Gumnut Bulletin 1, 2025

Chair Person, Governing Body

Dear Parents, Students, and Staff,

As we embark on another exciting year at Leaning Tree Steiner School, I would like to extend a warm welcome to both our new and returning families. I trust that you had a restful and enjoyable break and are now ready for the wonderful opportunities and experiences that the year ahead holds.

I am delighted to announce that Lisa Scamporlino has been appointed to the role of Education Manager. Lisa has been an invaluable member of the Leaning Tree community since its foundation, and we are thrilled to have her continue leading our education programs. Her expertise and unwavering commitment to Steiner education and values will undoubtedly continue to shape the school’s growth and success.

I was also thrilled to witness the vibrant opening of the Bariya Playground. Congratulations to all involved in creating this beautiful play space for our students. The dedication, hard work, and collaboration in dreaming, planning, and building this project are evident, and it will bring joy and enrichment to our students for many years to come. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to making the celebration so memorable.

Service to the community is at the heart of Steiner Education, and we encourage you to consider joining the Governing Body as part of your contribution to the school. There are currently opportunities to become involved, and if you are interested in contributing to the strategic direction and governance of Leaning Tree, please reach out to our Community Manager, Lara Sampson, for further information. Your support and involvement are essential to the continued success and growth of our school, and in keeping with Steiner principles.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to Leaning Tree Steiner School. Together, we can make this year a memorable and successful one for all.

Kind regards

Warm regards,

Margie Robinson
Chairperson, Governing Body
Leaning Tree Steiner School

Education Manager

Hello everyone,

We are now in the middle of Term 1 and it has been a smooth transition into another year at Leaning Tree Steiner School, albeit rather full. The children are happily settled into their classes, and all is as it should be.  The opening of our Bariya playground was a pleasant evening for our community and I give thanks to all those that attended.

With gratitude and humility, I have accepted the position of Education Manager at LTSS.  I have a vision for the school that embeds Steiner principles throughout whole school activities, embraces restorative practice and fosters community spirit. Importantly also understanding and supporting our families through difficult times as they navigate the stormy waters of parenthood in a modern and digital world. 

I would like to bring some clarity around the reasons Low Technology Is Important in Steiner Education:

Encourages Imagination and Creativity With limited access to screens and technology, students are encouraged to use their imagination and creativity. Instead of passive consumption of media, children engage in hands-on, active learning experiences that stimulate their brains and foster deeper understanding.

Supports Emotional and Social Growth   A low-tech environment helps children focus on building real-world relationships and communication skills, without the distraction or the temptation of social media or excessive screen time. This encourages meaningful face-to-face interaction and emotional development.

Focus on Deep, Active Learning   By minimizing technology, the emphasis is placed on critical thinking, problem-solving, and independent learning. Students are guided to think for themselves, develop a deeper connection with what they are learning, and understand the material in a more meaningful way.

Reduces Distractions and Increases Attention   Technology can often be a source of distraction, reducing a child’s attention span. A low-tech environment helps students focus on tasks at hand, promoting mindfulness and discipline in their learning habits.

Supports Healthy Development   The absence of digital screens allows for healthier brain development, physical activity, and improved sleep patterns. By fostering a balance between outdoor play, hands-on activities, and creative expression, children’s physical and mental well-being is supported.  Young children especially ‘live’ in their bodies and learn through ‘doing’.

Preserves Human Connection   Steiner schools focus on the importance of face-to-face interaction, storytelling, and community-building. Technology can sometimes disrupt these vital human connections, while a low-tech approach ensures children engage meaningfully with their peers and teachers, fostering real-world relationships.

As a Steiner school, we look for your support in minimizing your child’s digital engagement. Carrying our low-tech approach into your own home is very rewarding for you as a family and for your child’s education, growth and development.  Low tech children can do stuff!  Switching off or un-plugging by having card nights, board games, and reading together are all activities that can build deeper family connections, whilst supporting healthy brain development.

If your child is coming home from school and going directly to an iPad, TV or gaming etc., they are not having time to digest their day of experiences and learning in a healthy way.  They are in fact just loading up their systems with artificial stimulation that can have adverse effects on their sleep and behaviour.  Although we are immersed in a digital world, we acknowledge that the habits formed through constant technology use can shape brain development, just as trauma can have a similar negative effect. Children’s brains develop slowly up until the age of 21 and beyond. When you sign up to come to a Steiner school, you sign up for a unique experience for your child that supports your child’s slowly developing brain. Your child can reach their full potential, but it may mean saying no to TV on tap, no to the iPad and putting some restrictions in place. Having boundaries keeps us all safe and putting in some great ground rules with your children now can serve you all for the future. As a community there is strength in knowing other families in our school are following the same direction toward a low digital diet for our children.

We have some great books in our Parent Library located in the foyer, that are full of wisdom, inspiration and guidance.  Come in and have a look, and whilst you are there come and have a chat as we all need to keep up the human interactions.  We look forward to presenting a parent night on the topic of screen usage in the later part of Term 1, that will cover what is age appropriate and also present some alternatives.

With Gratitude

Lisa Scamporlino

Business Manager

Hello everyone

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the opening night of the Bariya playground—it was a fantastic evening and we truly appreciate your attendance.

For those who couldn’t attend, please find below a recap of my remarks from the evening.

This playground project has been a true community effort, driven by our students’ vision and input.

The journey began in August 2022, when we started consulting with our primary school teaching staff and Heike, our architect. Teachers asked their students: "What are your favourite places or spaces to play?" Their responses were carefully discussed, collected and then collated by Heike. They were then developed into a concept plan, which was then refined with input from our landscaping team. By June 2023, the final draft was approved by the College of Teachers, and from there, things really started taking shape.

Brad and Mark began landscaping soon after, and by December 2023, play equipment was ordered. Installation commenced in June 2024, but, as with any big project, we faced some challenges—including warranty issues that delayed the final stages. In the meantime, Brad and Guy worked tirelessly, ensuring the landscaping was completed and every box was ticked for the safety audit.

And wow, what an incredible job they did! The tunnels and the river are the result of countless hours of planning and designing, all with the students in mind.

This project would not have been possible without the many parents who generously donated materials and their time, Heike and our teaching staff for their dedication to the design process, the Governing Body for approving and supporting budget requests and most importantly, our students, who have so patiently waited since July last year for their new playground.

And finally, a huge thank you to Brad, Mark and Guy, who have truly loved this project and poured their hard work, care and creativity into making it a reality.

As the saying goes, many hands make light work—and this evening, we get to enjoy the results of that teamwork.

Kind regards

Lisa Thackray

Community Manager

Dear Families,

As we embrace a relatively cool and kind transition into Autumn, I’m delighted to provide an update on school community happenings. The season seems to be changing rapidly along with the school year – time is flying!

Bariya Playground Opening and Family BBQ

Thank you to those who helped celebrate the long-anticipated opening of Bariya playground. We are all so happy to see the equipment and playscapes being used joyously! I think we will replace the usual Term 1 Busy Bee with a Family BBQ to better enjoy the summer evenings and slide the Busy Bee to early Term 2 to make the most of planting time, watch this space.

Parent & Friend Action Group

We have kicked off 2025 with a small but enthusiastic group of P&F members who have already brainstormed some fun community events. More to follow in their news column below!

Parent Representatives 

Parent Representatives play a vital role in enhancing communication and cooperation between the class teacher and the parent body. By becoming involved, you will be contributing to the positive development of our school and helping create a supportive environment. Parents Reps so far for this year are:

• Starflower Room:
• Sunflower Room: Shaimaa E/ Nicole Mc
• Seabreeze Room: Amanda B
• Rivergum Room:
• Lighthouse Room: Anna U
• Voyager Room: Amanda B
• Prospect Room:

Please either let your teacher or me know if you would like to volunteer to become a Parent Representative. This school service acquits all your Family Commitment hours...too easy!

  📅 Upcoming Community Events and Reminders 📌    

• Thursday 27th February: Steiner Education presentation via Zoom (see below). Please register for free as the cost is covered by LTSS.
• Friday 28th February: Pupil Free Day / Staff Development Day.
• Monday 3rd March: Labour Day public holiday.
• Tuesday 4^th March : Shrove Tuesday
• Week 5 March 4-7 : Swimming Lessons (PP – Y7)
• Friday March 7: Crafternoon for Parents 1:30pm – 3:00pm, Rainbow Playgroup Room. Initial group, BYO mending.
• Wednesday 19^th March: P&F Meeting, 3:15pm
• Friday 21st March: Harmony Day dress up in your nation of origin @ 8.45 am. Parade during Gathering. Teachers will communicate if your class will have a bring and share.

• Friday 28^th March: Michaelmas Festival (Years 1-9) 12.30 – 3pm, includes Yr 7 Knighting Ceremony.

Phew, busy times ahead, enjoy the pause of the long weekend!

Kind regards,

Lara 

Starflower Kindergarten/Pre-primary

Blessings on the blossom,

Blessings on the roots,

Blessings on the leaf and stem,

Blessings on the fruits.

Dear Starflower families, 

Play is truly the work of the young child and here in the Starflower Kindergarten it is the heart of our day. Nestled within a gentle daily and weekly rhythm, the kindergarten children are free to leave behind the busyness of the outside world and enter into the realm of imagination.

Play brings all manner of learning wrapped inside it, like a gift. As we wait for a turn of our favourite truck; gently dress and tuck the babies into bed; cooperate with our friends to build a mighty volcano with the pipes in the sandpit; pack up and carry picnics and bedding into the cubbies we create; or create playscapes and stories with the natural toys on our shelves, in all of these unstructured self-directed creative free play opportunities, we are using and refining language and solving problems.

In fact, play is food for the soul of the young child, as it nourishes their growth and development physically, cognitively, emotionally and socially.

I am happy to say that in Starflower, WE PLAY!

Warm summer blessings,

Kathy, Nina and Charlotte

Sunflower Room Class 1/2

Dear families,

Welcome back to school and how lovely it has been to see everyone.

The past weeks have been a discovery of getting to know how the sunny sunflowers can work cohesively as a new group. We move from one place to another in straight lines (and sometimes curved lines), we sit on the mat with crossed legs and beautiful straight backs, sometimes we stand as tall as pins. We are learning to work in a volume that is like a beehive, harmonious and humming.

Our days are full of amazing alphabet stories, marvelous mathematics where we are discovering the quality of numbers (Class 1) and patterns in numbers (Class 2). We are learning to write, sound and read our letters; Class 2 continues to discover the joy of learning to read books.

Afternoons are time for resting, painting, gardening and cooking with a little golden time sprinkled in for good measure.

Ally & Jasmah

Seabreeze Room Class 3

Dear Families,

Welcome back to Seabreeze Class 3! We arrived eager to dive into the new year, and what a delightful surprise awaited us! Our garden was thriving with an abundance of 23 delicious watermelons, all ready for harvest. The excitement didn’t stop there; we also had some fun baking sessions where we whipped up some scrumptious banana bread and chocolate zucchini bread. It was a fantastic way to celebrate our gardening efforts and enjoy the fruits—quite literally—of our labor. As we prepare our garden for planting at the break of season, we’re filled with anticipation for what’s to come!

In addition to our hands-on activities, we’ve been hard at work in our academic subjects. In maths, we've been exploring place value and practicing various strategies for addition and subtraction. The students have shown remarkable growth in their understanding of these concepts. Meanwhile, in English, we're continuing to enhance our reading skills while developing our writing abilities. It's wonderful to see the enthusiasm and creativity flourishing in the classroom as we embark on this year filled with learning and fun. Here’s to a productive and exciting term ahead!

Warm Wishes

Leisl Forsyth & Claire Mooney

Rivergum Room Class 4

Dear Familes,

The Rivergum children have now settled beautifully into our class routines and rhythms, creating a warm and joyful learning space. Our morning circle is filled with energy as we practice our times tables daily, strengthening our mathematical fluency while also tackling some quite challenging maths problems with enthusiasm.

In our main lesson, we have been exploring The Human Being and the Animal World with Tara, fostering a deep sense of wonder about the connections between humans and animals. With Penny, the children have been captivated by Stories of the Dreaming, engaging in storytelling and creative work that helps them connect with Indigenous perspectives and the land around them.

Our artistic work has been a highlight, with the children creating beautiful watercolour paintings of animals, capturing their unique forms and characteristics. They have also been sculpting detailed wax models of octopuses, carefully shaping each tentacle and learning about these fascinating sea creatures as they work.

Outside, our class garden has been weeded, and we are now preparing the soil to plant seeds in the coming weeks. The children are gaining hands-on experience in caring for the earth, learning patience, and observing the cycles of nature firsthand.

Excitement is building as we approach our swimming lessons next week! The children are looking forward to developing their confidence in the water and enjoying this refreshing break from the classroom.

It has been a fantastic start to the year, and we look forward to all the learning and adventures ahead!

Warm regards,
Tara, Penny and Ann-Marie

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Lighthouse Room Class 5/6

Dear families,

Our Daily Fitness walks have become an adventure of their own! When the weather is too hot for running games, we take to the bush tracks around the school, observing the wildlife that shares our surroundings. We've spotted tracks left by birds, lizards, rabbits, goannas, and even snakes. The highlight of our walks so far has been the discovery of a complete bobtailed goanna skeleton. We were fascinated to see just how many rib bones these creatures have—far more than we expected! These walks not only keep us active but also nurture our curiosity and appreciation for the natural world.

At the start of the year, we explored the purpose and evolution of lighthouses, fitting for our class name. From ancient beacons to modern-day structures, we learned how these guiding lights have helped sailors navigate safely for centuries. This study naturally led us into the world of early civilizations, focusing on Mesopotamia, Sumer, and Babylon. We discovered that these cultures laid the foundations for many aspects of modern life, including timekeeping, trigonometry, and early astronomy. To connect with these ancient innovations, we have been working with compasses and protractors, 
exploring how early mathematicians and astronomers measured and understood the 
world around them.

As part of our study of ancient Mesopotamia, we have been reading The First Story Ever Told, which introduces us to the legendary hero Gilgamesh. This epic tale has sparked our imaginations, and we have enjoyed bringing scenes from the story to life with watercolour paintings. 

A special moment for our Year 6 students took place during Gathering in Week 2,where they were officially recognised as leaders of the Primary School. Each student received a special Lighthouse-shaped badge, symbolizing their role as guides and role models for the younger students—just like the real lighthouses we studied, which provide direction and safety. It was a proud moment for the class, and we look forward 
to seeing them grow into their leadership roles throughout the year.

It has been a fantastic start to the year, and we look forward to many more 
discoveries ahead!

Regards
Kelly, Peta and Paul

Voyager Room Class 7/8

Welcome to a warm mid-west summer,

The sunsets have been painting the skies in deep oranges, pinks and iridescent golden light.

For the past three weeks the Voyager students of Class 7/8 have been engaged deeply with the themes of ‘Wish, Wonder, and Surprise’, based on the insights of Rudolf Steiner, who believed these emotional avenues were crucial during adolescence. The emotional intensity and unpredictability of this age creates a fascinating, yet chaotic, landscape for all to navigate. One way of navigating this tumultuous time is through the creation of poetry. By playing with figurative language and experimenting with prose, students were able to express themselves and their inner thoughts in a wide range of poetry.

 Students created and reinvented biographical poems and wrote an acrostic poem by using an inspirational prompt ‘I have a dream’. We explored poetic devices and then incorporated them into haiku’s, tanka’s, sensory, diamond and shape poems. By far the most surprising part of this process was the discovery of found poetry. Found poetry is created by taking words, phrases, and sometimes whole passages from other sources and reframing them by making changes in spacing and lines, or by adding or deleting text, thus imparting new meaning. We look forward to sharing more poetry with you towards the end of term, after we have studied Arthurian Literature. Over the next fortnight we will be designing our own ‘personal coat of arms’, ‘personal moral code’ and ‘illuminated initials’ to uncover more of our identity and incomparable individuality. Thank you to the Voyager class for being brave, resilient and courageous each time we write.

Warm regards,

Susan 

Prospect Room Class 8/9

Dear families,

A warm Summer greetings to you all,

The Prospect group this year, consists of some Year 8’s and our biggest group of Year 9’s to date. On our first Gathering, Year 9 students received their star badges, marking them as leaders of our school. We are in the process of discussing and developing our leadership program, which includes students doing service and work experience within the school.

 A handful of students were our first of the year to go to a Tafe Taster. Students made circuits and had some hands-on experiences in the electrician trade. Within school, Year 9’s have helped with supervision at our new playground, assisted in PE and some were Math tutors to our Year 4 buddy class.

Year 8’s have collected carrot and celery seeds from the gardens. We were amazed at the shapes of the heirloom carrots, when we pulled them from the earth. The seed has been planted for their project ideas, which I look forward to unfolding.

As a class, we have been looking back and recording memories from our life journey so far. Autobiographical work is an important feature of the curriculum at this age, as students look within and are trying to work out who they are. Biographies are also important, especially of people who have overcome hardship. We are reading, “A Fortunate Life”, by AB Facey together which is an Australian classic, which also gives us a feel for life throughout the 1900’s in Australia.

Lisa Keeffe, Ron, Paul & Sophie

Design & Technology

Dear Families

Year 7 are making canvas aprons. Some brilliant sewing has seen the class move forward at record speed. They will have these protective workshop aprons for their remaining years at Leaning Tree and I am sure there will be some proud sewing students strutting around the workshop.

Year 8 have been busily hand carving trimerangs (3 sided boomerangs). In this class they have learnt why wings create lift and have used that knowledge to whittle their marine ply into the shape that they require to have their trimerangs return.

Year 9 have been busily planning their individual furniture projects. Prior to starting they will need to design their piece and identify and price all parts. Already on the horizon are tables, surfboard racks and art pieces.

On Thursdays, in the Lighthouse classroom, we have started the science unit Astronomy. We have started with something relatively close to home, the solar system. The students have been shoring up their facts, learning where our calendar originates from and finding out why the centre of our solar system, the sun, is so important. If you have a Lighthouse student at home, ask them some facts.

Paul

Handcraft

Hello Everyone,

Thank you for welcoming me back into the school as I adjust to the new role.  It is a change of pace from Design & Technology, in some ways slower but in others more intense as “our fingers’ learn to “work as friends together,” as our class verse says. 

Class 1 are learning to French knit and Class 2 to knit for the first time which is exciting and frustrating for them simultaneously. 

Class 3 are mid felting their pencil rolls and will soon begin learning to purl knit while making a gnome.

Class 4 are learning a variety of embroidery stitches as they make a placemat for an Easter candle they will soon make. 

Class 5 have the exciting task of designing a Fair Isle knitting pattern that they will work into a pair of fingerless mittens.

Class 6 have begun crocheting their slippers, ready for the change of seasons.    

Thank you very much to those parent helpers.  You are much appreciated. 

Chris and Peta. 

Parent & Friend Action Group

Hello everyone!

We welcome our active P&F members for 2025:

• Shaimaa E
• Emily C
• Julie P
• Claire M

P&F Idea Garden

We might be light on numbers but we are hefty with ideas! During our first meeting we discussed ideas for future activities, some of our ideas include:

• Gardening after Gathering,
• Leaning Tree Fellowship (a chance for parents to participate in Steiner Curriculum activities),
• Term 2 Planting Busy Bee,
• Family Cultural Exchange for Harmony Day,
• Monthly Monday Market Place (barter, swap, buy & sell),
• LTSS Community FB Page (posts regarding buy & sell, house/pet sitting, and more),
• Friday Morning Coffee Cart,
• Gumleaf Shop,
• Family camp out on site with Star Gazing,
• Parent Crafternoon Group.

Come and sow some seeds for fun social activities for our school community! Help us fertilise some of these ideas seeds or take up the mandate to lead a project that appeals to you

Our next scheduled meeting is Wednesday 19^th March. We meet at 3:15pm under the shade at Bariya Playground, to supervise our children as they play. Stay tuned for a survey to decide most preferred day and time for meetings.

P&F Funding

A P&F funding request has been approved to purchase shade awnings for the Starflower Playground. Thankyou 2024 P&F!

Spring Fair Committee

2025 is slated as a Spring Fair year. This means we will require many helping hands to make a memorable event. The past committees and P&F groups have ensured there are very thorough, tried and true planning documents and procedures to assist with the coordination.

Please come and see Community Manager, Lara, if you are interested in assisting the Spring Fair Committee.

Your P&F

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