Gumnut Bulletin 2, 2025
Education Manager
Hello everyone,
As Summer is on its way out, with just a gentle nudge, we will soon be welcoming the stillness that Autumn brings. The crisp mornings and clear blue skies, golden banksias and black cockatoo movements. Seasons and change are always a part of our yearly rhythms. They are expected, noted, and celebrated, just like our festivals. Even when change is not expected, by having strong rhythms and routines in our lives, we can overcome the differences with ease. The rhythms and routines hug us, keep us safe in times of uncertainty. Just like our bedtime stories. This is apparent as we watched the students navigate their way through swimming lessons, NAPLAN and the postponement of our Michaelmas Festival.
The students have been enjoying the nature playground, you can see the proof written in their smiles and hear it in their happy voices as they play and create.
We are very grateful to be able to offer many incursions and excursions for our students to experience. Our middle school had a ‘City Steps’ day where they explored the art gallery, beach and museum. Talk Money presented to our Lighthouse students and the middle school on all things money. Michelle from Greenough Wildlife Rescue came and brought her reptiles to share with the students. Such memorable experiences with such courage were found in snake handling and lizard hugs. The joy on the faces of the students told the story.
Our Voyagers headed off today for their camp at the Swan Valley Adventure Centre for 4 days. Each camp and excursion gives students an opportunity to be seen through a different lens, build their communication skills and self-esteem as they are exposed to sometimes challenging and sensory experiences.
For now, our excitement is building as we look towards our Michaelmas Festival on the last day of the term.
With Gratitude
Lisa Scamporlino
Community Manager
Dear Families,
We are recovering from the final blast of fiery dragon breath! King Summer is not yet conquered and is still asserting his reign on the land, calling us to summon even more courage and confidence to rise up together on our rescheduled Michaelmas festival on the 11th April. The students and staff showed great bravery and joy in the reptilian marvels of nature that Michelle from Geraldton-Greenough Wildlife Rescue last Friday. What a wonderful resource and experience for us all.
We want to express our gratitude to everyone who took part in the Steiner Parent Education presentations, 100 Years of Steiner Education. It was a great way to gather, learn and discuss the work and legacy of Rudolf Steiner on the 100-year anniversary of his death.
There are places available for new members on our Governing Body. If you would like to assist to steer LTSS into a new epoch you are invited to apply. Please see me in administration for an application package.
It has been my pleasure to host tours to prospective families this term. No matter how lovely the gardens or innovative the buildings appear, it is always the impression of the students that we meet along the way that have the most impact. The openness, manners, joy and confidence of our students are evident as they greet the ‘tourists’ they encounter. This is a beautiful reflection of our community and the values and virtues held by our families and staff.
📅 Upcoming Community Events and Reminders 📌
- Parent Teacher Interviews, after school until the end of term: Please schedule an appointment with your teacher to ensure we are partnering for the best outcomes for your children.
- Michaelmas Festival & Last day of school, free dress 11th April, 12pm – 3pm: Year 1-9 families welcome to join their children for an afternoon of shared lunch and fun activities.
- Term 1 Holidays: Last Day of School Friday 11th April to Sunday 28th April. First day of Term 2, 29th April
Kind regards,
Lara
Starflower Kindergarten/Pre-primary
Starflower News
Term 1 2025, Week 8
Dear Starflower families,
Can you believe that Term 1 is already drawing to a close? Autumn mornings are beginning to have a slightly cooler feel to them, but the days are still bringing plenty of heat.
We recently began our Wave Music beach kindy program where the children happily engage with the beautiful beach environment of Drummond Cove each Thursday morning ( weather permitting).
Sea + sand = happy children,
This is my favourite type of maths! A big thankyou to our parent helpers who came along last week to enjoy the gentle rhythm of our morning on the beach.
Service to others is woven through many of the daily tasks and activities in our lovely school and even the youngest little Kindergarten children has been doing their part in helping others. One task which the kindergarten children perform for the older students is tie-dyeing their craft bags. So many skills were practised in this purposeful, busyhands task:- counting the bags and washing them; twisting the elastic bands on to make patterns; putting them into the dye, then opening them up to reveal their magical patterns. The kindergarten children were happy to send a big bundle of blue bags to Chris, our Craft Teacher for all the new Leaning Tree students.
Now our Kindergarten is abuzz with Easter craft activities as we paint, cut, bake and craft. I trust that you and your family will spend time at Easter enjoying some rest and relaxation with those you love.
Easter Blessings to you all,
Kathy, Nina and Charlotte
Sunflower Room Class 1/2
Dear Families,
We have settled into the rhythm of our days beautifully, with the children learning to navigate how the days will roll out.
We are coming to the end of our first large main lesson block which covered both the alphabet combined with tales of local animals and places. The children also discovered that our stories contained a moral and a virtue to explore.
Our daily circle involves lots of movement, rhymes, counting and we are even practising our play so that we can perform this for you next term. Stay tuned!
Recently, we enjoyed a wonderful inside picnic for Harmony Day with lots of different types of food to share and try. The Sunflower students made a painted handprint and we decorated a tree to signify that ‘We all belong’.
We are looking forward to celebrating the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Easter very soon with all of our friends too!
Sunny wishes,
Ally & Jasmah
Seabreeze Room Class 3
Dear Parents and Friends,
We are excited to share the wonderful progress Seabreeze Class 3 has made this term! The students have been working diligently on their main lessons, expressing their creativity through beautiful paintings and honing their writing skills with a focus on neatness and precision. Our gardening efforts continue to thrive as we enjoy the fruits of our labor, harvesting tomatoes, zucchinis, capsicum and even the odd watermelon! As we prepare for the upcoming change of season, we are busy getting the garden ready for new plantings, further engaging the children in hands-on learning experiences.
In addition to our creative endeavours, our academic work is flourishing as well. In maths, the class has been exploring place value along with strategies for addition and subtraction, including trading in addition and borrowing in subtraction, which has enhanced their understanding significantly. Meanwhile, in English, we continue to develop our reading skills alongside our writing abilities. Recently, we celebrated Shrove Tuesday by cooking delicious pancakes and creating nutritious peanut butter bliss balls, adding a tasty twist to our learning journey. We are filled with enthusiasm for the exciting term ahead, where growth and learning await us!
Leisl Forsyth & Claire Mooney
Rivergum Room Class 4
Rivergum News
As we move into week 8, the Rivergum children have settled in and become comfortable with the routines and flow of our weekly timetable, creating a positive and dynamic learning environment. We have continued to focus on the virtues of kindness, patience, and perseverance, which are reflected in their interactions with one another.
The children have been working on animal dioramas for their wax model animals, and I have been truly amazed by their creativity and innovative ideas. Some have even included real living plants in their dioramas, adding a unique and vibrant touch to their creative projects.
We celebrated Shrove Tuesday in class by making pancakes after returning from a busy morning at swimming lessons. It was a fun and tasty way to mark the occasion!
Excitement is growing as we prepare for our whole school Michaelmas Festival, featuring a range of fun activities such as team-building challenges, opportunities to show courage, kite making, and dragon bread – just to name a few.
In our exploration of the Spirituality of the Dreaming, we created a class tribe called the Wilu Minda People, or the Sea Shade People. During our tribe meeting, we shared the wisdom of each member and learned about the importance of community. We also explored some hot, steamy compost and searched for dry fuel to build a pretend fire. Gathering around this imaginary fire, we reflected on the kind of tribe we aspire to be. After thoughtful discussion, we all agreed that our tribe would be one of grace and care.
Warm regards,
Tara, Penny and Ann-Marie
Lighthouse Room Class 5/6
The Lighthouse class has been engaged in a diverse range of learning experiences, including a week of swimming lessons, Shrove Tuesday and pancake making (and eating!), NAPLAN for the Year 5s, Harmony Day, and rehearsals for our upcoming Michaelmas Festival play. Amidst all this, we found time to revisit money concepts and continue our work with place value and rounding as we practice costing items and making change. This is the perfect lead-up to our Talk Money incursion on Thursday, a workshop designed to help Australian students develop lifelong financial skills, build confidence in discussing money, and make informed financial decisions. Later in the year, we’ll be putting this learning into practical use.
On Thursdays, Paul continues to captivate the class with our exploration of all things astronomical. The students have been constructing models of the solar system, and they are nearly ready to be displayed.
Our fabulous, hard-working groundsmen are preparing the garden area in front of Lighthouse for our upcoming gardening activities. As the weather cools, we’ll be ready for autumn planting.
Autumnal blessings from:
Kelly, Peta and Paul.
Voyager Room Class 7/8
Welcome to a warm mid-west autumn,
The weather gods are still blessing us with summer temperatures so students were grateful to spend time outdoors and at the beach for a day of fun and fitness in week 7. The Middle School students spent the whole day in Geraldton's city centre participating in arts appreciation, physical education, and geography activities. Students rotated through different locations by year groups and performed several acts of service along the streets of Geraldton which was pleasing to witness.
At the Geraldton Museum, students experienced The Great Kimberley Wilderness, a 35-minute virtual reality documentary narrated by Luke Hemsworth. With their VR headset they flew over the edge of the thundering King George Falls, explored the vibrantly striped domes and majestic gorges of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Purnululu National Park and travelled back over 350 million years to the great Devonian Reef to explore ancient geology, which has been pivotal to life as we know it. Some student comments that were made during the experience was “Oh my heavens”, “Oh my word” and “Would you believe it” it is safe to stay that the students were overwhelmed by the majesty of the Kimberley wilderness.
The majesty of the Knighting ceremony will soon humble and hold the voyagers in steadfastness and solidarity. This year we are holding the ceremony during Michaelmas Festivities when we can truly honour our brave Ladies and Sirs and welcome them into Knighthood. This change also allows us to celebrate a virtue that resides deep within the individual that is fitting for their personality and potential. We can’t wait to show you Michaelmas and Camp photos next time.
Warm regards,
Susan
Prospect Room Class 8/9
Dear families,
The Prospects have been preparing for Michaelmas with kite making inspired by Alexander Bell. Yes, he invented the telephone, but did you also know he was interested in flight? Our tetrahedron kites may not be big enough to carry a human, but to be fair, Mr Bell didn’t quite manage it either. In Music, the class have been practicing drumming and becoming the dragon for our Michaelmas Festival.
We commenced our Main lesson; Landscapes, Landforms and Dreaming where we are looking at geomorphic processes of the geosphere (aka how landforms are made), the cultural significance of some iconic Australian landforms and more. Everyone has heard of Uluru, but what about Burringurrah, a monolith 2.5 times the size of Uluru and it’s found right here in W.A. The Great Barrier Reef may be able to be seen from space, but our own Ningaloo Reef is also pretty special.
We have been completing our class novel, practicing our grammar and editing skills, striving to improve our spelling and vocabulary along with math practice. In Health, we’ve reminded ourselves about the need for good nutrition, exercise, sleep and water for our brains and good mental health. Headspace visited Middle School to reinforce this message.
Our whole middle school excursion was a great success, with students staying in their class groups to: visit the Kimberlies in a virtual reality experience at the museum, keep fit by swimming at Champion Bay and prepare for their next art project by visiting the art gallery.
Lisa Keeffe, Ron, Paul & Sophie
Handcraft
Hi all,
The Sunflower class is as busy as beavers! The Class 1 children have got the hang of French knitting and are now extruding their wool like a big, long piece of penne pasta changing colour every time it gets down to their elbow. The Class two children are busy knitting bunnies with needles that they made themselves. The Seabreeze class have felted their pencil rolls and are now blanket stitching around the edge. They will then return to knitting a gnome. The Rivergum class continue on with a variety of embroidery stitches as they make a placemat. Class 5 continue with their fingerless mittens with a fair isle pattern they designed, and Class 6 continue crocheting their slippers.
Chris and Peta.
Parent & Friend Action Group
Hello everyone!
We welcome our active P&F members for 2025:
- Guy,
- Shaimaa,
- Emily,
- Julie,
Upcoming Fun P&F Initiatives!
- Friday Coffee Cart: The P&F would love to once again roll out the coffee cart at the Friday Gatherings, however would love some volunteers to help. Everything is supplied and will send out instructions and a roster in Term 2. Please put your name down if you can assist.
- Wednesdays: Emily welcomes fellow parents to join her in maintaining the garden bed south of the administration building. Emily has an interest in permaculture and community, if you do too you might like to roll up your sleeves from 11:30am.
- Term 2 Planting Busy Bee: We have a tentative date of 14th May which aligns with our next P&F meeting. Guy will have seedlings and a site plan ready to go. Hopefully we would have had some lovely rain. Families are welcome to stay on and enjoy a nourishing BBQ.
- Friday Crafternoons: All are welcome to join this crafty group. Bring along your own project or adopt a class repair or create a new seasonal craft for your home. Thanks to Narelle for facilitating this year. Crafternoon cancelled 11th April due to Michaelmas Festival, otherwise join in at 1pm – 2:30pm in Rainbow Playgroup.
You are warmly encouraged to join the P&F action team; the next meeting will be held onsite at school at 3.15 pm on Wednesday 14th May, coinciding with the planting afternoon.
Your P&F Action Team
Community Notices
Leaning Tree Steiner School : Opportunities
Science/ Middle School ClassTeacher 0.4 - 0.6 FTE
Classes 7-9
We are looking for a dynamic teacher to create engaging learning experiences within the framework of our Steiner Curriculum.
Are you ready to be part of a successful and innovative school model?
Would you like to join a supportive community of learners?
Are you creative, kind, organised and flexible?
Benefits include excellent PL opportunities and small class sizes.
Must be TRBWA registered and have WWCC.
Please request selection criteria from education@leaningtree.wa.edu.au
Please send a cover letter, resume, and responses to the selection criteria.
Send your application to education@leaningtree.wa.edu.au
Phone enquiries to Education Manager: Lisa Scamporlino
0899646555
2025
Relief Staff Pool
Teachers and Education Assistants
Must have all relevant qualifications.
Steiner Education experience desired or applicants must display a willingness to learn and be mentored in Steiner Education practice and pedagogy.
Benefits include excellent PL opportunities and small class sizes.
Must have current WWCC.
Please send your cover letter & resume to:
Please contact: Lisa Scamporlino
education@leaningtree.wa.edu.au
08 99 646 555
P.O Box 7104
Geraldton WA 6531