No: 29 14 September 2018

THE Friday FLIER

KOTAHITANGA

Waikato Waldorf School, Kindergartens and Playcircle

Dear Waikato Waldorf Community

I am away in Wellington for a couple of days at a Steiner Schools Fellowship meeting and will report back next

week. One of the common themes we are sharing is our concern about the on line games some of our stu-

dents are playing and how they are bringing this into their social interactions at school in an unhealthy way.

There are also reports of online bullying which is a really big issue today, particularly amongst adolescents.

The Principal at Horsham Downs has arranged for John Parsons, the author of ‘ Keeping your Children Safe

Online’ to come and speak to their community and anyone else who is interested this Tuesday evening, 18th

September at 6.30pm for adults (18+). The meeting is being held at Horsham Downs Community Hall, all wel-

come! I have also found an interesting article in this months’ Waldorf Today which I wanted to share with you

about teens who have chosen not to use social media (see at the end of this flier). It raises some important

issues for us to think about.

Finally a reminder that our Spring festival will take place this coming Tuesday. It will start at 11.10am with our

Assembly rich with story-telling, songs and poetry followed by dancing from Classes 1 – 4. This will culminate

in a shared lunch (approximately 12.40pm) so please could you supply something healthy for the children to

bring in and share. We were so impressed with the array of healthy food from ‘Cook a Book’ that we would

encourage you to cook with your children again in preparation for the shared lunch. Do come if you have the

time available.

Ngā mihi

Sue

SPRING FESTIVAL TUESDAY 18

th SEPTEMBER

Starts at 11.10 am

Spring Assembly

Story Telling

Poetry

Singing

Music

Dancing Classes 1 -4

Shared Lunch

UPCOMING EVENTS

John Parsons will be working in Horsham Downs school on Tuesday 18th September.

He is a renowned expert on Internet Health and Wellbeing.

John Parsons is the author of the book:

“Keeping Your Children Safe Online”

“This book is a must read for any parent wanting to develop

resiliency in their child and to empower them in today’s hyper connected world.” Sir Gordon Tietjens, KNZM

This book is a great resource for schools, parents and teenagers. John will works in schools, facilitating educational workshops. His approach provides the greatest opportunity to em-

power students of all ages, staff and parents alike. At the end of the day all teachers, staff, students and parents will

have received education that unites them in a common cause. The health and welfare of all, in an increasingly intercon-

nected world.

Our intention is to hold a parent/career/whānau information evening in Horsham Downs Community Hall at 6:30pm

on Tuesday 18th September. You are warmly invited to attend and hear John speak. There is no charge for your at-

tendance.

Please note that this is an information evening for adults (18+) and will contain content

NOT suitable for children.

18 September Spring Festival

20 September Cl 6 Avantidrome

20—21 September Cl 4 Marae visit

25 September Cl 6 Play

25 September Cl 4 and Cl 5 Avantidrome

26 September Whole School ‘Pyjama Day’ (Fundraiser for Cl 5 Olympic Camp)

27 September Last day of Term 3 - School finishes at 2.00 pm

Term 1 31 January 2019 (Cl. 2 - 9) to 12 April 2019

1 February 2019 (Class 1) to 12 April 2019 6 February 2019 Waitangi Day

1 April 2019 Teacher Only Day

Term 2 29 April 2019 to 4 July 2019

31 May 2019 Teacher Only Day 3 June 2019 Queen's Birthday

Term 3 22 July 2019 to 26 September 2019

Term 4 14 October 2019 to 13 December 2019

28 October 2019 Labour Day

TERM DATES 2019

Please also mark this date in your diary: ADVENT CELEBRATION Sunday 2nd December 4pm—7pm

Any musicians who would like to contribute their skills to contact the PA via email - paatwws@gmail.com

Class 1 Term three

This term Class One met the four Maths gnomes: Mr. Plus, Mrs. Minus, Tina Times, and King

Divide. They discovered the activities of these four characters and how they help the Gnome King

in his treasure house. The four processes are thus introduced to the children through imaginative

stories and the four temperaments: Mr. Plus is phlegmatic and dresses in blue; Mrs. Minus is

melancholic and wears green; Tina Times is dressed in yellow and is sanguine; and finally King

Divide is dressed in red and has a choleric temperament. Angel Equals is of course violet, and the

Gnome King has a multi-coloured suit representing all his jewels! The class now have a sound

understanding of the four processes and already know their 2x, 5x, and 10x tables.

Elizabeth Swanepoel

CLASSROOM CORNER

Chamomile compress

Mum my tummy is sore!

This is the gentlest and most useful compress to help a nervous or stimulated child fall asleep and /or relieve tension in

the abdomen. It calms the nervous system and supports digestion. It is an excellent treatment for any person suffering

stress, insomnia, menstrual pain, bloating, colic, or to wind down after a busy week and for children who complain of a

sore tummy! (Particularly as school holidays draw to a close)

The compress is prepared by soaking a cloth- (a piece of flannelette sheet is perfect)-cut the sheet small enough to fit

the abdomen; place the flannelette sheet on top of a tea towel and roll up like a sausage, submerge the rolled com-

press within the tea towel into a bowl of chamomile tea. The tea is made by placing x2 heaped tablespoonsful of

Chamomile flowers into a bowl and pouring 400mls of boiling water over - cover for 5min then strain off the tea into

another bowl. Submerge the rolled cloth into the tea.

Wring out as much of the tea as possible, check the temperature is tolerable i.e hot but not hot enough to cause dis-

comfort, apply the warm compress on the exposed abdomen, over the belly button. The cloth should not extend above

the diaphragm. Wrap with a woollen cloth around the abdomen to help hold the cloth in place. The child should rest in

bed leaving the compress on for 20min. After 20 min remove and let the child rest again.

This compress can be repeated a further two times if required. If symptoms persist seek

advice from your health care practitioner

Maree Smith RN, Anthroposophical Nurse

021 150 9433

85 Barrington Drive, Huntington, Hamilton Ph: 07 855 8710 email: office@waikatowaldorf.school.nz website: www.waikatowaldorf.school.nz www.facebook.com/WaikatoWaldorf School

Biodynamics (“biological-dynamics”) is a method of organic agriculture that can be applied to any farm, garden or horticultural enter-

prise by following a series of practical steps. It is based on the teachings of scientist and philosopher, Rudolf Steiner.

Biodynamics is a systems approach, where the farm, vineyard, orchard or garden is viewed as a living whole and each activity affects

everything else. One of the most easily-seen and dramatic benefits of biodynamic practice is the exceptional quality of the produce:

flavour, appearance and keeping quality are all enhanced.

The steps in the BD approach emphasise building soil fertility and are carefully tailored to the particular property. They include:

Using biodynamic sprays to stimulate biological activity in the soil and improve retention of nutrients.

Stocking with several different animal species to vary grazing patterns and reduce pasture-borne parasites

Widening the range of pasture species

Planting trees for multiple purposes

Crop rotation designs including the use of green manures to enhance soil fertility and control weeds and plant pests in the garden

or pasture

Recycling organic wastes through composting

Changing from chemical pest control to prevention strategies based on good plant and animal nutrition and careful cultivar

selection

You can order BD preps if you are a member of the NZ Biodynamic Association. When you join the invaluable booklet Using the biody-

namic preparations is sent as part of your initial pack. To Join go to http://www.biodynamic.org.nz

Journey Through the Past….

1997… the Circle Court is sealed at the end of winter and is a wonderful surface for skating

(Willem & Yvette)

1997… Class 2 running up the race

If you have photos that could be added to the collection please email to the school or let Alison

know. 027—2413--423.

Anthroposophic Reading Group: Taking a change in direction.

Dear school community and friends We invite you to join us for our next reading on Monday 24

th September at 7pm

at Waikato Waldorf School.

We now take a break from our excursion into sensing experiments with the 12 senses. For our final meeting this term, we will read the ‘Four Seasons/Archangels: Lecture I: The Michael Imagination’, which is fitting for this time of the year. Term 4 reading commences on 22

nd October and there will be four readings before Christmas holidays. Most of

term four will be dedicated to the Christmas lectures from the ‘Festivals and Their Meaning’ as these are fascinating and rewarding material.

Please contact me if you’d like to come along. Sarah Oliver 027 805 0850

“The Canary In the Coal Mine

Long ago, coal miners avoided death by bringing canaries into the mines. The sensitive songbirds would react to small amounts of toxic gases, thereby alerting the miners to the invisible danger.

In a way, our children provide a similar service. We've been so conditioned to tolerate stress that we often fail to seek relief from it, but our sensitive children have no such tolerance. They often feel our stress before we do!

So when your child seems particularly irritable and reactive, it's a good idea to ask yourself whether s/he might be reflecting your stress. Check in with your body and emotions, and let yourself feel what's there.

Seek the fresh air of soothing, stress-free thoughts, and then bless your child for keeping you in touch with your Inner Guidance.”

by Scott Noelle [https://www.dailygroove.com/about/]

Hand in Hand Therapy Centre

Anthroposophic and Integrated Therapies

Adult, family and child therapy consultations

Our therapy centre warmly receives individuals and families and we strive to bring to light and meet the deeper needs of

each person in our collaboration with you. There are three avenues for using the Therapy Centre:

A. Contact a therapist directly for yourself and/or your child

B. Refer yourself and/or your child or family using the Therapy Centre Referral Form.

Refer in collaboration with your child’s teacher through Janine Stark (Classes 1 - 4), Natalie Reid (Classes 5 -

8) and Margaret McCarthy at Miro House Kindergarten

Therapies offered

Anthroposophical Nursing Eurythmy Therapy Artistic and Play Therapies Anthroposophic Counselling

Anthroposophical Parent Education

Herbal Medicine Homeopathy Progressive Counselling Extra Lesson Access Consciousness Bars

Hand in Hand Therapy Centre Rimu Cottage, 68 Te Manatu Drive, Rototuna Therapy Centre coordinator - Maree Smith (m 021 150 9433, 1mareesmith@gmail.com)

Logged off: meet the teens who refuse to use social media Generation Z has grown up online – so why are a surprising number suddenly turning their backs on Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat?

Mary Amanuel, who does not use social media. Photograph: Alecsandra Raluca Drăgoi for the Guardian

By Sirin Kale For 17-year-old Mary Amanuel, from London, it happened in Tesco. “We were in year 7,” she remembers, “and my friend had made an Instagram account. As we were buying stuff, she was counting the amounts of likes she’d got on a post. ‘Oooh, 40 likes. 42 likes.’ I just thought: ‘This is ridiculous.’” Isabelle, an 18-year-old student from Bedfordshire who doesn’t want to disclose her surname, turned against social media when her classmates became zombified. “Everyone switched off from conversation. It became: ‘Can I have your number to text you?’ Something got lost in terms of speaking face to face. And I thought: ‘I don’t really want to be swept up in that.’” For 15-year-old Emily Sharp, from Staines in Surrey, watching bullying online was the final straw. “It wasn’t nice. That deterred me from using it.” It is widely believed that young people are hopelessly devoted to social media. Teenagers, according to this stereo-type, tweet, gram, Snap and scroll. But for every young person hunched over a screen, there are others for whom so-cial media no longer holds such an allure. These teens are turning their backs on the technology – and there are more of them than you might think. While many of us have been engrossed in the Instagram lives of our co-workers and peers, a backlash among young people has been quietly boiling. One 2017 survey of British schoolchildren found that 63% would be happy if social media had never been invented. Another survey of 9,000 internet users from the research firm Ampere Analysis found that people aged 18-24 had significantly changed their attitudes towards social media in the past two years. Whereas 66% of this demographic agreed with the statement “social media is important to me” in 2016, only 57% make this claim in 2018. As young people increasingly reject social media, older generations increasingly embrace it: among the 45-plus age bracket, the proportion who value social media has increased from 23% to 28% in the past year, according to Ampere’s data. This is part of a wider trend. According to a study by US marketing firm Hill Holliday of Generation Z – people born af-ter 1995 – half of those surveyed stated they had quit or were considering quitting at least one social media platform. When it comes to Gen Z’s relationship to social media, “significant cracks are beginning to show”, says the firm’s Les-ley Bielby. She believes we will definitely see an increase in younger people quitting or substantially reducing their use. “And as younger Gen Zers notice this behaviour among their older siblings and friends, they too will start to dial down their use of social media.” As the first generation to grow up online, Gen Z never had to learn social media, or at least not exactly. They glided through every iteration: Facebook (2004), Twitter (2006), Instagram (2010) Snapchat (2011) in real time, effortlessly adopting each one. But a life lived in pixels from your earliest age is no easy thing. “You start doing things that are dishonest,” says Amanuel, who quit social media aged 16. “Like Instagram: I was pre-senting this dishonest version of myself, on a platform where most people were presenting dishonest versions of them-selves.” Like Amanuel, Jeremiah Johnson, 18, from Luton, grew weary of the pressures of sustaining an online persona. “It’s a competition for who can appear the happiest,” he says. “And if you’re not happy and want to vent about it on social me-dia, you’re attention-seeking.” After being “bugged” by his friends to get Instagram (he had stopped using Facebook aged 16), Johnson joined. He lasted six months. “If you’re having a bad day and scrolling through it, you’re constantly bombarded with pictures of people going to parties. Even if that’s not an accurate portrayal of their lives, that’s what you see. So I stopped using it. It became depressing. It was this competition of who’s the happiest.” He pauses. “Participating in that is not something I’m interested in.”

Hyper-connected teens have been faced with a surfeit of clicks, retweets and likes – and the dopamine rush of online

validation – since the neural pathways in their brains were formed.

“They’re becoming overwhelmed with the responsibility of maintaining their social sites and with upholding the some-

what inflated persona many have created on these sites, where they are constantly seeking approval via the amount of

likes they get for any given post,” Bielby says.

“The people who are the most honest about themselves do not play the game of Instagram,” Amanuel says. “The game

of Instagram is who can maximise their likes by being the most risque, outrageous or conformist as possible. I didn’t

want to play that game.”

At school, social media can be a brutal barometer of popularity. “If you meet someone new and they ask for your Insta-

gram and you only have 80 followers,” says Sharp, “they’re going to think: ‘You’re not that popular’, but if you have

2,000 followers they’re going to be like: ‘You’re the most popular person in school.’” Sharp quit social media at 13. “I’d

rather not know what other people think of me.”

A desire to build authentic, offline friendships motivated some to quit. “I’m so much better at real-life socialising now,”

says Amanuel. “Not just those people you accept on a friend request who are friends of a friend.”

For Tyreke Morgan, 18, from Bristol, being a hard man to get hold of – he has no social media presence at all – has its

advantages. “Everyone goes through other people to find me,” Morgan laughs, “and when I hear that they’re been try-

ing to get hold of me I say: ‘Great!’ Why would I need 500 flakey friends?”

But when you are from a digitally native generation, quitting social media can feel like joining a monastery. Amanuel

was recently asked by co-workers if she had Snapchat. “I said no,” Amanuel remembers, “and I instantly heard, like,

gasps. It was like I’d revealed something disgusting.” She explained that she did have a Snapchat handle, but never

used it. “Relief came out of their eyes! It was really weird.”

Teenagers not ready to quit entirely are stepping back for a while. Dr Amanda Lenhart, who researches young people’s

online lives, conducted a survey of US teenagers, asking them about taking time off social media. “We found that 58%

of teenagers said they had taken at least one break from at least one social media platform. The most common reason?

It was getting in the way of schoolwork or jobs, with more than a third of respondents citing this as their primary reason

for leaving social media. Other reasons included feeling tired of the conflict or drama they could see unfolding among

their peer group online, and feeling oppressed too by the constant firehose of information.”

Bielby agrees that young people are becoming more aware of the amount of time they waste online. Of the young peo-

ple Hill Holliday surveyed who had quit or considered quitting social media, 44% did so, she says, in order to “use time

in more valuable ways”.

“I don’t know how people doing their A-levels or GCSEs have the time for it,” says Isabelle. “They’re constantly study-

ing, but their only distraction is social media.” Rather than get sucked into a “mindless vortex of never-ending scrolling,”

as she puts it, when Isabelle isn’t studying she prefers to be outdoors.

The fact that Gen Z have had their every move documented online since before they could walk, talk, or even control

their bowels helps explain their antipathy to social media: it makes sense for them to strive for privacy, as soon as they

reach the age when they have a choice over their online image.

“I’ve seen parents post pictures of their child’s first potty online,” says Amy Binns of the University of Central Lanca-

shire. “You think: ‘Why are you doing this to your child? They wouldn’t want this to be public.”

Gen Z has an interest in privacy that subtly sets them apart. “Young people want to get away from the curtain-twitching

village, where everyone knows everything about you,” Binns says. So while today’s teens spend a lot of time online,

they don’t actually share that much personal information. And when they do share, it’s strategic. “You’re painting a pic-

ture of who you are and your image,” says Binns. “It’s your own shop window or brand.”

“Framing a picture and posting it on there is not a five-minute thing,” says Amanuel, explaining that any post will be well

-thought-out in order to project a certain image and maximise likes. “It takes hours of deliberation.”

“When social media started, we didn’t really know what it was going to mean,” says Binns. “Young people are more

aware of the value of privacy than we were 10 years ago.”

Amanuel says that the Cambridge Analytica story, with its exposure of widespread data harvesting, helped prompt her

to get off social media, and many more young people seem to be turning against Facebook; on Tuesday, it was report-

ed that the number of Facebook users aged 18 to 24 in Britain is expected to fall 1.8% this year.

Some of the teens I spoke to were concerned about how technologies such as Snap Map – a Snapchat feature that

tracks your friends geographically, in real time – were spreading through their schools, and mistrustful of the privacy

consequences of being surveilled by your followers wherever you go. “Snap Map is this big thing with a lot of my

friends, but there is a sense of privacy that is being breached as well,” Isabelle says.

Teenagers are also educated about the ramifications of an offensive tweet, or explicit picture, as well as the health con-

sequences of too much screen time. “Young people are being taught in schools about sharing nudes and how tweets

can travel around. They’ve seen the horror stories,” says Binns.

Isabelle agrees. “Constant screen time damages your ability to see, and it also causes internal damage, such as anxie-

ty.” Studies have shown that social media use can negatively affect mental wellbeing, and adolescents are particularly

susceptible: one nationally representative survey of US 13- to 18-year-olds linked heavier social media use to depres-

sion and suicide, particularly in girls. And 41% of the Gen Z teens surveyed by Hill Holliday reported that social media

made them feel anxious, sad or depressed.

Jeremiah Johnson. Photograph: Anna Gordon for the Guardian But quitting social media can create new anxieties. “Our research shows that the biggest fear of quitting or pausing so-cial media is missing out,” Bielby says. Some are more sanguine than others. “Do I miss out on stuff?” Morgan asks. “Yeah, of course. People find it hard to keep in contact with me. They say: ‘It would be easier if you had this or that.’ But I don’t think it’s that hard to type in my number and send a text. You’re just not willing to do it.”

Others struggle with the fear of missing out. “It’s like everyone in your friend group has gone to a party without telling you,” Johnson says. At times, he questions himself. “I second-guess myself a lot. There are some days I’m really con-vinced I want to reinstall it, not for myself, but because I want to appear normal.” Still, refuseniks such as Johnson may not be outliers for ever. In a world in which everyone is online, renouncing social media is a renegade, countercultural move: as quietly punk as shaving your head or fastening your clothes with safety-pins. Morgan has become a svengali for classmates wanting to escape. “My friends come to me and say: ‘Tyreke, I don’t have social media any more,’ and I go: ‘Why? I thought that’s what you guys do.’ And they say: ‘Thanks to you, because of the things you said and the stuff you’re doing.’ It’s quite cool.” Quitting social media is a determined move: apps including Facebook and Instagram are designed to be addictive. “Social media is so ingrained in teenage culture that it’s hard to take it out. But when you do, it’s such a relief,” Aman-uel says. She has received a lot of “admiration” from her peers for quitting. “They wish they were able to log off. People feel like social media is a part of them and their identities as teenagers and something you need to do,” she says. “But I’m no less of a teenager because I don’t use it.” From The Guardian

Rainbow salad wrap

A KID-FRIENDLY FAVOURITE

VEGETARIAN

“This is colourful, seriously tasty and fun to make. Feel free to use other firm fruit and vegetables that are in season where

you live. ” SERVES 6 COOKS IN 30 MINUTES DIFFICULTY SUPER EASY

Ingredients

2 small raw beetroots , different colours if possible (roughly 150g)

2 carrots

150 g white cabbage

1 pear , firm

½ a bunch of fresh mint , (15g)

½ a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley , (15g)

6 small wholemeal tortilla wraps

50 g feta cheese

DRESSING:

5 tablespoons natural yogurt

½ teaspoon English mustard

3 teaspoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Wash the beetroots and carrots under cold running water, scrubbing with a scrubber to get rid of any dirt (there’s no

need to peel them).

2. Pick off and discard the wispy ends from the beetroots.

3. Hold a box grater steady on a chopping board, then gripping the root end, coarsely grate the carrots, stopping before

your fingers or knuckles get too close to the grater. Place the grated carrots into a large bowl.

4. Coarsely grate or finely slice the cabbage, then discard the core and add to the bowl.

5. Remove the stalk from the pear, coarsely grate (core and all), then place it into the bowl.

6. Finally, hold the root end of the beetroots and coarsely grate (you may want to wear rubber gloves for this), then add to

the bowl.

7. Pick the mint and parsley leaves, then discard the stalks. Tear or finely chop the leaves on a board and add to the bowl.

8. Add all the dressing ingredients to a jam jar.

9. Put the lid securely on the jar and shake well.

10. Have a taste and see whether you think it needs a bit more yoghurt, vinegar or oil – you want it to be slightly too acidic,

so that it’s still nice and zingy once you’ve dressed your rainbow salad.

11. Drizzle most of the dressing over the salad – just remember you can always add more but you can’t take it away, so be

cautious.

12. Divide the salad between the tortilla wraps, then crumble a little feta over each.

Roll up the wraps, tucking them in at the sides as you go, then serve.

Tips

This is a great recipe to make with kids, but remember that box graters are very sharp so need to be used carefully. Show

kids how to hold hard fruit and vegetables with a firm grip and use nice big chunks so that their hands are safely out of

the way.