May 8th 2015. There has been a recent confirmed case of whooping cough (pertussis) in a member of the Chrysalis School community.Whooping cough caught at school can spread to any other members at home. Coughing spreads the infection to others nearby. Whooping cough can be especially dangerous for babies.Whooping cough starts like a cold and progresses to bouts of coughing that can last for many weeks. Older children may just have a cough that is persistent and is worse at night. The infection may also occur in fully-vaccinated children.What should people sick with pertussis do?Pertussis is readily spread from an…

Report from the Tashi Waldorf School Nepal. If you can contribute, please contact Chrysalis Steiner School on 02 6655 8616. Donations will be channeled to Nepal through Steiner Education Australia.Following the concerns shown by all of you about the devastating earthquake that took place in middle parts of Nepal, this brief report has been prepared to get you acquainted with current situation in Nepal and to thank you all for all the concerns that you have about us and also for the prayers you did for our safety and well being.Before writing anything about the deadly earthquake, first let us…

All violin and cello students in classes 5-7 will have the opportunity to participate in our unique Chrysalis music camp called ‘Fiddlers in the Forest’. The class will take place at Mt Hyland on 3rd and 4th June and will be accompanied by the string team – Liz, Kym, Janelle, Victoria and Cathy Bower.The Fiddlers in the Forest Camp is a multifaceted music and wilderness experience. The two days are packed with rehearsals, exploration  and composing music in response to this World Heritage Old Growth Forest. The camp culminates in a recital in the heart of the forest. We traipse…

Class 7 left on their big adventure this week to Lady Musgrave Island. They will be away for 12 days in all, 7 of which will be spent on this little drop of coral in the big ocean. The Island Camp is one of the jewels in the crown of the Chrysalis Camp program. That such a complex, lengthy and rich camp experience is even possible is mainly due to the fact that the Chrysalis camp program has developed capacity and experience in the class every year since that first camp at Bundagen in Year 1. (See the picture below)…

In 2015 the National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is available for students in Years 3,5,7 and 9 in all government and non-government schools on the 12th, 13th and 14th May. This program, which has the support of all State and Territory Education Ministers, will assess the literacy and numeracy learning of students in all Australian schools. The SEA (Steiner Education Australia) and its member schools have agreed that “in principle all Steiner schools are opposed to mandatory testing” because both the nature and the content of the test does not fit in with the Steiner educational approach and philosophy.…

On Wed April 1st we invite all parents to our End of Term Music Soiree.  As in previous years, this is a lovely day where you can come and hear what your children have been working on this term. This will involve all students from Class 1-7 and will happen over both middle and afternoon lessons. Oftentimes the different musical ensembles don’t a get chance to hear the music that the other classes and ensembles are working on until one of the yearly music concerts. So this day is an opportunity for the students to play their music pieces to…

It has come to our attention that there are a couple of cases of suspected whooping cough in the school in the younger years.Whooping cough is a communicable disease which can have serious effects on the young, old and immune compromised individuals.As a community we can support each other so that we can help minimise the spread of infection through conscious awareness. If your child or a household family member has a suspected or confirmed case of whooping cough please inform us in the school office (confidentiality is assured). It is important that parents are proactive by isolating suspected cases…

It is with much gratitude that we thank the visiting delegates from the Steiner Schools across Australia. For many it was their first time in Thora, for some their last visit was in the mid eighties!Through their eyes we rekindled the wonder that this campus offers the children, staff and school community who live and work here. This was a special moment for both of us, as it offered the opportunity not to be complacent about this marvelous place at 703 Darkwood Road, Thora. The participants were amazed at the location of our school campus, impressed by the state of…

Please note that we have been advised that there is no danger to humans. It is safe to swim in the river.  We ask only that children leave their swimmers at school at the end of the day. This is based on Department recommendations to minimise the chance of transmission from one area of the catchment to another. What follows is a summary of NSW Dept of Environment information. See below for the official press release. Following the discovery of Bellinger River Snapping Turtles (Myuchelys georgesi) dead and dying in the Bellinger River late last month, a response team has…