No: 32 18 October 2019

THE FRIDAY FLIER

KOTAHITANGA

Waikato Waldorf School, Kindergartens and Playcircle

Kia ora tatou

I hope you all had a good break with your children and are reenergized for the last term of this academic

year. Two of our students in class six were involved in the national inline hockey competition in Levin.

I am very proud of both Lily and Toby, who played for the Hamilton Inline

Hockey Red Team and represented Hamilton in the competition. They

were placed fourth in New Zealand out of eight teams and Lily was also

in the Hamilton Junior Women’s team who were placed third out of eight

teams. We are very proud of both our students who show amazing com-

mitment and stamina. (Lily played ten games in the course of four days).

Well done to you both!

This is always a very busy term with class trips and camps, the advent festival, leavers performances, class

moving and end of year reports. There are also class meetings at the beginning of term which is important

for you to attend. During these meetings you will find out how you can support your child in this last term,

deepen your understanding of the main lessons, content of the curriculum, activities, trips, and organise the

parent liaison for 2020. If the class is having a new class teacher for 2020 (which you will already have been

informed about if they are) then it will be a chance to meet the new teacher/s. Please make sure you attend

these meetings as they are part of your special character commitment and a great opportunity to network and

keep yourself informed about this wonderful education.

I would like to remind you that in term four students are required to bring in sun hats for break times. Stu-

dents from Classes 1 – 4 need to wear wide brimmed hats and students from classes 5 – 9 also have the

option of wearing a cap. T-shirts should cover the shoulders. Students are no longer required to wear shoes/

trainers at break times but will need to bring covered footwear in for gardening and PE lessons for health and

safety reasons.

Eurythmical Performance from Lighteurythmy Group, Switzerland.

This coming Monday our six-year olds at kindy and Classes 1 – 3 will be treated

to a performance of ‘The Bremen Town Musicians’ and Classes 4 – 9 will watch

a performance of “Peter and the Wolf”. The company have been travelling

around Waldorf Schools throughout Aotearoa and come highly recommended.

We will be using some of the money we received from

the Parent Association, which we are very grateful for,

to fund this performance for our students.

Ngā mihi

Sue

UPCOMING EVENTS TERM 4

Class Meetings

Class 1 – Thursday 31st October 7pm

Class 2 – Thursday 7th November 6.30pm

Class 3 – Tuesday 22nd October 7pm

Class 4 - Tuesday 29th October 6.30pm

Week 2

Monday 21 October Eurythmical Performance Tuesday 22 – 25 Oct. Class 7 Wilderness Camp

Week 3

Monday 28th Labour Day – School Closed

Week 5

11th Nov. Class 5 Class trip 11

th – 15

th Nov. Class 8 Journey Camp

Week 6

Wed 20th Nov 1.30 &

Thurs 21st Nov 6.30pm Class 1 play

Fri 22nd

Nov. Duke of Edinburgh’s Qualification

Week 8

Sun 1st Dec. Advent Festival Wed 4

th Dec. Beach Ed.

Week 9

9th – 13

th Dec. Class 5 Olympic Camp

Tues. 10th Dec Leavers Assembly

Friday 13th Dec. Last day of academic year.

School closes 2.00pm

Class 5 – Thursday 24th October 7.00pm

Class 6 – Tuesday 5th November 6.30pm

Class 7— Thursday 31st October 6.30pm

Term Dates 2020

Term 1 30 January - 9 April 2020

Class 1 31 January - 9 April

06 February Waitangi Day

30 March Teacher Only Day – school closed

Term 2 28 April - 2 July 2020

29 May Teacher Only Day – school closed

01 June Queens Birthday

Term 3 20 July - 24 September 2020

Term 4 12 October - 15 December 2020

26 October Labour Day

FROM MIRO HOUSE KINDERGARTEN

The Kindergartens are needing Roses to dry for the Rose Festival that is

held for the 6 year olds. Any roses will be gratefully appreciated. If you are able to help, please drop them off to the kindergarten office - or send them in with your kindergarten child.

Many thanks, Miro House Kindergarteners

Anthroposophic Reading Group — NOW ON TUESDAY EVENINGS

Dear school community and friends

Our meetings are now on Tuesday evenings—same time same place. Our next meeting is Tuesday 29th October.

We will continue working with Projofieff’s Foundation Stone Meditation text, a detailed look into the formation and purpose of

the verse that Steiner presented.

Reading and discussion is from 7 to 8.30pm. We gather on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday evenings during school term at Rimu

Cottage, 68 Te Manatu Drive, across the Kowhai Childcare Centre carpark. This is at the opposite side from the Waikato

Waldorf School entrance. You are welcome to attend the reading group at any time (please let me know).

Sarah Oliver (parent) 027 805 0850, sarah@spheres.co.nz.

For those interested the lecture is followed by a brief chat on our personal spiritual (active/scientific) research. Discussion

FROM THE PARENT ASSOCIATION

The Advent Fair this

year will take place on 1st December

from 3:00pm to 6:00pm.

We know that many of the families in our

community run small businesses and we

would love to give you the opportunity to

share them. This year at the Advent fair

we would like to invite you to have stall

and showcase your business. We would

ask a $20 Koha, and also to highlight that

the stall must be in keeping with the

school's ethos.

If you would like to be there please contact

Hollie Beall at missh.carter@gmail.com for

more information.

Many thanks,

Hollie Beall

ARE WE TOO CLEAN? (Part two)

“The microbiome has been linked to immunity, autism, allergy, autoimmunity, mood, and the development of our central

nervous system,” says Mary Ruebush, microbiologist and instructor at Becker Professional Education School. And this

exposure therapy begins the moment we are born – children who are delivered vaginally have much lower rates of aller-

gy than those delivered via caesarean, possibly because of this early exposure to the mother’s normal vaginal flora, she

adds.

Our exposure to good microbes early in life can be an enormous benefit to our health, explains Rook. For instance, early

exposure to microbes in our gut activates some immune cells in such a way that as we get older, they do not over-

respond to microorganisms. Rook calls these microbes our “old friends”. And we are missing their friendship, because

extreme cleanliness means that often we don’t come in contact with microbes in the same way that our ancestors did.

This presents something of a conundrum for people hoping to live healthier lives. How can we avoid disease from the

bad bacteria, while still fostering the good bacteria? Rook certainly wouldn’t advocate skipping the essentials, such as

washing your hands. Scientists consider dirty hands as one of the most likely reasons why infections are passed be-

tween us. Getting your hands clean is not just a question of how long you wash them, but how “well”. You have to apply

soap and water, rub all surfaces of the hands thoroughly for at least 15 seconds, then rinse under running water and

then dry them, say the experts. The rubbing with soap detaches the germs from your skin, while the rinsing takes them

off the hands.

But not all of our body has to be washed so stringently. Overall obsessive washing “disrupts the normal flora which keep

you healthy by competing with harmful organisms”, says Ruebush. “Operating your immune system in an environment of

sterility is like a sensory deprivation for the brain. Eventually, it goes insane, thus the increased amount of allergy and

autoimmunity associated with persons who try too hard to avoid all exposure to anything in their environment,” she says.

A long shower every day may not be advisable, as it removes the “good bacteria” from our skin. But you should wash

around your genitals and anywhere you sweat a lot. And you should change your underwear every day.

Around the house, the solution for fighting the wrong kind of bacteria is not excessive cleaning, but timely cleaning.

Good hygiene is not a once-a-week, deep-down clean, it needs to be ”an ongoing part of our daily lives, where hygiene

measures are targeted where and when necessary," says Sally Bloomfield, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropi-

cal Medicine, and chair of the International Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene.

Take chopping boards in the kitchen. If you cut your greens, it’s ok to wait until after dinner to do the washing up. Not so

if you’ve chopped raw fish or meat. Instant action is required, or you could put your family at risk of infection.

After all, it’s well established that about 70% of all chicken are contaminated with Campylobacter, a bacterium which can

cause food poisoning and will happily multiply on your chopping board.

Damp dangers

Hospital studies show bed linen and towels can easily spread viruses and germs, but our homes are not quite the high-

risk environment that will breed the next superbug. But fluffy wet towels can be a problem.

“There is no scientific data which could allow us to explicitly state how often we should change bed linen, towels etc,”

says Bloomfield, but there is enough data to say that they can be an infection risk in the home. She recommends to

change bed linen and towels about once a week, and warns strongly against sharing hand towels and other personal

care items.

Warm damp cloths are a particular haven for nasty bugs, says Bloomfield. That’s why cloths in both the kitchen and bath-

room should ideally be discarded and washed after every use. Failing that, at least “rinse them well immediately after use

and dry them,” recommends Bloomfield. Tea towels, meanwhile, are ideal for drying dishes, if you are keen on spreading

your germs to all the glasses and plates in your cupboard. Regular, even daily swaps are highly recommended.

And laundry of towels and linen should be done at 60C (140F) to beat the bugs, or with “oxygen-based bleaching agents”

in the washing powder if it’s done at lower temperatures.

When it comes to bathrooms, it doesn’t help, of course, that all-too-few people close the toilet lid when flushing. If you

can’t be bothered, remember that an open lid is a gateway for all the bacteria inside to spread and multiply.

Pyjamas are another weak point in many people’s personal hygiene. Some surveys suggest that many make the smell

test before putting them in the wash. Change them at least once a week, say the experts. Ultimately, it’s all about getting

on top of the “critical [infection] control points,” says Bloomfield.

The overall message, then, is not that we should return to living in squalor as to try to embrace good bacteria; we need to

be just as vigilant without our homes to keep them free from germs. Instead, Ilkka Hanski, a biologist at the University of

Helsinki in Finland, says, it’s important to get out of the house and spend time in woodlands and forests. “Let your children

play in places where they have contact with soil and vegetation, which are rich in beneficial microbes,” he says. “If you

have a house, don’t maintain a lawn, let native plants take over and grow taller. Cut them once or twice a year.”

Strength after sickness

Studies show the benefits. Children who grew up in an environment that was not obsessively clean have lower rates of

allergy and asthma. And certain bacteria also actively protect us from bowel disease and even some types of anxiety and

depression.

A healthier life, it seems, can be boosted by exposure to farm animals and harmless but vital microorganisms in dirt, food,

and water. “Microbial exposure is important for promoting the development of effective regulatory pathways that keep in-

flammation under control,” says Thom McDade, a biological anthropologist Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

If the “hygiene hypothesis” is correct, it may explain the rapid rise of both asthma and allergy cases during the past 20

years. Of course, there are other explanations too, for example public health trends such as the widespread use of puri-

fied water, the overuse of antibiotics, and – of course – changes in our environment such as higher levels of pollution.

Living with a dog could help give your immune system a boost (Credit: Getty Images)

Acknowledgement to BBC future - Katia Moskvitch for the above article

Maree Smith RN, Anthroposophical Nurse 021 150 9433

85 Barrington Drive, Huntington, Hamilton Ph: 07 855 8710 email: office@waikatowaldorf.school.nz website: www.waikatowaldorf.school.nz www.facebook.com/WaikatoWaldorf School

These notices are published as a service to the school community. Publication is at the discretion of the Editor, and does not

necessarily reflect the opinion of the Faculty.

COMMUNITY NOTICES

If you or your kids ….

Bake

Knit or crochet

Art

Craft

Could you consider entering our Home Industries competitions? We need as many entries as possible to make sure we can run it in future. These are domestic competitions, not Master Chef! Don't be afraid to try! You can post all but the fresh-food/baked entries, so you can enter from other cities. Entry includes a free family pass to the Show. More at: https://waikatoaandp.co.nz/the-show/competitions/home-industries-competition/

Lego

Crochet

Grow fruit or veg

FOUND AT SCHOOL

BLACK GAZEBO sides with white window. Please inquire in the office.