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Every Monday, the administration staff and teachers at Parkerville Steiner College come together to deepen their understanding of Waldorf pedagogy and its anthroposophical underpinnings. Understanding the developing child from a spiritual perspective and learning how we learn to take in the world and develop meaning in our lives is the foundation of all Waldorf education.

In small groups, we discuss what it means to be spiritual and share our own spiritual journey. It requires a deepening of thought and feeling while being open to other points of view. Often, we carry an unconscious paradigm of how we and the world come to exist, and it can be startling to have our paradigms challenged. It requires flexibility and openness to consider other ways of seeing the world. This work leads to the development of empathy and love for our fellow human beings regardless of whatever their paradigm of belief is.

Coupled with a deep and concentrated study of the developing child and particularly the adolescent, the staff and teachers at Parkerville Steiner College develop the insights and sensitivity of the needs of the young people in their care. Educating adolescents requires a careful understanding of the stages of development that the young people go through, from finishing Primary School to finishing High School. It is the time between childhood and becoming an adult. This developmental work by the staff and teachers at Parkerville Steiner College each week gives them a greater insight into the world of the adolescents in their care and allows them to deepen their relationships with the students.

Staff development is essential to the growth of the culture of Parkerville Steiner College. To have the entire staff enfold the student body with such a depth of meaningful understanding and sensitivity ensures the school becomes a place where young people develop their full potential in an environment of love, support, and positivity. It is a far-sighted process of staff development that works into the future through helping the students develop their hearts, minds, and sense of purpose in the world.

Mark Phillips
Curriculum and Teacher Development Coordinator

Meet Siobhan Jones, our Physical Education Teacher. Siobhan is the embodiment of energy and enthusiasm, who joined Parkerville Steiner College this year as the new Physical Education Teacher.

Born and bred in the heart of Perth Hills, Siobhan is not just any local—she's a walking testament to lifelong love, having tied the knot with her high school flame. But that's not all that's kept her heart racing; her pulse truly quickens on the netball court.

With the grace of a gazelle and the precision of an archer, Siobhan has dominated the netball scene, showcasing her talents at a state level and spreading her passion by coaching across the nation. Picture this: our very own Siobhan, representing Western Australia, netball in hand, under the Hawaiian sun, where the traditional hard courts give way to lush grass—an athlete's dream.

But when the whistle blows and the game is won, Siobhan isn't one to sit still. Her zest for life takes her from the court to the great outdoors. Whether she's camping under a blanket of stars, reeling in a catch of the day, or conquering rugged terrains in her 4WD, Siobhan embraces adventure with open arms.

Get ready, students of Parkerville Steiner College, for a journey of fitness, fun, and fearless learning with Siobhan as your guide. Let the games begin! ??️?

End of Term 1 Djeran Festival

We celebrated the end of Term 1 with a lovely Djeran Festival, marking the end of the first term but also the transition of the seasons and Easter.

After Main Lesson on the last day of term, students participated in activities filled with

learning, creativity, and unity. The PSC students selected two workshops run by staff, these included: baking, tiny book making, metalwork, planting, candle making, decorating eggs and beading.

The themes of the workshops were designed to reflect the themes of nature's transitions, human striving, and preparation for the changing seasons. These hands-on activities allowed students to create items that were not only artistic but also meaningful. 

We had the most glorious day for our festival and the morning’s creativity was followed by a lovely shared lunch on the grass outside the school. Each class brought a different type of food, and there was a real feast to be had. Coming together at the end of a term is always a lovely way to connect and re- join before students and staff head off for a well-earned break.

Class 9 Conic Sections

Legend has it that Apollonius of Perga, around 200 BC, was approached by a wealthy patron who asked him to build a sundial that would accurately show the time throughout the year.  Intrigued by the challenge, he came up with the idea of using a certain type of shapes called “conic sections”, which are shapes that are formed by cutting through a cone with a knife at various angles. 

As Apollonius dug deeper into these shapes, he found he could describe these shapes using the mathematics of geometry and algebra.  Last term, our Class 9 students sought to understand the shapes that can be called “conic sections” or “conics” for short. During the Conics Maths Main Lesson, we, like Appolonius, dug deeper into the details and nature of conic sections. These shapes include the perfect circle, the earthy ellipse, the connecting parabola and the manic hyperbola.  Through imagination, observation, some drawing and the occasional story our Class 9 students saw, drew and imagined all the conics.

Geometry is an important part of the maths curriculum at Parkerville Steiner College and although there was some reference to the algebra of conics, the emphasis was on their form and design. During the course of the rest of the year, we will be making reference to some of the shapes that have become so familiar.  We have all come to appreciate the nature and form of conic sections.

Bill Bennett

Term One German

Classes 7, 8 and 9 are all continuing with their German language journey and it’s lovely to see the progression in knowledge and capability from year to year as students understanding and confidence in the language grows.

Class 7
It is a pleasure to teach German to Class 7 who have come with a great foundation knowledge from primary school. Their oral vocabulary knowledge is impressive, and Term 1 saw them learn some new vocabulary but also cement their existing knowledge, extending this into the realm of writing, where they are learning to write and identify the vocabulary rather than just hearing or speaking it.

Class 8
Class 8 spent Term 1 reviewing much of the vocabulary learnt last year but with them, there has been an added focus on grammar; on present tense verb conjugation and adjectives, which is allowing them to begin to write and speak simple German sentences. This repetition of existing vocabulary knowledge really does help them to consolidate their knowledge of the language and has allowed them to focus more attention on grasping the complexities of German grammar.

Class 9
It was such a delight to see how quickly the Class 9 cohort refreshed their knowledge of German from last year at the start of Term 1. Throughout the term they learnt new vocabulary linked to the theme of food and revised verb conjugations and simple grammar constructs from Class 8 in order to increase their ability to write, speak and listen in German.

With all three classes there was some cultural links whether around discussing traditional foods in different regional parts of Germany or talking about Ostern (Easter) and creating a class Osterbaum (Easter tree) for the classroom.

Ethna Brave
German Teacher

Term 1: Physical Education

The Class 7’s started the year looking at Cricket, Fundamental Movement Skills, and Fitness. The students have shown great adaptability, being able to adjust to different lesson types due to the extreme heat we experienced at the start of this term (which always seemed to happen on a Monday!). They then completed a 3-week Basketball Unit. We had a variety of skill and experience levels in this group, but all students embraced the sport, especially the game play.

Class 8 completed a Kayaking unit in Term 1, again a bit disrupted by the hot weather, but we got three sessions on the water. The student's confidence on the water grew with each session and so did their ability to get their kayak to go in the direction that they wanted! My highlight of the unit was seeing so many students volunteer to play cat and mouse (chasing each other while running from one kayak to another), even though they knew the probability of ending up in the river while doing this was high.

Due to unforeseen circumstances Class 9 only got to complete the one unit in Basketball during Term 1, but they are to be commended for their ability to give everything a go. Lots of the students were playing basketball for the first time but they all attempted each new skill with good humor and intensity.  The few students who had experience in the sport stepped up and took on leadership roles whenever possible and were an asset to the development of their peers.

Before School Activities

We are very excited to announce that we will be starting… Running Club! We will welcome students, staff, siblings, and parents to walk, run or jog with us on Friday mornings between 8am – 8:25am.

Running Club is all about having ago and moving our bodies, enjoying the company of friends and being proud of your own efforts. Meet us on the oval and be sure to bring your drink bottle.

Running Club will commence Friday Week 1, Term 2 (19th April).

If you would like more information or would like to register your interest, please email Siobhan on sjones@pws.wa.edu.au.

After School Soccer Club!

A lot of our students have a BALL playing soccer and we think it would be fantastic to give the students an opportunity to engage in this sport together after school. We will commence on Monday of Week 3 (29th April) from 3:30pm-4:15pm. We will focus on skill development through activities and game play, with a focus on fun and enjoyment. Please register your interest by emailing Siobhan on sjones@pws.wa.edu.au.

Interschool Sport

We have some exciting interschool opportunities coming up in Term 2. We have a Class 7 Girls, Class 8 Girls, Class 9 Girls, and a Class 8/9 Boys team attending a Netball Carnival. Class 8 will be starting the term learning Netball in Physical Education. I will be running a Netball Clinic afterschool on Monday of Week 2 (22nd April) from 3:30-4:15pm for any students who would like some coaching prior to the carnival.

Sport Achievements

It’s been a very busy few weeks in the hills with both Hockey and Basketball finishing up for the season and we have some wonderful student achievements to celebrate.

Firstly, congratulations to Class 7 students Jasmine, Bethany and Olive for winning their Basketball Grand final, and to Claire, Molly, Jasmine and Olive for winning their Hockey Grand Final.

Congratulations to some of our Class 8 students whose team, Hills Shakers, were Runners Up for their division in Hockey. Well done to Inti, Pippa, Cody, Aiden and Tariq.

Parky Power, who Class 8 student Zara and Class 9 student Leeuwin both play for were Premiers for their Hockey Division.

Lastly well done to Class 8 student Ash, whose team won their Basketball Grand final 30-9, well done Ash!

All I can say is I’ll have to find some interschool Hockey for us to do after all these wonderful results! Congratulations to all students who were involved in the Hockey and Basketball season and who choose to move their bodies and get involved in community sport.

Community Sport Opportunities

See below for some great opportunities to get involved in and try some great community sports and activities.

Running:

https://www.parkrun.com.au/register/

Parkrun is a free, community event where you can walk, jog, run, volunteer, or spectate. Parkrun is 5km and takes place every Saturday morning. Parkrun is positive, welcoming, and inclusive, there is no time limit, and no one finishes last. Everyone is welcome to come along.

Our local Parkrun:

• Mount Helena
• 8am Saturday Mornings

If you would like any further information on any of the activities listed above, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Siobhan Jones
Physical Education Coordinator