140 leaders came from Darwin, Perth, Hobart, Port Douglas, and all places in between, to Bellingen for the annual Steiner school leadership and governance conference. Chrysalis welcomed the participants from 45 Steiner Schools as they converged in Bellingen for the 2 day annual conference. The participants - board members, administrators and teachers alike - enjoyed country hospitality and beautiful autumn weather (especially for those from Tasmania and Victoria!). The excellent, thought provoking conference covered topics as diverse as enrolment challenges, community learning and engagement, and the art of facilitating conflict. CEO of Steiner Education Australia, Virginia Moller, thanked Chrysalis and the good folk…

What a diverse and beautifully rich learning environment the class 8 schoolroom has been this first term. The students found themselves in the throes of civil uprisings between the 16th – 18th centuries which lead to the Dutch and French revolutions and the English Civil War. This main lesson stirred many thoughts and feelings within the class 8 students, which inspired fruitful discussions related to revolutions and challenging the status quo. In class 8 students continue developing their emerging individualities and studying the great revolutions of history provides a wonderful opportunity for self-reflection and enquiry regarding their own values and…

The start of Term 1 saw Class 7 continue their journey with new teachers, Lynn Jensen and Tim Fry, taking over from Liz Sheppard. We also welcomed a new teacher’s aid; Sam Taylor, and the class grew to 23 students, with newcomers Darcy, James, Tara and Lucas. The three main lessons for Term 1 were; The Middle Ages, Algebra and Geometry, and The Human Body (Physiology). In their studies of the Middle Ages, the students learnt about the turbulent times following the fall of the Roman Empire. As the feudal system became established and Christianity spread through Europe, order and…

Ancient India has provided much of the backdrop for what has been a heady term full of dance, excursion, feasts, story and art. The children plunged into Main Lessons which provided introspective elements of Indian culture as well as the more land-based foci of Ancient Persia. Deep gratitude to those of the community who have assisted in bringing cultural elements to the Class 5 learning journey this term. To Zai and the parents of Class 5 who cooked with the children all morning for our shared Indian feast. To Lainey for her time and dance-teaching talents which allowed us to…

We started Term One with the introduction to Norse mythology and the epic poetry of the Poetic Edda, laying a foundation for later studies in the history of literature and in their appreciation for a variety of language styles. The picture images of creation, of the spiritual origins of the human being found in Norse mythology, give the children a deep sense of security. This sense of security is important at this age when the children continue on their journey away from the experience of oneness with the world, to an experience of their own individuality. During this Main Lesson,…

A busy and eventful term awaited us all upon returning to Chrysalis in 2018. We commenced the term with the ‘Literature of Creation and Tradition’ Main Lesson where opportunities to consider the great themes of humanity took place. Stories of creation, tradition and authority, and the impacts they had on individuals, were shared and explored. In ancient human civilisations these themes have been expressed in some of the great narratives that speak directly to the growing child’s imagination, particularly in relation to questions that start to arise at this age. It was a wonderful opportunity to continue developing language and…

Term 1 started with the Animal Fables ML with the telling of more traditional Aesop fables to some that featured Australian animals. The lessons that arise in these very short stories often leave the children pondering a range of animal traits that reflect their own social world. The children enjoyed drawing, painting and reinacting these beloved fables. The children’s foundational literacy skills have continued to grow. From letter-sound correspondence, writing sentences, sight words, word families, phonic patterns and reading. They are encouraged to read their own bookwork daily and they have developed industriousness toward learning. Writing as a skill is developed…

On the last day of term Class One celebrated all their hard work by making a trip to the Fairy Dell. There, the children made beautiful homes for the gnomes and fairies using bush materials and crystals. The warmth between the children and their joy in playing together was palpable. I shared with the class just how much they had achieved this term. How clever they are to remember all the songs and verses in our morning circle.We looked at Puck's form drawing book, their Golden Letter books and the exquisite Number books we had made. We remembered how much…