New Orana Parents

We welcome new parents to Orana School and recognise that there is much to explore and find out about when joining our school community. The ‘flat’ structure of Orana and the absence of a principal can be confusing for parents who haven’t discovered who they can go to if they have any concerns or questions. The College of Teachers has developed a communication policy that encourages an Anthroposophical approach to working through problems or conflict with the individuals concerned. In a human centred organisation, the greatest strength is the interaction between individuals but this strength can also become a great weakness if people do not trust the process. The process is outlined in the Parent Handbooks, or you can speak with Ruth Underwood for help or guidance on what steps to take if you have any issues or concerns.

Parent Education and Teacher Training

Involvement in Orana and an understanding of the philosophy and practice of a Steiner school can best be achieved by full parent participation at parent-teacher evenings and PETT (Parent Education and Teacher Training) talks. The PETT program is one aspect of adult education offered at Orana – the events are advertised in the Bulletin.

PETT also co-ordinates study groups centred around the Educaredo distance education courses on anthroposophy. The course comprises 26 lessons that include topics such as the twelve senses, evolution, Goethean science, the elements and ethers, four temperaments, health and nutrition/biodynamic agriculture and the arts. Lessons are sent fortnightly and require at least a few hours of reading and practical exercises each week. It is an excellent opportunity to learn more about Steiner’s work in a practical way, at your own pace. Pamphlets are available in the Office.

Books

There is also the Parent Library and books can also be bought from the Orana shop. The Parent Library is located just to the left of the entrance doors in the Library. The Orana Parent Library contains wide-ranging resources relating to parenting, families, education, anthroposophy and the work of Rudolf Steiner. New parents are welcome to borrow, just come in and register with us. The schedule of talks at the Parent Café will be published in the school bulletin and will cover a range of topics from Learnscapes to the structure of Orana to information about the High School.

School tours

In addition to the above opportunities, the school conducts regular ‘School tours’ that provide a wonderful way to see what happens in the classrooms. The tour starts with a brief introductory talk about Steiner education, followed by a visit to some classrooms. Parents who would like to know more about our Kindergarten, Primary or High School/Senior College can book into one of these tours through the Office.

Orana's organisational structure

The school is a not-for-profit association, incorporated in the ACT. Staff and parents who fill in a free membership form (available at the office) are voting members of the association, management of which is provided by two main committees. These are the College of Teachers, responsible for educational direction, and the School Council, who provide management support to the College of Teachers.

The ‘flat’ structure of Orana and the absence of a principal is often confusing and frustrating for parents who haven’t discovered who they can go to if they have any concerns or questions. The College of Teachers has developed a communication policy that encourages an anthroposophical approach to working through problems or conflict with the individuals concerned. In a human-centred organisation, the greatest strength is the interaction between individuals but this strength can also be a great weakness if people do not trust the process. The process is outlined in the Parent Handbooks, or you can speak with Educational Administrator, Ruth Underwood, for help or guidance on what steps to take if you have any issues or concerns.

Contact Orana staff member

Parents are welcome to contact a member of the College of Teachers (about educational matters) or School Council (about financial or other matters), Ruth Underwood (Educational Administrator), or Richard Broughton (Business Manager) to discuss any aspects of the school.

Community Hours (CH)

One of Orana's key values is to provide accessible Steiner education to as many families as possible. To keep school fees lower than they would otherwise need to be, we encourage parents as part of their enrolment contract to contribute some time each year towards cleaning, maintaining or otherwise assisting the school. These are our 'Community Hours'.

The scheme is also highly valued by the school because it provides a major community building opportunity as parents meet and work together on projects, working bees or other activities. More info ...

Activities

Apart from the information exchanged during the enrolment process with new parents, we encourage all new parents to avail themselves of the formal and informal activities at Orana. Please have a look at the following summary of information/activities for new parents:

Go to News page for school bulletins and other news items. School Tours are held during term time; Orientation Evenings held in first term; Orana Library has a special Parent Library collection; Orana Cafe is held on Tuesday mornings during term time Parent/Teacher meetings; Social events, Fairs and Festivals are scheduled throughout the year. See the Calendar for dates; Community Markets are held on the last Friday of most months; Assemblies, performances and concerts to which parents are welcome; Join one of our many community groups including Craft, Bioscape, Friends of the Gardens; Attend working bees and other Community Hours activities; Attend PETT seminars or discussion groups; Have a look at the Educational Philosophy, FAQ and Glossary pages on this site; and Look at Contact Orana page for phone/email information.