News

Senior String Quartet play for Bellinger Valley View Club

The Chrysalis Senior String Quartet (or FALL Quartet as they have named themselves, using the first letters of their names) performed for the Bellinger Valley View Club on Monday 19th November to rapturous applause from the 80 attendees and the Christmas Lunch event. They were very impressed by the ability and musicality of the Quartet and their wide-ranging repertoire. The Quartet played for almost an hour straight and still didn't play all of their favourite pieces! It was lovely to hear the ladies sing along to Silent Night and Skye Boat Song. The students were able to experience for a…

Class 2 Red Rock camp

Lots of fun was had in the waves, sand and rocks... the children loved connecting with and learning about the indigenous culture of the area!

Thank You Assembly and Morning Tea

On Friday November 9th we held our last Assembly for the year. This one was a special one as we celebrated the contributions of all of the school community, and on this occasion particularly Tyler who has been a much-loved facilitator at the school camps over recent years who will soon to be departing for Canada. The classes broke out in a heartfelt song of thanks for Tyler, with representatives from the Student Council individually offering their gratitude as well as the Class 8 students speaking enthusiastically about their favourite memories which often included reflections on camps and Tyler's involvement.…

Teaching Vacancy 2019 – Class 4

Chrysalis seeks expressions of interest for a class teacher interested in taking up a Class 4 full time teaching role. If you see yourself as an enthusiastic, creative, and professional teacher with a strong commitment to and passion for Steiner education and want to work in a collaborative professional environment, we encourage you to look at the Application Package and Teaching Framework. Applications close COB Friday 23rd November 2018 For further information please contact the Education Manager: Kelley McGlashan Ph: 02 6655 8616

Class 8 project presentations 2018

The Year 8 students have been working hard during the last few terms. Each individual chose a topic that they were interested in or felt that they would like to learn more about.  Finding a mentor to help them on their journey was the next step. Along the way they kept working journals, made progress reports and practiced the art of Public Speaking.   Their final presentation is in two parts; the display of the Project itself and the Oral Presentation that explains the students learning and thought process throughout their project experience. Friday 2nd November was an opportunity to honour the students…

Class 8 project presentation evening

Gather this Friday 2 November from 6pm to take in the the beautiful presentation tables in Maam Gamambiya (the school hall), followed by the students presenting their achievements from 6:30pm. The Year 8 students have been working hard during the last few terms. Each individual has chosen a topic that they were interested in or felt that they would like to learn more about. Here is the list of projects for this year: Lydia - animal tracking and rescue Joey - motorbike restoration Sienna - yoga teacher training Aaliyah - vegetarian cooking and gardening Lily - tiny house building Freya - writing…

Why Steiner Students Knit

Knitting has been gathering a lot of attention lately by crafters and scientists alike. It turns out knitting and handwork provides a host of brain and wellbeing benefits to people of all ages. For students, in particular, knitting provides an essential learning medium. A child who is knitting a hat or a toy kitten sees their will transformed into art. They see their focused, detailed work turn into something beautiful and purpose filled. They experience how the conceptual becomes concrete. This is why Waldorf education founder, Rudolf Steiner, lectured on the importance of handwork for students just under 100 years…

Drawing is the best way to learn, even if you’re no Leonardo da Vinci

By Anne Quito “I just can’t draw.” It’s a refrain most adults say when confronted with a blank piece of paper. Something happens in our teenage years that makes most of us shy away from drawing, fretting that our draftsmanship skills aren’t up to par, and leaving it to the “artists” among us. But we’ve been thinking about drawing all wrong, says the design historian D.B. Dowd. In his illuminating new book, titled Stick Figures: Drawing as a Human Practice, Dowd argues that putting a pencil to paper shouldn’t be about making art at all. “We have misfiled the significance of drawing because…

Living Classroom and Spring Festival 2018

A snap shot into ‘lifelong learning’… “Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself.” ~ John Dewey Since 2011, at the Autumn and Spring Festival Days, Chrysalis opens each classroom to parents and/or grandparents so they can visit their child’s class and take part in the lesson of the day. This innovative and exciting idea came from an inspiration of one of our teachers when she invited her parents to take part in the morning lesson. Parents that took part were able to participate in the morning activities with their children and get a better grasp of…

Investing in Innovative Smart Energy Solution backed with DPE Funding

As families continue to grapple with rising electricity prices and the extremes in weather changes making habitable spaces harder to keep comfortable, Chrysalis School has partnered with local renewable energy engineering firm, Enesol, and the NSW Department of Planning and Environment to address the needs of its increasing student numbers and growing demand on the electricity grid. After over 35 years of Steiner education in the Thora Valley, west of Bellingen, on the mid north coast of NSW, Chrysalis is now the third biggest school in the Bellingen Shire. The geographical setting of Chrysalis is unique, and the same might…