MICHAEL HOUSE SCHOOL

Michael House School

Newsletter

A STEINER WALDORF SCHOOL IN THE HEART OF ENGLAND

JANUARY 2018

Greetings and a very, very belated

'Happy New Year' to all at

Michael House and all of our

extended community watching

from further away.

I remember once whingeing (as

one does) about the sheer

amount to be getting on with in

my garden. It was November and

somebody immediately piped up:

'what could you possibly be

needing to do in the garden at this

time of year?'. As I started to

explain, I realised that the list was

possibly bottomless. We were

working at full pelt to get the

infrastructure into place for the year to come! I have been able to

concentrate for you this time on

lovely things to do in our gardens.

As this is a great time to be

putting down the foundations for

the coming months, I hope that

you will all enjoy reading Helen

and Adrian's thoughts and be able

to contribute to their carefully

crafted plans for our own gardens

at Michael House. A date has now

been set for the next Community

Gardening Day (please see the

diary dates below) and I hope that

many of you will be able to make

it.

I am excited to also have for you

contributions looking at the new

Dome in our playground; a more

in-depth look at the Advent Fair

(now that the dust has settled);

some absolutely thrilling news

from a Michael House ex-pupil;

and as usual, plenty more.

I shall be back in a few weeks. In

the meantime, I hope that we all manage to put behind us the

dreaded 'lurgy' that is keeping so

many in their sick beds at the

moment. And as he sometimes

does, my husband Darran has

found a thought-provoking (if not

scary) article from a trusty source

for me to leave you with:

https://www.theguardian.com/com

mentisfree/2017/dec/13/smartpho

ne-ban-children-sleep-depression-

suicide?

A

HAPPY

NEW YEAR

TO ALL OUR

READERS

MICHAEL HOUSE SCHOOL 2

Dates for your diary

February

3rd February – Nearly New Sale (see poster at the end)

4th February – Community Gardening Day, 11 till 3 (see poster at the end)

12th – 16th February – Half Term

24th February – Open Day

26th February – Guided Tours

March

10th March – Spring Fair

16th March – Kindergarten and Main School finish at 12.30, in lieu

17th March – Main School Festival of Work and Open morning

19th March – Guided Tours

22nd March – Kindergarten Festival, marking Kindergarten End of Term

23rd March – Main School End of Term

Recurring:

Thursdays Hot dogs available to buy at lunch, please pre-order; this is raising funds for

the class 8 trip.

Fridays Gardening Club, 8.30 till lunchtime, refreshments provided

Friday mornings – singing, 8.45 – 9.45, Eurythmy room

Fridays 3 p.m. - coffee and cake in the main school

The Class 3 and 4 “Energy” Dome, by Jeremy Ball

Most people will not have missed the Geodesic Dome on display in the playground. Yet perhaps many may have missed the deeper significance of the design. Rather than the intention being to

create a “usable indoor space”, although this would also be good, the intention has been to create

an etheric resonance structure. In other words, the important part of the dome is the bit you

cannot see which is its etheric or energetic aspect. Some of the sensitives amongst us may be able

to consciously experience its effect when they stand inside the dome and become still and quiet.

It has long been known that domes, hemispheres, pyramids and similar structures are very strong

energy or etheric emitters. This is the reason they have been used all over the world to create

sacred places and temples that have a quality that is naturally resonant and healing. They can often

be found used as roofs on churches or other temples and as places of initiation such as the

Egyptian Pyramids.

Over the last hundred years, a new science has been created that was originally named

Radiesthesia, from the French practitioners who did much of the pioneering work. It is an exact

science of Quality, rather than the Quantity based methods of our current science. Exact testing

methods have been developed and a precise mapping of the various qualities of the energetic or

etheric world has been accomplished. This allows us to understand how to create a structure that

will be energetically beneficial to all who use the space, but also to understand some of the more

subtle aspects of the designs used in ancient times.

MICHAEL HOUSE SCHOOL 3

The dome has been “adjusted” in such a manner that it emits only highly beneficial energy, and in

fact principles from Radiesthesia, that allow us to work consciously with specific qualities, have

been incorporated into the design.

One of the world's most experienced practitioners of Radiesthesia, Dr Robert Gilberts, who is

also a highly experienced lecturer in Anthroposophy, has described how this new science of

quality is aligned with Anthroposophy and could even be called “a training in Steiner's new etheric

clairvoyance.”

The dome at the time of writing needs some finishing of the physical structure in the form of some

type of wall that would leave only one entrance. This will prevent the chaos that would be created

by children running inside it from every angle. Some kind of roofing material may also be used.

However, the energetic structure is fully finished and I hope can be a help to the whole site as I

believe it will have a purifying and harmonising effect over a wide area. This will help to lift a site

that seems to have been subject to negative events through the construction of many coal mines

and the subsequent hardship and suffering of the miners.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the parents who gave up a day in the half term and

especially Michael Chan and Ed Hunt for their very hard work when we placed the fence posts,

which meant digging 10 deep holes in very hard and stony ground. And of course to all of Class 3

and 4 for their precise work and excellent behaviour when making the dome itself.

Upcoming Educational Event Information, from Robert Chamberlain

Friday 2nd February 7-9pm and Saturday 3rd 10am-4pm 2018

Brantwood School, 1 Kenwood Bank Rd, London, S7 1NU

CHILDREN’S DRAWINGS AS A MIRROR OF THE CHILD’S DEVELOPING

CONSCIOUSNESS.

An evening talk and day of lecture demonstrations with practical artistic experiences, which

explore what children’s drawings tell us about the developmental stage that the child is at, based

on current research as well as experiential exercises. Given by Joanna Hammond who has been

an early years practitioner for over 20 years in Finland, Denmark, Italy and England and is now a

Steiner Early Years Advisor and Tutor on the Steiner Early Years Course (NESWEC).

This day is part of the Ruskin Mill Teacher Development Programme, which is open to the general public.

It is necessary to book these events. Please email: constantin.court@rmt.org

MICHAEL HOUSE SCHOOL 4

Landscape Photographer of the Year – by Rowan Morgan,

In the Autumn I had some great news that I’d won a Youth category, the Youth Urban View, in

the Landscape Photographer of the Year competition and got commended in another section.

My prize was a copy of the competition's book, an exhibition print of the shot, books from

sponsors and my work is currently on show with other award winners at Waterloo Station and

will travel to other stations around the UK next year. BBC Radio Nottingham also recorded an

interview about the win.

Here are links to the competition, with my winning image alongside the other winners of the

categories.

I’m now at Bilborough College doing A level Photography, Geography and Politics, all of which I’m

really enjoying. It was a massive culture shock going from such a small school to a large college

but what it highlighted to me, was realising why I went to Michael House, and why a Steiner

education was such a great start to my learning.

I hope you enjoy my work.

Rowan

https://www.take-a-view.co.uk/2017-award-winners/

MICHAEL HOUSE SCHOOL 5

Our Gardening Group, from Adrian Horsley

Paradoxically, this is a great time of year to work in gardens because everything is just about

dormant. OK there are a few green bulb shoots poking their noses up and some tasty looking

buds on trees and shrubs, but for the most part it is a blank canvas. A time to contemplate

emptiness in true Buddhist fashion.

That said we, the garden group, are, however, bursting with ideas to create a more productive and

inspiring outdoor environment for the school community.

Here are three ideas to start with.

1. We have vast quantities of high quality compost. We want to grow bumper crops of potatoes

this year which can be sold to the school community and proceeds split between the school and

funding resources for the gardens.

2. Continue advancing the raspberry project. The idea for this was outlined last year.

3. Create a low cost poly-tunnel type structure for rapid growing of seasonal produce.

All the work that is needed does sometimes feel a trifle daunting. There is a lot to do just to keep

things going, let alone develop all these new ideas.

There are many ways for new volunteers to get involved and that does not necessarily mean that

you need to put on wellies and garden gloves and slosh around in mud and freezing winds getting

backache. Although what could be more appealing than that.

Here are a few ideas.

• Fund-raising for plants, especially raspberry canes. This could mean writing a short funding

letter to be sent out to seed and nursery companies, ideally with some attractive

photographs of the school grounds. Budding photographers take note.

• Repairing, sharpening and generally organising the garden tools.

• Sourcing more tools.

• Getting feedback and consulting on the idea of starting a food co-op.

Needs

We always need good quality tools, so if you are downsizing or have a surplus think of the garden

group.

We still have quite a few small trees to pot up so if you have any larger plant pots surplus to

requirements drop them of for us. 8 inch or larger please.

If we concentrate our energies now, then we can come out of winter prepared and be ready to

burst into life in the spring.

Let's have a vibrant Spring.

Talk to Adrian or Helen. (We’ll provide the cake)

MICHAEL HOUSE SCHOOL 6

Gardening Update and Community Day, by Helen Osborne

We Need You! (Please)

Dear All,

We have a Community Day planned for Sunday 4th February. Adrian and I at the Garden

Club would really appreciate some help with the school garden as there's so much to do for just

the two of us and we'd very much like to feel on top of the workload before spring arrives and

things start growing! We have lots of fun and inspiring activities to suit all gardening abilities for all

ages, and it would be wonderful for us as a school community if we could come together, beautify

our grounds and have some fun at the same time!

We plan to start at 11 o’clock and stay until 3, so you are welcome to join us for all of it or just an

hour or so, whatever time you can spare will be greatly appreciated. Refreshments will be

provided and we also plan to do a chip run for lunch, so if you don’t fancy chips please bring a

packed lunch. Some of the main jobs will be outlined below, we have garden gloves and some

tools but perhaps not enough to go around so if you would like to bring your own favourite

garden gloves and some sharper-than-ours tools, then that would be great!

Some jobs include:

• Willow weaving

• Pentagon bed border

• Tyre tidying around the platform

• Sweeping the sand back into the pit

• Dead foliage removal

• Preparation of the greenhouse

• Weed removal of the adventure playground

• General tidy up

I will send a newsfeed out the week before as a reminder and also a shout out if there are specific

tools we need. Please feel free to contact me before hand if you need any more information, ideas

for other activities.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you!

Helen & Adrian

A Message to All Parents, from Helen Osborne, Adrian Horsley and Collegiate

Dear Parents,

When your children are playing in the playground after school, please could you ask them not to

remove the tyres by the platform, but instead use the surplus ones in the playground (children will

not be able to play on the platform until the area below has been prepared).

Also, please encourage your children to replace upturned rocks in the garden when looking for

creepy crawlies, as it's a time-consuming job to put them back and, more importantly, it destroys

invertebrates' habitats.

In addition, children are playing in the garden composting area where we have the tree nursery

and also it is one of the sites for the potato growing project. This area is out of bounds to

children during school time so could parents ensure that after school it remains so as well.

Thank you.

MICHAEL HOUSE SCHOOL 7

Wassailing – by Rachel Middleton

"Here we come a-wassailing Love and joy come to you

Among the leaves so green And to you our wassail too

Here we come a-wand'ring And God bless you and send you

So fairly to be seen A Happy New Year

Here we come a-wand'ring God send you a Happy New Year"

So fairly to be seen

(Traditional carol)

You might have heard this wassailing carol, which is associated with Christmas and the New Year

and with the passing of good wishes among family and friends. A bowl of wassail, an ale-based

drink seasoned with spices and honey, would be passed around to share with the greeting

"Wassail" which is Saxon for "be well". As time went on, the tradition was carried on by people

going from door to door, bearing good wishes and a wassail bowl of hot, spiced ale. In return,

people in the houses gave them drink, money and Christmas fare (special foods eaten during

Christmas time e.g. mince pies) and they believed they would receive good luck for the year to

come.

However, there is a different type of wassailing - wassailing apple trees! Apple tree wassailing is a

ceremony which involves drinking to the health of the apple trees.

“Wassaile the trees that they may beare

You many a plum and many a pear

For more or less fruits they will bring

As you do give them wassailing.”

The Apple trees were sprinkled with wassail to ensure a good crop. Villagers would gather around

the apple trees with shotguns or pots and pans and made a tremendous racket to raise the

Sleeping Tree Spirit and to scare off demons. The biggest and best tree was then selected and

cider poured over its roots. Pieces of toast soaked in cider were placed in the forks of branches.

The wassail song was sung or chanted as a blessing or charm to bring a good apple harvest the following year. This custom was especially important during a time when part of a labourer's

wages was paid in apple cider. Landlords needed a good apple crop to attract good workers.

Wassailing was meant to keep the tree safe from evil spirits until the next year's apples appeared.

Apple Tree Wassail

Oh apple tree, we'll wassail thee

And hoping thou wilt bear

For the Lord does know where we may go

To be merry another year

To grow well and to bear well

And so merrily let us be

Let every man drink up his glass

And a health to the old apple tree

Brave boys, and a health to the old apple tree

Apple wassailing is being revived by many villages and farms. A local one this year was at

Waingroves Community Woodland Trust, near Heanor with January 17th, old Twelfth Night, the

traditional date for Wassailing. So for next year ...... do we have any fruit trees at school that could

do with a drink of cider and would like their sleeping spirit awoken?! Sounds like a good excuse

for a bonfire and to bring out those Martinmas lanterns again, to me.

MICHAEL HOUSE SCHOOL 8

An Organiser's ‘AfterView’ of the Advent Fair, by Rachel Middleton

The Advent Fair seems a distant memory now that we are at the start of the next year, but such a

wonderful event certainly deserves to be remembered! This was the first Fair I have been involved

in helping with and I would like to say a huge thank you to all those fair organisers who have gone

before us. There is such a huge amount of work that goes into the planning and organisation of a

fair. I really had no idea! This Fair was no different and wouldn't have happened without the school

community rallying around and pitching in, under the delightful coordination of Sarah. Thanks to

those who collected greenery, decorated, organised signage and car parking, collected raffle prizes,

delivered beautiful activities such as the gnome gardens, wreath making, Queen Winter and her

Winter Wonderland, Christmas arts and crafts, cooked and baked, served food, washed up ...... so

many contributions!

I'm sure there are many more highlights but here are some of mine:

The music! Wow! What a way to open the Fair with the super-talented Nicki, accompanied by Pete! Spine-tingling opera to really set the tone of the Fair. This was followed by the Michael

House School Singers who are an absolute joy to listen to. I really enjoyed hearing them

throughout the day (and a little bit of me wished I was singing with them - if only I could sing!) And

then there was Mr. Stephenson, the Michael House Minstrel, who entertained in style in the

Continental Café. What a talented community we have at the school and surely time for a Music

Night of some kind?!

The Food Hall looked, and sounded, the very essence of a peaceful, magical Advent. The walls

were decked with beautiful, natural greenery. The tables lit by candles and decorated with

Christmas houses made by students. The food was amazing, as ever, and the atmosphere was

completed by a buzz of friendly conversation. This beautiful ambience was commented on by many

visitors to the Fair.

And talking of visitors .... we had a great turn out on such a cold, wintery day (but surely very

Advent-y!) with old faces and new! It was great to see families who have moved on from the

School returning to see us and it seemed as though we had a good number of new families

discovering us. I overheard a few conversations expressing interest in coming to the school.

A final thought. We might all feel downhearted at times by the uphill task of maintaining a

building like ours and that perhaps it is perceived as scruffy by some. Having said that, Alan

Withington, who brought his beautiful photographs to sell at the Fair, hit the nail on the head for

me. He said, 'Don't ever let them change this place. So many schools are sterile boxes but you

can feel the love and happiness here (in Michael House).' This was his first visit!

House Required! - from Helen Osborne

Hi, I'm still looking for a house to rent – either two or three bedrooms and close to school. If

anyone knows of anyone renting out a property privately, I'd be very interested. Please keep your

eyes peeled and ears to the ground!

Thanks, Helen 07952 660743.

MICHAEL HOUSE SCHOOL

Eurythmy Therapy at Michael House School

Truus Van Vliet a eurythmy therapist from Holland, is now working in the school on a Tuesday.

She has produced this information sheet,

Waldorf 100 celebrations

The whole Steiner / Waldorf movement are preparing to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 1st

Steiner / Waldorf school in Germany. We have been receiving regular batches of postcards from

Steiner / Waldorf schools throughout the world. These have been beautifully hand drawn with positive

messages and wonderful warm good wishes.

We at Michael House would love to

participate in this worldwide gesture of unity

and friendship. We have over 1000 postcards

which our pupils have begun to illustrate. We know that we are unlikely to be able to reach

every other Steiner School (the cost would be

well over £1000), however we would like to

send to at least 100 schools. We are looking

for donations of stamps or money for the

purchase of stamps. Stamps cost £1.17 to

Europe and £1.02 to the rest of the world.

We will have a donation box in Mrs Mistry’s

office at reception for donations.

Some of the (more than 100 postcards) received

by the School.

I am Truus Van Vliet and am of Dutch origin. I have been teaching eurythmy to children and

adults as well as performing on stage and contributing to Conferences since 1985.

At the moment I am a Eurythmy Therapy practitioner and work in this capacity in the School

every Tuesday.

Eurythmy therapy is a movement therapy which aspires to being an effective holistic aid to

children in their overall health and in the development of their physical and emotional well-

being. Eurythmy therapy is beneficial to both children and adults.

If you are interested please contact your child’s class teacher or Ron Waddell who will

arrange contact from me so that we can talk in more detail about what I offer and so

that I can answer your questions.

There will be a charge, which will be reduced should more pupils take up the option.

MICHAEL HOUSE SCHOOL 10

MICHAEL HOUSE SCHOOL 11

WE ALL LIVE IN A

TOPSY TURVY WORLD

A supernatural tale of good and evil, set in

the present-day

Youngish actors, male and female, (under 40) wanted

for a community production of a new play with music

and song. Also musicians (an alto saxophonist,

percussionist and harpist or lyre player), designers and

makers.

A chance to hear a read-through and join in.

Saturday, 10th Feb from 2-5pm at Brantwood

School, 1, Kenwood Bank Rd, S7 1NU. Please

arrive before 2pm

Contact robertchamberlain43@outlook.com

of Alchemy Theatre, to register your interest

MICHAEL HOUSE SCHOOL 12

MICHAEL HOUSE SCHOOL 13