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Former Class 12 pupil Celia Rafferty doing Aerial Arts in School Hall. "More than a quarter of girls aged 7 - 21 believe physical education 'was more for boys' than them," the Sunday Times reported at the weekend in its annual Independent Schools Review supplement, whilst "almost half believed boys were better at 'being strong'," the same article reported. Read below.
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College News is written this term by Hester Machin - Co-Chair of College. It is emailed out to all parents of enrolled children, as well as linked to here each week.
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Appointments can be booked during the above times through the School Office. Please give the Office Staff your details and when and how you would prefer to be contacted.
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Deadline for School Lunch Orders Tomorrow
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All the vegetables will be fresh, seasonal and locally sourced. Produce from the school gardens are incorporated wherever possible; and on occasion biodynamic produce from Garvald Farm.
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Monday: Vegetable Soup & Bread
Tuesday: Varied week-to-week (vegetarian), including lasagne, stew, rice.
Wednesday: Tatties with Organic Cheese and/or Organic Beans
Thursdays: Organic Pizzas
Friday's: Garvald Farm Sausages in a roll (Vegetarian option available)
Follow link: School Lunches
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The Length Of School Day
The pandemic has brought much discussion about longer days and shorter holidays for pupils at school. At Edinburgh Steiner School, the formal part of the school day lengthens as pupils get older. It is recognised education should be about balance: a balance between work and play, school and home, wake and sleep. It’s about quality, not quantity. Steiner Waldorf schools recommend a minimum of screen time, plenty of outdoor physical activity and good sleep patterns.
In Class 1, uniquely the school day finishes at 1pm on four days a week. This gentler introduction to formal learning ensures that younger children are not too tired and maintain their enthusiasm for school. By the time they are in the Upper School, most pupils' school day finishes at 4pm. Young people need time for extracurricular interests, and to spend time with friends and family outside of school.
There is an evident need for some pupils to engage in meaningful activities beyond the school day. In response, our Extra Curricular Clubs Programme provides pupils with opportunities to use lunchtimes and Clubs that try wherever possible to dovetail the end of the school day to focus on hobbies.
ESS Wraparound is also offered until 5.30pm (5pm in Early Years), playing in small groups and activities may involve seasonal art and craft projects, as well as outdoor games in the school grounds.
It is hoped these Clubs are both enriching for the children attending them, and convenient for parents too.
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Spotlight on the Main Lesson Programme -
unique to Steiner Waldorf schools worldwide
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Circus Arts & Aerial in the PE Programme
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In many Steiner Waldorf schools around the world, the role of Circus Arts plays an important part within the context of a pedagogically oriented Movement/Athletic Programme based upon child development. At ESS
sports are only one element of what we would call ‘movement education’.
Our ethos is non-competitive, and so movement - including acrobatics, eurythmy, circus skills and aerial - is folded into many aspects of the curriculum, with particular activities introduced at appropriate ages to strengthen coordination, aid thinking and build confidence and resilience.
Circus Arts are increasingly being recognised for providing an alternative kinaesthetic approach to Physical Education (PE) tailored to an individual’s capabilities; utilized in a variety of ways from Class 3 upwards and woven into the Movement/Physical Education lessons.
The dynamic programme helps pupils acquire intelligent physical skills such as manipulation, equilibre, acrobatic, aerial, movement; whilst building a physicality that supports the development of children and young people as competent, confident and healthy individuals with a physical movement foundation suitable for lifelong participation in physical activity. Only one pupil we know of has run off to a circus university (and has returned to coach).
The sports favoured at Edinburgh Steiner School, such as basketball, hockey and volleyball can be enjoyed by all young people: boys, girls and those who identify as gender-fluid or non-binary, who play together on an equal footing; whilst the Movement/Athletic skills translate extremely well into other more 'traditional' Athletic/Sporting endeavours that are taken up either in the school setting or in other after school and weekend Programmes in the wider community.
This unique element of the Steiner physical literacy programme is complimented by two after school clubs, moving towards sharing their talents in a performance setting with older pupils from Classes 8 - 12.
Classes 3 & 4 Gymnastics, Circus Arts, Aerial and Acrobatics Clubs - 5 spaces left Book
Classes 5 - 7 Gymnastics, Circus Arts, Aerial and Acrobatics Club - 9 spaces left Book
Follow the link Gymnastics, Circus Arts, Aerial and Acrobatics Clubs for a more in-depth overview of these clubs).
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Former Pupils Join The Extra Curricular Programme
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Edinburgh Steiner School's Extra Curricular Clubs have been filling up swiftly; and now with the numbers at up to 20 for the Gymnastics, Circus Arts, Aerial and Acrobatics Clubs offered to Classes 3 - 7, three experienced coaches will be leading each Club of up to 25 pupils from mixed Classes (follow the link for a more in-depth overview of these clubs).
Chlomo and Maricel, both former pupils of Edinburgh Steiner School, join Antonia in bringing gymnastics, tumbling, silks, trapeze, human pyramids, beam work, walking globe, juggling, unicycle and diablo to Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in the School Hall. The Programme is overseen by Waldorf PE Teacher of over 20 years, Peter Sheen.
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Chlomo Hutchison is a graduate of renowned Circomedia, the centre for contemporary circus and physical theatre; specialising in the discipline of Acrobatics.
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Maricel Campbell has been doing gymnastics since she was 3 years old, going on to train 8 hours a week and compete in competitions.
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One Space Left In Classes 1 - 8 Bikeability Clubs
Classes 1 - 3 Bikeability - 1 space left* Book
Classes 4 - 5 Bikeability - 1 space left Book
Classes 6 - 8 Bikeability - 1 space left** Book
*Beinn 20 Isla bike (inside leg: 47cm - 57cm; height 112cm) + helmet available for free hire Hire
** Bike & helmet available for free hire (would suit ~ 5ft 4" pupil) Hire
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A Toddle Through Nature's Playground
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Get a taste for Edinburgh Steiner School's Parent & Child Group before the half term: edsteiner.org/toddlers
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The morning is propelled by a strong rhythm and transitions are nurtured with repetition and reverence similar to a simplified Steiner Waldorf Seedlings and Kindergarten morning, with periods of breathing in and out, alternating between free movement and play, and adult led activities. Freshly baked bread, sliced apples and craft materials are provided.
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Maintaining The Love Of Nature Rediscovered
Putting the environment at the heart of the curriculum is nothing new for Edinburgh Steiner School. In the Early Years, children spend a lot of their time outdoors, learning to care for the environment by following the example set by the teachers: plants are lovingly watered, leaves are swept by the children, food scraps are fed to the birds on bird tables made by the children.
During the years of Lower School (7-14) gardening is a core subject on the timetable. Lessons provide children with the experience of actively following the seasons, together with the realisation that their work has a direct and visible impact on their surroundings. Older pupils are given a small plot of land to work on in small groups. This can have an enormously strengthening effect on feelings of helplessness many children experience in the face of global uncertainties.
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Emergency Closure Procedure In The Event Of Severe Staff Shortage
In the event of a severe shortage of staff caused by high levels of unexpected absence, the School might be forced to close temporarily, at short notice. In extreme circumstances, immediate closure might be announced during the school day, for example due to high levels of Covid-related self-isolation and infection.
The School will only close if the shortage of staff represents an unacceptable risk to health and safety. This judgement will be made by the Management Team in consultation with the Health & Safety Officer. As soon as this decision has been made, parents/carers will be emailed to let them know of the decision and they will be asked to make arrangements to collect their children as soon as possible. A notice will also be placed on the home page of the School’s website.
Upper School pupils in Classes 11 and 12 who are able to make their own way home will be allowed to leave school. Pupils in Classes 6-10 will be allowed to leave and make their way home after permission is received from a parent/carer. Class Teachers and/or Management Team members and Office staff will contact parents/carers of pupils in Classes 1-5 to discuss arrangement for collection, or whether they can safely make their own way home, or with another family.
If possible, the Management Team will try to alleviate the staffing pressure by sending older pupils home first and reallocating available staff to younger groups to maintain safety and ensure younger pupils can stay in school for longer, giving parents and carers more time to arrange for collection. As far as possible, the School will continue to reallocate available staff to supervise any children who cannot go home or be collected until the end of the normal school day.
If, following an emergency closure, the whole school is required to remain closed the following day, or for longer, lessons will be delivered online as far as possible.
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Michaelmas Red Next Wednesday
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Michaelmas traditionally is a highlight of the School calendar and an opportunity for the entire school to break bread together in the School Hall; and where teachers and pupils are encouraged to wear red in celebration of autumn and the harvest.
Classes 2 - 4 will perform their collaborative play to Classes 1, 5, 6 and siblings.
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5th Year of Edinburgh Food Bank Collections
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The Edinburgh Steiner School community has donated 565kg of food since it started donating at Michaelmas five years ago. And this year we are collecting again.
Class 9 pupils have this year created a suggested theme of ingredients for each Class from Edinburgh Food Project's much needed list of items.
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Boxes have now been placed in each Classroom. This makes a significant difference to local vulnerable people in crisis. It is entirely voluntary and there is no expectation you must do this. Thank you to all those families who contribute.
- Toddler Groups, Seedlings & Kindergarten – cartons of alternative UHT milk (e.g. oat milk - no nut milks)
- Class 1 & 2 – tins of fruit
- Class 3 – fruit juice (longlife)
- Class 4 & 5 jars of pasta sauce
- Class 6 – tins / cartons of pulses (e.g. chickpeas, lentils)
- Class 7 – Jars of jam / spread
- Class 8 – cartons of UHT milk
- Class 9 – rice
- Class 10 – shampoo
- Class 11 – tins of veg (peas, carrots)
- Class 12 – jars instant coffee
- ESS staff & wider Steiner community – cleaning products
All contributions will go to local Edinburgh Food Project (formerly Edinburgh North West Foodbank) and we would be very grateful if our community of parents could send in an item of food or toiletries with your child on or before Wednesday 29th September (Michaelmas).
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The Sunday Times Independent School's Review supplement, published over the weekend, interviewed Co-Chair of the College of Teachers, Alistair Pugh, about the School's personal finance education and how our pupils are being equipped to understand savings, taxes and pensions.
Financial education is part of our holistic education, and folded into the maths and PSHE curriculum throughout a pupil’s time at school, as well as Class 10's new ‘personal finance’ Main Lesson. You can read each of the four articles in the supplement below:
Getting ahead in business and money sense is more than a numbers game
The natural choice for education
Extra curricular clubs offer more at the end of the day
To genger typecast in sport just isn't cricket
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Edinburgh Steiner School's social media pages for the School, Early Years, Growing Spaces, Teacher Training Course and Christmas Market can be found here.
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Putting An Advert In The Tuesday Notice
Edinburgh Steiner School’s weekly news ezine is sent out to 720 recipients’ inboxes every term-time Tuesday. (View the most recent Tuesday Notices here).
Anyone sharing a relationship with the School is welcome to submit a Notice for the upcoming edition(s) at £5 per edition (paid through the online school shop here), ordered in first-come-first-appears. Submissions are up to 100 words and can include link(s) to an external website and/or social media page(s).
Steiner Waldorf education acknowledges pupils are profoundly affected by their built environment. All proceeds from Notices go towards the School’s Growing Spaces Project, benefiting all current and future ESS pupils.
Submission Forms are downloaded here. Once completed, this can be emailed back to communications@edinburghsteinerschool.org.uk by Friday noon before the first edition you would like your Notice to appear in.
Future publication dates for the Autumn Term 2021 are:
September 28th
October 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th,
November 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th
Dec 7th, 14th
Edinburgh Steiner School Session Dates
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Seeking Host Family For Overseas Visiting Student
My name is Maxi. I am from Chile and will be visiting the School between January - March 2022. I am looking for a home to stay during this time., hopefully within walking distance or easy bus links.
I am 17-years-old, responsible and respectful. I like to play tennis, football, reading and learning new things.
If you can help me please email me at jkyxime@hotmail.com or call or text 07962 536 019
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Peripatetic Guitar Lessons On Campus
From a teacher with a huge amount of experience, both teaching and performing (as well as a parent of the School, and PVG registered).
Classical: Advanced Certificate LRSM
Flamenco: 4 years study, concerts and TV appearances in Spain
Electric: Guitar Institute Certificate, London
Mobile: 07425388992
Email douglasanderson0602@yahoo.com
30 min lessons (£15)
Classical: Advanced Certificate LRSM
Flamenco: 4 years study, concerts and TV appearances in Spain
Electric: Guitar Institute Certificate, London
Lessons are currently taught off campus outside of School hours at present, due to Covid measures. In the future there will be the opportunity to change to a time slot during the School day on campus (with appropriate lesson time discussed with pupil's Class Teacher ahead of booking). Flyer |
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Sarah Miller works alongside Alistair Pugh (Co-Chair of College), and Trustee Layla Tree.
The Tuesday Notice is produced by the Communications Team and edited by Helen Newton - School Coordinator and Alistair Pugh.
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Tel: 0131 337 3410 Ext 3
Email: communications@edinburghsteinerschool.org.uk
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