James’ message – Nov 2024

In our final term of 2024, we see students showing us what they have achieved in their learning this year including dramatic and musical performances. I have the privilege of singing with the high school students on Wednesday and Friday mornings, have enjoyed Much Ado About Nothing rehearsals, and have also seen many other performances across the school this year. What I observe in students at Orana is that, even though there is a great range in ability, they generally enjoy dramatic and musical performance and give it their all. They appear to be relaxed on stage. Why is this? I believe, for those students who have been at Orana from a young age, it is because of they have had a gradual and developmentally appropriate experience with performance. 

Young children’s natural inclination is to play and act out parts to themselves or with their peers. They don’t need an audience – in fact, they are able to work more deeply with their imaginative play if they don’t have one. We know through the work of child development theorists such as Piaget and Steiner that the most appropriate time for children to start to engage in real performance is around the age of ten. This is because they start to really see themselves as separate entities with their own personalities and can start to understand others having their own needs and viewpoints. They are able to explore the possibility of being in someone else’s shoes. To get to this stage they need to have a loving community, allowing them scope to explore their own imaginative world without having to explain it or perform to an audience.  

In Steiner education, students study the world of ancient Greece around age ten and eleven. There are many reasons for this, among them being that this is a period in history where drama, politics and philosophy became quite sophisticated and there was an expectation from society that drama would be used to convey a message to an audience. Children in Year 5 understand the concept of drama and enjoy the process of stepping into character and conveying a message, even if it is not their own. I had the privilege of performing with Year 5 students myself this week – playing the part of Zeus in the opening ceremony of the Greek Olympics. I also saw that the students were immersed in this performance, dressed in their tunics and playing the part of ancient Greek athletes.  

We do have children involved in plays in younger years but the purpose of acting in these plays is to start to explore different ways of being in the world, interacting with their peers and playing with language. The focus is not on performance to an audience. Essentially, the audience, usually parents, witness the work like an observer in a lesson. It is an extension of their imaginative play inspired by rich stories. In high school, as students gain a better understanding of themselves, they are interested in exploring more deeply the concept of performance and impact on and from the audience. They are ready for this as they have a well-developed sense of self.  

As parents and as educators, we need to help each other to nurture this natural progression from imaginative play to performance, allowing children to first immerse themselves fully in their own world before stepping onto the stage. In doing so, we honour their development, ensuring that when the time comes, they are performing not for external validation, but as a genuine expression of who they are and the stories they want to tell. 

Reminders: 

• Please use the pedestrian crossing on Hickey Court at drop off and pick up times – even if you think it is safe to cross somewhere else and even if you are in a hurry. And please be respectful with those staff on duty at the crossing. Apart from the immediate safety concerns, we as adults are modelling safe practice to children. 

• Spring Fair on Sunday 10 November – please support the school by participating on the day and bringing friends and family. Thanks to all those who have helped (and continue to do so) with preparation for the day. If you would like to offer support, please contact …… I look forward to seeing you there and co-creating a wonderful community building experience. 

Warmly,

James Goodlet – Orana Principal