No: 20 29 June 2018

THE Friday FLIER

KOTAHITANGA

Waikato Waldorf School, Kindergartens and Playcircle

Dear Waikato Waldorf Community

This week I have included a couple of really interesting articles around the use of technology and more specifi-

cally a new play station game called Fortnite. I hope you find them both informative! There is no doubt that the

evidence continues to build around the negative impact on screen time and gaming. It affirms my strong belief

that leaving the use of electronic devices as a classroom tool until the students are older is a very wise one.

So much can still be gained with good old face to face human contact, imparting a love and interest in the world

around us. Who else can acknowledge our own humanness? Who else can empathise and feel what we are

feeling? Who else can provide the joy of rich and meaningful experiences?

Chris McIntosh continues to make inroads into our community garden.

Last weekend he made a Hugelkultur bed which he will mulch and plant

out with various natives, fruit trees, flowers and veges. This will make a

nice entrance way to the community garden from the school.

This weekend he is hoping to get cardboard down on the gardens to

start killing off the weeds and then mulch it so it has time to settle before

spring. Chris is looking for more clean cardboard preferably with sello-

tape removed or newspaper (just nothing glossy). He is also needing more mulch, organic compost, flower

seeds or seedlings, organic vege seeds and native seedlings. If you can help in any of these areas here are

his contact details:

Chris McIntosh ph: 0220365938 email: cmcintosh@outlook.com

We now move into our last week of Term 2 (half way through the academic year). This week you will be re-

ceiving mid-year reports which you should have already discussed as part of your parent teacher interview.

News from the office - Monika is off on her travels back to Germany again for a few weeks and you will recog-

nise a familiar face in the office while she is gone. Marianne just can’t keep away! We are really looking for-

ward to having her in the fold once more, so do drop in and say hello.

Ngā mihi

Sue

6 July Last day of term – school finishes 2pm

23 July Start of term 3

UPCOMING EVENTS

Class 1

This term Class 1 completed learning the alphabet. The consonants were introduced in two main

lessons in which each consonant was introduced with a story from which the class then drew a pic-

togram out of which we extracted the letter. The vowels or “angel letters” were introduced in a sepa-

rate main lesson as concepts of awe and wonder brought to earth by five angels from heaven via

the rainbow bridge.

Class 1 is now knitting beautifully and some children have already completed their recorder bags.

The class also plays the recorder in unison with much joy. They made lovely lanterns for the winter

festival and were all very excited about this new adventure!

Elizabeth Swanepoel

CLASSROOM CORNER

WINTER FESTIVAL

Fantastical Fire sticks

For the last couple of weeks Class 7 has been preparing for the ‘Magical Fire stick Dance’.

Thanks to Anna Blackler and Clive Lamdin, the class successfully performed this beautiful piece.

We were filled with excitement as we waited with our sticks dripping with fuel soon to be lit. After the perfor-

mance we lit the braziers and went to join the rest of the school to sing and see all the beautiful grottos.

Candela Lee & Zen Herbert

Keeping Children Warm - Why is it so important

From the moment a new baby is born, they are carefully put in a hat, warm clothes and swaddled. Keeping babies warm is

something most parents and caregivers just know to do. But as children age and begin to dress themselves, they seem to

get progressively less bundled up than when parents did the dressing and swaddling. Many people might say that it’s no

big deal for a child to run around in a t-shirt and a nappy, or on hard floors without slippers, or outside on a brisk day with

no hat. However, keeping young children’s bodies covered and warm is really quite important.

When children are not properly warm, energy from food that is otherwise used to learn, grow and move is automatically

diverted to keeping the internal core of our body warm. Children have an accelerated metabolic rate, which is why they of-

ten do not feel cold themselves. Parents know those icy hands and feet, though. Cold hands and feet are the body’s way of

keeping the essential organs at our core warm enough, and their limbs experience this diversion of warm blood to the chest

and brain. They are also a big flag that a child needs warmer clothes.

Now that we recognize the importance of keeping warm to a child’s body and mental development, how can we get the

children, who don’t feel cold, to wear those extra layers? One suggestion is to tell your child that being warm will help them

to run faster and play longer, and it will! Cold children run out of steam more quickly as their cold muscles tire far more

quickly than those who are all bundled up. Another suggestion is to teach and model good winter habits. The whole family

should make examples of wearing house slippers indoors and having a warm, dry house during winter months, and wear-

ing warm layers, hats, scarves and boots outdoors.

A third suggestion is to make sure that whenever possible, layer children in clothing items of natural fibres. Rayon and poly-

esters make children sweaty and when they are hot they get uncomfortable, shed clothing and then get cold. Breathable

new performance fibres, silk and wool make great warm layers for active children as these natural and engineered fibres

are moisture wicking and insulating, rather than simply covering.

Wool is sometimes hard to find and can be a bit pricey, but lined wool hats provide all the insulation and are significantly

less sweat inducing than acrylic yarn or microfibre. Wool also wins in the durability department. It should last through years

of washing and wearing to pass down to a sibling when the oldest child has outgrown things. So long as it is properly cared

for, wool items are an investment. Save wool outwear for the second child, and beyond. Cotton “is rotten” as winter outwear

as it does not trap heat but it does trap moisture-it is okay as undergarments. During the winter months, avoid cotton

warmth layers; especially gloves and hats. Silk is fantastic, especially for singlets and long johns under winter outfits. Wear

tights or leggings under skirts or dresses to keep legs warm. The motto, ‘be like an onion’, is helpful here- lots of layers

which can be shed.

House slippers are an easy way to make sure kids are keeping warm at home. Getting kids to wear their slippers is another

matter. Again, the microfibre and faux fur linings of many slippers may make little feet too hot and itchy. Opt for thick wool

socks, or leather soled slippers. The school office currently has slippers on offer.

Our Kindergarteners and Waldorf teachers are mindful that it is healthy for

young children to be going outside to play and learn most days of the year; hot,

warm, or cold; so long as it is not raining. Our teachers are always attentive to

what children are wearing when they come to school, and when they go out to

play in the playground. Ensuring that kids are wearing a hat and gloves in addi-

tion to appropriate footwear and jackets when it is cold outside makes a BIG

difference to whether they are comfortable and sufficiently warm in their body

core.

Maree Smith Anthroposophical RN 021 150 9433

Supporting illness through the cooler months

Over the course of the morning learn how to support your family through some of the common winter illnesses using safe and age old

remedies to treat coughs and colds, sore throats, ear ache and fever. Maree will guide this highly practical session utilising herbal teas,

compresses and footbaths to support the immune system. The session will cover a variety of compresses and external applications,

including descriptions of the substances used and their healing properties.

Date: Saturday July 28th

Time: 9am-1pm (break for shared morning tea)

Venue: Hand in Hand Integrative Therapy Centre- within Rimu Cottage, 54 Te Manatu Drive, Rototuna

Cost $20 each

Please register by emailing Maree- Sorry no babysitting service

Maree is a Registered Nurse utilising integrative therapies following the principles of Rudolf Steiner. She has been a registered nurse

for 30 years and divides her time between providing nursing care in a hospital setting in Hamilton and Encompass Health Integrative

Therapies.

For Further information Contact Maree 021 150 9433 or 1mareesmith@gmail.com

Anthroposophic Reading Group

We break now for the school holidays and commence term 3 readings at 7pm on Monday 23rd

July (first day of term 3).

Last year we began reading on the Social Threefold Order, an important work of Steiner’s from around the first world war, in fact he wrote on this topic several times and afterwards (possibly out of which) came the impetus for beginning Waldorf Schools. Michael Burton presented “The War is Not Inevita-ble”. It is his play aimed at re-igniting our focus on the 3 fold social impulse, with its indications for a

healthy and functional society - as relevant today as then and practical for every walk of life. We have also read Christmas and Easter lectures, providing a more inward experience.

Our latest focus was inspired from an anthroposophist’s lifelong work with the Knowledge of Higher Worlds and the im-portance of developing our faculties in the areas of imagination, inspiration and intuition. This has linked closely with the twelve senses and we will begin next term with some contemporary lectures on the 12 senses.

Later in the year we plan to visit some of Steiner’s lectures given to the workers during construction of the Goetheanum in Switzerland (1922-24), which are considered remarkable and entertaining question and answer discussions, with varied subject matter offered by the audience. In the fourth term we will work with more of the fascinating Christmas lectures.

You are welcome to join the readings at any time. Please contact me if you’re interested. Sarah Oliver 027 805 0850

Hand in Hand Therapy Centre

Anthroposophic and Integrated Therapies

We continue to take a closer look at specific therapies offered through the therapy Centre and their origins, application and functionality. This week highlights Herbal Medicine and Access Con-

sciousness Bars Therapies, which support transformation in individuals and whole families.

Herbal medicine and Access Bars Therapies

Herbal medicine is an age old tradition in almost all cultures, using the plant kingdom to restore health where there is im-balance. Our therapy centre offering is focused on the European style of case taking and prescribing. Consultations take a holistic approach, providing new skills and knowledge for individuals to improve their own health and that of the whole fami-ly. As an all-encompassing modality diet and nutrition are also addressed to support optimal health and wellbeing.

Herbs can be used by people with longstanding chronic conditions as well as acute immediate illnesses. Herbal formulas can improve immune function, respiratory function (winter ills), digestive function, muscular aches and pains, reduce fatigue and the effects of stress and address anxiety and other nervous system disorders. An individualised herbal prescription is specific for a child or an adult’s health issues.

Access Consciousness Bars, or ‘running the bars’ is a hands-on fully clothed healing process that was developed around 25 years ago in the US by a gentleman looking to create greater possibilities in peoples’ lives and for the planet. He identified that there are Bars of energy that run through and around your head that connect to different aspects of your life. They store the electromagnetic component of all the thoughts, ideas, attitudes, decisions and beliefs that you have ever had about anything. By gently touching the Bars you may effectively erase what you have stored there. Through erasing the old stored data you then change the energy of how you function in life.

Outcomes of Bars sessions can include relaxation for body and mind, deeper sleep, reduced anxiety and brain fog and greater clarity of thought. Because the process works at a deep subconscious level it can enhance relationships and reduce stress and therefore lead to improved overall health.

Therapy Centre Referrals for children:

When a child is identified as potentially benefitting from learning or behaviour supportive therapy a referral is made to Hand in Hand by school in conjunction with the child's parents. Each referral is discussed within a respectful and warm therapeu-tic conversation at the centre and an individualized plan of care is prepared. Then, with parents agreement and commit-ment, therapy is commenced for the child.

If you would like your child to have therapy, then a referral to the Centre is undertaken through Janine Stark (Classes 1 - 4) or Natalie Reid (Classes 5 - 8) at Waikato Waldorf School and Margaret McCarthy at Miro House Kindergarten.

Adult therapy and private consultation:

Adults and parents who prefer to contact the therapy centre directly for themselves or their children, to see a therapist of their choice can make initial enquiries through Maree Smith.

Our therapies are a collaborative effort in offering individuals and families holistic healing and growth:

Anthroposophical Nursing

Eurythmy Therapy

Anthroposophic Counselling & Artistic Therapies

Parent Education & Counselling

Herbal Medicine & Nutrition

Extra Lesson

Homeopathy

Thank you for your interest,

Hand in Hand Therapy Centre

School contacts - Janine Stark (janines.wws@gmail.com), Natalie Read (natalier.wws@gmail.com) Therapy Centre direct contact - Maree Smith (m 021 150 9433) Rimu Cottage, 68 Te Manatu Drive, Rototuna

Broad bean dip COOKS IN 20 MINUTES DIFFICULTY SUPER EASY

Ingredients 300 g broad beans (podded weight) 3 tablespoons crème fraîche ½ a lemon 1 tablespoon fresh dill flatbreads, pitta bread or chunky bread

Method

Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the broad beans and cook until tender. Drain and refresh in iced water.

Blitz the broad beans, crème fraîche and a little seasoning together in a food processor.

Put in a bowl and squeeze in the lemon juice. Pick, finely chop and stir through the dill, then serve with bread,

ideally warmed. https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/broad-bean-dip/

The Many Benefits of Hugelkultur Inspiration Green and Permaculture magazine

Thursday, 17th October 2013

Hugelkultur are no-dig raised beds with a differ-

ence. They hold moisture, build fertility, maximise

surface volume and are great spaces for growing

fruit, vegetables and herbs.

Hugelkultur, pronounced Hoo-gul-culture, means

hill culture or hill mound.

Instead of putting branches, leaves and grass clip-

pings in bags by the curbside for the bin men...

build a hugel bed. Simply mound logs, branches,

leaves, grass clippings, straw, cardboard, petrole-

um-free newspaper, manure, compost or whatever

other biomass you have available, top with soil and

plant your veggies.

The advantages of a hugel bed are many, including:

The gradual decay of wood is a consistent source of long-term nutrients for the plants. A large bed might give out a con-

stant supply of nutrients for 20 years (or even longer if you use only hardwoods). The composting wood also generates

heat which should extend the growing season.

Soil aeration increases as those branches and logs break down... meaning the bed will be no till, long term.

The logs and branches act like a sponge. Rainwater is stored and then released during drier times. Actually you may

never need to water your hugel bed again after the first year (except during long term droughts).

https://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/many-benefits-hugelkultur

Ramifications of Early Screen Use – Content, duration, and age of first exposure are critical

By Cris Rowan

Research regarding screen use in the early years is revealing significant changes to brain and body

development, necessitating immediate public health education interventions. Understanding how the

brain and body develop in relation to a child’s environment is key in understand the profound causal

and associative relationship between screens and child health.

This article will profile three critical components to consider when evaluating screen impact including

content, duration, and early exposure. Proposed initiatives follow Balanced Technology Manage-

ment (BTM) frame of reference where parents and teachers strive to manage balance between critical

factors for optimal child development and growth, with screen use. BTM interventions will be triaged

based on child developmental age, and will focus on 3 target areas: home, schools (including daycares

and preschools), and community.

Brain and Body Development

Animals require significantly less time with their parents than humans do, to learn sufficient skills to

function independently in the world. It takes humans 18 years to fully prepare a child to achieve ade-

quate physical, social, mental and cognitive skills to attain optimal growth and success. The first two

years are critical as brain development is rapid and much of the brain modelling is irreversible. There

are two processes that shape and wire the brain: neuronal pruning and proliferation; both essential

brain development processes to understand when considering the impact of screen use. Pruning is the

cutting and subsequent death of neurons that are not being used; proliferation is the expansion and

growth of neurons that are repeatedly fired. Pruning and proliferation occur most rapidly in the early

years, and are relative and reactive to stimuli from the surrounding environment.

When a baby is born, all the neuronal tracks are in place. Think of a road map; all the major highways

are formed by birth connecting all areas of the brain for diverse and potent growth. To achieve func-

tional efficiency, the brain prunes or cuts away neuronal tracks to areas of the brain that are rarely

used, and limits proliferation or growth of synaptic connections to these high use areas. By old age,

2/3 of neurons to areas of low use will be pruned, and areas of high use will receive loads of synaptic

proliferation. The environment surrounding the child, directly effects how the brain is wired. If the en-

vironment is rich in four critical factors for development including movement, touch, human connec-

tion, and nature, neuronal pruning saves tracks to diverse areas of the brain. If the environment con-

tains predominantly screens, which limit engagement to movement, touch, human connection and na-

ture activities, then tracks to low use areas are pruned, including frontal lobe.

Content

Content is key regarding brain pruning and proliferation. Exposure to mindful or educational content

maintains and strengthens neuronal tracks to frontal lobe, because you need frontal lobe to under-

stand, interpret, and remember mindful content. Exposure to mindless or entertainment content does

not require use of frontal lobes, resulting in pruning, with profound consequences. Mindful content in-

cludes any content that results in “active thinking” and constructive learning, which enhances function.

Whereas mindless content constitutes “passive entertainment” and destructive learning, which impairs

function in daily life. Examples of mindful content include impartial news, nature shows, documen-

taries, and instructive videos. Examples of mindless content include video games, cartoons, movies,

social media (texting/chatting, Facebook), pornography and TV.

Duration

Duration is also key. While everyone needs “down time”, screen usage rates have reached levels which

are drastically harming children and adults alike, physically, mentally, cognitively and socially. Since

2002, the American Academy of Pediatrics has limited screen usage to nothing for 0-2 years, 1 hour

per day for 3-5 years, and 2 hours per day for 6-18 years…yet, children today use 4-5 times that

amount with devastating consequences. Developmental delay, mental illness, obesity/diabetes, sleep

deprivation, and learning disabilities have reached epidemic status. Our children have never been sicker

indicating the ways in which we are raising and educating children with technology are no longer sus-

tainable.

Early Use

Early usage of screens is incredibly damaging to both body and brain development due to the pruning

and proliferation process of the developing brain is so rapid, and hence the destruction more perma-

nent. Between age 0-2 years, the brain triples in size and by age 12, half of the brain is ‘hard wired’,

and by age 20 years, pruning/proliferation is complete. Device restrictions are critical for this young

and vulnerable population. Not only should parents be concerned regarding frontal lobe pruning, but

also should be aware of the harmful effects of radiation on young children. Infants, toddlers and young

children have higher cell turnover, thinner skulls, and more aqueous bodies, and consequently are

more seriously and permanently harmed from wireless radiation. Prevention and intervention initiatives

to protect young children are crucial and required immediately if we are to create sustainable futures.

Balanced Technology Management Interventions

Every child has the right to a childhood free of harm and full of playful and fun experiences. Every child

has the right to be loved, respected, and attended to by warm and attentive parents and teachers, free

from distracting devices. Every child has a right to a future where developmental milestones are met

and literacy is ensured. Achieving sustainable futures for all children include the following interventions: Go wired; cable all wireless devices.

Ban use of handheld devices for all pregnant mothers and children ages 0-12 years.

Ensure literacy prior to use of device.

Use low levels of entertainment and high levels of educational content.

Keep screen durations within pediatric expert guidelines.

Ensure adequate outside, rough and tumble play to meet developmental milestones.

Cris Rowan is a pediatric occupational therapist, biologist, international speaker and author of “Virtual

Child”. Cris is passionate about changing the ways in which children use technology. Additional infor-

mation and research Fact Sheet can be located at crowan@zonein.ca. website www.zonein.ca,

blog www.movingtolearn.ca, and book www.virtualchild.ca.

This article is from movingtolearn.ca.

On this note I would also like to bring your attention to an article that was shown to me

recently and may be of interest to you as well.

Please read on….

Latest gaming craze Fortnite hooks children GEORGE HEAGNEY

Last updated 18:47, June 25 2018

The latest online craze, Fortnite, has a hold on young Kiwis and concerns are mounting school children are staying

up too late playing the game.

The game has more than 125 million players worldwide and the multi-player Battle Royale, where 100 people battle

it out in a third-person shoot 'em up until the last person standing wins, is hugely popular.

Feilding Intermediate School principal Diane Crate noticed some children were staying up late playing the game and

turning up to school knackered.

"We've emailed all our parent community asking them for real vigilance around the amount of hours [children] play

and the importance of kids getting quality sleep," she said.

"We're getting some kids coming to school really tired and, talking to them, they've been up all night playing Fort-

nite."

Crate said the game was not good for education and she was concerned about the impact it had on children playing

for hours at a time. Some parents took their devices to work so the children couldn't play and the school asked par-

ents to monitor how much their children were playing it.

Crate was keen on educating parents about how the game worked, and suggested parents should give kids a warn-

ing before they had to stop playing and limit the amount of rounds they could play, instead of traditional time limits.

Feilding's Lytton Street School sent a similar message in its newsletter and said even if parents didn't enjoy video

games, they could show an interest in the game to connect over something their child was passionate about.

"Parents are having difficulty getting kids off the game," Crate said. "It's about getting them off the game strategical-

ly, without confrontation. "A lot of parents are unaware the kids are playing it. It has a lot more of a wider appeal

than games historically have had." Manawatū parent Chrissy Coombes has had problems with her 13-year-old

son, who she didn't want named, playing the game. She bought her son a PlayStation four years ago and hadn't had

a problem until Fortnite came along, which she has now banned. "He was on Fortnite pretty much every second of

the day he could get it. We time-restricted it – that didn't really help.

"He's changed, he's 13, and gone from being a nice kid to being angry all the time. If he failed a mission or came

close to the top, if he was second and he got sniped, he would bawl his eyes out."

Coombes said her son would almost get to the point of wetting himself because he wouldn't go to the toilet, would

sometimes miss meals and didn't do chores because he was playing the game or watching videos about it.

Coombes sent her son to her sister's house for 11 days because there was no PlayStation there, then confiscated it

on his return. "Now he's being a pleasant child again."

Massey University psychology lecturer Aaron Drummond has studied the effects of gaming and he said a lot of

scholars were aware of problematic gaming.

"I think we need more information about the prevalence of these problems before we can make a formal diagnosis."

There were problems with excessive play times and anxiety.

The World Health Organisation this month recognised gaming disorder as a diagnosable condition, where priority is

given to gaming over other activities and continuing to play despite negative consequences.

New Zealand Principals' Federation president Whetu Cormick said none of the news about children staying up late

surprised him.

He said with the increase in device use, young people were using them to the detriment of their sleep patterns and

going to school tired.

"It's a challenge for us as an education system and a society. Devices need to be managed at home."

- Stuff

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/104947847/latest-gaming-craze-fortnite-hooks-children

FRIDAY 13TH JULY

WAIKATO WALDORF SCHOOL