From The Acting Principal
From The Principal
From The Principal
‘Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose’
- Viktor Frankl
Throughout the recent crisis I have often felt the extreme fortune, alongside the hardships we have faced as a community, of having the meaning and purpose that unites us as parents, teachers and staff at Kamaroi - to bring life affirming experiences to the children. How much we have each had to overcome in order to persevere together so that our students may continue to receive this education and grow into socially responsible individuals, with strength to meet the challenges of our times.
Whilst this purpose has fortified us, we were encouraged to be able to update you at the outset of the term that the Public Health Order covering Covid-19 Safety regulations for NSW schools would be rescinded on Friday May 13th, 2022 with each school having autonomy on how this is managed.
As of next week, the responsibility for determining an individual Covid Safety Risk Assessment Policy rests with each school and its context.
In preparation, the Kamaroi Board and School Leadership Team have weighed up its options for this policy, with input from the AIS and in consultation with our staff. Overall, we have decided to adopt a cautious and incremental approach given the ongoing circumstances, which concurrently gives us the flexibility to redeem what we believe our community values. Our core principles and priorities are:
- to provide a safe environment for students, staff and parents in so far as we are able
- to minimise transmission of the virus and disruption to the students’ education
- to keep the school functional and open
We are delighted to be able to welcome all visitors and volunteers on site now. Close contacts are also able to come to school, including staff and students. However, there are certain conditions that apply to both these scenarios. In addition, we do encourage you to ascertain how vital attendance is if you or your child/ren are close contacts, and for the protection of everyone, encourage staying home where possible.
To provide clarity overall, we refer parents to our new Covid Safety Policy for you to familiarise yourself with, which Frances will send to all families today. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me. We remain so grateful for the unending support you have shown during these ambiguous times and are relieved to resume much normalcy with your cooperation, to restore that which matters to us most at Kamaroi … being together!
I am also most thankful to our Directors who have approved a significant investment to our student and staff wellbeing, with air purification filters that have been purchased for every teaching space in the school. I hope this gives you some comfort as parents, as it does to us as staff, to know we have the most optimal conditions possible on a daily basis here at Kamaroi.
On the subject of good news, and on an altogether different note, we had a wonderful beginning to the term for Faculty with the Professional Development Day for teachers held during the holidays. We attended Bush to Bowl, a 100% First Nations owned business that aims to create spaces where families and community members can engage with Australia’s native plants and traditional indigenous knowledge and culture. Whilst there, we learnt how to further avenues for connecting to country. We went bushwalking and identified traditional customs, bush tucker plants and how to use these plants. We shared an extraordinary morning tea made with delicious bushfoods.
This was a nourishing beginning and starting point for planning a deepened integration of Indigenous perspectives throughout our curriculum and refining plans for Reconciliation Week at the end of May. In the longer term, our teachers are deeply committed to the development of a whole of school Reconciliation Action Plan that would involve students, staff and parents. We are the first Steiner School in Sydney to begin work on this and our teachers have formed a working committee to further planning.
We have started some renewal already with this year’s Class Six rewriting our school Acknowledgement of Country which they open our whole school assemblies with each fortnight. In addition, now when we sing at assembly for those children who have celebrated a birthday, we acknowledge the Indigenous season that they were born in and hear a little bit about the native wildlife of that nature cycle.
Our goal is that every child at Kamaroi feels that they belong to country and our imaginations are alive with possibilities. When we are a little further down the track, we will invite you to join us.
In closing, I again thank Dayana Brooke our Board Chair and our Board Directors, Michael Twigg our Business Manager, Lisa Smith our founding teacher and Director of Teaching and Learning, Rosemary Gentle our educational consultant and the incredible dedication of all the staff who have worked together for such a positive outcome. The degree of complexity and the fluidity to which we have all had to adjust has been both challenging and renewing. Renewed leadership both in the education and governance areas, support to reimagine our school and acknowledging that this crisis can only be overcome if we act together, I believe will bring a new level of sustainability to all aspects of school life and forge a regenerative atmosphere in which we can all grow.
Warmly,
Vanessa Snaith
Principal
In the Classroom and the Playground
Lilly Pilly Mothers Day Cards
Lilly Pilly Mothers Day Cards
Class 4
Class 4
Class 5 Paintings
Class 5
Class 5
Class 5 presented their Teacher, Nicole with this beautiful mosaic that the children and parents made for her birthday. Each child painted a stone for the tree.
Class 5 Indian Feast
Class 5 Indian Feast
Parent Association
Term 2 Craft!
Term 2 Craft!
Parent Education
Term 2 Parent Education
Term 2 Parent Education
Myths and Mysteries - With Bernadette White
In the final two lectures in this series, Bernadette will continue the journey begun last term when we investigated the ancient cultures of India, Persia, Egypt, and Greece looking at the temple wisdom, art, and mythologies of these cultures to unfold the hidden currents of history and in particular the role of the ancient Mysteries. We will continue this term with themes from the European Middle Ages.
Having spent over three decades as a class teacher, teacher educator, story-teller, and student of history, Bernadette will show how this unfolding of the human story can give a context of meaning within which we can find direction and hope for our lives. Particular examples will be given from the Steiner school main lessons devoted to ancient mythologies and histories.
- Thursday 19th May
Where: Zoom
Register: Kamaroi What's On Page
Explorative Family Workshop - with Sandra Frain
Creating Stories and Sculptures as we adventure at Kamaroi Rudolf Steiner School Join Musical Storytelling Sandra Frain for a playful constructive Sunday 10:00am to 12:00pm Morning Tea Picnic Herb Tea from the Kamaroi Gardens & Homemade Sourdough Bread too.
“What Stories do Kamaroi Grounds tell? What’s growing in the water and the land?”
When: Sunday, 15 May
Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm
Where: Kamaroi School
Register: Kamaroi What's On Page
An Anthroposophic Health Approach: Working with anxiety & depression, uncertainty and fear, in the modern world
- With Anthroposophic Practitioners Dr Narelle Savage, Art Therapist Julia Byrne, Rhythmic Etheric Massage & Acupuncturist John Holmes, & Home Care nurse & therapist Lyn Clifton.Current times are seeing more change and uncertainty than at any time in the last eighty years. Outer disturbances and inner and outer challenges affect us at any age. Experiencing the many and commonplace tidal eddies in the flow of our lives and the world, can lead to feelings of uncertainty, fear, sorrow and a host of minor inner disturbances. These may begin with nervousness, that may remain minor, or may flow through to anxiety & depression, and other manifestations of upsets in our sense of wellbeing and confidence, in our feelings, physical body, our thoughts and actions. Anthroposophic medicine has an established approach of 100 years, supporting resilience, and bringing healing to these unsettled states of being, developing insights towards transforming what ails us, and regaining strength, balance, harmony and trust in oneself and life.
Winter Magic With Ebba Bodame
"King Winter walks over hill and dale He covers the world with his cold icy vale”
As we journey with our children into winter, we can discover treasures unique to the season. We will be looking at: Winter stories and shadow theatre for the dark afternoons How to celebrate midwinter activities and craft ideas
Working with Warmth, Inflammation & Fever in Support of Children’s Health & Development - With Dr Narelle Savage and Lyn Clifton
The importance of working with ‘Warmth in treatments is optimum. ‘Warmth’ is the necessary vessel between the physical and spiritual being. Activating a person's own natural healing as an important aspect, is invited with the Anthroposophic picture of ‘Warmth,’ to support restoration of balance to health. From an wholistic Anthroposophic approach, Dr Narelle Savage will bring pictures of …
- The significance of warmth for healthy human development
- Imbalances in the ‘warmth body’
- The healthy role of inflammation & fever in childhood illness
- Supporting fever to run its course
- Can an illness process bring strengthening of the child’s will?
More children seeking the ‘cold’ today Anthroposophic Doctors may work collaboratively with Anthroposophic Home Carers and other practitioners, to address the specific needs of each patient.
Community Notices
Parent Musicians for Winter Festival
Parent Musicians for Winter Festival
If anyone musically inclined would like to learn our repertoire of winter songs to accompany the beautiful contemplative space and our children’s singing in our special upcoming winter spiral for classes 1-4 please let your teachers know!
Farm Fresh Produce for Your Family Right Here at Kamaroi!
Farm Fresh Produce for Your Family Right Here at Kamaroi!
We’re pleased to announce a new collaboration with Warrah Society. This great initiative is such a win for everyone! Kamaroi families can place orders for top quality organic and biodynamic fruit & veg, while supporting a fellow Steiner organisation. Warrah Society is a disability services provider with its own certified biodynamic farm in Dural. Warrah-grown produce is supplemented with fresh produce and other goods supplied by certified organic producers. Warrah’s Specialist School and Discovery Program participants work on bagging salad mix and dry goods, weighing fruit and vegetables, packing boxes, loading the delivery van and assisting with deliveries to various collection points in Sydney. All profits from the Farm Shop go towards Warrah’s disability services.
Anyone interested in signing up for an order should send an email requesting more information to Debbie at wholesome@warrahfarmshop.org.au
Eurythmy Classes
Eurythmy Classes
Eurythmy Classes available for bookings. If you are interested please SMS Danielle: 0487 982 118
