Term 2
Monday 15th April – Friday 21st June

Winter Festival: Wednesday 19th June 

Term 3
Monday 15th July – Thursday 19th September

Open Day: Sunday 8th September
Day Off In Lieu: Monday 9th September

Term 4
Tuesday 8th October to Friday 6th December (Half day)

Pupil Free Day: Friday 8th November

Ulissa Hull

Student Engagement Teacher

We are thrilled to introduce Ulissa Hull, who will be joining us as the Student Engagement Teacher at Parkerville Steiner College. Ulissa joins us from Guildford Grammar, where she has served as the Head of Learning Enrichment for 10 years. With over 30 years of experience in Learning Support and Wellbeing, she brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep commitment to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment.

Ulissa is eager to bring her passion for the importance of building meaningful connections with young people and she is excited to be a part of this stage of growth at Parkerville Steiner College. She will be visiting PSC over a series of days in the next term before joining us permanently at the start of Term 4.

In the meantime, to ensure continuity in our learning support and wellbeing programs. our current staff capacity has been increased. This will maintain our high standards of care and support, allowing Ulissa to hit the ground running in Term 4.

Please join us in welcoming Ulissa to Parkerville Steiner College.

Melissa Taylor

High School Assistant

Melissa has a long history with Steiner Education, having previously held positions as a cooking teacher, a board member, mentor, and a mum, and now grandma of a Steiner child. She currently balances her role at PSC with working for the Kalumburu Strong Women’s Centre, and spending time with her family. Melissa is a wonderful addition the PSC staff, and we extend a very warm welcome to her.

Penelope Gray

Receptionist (Thursdays and Fridays)

You may recognise Penelope as she previously spent time working at Silver Tree! Penelope’s warm and friendly nature, combined with her previous work experience, makes her perfectly suited to her role at PSC. After hours, Penelope enjoys spending time with her two small children, connecting with nature, baking and going on bike rides. In the future, Penelope looks forward to getting back to horse riding, having met her husband on the Polocrosse field! Welcome Penelope.

Meet our Parkerville Steiner College Tutor Team

Toni (guitar), Katina (voice), Syliva (bass guitar), Cain (drums), Sam (keyboard)

Running Club

A reminder, Running Club is all about having a go and moving our bodies, enjoying the company of friends and being proud of your own efforts. We welcome students, staff, siblings, and parents to walk, run or jog with us. Meet us on the oval and be sure to bring your drink bottle.

Running Club is on a Friday morning between 8am – 8:25am.

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

Term 2 Sports

Class 8

This term in Class 8, in preparation for the Netball Carnival they attended, the students completed a 5-week unit on Netball at Mundaring Arena. They explored the skills of footwork, passing, attacking skills, defensive skills, and shooting. The students spent time learning the positional roles and court allowances of each position and the games we played showed great growth in all students. It was an enjoyable unit for all, and it was great to see the students apply their skills at the carnival.

Class 9

In Term 2 the Class 9 students have been working on their Rock-Climbing skills. Quite a few of the students in this class have already had some climbing experience so I have been in awe of some of the skills they have put on display in the last few weeks. 

We have done a mix of bouldering and Rock Climbing with every single student putting any fears aside each week and actively participating in the sessions, great work Class 9’s!

Community Sport Opportunities

See below for some great opportunities to get involved in and try some fantastic 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

Class 8 is spending the last Main Lesson of the term exploring the momentous Industrial Revolution, which followed on from the Renaissance in Europe and spread across the Western World to America and Australia. We started off by looking at the accidental invention of the Spinning Jenny in Britain, which heralded the onset of the Industrial Revolution. Through looking at inventions such as the steam engine, power loom and agricultural developments, and the representation of life and the changing landscape depicted in artworks from that time, the class examined the human passage from an agrarian based society to an urban and industrial one.

From Britain we then crossed the ocean to Australia, discussing the effects of industrialisation on various industries as well as on travel, migration, communication, education, and daily life in 19th century Australia. The class has engaged in many great discussions around the lasting impact of the inventions of the Industrial Revolution to our modern world, for example discussing the modern invention of the self-serve checkouts at supermarkets and the positive and negative impacts of such an invention on our modern world. In the final week of the Main Lesson, Class Eight are again crossing the word to learn about the events leading up to, and the beginning of the tumultuous French Revolution.   

Siobhan Jones  

Humanities Teacher  

The Class 8 children recently embarked on an enriching journey, intertwining the wisdom of the Noongar Whadjuk people with the vibrant study of ecology.

The Noongar Whadjuk, the traditional guardians of the Perth region, have fostered a profound bond with the land for over 65,000 years. Their intricate knowledge and cultural practices mirror the rich biodiversity of the Swan Coastal Plain.  As a testament to their deep environmental insight and the delicate equilibrium they’ve maintained through the centuries, students developed their own six-season calendar. 

Inspired by this enduring legacy, our students have delved into the ecological tapestry that envelops our school. They’ve experienced the land through the sensory rhythms of the “Second Summer” (Bunuru), “Autumn” (Djeran), and the “First Rains” (Makuru) seasons—feeling, observing, and inhaling the transformative essence of our surroundings. 

In a creative fusion of art and science, the students crafted Phenology Wheels, capturing the six Noongar Whadjuk seasons with vivid illustrations and narratives, each segment a colourful chronicle of the land’s seasonal heartbeat. 

Our exploration extended beyond the classroom, venturing into diverse biomes and intricate food webs. The students’ imaginations soared on a fantastical odyssey across the desert, where emus, llamas, and camels became their companions in a whimsical tableau of learning and discovery. 

This educational voyage has not only enriched our students’ understanding of the environment but has also deepened their appreciation and connection to the shared land we call home. It is a journey that celebrates the rhythm of change and the timeless dance of nature, not unlike the journey of being a Class 8 student. 

Bill Bennett 

(Class 8 Ecology Teacher) 

From dramatic reenactments of World War One, to writing and presenting radio advertisements, heatedly debating the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, and writing diary entries from different perspectives, this Class 9 Main Lesson was a busy and interactive exploration of the events leading up to the onset of World War Two.

We took up where we left off from the Class Eight study of World War One, by examining the Treaty of Versailles and the subsequent events that led to the onset of World War Two. Students were given an insight into the complexities and intricacies of the post-World War One politics in the Weimar Republic and the gradual rise of the Nazis party.

Students were challenged at times with some of the content of this Main Lesson, in particularly when we examined the progressive persecution of the Jews under the Nazi regime. While there was not a huge focus on this particular aspect of World War Two, the students nevertheless found this part of the Main Lesson confrontational.

In Semester Two, Class 9 students will further explore this topic through the study of Anne Frank’s diary in English lessons. This foundational knowledge of why World War Two started and the gradual persecution of the Jews, will stand them in good stead as they navigate this most heart wrenching and important story.

Just as humanity as a whole has passed through great cultural epochs, so also the child develops through stages that reflect human history. A strength of the Waldorf History Curriculum is how it is designed to match the child’s development. The History Curriculum offers a real breadth and depth to History and allows pupils to leave with a wealth of knowledge and a greater understanding of not only their place in history, but also how their history can shape the future. 

To compliment this Main Lesson, Class 9 students have been exploring German Expressionism in Visual Art classes. Throughout the term, they were introduced to lino printing as an art form. Students were tasked with designing, carving and printing their own lino prints inspired by the events of World War II. 

Ethna Brave

Humanities and English Teacher

Family Participation hours are now due for Semester 1, 2024.

You can record your hours via the following form:

Family Participation Scheme Form - Semester 1, 2024

(Note: Forms are due by Friday 21^st June)

Class 11 Geography Main Lesson

In Class 11, students begin their Geography Main Lesson by looking at what climate is and how it changes over time, both naturally and anthropogenically.

They study the Greenhouse Effect, Albedo, Geodesy, and Sea Level Rise before looking at more human-level effect on the climate. We celebrate the success story of the Montreal Protocol which is healing the Ozone Layer and look at our impacts on the environment through our choices as consumers and daily lifestyles.

We finish up by having students use these principles to envision a sustainable house they would like to live in and a wider community they would love to be part of.

Sean Connolly
High School Science & IT Teacher

Black Swan Theatre Company Workshop