Kindy-1

Welcome to the Kinder/ Year One class! Each year at Tallowood, our class composites are formed out of the demands of our current student context. All decisions about which class groups are composited are made through in- depth consideration of the developmental/learning needs of our students, including the enrolment numbers in each given age group. Class groups that are too small also have challenges. As learning is primarily a social process, we ensure that we remain flexible and responsive to our student population. At times, depending on these age group numbers, we will have a Kindergarten of mixed ages(4.5 to 6 year olds) whereas in other years, our numbers are better suited to a composite Kinder and Class One. Regardless of the particular composite classes in any given year, children’s developmental needs are always the basis for decisions about teaching and learning. Education at Tallowood Steiner School begins with this dynamic composition. Here, the kindergarten children are able to access foundational academic experiences, alongside the class one children. Together they learn the fundamentals of emerging literacy and numeracy, through age appropriate engagement. This learning takes place in a lively and creative way through story and picture. The years spent in our K-1 composite enable the younger students’ additional time to absorb these fundamental skills in a way that does not pressure them to think abstractly, but rather allows for their natural curiosity and engagement to develop and deepen.

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class 1-2-3

As children move into our ‘middle class’ at Tallowood they now hear stories from the Celtic tradition, in addition to stories from all over the world about the lives of significant historical figures, Hebrew stories and delightful Animal Fables. Our English components of work are all drawn from these tales, the work being embedded into our themed Main Lessons (topics). Our integrated curriculum ensures that these lessons are further brought alive through speech, movement, art, music and play. The children immerse themselves into each topic and these topics are mindfully chosen to meet the developmental needs of the children at this stage of their schooling. Each day, children experience a dynamic Morning Circle that readies them for a day of learning. Our Morning Circle involves learning poetry, verse, movement, song, with active numeracy work, all relating to the themes being studied at the time. Children begin to work at more complex recorder pieces and begin to play some songs in parts and rounds. Children in Class One, Two and Three experience a range of important learning experiences through the week, from water colour painting, to soft craft, gardening, language, numeracy games and activities, reading groups, writing, spelling, form drawing, structured games and creative play. At Tallowood children are supported to develop in a healthy and balanced way, across all aspects of their learning. In addition to focusing on important academic achievements, the development of healthy social skills and sound personal development permeates the entire school ethos. At Tallowood the children are deeply engaged in their education and bring their enthusiasm and love of learning to everything they do

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class 4-5-6

When Tallowood students move from class 1-2-3 into class 4-6, they bring with them a well established enthusiasm for learning and well honed behaviours of engaging with their learning in a dynamic way. The older class continues to offer the students a lively and rich curriculum, which now unfolds over a three year cycle. In the first year of the teaching cycle, our studies of ancient cultures bring the students stories from the Old Norse and the Viking era. The second year moves on to Ancient India and through Persia, Babylonia and Mesopotamia. (Modern Iraq and Iran). The third year of the teaching cycle brings the students content from Ancient Greece and Rome. Each teaching/learning block is richly woven through with song, poetry and verse, movement, alliteration and craft/manual arts projects that reflect the era and the lives and times of the people being studied. Maths and Science take on a whole new and exciting dimension now, with the introduction of Circle Geometry, fractions and decimals and more complex mathematical processes, across all strands of the subject. Science brings us Botany, Zoology, Astronomy and Physics (light, sound and heat) and all of these learning experiences allow children to feel a deep sense of wonder and connection to both the natural world and the world of human life they are an integral part of. While children are simultaneously developing their physical bodies, their emotional, social and moral selves and their academic capacities, different aspects take predominance at different stages of their growth and development. This fact is well evidenced by developmental psychologists and in the field of neuroscience. Education at Tallowood is primarily concerned with developing and exercising children’s evolving human capacities in ways that reflect the developmental trends active through each stage of childhood. Our approach to education strives to ensure that children have an environment where they can grow and develop in a balanced and healthy way and one which addresses all the facets of their developmental needs at any given time. Our practice of theme block lessons, unifies and integrates all curriculum areas and all teaching and learning activities. Lesson content is developed from each core subject and subjects are taught in 3 week blocks.

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Welcome

Our School is located in the beautiful Nambucca Valley, Mid North Coast NSW, almost exactly half-way between Sydney and Brisbane. The School is only 3km north of the small town of Bowraville, in a picturesque setting overlooking rolling hills. (click here for map)
Tallowood’s educational situation is unique, and the application of the Steiner curriculum which has been developed at Tallowood is responsive to the context of a small school with mixed aged classes.
Tallowood is committed to offering an affordable education, which is accessible to everyone, regardless of income.
The school welcomes visits by prospective parents during school hours. Please contact us to arrange an appointment. We welcome your enquiry!

Kindergarten to Year 6
ENROLLING NOW – 2019

Find our enrolment pack here

Kindergarten to Year 6 ENROLLING NOW – 2019

Kindergarten to Year 6
ENROLLING NOW – 2019