in 1989. Designed by the famous American architect Walter Burley Griffin, architect of Australia’s national capital city Canberra, alongside his wife Marion Mahony Griffin, Castlecrag is community that has a history of strong community ties. Therefore, it is no surprise that when the New South Wales State Government announced that the Castlecrag Infants School would be closed and demolished due to low enrolment numbers, the Castlecrag community protested and rejected the state government’s announcement. Between 1989 and 1994, the community at Castlecrag held demonstrations, Union green bans and community picket lines, protesting against the government’s plan to sell the site for development. With the prospect of reopening the infants school dire, in 1990 the state government agreed to the Castlecrag community’s request that the site be retained for community use, if not used for a school, rather than sold.
Despite continuing community protests and some backlash, in 1994, Glenaeon acquired the school site from the State Government, opening our now Castlecrag Campus in June of the same year.
Over our 30-year history at Castlecrag, we have not only welcomed our younger students to our school and Steiner education, but we also continue to open our campus grounds to the Castlecrag community to use over the weekend and during the holidays. The Castlecrag campus also hosts Glenaeon’s annual Family Fair – a key event in the community’s calendar – while the Marion Mahony Griffin Hall is regularly used for community groups, particularly the local Castlecrag Progress Association.
Our Castlecrag Campus would also not be what it is today without the help of our school community, parents, and teachers. A special thank you goes to Glenaeon’s first teachers at Castlecrag – Peggy Day, Christine O’Neil, Andrew Hill, and John Rowan – as well as our school gardener Lindsay Sherrott who has worked tirelessly to develop and maintain our beautiful school garden. Glenaeon’s late Council Chair, Tom Hartigan, must also be thanked for his efforts to acquire the Castlecrag campus.
Will Bryant
Glenaeon School Archivist
Do you have any material, physical or digital, (photographs, memorabilia, yearbooks) you wish to donate to the school? Get in touch with Will via email: archives@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au
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Pi Day Celebration
03 Apr 2024
On Thursday, March 14, Glenaeon celebrated international Pi (π) Day.
Why this date? Because when we write the date in the form month/day (3/14), the 3, 1 and 4 correspond to the first three digits of pi. π is a Greek letter, pronounced “pi.”
Pi is an irrational number, meaning that when expressed as a decimal it continues indefinitely without repeating a pattern. Therefore, it cannot be expressed as a fraction, although we often use the fraction 227 to approximate pi. The first 10 digits of pi are 3.1415926535.
The uses of π are far reaching, but most high school students encounter pi in their study of circles. No matter the size of the circle, the ratio of circumference to diameter is always π!
At Glenaeon, some Year 10 students celebrated Pi Day by participating in an activity called Daring Deflection (part of the 2024 NASA Pi Day Challenge). They calculated the change in orbit of an asteroid named Dimorphos after it was impacted by the DART Spacecraft in 2022.
Similarly, some Year 9 students participated in an activity named Tubular Challenge (also part of the NASA Pi Day Challenge). They calculated the volume of rock that the Perseverance Mars rover coring bit collects when it drills into the surface of Mars to collect samples to send back to Earth for study.
Other students engaged with Pi Day in a creative way, drawing column graphs where the heights of the columns are the digits of pi, creating a “city of pi” resembling skyscrapers.
The highlight of the day was a pi recitation contest at lunchtime. It was a delight to see so many students turn up to either participate or spectate. Congratulations to all our participants. Sophia B. of Year 8 was able to recite pi to 163 decimal places, a truly remarkable achievement!
We look forward to making Pi Day an annual event at Glenaeon!
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Yr 8, 9 and 10 Japanese Drumming
22 Feb 2024
We were thrilled to have YuNiOn return to Glenaeon for a Japanese drumming workshop with our high school Japanese students. The students then took to the stage at our Assembly to perform what they had learnt from the Taiko Percussionists. It was a spectacular performance that ended with an eruption of applause. Thank you to everyone invovled!
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Welcome Back Class of 2023
14 Feb 2024
Some familiar faces returned to Glenaeon’s Middle Cove campus last week, when GlenXers from the Class of 2023 came back for a morning tea hosted by Head of School, Diana Drummond.
Teachers wore big smiles, students and teachers warmly embraced with a genuine joy for seeing each other again. They shared stories and reflections on the months since HSC and graduation, with many embarking on travel, work and further studies. After a delicious morning tea, the class of 2023 made their way to the foyer balcony of the hall to meet with our current Yr 12 students. They kindly took part in a round table event designed to provide guidance and advice to our current Yr 12 on how to navigate their final year of school. It was an inviting environment to ask open questions, share tips and reassurance.
Glenaeon invites all past students to save the date for the 2024 Glenaeon Reunion event on Saturday 14th September 3pm-6pm. This event is open to all Glenaeon Alumni regardless of the year of graduation, but with a special focus on the Class of 2014 [10 years], 2004 [20 years], 1994 [30 years], 1984 [40 years] and 1974 [50 years]. Alumni can register to attend here: https://www.trybooking.com/CNASS
Open Day 2024
29 Jan 2024
MEANINGFUL LIVES BEGIN HERE
Discover a world of academic excellence, cultural enrichment and unwavering student support at Glenaeon’s Open Day, where we cultivate creative thinkers, ethically driven and culturally expressive individuals.
Join us on Friday, March 15, 9am - 11am for an immersive experience that showcases how a Glenaeon education lays the foundation for a life of character and contribution.
Why Glenaeon?
We're committed to providing a holistic and rigorous education within an environment that fosters a sense of belonging, purpose, context, and transcendence, preparing your child for a life of profound meaning. Learning at Glenaeon takes place in a truly unique setting blending natural and built environments within a deeply connected community.
Glenaeon, Australia’s first Steiner school, located on Sydney's lower North Shore, enjoys a strong record of academic success in the HSC, that sees Glenaeon currently ranked 71st in the state. For more details on our 2023 HSC results, click here.
OPEN DAY Event Details:
Where: Middle Cove Campus, 5a Glenroy Avenue, Middle Cove
When: Friday 15 March 2024
Time: 9-11am
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW for OPEN DAY 2024
What to Expect:
Discover Glenaeon’s Distinct Offerings:
· Witness deep learning and student work displays, including Main Lesson books
· See creative Visual Arts artworks in the Studios
· Explore our extensive Sport and co-curricular program
· Learn about our award-winning Outdoor Education program
Self or Guided Exploration:
· Opt for a self-guided walking tour with a printed map or join an organised tour group, led by our students
Meet Our Leaders and understand our Core Values:
· Hear an inspiring address from our Head of School, Diana Drummond.
· Connect with Dani Finch, Deputy Head of School for Classes K-6, and Yura Totsuka, Deputy Head of School for Years 7-12.
· Interact with our Year 11 Captains
Engage with our Environment:
· Take advantage of our looping courtesy bus from nearby parking to campus.
· Explore our beautiful bushland campus with village-style school buildings and facilities, including classrooms, playgrounds, Sylvia Brose Hall, biodynamic garden, outdoor classrooms, libraries, ovals, D&T facilities, art studio and science labs.
Activities:
· View activities such as a chemistry demonstration in the lab.
· Immerse yourself in the arts, such as watching a Year 10 Musical rehearsal or enjoy a music performance by the Big Band in the Sylvia Brose Hall.
· Enjoy a cup of herbal tea and savour the freshly baked sour dough bread in our Biodynamic Garden while learning about gardening and bush regeneration activities
Personalised Engagement:
· Ask questions and engage with Heads of Department
· Gain insight into how Glenaeon supports and integrates students at the start, and throughout their Glenaeon educational journey
Take Home a Piece of Glenaeon:
· Receive a comprehensive Prospectus Pack in an eco-friendly bag
· Browse the Grassroots Eco Store pop-up shop for ethical back to school essentials
Indulge and Relax:
· Enjoy a barista coffee or a wholesome treat from The Gentle Café on the deck surrounded by tranquil grounds and bushland
Contact Us:
For inquiries, contact our Enrolments Registrar Sunita Shah at +61 2 94173193 or email enrolments@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au
Kindergarten Entry?
· Families interested in Kindergarten entry for 2025 and beyond are encouraged to attend our Castlecrag Campus Open Day on Thursday 16 May 2024, from 9 am to 11 am.
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Congratulations Glenaeon HSC Class of 2023!
14 Dec 2023
Dear Glenaeon Community,
It is with immense joy and pride that I share the excellent achievements of our HSC graduates of 2023.
The journey undertaken by Glenaeon's Year 12 students not only reflects the school's ethos but also showcases their ability to navigate profound questions about human purpose while immersing themselves in a rigorous academic program.
The diverse range of courses pursued this year is a testament to the breadth of passions among Glenaeon students. We celebrate admirable achievements across various subject areas, demonstrating the holistic nature of education at our school. At Glenaeon, we take pride in being deliberately non-selective and ensuring that every student graduates with an HSC credential.
Behind the scenes, the hard work and dedication of our students have been commendable. This success is a result of collaborative efforts; the in-depth understanding of HSC courses provided by our dedicated staff, and the integral role played by parents and carers in nurturing the growth and development of these young adults. Thank you both.
To our graduating Class of 2023, we extend our heartfelt congratulations. Wishing you all continued success and fulfillment in the future.
Diana Drummond
Head of School
Yr 12 Graduation Assembly
23 Nov 2023
Congratulations Yr 12! Our last assembly to farewell our magnificent class of 2023 was held Friday, 10th November in the Sylvia Brose Hall. Thank you to Hana for her welcome, Oscar, Nathan and Tara for their speeches and Maadi and Mya and all the Yr 12's for their performances. A special thanks to the Yr 12 Guardians' Pamela and Sally and the teaching staff for supporting our wonderful students. Go well, Yr 12 and we look forward to catching up in the new year.
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Honouring Indigenous Wisdom Through our Biodynamic Gardening
13 Sep 2023
In her book "Braiding Sweetgrass”, Robin Wall Kimmerer says: “Becoming indigenous to a place means living as if your children's future mattered, to take care of the land as if our lives, both material and spiritual, depended on it.”
The practice of Biodynamic agriculture is rooted in indigenous knowledge. This means that in the Glenaeon Gardens our lessons are founded in the active observation and listening of all living things: plants, animals and fellow humans.
90% of what lives in the soil and what is active in the atmosphere is invisible to the human eye. We are cultivating our children to use their senses, to perceive the physical needs of the atmosphere and soil for the benefit of our plants and animals. In this way we are “gardening” our children! Inspiring and nourishing them to form a foundation for their sense of belonging to nature.
Children all over the world grind rocks as part of their outdoor play. As rocks are composed of minerals, the rock dust itself vitalises the soil when we sprinkle it around our plants.
We are aware of the abundance that biodiversity provides. At Glenaeon Gardens we harvest the weeds that have grown voluntarily. For example at Castlecrag campus one of the weeds we harvest are bindi weeds. Bindi weeds grow on depleted lawns. By fermenting the bindi weeds in water and pouring that water into those lawns, the result is a sweetened soil that has made an ideal condition for clover to grow. The lawn no longer being prickly, children can now roll in the inviting clover.
To learn about plants, we start with wonder and ask the question: what's growing here? The plants are having a relationship with us too. We're watching, we're listening. We are cultivating this culture of communicating with the natural world. When we suck the pollen from the flowers we taste what the bees are tasting.
In younger grades we sing: “What story, what story do you tell?” and we listen. What is this plant trying to tell us? Mother Earth is communicating. What can we do to help? Water? Prune, aerate? In older grades the conversation about observation as a form of enquiry is explicit, and quickly the students get hands on and hands in.
We encourage everyone to practise this act of conversation. Stop and observe. Listen. Wonder. Be present. When the person we are with, be they young or old, says: ‘Look at that bee’! We must stop and enjoy this captured moment of active life.
We look forward to seeing all volunteers and friends of the Glenaeon gardens who are able to join our Garden Party this Sunday, 26 November at 10am - 12pm, in the garden at Middle Cove. Details in the invitation below and please register here: https://www.trybooking.com/CNGBK
For parents and carers who are looking for a way to join and be a part of this community, please feel free to contact Sandra: s.frain@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au
Sandra Frain (and Parent Garden Volunteers),
Gardening Teacher
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Yr 10 Retreat Day
30 Aug 2023
On Monday 21st August, Year 10 participated in a Retreat Day. This day had been designed specifically with Year 10 in mind, and involved activities to increase wellbeing individually, and as a cohort.
The day began with a mindfulness bushwalk led by Mr Greenfield and Donna. After recess, our Student Wellbeing Coordinators, Andy and Emily, ran a session on resilience, which encouraged the students to reflect on what contributes to resilience and how we might encourage growth in this area. The workshop culminated in Year 10 breaking off into small groups creating delightful artworks about what resilience “feels like, looks like and sounds like” to them.
A delicious lunch, which had been prepared by Year 10 students and families, and then thoughtfully set up by teachers, was then shared as a cohort. Following lunch, Year 10 joined in various team building activities hosted by Year 10 mentors and our Student Wellbeing Coordinators. Some of these included basketball, blindfold challenges, a mini World Cup and drama games. After each group had participated in each activity, staff and students came together to compete in a game of bullrush, students vs teachers. The day concluded with Year 10 in a circle, holding hands, sharing the afternoon verse together.
Students made a lovely effort to thank mentors, teachers and our Student Wellbeing Coordinators for such a wonderful day, and it was a joy to witness Year 10 enjoying this dedicated time together.
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Glenaeon School Concert 2023
10 Aug 2023
After a three-year hiatus, the Glenaeon School Concert, featuring Class 5 - Yr 11 students, brought The Concourse, Chatswood to life last Friday night. 490 tickets were sold, a record number in the history of Glenaeon School Concerts and we were so thrilled to have you join us for an evening of music and community.
The student performances were remarkable and our guests enjoyed music from 'Fly Me to The Moon' to Coldplay, Folk to Jazz, movie soundtrack nods and classic choral works - it was quite a journey!
The Music Department would like to take the opportunity to thank all the staff members of the school who so generously gave their time and attention to this once a year project. Thank you also to all the parents who support our students in their musical endeavors.
Most of all, we commend our music students. It takes practice, patience and consistency for children and adolescents to thrive in music, and bravery to perform in front of such a large audience.
Congratulations all around! We are delighted to welcome the “Concourse Concert” back to the Glenaeon music events calendar, and we look forward to many more.
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Open Day 2025
13 Jan 2025
MEANINGFUL LIVES BEGIN HERE
Discover Glenaeon’s unique points of difference at our annual Open Day, showcasing our holistic and integrated learning program that inspires imagination, creativity, and the growth of good character within a deeply connected community.
Join us on Friday, March 14, 9am - 11am for a truly immersive experience.
Why Choose Glenaeon?
We nurture a sense of belonging, purpose, engagement through intentionally designed learning experiences that reflect our understanding of childhood development and the need to prepare children for a meaningful and fulfilling life in contemporary society.
Our educational approach unfolds in a unique and beautiful physical environment in which wellbeing for learning is central.
Glenaeon, Australia’s first Steiner school, enjoys a strong record of academic excellence. Our students perform admirably each year in the NSW Higher School Certificate, consistently placing our school in the top 15-20% of all NSW schools.
Join us and discover a vibrant, growing world of difference at Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School.
OPEN DAY Event Details:
Where: Middle Cove Campus, 5a Glenroy Avenue, Middle Cove
When: Friday 14 March 2025
Time: 9-11am
REGISTER NOW for OPEN DAY 2025
What to Expect:
Discover Glenaeon’s distinct offerings:
- View student work from across the school from a range of curriculum areas
- Observe students during lessons on our Middle Cove campus
- Explore our extensive Sport and Co-Curricular program
- Learn about our award-winning Outdoor Education program
Self or Guided Exploration:
- Opt for a self-guided walking tour with a printed map or join an organised tour group, led by our students
Meet our Leaders and understand core values:
- Hear from our Head of School, Diana Drummond.
- Connect with Dani Finch, Deputy Head of School for Classes K-6, and Yura Totsuka, Deputy Head of School for Years 7-12.
- Talk with our Year 11 Captains
Engage with our Environment:
- Take advantage of our looping courtesy bus from nearby parking to campus.
- Explore our beautiful bushland campus
Personalised Engagement:
- Ask questions and engage with Heads of Department
- Gain insight into how Glenaeon supports and integrates students when they first join the school, and throughout their Glenaeon educational journey
Take Home a Piece of Glenaeon:
- Receive a comprehensive Prospectus Pack
- Browse the Grassroots Eco Store pop-up shop
Indulge and Relax:
- Enjoy coffee or a wholesome treat from The Gentle Café on the deck surrounded by tranquil grounds and bushland
Contact Us:
For inquiries, contact our Enrolments Registrar Sunita Shah at +61 2 94173193 or email enrolments@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au
Kindergarten Entry?
- Families interested in Kindergarten entry for 2026 and beyond are also encouraged to attend our Castlecrag Campus Open Day in 2025.
REGISTER NOW for OPEN DAY 2025
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Thank You Chicken Care Families
24 Jul 2024
Once again, our flock were diligently cared for every day of the Winter holiday break. Our group chat was busy with daily reports and photos of the activities at the chicken coop. Thank you so very much for your ‘joyous sacrifice’ of commitment that ensures we are caring for these birds responsibly.
Happy Term 3 everyone. Do contact Sandra at s.frain@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au if you would like to come with your family any weekend through out the term to feed, water and get to know our flock.
Class 5 - Yr 12 Labyrinth Solstice Festival
20 Jun 2024
Last week, Glenaeon's Sylvia Brose Hall at Middle Cove was transformed into a Mid-Winter labyrinth for our Class 5 - Yr 12 students to walk, participate and reflect at this Winter Festival. A labyrinth is a little different to the spiral that our students and community are familliar with, so it was a very special. A labyrinth has "twists and turns spiraling us towards the centre and away, defying all attempts at rigidity and linearness", which is a description written by Glenaeon Alumni Anna Barouh-Davis, who's Yr 12 project saw her build a labyrinth in 2011 in the bush neighbouring the oval at Middle Cove.
Anna wrote about this experience and has given her permission to share this with our community at this reflective time of hope.
Please read Anna's words here.
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PDHPE Department New Kit
13 Jun 2024
We are thrilled to showcase our much anticipated new uniform for our Glenaeon PDHPE department. PDHPE teacher Sarah Simmons is donning the Hooded Jumper, Head of PDHPE Adrian Carter is in the Polo Shirt, and PDHPE Teacher Kim Mann is in the Weather Proof Jacket.
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Safety Drill Success
13 Jun 2024
After careful preparation and planning, Glenaeon conducted an emergency evacuation drill at our Middle Cove campus yesterday. Our Operations & Facilities Manager Chris Scrogie (Chief Warden) announced the drill, and sounded the alarm. Classes made their way out of Period 3 activity and up to the gates, up Glenroy and Greenfield Avenues and along Eastern Valley Way to our meeting point at Willoughby Park all under the watchful eye of traffic wardens, first aid crew, fire wardens, teachers and staff.
The staff were quick to act, and calmly guided the students to the nominated meeting spot in the park and returned to school promptly. It was great to see everyone in the school working as a team, and coordinating and executing the plan. All our students and staff now know what to expect in the event of an emergency, and we have honed our practices as a team to ensure the safety of our students and staff.
Thanks to Chris and the Professional Services Team who quickly accounted for every child, and to the Teachers for handling the drill so professionally.
Jazz Café 2024
13 Jun 2024
On Thursday evening, 30 May, an audience made up of Glenaeon parents, relatives and friends were treated to an evening of superb Jazz at the school’s Jazz Café, in the Sylvia Brose Hall at Middle Cove.
Throughout the evening, the audience was entertained by the school’s co-curricular big band, small ensembles, vocalists and much more. The packed hall of enthusiastic family and friends showed just how much the Glenaeon community appreciated the opportunity to, once again, experience the achievements of the school’s growing co-curricular music program.
The school’s music staff wish to sincerely thank the music students for their outstanding commitment, Evan Sanders, for his contribution throughout the process and on the night, and all who contributed to the success of the evening in any way. In particular, we want to thank the parent and carers support committee for their tireless efforts in producing this musical occasion.
Help us Grow - Annual Giving Campaign
30 May 2024
Since 1957, Glenaeon has been a beacon of inspired teaching, joyful learning, and genuine community connections. Our school's rich history is a testament to our commitment to nurturing students who are prepared to embrace a hopeful future and lead meaningful lives.
Today, we invite you to invest in our school's current strategy, Growing More, by supporting our 2024 Annual Giving Campaign. This initiative is designed to provide much-needed funds for our children now and into the future.
Every donation, regardless of size, plays a vital role in ensuring our school continues to grow and thrive. While donations to the Staff Innovation Fund, Bursaries and School’s Discretionary Fund are not tax-deductible, contributions of $2 or more to the Scholarships Fund, Building Fund, and Library Fund are tax-deductible.
For more information and to make your donation online by June 30, 2024, click HERE.
If you prefer to donate by credit card over the phone, or via EFT/bank transfer, or by cheque, please contact Amanda Ford at EMAIL
Read moreAnnual Giving Campaign - Two Weeks to go until June 30
30 May 2024
Since 1957, Glenaeon has been a beacon of inspired teaching, joyful learning, and genuine community connections. Our school's rich history is a testament to our commitment to nurturing students who are prepared to embrace a hopeful future and lead meaningful lives.
Today, we invite you to invest in our school's current strategy, Growing More, by supporting our 2024 Annual Giving Campaign. This initiative is designed to provide much-needed funds for our children now and into the future.
Every donation, regardless of size, plays a vital role in ensuring our school continues to grow and thrive. While donations to the Staff Innovation Fund, Bursaries and School’s Discretionary Fund are not tax-deductible, contributions of $2 or more to the Scholarships Fund, Building Fund, and Library Fund are tax-deductible.
For more information and to make your donation online by June 30, 2024, click HERE.
If you prefer to donate by credit card over the phone, or via EFT/bank transfer, or by cheque, please contact Amanda Ford at EMAIL
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Yr 10 Looks to the Future
29 May 2024
Last week, Year 10 students and their families attended an information evening at our Middle Cove campus, designed to help students with their HSC subject choices and also preparation for the final two years of schooling at Glenaeon.
The event was hosted by Deputy Head of School Years 7-12 Yura Totsuka, and Director of Studies, Stanley Tang.
As outlined in the introduction, “Our Year 11 and 12 program supports students to become reflective and enquiring learners, ready to take their place in the 21st Century as socially aware and emotionally literate citizens.
Through dedication to their studies and with the support of committed teachers, students in Years 11 and 12 are taught to engage deeply with their learning, developing academic skills based on higher order understanding. As they journey through
these years they cultivate personal capacities and attributes that prepare them well for tertiary study, meaningful participation in society and lifelong learning.”
After the presentation, students and families could then speak directly with teachers about each of the courses offered including:
- Ancient History
- Biology
- Business Studies
- Chemistry
- Design and Technology
- Drama
- English Standard, English Advanced
- English Extension 1 & 2
- History Extension
- Japanese Continuers
- Japanese Extension
- Mathematics Standard, Mathematics Advanced
- Mathematics Extension 1 & 2
- Modern History
- Music 1, Music 2
- Music Extension
- Physics
- Science Extension
- Society and Culture
- Visual Arts
Distance Education, the NSW School of Languages, and TVET options were also outlined.
Glenaeon families looking forward, can download the Yr 11 and 12 Curriculum Handbook from GLO.
Prospective families looking to join Glenaeon for HSC 2025/26 are encouraged to contact our Enrolments Registrar, Sunita Shah via this ENQUIRY FORM
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ISD Football
29 May 2024
Debating & Public Speaking at Glenaeon
24 May 2024
Our Debating and Public Speaking Co-curricular activity has launched for Term 2! Our students gather in the Senior Library after school on Wednesdays with Tristan from Masters Academy to learn skills such as critical thinking, research, confidence and leadership.
If you're in Yr 7, 8 or 9, it's not too late to join! Enrol here.
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Yr 7 and 8 Digital Technologies
24 May 2024
Yr 9 Outdoor Education
24 May 2024
This term, Yr 9 went on an expedition to The Wolgan Valley for 8 days. We explored and enjoyed the peaceful wilderness in five groups. Encountering many hardships and overcoming them by using teamwork and HEART. This camp was a great experience leading up to the Yr 10 overland track. Yr 9 students camped in caves and enjoyed the activities such as canyoning, rock climbing and hiking.
Despite the mixed weather, we stayed in good spirits and made strong connections with the teachers and each other. Thank you to the outdoor ed staff for their wisdom and guidance, which made the camp both safe and memorable.
Sean L.
Yr 9 Student
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ISD Cross Country Champions
24 May 2024
Yr 11 Architecture Excursion
17 May 2024
Yr 11 explored an architecture walk led by Eughan Lewis, investigating recent structures in Chippendale and the UTS buildings in Ultimo. They have been inspired to develop their own sculptural architecture models for this terms Body of Work. Watch this space to see what transpires.
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Duke of Edinburgh Ceremony
15 May 2024
We are super proud and excited to acknowledge past students, Kauri Palmer and Marc Monnet-Demarbre on their attainment of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. I would also like to acknowledge Mya Hill, who graduated last year, on attaining the Award although she has yet to be presented with her Award at a ceremony.
The Gold Award requires the participant to undertake a minimum of 52 hours in each areas of skill, physical activity and service. Plus they undertake a residential project that has them away from home for minimum 4 nights investigating and working on something of interest with people they wouldn’t normally be with. Finally, they do both a practice and qualifying journey, again, each over 4 nights with a minimum of 8 hours effort in the day.
Kauri undertook cooking as her skill, where she learned a range of different meal plans to take her through into the future. For physical she did personal training, setting goals and working toward achieving them. The Art Space that we run at school on Monday afternoons was initially instigated by her enthusiasm to share her love of art. She brought various activities and projects to the session to assist students to expand their artist capacities and was hugely successful in the program she taught over two years! Kauri had an overseas exchange of which she counted as her residential project and she connected in with an external provider to do a pack and paddle trip on the Colo River through Somerset where she made new friends and immersed herself in the environment.
Marc developed his techniques and strategies doing archery and personal fitness (during Covid) for his physical. He was courageous to learn sign language as a skill. For service did a range of activities including tending a community garden, worked with a food coop provide and promote proper disposal of waste. For his gold residential project, Marc did an extensive first aid course over 2 weekends. Working with Outdoor Eco Programs on Pittwater as his Adventure Exploration landed him the following assessment:
Marc was an absolute delight to have on our Gold DofE program. He is incredibly self-possessed, capable and independent, as well as a compassionate and a great team-player. He was engaged, inquisitive, thoughtful and respectful in all activities and conversations he took part in. We look forward to seeing his ideas in regard to conservation evolve.
Mya formed her Award around her love of music, particularly trumpet playing. She honed her trumpeting skills further in that activity as well as attending a music camp during the holidays as her residential project. Her physical activity involved both swimming and kayaking and service saw her working with several Glenaeon students as a math’s tutor. Mya’s adventure journey took her to Wolgan Valley with a team of others doing their Award, and worked with our own Scottie Williams to explore routes, caves and water sources as further opportunities for our Year 7 and 9 School programs.
Congratulations Kauri, Marc and Mya!
Read moreYr 12 Solo Trip
02 May 2024
The Yr 12 Solo marks the culmination of Glenaeon’s Outdoor Education Program. This is a 6-day program that incorporates a 48-hour solo experience as well as Landcare projects, an Astronomy session and a celebration dinner catered by the Outdoor Education specialist guides. The program is facilitated on private property northeast of Coonabarrabran on the northern side of the Warrumbungles. This solo experience is an opportunity for exceptional personal and social development.
Press play for a sneak peek of our Yr 12's on their adventure-filled, immersive experience last month.
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Drama Club
03 Apr 2024
A few fun photos from our weekly Drama Club with Teacher, Lydia Wilson. Our Class 6 and Year 7 students take to the stage in costume!
If you would like to join Drama Club, please sign up here!
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Yr 12 English Extension 1
03 Apr 2024
As part of a textual research project, the Year 12 students visited the Junior library and quickly immersed themselves in their Glenaeon memories, finding books they read when they were in Class 5 and 6. Sophie L. then found a story she had contributed to ‘Watching Wildlife’, a compilation of children’s stories run through schools to which Sophie had submitted a story in 2017.
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Primary School Cubby...Reimagined
21 Mar 2024
Earlier this term, our Maintenance Team were dilligently preparing our Middle Cove campus to welcome our visitors for Open Day. The wonderful Mary saw this as an opportunity to give the primary playground cubby a refresh.
Mary and Kai painted the hut and then commissioned the creative help of Hanako T. and Yr 10 students to redesign and hand-paint the side of the cubby which is now adorned with vibrant fauna and flora. What a joy to see their artistic talent as a permanent part of our natural landscape.
Thank you to all involved! A peek at the before photo (the last image) to see the transformation.
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Open Day Middle Cove Campus
15 Mar 2024
A sneak peek at a wonderful morning that was...thank you to our visitors, students, staff and community for making our Open Day - Middle Cove campus 2024 possible.
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Yr 7 Outdoor Education
14 Mar 2024
This term, our Yr 7 students embarked on their first outdoor education expedition as a cohort. In two groups, they visited the Newnes region in NSW and enjoyed the challenging and exciting activities from hiking to swimming, cooking, abseiling and camping. It was a beautiful introduction to the school year and their high school journey, surrounded by nature and lush bushland. We are so proud of our Yr 7 students for stepping out of their comfort zone and to our teachers and staff for your encouragement and support.
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Yr 7 Fire Main Lesson
06 Mar 2024
Yr 7 are currently enjoying their Science Main Lesson where they are exploring chemical transformations. This included an introduction to fire, starting with observations and extending into the combustion process.
Teachers Cathy Bower and Yura Totsuka guided the class to the outdoor amphitheater and the students observed as the bon fire was lit. They could see the flames, feel the warmth and smell the embers. The observations were brought to life as Cathy told a dynamic story from Greek Mythology of Prometheus, a God of fire. She explained that Prometheus gave the gift of fire to human beings which made them powerful. Fire allowed them to make weapons for protection, tools to live and work with, cook their food and warm their cave.
Storytelling is at the heart of Main Lesson philosophy and allows students to discover and engage with the curriculum in different ways.
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Yr 9 The Cove
28 Feb 2024
Year 9 has started their Cove journey as we gathered to take part in physical and social challenges and games that are both exciting and interesting. Students learned to communicate better with their peers and regulate emotions whilst appreciating the beautiful and peaceful environment along the bushland of Scotts Creek.
Students have started to develop deeper connections with their peers outside of their social group as it is the only time they are together as a cohort. Together, we are supporting the students through being inclusive of everyone and having fun working together collaboratively. This is a crucial time of their social, physical, emotional and mental development as they navigate the threshold between childhood and adulthood.
Pictured below are some of the fun group challenges students engaged in; building sculptures using material they can find, balancing on small items and reversing the order in which students stood without falling off and crossing the little foot bridge across in a very delicate manner using only certain methods for the whole group to get across as well as the human knot challenge. All of which allowed students to take turns leading.
ISD Touch Football
28 Feb 2024
Glenaeon touch football teams proved themselves to be fit, committed and skilful at this week’s ISD Touch Football Championships at Peakhurst. With over 40 students making up four teams and as the only school to have teams representing in all divisions, our touch footballers did themselves proud with strong performances on the field and a wonderful display of school pride and spirit off the field. Whilst all of our teams found themselves in the win column throughout the day, the real highlight was the improvement of our teams and teamwork throughout the day. In our Junior teams, players developing from nervous first timers to strong team players and confident ball runners.
Undoubtedly our Senior teams provided the big moments for the day. Led by our Sports captains our Senior Boys team battled gallantly to make the semi finals after dropping an early pool game and needing to win all their remaining pool games. They won through in heartstopping fashion with a last second intercept try by Rohan B to seal their finals berth. The boys dominated their semi final to win through to the Grand Final where they battled the fatigue of their sixth game in a day and third game in an hour! In a tightly fought contest they went down 2-0, but not before exhausting every option to get themselves over the line.
Our Year 12 students were incredibly committed to this carnival and set a standard for Glenaeon sports carnival teams moving forward, their effort, energy and sportsmanship were outstanding. Glenaeon school pride and spirit was on show!
Six Glenaeon students were selected to represent ISD at the upcoming AICES Touch Football Carnival. Rohan B, Morgan R, Jayden S, Ciara H, Emily M and Matthia M will all compete at the next level next month.
Yr 11 Ancient History Returns to Glenaeon
22 Feb 2024
After a hiatus, we are thrilled that Ancient History has returned to Glenaeon despite the general trend in the state where numbers are falling.
In this lesson, the students were conducting an archeological dig with the intention of ‘worst’ practice, so they could see how hard it is without the right tools and expertise. To do so, they had to ‘dig’ up a paper picture of a bog body without damaging it.
Thank you Mr Greenfield for preparing an exciting start to the Ancient History Yr 11 curriculum.
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Yr 10 Surfing at Long Reef
22 Feb 2024
Year 10 is enjoying strengthening water skills and building confidence through the fun of riding waves both on a surfboard and bodyboard. During Physical Education lessons the instructors from Manly Surf School are teaching students the thrill of surfing as well as educating students on how to identify rips, currents and sandbanks and highlighting the safest spots to swim and how to stay safe in the water.
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Thank you Brigitte on your 40 Years of Service
14 Feb 2024
Earlier this month marked 40 years of dedicated service to Glenaeon for Brigitte Tietge-Rollans, our beloved Head of Languages and enamoured German teacher. Whilst Brigitte is on Long Service Leave currently, it is appropriate that we acknowledge this incredible accomplishment – congratulations Brigitte!
We look forward to celebrating you!
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Class 3 and Class 6 Buddies
14 Feb 2024
Class 3 and Class 6 have started a mentoring buddy session where once a week they gather in the Class 3 classroom together. For Class 3, it is their year of reading, so the session has a literacy focus, where the buddies choose a book and a comfy spot to read to each other.
This is a lovely initiative where Class 3 can feel welcomed, embraced and safe on their new campus and Class 6 can explore leadership, responsibility and practice looking outwards and being of service.
Both classes have enjoyed these sessions and love having a bigger child to look to and a smaller child to look out for. Thank you to their teachers Jaime Loftus and Lucy Armstrong for supporting their students and forging bonds that aid in a sense of community and belonging.
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Yr 11 Visual Art at Cockatoo Island
14 Feb 2024
Year 11 Visual Arts students visited Cockatoo Island with Artist Michael Herron to explore transience through art making. Under Michaels instruction, students experimented with various materials and ways of seeing their subject. Working outside observing the rusted cranes and in the turbine hall with all its disused machinery and detritus of a time past, provided the students with a plethora of subject matter to investigate. The experience was eye opening, enthralling and set them on their way to develop their first Body of Work for the course. We are very grateful to Michael Herron for his instruction, passion and inspiration in sharing his practice with the group.
Donna Miller
Visual Arts Teacher & Year 10 Guardian
Student Induction Day 2024
01 Feb 2024
We were thrilled to welcome our new highschool students to Glenaeon at our Middle Cove campus on Tuesday. A lovely opportunity to meet their Guardians and Teachers, tour the campus and make meaningful connections with their peers before the first day of school.
Welcome to Glenaeon 2024!
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A Warm Welcome to Middle Cove 2024
25 Jan 2024
On Wednesday morning our Head of School, Diana Drummond, Deputy Head of School, Dani Finch (K-6), Deputy Head of School, Yura Totsuka (7-12) and Enrolments Registrar, Sunita Shah warmly welcomed our students and families, both new and returning, to the school year.
We hope everyone feels refreshed after a well deserved holiday break and enjoyed their start to the 2024 school year! Wishing you all a wonderful year filled with growth and countless memorable moments.
Enjoy these bright faces at the Middle Cove campus entry.
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Glenaeon Musical - Les Misérables
25 Jan 2024
It's Opening Night!!!
Chookas to our Yr 10 students who will perform four Les Misérables School Edition shows over the next four days.
A huge thank you to our students, staff, parent volunteers, musicians and community who have worked tirelessly beyond measure to bring this iconic show to life at Glenaeon! Parents have joined staff to come in on weekends and after work to help build sets, sew costumes, prepare and repair stage items. Our musicians have been so dedicated in working with our students in what will be an amazing four performances.
Thank you to Head of Music Ian Munns who will lead the musical score and Head of Drama Tanya McCall who has lead the students and directed the production. Thank you Evan Sanders in your expert stage, production and tech support and Raphaela Mazzone who has lead the team on props and costume planning and creation with the help of student and parent volunteers. We will refrain from naming any more names in fear of missing anyone who has worked with such tenacity and joy on this project. We see you and we thank you!
All shows are SOLD OUT and here is a sneak peek at the behind the scenes of the tech run through.
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend of performances!
Glenaeon Garden Culture - Like a Bee Hive
18 Jan 2024
How does the unconscious wisdom contained in the beehive, filled with love, relate to our human experiences?
In his book “Bees”, Rudolf Steiner said “The individual bees renounce love in manifold ways, and thus develop love throughout the whole hive. One only begins to understand the life of the bees when one knows that the bee lives in an atmosphere completely pervaded by love.” *
When we, human beings, gather to work together for a higher cause than our own personal ambition, we are emulating this social model of a bee hive; thus the name ‘working bee’.
The Glenaeon Gardens appreciate this model of working together in devotion and love.
Our annual Harvest Gratitude day, as celebrated last Sunday at Middle Cove, has become a working bee of sorts as the Glenaeon community comes together to learn from each other. We felt the benefits of healthy living soils by plunging our hands in them; we harvested what had grown out of flourishing garden beds; we created a bountiful feast, and together, we planted new gardens for bees, animals and humans too.
Once upon a time the whole school was abuzz with the smell of pizza, handmade flyers with reminders to bring gold coins, and excited students doing pizza runs around the campus. High school students prepared the dough with teacher Anne Rouse while Class 6 made and delivered the pizzas - the campus coming together to make industry, like busy bees in a hive!
We are grateful to teachers Ruth Pervis and Kathy Thangathurai for their vision, and for hosting these joyous events, with the keen support of parent chef Nick Meredith-Jones.
Ten years of garden fundraising has now enabled the renovation of the school's chicken coop, for the benefit of students through our agricultural and wellbeing programs.
As expressed within our chicken care community:
“We can't wait to come and look after the chickens”
“It lifts my heart to see our community (young & older) working together to create something beautiful and valuable!”
Thank you to those past students, teachers and parents for this invaluable legacy! In opening our hearts to devotion, love and sacrifice, we become bearers of love. Just like the bees.
See you in the Garden!
Sandra Frain…..and Parent Volunteers
Gardening Teacher
S.Frain@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au
* “Nine Lectures on Bees” Rudolf Steiner, GA 351
https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA351/English/SGP1975/19230203p01.html
Glenaeon Garden Culture - Harvesting in Times of Scarcity
18 Jan 2024
Harvesting in times of scarcity
We are fast approaching our traditional Harvest Festival, and our gardens are not bursting with pumpkins as they have been in the past. Living in a city, we have the easy option of going to the shops and buying whatever we want for our celebrations. But we would like to encourage everyone to stop for a moment and look at the world differently: what do we have in our gardens right now?
We harvest seeds, we harvest stories
Aromatic and medicinal Fennel has taken over some of the garden beds at the Middle Cove garden, creating a canopy bursting with yellow umbrella-like flowers filled with seed and feathery peacock-like leaves. Last week, Class 6 students picked the flowers, harvested the seeds and roasted them during their gardening class. At the end of the lesson, we shared our food and stories, and everyone commented how much they loved the roasted fennel seeds. One student shared a story with the class:
There once was a King who wanted to know which of his children was the faithful one. He gave them roasted fennel seeds to plant, and later on he asked them how they were growing. All of the children commented how strong their plants have been growing, except for one girl who said: “Mine are not growing at all!” - And that’s how the King knew who the faithful child was.
When we think we have nothing, we need to look around, explore, question and learn. We have some Azolla in the pond, which we learned is high in nitrogen and can be used instead of manure when we have no access to cows.
A high school student harvested some chicken bones while digging in the garden, and asked to take them home. Could they be the seeds of an archaeology interest?
The students on all campuses are resourceful in their play and this translates to the same in their alchemical experiments with food substances. Can we as adults be as bold and harvest the Taro root and leaves that are growing in abundance at Glenaeon Preschool? We have made Bay leaf tea, roasted Fennel and Sunflower seeds, fried up Mustard greens, Endive, Amaranth leaves and flowers in frittatas. From the Glenaeon gardens we add lemon, flowers, leaves, seeds in our sourdough bread. We connect with our surroundings to create new things with them.
So why is harvest time so meaningful? In harvesting, we learn to embrace what we have, we become creative and able to make something from nothing. As human beings, we harvest the rewards of moments of gratitude and connection with the Earth. We can’t get this from a shop.
Goethian observation
For Term 1 2024, the Class 6 students have now each represented an impression of Fennel in their assessment task for Gardening lessons:
“I think it looks like lots of little flowers. I think if you hold it up to the light and see the shape it looks like a star constellation.”
“I like the smell. When I suck it, it tastes like licorice. When I eat it, it does not taste good. It feels furry and soft.”
“I like fennel because it feels nice to touch and I like the taste and texture of it. It feels very nice on your skin and it is very soothing. It tastes like licorice when you suck on it and chew them.”
See you in the Garden!
Sandra Frain…..and Parent Volunteers
Gardening Teacher
S.Frain@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au
Glenaeon Garden Culture - Worms: The Humble Servants of our Soil
18 Jan 2024
The words Humble and Human have their origins in the Latin word Humus (soil). Dig a little hole in any of our garden beds and you’ll surely find some wriggly and lively worms. Whether in compost heaps or worm farms, finding them gives the students an animal to interact with that’s not always part of their home life. We notice their delight and fascination with this squirming animal: how quickly it moves, the colours, the size. They bring a sense of wonder. There is something familiar in the texture: it is shiny, soft and wriggly like our tongues!
“These worms are wonderful creatures: they leave to the earth precisely as much ethericity as it needs for plant-growth.”
Rudolf Steiner, GA 327: The Agriculture Course — Lecture VII
These subterranean animals leave life in the soil for the plants. They work in cooperation with the soil. The worm is regulating the soil by eating what is meant to be decomposed but not so much as to destroy the life value for the plants.
So how are we bringing this to life in Glenaeon’s gardens?
● We're making healthy soil: This humble servant is a necessity to break down all the discarded food waste that is high in nitrogen. The worms make this beneficial soil for us in cooperation with all the other insects, grubs, earwigs, springtails, nematodes, cockroaches and millions of microorganisms that we can't see, representing a life force that makes the soil lively and healthy for plants to grow and to feed insects once again.
● We're making a learning-scape: A student friendly atmosphere that enables this excitement to embrace and learn of life. What a joy it is when preschool and kindy students say “I want to see the worm farm! I want to see the compost! Let’s feed the worms.”
The students learn to care and take responsibility: the worms need water, they need to be fed with scraps, leaves and grit when we keep them in a domesticated ‘farm situation’.
They get to see the worm eggs and learn that the liquid that comes out of the worm farm is a medicine we call a fertiliser that will enrich the soil that plants are growing in.
● We’re working with the senses: The tactile sensation and ‘wriggling’ of worms is confronting to some students. They grow comfortable with the notion of having a worm in their hands when they see other adults or students relaxed with the interaction. This is a simple but profound opportunity for students to develop resilience for challenging sensations.
● We're encouraging social responsibility: Families living in apartments can have a worm farm and create healthy soil. It can then be used in pots, or taken to a favourite tree at the park, or given to friends. The act of creating an environment for the production of soil is empowering. “What can I do to help the climate crisis caused by food waste?” - make more healthy soil!
Want to know how to set up your worm farm at home? “Show more” below!
See you in the Garden!
Sandra Frain…..and Parent Volunteers
Gardening Teacher
S.Frain@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au
Glenaeon Garden Culture - Volunteers: Nature's Gifts
18 Jan 2024
Volunteer plants are beneficial plants that sprout and thrive independently instead of being intentionally planted and nurtured. They are a gift to gardens! Similarly, we welcome volunteer humans who ‘sprout, grow and flourish’ in our gardens.
Clair’s story
Glenaeon Teacher and parent Clair Cisterne sprouted in the garden last term by caring for citrus trees: weeding, protecting, pruning and fertilising them, while learning and growing herself! This section of the garden will become a memorial garden for Clair’s botanist grandmother, Judith Eastman.
“Volunteering in the garden suits me more than anyone! I pick Sandra’s and the other gardeners’ brains as much as I can get away with, and they hold my hand as I put it to practice. I take home compost, worm castings and all sorts of cuttings, so my own garden becomes an extension of our shared one. What a deal! Then, there’s nothing better than just roaming around and marvelling at the beauty – hovering in the light, tranquil feeling of a glorious garden. I’m filled with enthusiasm and ideas for my own favourite space, and overjoyed at the huge, new world of knowledge that awaits me.
I bravely approached Sandra with my new desire to learn about gardening and wasn’t at all made to feel silly for not knowing the simplest of things. Now my neighbours on both sides have popped their head over our fence, wanting to know what I’m up to, and if they can do it too. My husband has even made them some garden beds. It really does feel like a little seed…and the magic of mother nature.”
Chrissie's story
Inspired by a social media post featuring a Glenaeon Garden Culture article, Glenaeon alumni and former parent, Chrissie Ivanchenko, started volunteering in the garden in 2024. Chrissie was heartily welcomed together with her ideas, stories and cheerful disposition. Garden beds have been weeded and mulched, and a project of creating a raised garden bed is underway.
“I love that I learn something every time I come. I love being part of something that is so nurturing for the people that work here. I think that gardening is a vital part of educating children. If they know how to care for the Earth, they will also protect it.”
We were delighted to learn that Chrissie’s father David Lawes helped start the Glenaeon newsletter in the 1980s!
Just like seedlings, human volunteers take root and thrive in our Glenaeon gardens. This is what Waldorf Education is about: a place to appreciate learning, to come together where everyone feels welcome, where dreams come true.
See you in the Garden!
Sandra Frain…..and Parent Volunteers
Gardening Teacher
S.Frain@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au
Gleno Cup
08 Dec 2023
Today we celebrated the annual 'Capture the Flag' tournament with a brilliant display of tenacity and sportspersonship at the Middle Cove Ovals. Congratulations to the Green team - the mighty Yr 8's for taking home the Gleno Cup and a huge thank you to all students and staff for participating and organising a fun high school event for the last day of the school year.
Art supplies were set up field-side for students to make art and write a message for Jonas between participating in the tournament. What a special way to reflect on his love for Gleno Cup Day and the beautiful creations will be gifted to his family.
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Yr 9 Write and Read Books to Incoming Class 3
05 Dec 2023
Our Year 9 students wrote stories for our incoming 2024 Class 3 students and presented these to them at their Middle Cove Orientation Day last Friday, 1st December. Supported by Yr 9 teachers, Lydia Wilson and Ella Pooley, we captured the sweet moments of reading at the amphitheater.
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Glenaeon Carol Service 2023
29 Nov 2023
Our much loved annual Glenaeon Carol Service was held on Monday, 27th November at Pitt Street Uniting Church. It was a beautiful evening for our community to join together to celebrate and reflect on the year that was.
The students shone in their performances and the tone set a beautiful energy to take into the festive season and much-needed holiday break.
Thank you to our wonderful community for joining us for a night of wonder and awe. We extend our gratitude to those involved in all the performances, logistics, and rehearsals.
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Yr 8 2023 National History Challenge - Congratulations Arlo!
29 Nov 2023
Congratulations to Yr 8 student Arlo T. on your incredible dedication and effort that earnt you the 2023 Winner of the National History Challenge ' Museum Exhibit' category.
Last year, Arlo won the Yr 7 level and the previous year the state level category, but this year he soared to new heights taking out the national award.
Thank you to teacher Brendan Strobl for your encouragement and moral support in Arlo's endeavours. We are all so proud of your passion for modern history, deep thinking and exploring different perspectives.
Arlo's submission this year explored 'The continuity and change of Australian beach culture and how it reflects our evolving sense of morality'.
Arlo's presentation can be viewed here.
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Duke of Edinburgh Long Service Medal - Donna Miller
29 Nov 2023
Congratulations to our very own Duke of Edinburgh International Award Coordinator, Donna Miller who was acknowledged for her over 10 years of service. She was presented with a medal for acting in her role as Award Leader for 14 years. The ceremony was held at NSW Government House with His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh in attendance. Donna's medal was presented by Gemma Rygate, CEO, Centre of Volunteering. We are so proud of you Donna and thank you for your dedicated service.
Photo Credit: Salty Dingo
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Yr 7 Mechanics Main Lesson
22 Nov 2023
Yr 7 Mechanics Main Lesson covers simple machines and involves a world of experimental, hands-on learning. Lever, pullies, wheels, incline plane and wedge are ‘The Mighty Five’ simple machines explored. The students enjoyed an exciting catapult competition and to round out the lesson, students put real world skills to the test by changing a tyre from their teachers cars.
In keeping with Steiner’s teachings, the focus of this main lesson is to unite the physical body with the thought consciousness of the principle mechanics. Students are involved in many physical tasks that use the principles of simple mechanics to better understand and experience the mechanics of the skeletal system and their own bodies.
Students explore the sources of power available from elements - earth, air, fire and water, the historical development of machines, ‘The Mighty Five’ and appreciate the services and danger of the mechanical world.
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Yr 8 Perform Japanese Folk Dance at Assembly
08 Nov 2023
Yr 8 Japanese students performed a Japanese folk dance called "Soranbushi". It is a fisherman's working song using many movements that represent ocean waves, fishermen pulling in the nets, throwing fish or buckets, and rowing their boats. The words "dokkoisho, dokkoisho", "so ran, so ran" are sung during the dance. The words are used to encourage the fishermen to work harder. The Sylvia Brose Hall erupted in applause and the dance was thoroughly enjoyed by both the audience and performers. Thank you Yr 8 and to Japanese Teacher, Keiko Takahashi for bringing this meaningful performance to Glenaeon!
To watch the full performance, click here.
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PDHPE Bubble Soccer + Water Sports
02 Nov 2023
The PDHPE students in Yr 9 and 10 have been hitting the pitch, and the ocean, all while learning new skills.
As part of the Glenaeon Water sports program, the PDHPE Department team up with Balmoral Windsurfing and Sailing Club at beautiful Balmoral Beach!
Year 10 students have been spending their PE lessons learning to sail, to stand up paddle board (SUP) and to either windsurf or sea kayak (depending on conditions).
It is yet another way to get the students more active around water and expose the students to three more ways to move on water, building on Term 1’s water sports and surfing program. The weather has been great and students are expanding their knowledge and skills in the water on different water crafts.
Back on campus, in Year 9 PDHPE Extension, the students had a go at chasing a very small ball while cushioned by a huge bubble ball 1.5m x 1.5m, all while trying to score a goal.
When two bubbles collide, often intentionally, one student has to give, and one student will go down, fall, roll or tumble to the ground! No fear, the falls are well-cushioned and fun. Students can even do a 360-degree forward roll before coming to their feet again.
Other games such as bulrush were also played and what an exhaustingly, exhilarating experience. Our students had so much fun and who doesn’t love moving their body whilst dressed in a bubble?
Any younger student observing always ask when they can to try out this fun activity – and they will, when they get to Year 9!
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Yr 8 Camp In Coonabarabran
01 Nov 2023
Yr 8 went up to Eric’s property in Coonabarabran to learn about ecology, which was connected to our Main Lesson on Earth Stewardship. The camp was grounded in learning to take care of the environment around us. It was a beautiful and inspiring experience!
The following exert was written by Edward W.:
Camp was an insightful experience, full of learning and self-reflection. When we first got to the 1st camp sight it was raining and we all scrambled to set our tarps up, every night after that we got better and so did the weather. During the mornings that we walked from campsite to campsite we learned of the importance of bushland and biodiversity. Sometimes half-way through our walk we would drop our packs for 30 minutes and observe the plants and draw them in our notebooks. No matter what we were doing, we were learning to create a healthier world.
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Yr 12 Welcome to the Class of 2024
25 Oct 2023
Check out our Class of 2024 in their brand new Yr 12 Jersies! We can't wait to see you thrive in your final year of school!
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Glenaeon Athletics Success
25 Oct 2023
Last term, after doing very well representing Glenaeon in the ISD carnival, an extremely strong and enthusiastic group of athletes qualified and represented at the annual AICES athletics carnival, with many achieving personal bests and making our school immensely proud.
Our congratulations also goes to the following U12 and U13 athletes who qualified for the AICES carnival: Ignatius C who qualified in Javelin, Matai J who entered the 3000m and triple Jump events, Sophia B who qualified in 400m, our U13 4x 100 meter relay girls, Sophia L, Anabelle B, Maya H and Matthia M who dominated at ISD with a win and to Theo M who just missed out on qualifying for CIS in the U13s Javelin. A stellar performance by these young athletes.
A special congratulations goes to Matthia M from Yr 7 who did exceptionally well at this meet, not only winning her pet event the long jump, but obtaining a new AICES record of 4.91m for the U13 girls!
Along with qualifying for the long jump, Matthia also placed third in the U13s 100m and was eligible for the triple jump and the 200m at the CIS regional carnival which was held at the end of last term.
She came up against some tough competition and on one of those 34-degree days, sporting a black arm band in memory of Jonas she finished just shy of a place.
We are so proud of Matthia, and all our athletes who competed at such a high level. Well done!
PDHPE team
ISD Junior Basketball Carnival
25 Oct 2023
Earlier this week, I took a very strong and determined boys' and girls' team made up of students from Yr 7, Yr 8 and Yr 9 to compete in the ISD junior basketball carnival in Bankstown. I was accompanied and supported by our two sports captains Rohan and Morgan, and our extracurricular Basketball Coach Ethan Brown.
The commitment of the players to this competition was evident from the start, with lunch time training occurring in the weeks before, and the energy and eagerness of wanting to do their absolute best for Jonas was palpable. The teams each wore black arm bands as a sign of respect and as a tribute to him during all their matches.
The boys team played fiercely and held their own against the competition in all their games with players pulling together and providing inspiring and gutsy play.
The girls team had excellent synergy and continued to improve as the day went on, playing with great heart and some excellent shooting, which saw them just shy of making the semi-finals, with only a couple of points in it!
Scarlett S, Chloe G and Lenny T in Yr 8 had a fantastic competition and were selected by scouts to represent the ISD in the up and coming AICES basketball carnival early next year - well done Scarlett, Lenny and Chloe!
The groups tenacity, team spirt, sense of fun and fair play shone brightly throughout the day, and they did Jonas proud.
A special thanks to our sports captains who helped me throughout the day and lead the younger students with integrity, a depth of experience, good will and a keen sense of fairness.
Well done to all!
Kim Mann
PDHPE Teacher
Yr 8 Projects
18 Oct 2023
In Week 1 this term, our Year 8 students showcased their year long projects in the Sylvia Brose Hall. This was an opportunity to delve into an area of interest, further a passion, develop new skills. pivot when necessary and watch a project come to fruition.
Once they decided what their project was going to be, every student kept a journal of their experience through writing, drawing, photography and/or film; and recorded and documented their ideas, thoughts, successes, and failures along the way. The Project process was also submitted at the end of the project as evidence and summarised on a poster which makes up part of the final display.
The showcase displayed outstanding results from oil paintings, short films, novels, drones, surfboards, a botanical energy drink, rock climbing bag, music, a cookbook, ghillie suit and more.
The Year 8 project gives students the opportunity to project manage, in their own way, and use their initiative, and creativity and, to a big degree, self-manage over an extended period of time.
Well done Year 8, we were all so impressed by your dedication and creations.
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Farewell Yr 12 2023
19 Sep 2023
At the end of last term, we bid farewell to our Yr 12 cohort who celebrated their last days as Glenaeon students before starting their HSC Exams. In true Glenaeon tradition, we were thrilled to host a number of events to make their final days at Middle Cove as memorable as possible.
The Yr 12 Walk-Around, The Yr 12 Presentations, The celebratory lunch and breakfast and the famous Farewell Tunnel were all enjoyed before the Yr 12 students and teachers set off on their mystery tour - a surprise outing to Taronga Zoo!
We are so proud of you, Yr 12. Wishing you all the very best of luck for the remainder of your HSC exams. You are amazing!
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Glenaeon Garden Culture
13 Sep 2023
Eco Literacy, Friends & Pests In Our Gardens: Part 2
Indigenous heart intelligence and biodynamic regenerative agriculture
From Indigenous culture we learn that when the wattles flower, the mullet fish run. In the Time of Murrai’yunggoray (September - October), as the weather warms and the Miwa Gawaian (Waratah) buds swell, the D’harawal people began their major ceremonies in celebration of the new life promised by this season.
In Glenaeon’s gardens we invite everyone to practise active observation before deciding on our actions of care. We sing to the garden “what story, what story do you tell? What story do you tell?” and then we articulate:
- The bees are saying “thank you for planting the zinnia seeds and caring for them”; the zinnias are saying “thank you to the bees for helping to pollinate us so we can make seeds for new flowers”.
- Our Mother Earth is saying “I am so thirsty without rain - will you please water me today? If my soil gets too dry the insects will be thirsty and eat the plants to find water.”
- The bush turkeys parading and scratching in the garden bed inform us that the lettuces need some protection.
Setting boundaries
While newly planted flowers and seeds are getting established in the soil we protect them with nets or fences built by the students. As plants grow bigger and stronger we uncover the plants so that humans and animals can harvest what they need. This is a principle of both biodynamic and Indigenous agriculture: we must ensure that the birds and animals have enough to eat too.
In Glenaeon's gardens:
● We practise principles that Indigenous and wise farmers share around the world: never pick the first or the last of the crop for the future of life itself. (For example, when we harvest our lettuce or silverbeet we always leave 3 leaves so the plant keeps growing new leaves).
● We have fish in the water garden to help keep mosquitoes away. Some plants are particularly helpful in deterring certain insects, and are carefully planted around gathering and play areas: tansy, with a camphor-like scent that repels ants and flies, while citronella and lemongrass' smells deter mosquitoes.
● We scatter crushed eggshells around particular plants to discourage snails and slugs that might be nibbling too much of our food. When Preschool and Castlecrag students find snails and slugs they carefully move them to non (human) edible bushes (or even build homes for them with leaves and sticks), and when students find inch grubs they feed them to our grateful chickens.
● We use tree paste to cover pruned branches or damaged trees to protect them from ants and other insects while they heal. Biodynamic tree paste is made with 3 equal parts of clay, cow manure and sand, mixed with water to make a spreadable paste.
Indigenous peoples have totems and special animal images to help keep unwanted visitors away. We have scarecrows, representing a human presence in the garden. While the kookaburras may laugh at our scarecrows, we like to think of them as friends: ever so helpful at catching native rodents.
Want to join our holiday chicken care team? Got a question, story or idea to share? The Glenaeon Garden Team would love to hear from you! s.frain@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au
Sandra Frain (and Parent Garden Volunteers)
Gardening Teacher
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![Yr 12 Students Represent Glenaeon at the [EX]plore Science Extension Conference](https://newsroomassets.s3.amazonaws.com/media/glenaeon/newsletters/2023/09/13/Group_shot_at_Science_Ext_with_Stanley.jpg.800x0_q85_crop-scale.jpg)
Yr 12 Students Represent Glenaeon at the [EX]plore Science Extension Conference
13 Sep 2023
In the spirit of our ongoing commitment to academic excellence, we are delighted to share the outstanding achievements of our Year 12 Science Extension students from Glenaeon. On Monday, September 11th, Alex S., Jolan L., Anouk S., Nathan S., and Maadi P. represented our school at the [EX]plore Science Extension Conference hosted at Macquarie University.
In a remarkable showcase attended by over 200 students, educators, and university scholars, Nathan and Maadi were chosen to present their research projects, standing alongside 11 other exceptional students hailing from schools such as Abbotsleigh, SHORE, and St Joseph’s College. Their presentations were met with enthusiasm and admiration, captivating the audience with their passion for scientific inquiry.
Additionally, Alex, Jolan, and Anouk exhibited their research projects in the form of posters, joining a group of 60 students from various schools across New South Wales. Anouk's poster, in particular, left a lasting impression and earned her the well-deserved 1st prize.
We take immense pride in the accomplishments of these talented students, showcasing Glenaeon's commitment to fostering excellence in science education. Their dedication and achievements are a testament to the bright future that awaits them, and we eagerly anticipate their continued success. Congratulations to all!
Stanley Tang
Director of Studies
Science, Mathematics Teacher and High School Mentor
Father’s Day Food Lovers Unite
13 Sep 2023
Glenaeon’s playgroup to high school sourdough bread enthusiasts shook cream until it became butter, dripped yoghurt until it made cream cheese, and kneaded dough until it was ‘soft as an ear lobe’ on 2023’s sunny Father’s Day.
The kneaded creations were embellished with garden edibles and transformed in the Castlecrag Kitchen ovens for take-homes, along with rye flour sourdough ‘starter’ jars and recipe booklets.
Learning of the alchemy of fermentation to make sourdough bread was exciting for adults and youth alike, as children played outside the Marion Mahony Griffin Hall kitchen on the fresh grass and inviting sandpit.
A ‘morning tea’ of freshly made sourdough bread, cream cheese, butter (and Junko’s miso!) washed down with our Castlecrag garden herbal tea vanished in no time. Thank you to all the participants who came and created a social alchemy on Father’s Day. Love was in the air!
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Glenaeon Garden Culture
13 Sep 2023
Breathing in and breathing out in times of joy and sorrow
With emphasis in 2023 on ‘Well Being’ in our lives, our Glenaeon gardens on all three campuses have been responsive for visitors of all ages to feel nurtured as they contemplate the mysteries of life within. The students find health actively and passively by digging soil, harvesting flowers, planting seeds, caring for plants and animals and in serving each other garden herb tea and fresh wholesome food in a sociable manner.
Angst and sorrow was ours with the loss of the beloved teacher Jonas Stoebe in the last weeks of Term 3. We countered the confusion of grief by celebrating the joy his life gifted us, honouring the elements of earth, water, air and fire within the home base of our gardens.
We dug a pit for making a ton of new soil from compostables,
We made contained fires and burned sticks for ‘doughies’;
We stirred waters of biodynamic preparations for strengthening our atmosphere and soil and We sprayed each other with water hoses;
We harvested flowers and vegetables;
We sang, shared stories, laughed and cried;
We wrote poetry and letters too.
We swung on the hammock and the big swing,
We planted seeds for glorious gardens of the future while remembering Jonas, an inspiration to us all.
Our Middle Cove garden hosted many classes of students and groups of teachers day after day of this time. Science students tagged birds, English students wrote prose, art students sketched, Math students measured time, Earth stewardship students rejuvenated their camp experience. Every break time the stumps in the garden and surrounding rocks were covered with students convening. As we shared this communal season of grief, the garden responded by making a ‘welcome home’ for us. Together, we accepted, we grew, and we healed: wiser and stronger in our openness and resilience to the mysteries of life.
How grateful we are that Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School honours the importance of cultivated gardens as a place to be, and as a place to be motivated to help. How fortunate we are to have a place to embrace the elements all and to be nourished by their powerful ways too. Like all living organisms, the gardens flourish with human activity and interest. Please contact S.Frain@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au if you would like to visit the gardens or volunteer with the Glenaeon gardens and animal care teams.
Celtic Blessing honouring the elements as sung by Year 8 ‘in the garden’.
Deep Peace
Deep peace of the running waves to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
https://youtu.be/oEmvQqg_EpQ?si=E7dFQRZLIyWiMiST
Sandra Frain (and Parent Garden Volunteers)
Gardening Teacher
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Glenaeon Garden Culture
13 Sep 2023
Chickens, the cycle of life and volunteers
Our business as agriculturalists is to work with transformation and metamorphosis or energies and matter. Life and death. This week we had a profound example of accepting the conditions that come with taking responsibility to care for animals for the sake of learning and the sake of soul warmth.
Even though we have a devoted community of families and staff who care for the chickens, we could not escape nature's way. After almost a year of absence a fox made its way into our coop, and now six of our seven Glenaeon chickens have become a part of our nourishing garden soil.
Like every farming community, the Glenaeon community has responded with the sorrow that comes with the loss of animals that so many of us have become attached to. With our loss our hearts have opened.
The garden space is so quiet without the chickens clucking and scratching and the sounds of the students' joy as they visit the chickens before school, in the classes and in the breaks. The Garden team has invited Glenaeon students to tie a chicken feather to a card with some words or pictures they may make and place it in the chicken coop. Many families are also making tributes to the chickens in different ways.
Adults are connecting via group chat and in person, the Garden team is welcoming families to visit and meet in the garden. Already this is resulting in tangible ideas ensuring the pedagogical health of our Glenaeon community. For parents and carers who are looking for a way to join and be a part of this community, a rare opportunity in Middle Cove, please feel free to email Sandra: s.frain@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au Let’s garden and make social change together: all ages welcome.
Sandra Frain (and Parent Garden Volunteers)
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Glenaeon Garden Culture
13 Sep 2023
This is the garden that we are growing
Since 2018 our Castlecrag Garden program has grown from a sporadic solitary Glenaeon School Staff gardener to a dedicated Biodynamic garden teacher and rostered parent volunteers supporting bustling garden classes with Classes 1 & 2, and gentle gardening fun with all Kindies! Children love seeing parents and parents love joining the children's class, supporting the teachers, helping to hold the students while learning the art and science of gardening.
‘Like bees to honey’, parent volunteer presence has attracted fellow parents to sign up for gardening lessons. Parent volunteers create a supportive fabric for our students that fosters social and emotional intelligence. We are delighted to have many parents regularly assist with the garden classes on all three campuses. ‘I learned so much’ is the recurring gratitude from parent volunteers. The children feel the warmth of their parents' interest. It's more than "how was your day today?". It becomes a: "I loved seeing you getting your hands dirty/pushing that cart/cutting down that tree; planting those seeds; tasting that harvest".
Parents report that their children look for possibilities on the home front to apply what they've learned and what they've done in gardening lessons, from balconies to communal gardens. Parent volunteers in gardening lessons are empowered to support this meaningful practice and joy of plant and animal husbandry.
‘I have been looking for a way to be a part of the community. I’m glad to be enveloped by the activities of the Glenaeon Garden Team.
‘It is so good for our urban family to come to school and have these farming tasks to contribute to in the holidays'
‘I grew up on a farm and I recall so fondly the animal care. We are delighted that Glenaeon provides this opportunity to our children year- round’
‘I love the peace of the garden. It is so beautiful: like an oasis.’
A school community that involves volunteers creates a collective consciousness, a supportive group of people with shared values. In the Glenaeon Gardens we work with the earth: creating soil, growing colourful edibles and nurturing animals. Students are learning useful life skills while they connect with the animals, care for our provisional earth and develop insights to address climate change.
For parents and carers who are looking for a way to join and be a part of this community, please feel free to email Sandra: s.frain@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au Let’s garden and make social change together: all ages welcome.
Sandra Frain (and Parent Garden Volunteers),
Gardening Teacher
Glenaeon Garden Culture - From You I Receive, To You I Give
13 Sep 2023
“An atmosphere of gratitude should grow naturally in children through merely witnessing the gratitude that their elders feel as they receive what is freely given by their fellow human beings, and in how they express their gratitude. The cultivation of this universal gratitude toward the world is of paramount importance.” - Rudolf Steiner*
As a Glenaeon Garden culture, we practise this form of grace in many ways including active observation and appropriate response. We give thanks for the animals, the flowers, the produce, the minerals, the space where we meet and of course for each other!
On the last weekend of November, the Glenaeon Middle Cove Garden was a hive of activity thanks to industrious families meeting to deconstruct the chicken coop and then to celebrate our annual gifting of loving labour to the garden program.
On the rainy Saturday, 25th November we hosted a working bee to dismantle the chicken coop which completed the recent work begun by the students of garden Class 3 to 6. We enjoyed de-constructing by cutting sharp wires and then driving wheelbarrows (up through the bush) full of awkward loads of sharp metals and plastics to the awaiting truck. The clean concrete slab now gives us the start we need to re-construct a more secure home for the chickens.
On the next day, November 26th, (the 4th anniversary of an Angophera tree crashing on the previous garden shed), we gave an honouring “Thank You” to all the families that support Glenaeon’s gardening classes and the essential weekend/holiday chicken care. On this sparkling sunny Sunday, our work was socialising. “What’s your Glenaeon garden story?” created the alchemy of interest in each other.
We celebrated the presence of our elder Ruth Pervis, the former Glenaeon Class Teacher, who retired to start the Glenaeon gardens in 2010. How exciting it was to hear her stories of transforming a previously desolate part of the Middle Cove campus for dedicated garden classes.
The mood was festive as we dined on popcorn, breads, pestos, garden produce and cakes, and guzzled fresh garden herbal tea! Children joyously scampered around the garden beds under refreshing sprinklers; lounged in the hammock under the green-grape laden pergola and discovered many skittish fish in the oasis’ garden pond. This is our garden!
For anyone interested in participating, learning, helping and supporting the building of a new chicken coop, please email Sandra: s.frain@glenaeon.nsw.edu.au
* Rudolf Steiner “THE CHILD'S CHANGING CONSCIOUSNESS AND WALDORF EDUCATION”. GA 306. Lecture VI
Sandra Frain (and Parent Garden Volunteers),
Gardening Teacher
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Yr 12 HSC Drama Showcase
29 Aug 2023
Congratulations, Year 12, on a successful night of Drama at the 2023 HSC Drama Showcase. Having experienced HSC Drama with students throughout the years, I am continually impressed by their tenacity and creative inspiration. This year is no different, assisting in the students’ projects has been a pleasure. On the night, we were taken on a theatrical discovery as we started with a Group Performance where students explored parenting styles through a comedic lens. Despite the exaggerations and focus on comedy, the audience was deeply moved to think about the issues they raised throughout the performance.
Additionally, we played designers and listened to the vision for a costume design by Eva, showing how fundamental production is to the whole vision of a play. Next, we went to the movies and reflected existentially on Sophia's Video Drama and the power of art to affect change. Lastly, we emotionally connected with Nathan's Individual Performance of a Monologue, where the essential character deals with grief. What a night.
There have been extended, tireless hours, continual feedback and revisions leading to the night’s presentations. It was challenging, but significant growth, personal meaning, and achievement came with that for the students, and I want to wish them all the best for the rest of their HSC.
Brenton Fletcher,
Former Head of Drama
Yr 10 PDHPE Extension Take Iron Cove Bay
23 Aug 2023
On the 20th August, a chilly, sunny Sunday morning, the students in the PE Extension assembled at 7:30am at the shores of the Iron Cove Bay in the Inner West of Sydney to complete a 7km road run. They had all trained for this run for 16 weeks, and were ready to tackle this very flat and beautiful course by the water’s edge to produce a potential personal best time (pb). This run was their practical assessment task for Term 3.
Anton, Alex, Leo, Ariella, Sam, Liam, Louis, Archer, Ryan, Max, Luka K., Lincoln ran their hearts out with Alex F. producing the fastest time for the morning with 31:58 min. Running is among the easiest sports to do, needing no equipment at all, and can be done anywhere at anytime. It is also a very healthy habit to establish and relevant to combat so many of our lifestyle-related diseases and mental illnesses. Students learn about these and the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle in class and on this morning they could prove to themselves just how far they had come with their training efforts.
Jonas Stoebe,
PDHPE Teacher & Co-Curricular Organiser
ISD Netball Winners
02 Aug 2023
On a warm winters day 10 Glenaeon students from Yr 8 & Yr 9 set off to play six other teams in our 17-schools strong ISD Netball Carnival. Unfortunately a senior team did not eventuate as Yr 10s were in Tasmania, however I did find some 10 girls willing to put their netball skills to the test for a junior team. A couple of lunchtime practice matches and some trying out to see who’s best in what position, a team emerged that looked strong and competitive.
And so we set out, Sofia H., Ava, Poppy, Ciara, Indy and Maya from Yr 9 and Chloe, Rose, Amelia A. and Scarlett S. from Yr 8 to play the first game, winning by a good margin. This built confidence! The second win cemented that confidence and made us think we could take this further! After the fourth win we topped our pool and were to play the runner up of the other pool, Al Zahra College. With a very tight defence and strong GK and GS positions, we beat Al Zahra 12:3. Now we could taste victory and believe we were in for something special: the final against serial winner Amity College.
At times it looked tighter than it was as both teams fought for every ball and every pass. Both sides made mistakes but our balls travelled faster and with more accuracy and our shooters remained calm under pressure! The final result of 15:9 made us scream with happiness, the girls hugging and totally overwhelmed by their own tenacity and the self-belief.
I was very proud of this group that came together only days before. These 10 girls are now friends. They now share in being champions of the 2023 Junior ISD Netball competitions. The school’s name will be engraved in a perpetual trophy and we received a small trophy to display at school along with individual medals and certificates to document the success. The group will be honoured at an assembly soon to share their experience with their peers.
Congratulations to all involved!
Jonas Stoebe
PDHPE Teacher & Co-curricular Organiser