Shearwater, the Mullumbimby Steiner School, also known as Shearwater Steiner School, is an independent
co-ed
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
school, in the hinterland of
Byron Bay
Byron Bay ( Minjungbal: ''Cavvanbah)'' is a beachside town located in the far-northeastern corner of the state of New South Wales, Australia on Bundjalung Country. It is located north of Sydney and south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a hea ...
, that provides human-centred education based on
Steiner/Waldorf principles and contemporary practises. The School caters for
primary
Primary or primaries may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels
* Primary (band), from Australia
* Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea
* Primary Music, Israeli record label
Works
* ...
and
secondary
Secondary may refer to: Science and nature
* Secondary emission, of particles
** Secondary electrons, electrons generated as ionization products
* The secondary winding, or the electrical or electronic circuit connected to the secondary winding i ...
education, Kindergarten through to Year 12, and includes a Preschool and Playgroups for under-sevens.. The school is built on
Bundjalung Land. It is named after the
Shearwater
Shearwaters are medium-sized long-winged seabirds in the petrel family Procellariidae
The family Procellariidae is a group of seabirds that comprises the fulmarine petrels, the gadfly petrels, the diving petrels, the prions, and the shearwa ...
bird.
History
Shearwater was founded on 8 February 1993 as a small community
Steiner School
Waldorf education, also known as Steiner education, is based on the educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy. Its educational style is holistic, intended to develop pupils' intellectual, artistic, and practical skil ...
for the surrounding regional area. It was originally located in the home of two of the School's founders, Stan Stevens and Sally Davison, offering
Kindergarten
Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...
,
Class 1 and
Class 2. The school grew and was moved to the current location later in its first year.
Description
The school's 52 acre campus is bordered by Mullumbimby Creek and includes a large biodynamic farm.
The school is known for its seasonal festivals and its annual student-led performing arts event WAVE (
Wearable Arts Vision in Education).
Gallery
Image:Shearwater_Art_Walkway1.jpg, A photograph of the walkway towards the art rooms from the perspective of the science rooms.
Image:Shearwater_Art_Walkway2.jpg, A photograph of the walkway towards the art rooms from the perspective of the Design and Technology
Design and Technology (D&T) is a school subject offered at all levels of primary and secondary school in England. It is used so children develop a range of designing skills and technology skills for example, using media to design their project. It ...
(woodwork
Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinet making (cabinetry and furniture), wood carving, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning.
History
Along with stone, clay and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials ...
/metalwork
Metalworking is the process of shaping and reshaping metals to create useful objects, parts, assemblies, and large scale structures. As a term it covers a wide and diverse range of processes, skills, and tools for producing objects on every scale ...
) building.
Image:Shearwater Admin Office.jpg, A photograph of the entrance to the administrative office of Shearwater.
Image:Shearwater Library.jpg, A photograph of the secondary school Library and Media Centre.
Image:Shearwater Sheertaste.jpg, A photograph of the Sheertaste School canteen.
Image:Shearwater Steiner Art Room.jpg, A photograph of a Shearwater art room, specifically designed to avoid a "box" shape.
Image:Shearwater Steiner Kindergarten.jpg, A photograph of the Kindergarten room at Shearwater. The primary school rooms are rather irregular, each designed specifically for those children; note that the desks are in a cross.
Image:Shearwater Steiner Tree.jpg, A photograph of the centrepiece fifty-year-old tree at Shearwater, around which the main buildings have been constructed.
Image:Shearwater Creek Bridge.jpg, A photograph of the bridge to the primary school buildings across the creek.
References
{{Reflist
External links
Shearwater Steiner School Website
Private schools in New South Wales
Rudolf Steiner
Northern Rivers