Dr Richard House had a lot of press coverage following his presentation to the Westminster Education Forum this week. It was covered in Nursery World and made the national press in both Telegraph and Daily Mail.

In his presentation Dr House points out the formal learning started too early actually leads to lower academic performance. He is calling for the revised EYFS to be made voluntary and for the school starting age to be raised.

Here is an extract of the Nursery world article.

Re-discovered research says early school starting age ‘harms children’

Dr Richard House, a co-founder of the Open Eye and Early Childhood Action movements, said that there is now sufficient evidence that an early school starting age is bad for children.

He is calling for the revised EYFS to be made voluntary and for the school starting age to be raised.

Speaking at the Westminster Education Forum in London today, Dr House will argue that research proves that formal learning at too early an age, rather than leading to children doing well at school, actually leads to lower academic performance and can even contribute to dying early.

To read the full article

Moray Steiner School, Forres. Saturday May 19th

The May Fayre is one of the highlights of the school year, it is a traditional event that takes months of planning and excited activity, an opportunity for the local community to see what a Steiner School is all about.

Moray Steiner School is perched on a hilltop in Forres overlooking the Moray Firth. It is a truly wonderful setting surrounded by mature woodland which gives the school a natural boost to its May celebrations. With the gardens waking, the lovely apple trees in full blossom, it is a big open day to show the creative flair of the school community, pupils, parents and staff.

There are activities for all ages, last year’s crate climbing was a huge draw and it is time to build those towers again. Youngsters wearing safety harnesses build the tower as they go, placing crates on top of each other and climbing in to the high tree canopy.

The event is about tradition with stalls and activities for a perfect family day out: coconut shie, story telling, puppet shows, spinning demonstrations, May crown making, face painting , two cafe’s and a BBQ. There will be live music and maypole dancing by the school children.

Come and see the Moray Steiner School at its best as we are proud to put on a fair that brings out the best of age old tradition. A day full of family fun.

Telling stories to Children is a gift for all, we all love stories they are a deep connection with our past. Stories told to children have a rich place in their memory and they never tire of hearing the same tail.

Puppet shows, stories, fairy tales, songs and rhymes play an important part in the daily life of a Steiner School Kindergarten. We choose them carefully, introducing the world to the children in a way that meets them through their imaginations. We choose themes that are present ( in the environment (eg seasonal stories) and within the children in the group.

Healing stories and fairy tales of this nature provide children with tools that they can take through their lives and return to whenever they need them. For example when young children are learning the social etiquette of playing together there are inevitable conflicts. A child wanting to join in may crash their way into the play in a way that would result in them being rejected by their classmates. A story about a clumsy bear looking for a cosy home, who inadvertently destroys the homes of other animals in his quest to find a place of belonging is an effective way of addressing this. The theme is similar enough yet with enough differences for the children to engage with it without feeling judged.

The story would be repeated each day for a week or so enabling the children to fully absorb it. Young children enjoy repetition. Most parents will be familiar with the request for a beloved story to be told over and over again. Through repetition children are given the opportunity to identify with the all the different characters, allowing them to come alive in their imaginations.

We often find that after several days of the same story the children start to act out the actions and take the characters into their free play time. Introducing stories in the form of puppet shows is a delightful way of bringing them to life. We use puppets with few or no features props that are as simple and unstructured as possible. This way the children are able to bring something of themselves into the story, and they have plenty of scope to build their own internal images into it.

Presenting stories in this way and providing plenty of unstructured and free play time is one of the unique aspects of a Steiner School Kindergarten. Each day has a rhythmical flow and we create a careful balance of structured activities and free play time A typical morning consists of gathering around the table for an activity such as preparing the morning snack together, painting or clay modelling; followed by indoor free play time, tidy up and ring-time leading into snack followed by outdoor play in our woodland garden and completing the morning with a story or puppet show.

We believe that providing children with a good rhythm of activity of “in and out breaths” and a gentle environment gives them a strong sense of security and well-being. This foundation gives them the freedom to engage fully in their environment, to explore through their senses and develop their social skills.

Telling Stories at Home.

If you would like to tell stories with your children, here are some of our tips:
- choose a story or a fairytale that you enjoy yourself or something you can connect with
- familiarise yourself with the story before you tell it
- collect items from nature to feature in puppet shows (shells, pine cones, flowers, bits of wood)
- find a set of cloths of different colours (may be from the charity shop ) to create sceneries
- find a simple musical instrument to accompany with 2,3 notes at the ‘magical moments’…  (you don’t need to be a musician!)
- ENJOY and don’t hesitate to repeat the same story
- observe whether your child starts to replay the story in their own play time
We hope you and your children enjoyed this style of sharing stories and rhymes.

If you would like to know more about Moray Steiner School and its Early Childhood setting, please feel welcome to come along to a school tour (each first Wednesday morning of the month) or visit our website: www.moraysteinerschool.org

This Handout was written by Cheryl Harvey, Saskia Heijne, Jayne Paulson and colleagues Moray Steiner School. January 2012

MSS Memorandum & Articles of Association

The Moray Acorn School Proposal

The sale of an asset held by a community based charity can be a complex process the proposed development is outlined above and the decision making process is explained below.

The potential sale of a land asset belonging to Moray Steiner School, ie the upper field, to the Upper School Development Group for the purpose of developing a Moray Acorn Upper School.

• The ongoing process is as follows
• Weds 7th March 7.30, in the Great Room Information evening
• Tuesday 20th March 7.30, in the Great Room Ana Rhodes facilitated meeting sharing views, debate and discussion
• EGM 16th April7.30pm The Proposal – To sell the upper field to the USDG for the purpose of developing Moray Acorn School. Those present at the meeting will hear the proposal and vote on it. Those eligible to vote are members of the Moray Steiner School Association. According to the Memorandum of Association of the Moray Steiner School, the sale of an asset requires 75% or more of those members who vote to approve the sale.We will have numbered ballot papers which will need to be returned by Friday 20th April when they will be counted and result made known.

All parents of children at Moray Steiner school can become members of the school association- please see Jeana in the school office if you wish to become a member.

The 7th March meeting has the purpose to give information regarding the potential sale and is not designed to be a forum for debate and discussion. It will enable members of the school association to hear about different aspects of the proposal. The meeting will start with trustees explaining the process so far and the planned forward process as outlined above, up to and including the EGM. We will also explain what an EGM is, how it will be conducted, the majority vote etc.Then College and trustees will both give a short presentation of probably less than 10 minutes each, Ewen Menzies will introduce himself give a short presentation on the financial aspects. The USDG will also make a 10-15 min presentation. An information pack will be available for members of the association. A message board will be in the Great Room from Monday 5^th March until the EGM.

After the presentations there will be then be chance for folk to talk informally over a cup of tea if they wish. We would encourage folk to try and talk to someone who has a view different to their own. College, USDG, trustee members will be available after the meeting to clarify information, answer questions.

In the time between March 7th and 20th there will be opportunity for members to clarify points further with college members, trustees or members of USDG as appropriate.

The meeting on 20th , will be facilitated and will give further opportunity for clarification but it’s main purpose will be for views to be shared, debated, heard, etc. It is hoped the time period between 7-20th March will give members time to gather info, reflect and think.

This process has been discussed and agreed by school management team, Trustees and College.

Just £100 will secure a recipe and

promotion for the business into the future.

Our School is producing a recipe book, and the book committee would like to invite sponsors for the publication and the opportunity to submit a recipe.

So that all monies from the book sales can go straight to the school we’re aiming to raise all of the set up and printing costs through sponsorship. Our appeal has only just started and already we have secured £500 in pledges, this is a great start and we are well on the way to the £2500 target.

There are two sponsorship options:

1. For a donation of £50 – £75 you will be listed along with brief contact details such as phone number and web address in the supports section of the book.
2. For £80 – £100 you will be listed as above and also have the option to submit a recipe with a photo alongside it which you could use to promote your business (i.e. of your premises, the prepared dish etc).

The recipe book will be 70 – 100 pages, with an initial print run of 1000 copies. It will be sold for £10 at school events, to friends and family, and in various outlets around Moray.

Accompanying the recipes on most pages will be a black and white photo of various scenes in and around Moray and also further afield. The book will be half Canadian wire-o bound, A5, in landscape orientation. Our front cover photo will be a panoramic shot (so that it can wrap around spanning the front and back cover), probably taken from the school grounds looking out over Findhorn Bay. Minimum paper quality will be 300gsm for the front cover and 150gsm on the inside pages, at least FSC certified if not part-recycled.

You will be featuring in a high quality publication, above is a mock up of the front cover and below a sample page. If you have any questions whatsoever then please to get in touch, through the school office 01309 676300.

We hope can help us bring this book into reality…

Many thanks.

Jeana Harvey and the Book Committee

Tel 01309 676300

PS. Remember just £100 will secure a recipe and promotion for your business into the future and there are only 25 place in the book.

]]> http://moraysteinerschool.org/steiner-mums-cooking-up-a-book/feed/ 0 http://moraysteinerschool.org/martinmas-lantern-walk/ http://moraysteinerschool.org/martinmas-lantern-walk/#comments Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:05:05 +0000 Admin http://moraysteinerschool.org/?p=104 Continue reading →]]> Friday 11th November saw the Kindergarten and lower school children celebrate Martinmas with a Lantern walk through the woods. It is a spectacle as all the different lanterns made by the children light the darkness. The gathering is followed with a  silent procession accompanied with just gentle singing.

The time of Martinmas represents the start of winter and the light of the lantern lights the darkness.

It is well known that Christmas markets from Edinburgh to Nuremberg create a festive atmosphere that is the essence and magic of Christmas.

Luckily in Forres we do not have to travel that far. For over 20 years the Moray Steiner School has captured that magic with its Lantern Lit fair, held every year at the beginning of Advent. This year the fair is on Saturday 3^rd December, and in a break with tradition it will be held in the school, Drumduan House just off Clovenside Road. ( by the police station.)

Using simple lighting and natural decorations, the event has the smell and essence of a Christmas past. There will plenty of opportunity to find unusual gifts, as the event attracts local artisans who bring their own unique products, adding a rich variety to the market.

This is a unique festive day out for all the family. Come early andenjoy the café for a delicious winter feast of homemade biscuits, bread, cakes and soups. Enjoy the day with children’s activities, the Angel Grotto, carols singing, and much much more.