The celebration of the seasonal festivals are an important and enriching part of Orana’s cultural and community life. Through art, music, story and poetry, the children celebrate seasonal change, rites of passage, are helped to identify and recognise the changing rhythms of the earth, and how these might be reflected in their inner selves. This in turn fosters self-awareness, a stronger connection with nature, and a sense of custodianship for the environment. Each festival has its highlights, and the Autumn Harvest Festival sees a bounteous gathering of nature’s treasures and the celebration of the “Michaelic” spirit as we move into the cooler months.
Because we live in the southern hemisphere and our seasons are the opposite of the seasons as they fall in the north, we experience Easter, not at springtime, but in autumn. At the time of writing, many classes are discussing Easter and celebrating Easter, alongside our Year 3 preparations for our whole-school Autumn Harvest Festival. This festival is lead by our Year 3s as it complements the Year 3 curriculum unit, focusing on farming practices. Led by Shelby and Lynne, Year 3 have coordinated school-wide donations for The Little Pantry, a local emergency food relief organisation, reminding our students of the importance of being of service to others and of the value in giving to those who have less than ourselves. Year 3 will present their harvest to the King and Queen of the Harvest and their court, made up of our thespian-minded Year 12 students. A guest speaker from The Little Pantry will thank our School and comment on the importance of charity and the offering of help. Year 3 will then perform a piece they have prepared and rehearsed, and the whole School will join in the singing of the School Harvest song, The Boughs Do Shake, composed by our very own Maia Harrison. Each class then returns to their classroom with the gift of freshly baked bread and a pot of honey to share in the Harvest bounty.
When you read this, the magic of our Harvest Festival will have already happened and the rituals I describe here will be warm student memories recounted at home with family members and friends. I think that is the beauty of our festivals and of celebrations such as Easter; they provide nourishment to the individual and bring a community together in meaningful ways. The festival is an anniversary that brings to us the richness of story and song, light and food, and celebrates our shared humanity. It is a joyous celebration of life and has the quality of lifting us out of the ordinary and into the mysteries and magic of the rhythm of the seasons. Each festival is a mood, an attitude, an experience. It is a social expression that reflects and celebrates an entire season. Our celebrations and traditions are interwoven with the life of the earth and the cycles of nature. They are also of special pedagogical significance for the development of our children, helping them to increasingly find orientation in time. In our often fast-paced lives, such a place of inner residence is important. The celebration of festivals and their accompanying traditions not only enables a home in time but also in space. Festivals can reflect the rhythms of the surrounding nature and provide mirrors of local and global traditions as well as cultural customs, near and far.
Autumn is a time for reflection as we contemplate the falling leaves, the bare trees, the darker mornings and the shorter, colder days. It allows us to muse on resilience, change and challenge as we witness the changes in the environment around us. My wish for all our families this Easter is that you find your own seasonal rhythms and traditions that allow you to come together to realise your inner strengths, and that you each find a renewal of hope, health and love.
Charmaine Rye – Head of Primary / Deputy Principal
