From The Principal
From The Principal
From The Principal
“How could we forget those ancient myths that stand at the beginning of all races. The myths about dragons in our lives that at the last moment are transformed into princesses. Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are only princesses waiting to act just once with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in the deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love”
- Rainer Maria Rilke
This last week we have had the opportunity to live more deeply into the pictures that stand behind the seasonal celebration of Harvest. I hope every parent, grandparent and child felt the substance of all the fruits of our inner work celebrated at this time of year. When the nature forces pull back and we see a withering in the outer life, we feel ourselves to not be so carried by the warmth of the sun and a certain awakening to belong more to ourselves arises. This takes courage. The bounty of overcoming the ‘dragons in our lives’ is reflected in the harvest that reaps abundantly in the cycle of nature at this time and is celebrated in a festival like this. Rudolf Steiner said so wisely, ‘the smallest thing in its rightful place can lead to the highest goals’, I have observed this gesture over and over again in recent weeks in how the teachers, assistants and children devotedly worked to create our St Michael Pageant.
It is heartening to be absorbed by an artistic encounter that can give some perspective at a time like this when we are so often left with the question, ‘why are certain things as they are?' To know that the children get to incrementally build up these wisdom filled pictures of overcoming fear, acting with courage, truth and strength certainly gives us some comfort that they are cultivating an inner resourcefulness to what life may ask of them.
As I shared in my welcome to the festivals, Steiner believed that ‘art can be nothing else than a reflection of what the human being feels to be, in relation to the universe’. To experience oneself to be part of that conjoined fabric of goodness and human striving really is the ‘event’ of the festival. The performance opens us up to an experience, but the event in our own hearts and how we courageously live what has been stirred, is the real event. This too is the real pedagogical value of why we put so much emphasis on these turning points in the seasons.
This time is enriched even more in the southern hemisphere where Easter is celebrated amidst the autumnal fading away mood, and we are afforded the opportunity to focus on renewal and new life. The children in each class worked hard throughout the term to make an individual Easter basket, their own woven or stitched designs inspired with autumn colours to receive these symbols of rebirth, and that you can add to your seasonal tables at home. Katherine Balbi, our Extra Lesson and Magic of Movement consultant contributed to the Easter Assembly sharing the profound story of‘The White Lily’ that gleams on the window sill of a poor and dirty home and transforms everything around it by its glowing purity.
At the festival I acknowledged the lineage of all that has been in the building up of our festivals across many a long year, what was formed and developed in other Steiner schools around the world with which our dear Colleagues worked and reimagined from 2014 when we first brought this story to the community, Lisa Smith our founding teacher (now Class Two teacher), Anthony Downs long standing Kamaroi class teacher who remains united with our work across the threshold, David Rodely another fine long standing class teacher who carries a deep commitment to the impulse and Diane Tatum. Diane has nourished, held and carried festivals at Kamaroi for the true 'spiritual event of the heart' that they are and we are deeply grateful for all she has developed for the community. She now continues with us as a contracted mentor to class teachers, specialists and assistants to support a self generative culture of festivals at Kamaroi. This has taken exorbitant commitment, sheer hard work and brought new challenges and abundant soul developmental rewards for how we work together. Thank you Diane from the bottom of our hearts.
I lastly want to acknowledge the princesses love demonstrates as a community together, and acknowledge every one of you outstanding individuals that has made it possible for us to continue bringing what we bring to the children. We are so much more together than we are ever alone.
We wish you all a wonderful and safe holiday full of whatever renews you as a family and we look forward to resuming for a wonderful Term Two.
Warmest,
Vanessa Snaith
Leader of the Transitional Team
From the Business Manager
Reminders
Community Update
Community Update
Community Update
What a wonderful Autumn celebration we experienced at Kamaroi on Friday and Monday. Our community gathered and the children brought to life the story of St Michael and the dragon. I think we would all agree they did a fantastic job and that we all left with a good dose of courage. Steiner gave a picture whereby the archangel activity of ‘cosmic thought’ which we receive in summer can be activated into good deeds with autumnal ‘forces of movement’.The children demonstrated this beautifully for us all to enjoy.
This is why the archetypal pictures of overcoming difficulties to act are so poignant.
We would like to thank all those who made the festival such a success.
To the creative team of Shannon, Nicole, Ali, Lisa, Aleisha and Julie, as well as all of the class teachers, thank you for helping the children to rise to their challenging roles and to participate wholeheartedly in the storytelling. Special thanks goes to Shannon who spent countless hours sourcing costumes and supporting students with their roles.
Many thanks to all those who helped to set up/pack up and fit costumes, your input was greatly appreciated. Thank you also to the covid wardens and ushers needed to make our event possible. Surely you were amongst the most gracious we’ve experienced! Thank you to the audience for joining in with the speech and for the warm sea of smiles that received the children’s striving.
Lastly, thank you to all the staff members who assisted with organisation in preparation for the festival and on the day. This really was a whole community effort. Street Mission would like to thank everyone for their generous contributions of food. It is an important gesture for our children, who are so blessed with privileged lives, to see and experience our contributions to others.
Seasonal festivals are an important facet of Steiner Education because they help to forge meaningful connections between the child, the natural world, and the encompassing community. The sense of belonging to a class, a school, a community, developed through these events, is an authentic lived experience that plants seeds which may mature long after our students have moved on from Kamaroi.
We wish you all a wonderful break harvesting the fruits of a deeply fulfilling term and festival of reuniting and remembering who we are together.
Shannon, Ali, Aleisha, Julie and Lisa
THE HARVEST FESTIVAL COMMITTEE
In the Classroom and the Playground
Easter at Kamaroi
Easter at Kamaroi
Each class has been working away creating their gorgeous Easter baskets in Handcraft. An annual tradition for Kamaroi children, each year creating a more complex design. The children placed the baskets out for the Easter Hare visit on the last day of term.
Easter at Kamaroi Continued
Easter at Kamaroi Continued
Class 1 Egg Dyeing
Class 1 Egg Dyeing
Class 1 used their beeswax crayons to draw on their eggs before dyeing them
Class 2 Eggs
Class 6 Woodwork
Class 5 Artwork
Class 5 Artwork
Community Notices
French Club!
French Club!
