Keep up-to-date with your child’s learning with these short weekly updates from their teachers. Click on the buttons below to go straight to your child’s class, or find out what others are up to!

Preschool

Welcome back to all of our families. It’s so lovely to see everyone return for the new year. We have been busily exploring the new changes to the room and playground. 

Our School gardener, Annie has done an amazing job setting up the back courtyard as an area for the children to pick, harvest and explore in the new fruit and vegetable patch. Annie has also planted a lovely and vibrant flower bed in the front courtyard that the children have enjoyed tending to. 

We have been engaged in activities including bread baking, bees wax, circle games and this week celebrating Lunar New Year. We will be having Storyteller Kiran Shah coming next Wednesday to tell some cultural tales.  

We look forward to seeing you all at our Meet and Greet evening on Thursday, 6 February. 

Happy birthday to Maeve and Austin. 

From the Preschool team 

Kindergarten/Boronia Room

Welcome everyone to a new school year! 

We had such a wonderful first day together, baking bread, jumping imaginary waves and taking a walk around the school.  There was so much enthusiasm and joy for this first day at school. 

We had a very beautiful crossing over ceremony for the children going from Kindergarten to Class One on Wednesday morning. It was a very exciting time for everyone as the adults accompanied the children to their new classroom and beautiful Class One teacher, Katherine Turner.  

Thank you to all the wonderful parents from the Class 2 community who hosted the welcome morning tea for the new Class 1 and Kindergarten families.  

Thursday saw the children get started on their first Craft project making a fish for their ‘school of fish mobile’. All the children did so well learning the new, challenging skill of blanket stitching.  

Wednesday, 5 February we will welcome Kiran Shah to our school as part of our Luna New Year celebrations.  Kiran is a storyteller and will share the tale of the “Great Race” with the children. 

I’m so excited to welcome everyone to our beautiful Kindergarten and I look forward to a fun and adventurous year together. 

Warmly, 

Francine O’Dea 


Class 1/2

Welcome to our wonderful Class 1/2 families! We were so excited to see all the children back at school this week. It’s been a pleasure to see them settling into both familiar and new rhythms. Exploring Italian, painting, craft and drawing with gusto!  

On Wednesday, we heard the story of Saffron the Wise Snake while learning about Lunar New Year, and we made our own Saffron during craft. 

Our first Main Lesson of the year is learning forms in nature and symmetry while exploring our school and bush environment. 

Thank you for the time and love that has been given to our room. We have been truly blessed to receive assistance with moving and cleaning, painting, handmade treasures and not to mention the beautiful welcome morning tea in the library on Wednesday morning. 

Warmly, 

Kath & Class 1/2 Assistants 


Class 3/4

Our return to school felt calm, exciting and perhaps auspicious landing on Lunar New Year. 

The children have started to work on routines with cooperative times of sharing reading, drawing, playing and exploring together. As Meredith said, “It has been really lovely”. 

Poppy was welcomed to our school and class. She is settling with ease, and we are delighted she has joined us. 

Wednesday morning saw us start our time in the kitchen garden. The children were delighted to know this will be a weekly event. Annie led us in weeding, planting and oh what a harvest nimble fingers picked! We are waiting to think how we might cook up the deliciousness. 

We celebrated Leon’s birthday. Ten years old and already so wise. We chatted about catching up on birthday celebrations for children who had birthdays over the summer break. Very important, we know! 

We also started learning Auslan (sign) both in our morning circle verses and songs and through our daily routines. I have found incorporating Auslan and Dharug in a natural way daily is deeply enriching, engaging and beautiful. 

This week we are exploring Lunar New Year, with the ancient story of the Great Race and making wood snakes and prayer flags for our room. Next week we start our main lesson on “Time- For Every Season a Purpose”, starting from the beginning with day and night, darkness and light. 

Thank you to all parents who have been so welcoming to me. Blue Mountains Steiner School is a truly special and magical school. My senses are brimming with delight to be here. 

On a practical note- many hats seem to have stayed on holidays and need to find their way back to school. Also, if there is something on your mind about your child, drop in and share it and we can hold their needs together. Always lighter that way. 

Warmest regards, 

Jeneva and Meredith 


Class 5/6

The children look refreshed and so much more grown up! We have shared some holiday stories, both entertaining and dramatic, and we welcome Hannah and her family back after being in Romania for the second half of last year. Our Classroom is looking lovely, and the children are re-familiarising themselves with class activities and routines. We began the term by writing our own acknowledgement to Country, one that is particular to our school setting. Everyone contributed and we are collating it so that it becomes one piece of writing. 

Our first Main Lesson is an English, Geography and History lesson and the content will primarily be drawn from Ancient India and Persia.   

Violin lessons with Mare will begin next week, as will Maths with Minh. Many Class 5 families indicated that their children are going to continue violin lessons. I have spoken to the class and there were a number of Class 6 children who said that they would like to continue. Please tall to your child and let me know if they want to continue (please note that Violin lessons are an extra cost on top of school fees). 

For anyone who hasn’t bought the Derwent coloured pencils, I have been told that Springwood Art supplies has 25% off the sets at the moment.  

Hats and Fountain pens: Hats were sent home (Class 5 children) at the end of last year to be washed. If your child doesn’t have a sun hat, please support them by getting them one. Some children said they have their fountain pens at home, please send them in if you have one.  

Lastly, Caroline Dale (Theo and Romy’s mum) has volunteered to be our Class 5/6 Coordinator. Could you please let me know (via email) if you would prefer NOT to have your phone number given to her for class communications (via WhatsApp).  

Class Camp (One night) to Ganguddy (Dunn’s Swamp), Thursday February 13th-Friday 14th. Note to come soon. The children will be camping and will share tents.  

It’s so great to see everyone! 

Have a lovely weekend,  

Julie and Lee