Chrysalis Steiner School Bellingen in Thora, New South Wales, Australia | School

Chrysalis Steiner School Bellingen

Locality: Thora, New South Wales, Australia

Phone: +61 2 6655 8616

Address: 703 Darkwood Road 2454 Thora, NSW, Australia

Website: https://chrysalis.nsw.edu.au/

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23.01.2022 KNITTING// Knitting is a key handwork skill that is taught in Steiner schools. Starting with twisties and finger knitting in kindergarten, and working up to knitting with knitting needles from plain and purl right up to more complex patterns such as Fair Isle in the older classes, working with pure wool is a common sight in our classrooms!

20.01.2022 EMMA// Happy birthday to this legend, our Camps Coordinator Emma. Emma won't see this, because she is currently on Lady Musgrave Island with Class Seven. Covid restrictions have meant that the camps program has been disrupted this year. Now that camps are allowed again, Emma has rarely had a day when she is not on a camp or an excursion in the last few weeks. We hope she gets a chance to relax on that tropical island!

18.01.2022 NAIDOC WEEK MESSAGE FROM LISA// This week, 8 - 15 November 2020 we celebrate NAIDOC Week, acknowledging the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The theme of NAIDOC Week this year is Always Was, Always Will Be. Always Was, Always will be recognises that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65 000 years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people were Australia's first explorers, first navigator...s, first engineers, first farmers, first botanists, first scientists, first diplomats, first astronomers and first artists. Australia has the world's oldest oral stories. The First Peoples engraved the world's first maps, made the earliest paintings of ceremony and invented unique technologies. The very first footprints on this continent were those belonging to First Nations people. See more

18.01.2022 CLASS SEVEN ISLAND JOURNEY// Class Seven are now enjoying the gorgeous oceanic environment of Lady Musgrave Island off the Queensland Coast, after three days of travel on bus and boat! We can't wait to hear all the camp stories on their return.

15.01.2022 TEACHER PROFILE: CATH// Cath is our current Class One teacher. She has known she would be a teacher since she was a young child in preschool, inspired by her own teacher. Cath values the teacher-child connection highly. She says: 'The way Steiner talks about the teacher-child relationship. Once you have that relationship, once you basically love your whole class, learning will occur. There's no two ways about it. Relationship is the first and most important thing.'

15.01.2022 CLASS ONE-TWO-THREE CHOOKS// The Class One/Two/Three level once more has resident chickens. These gorgeous girls arrived with one of our new families and are being very loved up! The children have enjoyed looking after them and eating hard boiled eggs as a school snack, along with vegies from the school garden.

12.01.2022 This sounds like a fascinating and important conversation! Who has signed up?

11.01.2022 SENSORY AIDS// Earlier in the year, we posted some pictures of the emotional literacy chart that Julie created with Class Two. In a recent parent meeting, Julie shared a number of aids she uses to support diverse sensory needs in the class room. These include Steiner remedies and tools such as lemon foot baths amd beeswax to more widely available tools such as meditation and yoga practices, occupational therapy cushions, fiddle toys and more. These are all available to any student in the class whenever they express a need for it. There are also two new sensory swings available for the students on this level, supporting them to be emotionally literate, calm students ready to learn.

11.01.2022 BEESWAX MODELLING// Beeswax is a wonderful medium. Whilst it begins hard, the warmth of our hands softens it to a malleable form which can be used for modelling. Steiner recommended it as an appropriate way for children to engage their will. Often beeswax will be given to our children to mould whilst listening to a story, bringing their thoughts and impressions of the narrative into a physical being. It's a great activity for breathing in, reflection and has therapeutic values.

10.01.2022 CLASS TWO BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS// Julie, our class two teacher, loves celebrating and valuing each child in her class. One way she does this is the beautiful birthday ceremonies she holds throughout the year. Each child is honoured in story, song, a fruit feast, and recieves a magic gem. In this class, a whole bunch of them have their birthdays within a couple of weeks of each other in November, so this called for a collective celebration. Even the Class Two teacher's aide Belinda is part of the birthday group!

09.01.2022 Following on from the fun we had during Book Week, we'd like to highlight the Australia Reads initiative. From the Australia Reads website: In November, we’re inviting Australians of all ages and from all walks of life to share and celebrate the joys of reading.... Whether you’re picking up a book for the first time or your head is already stuck in one, there’s plenty of books, activities and events as part of our festivities. On Thursday 12 November we’ll celebrate Australian Reading Hour. You’re invited to stop what you’re doing for an hour, pick up a book and read to yourself or the children in your life. Join us and unwind, get inspired and find joy in books! From islands, blue shores, bushland to red heart Australia Reads. https://australiareads.org.au/

07.01.2022 UNCLE TONY HART// Morning Star kindergarten recently had a visit from local Indigenous artist Uncle Tony Hart. Uncle Tony gifted each student a clay animal sculpture, and then supported them to make their own sculptures and paint their gifts. The children were captivated and were very proud to show their parents the creations. Thanks Uncle Tony!

06.01.2022 CONNECTING TO THE LAND- CLASS EIGHT HIKE// As NAIDOC Week reminds us of the importance of caring for country, now is a good time to reflect on our Class Eight. Every year our Class Eight students embark on a challenging multi day hike into the wilderness, requiring of them resilience, determination and an awareness of the land deeper than anything they have experienced before. This year, Class Eight walked through the beautiful and ecologically important wilderness of New England National Park. Apart from being a rite of passage for them in thier last months within the Chrysalis, it is our hope that it kindles and rekindles in them a strong desire to care for country and protect wilderness areas.

05.01.2022 WOVEN PENCIL CASES// A notable milestone in Steiner education is moving from our lovely beeswax crayons for writing and drawing, to the rich colours and experience of using pencils. And as pencils are a tool that need to be cared for, of course a pencil case in needed! The woven pencil cases made in Class Two are a major handcraft project that take time to create. They will have longevity as they travel with the children all the way from Class Eight and beyond.

04.01.2022 CLASS TWO SCHOOL SLEEPOVER// Can you imagine a more perfect image than this rainbow, that the Class Two children enjoyed seeing at their very first school camp last weekend? Our first school camp is an overnight sleepover in the school hall. The students enjoyed fairy dell adventures, stress ball making, meditation, night games and river play (and lots more). This camp develops skills such as managing camp bedding, washing up and hygiene and being away from home; all whilst in a very familiar environment. It's the first step in a wonderful camps program.

03.01.2022 JACARANDA// It's the time of the year that the jacaranda trees are flowering around the Thora Valley and Bellingen Shire- surely the most beautiful time of the year?

02.01.2022 A STRONG FEELING LIFE// Our capacity for emotional intelligence and awareness is an integral part of being human. Steiner education supports a healthy feeling life, as well as the development of creative and critical thinking, and a will to work in the world.

02.01.2022 FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT// The first light of Advent is the light of the stones, Stones that live in crystals, seashells and bones.

01.01.2022 NAIDOC WEEK 2020// Yiida jalumbo Yiida yilana Gumbaynggirr gundi wadjar... Here's the acknowledgment of country verse spoken every morning in our younger classes: We touch the ground on Gumbaynggirr land We reach up to the sky on Gumbaynggirr land We touch our hearts for the love and care of Gumbaynggirr land. Always was, and always will be Gumbaynggirr land.