From the Principal

/in /by

Hello everyone,

As I write this, our school is abuzz (excuse the bee pun) with excitement about our Spring Fair. The team are working tirelessly to have everything ready for tomorrow and there is an air of excitement. Preparing for the Spring Fair is a big task taken on by the Class Three parents and a lot of time and energy is invested to ensure the day is a wonderful community event. I would like to thank and congratulate this year’s team, supported by Emma, for what they have achieved. These moments in the year when we come together as community are so very important. Not only do they help each of us to feel more connected, but they benefit the overall health of the school. Please do come along and enjoy our Spring Fair, I look forward to seeing you there.

Today, I was able to slip away from the preparations for a little while, along with some of our teachers, to support our students who were involved in the climate action in Byron Bay. It is so very important that our young people’s voices are heard on this vital issue. We educate them towards freedom of thought, towards being able to speak out for the common good and to be able to consider the ethics of the way we live our lives. I am immensely proud of our students and for the thoughtful, passionate and determined way they are speaking out about the future of life on our planet.

Peace
Nerrida

2020 School Fees

/in , /by

The School Board has met to set the School Fees for 2020.

The Board is cognisant of the need to keep fee increases to a reasonable level so that our rates remain manageable for our school community whilst also maintaining a level of income which will allow us to meet our costs and continue to provide a high-quality education. With this in mind, tuition fees and charges will increase by 4% in 2020. This is in keeping with other independent schools in our area.

The RC&M levy will increase to $500 per family per annum. Families will still be able to complete hours of approved Repair, Care and Maintenance work to the school each year (per family) in lieu of paying the levy, in 2020 this will be 20 hours per family. Note that the levy is charged at the beginning of the year and credited to your account once the required number of hours are completed.

Registration and Enrolment Fees will remain unchanged from 2019. Registration to enrol fees are $110 for the first child and $55 for each sibling. Enrolment fees are $550 for the first child and $200 for siblings.

Ensemble fees will increase slightly to $300 per year.

The Community Fee Assistance Program (CFAF) will remain in place for families experiencing short term financial difficulties and our Finance Manager Julia is happy to talk with any families who are experiencing need.

The Board feels the school continues to offer an excellent education which is good value for money. We feel the fee increases for next year will adequately allow the school to continue to provide a wonderful service for our children and allow the School to maintain our facilities and provide capital and educational improvements as part of our Master Plan.

An updated fee schedule for 2020 will be available on our school website next week.

Steve Heptonstall
Chairperson

If you are planning a move please let us know.

/in /by

Please be mindful that if your child is leaving the school we require 1 full term’s notice. We understand that this may not always be possible but sincerely appreciate your assistance with future planning when it is possible. This notice period is important for multiple reasons, including saving you money but most importantly it enables us to provide plenty of notice to new families/students and ensure a smooth transition into the school, it is very challenging for the new student, their family, the class they are entering and for all staff when the process is rushed. It can also be distressing for the community when there is not adequate time to farewell a family/student.

If your child is leaving at the end of the year please wherever possible provide notice by the end of Term 3. (Note: School Holidays do not count in the notice period, as staff are on leave during this time.) 

THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO YEAR 12 STUDENTS WHO ARE GRADUATING.

In regards to withdrawal of students please note the following:

  • As per the School’s Enrolment & Fee Policies: The school commits substantial resources to the education of each child and the whole school community development. Therefore when a child leaves, there is a significant impact on the school both financially and communally. For a student to be withdrawn from school once he/she has commenced at CBRSS i.e. for parents to end the enrolment contract, the School requires one term’s notice. Parents and guardians must inform and submit a Student Withdrawal Form one term in advance if they intend to withdraw their child from the school and end the enrolment contract. If no such notification is received a Withdrawal Fee of one term’s fees from the date of notification will be charged. If a student withdraws part way through a term, having given one term’s notice, tuition fees and consolidated charges will be charged on a pro-rata weekly basis; for the purpose of this clause, a part week is considered a full week.
  • Once notice has been received the Enrolments Officer will proceed immediately with filling the place. Please do not give notice unless/until you are certain that your child will be leaving. If you decide that you would like your child to return to CBRSS they will need to join the waiting list and wait for an opportunity, we are unable to provide any guarantees about when/if they will be able to return.
  • Once notice is received, administrative processes will occur that prevent confidentiality so please only give notice once you are prepared for the information to be public, please ensure you have advised your child prior to submitting the form.

You can find our Student withdrawal form on our website under the forms and downloads tab or by following this link. please return it to Enrolments.

If you require assistance with completing this form or need to discuss your options please contact Yvette via email: enrolments@capebyronsteiner.nsw.edu.au or by phone 02 66399302.

HSC Showcase

/in , /by

The HSC Showcase was, once again, a fabulous night of amazing performances from our very talented Year 12 students. In the Hall we listened to the Music students share their various talents and bring the house down with the cool Mat in the sunnies on drums. English Extension 2 students read out excerpts of their pieces and the audience was highly impressed with their Major Works. The second half showcased the Drama Individual and Group Projects as well as Science, Maths and Society and Culture. In the courtyard, the wonderful Design and Technology projects were displayed and the 2 Art spaces were filled with Visual Art, Photography, Society and Culture and written Drama Major Works. Congratulations to all the students and the staff for their efforts in showcasing the fruits of the Year 12 labours.

Thank you! Raffle latest.

/in , /by

Thanks everyone. With all your awesome help spreading the word and selling tickets, this raffle has earned $12,900 so far.

The raffle will be drawn tomorrow at the Fair at 2pm, so this is the last chance to invite friends and family to buy a ticket.

We will be selling tickets around the Fair tomorrow, if you want another chance to win the great prizes, including the Family Fun Package, featured in the photo. It’s worth more than $1400 and includes a family surf lesson with private instructor, a family pass to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, family passes to go roller skating and ten-pin bowling, a private skateboarding lesson, a forest-to-beach horseride, a holiday circus workshop and flying trapeze lesson, vouchers for water sliding, two days at bush school, plus a $100 voucher to spend at Byron Bay camping store, and $100 for a meal at Oh-Sushi Japanese restaurant. There’s lots of buzz among the kids about this prize!

Please make a last effort to spread the word to friends and family, using Facebook, email and text. People can buy tickets at this site: https://www.rafflelink.com.au/springfair2019

And in case you accidentally find yourself with some paper tickets you have sold but forgotten to return, please hand them into the raffle table (up near office) first thing in the morning so we can enter the details into the system.

The raffle will be drawn at 2pm, using the Rafflelink random draw software, and the winners announced (and contacted) soon after.

Thanks again everyone for your mammoth effort selling tickets. Together we’ve raised lots of money for our kids’ play and exercise equipment, and for school camp gear.

Sarah & Lesa for the Class 3 Raffle Team.

Zone 5

/in , /by

Adult Eurythmy classes at CBRSS

/in /by

All movements in Eurythmy are rhythmic or life-filled. The power of the specific Eurythmy movements work through the life body, or etheric body, to strengthen and harmonise where there may be illness or imbalance. To read more about the positive benefits of Eurythmy please click here

‘A School’s Journey’, a history of Cape Byron Rudolf Steiner School

/in /by

From the first dreams and visions of the original pioneers through the love and devotion of so many people, Cape Byron Rudolf Steiner School is now 30 years old. With enthusiasm, hard work and enormous trust from the first families, the School grew from small beginnings in the tin shed at Bangalow into a vibrant and strong school in Byron Bay.

The School acknowledges with gratitude all who have contributed to this extraordinary journey. Annie Barrett

Books are available to buy at Reception for $15.00

Check out Mercurius for beautiful gifts

/in /by

Are you looking for quality art and craft supplies or a Steiner inspired gift or toy?

A beautiful array of quality art and craft supplies, as well as Steiner based toys and lovely gifts, are available online at Mercurius http://www.mercurius.com.au/

Enter the promotional code: FRIENDCBRSS and 15% of the sale will also go towards P&F fundraising!

MERCURIUS AUSTRALIA

Nurturing the Senses | Fostering Creativity | Nourishing Imagination

Our vision is to support healthy development for children and all ages through education, art and play. We partner with socially and environmentally conscious businesses to offer products of aesthetic beauty, outstanding craftsmanship, quality and durability.

Class 1 News

/in /by

To welcome the Spring, Class 1 held a Wattle Ball. We heard a story, sang, recited poetry and danced the “Wattle Polka” in order to celebrate the change in our local environment. The blooming of the wattle is important to Indigenous Australians and gives an indication for Bundjalung People
that hunting the Eastern Long Neck Turtle should cease as this is the time which marks the beginning of the turtle’s breeding season.
The children made wattle crowns and necklaces in preparation for the day and were accompanied on the violin by Ayla, Coco, River and Nina from Class 6.
What a beautiful way to welcome spring and the class will be performing this dance at the Spring Fair this Saturday.
James – Class 1 Teacher

Congratulations to CBRSS’ Class 5 Basketball Team

/in /by

Primary basketball team ‘The Bandits’ featuring ten girls from Class 5 competed and won in the Byron Bay Basketball Association Finals at the local Cavanbah centre last Monday night.

This season was their first ever. They played well all season building a strong team relationship and having lots of fun.

Monday nights’ game started out well for the Bandits with a clear lead, but after half time their opponents ‘The Black Queens’ came back in full force and by the last quarter we were tied. As nerve racking as it was, our girls managed to pull themselves together and created a clear lead once again in time for the final buzzer (24:18). Congratulation girls! I am very proud and amazed to see such camaraderie so early in their development.

Coach Kasper Hagen

Go Bandits!!

NCIS Regional Athletics Carnival

/in /by

On Tuesday the 20th of August Ric, Lizzie and Rachel took students to the Regional Athletics Carnival in Coffs Harbour. It was a cool and early start leaving the school at 5:15 am. There was a little excitement on the bus as everyone was hoping that they were well prepared for the day. All our students strived to do their best scoring well for the school and showing impressive athletic abilities. Cape Byron put in an amazing effort as a team ending up 7th place overall. This is a strong achievement considering that we could not fill all the events. We had some outstanding individual results on the day with Taj Birrell yr 11 winning the runner up Age Champion Trophy. Taj came first in Shot Put, 2nd in High Jump, 3rd in Javelin and scored a total of 50 points with his efforts in 6 events! Naomi Ben Harush yr 8 won the Javelin, 2nd in Shot Put and 3rd in the Discus and collected 39 points for the school over the day. Jesua Ball yr 7 came 1st in High Jump, 2nd in Long Jump. Phoenix Brooke-Mclaughlan yr 9 came 1st in High Jump. Koa Connable yr 7 came 3rd in Javelin. Brianna Hart yr 8 came 3rd in the 400m. Della Knight yr 10 came 1st in Javelin. Dane Krackowizer yr 10 came 2nd in the 800m. Ollie Liebke Pereyra yr 11 came 2nd in the 800m. Obi Neale yr 9 came 2nd in the Long Jump. Manon Pouget yr 8 came 2nd in Javelin. All these students have received an invitation to the CIS State Championships to be held in Sydney on the 24th of September.

Thank you to all the Cape Byron athletes who participated and made the day so enjoyable.

Steven Richards (Ric)

Spring

/in /by

In the spring, physical and spiritual, heavenly and earthly, work together – Rudolf Steiner

From the Principal

/in /by

Hello everyone,

This week is the first ever Steiner Schools Week. A group of our Year 10 and 11 students have travelled to Samford Valley in Queensland to participate in the Australian Youth Conference, a Steiner based conference for young people with Social Renewal as its theme. Over 4 days, the students will explore different but pressing issues of our times. These will include racism and prejudice; political, religious and economic division; world conflict; indigenous perspectives; minority groups’ Australian and world-wide response to refugees; climate change and its impact on our environment’ sustainability’ education and imagining the future; the role of the Arts; money and ethical business. With the theme of the 100 year anniversary celebrations for Steiner education being “Learn to Change the World”… this youth conference seems appropriate and timely.

I am aware that a number of our High School students have also been working on the next climate change action, which will occur on the 20th of September. This is our Spring Fair set-up day and a pupil-free day, so there will be no change or disruption to school on that day, however I know that a number of our students will be out making their voices heard on this very important topic. In my conversations with our students, I have found them to be reasoned, clear and passionate about their motivation for action and I support the message they are bringing.

In other news, we have received some great responses to our parent survey, which will be open for another week. Please do go to the link and complete the survey if you haven’t already done so. Further information about the survey can be found later in the bulletin. Once all of the survey results are in, we will be forming working groups to create some action plans for change. One of the clear themes that came out of our World Cafe evening was that of the need for clearer and more accessible forms of communication. I have been working with our wonderful ICT department on this and am really pleased to say that we will be introducing a new, user-friendly mechanism and process for communication either later this year or early next year (it will encompass everything from notices and messages to excursion approvals and access to the parent lounge as well as quick and easy access to our newsletters, calendars and student timetables.) I will provide more information about this as we draw closer to the launch date, but in the meantime, please be assured, we are working hard to create better pathways for communication across our school.

Finally, as this beautiful, vibrant spring energy courses through us, we feel the busyness of this time of the year. I encourage everyone to pause every now and again to notice the new growth on plants, the beautiful night sky, the glorious sunrises and the increase in activity for our animal and insect friends. Our children need these pauses too – it is truly a beautiful time of the year to stop and notice what is happening in the natural world around us. This pause also allows us to align with the natural cycles of our world and, in doing so, find a calm and centred space within ourselves.

Peace
Nerrida

Pupil Free Day Friday September 20

/in /by

To allow for the set-up of the Spring Fair.

CBRSS Community Survey

/in /by

You may be aware that we recently held a “World Cafe” event for parents so that we could enter into conversation with our school community and start the process of working together to make our wonderful school even better. We received some wonderful feedback and hope to soon start some working groups to implement some of the suggestions.

I am aware that not every family was able to attend the World Cafe evening (it was a cold winter’s night after all) and so would like to offer those who weren’t able to attend the opportunity to provide feedback via a survey. We are asking for your constructive feedback as to what is working well and what we could do to make our school even better.

I would be most appreciative if you could take the time to complete the survey which can be found at this link https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/F7BMNHC

You don’t need to comment in every section, but your feedback would be greatly appreciated. This survey is not designed as an avenue to air complaints, rather it is an opportunity for you to offer suggestions which would help us on our path of school improvement. Responsibility for this rests with all of us.

CBRSS Music Teachers available

/in /by

Guitar teacher Tim tims@capebyronsteiner.nsw.edu.au has availability for guitar and bass students on Monday and Friday morning. Great opportunity!
Drum tuition with Chris chrism@capebyronsteiner.nsw.edu.au availability Thurs and Friday mornings, and after school Mon, Tues, Fri.

Repair Care and Maintenance (RCM) Tasks

/in /by

You can also do tasks at any time by prior arrangement with Gavin.

Some tasks that need doing at the moment include:

  1. Create a macro enabled security sign in spreadsheet for Gavin.
  2. Remove Vegetation under Barbados Cherry Tree at Cl 4.
  3. Clear Vegetation from around electrical transformer at Admin.
  4. Empty out clean & organise HS Drama Shed.
  5. Install Possum Nesting Boxes in trees.
  6. Pressure Clean Wheelie Bins.

There are many other tasks, so ring Gavin to arrange a time & task that suits you.

Ring Gavin on: 0427 847 400.