A message from Principal James Goodlet Term 3 Week 3

To truly know the world, look deeply within your own being; to truly know yourself, take real interest in the world. 

Dr R. Steiner 

The term has kicked off with a buzz. There have already been futsal gala days for Years 5-10 students and outdoor football gala days coming up over the next couple of weeks. There have been learning journeys for some primary classes where students have proudly shared their work with their parents. 

We have had school tours for early childhood and primary which have been well attended with prospective families keen to join us. Our Year 12 students delivered their Year 12 Project viva voces last week, where they present their ideas for their projects which will be presented in Term 4. It was heartening and intriguing to see the range of topics they are working on this year and the elements of community service and intellectual contributions to research that have shone through. I would like to specially mention and support Gabe Mesquita’s project, where he is organising an art exhibition and auction and is asking for contributions from Orana staff, students, parents and friends on the theme of ‘What Orana Means to Me’. More details in this weeks news, or on our Events page here. 

Thursday 6 August afternoon tea was an opportunity for Class Parent Representatives and P&F members to meet and greet the teaching staff. Next week Lou Harvey Zahra will be visiting and doing a workshop with staff on Thursday afternoon and with parents on Friday and Saturday. More details in this leaflet. I encourage you to participate. 

View Parent Talk event details here.

Our staff have continued to learn and contribute to discussions on hot topics in the last couple of months. In this leaflet you will see articles about staff professional learning by Jeddah Teasdale, Primary Deputy; and our approach to AI by Suzanne Goddard, Arts and D&T Coordinator. Our College of Teachers are working on the theme of ‘meditation’ this term, an important part of Steiner teachers’ work. A unique feature of Steiner education is the recognition that what lives within us is seen by the children, so it is important that we are good role models and that our inner life is healthy; this includes our own artistic, contemplative and reflective practice. 

I have been reading a book by Tracey Ezard called Ferocious Warmth about educational leadership. In it, Ezard describes the characteristics of successful school leaders being a mixture of warmth and compassion and ferocity and purpose. We tend to naturally be drawn to either warmth or ferocity and our task is to find a balance. Whether we apply this thinking to educational leadership or parenting, there is a lot to learn from this idea that we tend to swing between two extremes, sometimes task-oriented and firm at the expense of understanding and warmth; and sometimes caring at the expense of boundaries. To be good leaders and parents, it is important that we find a balance. To have high expectations and challenge as well as high support and compassion. This is what we, in our leadership team, are working on with our interaction with all Orana community members and we ask you, as parents and guardians, to work with us on this project. It is a big task, but it is needed in a time when we are tasked with establishing an island of coherence in world of great uncertainty and anxiety. I look forward to working with you on creating a healthy Orana community. 

James Goodlet

Principal