“A healthy social life arises when the whole community finds its reflection in the mirror of a person’s soul, and when the virtue of each person lives in the whole community.”
Rudolf Steiner
I think what Rudolf Steiner was touching on in the above social ethic is that we are all co-creators in our community. It is another way of expressing ubuntu, the Zulu word meaning ‘I am because we are’. I hope we can be mindful of this sentiment as we work together to provide an education for our young people. I already see evidence of this at Orana. In my role, I have the privilege of working with the whole community from playgroup through to Year 12, parents, guardians, extended family and friends and I can already see that people are passionate about building a healthy community.
First impressions
What I have experienced in my few weeks is a warm, friendly welcome, and in general, the children and adults work in a calm and constructive way. There are challenging moments but there is a positive approach and commitment to seeking resolutions. Some challenges are going to remain present for a long time, and some are external pressures such as staffing shortages, financial limitations, mental health issues. It will require resilience, skill, collaboration and determination, and I am confident Orana will push through and be better for it. At the high school parent evening on Wednesday 7 February I spoke about some of the common threads I have observed in my time working in Steiner schools that are evident in our work with young children of all ages. I can already see evidence of these approaches at Orana. They are:
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- Seeing the school as a working, learning village where all members can make real contributions and are valued no matter what age or ability;
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- A phenomenological approach to teaching and learning – which involves observation, self- generated questions and space for students to come up with their own understandings and explanations of phenomena (not just be given the answers).
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- The threefold nature of the human being – teaching, learning and relating involves head, heart and hands and, although at times there may be a focus one of these aspects of the human being, there is a consciousness to including all three in every lesson, and across each day.
Patience
Since my arrival there has been a sense of urgency to resolving some matters and, in a sense, there always is at the start of each school year. The leadership team and I are trying to prioritise, work strategically and make sure we have enough information to make good decisions in the long-term interests of the school. Of course, there are always issues that require immediate action and we try to identify these and act accordingly. However, we do ask for patience as we try to set up systems, structures and cultural understandings that are going to work with new personnel and new roles for a new era in Orana’s journey.
Community connection
There have been many members of the extended Orana community who have expressed a desire for us to have more opportunities to connect and communicate as a community. We are working on ways to do this. When speaking to Class 1 parents and carers at the café gathering on the first day of school, there were questions about decisions made in the past that affect our current situation on which they would like further clarity. There were also questions about how communication and engagement would work in the future. For many schools there has been a slow rebuilding of community engagement after the COVID years. There will be opportunities for community engagement and communication coming up. Some will be new or renewed and some are a continuation of existing opportunites. Below are a few examples:
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- The opening of the new music centre will be held in the second half of this term (date to be confirmed) and it will also be an opportunity to welcome new families to Orana. There will be communication coming next week regarding this event.
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- There will be an opportunity later in the term and on other occasions throughout the year for cafe conversations, where parents and friends will be invited to join us for a chat at the school café where there will be talks and Q&A
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- In conjunction with the P&F, we will be arranging visiting and in-house speakers for evening sessions throughout the year.
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- The craft group will be operating on Saturday mornings.
In the last couple of years, I have been interested in the concept of ‘conversation’, in particular, the art of Goethean conversation, which involves really listening and reflecting without judgement. I believe that our great task in this age is for us to work on this individually and, in turn, attempt to engage in community conversation. It is a very challenging task but I think we already have the tools, the people and cultural understanding at Orana to work in this way. I think it is important for us to model this way of working with the children in our care and give them the tools and the environment to enable genuine conversations to occur. Are you interested in this too? I look forward to having conversations with you about the art of conversation throughout 2024.
The following verse is something we are using at the start of some of our meetings at Orana. It comes from Initiative: a Rosicrucian path of leadership a book by Torin Finser, Waldorf/Steiner educator and writer. It may give you an understanding of the way we work.
Help me,
Become the person I have always longed to be.
Give me the strength to serve,
And the knowledge to know where I am needed,
The perception to step forward when the time is right,
And the tact to withdraw when the job is done.
May I be true to my ideals,
Flexible in the ebb and flow of daily life,
Yet unswerving in upholding the truth.
May I find joy in my interactions with others
And practise kindness in the face of our mutual shortcomings.
Help me see the eternal in each human being,
Thus, releasing the goodness that this world so desperately needs.
I offer myself as an instrument
Of the higher intentions of this school.
For I believe in the future.
With heart,
James
