2023 Journal Mansfield Steiner School

2023 Journal

We acknowledge and respect the continuing connection to country of the Taungurung people on whose land the Mansfield Steiner School is located.

COVER Holly Sanders working on a preliminary drawing of Network Error. This painting along with Celluloid Visions and Beyond the Viewfinder

by Holly Sanders and Connection by Abby Wettenhall, were chosen for the 2023 Annual Victorian and Tasmanian International Baccalaureate Diploma Visual Arts Exhibition at Glen Eira City Council Gallery, 1 - 24 February 2024

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already enough. This doesn’t mean that our children don’t have a lot to learn or that they don’t need our considered guidance. It simply means that we begin from the understanding that the most important part of them is already there to be recognised. It’s the same part of them that, as parents, we will love unconditionally, regardless of their life choices or actions.

PRINCIPAL This year has marked another milestone in the history and development of Mansfield Steiner School as it was the first time we have had a full complement of classes from Kinder to Year 12. This achievement has been the result of the dedication, commitment and vision of a great many people over a long period of time and makes possible a complete education for our students.

We can be grateful for our community, which continues to grow and diversify as our student numbers continue to build. Our reasons for choosing the school naturally vary as there are many good reasons for us to send our children here. What is common though, is that we have seen in Steiner education, particularly in the way it is delivered at Mansfield Steiner School, a learning community that strives to meet, see, and understand our children from the starting point that they are

As a parent, a teacher, and a principal I feel incredibly grateful that we can offer our children the experience of being educated at our school. At any level you choose to examine, we are blessed with committed caring, and intelligent staff who are working hard for our children and a physical space that continues to grow in beauty. The Steiner curriculum demands that staff not only develop creative, engaging classroom experiences that meet the student’s stage of development but that they consistently reflect deeply on themselves and understand how their approach to their own life impacts their students. We encourage and expect this same level of self-reflection from our families.

We have been able to make use of our wonderful new buildings this year and officially opened them in late July with Helen Haines and Cindy McLeish in attendance. Having Aunty Bernadette conduct a smoking ceremony as part of the opening was a highlight of the day.

We are also thankful to Taungurung for their assistance in the naming of these new rooms, Dadjerri, Ngarrart, Mungga, and Derran. In Term 3, we began work on our next 5-year strategic plan. Input from all parts of the school community was welcomed and we look forward to our entire community working toward the goals we have developed over the coming years.

The end of the school year is always tinged with some sadness as there are always staff, families, and students for whom this marks the end of their journey at the school.

We wish our graduating IB students the best and acknowledge their effort, not only in IB over the past 2 years, but also in their contribution to the school over many years. We

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thank our departing staff and board members for their dedication and commitment to guiding our students and our school. Finally, we thank and wish departing students or families the best in their adventures to come.

Thank you for being part of the school and contributing to this special place.

Both Linda Sampson and Sue Plumb are retiring at the end of this year.

Linda has been part of MRSSK since arriving in Mansfield when her children, Daisy and Max joined. In 2009, she began work as the Class 3/4 Teacher and has been a part of the fabric of the school ever since.

Linda’s first class were our inaugural graduating IB year. Her dedication to the school has helped us grow to where we are today, and we will be forever grateful for her contribution.

Congratulations Linda, on a career of service to young people. We know Linda will continue to be an active part of the school community.

Sue Plumb started working at MRSSK in 2018 and was a key member in the expansion of the secondary offerings, specifically the successful implementation of the IBDP. Sue came to us following an extensive career of teaching in Melbourne. She is the consummate professional; organized, refined in her teaching practise, and a fantastic colleague. We are all very excited to see what Sue creates in her re-wiring (not retiring!) and wish her the very best in her artistic endeavors.

We thank the following staff members who are departing this year and thank them for their contributions and wish them the best in their next adventures: Melinda Karzons, Erin Fischer, Felicia Gomez, Ness Hinneberg, Skye Meek, and Amber Keys.

I hope this year’s journal enables you to reflect on the unique place that is our school and that we can all feel grateful that we are able to provide our children with such rich and fulfilling experiences that help them to know that the world is a good place and that it is a better place for having them in it.

GLENN HOOD

CONTENTS EARLY CHILDHOOD Morning Star Rosa Mundi Prep

6 8

PARENTS & FRIENDS CRAFT

10 11

PRIMARY Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4 Class 5 Class 6

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12 14 16 18 20 22

GARDENS & GROUNDS NEW BUILDINGS BIRDS IN THE BACKYARD SARAH LEIBER MUSIC

24 25 26 27 28

SECONDARY Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Secondary Art

32 34 36 38 40

FESTIVALS

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IB DIPLOMA Art Year 11 Year 12

42 44 46

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MORNING STAR

The Woven Thread of Morning Star Morning Star Kindergarten is a home away from home for little folk.

Each week we welcome a gathering of families into the Kinder room to be part of our playgroup. It is a wonderous time for the little children as they learn to navigate and explore a new environment.

Together we knead dough to make bread for morning tea and parents are always nearby as the familiar thread that the children need. Before too long a favourite toy is found that will be part of their weekly visit. Interactions between toddlers begin to take place, learning names, sharing toys and playing alongside one another.

Older children that are attending will help with table setting and cutting fruit. As the year progresses, the young children are slowly awakening

naturally in a gentle environment that may one day become their Kindergarten and then school journey. The home away from home progresses as the little three-yearold ‘Honeybee’ children enter our garden the following year.

The familiarity of playgroup has helped the children feel secure as the families say farewell for the day. The rhythm of the day is extended, but has the memories of last year that is all so predictable for the little folk. We knead bread, play with friends, sing songs of the seasons, share morning tea and listen to stories together. Crafts and activities are added to the day, and we all rest together and listen to the soft tunes of the lyre. The children go home with stories to tell of their days at Morning Star.

As the four-year-old ‘Echidna’ children arrive, they have been part of the Morning Star family for two years now. They confidently wave goodbye to families as they begin busily playing in the garden 6

with friends they have made from last year’s ‘Honeybee’ group. The sandpit is the hive of business where the children gather and begin their work. Flowers are picked, nature is collected and the children show care and love for their Kinder garden. As the children gather in the cottage room to move inside, slippers are selected, and we all board the ‘Morning Star train’ ready to wash hands and begin our mornings in the room. We cook, play and all join Morning Circle time with songs, verses and dancing. The day unfolds in the rhythmic way with which the children are familiar, using gentle songs as prompts to move throughout the day from inside times to outside times. More detailed craft work is undertaken and beeswax modelling is introduced. Our seasonal crafts may include wet felting, sewing small projects, clay work, and weaving and finger knitting with which to finish the year.

On Fridays we have a change tothe rhythm, we call this our ‘Nature Day’.

Stars all whisper softly, to all of us each night.

Like angels in the darkness, they guide us with their light.

No more work and no more play, all our toys are packed away.

And ended is a lovely day.’

The children spend the day outside exploring our seasonal garden. We prepare our meals outdoors, gather for Morning Circle in the garden and eat our meals outside in the garden.

The highlight of our day is when we walk up into the big school and discover what is happening in nature as we explore the grounds. We may

play a game along the way, gather kindling for our fire in the cooler months, collect some produce from the school garden and, at the right time of the seasons, we will help with harvesting crops.

The afternoons are spent drawing what we have just discovered in our floor books, enjoying a told story together and talking about the morning we have shared together over lunch. Rest time gives the children time for reflection, and we all gather on our mattresses with a rainbow rug and listen to the soft tunes of the lyre. Our days finish outdoors, playing and attending to some unfinished craft work that we may have from the week.

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As all of the groups leave, we will always hold hands and sing a verse to bring closure to the time we have spent together. This is just one of the threads that we have that connects the journey through Morning Star.

SANDI VALERIO

ROSA MUNDI PREP If you have ever spent time with 5–6-year-olds, one can observe their keen desire to engage with the world.

They move through spaces, sometimes erratically, searching for the boundaries between self and other. In their quest to find bees in the garden, they become bees, flittering and fluttering from flower to flower, somehow metamorphosing along the way into a koala climbing trees. Industrious and present is the 6-yearold, actively engaging with others and the living world.

In the early years of Steiner education, we focus on the formative senses of Movement, Balance, Touch and Life within children to assist their physical development, watering seeds which will later assist social and emotional learning, academic studies and imaginative capacities. Likewise, in Steiner Education we are afforded the space, capacity and time to be flexible within our programs, tailoring to the independent needs of children and the essence of each cohort. Following a few years which could be characterised as anything but ordinary, the 2023 Rosa Mundi Preps needed a program which met their unique and ever evolving needs. The essence of these children was deeply rooted in the outside world, flittering and fluttering with the bees. And so, we tailored a program rooted in the sense of Movement, Balance, Touch and Life with nature focused outside learning.

If you visited our school throughout the year, you would have been greeted each morning by a line of marching ants journeying through the school grounds. Every day we marched to visit our beloved creek, go rock hopping and visit Balance Land, where we traversed hand-built balance courses, tip toeing over narrow creek bridges.

These adventures were loved by children, in rain, sunshine and days where it felt like it would snow! Across the year, tiny, dimpled hands grew, strengthened and slipped from teachers’ hands to cross over the narrow bridge solo. Strong bodies balancing and tiptoeing with ease, faces proud with joy as feet met firm earth again.

Those same hands cuddling a warm cup of spiced milky tea and some pancake slice just moments after.

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For the children this was a daily experience filled with overcoming fear, freedom and laughter. Yet, it was also filled with activities which nourish and fertilise the development of the formative senses. Moving with directed focus allows children to develop awareness of self in space. Focused movement encourages selfregulation and assists in building awareness of how the individual moves within and affects a group; essential skills needed for learning and healthy relating in the class years beyond prep.

The sense of balance allows children to navigate the transition between movement and rest, later assisting integration of self, a strong sense of boundaries and self-awareness.

Nourishing the sense of Touch also helps establish healthy boundaries and self-awareness. Holding the knowledge of what will later bloom from the embodiment of Balance and Touch in the early years offers a wonderous filter to little hands experimenting with balancing the force applied to a sphere made of wild harvested clay from the creek side.

The rhythmic flow of each morning. The fresh air on ruddy cheeks. Hands digging in earth and water. Warm slice nourishing hungry tummies. The sense of Life honoured each day. Fertilising a deep sense of security in the world, supporting the knowing a child is both within and of the world. It’s exciting to ponder what purposeful and impactful action will sprout from children who know the natural beauty around them is reflected within themselves.

FELICIA GOMEZ

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Mansfield Steiner Parents & Friends Committee Mission Statement The Parents & Friends Committee of Mansfield Rudolf Steiner School is dedicated to fostering

The Parents & Friends Committee (P&F) welcomes the involvement of parents, caregivers and school staff.

The P&F work on providing a positive and friendly community beyond the classroom. Working in partnership with the Principal and representing the interests of the whole parent body to benefit and enhance every student’s school experience.

caregivers, friends and staff, ensuring that everyone is wellinformed and engaged in the school community.

4. Supporting the School: coordinating social events for parents and children, and fundraising and sourcing grant opportunities to assist the school in subsidising events and providing a variety of additional resources.

PARENTS & FRIENDS a strong and supportive community that actively contributes to the holistic development of our students. We strive to create an inclusive and nurturing environment where parents, caregivers, friends, and teachers collaborate to enhance the educational experience and wellbeing of every child.

The P&F fosters friendships and develops a support network within the school community by; 1.

Fostering Collaboration: we aim to build strong partnerships between parents, guardians, friends and staff by working together to create a harmonious and nurturing educational environment for our students and building community spirit.

2. Nurturing Wellbeing: we promote a supportive and caring community, including welcoming new families into the school.

3. Promoting Communication: we strive to facilitate open and effective communication channels between parents,

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5. The P&F Committee plan to hold two events each term: a social event for the school community to come together and a fundraising event.

6. We welcome input and work together to provide a friendly community that allows parents to be actively involved in the happenings and culture of our school.

AMBER WRIGHT

JOIN P&F community@mrssk.vic.edu.au

CRAFT Handwork brings balance between intellectual and movement activities, allowing students to experience the struggle, joy, and care required in the creative process. The rhythmic repetition of knitting and crocheting strengthens a child’s concentration and hand-eye coordination. It also enhances Maths skills through counting rows and stitches, measuring out patterns, and creating three-dimensional items. Children learn to correct their mistakes and value quality, utility, and hard work. Nothing is wasted and all materials are treated with care and respect, helping the children to be reverent and grateful for the gifts of the earth, plants and animals. The joy of accomplishment, as the children complete increasingly difficult tasks in small steps, creates the self-confidence necessary to tackle much larger tasks in their future academic and professional lives.

LOU JENKINS

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CLASS 1 In our school, the wisdom of the years sits in the walls and the spaces in which children have learned and played for decades before us.

The work of the teachers who have not only taught each of these students, but have brought the school into being as it exists today, is palpable as you walk into each classroom. So, the liminality of a beautiful, yet unlived, new classroom loomed over the fresh Class 1 children as they began school this year in their new classroom, Ngarrart.

Starting Class 1 is a rite of passage in Steiner Schools. On the verge of turning seven years old, children have by now developed a rich connection to the world and a hunger for knowledge and skills that catapults them into the world of academic learning.

Developmentally, they are ready to learn to read, write, to understand number processes as integral life tools, and to see and understand the phenomena of the natural world through newfound capacities and keen observation skills. Awaiting the Class 1s this year was also the challenge of inhabiting their new classroom, Ngarrart, where they would be the pioneers of embedding it with the spirit of the school and establishing it as a learning place for all those children who will undertake their own rite of passage in years to come.

Named after the Taungurung word for ‘frog’, Ngarrart met the children with many new discoveries. The summer sun warmed backs during our Morning Circles and sent children scurrying for shade under desks as it beamed through the beautiful north-facing windows each afternoon. Full, lockable doors on toilets brought respite and peaceful toilet breaks after the convivial half doors of the early childhood rooms.

Curved walls and small corners on external walls made for fun hiding spots and trickery at the end-ofplaytime bell, and the long, hanging lights and beams inside made for enticing target practice with beanbags. The special pink nook with its curved window became a cosy winter’s storytime home and a much-loved construction space for building cubbies, winding domino patterns and small homes (or traps!) for wayward flies.

As though they knew just what was needed, the children of Class 1 set about the task of building a class in a new classroom with creativity,

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enthusiasm and wonder. A Steiner stalwart, our Introduction to the Alphabet Main Lesson became extended day by day until it had more than doubled the time allocated to it, because the children were so enthralled in this new landscape of literacy. They could not leave an (alphabet) stone unturned and had spent 26 days filling the pages of their new books with each new letter they met. The year unfolded much the same as it began; each new concept became quickly beloved, as stories that have been told to children for centuries were gulped up and woven into the play, conversations and learning of each child.

As we can so often be reminded by children, if we provide them with an environment that nurtures their developmental stage, they know how to learn. Just as they knew to roll, then crawl, then bring themselves into an upright position and walk as babies, so too have these Class 1 children known how to undertake the business of academic learning, whilst at the same time etching a little of themselves (and their crayons) into the walls of Ngarrart for the first time.

AMY BURNS

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CLASS 2 An Unfolding Journey.

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Class 2 is a time of wonder in the beauty and diversity of the world that is enhanced and fostered through enchanting stories of adventure. The Class 2 children have enjoyed putting the skills that were first introduced in Class 1 into practice, writing and reading independently and discovering new concepts around the world of numbers.

gained meaning through these experiences. The creation story of the Rainbow Snake and Taungurung stories of the Wariin (Wombat) and Marram (kangaroo) helped the children gain an understanding of the creatures that they have seen in their own school grounds.

They made special memories the day that a mother wombat and her joey came trotting right past the classroom window having been displaced during a massive storm.

They began the year with a Main Lesson of comical Animal Fables and the children laughed as they reenacted these short stories each day. They found parallels in the choices they make themselves and the foibles of the animal characters.

The epic saga of the Celtic Dragon Myth fed the children’s love of adventure and mystery as they journeyed across the land with the brothers in the story conquering dragons and other mystical creatures. Stories of St Francis, St Patrick, St Valentine, St George and Hiawatha shaped their moral understandings of the world as they moved from identifying naming and doing words in the texts that they investigated to using describing words to define the characteristics of the characters and the impacts of their actions. The children worked with the idea that out of adversity great good can come if people are strong in their determination to be kind and see goodness in others.

They have again enjoyed hearing world tales of many different types and Indigenous tales to support their study of the local area. They took their shoes off and walked on the land and through the creek after the first winter rains and pondered just what it means to be on Taungurung country; the words Wa Wa Bik (hello country)

The imaginative tale of Jack and Jill, who search to find 12 pieces of a puzzle, unlocked the world of times tables patterns through song, movement, skipping and, most importantly, beautiful patterns. The concept of place value and counting in groups of ten was introduced through the tale of Platona who showed the Maths gnomes how to work with groups of 10, 100s and 1000s The children had lots of fun as they worked with their wishing stone gems to make groups of ten in little bundles before adding the bundles in hundreds to baskets, then baskets to boxes of one thousand.

The story of Square City brought the concept of square numbers and the children discovered the multitude of patterns that could be made by making squares of various sizes with their gems. The magic square of 15 using the numbers 1-9 proved a fascinating exercise.

Time in the beautiful outdoors was greatly appreciated during four weeks of skiing in the winter and on lots of different walks around the district. The children admired the many different plants and animals that they found, including a baby long-necked turtle at the Mansfield Botanical Gardens. They gave back to the community through a tree planting day and helped maintain

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the school garden during weekly gardening sessions.

Many new notes were learned on the recorder as the children learned to play using both hands. Songs such as ‘Sky Boat’, ‘Headstrong Horses’ and ‘Land of the Silver Birch’ became great favourites to play. The children enjoyed watching the older classes in a variety of performances and in plays throughout the year.

Their capacities as individuals and their strength as a group in understanding and working together has continued to shape their development as kind and caring human beings as they have welcomed new classmates and friends.

ARIEL STAVA

CLASS 3 MONEY FOR GOOD When you are devoted to looking after injured or abandoned wildlife, it is hard to be anywhere else, so when I called Cathy Raeburn after our Class 3 Shop Day, I didn’t have any expectations.

That she would be coming into town the next day and have an hour free between juggling her three shiftwork jobs was a great surprise. The students were so excited to be able to give her the $804.05 that they had raised and relished the opportunity to make her beautiful cards in appreciation of her work at the Jamieson Wildlife Shelter.

Later she told me how she treasured those cards and hearing the anecdotes of the children when they had come across injured wildlife on the road. Like the drawing of the kangaroo on the road and the car on the side with skid marks where it had swerved to miss the kangaroo. Or the tale of the echidna burying itself deeper into the gravel when attempting to be rescued.

I’m not sure who spoke more during the hour she was with us, but we certainly learnt a lot about the antics of different animals and that Cathy spends about $70 a day on feed and supplies for the wildlife she supports. Some quick mental Maths and the students worked out they had helped her for more than 10 days.

The idea of helping local wildlife with the Shop proceeds was an almost unanimous decision. The other option had been to help the pygmy possums on the mountain, but driving country roads to school

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each day means the tragic evidence of incidents with animals and cars on roads is very real.

The students were tasked with making things at home to sell at school on Shop Day. The variety of homemade goodies was fabulous and included: cocoa butter and coconut oil soap; beeswax candles; comic books featuring our unofficial class mascot, Pipsqueak; bookmarks with inspirational ideas; bath sherbets; cork doggies; crafted boats; carved wooden creatures; handsewn beanbags; gnomes; special occasion cards; origami; plaited keychains; gorgeous rock paintings; and fimo fridge magnets and badges. There was also mouthwatering chocolate cake, rice crackles, honey joys, shortbread, brownies, rumballs, mandarin marmalade and lemon butter.

Everyone had honed their shop skills in class with our original class shop in the early days of our Money Main Lesson. For the class shop, they could make anything with materials

they found in the classroom like beeswax, cards, and wool. They were then loaned $5.00 from the class bank as a float and two students were tasked with buying from the others and making a shop to sell the goods to the rest of the class.

It soon transitioned into the whole classroom becoming a vibrant marketplace as little stalls popped up everywhere with students keen to sell their wares to any passer-by!

Before our class shop, they had a barter experience with me where they offered to clean up the yard of rubbish, or stray bits and pieces, in exchange for a piece of beeswax or a beautiful card that they could keep. Reward for effort was much appreciated by the school community having a more beautiful space and, equally, the students when they received their materials.

It was a wonderful Main Lesson with rich experiences of the value of money to give and or to receive. If you can, please use your money for the good of others and donate some to Cathy at the Jamieson Wildlife Shelter, phone 0412 775 927.

LOU PULLAR

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CLASS 4 Learning through the body first is what gives our lessons depth. We have moved to the beat of the Zulu people of Southern Africa and learnt to weave traditional baskets.

We have carved wooden spoons and moulded mugs and bowls. These hands-on experiences accompanied by music, stories and history help students appreciate other cultures and to look outside of themselves.

In Class 4, students start to realise their individuality and that other people and cultures are different.

They turn around and see the world reflected back at them. Rather than being daunting and overwhelming, this is an exciting time for the turning-ten-year-old and they relish the opportunity to explore their new relationships with all that surrounds them. This bourgeoning confidence is channelled into stomping and thrashing like the Vikings, stamping with staves to the rhythmical chants of these warrior people. Newfound strength powers hand-tools to carve wooden shields, hammer copper and whittle swords. Performing ‘Anansi the Trickster’ in Term 2 was an opportunity for all these skills to come together. The stage is a place where unexpected talents are revealed and bolder individuals hone their interpersonal skills to work as a team.

Nerves become irrelevant when dance, song, movement and speech have been embodied.

During our Human and Animal Main

Lesson students embraced animals with which they felt an affinity. They moved like an echidna, salamander or rabbit, drew elephants and giraffes in savannah grasslands, then chose their favourite creature to mould, study and present to the class. In Term 1 the class went on an African safari tour to the Werribee Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary to learn more about animals and their habitats. As a class we raised money for the pygmy possum and were visited by a ranger who taught us that this tiny possum is the only marsupial to hibernate and can only be found on Mt. Buller and Mt. Hotham, relying on snow fall to survive. Learning through the body prepares the mind for thinking, questioning and analysing and many different tangents of thought were explored through our animal studies.

The need to ignite the intellect becomes more apparent at this stage of the child’s journey.

Geography is now an important aspect of the curriculum and students learn to draw maps and navigate. Local area is studied in more depth as we map rivers and mountains, revere how the traditional people of this land survived and thrived and analyse land use today. Our second camp was to the Speir’s farm on the Upper Delatite River where students learnt about the upper catchment of this beautiful waterway and its journey towards Lake Eildon.

In History, students are introduced to timelines and the vast scale of our human history. They learn how skills such as writing evolves. Explicit learning is always accompanied by lived experience. We wrote

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Cuneiform on clay, made ink wells in which to dip feather quills and painted ancient Chinese calligraphy characters. Students worked hard to earn their fountain pen licence after much form drawing, handwriting and crafting of their own cross-stitch pen holder.

Their world is fractioning and so we intertwine parts of the whole into all that we do. Cooking cakes with 3/4 of a cup and 1/2 a teaspoon, finding the diameter of a Viking shield, then decorating each quadrant a different colour, sharing three oranges from our garden evenly amongst a pair, dividing birthday cakes so that everyone receives 1/20th. We continue to learn music that has harmonies and play Class Orchestra with great gusto on Thursday mornings, each group of instruments playing their own part. “Can we sing a song?” is met with a three-part round of ‘Ah Poor Bird’, then ‘Campfires Burning’, then ‘Scarborough Fair’. Fractions can sound beautiful too and we don’t have to all do the same thing to be working together. We all have different strengths and areas on which to work and we will all strive for improvement in our own way.

CLARE BENNETTS

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Ancient India and the story of Rama and Sita started our year. The saga is long and involved, including battles, adventure, magic and a love story all in one. Students listen with rapt attention as the story unfolds and happily learn beautiful Hindu mantras and retell the tale with gusto. The

Australian History was the theme for Term 2 with a camp to Sovereign Hill where the class dressed in clothes students would have worn in 1850 and attended the Ragged School where they learned about life as a student in those times. Maths skills came to the fore as well, as students decided how to spend their money at the various shops. Much adding and subtracting took place as they worked out how much they could spend and still have some left for raspberry drops! Read throughout the term, the story of Nanberry, an Indigenous boy from 1770, gave the students insight into how the coming of the English affected the lives of the Australians already here.

CLASS 5 life of Buddha brings the ‘myth’ into the real world of ‘history’. Students learn a little of what it was like to live in times where the caste system was alive and well, and they enjoyed an Indian feast where they made some of the dishes at school and then brought a dish they had made with their parents to share in the evening. An excursion to the Hare Krishna temple and a Buddhist temple completed this Main Lesson.

Students also took part in a camp to Lake Nillahcootie where they learned the fundamentals of sailing and also had the opportunity to kayak around the lake. While the weather could have been better, it was a great way to learn a new skill and there were many fun tales told of righting boats that had ‘accidentally’ capsized.

The story of Gilgamesh and Enkidu became the basis of our Class Play – ‘The Epic of Gilgamesh’ - as part of our study of Ancient Mesopotamia.

While the story is quite complex, the students learned their lines easily and then had a chance to add their own touches to how the play was delivered. The class took this aspect of production very seriously and added much to the final performance.

Class Orchestra continued throughout the year and a highlight for the players was their performance for the Kindergarten students. Students performed at an evening picnic early in the year as well as at the Spring Fair. It was lovely to see confidence growing as the year progressed. Individuals had a chance to perform on their chosen instruments at the solo concert in Term 3, to much acclaim.

Ancient Egypt was another favourite Main Lesson as students were able to choose a project topic and they took this opportunity to 20

look at things in which they were interested– from Ancient Egyptian Chemistry to clothing, battles and weapons. The class made some Egyptian celebration biscuits (maaoul) and shared these with their parents at our Egyptian feast.

The year ends with Ancient Greece and the stories of the Gods.

Students learn about Zeus and Hera and all their brothers/sisters and children. There are so many great stories – from Jason and the Golden Fleece to Hercules and his 12 labours as well as the traditional Odysseus stories. Students enjoy reading, writing and drawing about all the different adventures.

One of the students’ favourite lessons was Sport and we were able to share some of these lessons with Class 4 and Class 6 during the year, giving us a chance to play some games that need extra players.

Swimming, athletics and skiing were also part of the Physical Education program and students participated with enthusiasm.

Singing, recorder, painting and drawing are an important part of the curriculum as well as Maths and English as part of both Main Lessons and practice lessons. It is a very rich year curriculum-wise and the students embraced the learning, showing increasing ability to take responsibility for themselves.

JACINTA WALKER

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CLASS 6

Class 6 is a momentous year: the last year of Primary School, the completion of a 6-year journey with the class teacher, alongside a leap in maturity in the students themselves as they enter into the next life stage of adolescence. The class has a hunger to use their developing intellectual capacity, to understand more complex ideas and to question and explore how the world works.

The curriculum is filled with Main Lessons that allow the students to explore the world, through multiple Physics Main Lessons looking at acoustics, optics, warmth, magnetism and electricity, in Geology exploring the earth and its processes and in Geometry moving from free hand form drawing to using a compass and ruler to create precise geometric shapes. History and Geography bring a global perspective and Astronomy challenges them to extend their understanding of our place in the cosmos. This is also a year of pushing themselves outside of their comfort zones, challenging themselves and working through difficult situations to find success.

Camps, music, sports and athletics were a large part of the year, starting in Term 1 with our swimming

program. In our Australian History Main Lesson, the students were able to not only hear the stories of the first European settlers in the area and the difficulties of life in the 1800s, but were able to experience it on their Horse Camp in Merrijig to the McCormacks. The students rode horses through the local area for three days, heard about the McCormack family coming to Merrijig in the 1800s and how their family has continued to farm the land since. The students were lucky to have the full bush experience while riding back to the stables on the final day. As we were riding along a ridge taking in the stunning landscape overlooking Mt Timbertop, dark storm clouds raced in, followed by lightning and thunder and so much rain our boots were overflowing with water within a few minutes of the downpour. There was nowhere to go but forward, and the class did just that. The students had a small glimpse of the difficulties of early settler life and were forced to keep going even when things became uncomfortable.

In athletics, the students practised high jump, long jump, triple jump, discus, shotput and running events, challenging themselves physically.

Unfortunately, our Athletics Day was rained out at the end of Term 1, but the students were able to compete in the District Athletics in Term 3. In Term 2, the students used their endurance to participate in the District Cross Country at the Mansfield Golf Course, running 3 kilometres. As we moved into Autumn, the students were able to learn a new and exciting skill on our Sailing Camp, as they sailed through the cold and wet weather. They had a great time and by the second day they were sailing their own boats up and down Lake Nillahcootie. The students worked as a team of four, embracing the uncomfortable and finding joy even through shivering bodies and chattering teeth. Term 3 brought another new experience on

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Mt Stirling. The class packed their sleeping bags, warm clothes and food and headed up to Cricket Pitch for an overnight camp in the snow.

Due to warm weather and limited snow, the students ended up hiking straight up the mountain for around 10 kilometres up to Cricket Pitch with all their gear. The students skied until sunset, making jumps, forging paths through the trees and bombing down the one long hill that still had snow. Overnight, the students looked for constellations in the sky and walked through the woods by moonlight. This was a new and difficult experience for some to carry their own gear and to have to hike with a large backpack, but they all made it back with smiles on the bus ride home. Term 4 started with the Class 6 Music Camp to Ballarat.

The class spent the days with the students from the Ballarat Steiner School learning new music, practising their techniques and putting on a performance. At night they went to the Ballarat Observatory to look at the night sky through massive telescopes, viewing Saturn, its rings and some of its moons. The Class Orchestra was then well prepared for their performances at our Spring Fair in the middle of the term.

Class 6 is full of exciting learning and experiences, challenging the students to prepare them for their secondary school journey.

MICHAEL BRITTAIN

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GARDENS & GROUNDS It’s been a steady year of growth and learning in the Steiner School Garden this year and it is so lovely to see the children contribute to all the hard work that it takes to keep the extensive gardens and grounds a beautiful space for everyone to connect with.

We thank you for the seeds to sew We thank you for the plants that grow We thank you for the work to do We thank the earth for me and you

The kitchen garden is considered an extension of the classroom in the Steiner curriculum and much time is spent with the primary children carrying out different tasks such as tilling soil, seed raising, planting, harvesting, composting, mulching and looking after our worm farms.

It is rewarding to watch the littlest children familiarize themselves with the new space to work and learn, then gain confidence throughout the years and be confident enough to use their own initiative and predict the tasks that need to be completed.

We have the great help of the capable secondary students who carry out more labour-intensive tasks such as weed control, shifting

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gravel and extensive mulching.

We have also opened the garden for volunteers to come and spend time in the garden with the aim of strengthening the school community on new levels. We hope to see many new faces taking up this offer and thank you for all your efforts to date.

FINELLA WADGE

NEW BUILDINGS This year we celebrated the opening of our new classrooms. Taungurung Elder Auntie Bernadette Franklin performed a beautiful welcome to country with a smoking ceremony before the speeches’ that included a welcome by Helen Haines and the official unveiling of the plaque by Year 12 IB Dip student Holly Sanders, for Senator White who was unable to attend.

Cindy McLeash also attended the ceremony and toured the new classrooms.

The classrooms Ngarrat, Dadjerri, Derran and Mungga were named with permission of the Taungurung people.

NGARRART - Frog DADJERRI - Brushtail Phascogale (tuan) DERRAN- Seed - Art 1 MUNGGA - Make, work, do, mend - Art 2

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BIRDS IN OUR BACKYARD Each October, for a few years now, MRSSK has participated in the Aussie Backyard Bird Count. This year, kinder, prep, Class 2 and Class 4 walked around the school making the 20-minute lists of birds they saw or heard. The Class 2 children used the numbers in their lists to practice addition, and the Class 4 students made the lists as part of their ‘Local Area’ Main Lesson. Some of the secondary students even used the information from the lists to explore statistics.

In all, we did 15 lists and had a total 1,191 sightings. Of the 45 bird species seen during the week, four of them were new to our school list - White-throated Gerygone, Olivebacked Oriole, Nankeen Night-heron and Hardhead (a type of duck). Our school bird species list now sits at 82 species.

metre-long sticks that a few of us have seen the ravens carrying when they are nest building. Another reason to go to this spot is that there is a sizeable dam below the tree. The habitat provided by the dam and its watery surrounds supports wetland bird species that we don’t always see at our ‘creek’.

One bird species of which the children are very aware is the Australian Raven. Reuben the Raven and his or her progeny insistently noisily include themselves in various activities held in Melliodora Hall. Even though this can be distracting during plays and assemblies, Reuben et al have provided us with an opportunity to give some awareness to the misapplied name of ‘crow’. While they are merely defending themselves from their reflected adversary in the hall windows, the ravens have become almost mascots for the school.

Improving the habitats for indigenous birds at school has been one of our sustainability goals. We have worked on improving habitat for smaller birds by planting lots of dense and/or prickly shrubs in our garden, and this is starting to pay off with fairywrens and more thornbills on campus.

Unfortunately, the loss of many eucalypts due to safety concerns and building projects has caused a drop in the diversity and numbers of nectar-feeders such as honeyeaters: the price of progress. We will have to think about what other indigenous plant species we can grow – such as bottlebrushes or banksias – that will continue to provide habitat for these birds.

One place to which we generally take the children, when we do the annual bird count, is the neighbour’s paddock tree that contains Reuben’s nest. The nest is clearly visible in the tree canopy, and includes some

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KAZ WILSON

SARAH LEIBER

On Monday evening October 2nd an afternoon tea was held in the Melliodora Hall to show appreciation for Sarah Lieber’s 12 years as a member of Mansfield Steiner School Governance Committee, 10 of these years being in the role of President. The event was also to celebrate her many achievements in the position.

Past and present members and teachers attended.

Speeches covering Sarah’s time at the school and her various accomplishments were given by Principal Glenn Hood, former Principal Fran Cummins, and present Governance Committee President, John Bowen.

Sarah moved to Mansfield purely for the school. She was a single parent with her three children: Monty who joined Class 3, Ruby in Class 1 and Star in pre-school. As soon as Sarah enrolled her children, she became a very involved parent, volunteering in craft classes, helping on camps and being an active member of the Parents & Friends (P&F) Committee. Sarah first joined the Governance Committee as the P&F representative. Sarah took her role very seriously, gaining a true picture of the happenings of the school. Sarah was instrumental in bringing about some of the major changes in the school, including overseeing a leadership restructure, employing the first Principal, extending the school from a Primary School and was a founding parent of Years 7 and 8. In later years, she was instrumental in the school extending to cover Kindergarten to Year 12. In addition, she was involved in several successful building submissions. Sarah’s own children had left the school before many of these changes took place, yet her commitment to the school involved many hours in her own time attending meetings, carefully

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and thoroughly reading reports, writing detailed submissions and scrutinising risk assessments for camps and excursions. Sarah built strong relationships between the school administration team and the Governance Committee, allowing for robust discussions and a greater understanding of their respective roles. Sarah was able to make tough, and sometimes unpopular, decisions and to effectively deal with the consequences.

The school expressed its gratitude to Sarah for her tireless work and dedication over so many years by presenting her with a citrus tree to be planted in her honour in the school grounds and a painting by Year 12 student, Abby Wettenhall.

FRAN CUMMINS

MUSIC

“In sculpture and painting we look at beauty and experience it; in music we ourselves become beauty.”

Rudolf Steiner It has been another year filled with beautiful music, from festivals and performances to the daily rhythms of singing and music making. Music is highly valued by all our staff and the Music faculty has the privilege of enabling this musicality to flourish.

Working with the Steiner philosophy of rhythm, we have endeavoured to create a solid daily, weekly, and yearly music rhythm both in our individual lessons, class orchestras, concerts, and festivals.

Strings on the Green was a new music event in 2023. This picnic

style gathering was an opportunity for our extra-curricular strings groups to perform. It was a windy, sweltering day and the students bravely rehearsed all day before performing to a supportive audience in the afternoon. Beethoven, Coldplay, ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Final Countdown’ were all on the musical menu for the concert. All these orchestras, as well as Class Orchestras, performed again at the Spring Fair. This concert also featured our two new extra-curricular ensembles, the Senior Vocal Ensemble and the Performance Band. So much marvellous music for our ears!

As our secondary school Music program continues to develop, we have added two secondary ensemble performance nights into the calendar. The first took place at the end of Term 2 with 28

a magnificent, music-filled night.

Several ensembles performed with rock bands, contemporary string groups, folk bands, vocal groups, and orchestras. It was such a wonderful display of rich and diverse musical styles. This was followed by another rousing rendition at the end of the year at the Mansfield Golf Club. Giving our students a real ‘gig’ experience of playing music at a public venue is an important secondary school milestone.

Solo concerts are a musical rite of passage for each student at MRSSK. During Term 3, each student from Class 3 to Year 12 performed solo. It is always a marvel to see their composure, confidence and musicality grow across the years. To stand and be witnessed in front of our school community is an important part of our educational philosophy. Their

personal growth through music is on full display, overcoming adversity and developing their will sense preparedness to perform.

The musical styles became more eclectic and individual with the age of each child. Across four evening concerts, we began with Class 3 performing some wonderful renditions of firm favourites, ‘Twinkle Twinkle’ and ‘County Down’, and finished with the senior students performing Tchaikovsky, Led Zeppelin, and a glockenspiel solo in Tool’s Schism.

Classes 3 – 5 undertook a long journey to Melbourne to hear the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra perform. Students were awed by the structural beauty and grandeur of Hamer Hall. Sitting so close to the orchestra sent whispers of wonder through the students as they were taken on

a musical journey of the six Wurundjeri seasons. In more musical adventures, during Term 4, Class 6 finished their primary school music journey with a tour to Ballarat Steiner School. Our class orchestras also ventured out into the Mansfield community, taking music into our local nursing homes and kindergartens.

These experiences are always well-received by both performers and listeners and are an enriching experience for all.

CELESTE CLEASON

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FESTIVALS

Festivals are a vital part of Steiner education, interwoven with the life of the earth and the cycles of nature. They provide nourishment to the individual and bring the community together in meaningful ways. The festival is an anniversary that brings to us the richness of story and song, light and food and celebrates our shared humanity.

We celebrate many festivals across the whole school and there is an impulse behind each one that is carefully woven and integrated into the lives of the students so that the festival is held with deep reverence naturally. There is a comfort in the festival rhythm, knowing that each year the tradition will continue and great anticipation as each one draws near.

Festivals we celebrate include: » Easter Festival » Autumn Festival » Mabo Day* » Winter Festival » Spring Festival » Advent » Christmas Festival The festivals are celebrated differently to meet the age and stage of the children.

In Early childhood we lay the foundations for a rich seasonal festival life for the children as we tell

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stories of nature appropriate to that age. They sing songs, make craft and share food and activities to bring the festival to life.

In the primary years, there are moments and main lessons in every year level where the impulse for the festivals are sown and nurtured.

Main Lessons such as Local Surrounds in Class 1, Saints stories in Class 2, Farming and Gardening in Class 3, Local Area in Class 4, Ancient Persia in Class 5, and Astronomy in Class 6.

The Saints Main Lesson in Class 2 brings one of the greatest opportunities to plant the seed for a healthy festival life as we introduce the children to stories such as Saint George, Saint Martin, Saint Lucia, Saint Nicholas and Saint Bride. The tale of Saint George overcoming the dragon is a wonderful story of valour and selflessness. It is a favourite play for Class 2s who learn wonderful poetry and songs around these themes and often perform the play for the school community at the Autumn Festival.

The story of Saint Bride of Iona is the pivotal story for our Christmas

Festival celebrating her selfless care of the child born in the stable to Mary and Joseph. More recently Class 2s have performed this play for us, but over the years many different groups have taken on the role including Class 5 & 6 and one year, the teachers.

Our secondary students are involved in all festivals as they continue to resonate with them throughout adolescence in ways that weren’t quite so cognitive in their younger years. For example, they begin to feel and understand “Puff the Magic Dragon” on a different level. Their purpose is to hold and honour the childhood experience for the primary students and help create community connection through different ways like serving bread and soup and guiding us in song.

The secondary winter festival is held during the day. We found that evening sporting commitments and teenage hesitancy was affecting attendance at the night festival so having the festival in the school day enables every child to experience the moment for what it is – a moment to bring out their light from within. Each student is truly held by their peers while they walk the winter spiral and families are welcome to attend.

naturally grows.

Apart from these whole school festivals, other festivals are often celebrated that enable the students to delve deeper into a culture that they’re learning about in a main lesson or help to celebrate the different cultures of students in their class. For example, we celebrate the Jewish Shabbath Festival in Class 3 as they learn the stories of the Old Testament, the Indian Divali Festival has been celebrated in Class 5 after hearing the story of Rama and the Chinese New Year is often celebrated. *Mabo Day is held on June 3, the last day of Reconciliation Action Week.

After acknowledging it for the past two years with a dedicated whole school assembly and all the classes working on songs and poems in the lead up, as well as committing it to our annual calendar, we can now call it a festival!

LOU PULLAR

No matter the age of the students, the classes learn poetry and song related to the festival and make handcrafts. In autumn, we make beautifully decorated lanterns, in winter, origami stars and snowflakes and in spring candleholders, garlands, and through Advent Christmas cards and candle decorations.

Through this work the students develop a special relationship with the festivals that is not abstract or a commercial materialisation. The festivals are not token gestures as the seasons change but the teachers take time to ensure their meaning is woven through the curriculum and built upon year by year. We celebrate with songs and poems directly linked to the festival and time of year and we take time to build the students’ relationship with the stories so that their enthusiasm and anticipation

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SECONDARY

YEAR 7

Navigating Transitions, Forging Bonds, and Embracing Adventures What a great year 2023 has been!

As the sun sets on another transformative school year, the Year 7 cohort at Mansfield Steiner School stands at the crossroads of childhood and adolescence, having navigated the unique journey from primary to secondary school with resilience, camaraderie, and a zest for adventure. The transition from primary to secondary is a monumental step, filled with a whirlwind of changes and new experiences. I can confidently say all the students embraced this journey with open hearts and open minds.

The classrooms may have grown in size, but the spirit of curiosity and the warmth of the Steiner community remained constant in their experiences. With supportive teachers and a nurturing environment, these students not only adapted to the changes, but flourished, discovering new facets of themselves along the way. Our school is blessed with a stunning natural setting, and the Year 7 students have made the most of it.

The outdoors has been an integral part of the curriculum this year, with students enjoying the campus through participating in gardening, and engaging in physical activities that foster a deep connection with nature. These experiences have not only promoted physical wellbeing, but have instilled a profound sense of responsibility towards the environment.

In the tapestry of their weekly routine, the Year 7 students have fully embraced ‘Fruity’ Fridays with gusto. This weekly tradition of making fresh juice is not just about sharing healthy nutrition, it was a celebration of mindful eating, fostering healthy habits that extend far beyond the school gates. As students savoured the sweetness of fresh juice, they imbibed the essence of wellness—a lesson that will undoubtedly accompany them on their life’s journey.

One of the defining moments for our Year 7 group was the Howqua 3-day camp, a thrilling initiation into the adventures of secondary school life.

From the exhilarating waterslide that echoed with laughter to the challenging high ropes courses that tested courage and camaraderie, this camp was the catalyst for the

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deepening of friendships that will continue. Amidst shared triumphs and the joy of conquering challenges, bonds were forged, and memories were etched into the collective narrative of the Year 7 experience. The Athletics Sports and Swimming Carnivals have been a highlight for the students, embracing these events with unparalleled enthusiasm. From track and field events to team sports, students not only showcased their athletic prowess, but also celebrated the spirit of friendly competition and collaboration. Finally, as voted by the students, a significant highlight for the year was the six-day adventure camp to Batemans Bay, a coastal haven where students dived into the waters of discovery and adventure. From exploring the tranquil setting of the Clyde river in kayaks to walking the wild coastline, it was a journey that transcended the ordinary, where lessons extended beyond the classroom walls, and the spirit of exploration was discovered and thrived. As we close the chapter on this remarkable school year, we applaud the Year 7 cohort for their resilience, their spirit of adventure, and the bonds they have forged. Mansfield Steiner School continues to be a canvas where each stroke, each adventure, and each shared moment of laughter contributes to a masterpiece that is uniquely theirs.

As the journey unfolds, I look forward to witnessing the continued growth and brilliance of these exceptional individuals in Year 8.

ANTHONY JENSEN

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YEAR 8

As the school year draws to a close, it is such a great time to reflect on what has been and the adventures and experiences that have befallen Year 8. It has certainly been four terms of deep learning about all parts of life and the end result has left them ready and raring to go into the Year 9 Outdoor Education program.

There were a few changes to our group makeup from last year to this and so Term One was a great opportunity for a fresh start and to reconnect with peers. The most apparent shift was seen physically as plenty of students had been eating their greens over Christmas and came back looking many teachers in the eye!

The first major event for the cohort was their performance of Shakespeare’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’. Throughout this journey, the group found out what it truly means to be a part of a team where everyone needs to contribute in order to succeed. While this learning experience was quite tough in many aspects, it did show the passion and care that these students have for their performances while also giving them a space to make their opinions and voices heard, a fantastic skill to show during a stage of development where these abilities can diminish.

The end result was a show that will be remembered by students and staff for many years to come and sets the bar at an enviable height for the next group!

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Sport was once again at the forefront of many minds as Downball took an absolute stranglehold on the entire school. Our class was certainly heavily involved in this, and it was great to see almost every student, regardless of age, year level, gender, or otherwise, getting involved in the games during lunch, recess, before school, time between classes, in classes, and whenever they could find a time to paddle a ball between each other. Year 8 was also strongly represented in all representative sports, especially the swimming and cross country. Round Robin days were great fun and something that they looked forward to each term.

While great memories were made in all of these moments, there is absolutely nothing that could beat our week long journey to the centre of Australia. Even the struggle of dragging themselves (and their parents) out of bed for a 2:30am departure could not dampen the spirits of these teenagers as we took to the skies to learn about one of the oldest cultures and geographical landscapes in the

world. As we wound our way from Alice Springs down to Uluru via Kings Canyon, there was not a moment of beauty or intrigue that was lost on this group. They conducted themselves brilliantly throughout the trip and made the whole experience fun, with no two days the same.

The final major mountain for the group to scale was the culmination of a year’s worth of work and stress in presenting their Year 8 projects. It was amazing to see such a variety of projects on display and the passion that they brought to the stage. One major takeaway from this whole process was the genuine talent and skill that these students have within them, and it will be exciting to see how this develops in the coming years.

Finally, on a personal note, I would like to express just how much fun and enjoyment I have being the Guardian of this group.

They bring so much energy to the classroom and challenge

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me every day and I feel very privileged to be so involved in their lives. I am excited to see where they take their lives in the next couple of years and am looking forward to the ride.

A happy and safe holidays to everyone and we’ll see you next year!

NICHOLAS KOSCHITZKE

YEAR 9

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Year 9 can be one of the most challenging years, and we often look back during this time and inwardly shrink. Not only do we grow physically, emotionally, and mentally, but we start to awaken to the wider world. We look to see what impact we can have, and the responsibility that comes with that is accepted.

Unfortunately, we are not often prepared for the responses of the world, and will become incredibly introspective, thinking, thinking, thinking and then over thinking. I have tried to get these young adults to share their thoughts, to varying degrees of success, and I asked the students to contribute to this article in some way. What follows is a reflection on what this year has provided for them. These often-profound statements and thoughts slot themselves into the main themes of Personal Strength, life skills, and relationships.

When you think of Year 9, it is hard not to think about the Outdoor Education Program. For the students, it is all encompassing, being the reason some of them come to school, and when I asked the Year 9s about this year, it always came to this. Finn spoke about the pain of some of the trips.

Not the physical, although that was sometimes the case, but the mental pain, the ‘I can’t do this’ pain, as he said. For Finn, this was one of his biggest take aways, how to push through that mental barrier.

Like this, Saskia said that they learnt about capacity, and what limitations are, but enjoying the adversity that came from pushing towards my limit. For some, their learning was more personal, for Aria, this was learning “How I feel about myself”, and for Grace it was “Understanding how big the world is.” However, for Darcy, it was surf camp, where he was super excited to surf. To the point that he couldn’t sleep, and stayed up for too long, only getting 2 hours of sleep, only to wake up, get ready, and get to the beach, to find that it was flat as.

This is a visceral example of what Year 9 is to these young people, it is making mistakes, and learning from them.

School life, and camping give the students something they crave at this age, life skills, finally answering the question of “What will I use this for?” or “How is this useful to me?”, and so, many students spoke about the value they got from organization and independence. For Koby, it was simply “Learning how to pack properly”, I did ask what that looks like, and it was simply a shrug of the shoulders and the response of “It’s just properly, otherwise it is wrong. Too heavy or just painful.” Every single young person said that cooking, or learning how to cook, not just on a Trangia, but in general was one of the most important things for them, quickly followed by learning who was the best chef, and worst chef. Most of them could agree that having to eat bad food, or poorly cooked food was something they all needed to learn to do without complaint, because there wasn’t 37

much other option.

If you ask a Year 9 what is one of the most important things to them, it is the relationships they have with their peers, and then everyone else, but much further down the list. Interestingly there have been several discussions within the class about the ‘closeness’ of everyone, with some believing that everyone has never been closer, others perceiving that there is still a great distance between everyone, and then the fence sitters. What is clear, is that everyone has learnt from one another, and as Elise put it, now “has some sympathy for others, and how life can be more challenging for everyone.” Part of this is the need to share personal space, and for Ethan, Will, and Charlie, it wasn’t just sharing a tent, but dealing with others when they were sick, and in your space. For some of these young adults, they have been at Mansfield Steiner School for over 10 years, and for others, they have started just this year, and the single class feature can be confronting. However, it has enabled them to feel comfortable with their peers, and as Matilda said it means that you can “Open up”, speak about how you feel to other people. Proximity can make camping hard, but the consensus from the Year 9s is not the challenge of proximity, but, as Rylan put it, learning “How to deal with people during frustrating situations”.

Given the chance, Year 9s are deep thinkers, they reflect the strengths and weaknesses of us, and reflect on all the observations they make.

It is impressive, just how much they push themselves, accept the consequences for their actions, and then learn for next time.

SEAMUS KAVANAGH

YEAR 10 Year 10 has been a time of immense change for us all.

With the world emerging from the tail end of the pandemic, the prospect of resuming an overseas exchange was on the cards once again. Thanks to the work of Glenn, a connection was established with an exchange group called AIX. The city of Bordeaux was soon selected as our destination, we were to spend five weeks in Bordeaux with a group of French students who we were paired with. Upon the completion of our stay, we would return to Australia, bringing our French counterparts with us.

The school we attended in France, Saint Marie Grand Lebrun, stood in immense contrast to Steiner, with 3,000 students in attendance. The shock of encountering so many students whose language we did not fully grasp was quite the surprise for all of us. The school operated in a completely different way to what we were used to. With school days ranging from 8 am to 4-6 pm. After our school days, we would often move around town, going into the city of Bordeaux. It was there that we had the privilege to explore a city full of ancient architecture and bountiful French stores.

When we returned to Australia, we brought our French counterparts with us. We began their introduction to the Steiner curriculum with a main lesson in which we, in groups of four, created short stop motion films representing our new experiences in France. These films ranged from calming artworks, to exploding plumbing, to portal filled sci-fi, and were all very impressive.

Once all the groups had finished, we held a reward ceremony with the whole school. Every group got an award for their individual efforts, and all gave a speech subsequently.

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Early term three the year 10s started rehearsals of a play called Doc Faustus. The play followed a high school nerd who sells his soul to the Devil to become smart and popular. After seeing his friend who also sells their soul for popularity, he realizes his foolishness and stops the contract before it is too late. This play proved to be a real challenge to put together in 6 weeks. However, in the few weeks we had left to pull it off it really started to come together, costumes got sorted out, people knew their lines, and we started to iron out all the finer details. The week came when we did our performances and after all our hard work, it all paid off.

The play went great!

Overall, this year has been an immense one for us year tens.

With the exchange broadening our horizons and expanding our world views, it was the perfect lead-in to doing preparation for the IB, which we are all extremely excited to begin our journey in. These next two years will be challenging for us all, but this experience has helped us to mature and grow as students.

BRIONY DAVENPORT

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CREATIVITY UNLEASHED: A CANVAS OF EXPRESSION YEAR 7-10 ART With the long awaited opening of the new Art Buildings, both 2D and 3D facilites, Mansfield Rudolf Steiner School has witnessed a symphony of creativity, with students from Year 7 to 10 transforming imagination into tangible masterpieces.

The artistic journey of these young minds has been a testament to the Steiner philosophy, embracing diverse mediums like clay, paint, printing, and papercraft to bring their visions to life.

Our new Art Studio has seen the expanded medium of clay, exercised in pottery and sculpture, these mediums have provided the students in Years 7-10 with the opportunity to

mold clay into expressions of their inner worlds. From wheel thrown pottery to intricate figurines and abstract hand built sculptures, the tactile nature of clay allowed these young artists to explore threedimensional landscapes. The tactile journey became a metaphor for personal growth, each piece a testament to the hands-on approach to learning that defines the Steiner ethos. Students also took to the canvas with brushes in hand, splashing vibrant colour strokes that mirrored the kaleidoscope of emotions within. From bold abstract pieces to realistic portraits capturing the essence of their subjects, the paintbrushes became extensions of the artists’ souls. The art studio transformed into a realm where colour was language, and each artwork revealing another aspect of the artists’ interpretations of the world around them.

In the world of printmaking, Year 9 and 10 students explored the delicate balance between precision and spontaneity. Lino prints and screen printing have been explored with each telling a unique story. The meticulous process of carving into surfaces and transferring designs onto paper has become a test of will and became a metaphor for the deliberate crafting of narratives - a skill these young creators are working at for a lifetime.

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Year 7 and 8 students showcased the versatility of papercraft and what can be achieved with this humble material. From intricate origami to expansive paper sculptures, the art studio buzzed with the meticulous folding and shaping of paper into fantastical forms. The fragility of paper became a canvas for resilience, as students navigated the delicate balance of structure and form.

The Mansfield Steiner School Art Department has not only nurtured artistic skills but has also been a sanctuary for self-expression. Each creation is a brushstroke in the collective masterpiece of the Year 7-10 experience—a testament to the boundless potential within every student. As these young artists continue to explore the realms of clay, paint, printing, and papercraft, Mansfield Steiner School remains a canvas where creativity knows no bounds, and the journey of artistic self-discovery continues to unfold.

The art studios are not merely spaces; they are places to a world where imagination reigns supreme, and the students are the architects of their own visual stories.

ANTHONY JENSEN

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The IB Diploma Programme visual arts course encourages students to challenge their own creative and cultural expectations and boundaries and open their eyes to other ways of seeing the world.

They are encouraged to actively explore the visual arts within and across a wide variety of contexts, from local to international. Working in the manner of real-world artists, their own curiosity becomes the driver of their creative practice as they develop their skills and appreciation for the expressive and aesthetic diversity in the world around them.

SUE PLUMB

IB 11 & 12 ART

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INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE DIPLOMA YEAR 11 In encouraging the emergence of world citizens, people that live with an affinity and concern for others in their communities, connected to a much broader global human endeavour, we have been growing our leadership opportunities here at school.

The Spring Games was one such event …

“This year my class ran the Spring Games. At first I didn’t think much of it…”

But… “Being a senior student made me reflect on my time as a younger student, how I idolised the older students, especially when partaking in events like the Spring Games. This drove me to create the same environment, so that the present younger students could maybe experience that same significant memory I had. “ ~ “Our past participation definitely enhanced the day, as we have competed in them for so long”. ~ The different thoughts from the Year 11s tell a story of how, more and more, the senior students are understanding their new place in the school as people ready and able to turn back to the community that has given them so much – so many experiences, and a lot of joy – and settle into the recognition of what it takes to create these experiences and what acting

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A feeling of responsibility is one of three forces that are the very nerve of education – Rudolf Steiner –

as a leader also continues to give them.

“Throughout the year I have found that younger students look up to me as a senior member of the school, I have had multiple students in the lower high school ask for advice.”

Upon reflecting on the Spring Games and other chances to lead this year, like the Cornhole Tournament they created, the 11s are forging the formal beginnings of a leadership tradition that will last for many years to come. Into next year, as an example, Angus will take a lead role in the Swimming Carnival.

Such decisions were part of a process whereby students put forward expressions of interest and then with me workshopped what a leadership portfolio could look like for them, with their particular interests and skills. Ideas were fleshed out in concert with other staff members working in these areas. This bespoke approach to building abilities to lead in a variety

of ways, one that the size of our school allows, speaks aptly to the Steiner educational ethos of nurturing each individual to grow and find their own place, their own way, to meaningfully engage with and contribute to the world around them.

Commitment”, “invest[ing]” time, and the opening of a window into the future are sentiments the 11s wrote about in reflecting on their intellectual and academic growth.

May all our students and young people everywhere finish their formal schooling with an

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understanding of what it takes to enter that world awaiting with gusto, with a sense of vision and with humility.

LEITH PIERCE

As the traveller was walking through the misty mountains, they came across a crazed fanatic.

The fanatic craved the snow above all else; more than a craving, it was a desperate desire to be in the snow. Sporting his blue hat and shorts, the fanatic would don strange planks to traverse the snow with incredible speed. The fanatic taught the traveller how to use the strange planks.

YEAR 12 Together, the traveller and fanatic visited amazing places among the mountains, places where the entire world was a sunset, where the sky was an endless canvas of stars. After a time, the traveller left the misty mountains, bound for new lands and new people.

DUSTIN Dustin’s print of snowy mountains above is from his final art exhibition. The transformed didactic story below it is a spin on the story of a traveller that guided us through his exhibition. But in this version, the traveller gets to go skiing with him. Dustin’s love for the cold, of skiing and life on the mountain is ever-present, especially as where we sit outside our classroom or stand to do the verse, we can see Marnong/Mt Buller.

His short and magical, almost mystical skiing tale is akin to the style of our final author for study in literature, Syrian writer Osama Alomar. Dustin was able to incorporate his passion for skiing and the snow into his art, his CAS (Community, Activity and Service) and his Extended Essay, so of course it should feature here in a reflection on his year.

attained just within the first year of the diploma.

CHARLI The process of my EE was long and hard, it revealed a lot of corruption that has occurred, and still occurs in the world today. My investigation into how and why our models for healing are difficult to change allowed me to explore current health systems, and what we perceive as medicine. Using an anthropological lens, I looked at indigenous medical and healing systems, and how rituals and processes have been adopted in the modern use of psychedelics for medicinal purposes.

HOLLY The images below, not dissimilar in their degree of aliveness and great number of connections, first display a representation of the brain’s response to trials of psychedelics for treatment (placebo versus experimental) and the second, Holly’s mind map of her ideas regarding how to connect the information she

Like Dustin’s imagined traveller, the paths we move along are long, winding and often mountainous. Along the IBDP path, students delve deep into topics they are most intrigued by as part of their Extended Essay.

I pursued psychology independently through an online course, so I was able to use my passion for the subject as my EE. I have always had a particular interest in trauma and during my psychology course I learnt a lot about memory from a cognitive approach. So, I combined the two to investigate the effects of trauma of memory. I learnt so much in writing this essay and it showed me the exponential growth I had 46

had researched. Like Dustin’s traveller, we get to meet others along the way that share parts of our journey with us.

WIL

In late March, the 11s and 12s went down to Sofia Mundi Steiner School at the Abbotsford Convent to do some collaborative work with some fellow Steiner IBDP students. They’re also in a small cohort, and it was so fun to discuss the shared experience we had with these strangers, the Steiner and IB combination. We’ve stayed in contact, visiting them in Melbourne during the holidays, where we all hung out playing card games, ate pizza and spoke about our IB and living lives in the city versus the country.

ABBY We hope to grow this connection with the IBDP students at Sophia Mundi Steiner School stronger and stronger as we forge ahead.

Combining IBDP and life beyond is hard and has been something I have struggled with immensely.

However, my Chemistry IA was a chance for me to combine my home life and my IBDP world.

During this process, I was able to explore the effect of added organic matter (that comes from cows) on the water quality in my dam at home.

Even though the process of this exploration was one of the biggest challenges I have faced with many problems to be solved, I have loved how the IBDP has allowed me to integrate elements from my interests and everyday life, deconstructing and reconstructing them with new perspectives on and appreciation for such things.

JESS Through the IBDP at Mansfield Steiner School we learn about our world, far and near: the outer world … as well as the one within.

PREDAWN IN HEALTH

BY LES MURRAY

During Year 12, I struggled to hand in many different assignments on time. One of these assignments was my HL literature essay. I chose to do my essay on an Australian poet we studied in class named Les Murray. I’ve always struggled with time management, procrastination, and perfectionism, so I fall behind. However, when I did eventually begin writing, I gained a new perspective on Murray’s poetry. Murray’s poems critique many of these harmful habits, such as perfectionism, a focus on the past and negativity, instead, asking us to enjoy the present and take advantage of the opportunities that await us - a mindset I hope to take with me into the future.

The stars are filtering through a tree outside in the moon’s silent era.

Reality is moving layer over layer like crystal spheres now called laws.

The future is right behind your head; just over all horizons is the past.

The soul sits looking at its offer.

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