Steiner Education
|
Contents 1. Introduction 2. Rudolf Steiner 3. The Curriculum – A Creative Approach 4. How Steiner Schools differ from other Schools 5. Structure and Administration
6. General Information for Parents
-Class Meetings
7. Further Reading
1. Introduction – Our School, Kindergarten and Playgroup The Ballarat Steiner Kinder was founded in 1990 on the initiative of a group of parents and teachers, whose long-term vision was to create a Rudolf Steiner educational establishment for the community of Ballarat and district. The playgroup had commenced a few years earlier and the Primary School was then founded in 2000. In 2006 the primary school relocated to its permanent 10 acre site at Moss Avenue, Mt. Helen, in a former gallery/workshop, together with the kindergarten and prep buildings from the Brown Hill site. With the assistance of a government grant, architect Lisa Thomas designed two school classrooms, an administration area and main entrance to complete stage 1 works. Additional construction of buildings will proceed as the school population grows. Over the years, parents and others with a special interest in Steiner education have worked hard in many different ways to ensure the success of the community. Many have served in various sub-committees and in the Parents and Friends Association. Parents and community members have also contributed countless hours of physical labour to develop the grounds and maintain the buildings. Meanwhile the College of Teachers continues to work professionally to ensure the quality and integrity of the education it offers. 2. Rudolf Steiner 3. The Curriculum – A Creative Education One of the most notable ways in which the Steiner school approach to education differs from others is in the response of the curriculum to the various phases in child development. Historically the human being drew pictures before reading and before the use of abstract symbols. Speech is a crucial element and precedes writing as a foundation to reading. Many aspects of Steiner schooling – form drawing, hand work, a foreign language, Eurythmy, etc., help to foster the children’s development for reading. The children learn the letter forms through stories and pictures given by their teacher. In the curriculum, writing precedes reading, and is developed out of the creative experience of drawing or painting individual letters. The children write words and read their own writing before working with printed literature. We aim through the classes to share the finest literature with the students, appropriate to their age. Stories are told to each class and the children are also read to. Our reading approach, which includes daily individual reading, is full of imagery, content and the richness of language, which develops an appreciation of literature in the students. The children’s imaginative life and grasp of language is nourished by hearing and re-telling, acting and illustrating stories. For the 6-7 year olds, the teacher draws mainly on fairy tales, moving on at 8 years old to fables and legends, to Old Testament stories at 8-9 years old, Norse stories and sagas at 10, Greek myths and legends at 11 years of age and the Roman Empire at 12. In using a sequence of this kind through different qualities of imaginative experience, the teacher prepares the way for history proper. The curriculum is designed to harmonise with the particular stage of development that the child has reached, while affording a rich context in which to work on practical and academic skills. In this way, the development of the life of feeling is not divorced from practical learning, and the curriculum is both integrated and truly child-centred. Specialist subjects contribute to the curriculum enriching our children’s education:- Craft Handwork harmonises and balances the intellectual work undertaken by children, developing qualities such as perseverance and determination, concentration, motor skills and encourages care and respect for the handwork process. Music Music is a strong part of our curriculum with both a classroom music programme and a specialist stringed instrument program. In the classroom all students learn recorder and singing. The stringed instrument music program is introduced in Class 3. Every child at this stage commences on a violin or cello. Second Language German is introduced in Class 1 and followed through to Class 6. This is complemented by other languages such as Greek. This helps develop children’s oral and aural skills. Through learning other languages a child is also introduced to new cultures and a wider concept of the world. Eurythmy Eurythmy is an art of movement that came into being early last century. Movement through gesture and dance has played a vital part in every culture and community. Movement expresses people’s experience of the world, their interpretation of the beautiful and the true. Eurythmy is offered when a Eurythmist is available. Sport and Games Sports and games are planned to correspond with the child’s developmental needs. Sports and games develop children as co-operative individuals, rather than forcing children into one-sided competitive positions. Outdoor Education;- Excursions and Camps Camps and excursions are not optional as they are seen as an important part of the child’s social development, and are integrated with the curriculum and main lesson work. A note advising details and costs of camps and excursions is sent home to parents in advance. Any outstanding money is added to your invoice at the beginning of the next term. Permission notes must be signed for all camps and excursions. Special Needs Increasingly in our times children come to school with special learning needs, developmental needs, behavioural or social skill needs, with many of these needs being met within the classroom. It is essential that assessment of children’s special learning needs is discussed during the enrolment application procedure.
4. How Steiner Schools Differ From Other Schools
5. Structure and Administration Incorporated Association The Ballarat Steiner School and Kindergarten is maintained legally by an Incorporated Association limited by guarantee. The Ballarat Steiner School and Kindergarten Incorporated A0017701F. All fee paying families are automatically members. Other persons who apply, and are approved for membership are eligible to be a member of the Association on payment of the entrance fee and annual subscription. School structure The school, kindergarten and playgroup have no single principal, but is governed and run by the working together of all teachers (known as the College of Teachers). The College of Teachers is the sole responsible and functioning authority in all areas, including legal, financial and the day–to-day running of the school, kindergarten and playgroup. The College of Teachers is supported by the Committee of Management. Under the College are a number of working groups which assist the College, school, kindergarten and playgroup. College of Teachers The College consists of teaching staff that are committed to the principles of Rudolf Steiner education. All decisions made by the College of Teachers are made by agreement in consultation, not by democratic voting. The College has the exclusive right to choose staff, including teaching staff, administrative staff and support staff. Sub-Committees Under the College of Teachers are a number of working groups. All families are expected to be represented on at least one of these Sub-Committees
6. General Information for Parents Enrolment Procedure Parents wishing to enquire about enrolment or to arrange to visit the school should first contact the Office on (03) 5341 8188 to request an information package to be forwarded. A time can be made to visit the school and speak with the appropriate Class Teacher. Regular Open Days are held which provide a good opportunity to meet other parents and community members.
Attendance If your child is absent from school it is a legal requirement for the parent/guardian to notify the class teacher in writing (upon returning to school) of the reason for the absence. Starting and finishing times are as follows Parking and Travel arrangements Drive into the school grounds at 4 kph. Please park only in the main car park in specified zones. The main car park is near the Kindergarten with a few spaces available along the bank. There is a designated pick up area for children to be collected from, close to the car park. Please park and walk to collect your child. Children are not permitted to walk across the car park unsupervised. We have a morning and afternoon Bus Service for the primary school children. The morning bus collects children from various stops in central Ballarat and delivers them to school at approximately 8.50am. This bus has a rostered parent on bus duty to chaperone the children. The afternoon bus picks up at school at 3.45pm and delivers the children to one central location at 3.55pm. This bus is a “SPECIAL” and does not have a parent chaperone. Travelling by bus is entirely optional. Communication with teachers Communication Policy If you are concerned about any aspect of the school or your child’s experiences at school you should communicate in writing to the appropriate people. For concerns about your child or the class, first speak to the Class teacher and if the concern remains, speak with another College member or write to the College of Teachers. If your concern is related to financial aspects of the school, please address your concern to the Bursar. Concerns and suggestions about the general nature and running of the school should be addressed in writing to the College of Teachers. The College will also respond to parents questions and concerns about educational matters. Class Carer Class Carers are parent volunteers in each class, nominated annually by the class teacher as a liaison point with the class community. The class carer assists with communication across the class, organises ‘heart to mouth’ emergency meals for families, assists with the orientation of new families and generally assists the class teacher in organising class events. Class Meetings Meetings between the class teacher and parents are an essential part of the school’s educational philosophy. They assist with the exchange of information and builds bonds between child, teacher and parent.
You are asked to attend one class meeting per term to discuss the curriculum and child development. We will notify you of the dates of these meetings through the newsletter, giving you at least one week’s notice of the meeting date. Your attendance is important for the educational well-being of your child. Parent Teacher interviews These are held twice a year for Classes 1 – 6 and are a vital way for you to understand the educational and social development of your child in the school. Notices of these days appear in the newsletter. Newsletter A weekly newsletter comes home with your child, which includes a calendar of events, a College of Teachers report and playgroup, kinder, school, community news and subcommittee reports. It is THE communicator of news and events throughout the school community and it is vital that each family carefully read it each week. There is also a ‘Friends of the Ballarat Steiner School’ group. This is especially for people who have an interest in Steiner education and the Ballarat Steiner School but who may not have a direct link to the school and access to the weekly newsletter. For example, past students and parents, grandparents of students who may not live in the area but want to receive regular information about their grandchildren’s school or anyone interested in the development of the school, kinder and playgroup. Behaviour and discipline The school has a progressive Discipline and Behaviour Policy based on mutually respectful relations. It includes classroom behaviour management, bullying, and playground behaviour. It is the basic right of all children to feel safe at all times. The purpose of rules is to ensure that happens. School Rules Part of our school philosophy is a belief that a vital part of living on Earth is caring for others and for the Earth itself. We believe that this leads to peace and deep happiness. The school is responsive to the National Safe Schools Framework. Therfore when students or teachers join our school we expect them to join in a community life where:
On a practical level this expresses itself in such obvious rules as:
Clothing At this school we have a dress code that considers both the inner and outer needs of the child. A great deal of care has been taken with the quality of the school environment, both outside and inside and this attention to detail is quite deliberate. The relative lack of posters and visual information of the walls, the use of clear, clean colours and the interesting lines and surfaces of the architecture all reflect an important underlying educational principle. Namely, that the sensory impressions received by the child, particularly visual and auditory impressions, work deeply into the child and have a significant influence on the ultimate health of the developing human being. Beauty and the sense of it can only be educated with beauty.
Please note the following points about clothing.
Food at School The school actively encourages eating nutritious food and drinking water. The school has a policy of keeping rubbish to a minimum and recycling wherever possible. The prep children are provided with a wholesome morning tea each school day which includes homemade bread, ‘prep’ slice and fruit salad. Classes 1 – 6 are able to buy their lunch each Friday in term 3. Food is provided by parents on a roster system and includes treats such as soup and toasties, pasta and baked potatoes.
Television Although Ballarat Steiner School does not have an official policy on television, it can be said that the curriculum will benefit your child much more, if television viewing is kept to an absolute minimum. It is important that the images of the children’s main lesson go with them into their sleep. School Events Festivals and Community Gatherings The school celebrates both seasonal and Christian festivals such as Harvest, Mid-Winter and Spring, Easter and Christmas. The annual cycle of the festivals is an important compliment to the daily and weekly rhythms of the life of the school, and provides an opportunity for participation by the whole school community. The celebration and reverence for the festivals weaves through the children’s work. Parents, relatives and friends are invited to share in these celebrations. Autumn Fayre The Autumn Fayre, held in April, is a busy and exciting time for our school and community. This is one of our major fundraisers and a great promotional event as the school is open to the wider community. It is hoped that every family can contribute to at least one activity for the Fayre. Open Days Open Days are generally held at least twice a year and these are days where the parents and wider community have the opportunity to experience the school in operation and to find out more about Steiner education. All new parents are encouraged to attend at least one Open Day.
Class Plays and Musical Performances Class plays are presented throughout the year and at the end of the year as part of the Christmas Festival, ‘The Shepherds Play’ by Rudolf Steiner is performed. Students present their musical accomplishments at regular informal soirees and at larger concerts, usually at the end of each term. Other Events Social events which may or may not be fundraisers and regular Land Group and Maintenance Working Bees are also held. While being important events for the functioning of the school, they are also fun and help to develop a sense of community and camaraderie. From time to time the school holds workshops/talks etc at school so that parents can be informed on topics of interest in relation to child development and other anthroposophical areas. These are advertised in the newsletter . Fees Ballarat Steiner School and Kindergarten Inc. is required to gather fees from parents, to cover the shortfall between Government funding and the cost of running the School, Kindergarten and Playgroup. These fees are set by The College of Teachers/Bursar on an annual basis and may be subject to change given unforeseen circumstances. It is not envisaged that fees will be increased during a school year. As well as tuition fees, there may occasionally be additional amounts to cover sundries such as recorders, eurythmy, cleaning etc. By registering a child at the School, Kindergarten or Playgroup, the parent is accepting this requirement to charge fees and charges, and agrees to make payment. Invoices will be generated by the Bursar. They become payable before the end of the second week of the following Term. Ballarat Steiner School is only minimally funded by the Government. As a consequence, most of the money needed for the day-to-day running of the school has to come from the parent body, both from fees and fundraising efforts throughout the year. It is important that the whole community contributes in some way to the fundraising activities of the school. Please note: The School provides a discount to the second, third and fourth child in every family. Financial assistance If parents are having problems paying invoices, their concerns should be immediately addressed to the Bursar to arrange a fee payment plan. This payment plan should be structured to ensure full payment by the end of each term. The plan will be put to the College of Teachers for ratification. The Bursar will refer debts to Commercial Debt Collectors for recovery action where necessary. Rates and Concessions are conditional on fees being paid within policy guidelines. The Ballarat Steiner School takes a compassionate attitude. We support families by discussing and assisting with managing fees to relieve concerns. For example, a fee management plan could be put in place after discussing with the School Bursar options such as fortnightly or monthly payments.
7. Further Reading On Steiner Education An Introduction to Rudolf Steiner-Waldorf Education – Masters et al Essentials of Rudolf Steiner Education – Wyndham Education for Freedom – Richardson Common-sense Schooling – Wilkinson Confessions of a Waldorf Parent – Gorman Portrait of a Waldorf School – Harwood Questions and Answers on Rudolf Steiner Education – Wilkinson On Children and Family The Children’s Year – Cooper Festivals, Family and Food – Carey/Large The Incarnating Child – Salter Echoes of a Dream – Smith Toy Making With Children – Jafte Rudolf Steiner, Anthroposophy & Bio-Dynamic Agriculture Anthroposophy as a Healing Force – Edmunds New Directions From New Zealand – Procter et al Biodynamic Agriculture - Podolinsky
NOTES
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Environment |
A Creative |
||||
Classes 1 - 6 |
& Plans for the Site |
& Rupolf Steiner |
Copyright: Ballarat Steiner School