By Hollie Harris
Noosa Pengari Steiner School is situated on 25 acres in Doonan, and has been in operation since 1996.
As with all Steiner schools, staff endeavour to educate equally the areas of academia, artistic expression and practical skill, (the head, heart and hands) in an integrated way.
The teachers are inspired by the work of Rudolf Steiner, encouraging them to assist the children to develop a lifelong love of learning, a reverence for life and the courage to live fully.
The social education of children is enhanced through deepening their relationships with peers and teachers with whom they work and grow developing an atmosphere of support, co-operation and commitment.
Steiner was a pioneer in the area of developmentally based age- appropriate learning – children of different ages learn in different ways. Thus in Steiner schools not only the curriculum but also the way that information is brought to the child, needs to change to suit their age-related needs.
The preschool child learns by doing and by imitating the deeds of those around them. They need rhythm, purpose and time for creative play. Children of this age are not too quickly dragged out of the dreamy world of childhood. They are allowed to be children.
From age seven to 14, the focus changes to the rich life of the imagination and heartfelt feeling.
Children study each area in Main Lesson blocks for a solid two hours every morning, enabling them to totally absorb themselves in the excitement and wonder of a topic.
Artistic expression of the students is nurtured as an integral part of their academic learning.
The high school curriculum is designed to challenge students, to build skills and knowledge, to encourage a continual love of learning in the young adult.
At this age, students deepen their understanding of the world and of themselves. Noosa Pengari’s aim is to guide into the world students- on the brink of adulthood- confident in their ability to learn in whatever direction they take; flexible and resilient when life takes its unexpected turns and loving and compassionate to those who they interact with in life.
“Waldorf education is not a pedagogical system, but an art- the art of awakening what is actually there within the human being.” Rudolf Steiner
