La Casa della Luce

This term Georgia Sheehan, Elias Grimes, Madison Cass-Ryall, Siobhan Allpress, Lara Dowling, and Rohan Whiteman have joined us.  Our new zebra finches, Mario and Enrico, have also become part of Luce and we delight in the sound of their chirping as we work.  The study of zoology is enlivened by the presence of the animals and the children’s care for their well-being is wonderful.  We do thank those of you who have accommodated Spiny and Ray at weekends. 

“The second-plane child needs a double environment—the classroom and society outside it, because the child now needs to learn about the society which he will have to enter and to become one with.”  (Margaret Stephenson’s Little Sage Green Book)

Our trip to the Perth Concert Hall to hear the West Australian Symphony Orchestra was a unique experience in entering society for the older children.  We thank Antonia Wise for driving us to the Concert Hall.  The trip we all took to the Perth Mint in May proved very exciting and instructive.  Thank you Margo Teusner-Gartland for accompanying us that day.  The older children are considering what they would like to do for the class or for Beehive with the money they earned with their Friday afternoon shop this term.

This term Julia Burns came in on Friday mornings and sewed meditation mats and cases with the children, a big project which uplifts our practice of meditation enormously.  Thank you so much Julia.

Some of the children have been working on multiplication this term, using the Decanomial, while others have moved away from use of concrete materials with addition and subtraction.  Test tube division has been active and lots of chains have been counted and recorded.  Zoology has been popular, with the younger children studying external parts of animals and the older children studying characteristics of animals using the story cards.  The Earth has been re-constructed in modelling clay, to show its internal layers, and timelines and months and days have been the focus of some of the children.  The study by some of the children of the Earth’s atmospheres produced some lovely charts.

I’d like to thank our Beeliners, Frederika Westera, for so warmly welcoming parents of children who have joined us this term from junior primary.  Have a safe and happy winter holidays, I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 20th  July.  

Candice

Term 2, 2005