Dear St Paul's Families

Welcome to the Autumn Term to all families, old and new.  The school is opening with the highest number of pupils we have ever had. It was wonderful to see you all at our Opening Festivals.

We are having a wonderful start to the year so far.  Preparations are underway for Michaelmas, with apple rings drying, baskets of conkers and lots of joyous muddy play in Kindergarten. The nature tables are abundant with red berries and late sunflowers. 

Tomorrow is the Equinox, and Michaelmas this year is coinciding with the East and Southeast Asian harvest celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival. We will experience the full moon on the same day. The Harvest Moon is considered to be large and orange by the farmers who worked early in the morning. It is also the beginning of Sukkot, which follows the Jewish New Year and atonement. This is really a cosmic time.

The classes practising the Michaelmas play and songs and beautiful singing can be heard throughout the School each day. We look forward to seeing you on the Green next Friday to see them sharing a picture of taming the dragon with you.

Please bring in apples if you have them for our Michaelmas celebrations to press and make juice and apple rings!  Class V are collecting for a local food bank on 29^th September, so we welcome your donations.

Middle School had their School Council elections and now have a strong team of Peggy (Chair), Rose (Deputy Chair) and Kai (Secretary) to represent them.  They have big plans and ideas!

This term is busy and full of lovely events, so as the evenings draw in and the leaves fall, we will find strength in our community to prepare for the change in season. Please come to the SPCG meeting on the 26^th at 7:30pm to hear about the fundraising activities this term.

We had a very special visitor in the first week. It was a pleasure to walk around with Mr Jonathan Knight who started the project in this building 30 years ago together with his wife. It was wonderful to share how far the school has come and the natural response from the pupils was that of gratitude. He will come back to St Paul's soon with a talk about these early days.

We try and publish a Newsletter every few weeks to keep parents updated with news at the School, enjoy!

*IMPORTANT REMINDERS*

*We are a NUT FREE SCHOOL

no sesame or nut products in lunch boxes please*

Late Arrivals

If your child is late to school, you or your child will need to sign in the late arrivals book at reception. Please remember to complete the entry fully and state the reason for lateness.

Kindergarten

We still have a one-way system in Kindergarten. You can only go back through the wooden gates near Marquess Road (outside Mulberry & Rosebush KG) if a member of staff is present. Please do not open the wooden gate and leave or it will not be secure and staff may not be aware of this. If the wooden gate is closed, you need to go around the KG garden towards Apple Tree and Chestnut and leave through the wooden gates at the side of the shed next to St Paul's Road.

The Green

As you are aware, the school relies on the Green heavily as a teaching space and for the children to have breaks. If you collect your child before 3.30pm, we ask that you use the shrubbery or other spaces for recreation with your children. It is important for the children still in school to have full use of the space.

Thanks in advance for your co-operation.

Special reverence is made to children's birthdays in Kindergarten in Waldorf education.  We have had a few this term already.  Here are some pictures of the puppet shows and the gorgeous Autumn nature table.

Class III go for a walk to Hampstead Heath every week-whatever the weather! This week they had a lot of fun building dens.

Class V are exploring Ancient India in their main lesson.  This week they went to the Sikh Temple Ramgarhia Gurdwara.

Class I are settling in beautifully with Mrs Gudka.  Here are some scenes from their classroom and one student's wonderful gnome!

Class II have been looking at the story of Saint Francis and practising their writing and painting wet on wet.

Class IV are looking at Norse Myths in their Main Lesson block.

Class III are looking at creation and light and have produced some beautiful paintings.

Class VI are looking at Ancient Rome in their Main Lesson.

Class VIII have been exploring anatomy using clay.

We celebrated Rosh Hashanah with Class I, dipping apples into honey and eating chollah.  We had a special nature table greeting all the children and parents this week.

"Hello!  My name is Lucy and I'm the new Class One assistant.  I've just moved here from Hawaii and am looking for a flat or house share, ideally close to our school in Islington.  I am very neat and quiet, and will be spending my days teaching at the school and studying in the evenings.  Also very happy to help with additional care of children, dogs, or garden."

please email mke@stpaulssteinerschool.org

The Anno Sabbatico Project (gap year) aims to offer young people between the ages of 18 and 40 a different perspective and to develop with awareness an all-around relationship, not only with work, society, and nature but also with the universal and spiritual dimension of which we are all part. The program is held on a residential basis for nine months between October and June in stunning locations and contact with nature. Focused on multidisciplinary training, ecology and innovation, it is conceived as an experience of living relationships, where theoretical insights alternate harmoniously with group work, social workshops, and creative and artistic activities. The gap year comes to meet the objective difficulties of the new generations on the existential level and in making choices in social and professional spheres, by proposing a conscious revisiting of one’s previous formative and cognitive process, in such a way as to provide participants with practical tools that facilitate their life choices and initiate a creative and responsible relationship in society

https://annosabbatico.com/

Autumn Equinox Walk at Abney Park in Stoke Newington.

Sat 23rd Sept 10.30-11.30am

Join Nina Lovelace from Hackney Outdoors CIC on this Autumn Equinox Nature Walk, to learn to identify nature's abundance in autumn, and hear about the stories and folklore associated with common trees and plants found in Abney Park. Also, enjoy a delicious herbal tea. This seasonal walk is for adults and children aged over 12. 

Join us to find out:

• What have conkers got to do with explosives?
• Why were rosehips all the rage in 1941?
• Why is nettle considered 'nature's coffee'?
• Which shrub is the doorway to the Otherworld?
• Which berry should you not eat after September 29th, or risk facing the Devil?

Every walk you attend helps Hackney Outdoors to fund its work with local schools.

Booking: https://abneypark.org/upcoming-events/autumn-equinox-walk

On Sunday 24 September 2023, our annual Saddle and Sole Festival of walking and cycling will finally be back after a multi-year absence. This year, we’ll be hosting the festival at the middle and upper parts of Highbury Fields. Everyone’s welcome to join and enjoy all kinds of great activities about walking and cycling.

LOVE MATHS AND PROBLEM SOLVING?

We would like to offer St Paul's students the possibility to engage in extra-curricular maths learning activities, free of charge: Maths Circles and Maths Battles at  King's College London, University College London and Queen Mary University of London. 

Maths Circles have been conducted successfully since 2016, and we are currently opening new slots.

We would greatly appreciate it if you could help spread the word among your students and their parents, particularly those in school years 7-11. These sessions are designed for all students who enjoy puzzle-solving, regardless of their school grades.

For more details, please visit http://wesolveproblems.org.uk/activities/

To pre-register for the program, please fill out the form at
https://forms.gle/a6rhrjh5tcmBwR6M7

Here's some background information:
Maths Circles are engaging training sessions that cultivate problem-solving skills and structured thinking. Weekly Maths Circles are embellished with Maths Battles twice a semester, which are mathematical debating competitions between opposing teams with the emphasis on collaborative working.

Participation not only enhances students' skills but also provides them with the opportunity to visit and study in the esteemed premises of some of London's finest universities. Moreover, the Circles are led by Mathematics students from KCL, UCL and professional mathematicians.

The curriculum of Maths Circles complements that of secondary schools and is tailored for students in school years 7-11. Participation is completely free of charge.

Room/board needed

My name is Lauren and I will be in London in October, in preparation for a PhD.

I was searching for a live-in carer or nanny position with a family that shares my interests and ethos.

I meditate daily, am a vegan, do eurythmy, and am a Steiner adherent.

I’m hoping to find a similar family. It will take a while till I get a work visa approved so for at least the first 6 months I will play for just room and board.

Please contact me if you are looking for help with your children and would like a paying lodger.

Lauren Miller <laurenpricemiller@yahoo.com>

Marylebone Youth Theatre at Rudolf Steiner House

Marylebone Youth Theatre are looking to recruit children and young people aged 7-16 who are interested in performing arts. We offer a fun and safe environment to learn new skills and meet new friends. Members of Marylebone Youth Theatre will grow in confidence as they work collaboratively and creatively. They will be taught theatrical skills and there will be regular opportunities to perform in front of an audience in the beautiful Marylebone Theatre.

Marylebone Youth Theatre runs Saturday classes during the school term and weekday classes during the school holidays. Our upcoming projects are below.

We do have a limited number of free to attend bursary places for children from low-income families.

Please email lucy@marylebonetheatre.com to reserve your place.

For more information, and to apply, please go to our website:

Marylebone Theatre | Participate