Perth Waldorf School eNewsletter

Primary School

Easter Festival

Next Tuesday, 8^th April, is the first part of the Primary Easter Festival.

The day begins at 9am with children processing through the school, walking behind a donkey. They are carrying colourfully decorated crosses, each one adorned with a bread rooster.

Aspects of the Festival are drawn from the Christian Easter story but are reinterpreted in a way that is meaningful and accessible for all the children.

The donkey

The children are familiar with (and love!) the little donkey which carried Mary to Bethlehem for the birth of baby Jesus. The donkey appears again at Easter when it carries the adult Jesus at the beginning of the Easter week. The donkey is a big hit with the children each year.

The crosses

These are brightly decorated by the children, and while the cross represents the sacrifice made in a Christian sense, at a basic level the circle represents the Sun which arises anew each day with light and hope. The children love redecorating their crosses each year with new colours and more sophisticated patterns.

The roosters

Baking an object that even remotely a rooster presents is a logistical challenge to most people! The rooster symbolises the awake-ness that accompanies each new dawn.

The foot washing

On Thursday next week the Primary School will hold a special assembly which takes its inspiration from the Easter story. Each teacher selects a child from their class and gently bathes their feet in warm water while beautiful music is being played. This conveys the truth that while the teacher is the authority in the classroom, at a deeper level they are there to serve the children. This assembly is just for staff and children.

In the past few years, stories have been told about these aspects which give a meaningful, imaginative context to the children. They relish the spectacle of the day, the activities, the donkey and of course, eating their bread roosters afterwards!

Whatever Easter means to you, you are warmly invited to enjoy the glorious Easter parade on Tuesday morning. Please join in singing Hosiannah as the children walk through the Easter Market. Claire Wiliamson will be there to lead the singing.

Kevin Mazzer
Head of Primary School

Sound Exploration in Class 6

As the first term draws to a close, Class 6 take on "Physics of Sounds" for their final main lesson. In this time, students are learning all about sound, including concepts around pitch, resonance, frequency, and vibrations in addition to understanding the different ways tones can be produced and altered.

One morning, the class were asked to bring in objects that could act as instruments in order to collectively produce sounds to potentially create a musical piece. The objects brought in were very creative and ranged from a plastic paint tub and stick, glass bottle (to blow), plastic rake head and Tupperware top, crunching leaves, wood, a metal rod and wooden beater, and rubber bands wrapped around a cardboard coffee cup holder. While the students took turns to rub, blow, pluck and shake their instruments, the air became filled with some enchanting reverberations! Afterwards, students brainstormed different instruments and categorised them under 'percussion', 'wind', and 'string'.

In Steiner education, studying the physics of sound holds special significance due to the educational philosophy’s emphasis on holistic learning, creativity, and the development of the whole child. Studying the physics of sound encourages active and sensory experimentation, fosters creativity and artistic expression, and offers collaboration and expression of emotion through sound.

While observing the session, it was evident students were engaged, focused, and motivated throughout. Next, the class will explore how the shape and size of an object influences the sound it makes, a topic that promises to be just as stimulating and thought-provoking.

Tamara Yousry
Class 6 Education Assistant