Thursday 2 March 6:30pm P&F Meeting Honeysuckle Room Wednesday 8 March 7:30pm Our Changing View of the Sky Music Room Monday 13 March Public Holiday Monday 13 March Photo Orders Due Wednesday 15 March 7:30pm Social impulses. Artabana and the Raphael Impulse Music Room Wednesday 22 March 7:30pm Images of the first Goetheanum—a slide show Music Room Tuesday 28 March School Photos taken Wednesday 29 March School Photos taken Wednesday 29 March 3:00pm National Disability Insurance Scheme Meeting Honeysuckle Room Wednesday 29 March 7:30pm Occult Physiology and Macrocosm/Microcosm Music Room This year has started strongly for all our classes although, with a little of the inevitable social turbulence which inevitably accompanies the return to our social grouping after a prolonged absence. Social harmony is considered by all educators now to be an essential precondition for optimising academic learning but the education of the emotional intelligence in students that leads to this social harmonisation is not easily achieved. We find that two key features tend to emerge from discussions with our students when there is disharmony, social tension or conflicts in the class. One is a sense of injustice that has not been addressed or not been resolved to their satisfaction. This invariably causes a degree of licence in a student who feels this in any way. “If they can get away with this then I’m not going to make any efforts either. I will act as I please!” Steiner alludes to this syndrome when addressing the teachers at the first Waldorf School, “We need to take care that the children do not believe that we judge them unjustly. If they believe that, we should not be surprised if they are impertinent.” The second is that regard for another’s ‘feelings’ often remains under regarded. Physical harm or hurt is acknowledged and responded to immediately, and by everyone, but soul wounds or bruised feelings are responded to variously by different people. A child struggling to articulate why they are ‘feeling’ so hurt is often dismissed, or is implicitly – or explicitly – given to understand that they shouldn’t be so sensitive. For children it is of the utmost significance whether their peers or their parents and teachers are concerned or interested in how they feel about an incident, or a life circumstance or lesson content etc. It is by omission and neglect that our feeling lives are so often stunted or underdeveloped in our times. Real self- knowledge can only be arrived at through a healthy knowledge and understanding of how we feel about our lives and circumstances. My feelings of sympathy or antipathy to the world are how I come to know what traits characterise me – some of which we might seek to change when we become aware of them! We do not reach our highest potential by being governed by our feelings and emotions but we are crippled by a lack of attention to them and their import. In Steiner education we not only address the cultivation of emotional intelligence through moral education – through regard for other’s feelings and a deepening understanding of their own. We also seek to encourage children’s attention to their feeling responses to content areas and experiences in the learning programme. This ‘power of judgement’, this knowing how you feel about things so that you can soundly direct your course in life, is something that others ultimately cannot do for you and is the key thing Steiner noted needs to be addressed during adolescence. Even ‘feelings’ of injustice warrant being listened to and we can always become better listeners! As one Hindu practitioner put it; “If we could hear one another’s prayers, it would relieve God of a great burden.”
Transcript
Thursday 2 March 6:30pm P&F Meeting Honeysuckle Room
Wednesday 8 March 7:30pm Our Changing View of the Sky Music Room
Monday 13 March Public Holiday
Monday 13 March Photo Orders Due
Wednesday 15 March 7:30pm Social impulses. Artabana and the Raphael Impulse Music Room
Wednesday 22 March 7:30pm Images of the first Goetheanum—a slide show Music Room
Tuesday 28 March School Photos taken
Wednesday 29 March School Photos taken
Wednesday 29 March 3:00pm National Disability Insurance Scheme Meeting Honeysuckle Room
Wednesday 29 March 7:30pm Occult Physiology and Macrocosm/Microcosm Music Room
This year has started strongly for all our classes although, with a little of the inevitable social turbulence which inevitably accompanies the return to our social grouping after a prolonged absence. Social harmony is considered by all educators now to be an essential precondition for optimising academic learning but the education of the emotional intelligence in students that leads to this social harmonisation is not easily achieved. We find that two key features tend to emerge from discussions with our students when there is disharmony, social tension or conflicts in the class.
One is a sense of injustice that has not been addressed or not been resolved to their satisfaction. This invariably causes a degree of licence in a student who feels this in any way. “If they can get away with this then I’m not going to make any efforts either. I will act as I please!” Steiner alludes to this syndrome when addressing the teachers at the first Waldorf School, “We need to take care that the children do not believe that we judge them unjustly. If they believe that, we should not be surprised if they are impertinent.”
The second is that regard for another’s ‘feelings’ often remains under regarded. Physical harm or hurt is acknowledged and responded to immediately, and by everyone, but soul wounds or bruised feelings are responded to variously by different people.
A child struggling to articulate why they are ‘feeling’ so hurt is often dismissed, or is implicitly – or explicitly – given to understand that they shouldn’t be so sensitive. For children it is of the utmost significance whether their peers or their parents and teachers are concerned or interested in how they feel about an incident, or a life circumstance or lesson content etc.
It is by omission and neglect that our feeling lives are so often stunted or underdeveloped in our times. Real self-knowledge can only be arrived at through a healthy knowledge and understanding of how we feel about our lives and circumstances. My feelings of sympathy or antipathy to the world are how I come to know what traits
characterise me – some of which we might seek to change when we become aware of them! We do not reach our highest potential by being governed by our feelings and emotions but we are crippled by a lack of attention to them and their import.
In Steiner education we not only address the cultivation of emotional intelligence through moral education – through regard for other’s feelings and a deepening understanding of their own. We also seek to encourage children’s attention to their feeling responses to content areas and experiences in the learning programme. This ‘power of judgement’, this knowing how you feel about things so that you can soundly direct your course in life, is something that others ultimately cannot do for you and is the key thing Steiner noted needs to be addressed during adolescence.
Even ‘feelings’ of injustice warrant being listened to and we can always become better listeners! As one Hindu practitioner put it; “If we could hear one another’s prayers, it would relieve God of a great burden.”
Class 7 Ropes Camp
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over
it." - Nelson Mandela
Class 7 not only challenged their fears but thoroughly
enjoyed the Ropes Camp last week. The cohort was
initially dropped at the pinnacle of Kunanyi on Monday
morning. We were greeted by mist and temperatures of
roughly 3 degrees Celsius as we descended the mountain,
marvelling at the greater Hobart area that stretched out
before us.
We made it to camp in the late afternoon, after a day of
beautiful bushwalking. The following day we tried our
hand at some team-building challenges and a couple of
high ropes activities. The 'Sugar Glider' was definitely a
crowd favourite!
The students tackled the high ropes with nothing but grit,
determination, and a sense of adventure on Wednesday
morning. And we partook in the inaugural Tarremah
Crate Stacking Challenge!
We're now looking forward to the Maria Island camp at
the end of Term 4.
Hayley Saltmarsh
Some teachers and children have been wondering about
the smell of Nag Champa in the air and the sounds of
bells and Hare Krisna being chanted in Class 5. As part of
our studies about the mythology of Ancient India, Class 5
have been immersed into a cultural bubble but have also
had some fascinating visitors.
Bella's grandmother, Karma, has lived and an ashram for
many years and played the harmonium and sang with the
class. She also taught us the Omm symbol.
Elliott's mother, Emmanuelle, delighted us with her
flexibility as we attempted various yoga poses which went
far beyond the ones we have been practising daily in
class.
Elise Blacher
News and Events
We wish to follow up our notification in November, 2016
outlining the requirement that all volunteers at the
School must have a Working With Vulnerable People
(WWVP) Card as required by law. This came into effect on
1 February, 2017 and we wish to outline the procedure
that needs to be followed when entering the School to
volunteer.
Some examples of volunteering at the School are:
Parent help with classes / excursions
P&F Association
P&F Events, e.g. Child related activities (eg. Children’s
Tent, Rock Climbing)
Canteen
Attending Camps/Sleepovers
Class Walks
Volunteer Procedure when entering the School
1. Sign in at the Office – recording your WWVP number.
2. Collect a Visitor Lanyard and place your WWVP Card in
it and wear it whilst volunteering.
This is not required if you are volunteering for a
day excursion that is off campus, however, please
sign in at the Office and record your WWVP
number and sign out at the end of the excursion.
3. When finished, return your lanyard to the Office and
sign out.
Volunteering for Camps / Sleepovers
1. Complete a Medical & Consent Form for Parents where
you can record your WWVP number.
If you have not yet applied for your card the application
process is to be completed online at
www.justice.tas.gov.au/working_with_children. The
volunteer fee is currently $17.76 as set by the Department
of Justice. This is to be paid at any Service Tasmania
Shop. You will need to show 100 points of ID and have
your photo taken.
When you have your WWVP Registration card, please take
it to the School Office and a copy will be made for the
School’s records and placed on file.
We appreciate all parent involvement at the School and
your understanding and participation in this new
procedure, which will protect your children.
Should you have any questions regarding the process,
Tarremah Times Newsletter is published fortnightly during term times. For further information please contact the school office or visit http://www.tarremah.tas.edu.au
Tarremah Times is published by Tarremah Steiner School email: [email protected] http://www.tarremah.tas.edu.au PO Box 494 Kingston 7051 ph: 03 6229 7007 fax 03 6229 7708
Welcome back to Tarremah, and a big HUG and smiles to
all the new families who have joined our school
community
WE have some exciting NEW events coming up this year.
Stay posted for more details!!
A big thanks to everyone who came along, we had a good
turnout of about 60 eager parents and children. We got
many jobs done, all enjoyed a scrumptious lunch put on
by the P&F, and the school was left feeling loved and
nurtured!
The next one will be in October to beautify the School for
the Spring Fair.
Thursday 13 April from 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Stalls are available for families and students, only $15 for
a stall, and students only a gold coin donation for their
stall.
Get in quick, this has become a big event, with
homemade produce, craft, food, and activities for the
