Human Ennoblement

At PWS/PSC we are very fortunate to have had stable and wise governance in place for many, many years. The way the school is governed is set out in the School's constitution. The way that it then manifests is via good people doing good work on a voluntary basis. Dr Peter Finlay is our Chair. He has been a strong supporter of the school for many years and we are grateful for his ongoing service. 

Currently we have council members who are parents from Bibra Lake and Parkerville campuses, a few staff members, a Community member and the College of Teachers is also represented. You are urged to tap someone or yourself on the shoulder and ensure our school's governance remains strong. 

Every knowledge pursued merely for the enrichment of personal learning and the accumulation of personal treasure, leads you away from the path; but all knowledge pursued for growth to ripeness within the process of human ennoblement and cosmic development, brings you a step forward. Rudolf Steiner - Knowledge of Higher Worlds and Its Attainment

Annual General Meeting - 24th June 2025

Your Invitation to Nominate for the School Council

The Governing body of the school will hold an AGM on the 24th June 2025 commencing 6.00pm in Seekers Place. Further information about how to nominate for the council, and the agenda for the night is below.  

The opportunity to serve on the governing body provides you with a unique insight into the school and a chance to oversee the management, the strategic direction, the finances and to be involved in opportunity/risk analysis.  

Skills and attributes that are useful include experience in education, construction, legal, marketing, environmental and finances. As well as social and emotional intelligence, an ability to discern how best to play your role to maximise your support for the school as a Council member is important. People of goodwill, aligned with the ethos of the school, no matter their background and experience can make an excellent contribution. If you or someone you know feels they wish to contribute in this way, please submit a nomination. 

Even if you’re not nominating for Council membership, parents and staff are invited and encouraged to attend the AGM. We hope to see you there. 

Notice of Annual General Meeting and

Call for Nominations

The Annual General Meeting of the Perth Waldorf School Association Incorporate is to be held on  Tuesday, 24th June 2025 at 6:00pm (Finger food available from 5:40pm) in the Seekers Place at the Perth Waldorf School. 

Members who wish to submit a nomination form are requested to submit the completed form to the Secretary by post or email by 4:00 pm on Thursday 12th June, 2025.  

Nomination forms can be emailed to Fiona Peters, fpeters@pws.wa.edu.au or posted or handed in at the school office addressed to:  

The School Council Secretary, PO Box 1247, BIBRA LAKE, WA 6965.  

and should be clearly marked 'Council nomination'.  

See the Nomination Form and Code of Conduct below.  

* Copies of all council documentation will be available at the AGM, at the school office, and on the school website (www.pws.wa.edu.au) one week before the AGM by clicking on Governance and AGM Papers - Perth Waldorf School. (https://pws.wa.edu.au.governance-and-agm-papers /) 

National Reconciliation Week

It is National Reconciliation Week. This is a chance to both celebrate the strengths and deep wisdom of Aboriginal people and culture and also reflect on how our own personal family journey is going towards a human connection and dialogue with Aboriginal people and culture. It can feel like a challenge to grow one's knowledge and perspectives to the point of love and brother/sister hood. That is the central task towards reconciling. The alternative is a closed off stance - let us all not be that people.

There appears to be many people affected by colds, flu and COVID lately. Take care of yourselves, your loved ones and take time for recovery to good health. That's so important. 

With much gratitude

Bruce Lee
School Administrator

Rich treasures planted long ago
Within my soul, so dark and deep,
Are wakened by my will from sleep.

They stream into the world; they grow.
They bear star-substances of greatest worth,
Through loving deeds of mine, uniting heaven and earth.

by Michael Hedley Burton / verse no. 34

Rose Room news

Our day commences in reverent gratitude.  The children enter the room reflective of how they are feeling.  Some are a little hesitant and linger for one last hug before they enter, others bound in in the hope of sitting on the Special Chair.

A mood of reverence, anticipation and joy fills the room. Gentle lyre playing fills the air, a warm circle of love and friendship exists for all lucky enough to enter.  Children are greeted with love and delight. Small stories, gifts or treasures from home are quickly acknowledged and we start our day.

“I can light a candle
God can light a star
Both of them are wondrous
Shining where they are”

Our special chair child lights the candle and magic fills the room, 

When your child comes home from kindy and you ask “what did you do today? “ Living in a childs’ dream like state will mean the correct answer would be “nothing” or “I don’t know”. In kindy we live in a fantasy rich world of imagination surrounded by beauty and filled with authentic love.  Imagination is the pre curser to creative, heart thinking.

An Uncle came for a birthday celebration this week.  He had not been to our school before and when he described it as “Paradise”, I could only agree.

Our children are blessed to receive the gift of childhood.  A place where they are treasured, nurtured, and they have freedom to become;  here we plant the seeds of our future.  Gentleness, kindness, care of our environment are all the elements we require for the health of our world.  A little glimpse into our day gives us faith in humanity.  Your children learn how to negotiate friendships, how to build dams…. How to build bridges that will allow worlds to unite.

All of this in a day!  Kindergarten….A child’s garden, or my favourite image ….. A kinder garden.

Please remember lots of layers for the coming of winter,  singlets, woollen jumpers, raincoats and gumboots, long pants too. Remember play is work and our clothes are part of our tools.

Much love,

Rose and Tracey

Elena Fontana, our Primary and Class 7 Craft teacher is away since last week, in the USA visiting her daughter and grandchildren. Thank you to Agnes for stepping in to fill in. 

Class 2 Craft

Preparing for the Winter Festival – Inside and Out

A beautiful meal, a moving concert, a peaceful camping trip — each of these moments is enriched by the care and preparation that comes before them. The same is true for our upcoming Winter Festival, now just over three weeks away.

While staff are busy with behind-the-scenes planning, the most meaningful preparation is the personal one — the quiet reflection each of us brings to the event. The festival is not just something to attend; it's something we co-create together.

Take time in the coming weeks to notice the world around you — the changing light, the plants, the birds. And turn inward: Are you feeling drawn to stillness, or awakened with energy? These simple observations are part of preparing yourself for the spirit of the festival.

This is a chance to connect with something deeper — your inner wisdom, a sense of peace, or whatever Spirit means to you.

If these reflections inspire artistic expression, we would be interested in including them in the Pabulum.

Winter Sunrise, Walliabup

Kevin Mazzer
Head of Primary School

Winter Festival Practical Planning

Tomorrow Wednesday, 28^th May, there will be a planning meeting for all interested in helping create the practical aspects of the festival. It will be from 3.15 pm- 4.30 pm in the Primary staffroom. Please email me if you are interested in helping.

kmazzer@pws.wa.edu.au     

Winter Festival Singers Wanted

Claire Williamson will be leading the adult choir to welcome people to the school on the night of the Primary and High School Winter Festival on Thursday 19th June from 5:30pm.

Practices will be Tuesdays 8:45am-9:30am in the High School Music Room.

Please contact Claire if you would like to be a part of the choir.

cwilliamson@pws.wa.edu.au

Class 3 Farming and Gardening Main Lesson

Class 3 have been working hard in our farming Main Lesson. We are learning about soil preparation, planting and harvesting what we grow. We are currently grinding wheat to make flour which we will then cook with! 

Class 9 Ecology - Sustainability Unit

Alex McLeod
HS Maths & Science Teacher

Class 10 Science - Biology Unit

Sean Connolly
HS Science Teacher

CLASS 12 PROJECTS

Louisa Pimm

My name is Lulu and for my Year 12 Project I have chosen to look into the psychology of the comfort zone and key psychological theories that can help with and relate to pushing the boundaries of the comfort zone. I have contemplated what my Project topic would centre around since I was in primary school, never being quite sure about how I would be able to focus my interest into one specific field for the duration of an entire year. Towards the end of Year 11, I found myself struggling to connect with a topic that I could truly be invested in. One afternoon in German class, amidst one of many off-topic conversations, came about the questioning of why we struggle to push our comfort zones. This led me to think about my own experiences and perception of the comfort zone and what might be inside or outside of those boundaries.

Something that has always been prevalent in my life, is the overwhelming fear of public speaking—something that is considerably far outside of my comfort zone, so much so, some might call it the “panic zone,” a term drawn from the “comfort-stretch-panic” zone model which describes the point at which anxiety overrides learning and growth. This fear around presenting myself through public speaking drove me to this topic in hopes to better understand why myself and others struggle to push the threshold around our comfort zones.

Through my research I have come across a handful of psychological theories which can be used as strategies to safely push your comfort zone. I have decided to focus on one key theory in my report, which is the Growth Mindset. This is a concept coined by psychologist Carol Dweck, which is essentially an idea where individuals should believe that their intelligence and abilities are not fixed, and they can be progressed through learning and resilience. Looking into this theory has brought me to my Project question: 

“What is the psychology of the comfort zone and how can we push these thresholds utilising a growth mindset?”

My ideas for the practical component of this project have taken on many forms. One of the more obvious ones was to join a public speaking group, with the end goal of getting up to perform a speech. But honestly, the thought of that is incredibly daunting and absolutely terrifies me. At this point, the anxiety I feel about it seems to completely drown out any potential for growth or learning

Right now, though, my plan has shifted. I’m seriously considering doing a 3 or 4 day solo hike along the Bibbulmun Track during the upcoming school holidays. Even before starting this whole project, I knew that whatever I chose for my practical, it had to be something I was genuinely engaged in—and more importantly, something that challenged me. It had to push me outside my comfort zone.

Apart from a few school camps over the years at PWS, I’ve never truly experienced what it’s like to be completely alone and self-reliant for more than a few hours—let alone in a setting where those skills are absolutely essential. This hike wouldn’t just challenge me physically; it would be a real mental test as well. I’d have to stay motivated during long walking days and face the reality of being alone in the middle of nowhere each night.

In some way, I plan to bring this experience back to the community—most likely through a presentation where I’ll share what I went through on the track, the challenges I faced, what I learned, and, most importantly, how it helped me grow by stepping outside my comfort zone.

I hope that through my Project, or just by reading this, it will spark an idea in people's minds to develop a drive to push their comfort zone more often and to encourage others in doing so.

Rupert Williamson Wong

Hi everyone, this year for my project I decided to ask the question

 “Why do people use counter-cultural visual arts?”

Counter-cultural art forms are movements made with the intention of challenging social norms, and what society defines as ‘acceptable’. These art movements are quite interesting to me as I am curious about art and also the effect art can have. I was initially led to the topic because of my interest in the art I noticed around all of Perth, graffiti. Everywhere I would go would have pieces, such as the skateparks in Freo and along the train line on the way to the city. Graffiti is a very interesting concept to me as artists risk the law to artistically express themselves in a way that is socially unacceptable.

Many people do not appreciate graffiti, as much of the art form depends on vandalism to exist and not all graffiti is necessarily artistic expression, for instance tagging. But much of graffiti’s historical context, aesthetics and messages seem to be overlooked as these negative connotations seem to outweigh people’s perceptions of the art. Since ancient times humans have felt the urge to leave their marks on walls, in caves or temples and now in modern times graffiti acts as the current replication of these instincts. Personally, the idea that someone is willing to risk themselves to create artworks that can’t be sold feels very true to the action of self-expression. With no incentive apart from a wanting to create, graffiti is in my opinion fascinating in many ways. I do not condone vandalism, but the complex relationship between the art form and the law is something that I have explored in my research.

This year I have researched historical examples of art movements similar to graffiti in the aspect of counter-culturalism. These movements come and go as their challenging messages follow a pattern of redefining social norms and the status quo. For example, the pop art movement challenged the social norms of mass consumption and the disconnect between art and mainstream society of the time by creating works of art that both highlighted consumer culture and were accessible for the majority. An obvious example would be Andy Warhol’s Campbell soup cans. Once pop art had challenged the art world, the disconnect between art and mainstream society ended and new social norms were set in place.

This kind of pattern of social change has been seen throughout history so for my practical I aim to follow this pattern by making graffiti more accessible and appreciated through an exhibition showcasing Perth graffiti writers’ works. This exhibition will be held at seekers place on the 16^th of August, and it will aim to highlight the artistic value that is often overlooked about graffiti pieces. If you are interested, or if you really don’t appreciate graffiti please come along as I hope to change a few people’s perceptions around graffiti so that you can appreciate such an abundant form of public art. More information will be forwarded closer to the date.

Thank you!

There will be more details surrounding the exhibition to come!

National Reconciliation Week

The dates for NRW are the same each year; 27 May to 3 June.

These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.

Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Check your local cities list of events for Reconciliation Week. 

Reconciliation Week Events - City of Cockburn

Narragunnawali - Spotlight on: Bangarra Dance Theatre, Illume

Boorda

Your RAP Committee

Term 2 Fees - Are now Due

A late payment fee will apply to all accounts not paid by the due date. This does not apply if you have a payment plan arrangement in place.
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Groups/Classes

Participating in any of these activities goes toward Family Participation Hours. 

These groups for parents are run or led by teachers or parents. Members of the school community are encouraged to join any of the groups and enjoy the experience of personal growth and learning in this beautiful environment - a great inspiration for our children!

Community Notices are for members of the school’s community only and may consist of: Business adverts, producers, services, items for sale (non-school related), etc. keeping in mind that they need to be consistent within our schools’ ethos. Please try and keep your notice short (this is free of charge). All Community Notices will appear in this section for two weeks only.  If you would like a ¼ page advert, a $10 fee is required and will only appear in Week 2 and Week 8.

House/Pet-Sitter Needed

Anthroposophical Cafe Meet Up

Holy Nights in Winter

Whitsun Event - 8 June

The first 1000 days of your Child

Step into a nurturing space where parenting is gentle, respectful, and rooted in connection. Join us online or in person—choose individual sessions or the full series, blending theory and practice for parents, caregivers, and educators.

Use code PWS25 for a special 25% discount!

✨ Discover more and sign up at plapla.com.au

Have questions? We’re here to help: info@plapla.com.au

General Canteen Information 

Pixie Stott Canteen - Perth Waldorf School 

Can you Help?

The canteen is looking for Slushi return cups and any donations of forks and spoons.

Thank you

You can set up an account with the canteen using the form below:

CANTEEN MENU

Reusable stainless steel straws Silver just $1 cleaners 50c
Banister Downs milk full cream and lite $2.50 per litre.
Tammy sourdough bread whole meal $6.50 or fruit $8.50 available every day.
Breadtime story handmade sourdough Spelt $12 fruit and nut $14 4 seeds $13 preorder for Friday delivery.
Fresh Raw Local Honey $14/kg refill your own jar prepacked glass jars $9
Local Organic Olive oil $16.00/litre refill your own bottle or prefilled bottles available.
Grounded Pleasures chai $12.50 200g box
Grounded Pleasures Chocolate $11.50
Karvan coffee #3 $13/ 250g whole beans or Swiss water Decaf Ground $13.00/ 250g Tally Ho farm biodynamic tempeh $9.50

New nudeherbs drinks available $4.50 

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Volunteers are welcome in the Canteen!

Food Handling Training Link https://www.cockburn.wa.gov.au/Health-Safety-and-Rangers/Public-Health/Safe-Food/Food-Handling-Training

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If you would like to volunteer please take the course above. For free access use the code FSCBURN315. The course takes approximately an hour to complete. You will receive a certificate upon completion. Once you have acquired the certificate we can arrange a time that suits you to come in. All hours can be used towards the Parent Participation Scheme including the online course. If you would like more information, please contact Megan in the Canteen or via email canteen@pws.wa.edu.au 
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Megan Harry
Canteen Manager