Gumnut Bulletin 5, 2025
Governing Body
Hello from the Chair of the Governing Body
On May 20 a brand-new group of voting Governing Body (GB) Members were elected and join the three non-voting Ex-Officio GB Members from Executive Management Team (EMT).
Us newbies are a delightful diverse group of five that has a broad range of experiences including two parents/working professionals, Julie Prins (mother of Hunter Year 4) and Angie Park (Vice Chair and mother of Lily Year 5), two Steiner teachers from Silver Tree Steiner School Perth who join in remotely, Denise Bullen (Secretary) and Rebecca Noonan, and myself Bernadette Anderson (Chair).
For an independent school to exist it is required by the WA Education Act to be registered with the Department of Education and to have an Incorporated Association, Constitution and a GB that is accountable to the Department of Education, for maintaining a safe and functional environment where students can benefit from a quality Steiner education.
We, the Governing Body of the Association of Leaning Tree Steiner School Inc., are committed and dedicated to working together professionally, respectfully and collegially, supporting each other's role in serving the best interests of LTSS, so it can deliver the benefits of a Steiner informed education for each child.
As a Governing Body, we are value and practice:
- A clear and bright mind that is open to curiosity and great love of learning.
- A heart that is light, open, generous, strong yet forgiving.
- The very existence of being a Human and all the complex diversity that brings: from the courageous to vulnerable, humble in the privilege to serve, listening for deep understanding, enjoyment in working collaboratively, creatively yet logically developing workable strategies with clear focused attention on duties and responsibilities.
Are you interested in the longevity of LTSS? Would you like to know more about the role of the Association and this fabulous group of people who are the GB? Please text me, Bernadette Anderson on 0467 472 648 for a chat and possible catch up.
I look forward to hearing from you soon!
À bientôt
Bernadette Anderson
LTSS GB Chairperson
Education Manager
Welcome everyone,
I’m busy, busy, busy said the bee,
I haven’t had time for my breakfast, lunch or tea,
It takes hours and hours to visit all the flowers!
This newsletter has me feeling a bit like that little bee! We have such a full calendar this term, it’s hard to find enough hours in the day to attend to all the flowers, but we do so in anticipation of the bloom that follows.
As the days grow warmer and nature begins to blossom around us, we look forward to one of the most joyful and beautiful events in our school year: the Spring Festival and our traditional Maypole Dance.
There are two dates for this celebration — and a pupil-free day to follow:
- Friday, 29th August – Spring Festival (10:15am – 12:30pm)
- Sunday, 31st August – Open Day & Learning Journey (10:00am – 1pm)
- Monday, 1st September – Pupil-Free Day
Please pop these dates in your diary now.
This celebration is more than just a festive occasion; it is a meaningful expression of many of the values at the heart of Steiner education. The Maypole, with its flowing ribbons and lively music, symbolizes the awakening of the Earth, the renewal of life, and the interconnectedness of all living things. It gives the children a chance to honour the changing season and the beauty of nature through movement, colour, and song.
The Spring Festival is a cherished time for our school community to come together, and we warmly invite you to join us in witnessing and celebrating your children’s participation.
Last year’s Open Day was a huge success, welcoming prospective families and the wider community into our beautiful school. This year, we are combining the Learning Journey (usually held later in the term on an evening) with Open Day, which means one less outing for parents! Classrooms will be open, showcasing students’ talents, work, and achievements. There will be an Art Exhibition, raffle, food, and much more, including the Maypole dance.
A flyer is attached to this newsletter. Please help us spread the word and invite friends and family to attend.
Don’t forget: Monday, 1st September is a Pupil-Free Day, so everyone can enjoy a much-needed rest after the festivities.
We are also pleased to announce that two students from the Rivergum Room (Class 4) have been shortlisted for awards in the Randolph Stow Young Writers Award. They will attend the presentation night later this month with their families and staff. Stay tuned - they are very excited, and so are we!
And the excitement continues! Eight Middle School students will have their artwork featured in the Genesis Art Exhibition, opening at the Art Gallery at the end of the month. These are wonderful opportunities to connect with the wider community and to share the secret of the amazing work happening here at Leaning Tree Steiner School. Let’s celebrate it!
I look forward to sharing in all the reasons we have to celebrate, together.
With gratitude,
Lisa Scamporlino
Community Manager
It has been a real pleasure stepping in for Lara during Weeks 1–4 of this term. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being back at The Tree — reconnecting with students, families, and the rhythm of this school has been a true joy.
Below you’ll find some upcoming events and ways you can get involved in our school this term. Your support makes such a difference, and we’re grateful for everything you do to help our school community.
Family Commitment Hours
A gentle reminder that any time you spend helping the school counts towards your Family Commitment Hours. This valuable initiative not only helps the school reduce costs and allows us to keep fees low, but it also deepens the connection between families, staff, and our school community. Children love seeing their parents actively involved, and these shared moments create lasting memories.
If you’re helping out in any way, from gardening or sewing to assisting at events, please remember to record your hours. Simply write your task and time taken in the Family Commitment Hours Folder located at the admin desk. If you’re unsure or need a hand, our lovely admin team is always happy to help.
Whole School Spring Festival
As Lisa mentioned, our upcoming Spring Festival is a beautiful opportunity for the school community to come together and celebrate the changing season. We’d love to see you there!
Please let us know if you’re attending by RSVPing via the following link:
👉 https://forms.gle/BsRm1wEMgcabzXRNA
We look forward to welcoming you for a joyful day of colour, connection, and community spirit.
LTSS Open Day & Learning Journey
Our much-loved Open Day is very quickly approaching, and we’d be so grateful for some extra hands to help bring the day to life! Whether you can assist with set-up, cooking and food prep, selling raffle tickets, or helping with the Gumleaf Stall, your contribution makes a big difference in showcasing the heart and spirit of our school.
If you’re able to assist, please reach out to Admin or Lara — we'd love to hear from you.
Raffle Tickets — Available Soon!
Tickets for our major raffle, which will be drawn during Open Day on Sunday, 31st August, will be available next week. As this is our biggest fundraising event of the year, we warmly invite every family to get involved in selling tickets before the event. To collect a booklet, please visit the admin office.
We’re incredibly grateful to our generous sponsors, Mitchell and Brown and Inday Day Spa, for supporting our school once again this year. Here’s what’s up for grabs:
- 1st Prize – $2000 Mitchell and Brown Voucher
- 2nd Prize – Inday Day Spa Restore Package for Two valued at approx. $700
- 3rd Prize – $250 Fuel Voucher
Please remember: as this is a registered raffle, all stubs, monies, and any unsold tickets must be returned to the admin office by Wednesday, 27th August.
Parents & Friends (P&F) Noticeboard
Don’t forget to check out our interactive P&F noticeboard in Lara's Office. It’s a great way to find out about upcoming events, see where help is needed, and express your interest in contributing towards the school.
Warmest regards,
Claire MacLeod
Acting Community Manager
Starflower Kindergarten/Pre-primary
In winter time we like to walk, through the bush o’hi o
The skies so blue, the magpies call
We picnic by a waterfall
In winter time we like to walk, through the bush o’hi o
As we embrace the deep green grass and gentle rains of winter, so too has our daily rhythm reflected this as a time to draw near and hold our inner warmth. During Morning Circle the children are enjoying learning an array of winter themed songs, versus and finger rhymes, supporting memory, mutual support and trust in a safe environment.
The children in Starflower Kindy we have also been busy little bee’s crafting, by starting our term celebrating NAIDOC week. The children enjoyed the story of Clever Crow, which is a lovely picture book that we used during story time to tell the tale of a cunning crow who takes eggs. Story time is an integral part of Steiner education, as it is an important way for young children to build their vocabulary, learn social stories and engage the children with meaningful connections. The additional benefit of developing fine motor skills through crafting is an integral part of our Starflower Day, as we enjoyed sitting in the sunshine making adorable little echidnas from clay. The children love the tactile feeling of soft, malleable clay.
Another highlight of Term Three has been our River Walk, which we enjoyed with much gusto! The children began their walk from Spalding Park along the Chapman River to Swan Drive, where we stopped for a morning tea picnic. We enjoyed a beach play on the banks of the Chapman River, where the river meets the ocean and what a beautiful sight it was to see the river meeting at the ocean. On returning to Spalding Park, the children enjoyed a leisurely afternoon of storytelling, crafting and kite flying.
To all of the families in Starflower, thank you for your continued support and dedication, it is much appreciated.
Warm regards,
Nina, Helen, Kathy and Charlotte.
Sunflower Room Class 1/2
As Term 3 begins, I’d like to share some of the rich learning experiences that have filled our days.
Our daily rhythm provides a grounding structure. After Morning Circle comes Main Lesson, where deep learning takes place through storytelling, artistic expression and meaningful bookwork. Class 1 students have been learning to form phrases and short sentences while exploring written, oral and dramatic storytelling. Class 2 has been exploring Saintly Lives, drawing on stories of courage and compassion to inspire writing, drama and reflection.
In Mathematics, rhythmic counting, times tables and storytelling form the foundation of our number work. Class 1 children have been working on number sequencing to 100, addition facts and the four processes. Class 2 has extended into place value, regrouping into hundreds, tens, ones and exploring strategies for mental maths, subtraction and problem-solving. These concepts have been woven into movement, craft and cooking experiences to build deeper understanding. We also learnt to play Number Bingo, which has been lots of fun!
Across both classes, spelling, reading and writing have been nurtured through daily CVC word practice. We’ve also enjoyed guided and buddy reading, Oxford word work, creative silly story writing and even tackling crosswords.
Our STEM adventures have included creating personal calendars illustrated with seasonal pictures, investigating water displacement and designing shelters for horses—an idea inspired by one of our Main Lesson stories. In the garden, we’ve tended our worm farm and observed seasonal changes. Very soon, we’ll be planting spring seeds.
Craft projects have included painting gum leaves using dot-style techniques and making Book Week costumes inspired by the artwork in The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
Term highlights so far have included our Riverwalk excursion, a lively Tao Drumming workshop and the joy of celebrating birthdays together.
As we continue to grow in confidence, curiosity, and connection, I thank you for walking alongside us on this meaningful learning journey. We look forward to all that the next phase of the term will bring!
Ally
Seabreeze Room Class 3
Dear Families,,
Greetings from our vibrant Class 3 community! We have been busy engaging in a variety of exciting learning experiences that are enriching both our minds and hearts.
**Main Lesson: Farming**
Our main lesson has been focused on farming — exploring the different crops, farm animals, and the important work that happens on a farm throughout the year. We’ve learned why farming is vital for our food and community, and how the changing seasons influence what farmers do. The children are really enjoying discovering how each season brings new tasks and opportunities on the farm!
**Math Adventures: Multiplication and Division**
In our math lessons, we are exploring multiplication and division. The children are learning different strategies to solve word problems, which helps them understand these concepts better and see how they apply in real life. It’s wonderful to watch their confidence grow as they tackle these challenges!
**English**
Every day, we read together to develop our comprehension and love of reading. Our writing has taken us into the world of farms and nature, where students are creating their own stories inspired by our farming theme. They are demonstrating great creativity and descriptive skills!
**Special Experience: Taiko Drumming**
We were incredibly lucky to experience Taiko drumming! The children learned to play these powerful drums and worked together as a team to create rhythmic patterns. It was a fun, energetic activity that helped build teamwork and coordination.
We are proud of all the progress our students are making and look forward to sharing more adventures in learning with you!
Warm regards,
Leisl and Claire
Rivergum Room Class 4
After a well-deserved and wonderful three week winter break, the Rivergum Class has returned refreshed and full of energy. The children have settled back into classroom life with enthusiasm and curiosity, eager to embrace the term ahead.
While the classroom remained quiet over the break, our gardens had other plans, bursting into bloom with a healthy crop of winter weeds. Each morning, the students have taken on the task of weeding their garden beds. This daily ritual has turned into a joyful adventure, with children uncovering little treasures from the soil, remnants and surprises brought to the surface by the season’s rains.
Our days begin with rehearsals for the upcoming class play. Reading through scripts and learning lines has become a highlight of the mornings, with students stepping into their roles with growing confidence and flair.
In the realm of numbers, maths games and learning rotations have brought a playful spirit to new concepts. A recent highlight saw two students challenging themselves with a complex addition problem they invented, seven rows of twelve numbers each. The challenge involved plenty of carrying and teamwork, and it all unfolded during the quiet end-of-week games time.
This term, our Main Lessons are 'The Land of Language' and 'Geometry', offering rich opportunities for the children to explore words, stories, shapes, and spatial thinking in creative and engaging ways.
From garden discoveries to theatrical beginnings, student-led problem-solving, and our exciting new Main Lessons, it’s been a rich and engaging return to school life for Rivergum. We look forward to sharing more of their adventures in the weeks to come.
Tara & Penny
Lighthouse Room Class 5/6
This term in our Main Lessons on Botany, we have been exploring the wonders of the plant world. Our investigations have taken us into the shapes, textures, and structures of leaves, and we have discovered that many follow the sun as it moves through the sky. We were fortunate enough to witness this in action on our Riverwalk, the Lupins constantly tracked the sun. We have also learned about the different life cycles of plants — annuals, biennials, perennials, and the long-living shrubs and trees. To balance our scientific observations, we have enjoyed sharing poetry and stories about trees, deepening our appreciation for their beauty and importance.
In our Mindfulness time, we have taken a short break from the Famous Five series to enjoy The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton. The Faraway Tree has quickly become a class favourite, and we have loved meeting its extraordinary characters. This woodland setting has linked beautifully with our rainforest studies, where we are learning about the layers of the forest and the special relationships between plants and animals.
Rotation Fridays remain a highlight of the week, giving everyone the chance to try a variety of activities. Cooking is especially popular, and with the generous guidance of Chef Andy, we have prepared sausage rolls, sushi, bread rolls, and even red velvet cookies! The classroom fills with delicious smells and plenty of pride as we munch our creations.
We have also been steaming ahead with our dictation practice. Dictation is a valuable way to strengthen listening skills, improve spelling, develop punctuation awareness, and refine handwriting — all in one activity! It helps students think about how sentences are built and trains them to listen carefully for details. The class’s spelling and writing skills are progressing beautifully, and it’s rewarding to see their growing confidence in their written work.
This term has also brought a special moment for our Class 6 Leaders — the arrival of their jackets. Looking smart and feeling wonderfully warm, they are just what’s needed at this time of year. The jackets are being worn with pride every day, and they are a visible reminder of the students’ leadership role in our school community.
Our Winter Reflection shelf has been a cosy feature in the classroom, offering quiet moments during the colder days. Now, as Spring arrives, we are ready to welcome sunshine and blossoming gardens. It feels like the start of new adventures, both in the garden and in our learning.
Kelly
Voyager Room Class 7/8
The river is flowing, flowing and growing
The river is flowing back to the sea.
Welcome to Term 3 and wintertime in the Midwest.
As promised, from last term, please see some finished paintings by our Renaissance apprentice Master Artists – can you spot a Johannes Vermeer artwork? Or perhaps a Leonardo da Vinci or two? For students working with oil paint for the first time, they did sensational painting with depth, detail and persistence.
Apprentice artists also displayed determination when they became apprentice carpenters to complete a wooden tool caddy in four and half hour's courtesy of a SALT (Supporting & Linking Tradeswomen) workshop. Students used a range of hand and power tools, practical math skills and gained further confidence to be able to use a range of tools in their everyday lives.
A few days later students picked up ‘bachi’ (drumsticks) and discovered the power and precision needed to play the Taiko drums. With strict instructions, trial and tribulations the student's teamwork resulted in a perfectly poised percussion performance.
Next up, was a National Science Week Tour incursion on Quantum Dark Matter. Where the students were introduced to all things’ quantum and big by a trio of travelling scientists studying for their PhD. Our brains were stretched as we traversed across the universe in a basic crash course of what dark matter is and isn’t as well as quantum physics.
Our annual River Walk rounded off the first four weeks beautifully. Students walked more than 10km with their peers in Prospects (class 8 and 9) navigating the terrain with an experienced hiker at the helm (Thank you Lisa K)
With gratitude and thanks,
Sincerely Susan
Prospect Room Class 8/9
Winter continues; with cold crisp mornings, rain to encourage growth, with enough sunshine to encourage wildflowers and canola to bloom!
The Prospects also continue to grow in height and character. Our camp to Coral Bay was an amazing immersion into the underwater world of the Ningaloo Reef. We were lucky enough to swim with 2 whale sharks, 1 that barrel rolled over and over again to our delight. We walked along the coast, explored the dunes, listened to a marine biologist’s wisdom of the reef, snorkeled, walked the tiny town on a quest for trinkets while also learning about its history. We watched the sunset on the last evening, reflecting on our time in this magical place.
This term is full of exiting opportunities with more Tafe Tasters for Year 9 students. All Year 8 & 9 students participated in a SALT workshop, spending the day working with tools and women/ non-binary tradies, to create a wooden caddy. We also heard a little bit about each of the trainers and how they got into their chosen trade.
This week has seen the TAIKO drumming incursion and a live stream of the “In Your Head” sessions in Perth. We listened to a presentation about resiliency and self-compassion, replacing the negative voice in your head. We heard all about quantum technology and dark matter from another visitor and of course our annual river walk, where we walked the 9km loop of the Chapman River.
In class time, we are delving into defining moments of Australian history in the 20th Century. We reviewed what we know about indigenous and colonial Australia before 1900 and are now working on a decade each of the 1900’s. Watch this space.
Warm regards,
Lisa K and Sophie A
Handcraft
Hello everyone,
Winter is drawing to a close and we already have signs of spring. The days are getting warmer though the nights and mornings are still cold. The flowers are coming out and I’m expecting to see our resident bobtail any day now, out and about in the warmer weather.
Most of the Sunflower children in Class 1 have finished their beanie and have begun stitching their initials and some patterns into hessian as a cover for their pencil tin. The Jilinbiri children in Class 2 are completing their knitted bunnies and starting their knitted recorder cases. This back-to-back knitting is important to consolidate what they have learnt and while it is a bigger project, it has rewards and markers of progress along the way as they change colour six times.
Seabreeze children in Class 3 are well into their next knitting project of a gnome knitted in stocking stitch. This is achieved by alternating rows between knit and purl. The children choose their colours and will eventually get to embellish their gnomes with long hair or short, or even a beard!
In the Rivergum room we have some of the students knitting to a pattern with an animal of their choice while some finish their crotchet potholder.
In the Lighthouse room Class 5 are working on their Fair Isle Finger knitted gloves and will extend to cross-stitch eventually. While some class 6 children are finishing their crochet slippers, others are learning whitling, beginning by making themselves a crotchet hook or two. This is delicate work and involves learning safe working procedures. They also will learn how to keep their blades sharp by using a strop.
Our hands have completed our task with patience,
We have done our work with care,
Our fingers have worked as friends together,
And we have our friendship shared.
Chris and Peta
Sustainability News
Friday the 1st of August was our annual Waste Audit. This is a survey to monitor how we are going at controlling our waste at School. We asked our cleaners not to empty our bins for a day and the following day our fabulous Waste Warrior reps from each class collect all the bins from the classrooms, playgroup, office and toilets. These are emptied onto a tarp and the waste is sorted into categories of food scraps, fruit and veg scraps, snack wrappers, plastic wrap, containers for change, paper, alfoil, and general waste. Each area is then weighed, with some items being counted too.
Although we have improved slightly from last year, we can do better. Most concerning is the amount of snack wrappers, 58 for just one day! This is down from 61 last year. Let’s work on this with providing our children with Waste Sorted Lunch Boxes. Allocating some time on the weekend for family baking of muesli bars, crackers, vegetable crisps etc. These can be sealed in bees wax wraps (available in our gift shop or make your own). Reusable zip lock bags and airtight containers. For families still transitioning from single use plastic wrap and zip lock bags we now offer a purple recycling bin for this at school as a part of our Terracycle program.
Link for Bees Wax Wraps – bees wax available in spotlight- candle making section
https://youtu.be/ClCWlknYLVQ?si=23JF-lKmkfnvF9IW
Link for snack recipes
https://wellnourished.com.au/category/recipes/healthy-lunch-box-recipes/
Please use our Terracycle hub at the front of the school. We accept clean and triple rinsed Hair Care and Colour; Dish and Air Care (including Finish brand plastic dishwasher tablet packaging); clean and dry plastic Food Wrap and Zip Lock bags (purple bin next to undercover washing station); Toothpaste tubes/ toothbrushes/ floss packs; Coffee Pods: Nescafe Starbucks and Dolce Gusto, Aluminium L’or/Moccona/ illy/ Campos/ Jed’s Coffee Co only- please check your brands.
Containers for Change- we have a green collection bin next to our general waste skip or if you are visiting Containers for Change on Bradford St you can donate to our sustainability programs using our Leaning Tree Steiner School Code- C11484968. So far this year we have raised $40.30.
Warm Winter Blessings
Dani and the Waste Warriors
Community Notices
