School NewsletterTerm 1 Week 7, 2015

IMPORTANT DATESPlease also remember the online calendar

TERM 1 Wed 18 Mar Immunisations Classes 7-10Fri 20 Mar Inter-school Athletics DayFri 27 Mar Autumn Festival & Last Day of Term 1Mon 13 Apr First Day of Term 2 Cls 1-12Tues 14 Apr First Day of Term 2 Prep

Term 1 Week 3, 2015 www.sophiamundi.vic.edu.au

Dear all,

Greetings from Steiner Education Australia’s (SEA) delegates’ meeting at Chrysalis Steiner School, Bellingen NSW. SEA is our peak body and the delegates from 40 Steiner/Waldorf Schools around Australia come together twice a year to further the vision for Steiner Education in Australia. The meetings are important for networking, inspiration, learning and greater understanding of Steiner Education worldwide. There are now 1050 Steiner schools in 60 countries. ‘Steiner schools as contemporary learning spaces:Where are we on the lemniscate of development and change?’I’d be very interested to hear from parents - your thoughts on where Sophia Mundi is on this journey. Come in and chat or send me an email would be greatly appreciated.

Autumn Michaelmas Festival: Teachers invite parents and friends to celebrate our Festival at the end of term. We will have singing, instrumental music and a harvest table (with all produce subsequently donated to a charity in keeping with the Michaelic spirit) and a story/play.

Playground Visioning meeting: Thursday 19 March in the Eurythmy room 7pm.

If you cannot make it to the meeting, please know that there will be many opportunities in the near future to participate, in a variety of ways. Warm regards, Fiona

Next newsletter admissions deadline: Wed 25 Mar

CLASS 9 LIFE SKILLS In collaboration with their Main Lesson, class 9 explored the workings of the mind by entering a world of emotions, thoughts, memories and dreams at ‘The Mind Body exhibition’, at The Melbourne Museum.

We discovered ways in which drugs and disorders affect our minds and questioned attitudes to normality and human biology in a straightforward and engaging way. ‘The Body’ exhibition explained the fundamental processes of cells and genes, and the processes of the major body systems: circulatory, respiratory, excretory, digestive, musculoskeletal, nervous and hormonal, as our students took a closer look at the importance of these selected body systems, how they work.

Term 1 Week 3, 2015 www.sophiamundi.vic.edu.au

AUTUMN MICHAELMAS FESTIVAL FRIDAY 27 MARCH AT 11:15 AM

The newly re-formed festival committee has been hard at work this term to plan a beautiful end-of-term festival. In years past, this festival has been called the ‘Harvest Festival.’ We’ve been discussing in our group, as well as in the College of Teachers, what the autumnal harvest festival is really about. We wish to bring a deeper, richer picture to the children, and so this year we are adding a new dimension to our traditional celebration. This year we are celebrating Michaelmas and performing a dragon play! The festival will be a whole school affair, with classes 1-4 as players in the play and classes 5-12 performing music and/or singing, either as classes or ensembles.

WHAT IS MICHAELMAS?

Michaelmas is a little-known festival in the world-at-large. We celebrate it because it epitomises an important aspect of Steiner-Waldorf education. The celebration of Michaelmas commemorates the archangel Michael and the archetype he represents.In the Old Testament, Daniel names Michael as leader of the Israelites. In the Book of Revelations, Michael battles the dragon. This archetype has appeared in the mythology of many cultures for many centuries. Ancient Oriental writings describe Indra. The ancient Babylonians tell of Marduk, who slew Tiamat the dragon and created heaven and earth from his body. There are many examples of human beings acting out of a Michaelic impulse – the Greek myth of Perseus, the English St. George and the American legend of John Henry, to name a few. The Michaelic archetype is one who overcomes or transforms evil through intelligence, courage, and strength. Michael displays the activity that is the essence of the human being —self-development. We, as human beings, have the possibility of personal transformation. We all have our own dragons, our own lower, less noble aspects. Our egotism, greed and selfishness can be overcome as we evolve as individuals. Michaelmas is a reminder

of this process of the becoming human being as we strive toward our full human potential.

Michaelmas time falls midway between the summer and winter solstices, during the harvest season. The iron-filled fruits of nature ripen as the days grow shorter and the plant world seems to die. As the sunlight decreases, can we keep our inner light alive, and harvest the fruits and gifts of our own and each other’s development?Steiner-Waldorf education echoes the essence of Michaelmas. Each and every one of us has a gift to bring to the world. Can we learn to recognise and have interest in each other’s gifts, and encourage each other toward our full potential? Being human is not merely physical qualities related to skin and bones, but is essentially the process of individual spiritual transformation leading humanity toward its future evolution. Overcoming our antipathy and self-centeredness, and meeting each human being with interest and recognition as a fellow human being: this is what Michaelmas celebrates. It is a festival of what is truly human. (Article adapted from a publication by the Santa Cruz Waldorf School)

FESTIVAL DETAILS TO KNOW

This year’s bounty of food donations will be given to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. We ask that you please bring to school a donation of food for our collection on Thursday 26 March (the day before the festival.) Non-perishable foods will be gratefully accepted. Thank you in advance!

Food and Household Items - Ideas sent from the centre themselves!

• healthy breakfast cereals• dried fruit, nuts & seeds• long life (UHT) milk• healthy snack foods• tomato paste• tinned sardines and salmon• tinned tomato, corn and peas• tinned beans and lentils (without sauce)• green tea, black tea & instant coffee• spices• honey (in small jars)• dishwashing detergent

Term 1 Week 3, 2015 www.sophiamundi.vic.edu.au

• shaving items• sanitary pads• shampoo• soap• toothbrushes• washing powder

The festival is scheduled to begin in the Courtyard at 11:15 on the last day of term, Friday 27 March. At the time of publication, we have not yet had the opportunity to do a full run-through, but please plan to stay for 90 minutes or so to see the whole festival.To help give the festival a more unified, whole-school feeling, we are planning to wear particular colours this year. Please take note, as you may need to organise something if you don’t have any clothing of this colour on hand.

Class 1 – Gnomes – Children to wear plain red clothing, please.

Class 2 – Meteors – Children to wear plain orange clothing, please.

Class 3 – Dragon - Children to wear plain green clothing, please.

Class 4 – Warriors & Villagers – Simon will coordinate costumes.

Class 5 – Children to wear plain yellow/gold/white clothing, please.

Class 6 - Children to wear plain blue clothing, please.

Class 7 & 8 - Children to wear plain purple clothing, please.

Classes 9, 10, 11 & 12 – Please wear a plain white top.

Thank you for your support! We hope to create a beautiful festival memory for our young people!-Jill Casavecchia for the Festival Committee

IMMUNISATIONS

Next Wednesday 18 March we have the Yarra Council Nurse, Natasha here to do immunisations for students in classes 7-10. Please ensure you have returned your consent form to us as soon as possible. This is important even if you are choosing not to immunise your child.

INTER-SCHOOL ATHLETICS DAY

A reminder that the inter-school athletics day takes place on Friday the 20th of March.

Classes 7,8, 9, 10 and staff leave school at 9.15am by private bus to Proclamation Park in Ringwood. The students need to be in sport uniform, runners, have a hat, drink bottle and lunch.

There will not be anywhere to purchase food. Staff are also reminded to bring a food, drink and a hat. We will return at approximately 3.15pm. Thankyou, Dawn

WORLD’S GREATEST SHAVE

Brave Josie! Yesterday Josie from Class 7 shaved her head to raise money for the fight against Leukaemia.

You can still donate by searching for Josie McMahon on the world’s greatest shave web site.

ZUCCHINI LASAGNE RECIPE

TAKEN FROM CLASS 8 COOKING LESSON

Ingredients• Lasagne sheets (of your choosing! We made

ours!)• Pesto (Refer to the last newsletter for this

recipe)• Beschamel sauce• Parmesan and mozarella cheese mix• Zucchinis• Olive oil and Salt & Pepper

Fry the zucchinis in oil until soft & golden - cool and then puree.

Then simply layer the ingredients. Start with a layer of beschamel, then pesto, cheese, zucchini, another layer of beschamel and then pasta - Repeat as needed!

Finish by baking the lasagne until pasta is soft and golden.

Term 1 Week 3, 2015 www.sophiamundi.vic.edu.au

The inclusion of adverts/links do not represent an endorsement of those sites by Sophia Mundi, nor can the School be held responsible or liable for the accuracy, availability or content of the information or services therein.

THE TOBIAS SOCIETY PRESENTS:

CLASSICAL GUITAR CONCERTS -FUNDRAISING EVENT-

RAZIEL GUTIERREZ SOTO

THE MICHAEL CENTER 37A Wellington Park Drive, Warranwood VIC 3134 SATURDAY THE 14TH OF MARCH 5 PM – 7 PM SOPHIA MUNDI STEINER SCHOOL St Mary's, Abbotsford Convent, 1 St Heliers Street, Abbotsford VIC SUNDAY THE 15TH OF MARCH 3 PM – 5 PM

Cost: $20 /Concession $15 /School children free.

There will be a break for refreshments at both concerts.

BOOKINGS AND ENQUIRIES: MATT MERRALL 0413 322 142

THE TOBIAS SOCIETY PRESENTS:

CLASSICAL GUITAR CONCERTS -FUNDRAISING EVENT-

RAZIEL GUTIERREZ SOTO

THE MICHAEL CENTER 37A Wellington Park Drive, Warranwood VIC 3134 SATURDAY THE 14TH OF MARCH 5 PM – 7 PM SOPHIA MUNDI STEINER SCHOOL St Mary's, Abbotsford Convent, 1 St Heliers Street, Abbotsford VIC SUNDAY THE 15TH OF MARCH 3 PM – 5 PM

Cost: $20 /Concession $15 /School children free.

There will be a break for refreshments at both concerts.

BOOKINGS AND ENQUIRIES: MATT MERRALL 0413 322 142

The IPMT conference offers a week of lectures, workshops, experiential and independent study on aspects of anthroposophic medicine and its therapies. This year’s conference takes place at Emmanuel College Brisbane AU from July 12-19. It is open to registered medical and allied health practitioners and therapists seeking new insights and wider directions to their professional orientation and to meet patient/client need.

The IPMT is led by Dr Michaela Glöckler head of the Medical Section in Dornach Switzerland (author of A Guide to Child Health) and supported by a team of medical and therapeutic professionals and educators. This year the conference focuses on the astral body/soul and its influence on health and illness. Michaela’s evening lecture series will focus on understanding pain, anxiety and other manifestations of the astral body including their experience in death and dying.

The timetable is intensive and includes daily sessions using interactive learning through plant observation, group study/ discussions, two sessions per day in your choice of the six workshop streams which this year include: Clinical Sessions-for prescribers, nurses, pharmacists, Introduction to Anthroposophic Nursing, Anthroposophic Body Therapy, Anthroposophic Psychotherapy/Counselling, Eurythmy Therapy,and Curative Education and Social Therapy, along with the evening lecture series. The conference is residential; the fee includes accommodation, meals, teas and conference materials.

If you have ever wanted an opportunity to understand how the holistic wisdom and knowledge that is woven into the education our children receive at school can be applied within the wider fields of health and healing; this conference is for you.

The conference brochure is online at http://www.aamaanthro.com/ipmt-brisbane-12-19-july-2015-registration-brochure. You can find us on Facebook at IPMT Brisbane 2015 further enquiries to: ipmt2015@weledatrust.org.nz.

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Avail: Wednesday (Saturday possible).Cost: $390pcm($90 per full day).

Sub contract, to begin end March, 2015.

A well established, freshly painted, energetically clean space with professional feel.

All enquires Janie: baileyjanie864@gmail.com

GREEN GULLY ORGANICS - SUPPORT SHELLEY!

Green Gully Organics is a certified organic farm in Macclesfield. The farm produces an amazing diversity of vegetables and herbs all year-round. They are family owned and fun and have been using organic practices since 1990. By buying from Green Gully, not only are you buying fresh produce, you are supporting organic farming practices that are both healthy for the consumer and the environment.

Shelley delivers straight to the school gate at pick up on a Wednesday. A veg box is only $30 and contains a range of in season, Organic vegetables. Additionally Shelley offers a Fruit box and Eggs. Please help us support this wonderful service.