Steiner Pre-school News & Events

Enrolments for 2011 and beyond

2010-02-24T21:30:00.000-08:00

Remember that you need to apply for each kinder year separately. If your child is in younger group and you haven’t put in an enrolment application form for older group in 2011 you should do so now.

There is no preference given to children currently in the kinder or for siblings of kinder children. If you have younger siblings you wish to enrol, please contact the kinder on 9570 2246 or via steinerpreschool.com

We are now taking enrolment applications for wait lists for this year, either group for 2011, and older group 2012. Enrolments for younger group 2012 and older group 2013 open in March this year.

Two ways to get a great deal and support the kindergarten.

2010-02-15T23:02:00.000-08:00

Term One Fundraiser

Why we have chosen Healthy Snack Foods for fundraising:

- Parents have called for and are supportive of making a healthy change
- Kids love something new.... especially in a packet
- The snacks can be used in lunchboxes... a solution for Mums & Dads everyday
- Saves on shopping at the supermarket if you buy them for the pantry at home
- Our school/kinder receives the profit from your snack food purchases rather than the supermarket
- The variety of products reinforces the 'everything in moderation' message to children
- Choosing healthy, reinforces the 'healthy eating' message now being taught in classrooms Australia wide
- Sends the right message to children and sets a good example
- Fundraising boxes can be taken into Mum or Dad's workplace where hungry staff welcome the $2 healthy snacks as they are new and different
- By purchasing these snacks, we are choosing to support Australian owned and operated business, helping local industry and local employment

Please help us to make this fundraiser a success. We understand that Fundraising is not easy. If the whole community pitches in…. we can all make a real difference.
We aim to achieve maximum profit for this fundraiser – we cannot do it without support from every family. Remember it is our children who benefit the most.
THANK YOU IN ANTICIPATION OF YOUR SUPPORT

Please contact the kinder for an order form.

Ongoing Fundraiser

NAME LABELS

It's the start of the year! If you have kids in kinder, school or childcare, they will need name labels for their drink bottles, lunch-boxes, clothing, books, bags, pencils, etc.

Keep reading and you'll find out how to get at least 40 extra free labels and 15% off your order!

If you spend over $20 in total for your order, you will automatically get 40 FREE TINY LABELS for every name you are ordering labels for. These labels are small because they're made for pencils, but can be used for water bottles, plastic containers, or anything else you might want to put a label on! Like all of the stick-on labels, they are waterproof, dishwasher-proof etc.

When you get to the payment section, in the 'Promotional Code' section, enter 15OFF and you'll get 15% OFF all products that aren't already discounted.

In the 'Fundraising Code' section, enter FDR0264 and our kinder will receive a donation from the company.

Order your labels online and they will post them to you (free postage) within a few days.

You can browse or order now at www.brightstarkids.com.au

Happy shopping!

Trivia Night - Saturday June 13, 2009

2009-05-13T21:24:00.000-07:00

This is probably the most enjoyable way to support the kinder.

Our Trivia Nights are always a lot of fun, so book your seat or table now for the 2009 event. The quiz kicks off at 7.30pm on June 13. Tickets are $15 per head.

There'll be great prizes for the winners and plenty of laughs for all.

For tickets or more details, contact the kinder on 9570 2246.

ADVENT STICKS ARE BACK!

2008-11-06T01:45:00.000-08:00

Don’t be like the 20 people from as far away as Dandenong Ranges that contacted me last year wanting to buy an advent stick only to find that they had missed out.

ON SALE AT THE THURSDAY MARKET UNTIL THE END OF NOVEMBER.

ALSO ON SALE ON THE TARALEIGH STEINER KINDERGARTEN CRAFT STALL AT THE ROCK THE BOAT CONCERT.

$18

For those who don't know, these advent calendars are filled with treats a little more substantial than chocolate, holding items from nature or made from items from nature. They are beautiful to behold and children love them and find them very exciting.

Your advent stick is a beautiful way for your family to celebrate the lead up to Christmas. Each day you open one parcel to find a tiny treasure inside. You can let the child whose turn it is to open the parcel keep the treasure or you can put it onto a special table or collection point to build up your advent display. The idea is that you have ONE per family and that the children take turns in opening the parcels.

In the first week you will find that the items you discover inside the parcels represent the earth and are made from materials we get from the earth, such as glass, metal, and clay. In the second week you will find items that represent the plant world, such as seed pods, flowers, and bark. In the third week you will discover representations of animals or items made from materials we get from animals, such as bees wax and fleece. In the final week you will find representations of humans.

To reserve your advent stick contact Denise at homebirth AT optusnet.com.au or on 8503 7999.

PS: The 2010 price for advent sticks and advent strings in $25 plus postage.
To stay up to date or for more detail go the the advent sticks website at adventsticks.com

Advent Sticks explained

2008-11-06T01:34:00.000-08:00

Advent Sticks and Strings - a natural, non-commercial advent tradition.

Your advent stick/string is a beautiful way for your family to celebrate the lead up to Christmas. Each day you open one parcel to find a tiny treasure inside. You can let the child whose turn it is to open the parcel keep the treasure or you can put it onto a special table or collection point to build up your advent display. The idea is that you have ONE per family and that the children take turns in opening the parcels (after an adult removes them from the stick/string).

You might like to open the parcel at a set time every day, perhaps with a ritual or song leading up to the opening of the parcel.

Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, so in 2008 begin opening your advent stick/string parcels on SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH.

Your stick/string consists of 25 parcels (one each day from November 30 until December 24). You begin opening them from the red end and move systematically to the purple end. Make sure you are opening them in order as it is easy to skip one, especially on the strings. They should be laid out facing opposite directions in order so if you opened a parcel on the left hand side one day the next day’s parcel should be on the right hand side.

Some of your treasures are very fragile so don’t let your children feel them to try to guess what is inside the parcel. It is best to hang your advent stick/string somewhere where your children can see but not touch it. It is important that an adult removes the parcel from the stick/string then passes it to the child whose turn it is to open the parcel. DO NOT LET THE CHILDREN REMOVE THE PARCEL FROM THE STICK. Whether you cut or tear the parcel from the stick, please be careful not to break the surprise inside. Some surprises may inadvertently have been tied under the string that holds the parcel to the stick. If this happens you must very carefully remove it. DO NOT CUT THE STRING.

To open the parcels:
You will find that each parcel of tissue paper is tied onto the stick/string at the centre with an open end at one side and a wrapped parcel at the other side.

The idea is to remove the parcel end and leave the open end for decoration.

The golden string that ties the parcels to the stick is one continuous piece so if you cut or untie it all of your parcels will fall off. The strings (as opposed to the sticks) can be untied if you want a more dramatic indication of Christmas getting closer by removing both the parcel with the decorative end. If you choose to do this please be careful to ensure that the next knot is tight after you remove one parcel as the knots are not double knots.

To remove the parcel each day either cut or tear the parcel close to the string that holds the parcel to the stick/string.

Be careful not to damage the surprise inside as some are quite fragile.

In the first week you will find that the items you discover inside the parcels represent the earth and are made from materials we get from the earth, such as glass, metal, and clay. In the second week you will find items that represent the plant world, such as seed pods, flowers, and bark. In the third week you will discover representations of animals or items made from materials we get from animals, such as bees wax and fleece. In the final week you will find representations of humans.

Here is a list of the contents of the parcels, in case you need to do some arranging of whose turn it is to open the parcel:
Day One – Coloured Glass Stone
Day Two – Clay Bead (make it into a necklace or bracelet if you like)
Day Three – Special Stone (put it in water and rub it, turning it beautiful)
Day Four – Wishing Stone
Day Five – Metal Bell (hang it on your Christmas tree if you like)
Day Six – Pet Rock (make it a matchbox bed to sleep in)
Day Seven – Glass Marble
Day Eight – Seed Pod (do you know what tree it is from?)
Day Nine – Dried Flower (make a book mark with clear sticky tape)
Day Ten – Wooden Heart
Day Eleven – Witch’s Fingernail (or a gnome’s hat)
Day Twelve – Paper Bark
Day Thirteen – God’s Eye (made of wood and cotton)
Day Fourteen – Star of Anise (make aniseed tea if you like)
Day Fifteen – Shell
Day Sixteen – Bees Wax Candle
Day Seventeen – Bee
Day Eighteen – Origami Hopping Frog (make it jump by sliding your finger down off the back of its back)
Day Nineteen – Butterfly
Day Twenty – Coloured Feather
Day Twenty-One – Ball of Wool (ready for finger knitting or plaiting)
Day Twenty-Two – Corn Dolly
Day Twenty-Three – Fleece Lady
Day Twenty-Four – Mirror (see the person inside the mirror)
Day Twenty-Five - Pipe Cleaner Person

For enquiries or feedback (or to book an advent stick or string for next year) contact Denise on 8503 7999 or at homebirth AT optusnet.com.au

80s night! Saturday Rocktober 18

2008-10-07T04:32:00.000-07:00

Our kinder's MAJOR fundraiser for the year is on Saturday 18th October at the East Bentleigh School Hall at 7.30pm.

Relive the 80’s, put on some taffeta and dance the night away with our special 80’s music mix. There will be karaoke, great auctions, prizes and homemade curries and delicious snacks you can purchase on the night.

It will be a really fun night not to be missed, so get a table together with some other mums and dads, your family or friends and write your names on the table plan at the kinder notice board. Tickets are $15.00 per person.

You can also order tickets by calling 0438 600 033.

OPEN DAY at the kindergarten, May 31

2008-05-03T06:30:00.000-07:00

TARALEIGH STEINER PRE-SCHOOL
OPEN DAY

31st May from 10:30 - 2:30

Craft stalls, information, talks, story for the children, great food, cake stall, Steiner information.

We'd love to see you there!

90 Bignell Road

East Bentleigh, VIC, 3165

Another inspirational parenting talk.

2007-08-10T04:07:00.000-07:00

Martina Stobart
"Bringing the Steiner Philosophy alive for ourselves as parents"

Thursday 16th August 7.30 - 8.30 pm
At Taraleigh Steiner Preschool
Admission: a $5.00 donation to kinder.

Kim Billington - speaking at the kinder this Friday.

2007-07-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

Kim Billington is an experienced public speaker, author, teacher, (mainstream and steiner) and playgroup leader.

Come and hear her first hand this Friday August 3 at 7.30 PM, in the hall at East Bentleigh Primary School, Bignell Rd, East Bentleigh.

Cost: $5.00 per person or family, booking not required but get there early as attendance is usually high.

Parenting, the Journey. A reflection on the work of the parenting, and nurturing our children.

Common parenting issues in this talk include:
Sibling rivalry, discipline, computers and supporting your child’s pre- literacy and development.

The session will include a question and answer section.

The event is open to the public and we warmly welcome you to attend.
Enquires: Leave a message at the kinder on 95702246

Big night out - big success!

2007-07-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who came and had a great night, we raised over $4000!!!! A big thank you to the group of organisers, especially, Mandy, Nitty and Heidi and all their helpers.

Public talk: Parenting, the journey.

2007-06-27T03:33:00.000-07:00

On August 3, inspirational speaker and Steiner teacher Kim Billington will give a talk in the East Bentleigh Primary School Hall. The topic will be 'Parenting, the journey.' Look for details in the Kinder newsletter or leave your number at 9570 2246 when you ask for more information.

Saturday June 30 - The BIG NIGHT OUT

2007-06-21T05:02:00.000-07:00

Our popular FUNdraiser is back - the Big Night Out returns on Saturday June 30 from 8.00pm. It will take place in the Hall of East Bentleigh Primary School.Live entertainment will be provided by 'Baba Yaga and the Token Male' - back by popular demand. Come and join us for fun and games, dancing, a silent auction and much more.

Tickets are $15 per adults (yes, this is a night for the adults) and can be booked by calling Mark on 9570 3525.

BYO dinner/nibbles, drinks etc.

Our volunteers awarded by council.

2007-06-10T19:59:00.000-07:00

Glen Eira City Council has recognised three of our volunteers as part of National Volunteer Week 2007. At a ceremony held in the Town Hall, Eveline McGrath received an award for 1000 hours of voluntary service to the Pre-School. Rachel Carey and Martin Greenwood both received awards for 500 hours. We all know how crucial their efforts have been to the kinder, and now their contribution has been officially recognised. Martin, Rachel and Eveline, Well done and thanks from the kinder community!

Your double invitation - Official Opening and Open Day.

2007-05-28T04:29:00.000-07:00

Come and celebrate our official opening and/or check out our fantastic new kinder.

Put Saturday June 16 in your diary and join us for these milestone events.

The Official Opening will begin at 11.00am. Rob Hudson MP, Member for Bentleigh will officially open our new pre-school and unveil the plaque. Then from 1pm - 3pm, our Open Day activities will offer plenty for children and parents to enjoy while learning more about the Steiner pre-school programme and our kindergarten in particular.

Please spread the word and we look forward to seeing you there!

WORKING BEE THIS SUNDAY 27 MAY 10-2PM

2007-05-25T00:14:00.000-07:00

Please bring along gardening gloves, gardening tools, paint brushes and cleaning cloths. If you are handy with power tools and can build some shelving, please call Sonia on 95633087.

Playgroup vacancies for younger children.

2007-05-06T20:56:00.000-07:00

Would you like to meet some like-minded families? Come along for a relaxed morning at playgroup. The kids have a great time.
We currently have vacancies in our Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday morning Steiner playgroups at Moorleigh Community Centre. Call 9570 3421 for more details.

CELEBRATION SATURDAY 21ST APRIL AT TARALEIGH

2007-04-19T00:19:00.000-07:00

A celebration of everyone’s hard work to get the kinder ready in time. Please come along, bring a plate and celebrate.
TIME: 11AM – 2PM

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.

Our new phone number...

2007-04-08T03:37:00.000-07:00

To contact the Taraleigh Rudolf Steiner Pre-School Inc please call 9570 2246.

SUCCESS: Our new kinder will be open for term two

2007-04-07T03:15:00.000-07:00

Hooray! The hard work paid off. We have a beautiful new site for our Pre-School. And importantly, the DHS agreed, so we will be in this fantastic new location from term two, 2007.

Remember, we have vacancies in older group, so now is the perfect time to enrol and benefit from our delightful new environment.

Saturday March 31 - a 'last ditch' effort

2007-03-20T19:19:00.000-07:00

If you've seen this week's Leader Newspaper, you'll know what a crucial stage we're at. So we're putting on a big 'do or die' community day for the working bee on Saturday March 31. We need to get the grounds of the new kindergarten ready before the current lease expires.

Location : New kinder premises, East Bentleigh Primary School, Bignell Road, East Bentleigh.
Date : Saturday March 31, 2007
Time : Any time after 8am.

Child minding, sausage sizzle and other lunch, morning tea etc will be available and you'll be helping the pre-school in its hour of need. There's something that everyone can do and a prize for the family with the most volunteers.

Bring your friends and family - the more the merrier!

Please let Rachel know that you'll be there by calling 9521 8278.

PS: If you can't join the working bee, please offer to provide some catering for those that do.

Evening talk. Tuesday March 20, 7.30 pm.

2007-03-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

Educational Talk: The Essence of Steiner Education.

You’re invited to an informative talk presented by Megan Young, founding teacher at our pre-school who taught there for 12 years. Learn about the essence of Steiner Education, with a chance to ask questions. All welcome.

The talk will take place at the kinder: Carnegie Rudolf Steiner
Pre School Centre Inc.
Tara Grove
Carnegie, VIC, 3163.

Tuesday March 20, 7.30 – 8.30 pm. Supper afterwards. $5 entry (fundraising for the kinder)

Working Bees this Saturday and Sunday

2007-03-15T02:38:00.000-07:00

We will be running working bees at the new kinder site on Saturday and Sunday this weekend.

Saturday 17 March - 9.30 am to around 3 pm
Sunday 18 March - 9 am to around 3 pm

The new kinder site is at East Bentleigh Primary School, Bignell Rd, East Bentleigh.

On Saturday 17 March, we will be constructing some garden beds, building a frame for a swing set, doing some fencing, putting up shelves and constructing cupboards. If you're experienced in woodwork, we'd particularly like to have you at this working bee. Please don't be put off if you're not. There are lots of other things to do like painting, varnishing, and cleaning up the site. Please bring along the following if you have them: drill, driver, circular saw, belt sander, workbench, tape measure, hammers, rubber gloves, paint brushes, rags, canvas drop sheets.

On Sunday 18 March, we will be painting the inside of the building, varnishing joinery and cleaning up the site. Please bring the following if you have them - rubber gloves, paint brushes, rollers on poles, paint trays, ladders, rags to wipe down paint work, drop sheets, shovels and wheelbarrows.

We're also looking for people to provide lunch at these working bees. Please contact me if you can help with that.

Please wear solid footwear and old clothes that you don't mind getting dirty - we're working on a building site, there are obstacles around and it's very dusty. Please note that children are not allowed on the new kinder site during the working bee as it is a building site and not safe for children. Older children are welcome to play in the school playgrounds outside the working bee site.

If you can help at any of these working bees, please contact me on:

9521 8278/0425 739 529, rachel@careythomas.com.au

Please contact me to let me know you can attend, so that I can ensure we have the right number of people and advise you of any last minute changes.

If you are unable to help out at weekend working bees, but are able to help out during the week that's great. Let me know when you can help and I'll let you know what needs doing.

Thank you for your help.

Rachel

Tasks and materials you can help with

2007-03-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

We now have just 3 weeks left to finish off the rest of the work on the kinder building and garden if we are to get everything ready by the start of term 2.

We can still get everything ready in time to open, but only with a mammoth effort from the entire kinder community and help from the broader community.

We are getting help from the broader community already - Orica has donated all the paints for the building, Lewis's timber yard on Jasper Rd, Bentleigh is donating the timber for shelves and cupboards, as well as sawdust & mulch, Delfin provided us with boulders, Xavier college has given us rocks for garden beds. And people from outside the kinder community have also been helping to get the building ready. We have had school teachers and the school principal in painting, grandparents are coming in to help, I have asked for volunteers from the local Rotary group, and past members of the kinder community whose children have moved on to school are also putting in a huge amount of time.

But we can only do this if every member of the kinder community gets involved as well and really stretches themselves over the next 3 weeks. I know it's difficult - we all have small children, babies, work commitments, family responsibilities - and very little spare time. But 3 weeks of hard yakka isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things, and at the end of it all, you'll have secured the future of the kindergarten for your children.

There will be working bees on both Saturday and Sunday every weekend for the next 3 weeks (17-18 March, 24-25 March and 31 Mar-1 April), starting around 9am. There are also smaller groups of parents helping most days during the week, and some coming in in the evenings. Let me know when you can help.

Some ideas for helping:

- Get together with other kinder parents and share childcare so you can help out
- Ask grandparents to babysit - many kinder parents are doing this so they can help
- Or ask grandparents or other friends/family to help at working bees - my mum has proved very handy with a paint brush!
- Come when it's easiest for you to help - during weekdays, in the evening or at weekends - just let me know when you can come and I'll let you know what needs to be done
- Help by collecting trailer loads of garden materials for us - we still need trailers to collect rocks, sleepers, sawdust and mulch
- Offer to help with admin tasks - some things can be done from home, sitting at a phone
- Offer to bring lunch or morning tea for volunteers at working bees
- Help source the materials that we still need - do you know a place we might be able to get these materials free or cheap?
- On Saturday 24 March from 10am - 4pm it's the East Bentleigh Primary School autumn fair. Bring the kids along to enjoy the fair with their kinder and school friends while one parent helps out for a few hours at the working bee!

Materials we still need

Sand pit sand (13 cubic metres)
Gravel (4 cubic meters)
Mulch (20 cubic metres)
Compost (20 cubic meters compost)
Redgum or other hardwood sleepers for garden beds
Ready mix concrete
Soil – lots!
Plants
Rocks & bluestones to build garden beds
A garden shed (3m x 3m or similar)
A fax machine
Specialist skills needed

We are desperately looking for a renderer who can render the pillars around the front fence boundary for us - do you know someone who can help?

If you can help with any of these things, please contact me on:

9521 8278/ 0425 739 529/ rachel@careythomas.com.au

Thanks,

Rachel

Trailers for rocks, sawdust, mulch etc

2007-03-07T19:52:00.000-08:00

We need the help of some people with trailers to collect rocks, sawdust & some red gum sleepers and deliver them to the new kinder site at East Bentleigh Primary School. We need to get them delivered to the site by this Saturday for a garden working bee.

We will also need people with trailers in the next few weeks to collect mulch, so if you can't help this weekend, but do have a trailer and are happy to help another time, please let me know.

In addition, we need old newspapers - again for use in the garden, and preferably by this Saturday. And if you happen to have any rocks or bluestones that you don't need that would be good for constructing garden beds, we'd be very grateful for them too.

If you can help with any of these things, please contact me.

9521 8278/0425 739 529, rachel@careythomas.com.au

Thank you,

Rachel

Long weekend working bees

2007-03-07T18:17:00.000-08:00

We now have just 4 weeks left to complete all the work at the new kindergarten site if we are to get the kindergarten open for the start of term 2. We're making progress but there is still a huge amount of work to be done. We still need to paint inside, varnish joinery, build cupboards and shelves, construct pathways, finish the fencing, construct garden beds, build a swingset and a climbing frame.

We are holding working bees on Saturday and Sunday this weekend from 9 am to around 3pm. I know this is a long weekend and a lot of people are away. If you are around, please consider coming along to help as we're likely to have fewer helpers.

On Saturday, we will be constructing some garden beds and some wooden balancing beams in the garden, building a frame for a swing set, digging a pathway and doing some painting. Please bring along the following if you have them: drill, driver, circular saw, belt sander, workbench, tape measure, hammers, rubber gloves, shovels, wheelbarrows, paint brushes, rollers on poles & paint trays, canvas drop sheets.

On Sunday, we'll be digging some garden pathways and doing some painting. Please bring along the following if you have them - paint brushes, rollers on poles & paint trays, rubber gloves, buckets, rags for cleaning, broom, dustpan & brush, canvas drop sheets, shovels and wheelbarrows.

We are also looking for people to provide morning tea and lunch at these working bees, so please let me know if you can help with that.

The working bees will be held at the new kinder site at East Bentleigh Primary School (Bignell Road, East Bentleigh).

Please wear solid footwear and old clothes that you don't mind getting dirty - we're working on a building site, there are obstacles around and it's very dusty.

If you can help at any of these working bees, please contact me on:

9521 8278/0425 739 529, rachel@careythomas.com.au

Please contact me to let me know you can attend, so that I can ensure we have the right number of people and advise you of any last minute changes.

Please note that children are not allowed on the new kinder site during the working bee as it is a building site and not safe for children. Older children are welcome to play in the school playgrounds outside the working bee site.

Thank you for your help.

Rachel

Vacancies for Older Group kindergarten.

2007-02-28T03:22:00.000-08:00

We currently have a few vacancies for the Pre-School's Older Group at our kindergarten in South East Melbourne. Older Group children should be turning five before the end of this year. Older Group sessions are held on Thursday and Friday at Tara Grove in Carnegie, hopefully moving to Bignell Road East Bentleigh for Term Two.

You can Phone 9578 1576 or email carnegie.rudolf.steiner.kin@kindergarten.vic.gov.au or apply online at http://steinerpreschool.wufoo.com/forms/carnegie-rudolf-steiner-preschool/

Feel free to enquire about Younger Group as well, which is held on Monday and Tuesday.

Kinder working bees this weekend

2007-02-28T03:20:00.000-08:00

For the next three weekends, we will be running working bees on Saturday and Sunday at the new kinder site. We will be trying to make significant progress with the vast amount of work that still has to be done before our new kindergarten can open at the start of term 2.

This is make or break time folks, so please make efforts to try to attend some of these working bees. There are jobs for everyone - digging, painting, sanding, cleaning... You don't need to be at all handy, just bring your energy and enthusiasm. We are also looking for people to provide morning tea and lunch at these working bees. Please contact me if you can help with that.

Working bee dates -

Saturday 3 March
Sunday 4 March

Saturday 10 March
Sunday 11 March

Saturday 17 March
Sunday 18 March

Working bees will run from about 9am to 3pm. All working bees will take place at the new kinder site at East Bentleigh Primary School, Bignell Rd, East Bentleigh.

On Saturday 3 March, we will be painting the inside of the building, installing some kitchen cupboards, constructing a section of the timber paling fence and finishing off the sandpit. Please bring the following if you have them - rubber gloves, sandpaper, paint brushes, ladders, rags to wipe down paint work, hammers, drop sheets, shovels and wheelbarrows.
On Sunday 4 March, we will be painting the inside of the building, painting some cupboards and digging a pathway. Please bring the following if you have them - rubber gloves, sandpaper, paint brushes, ladders, rags to wipe down paint work, drop sheets, shovels and wheelbarrows.

Please wear solid footwear and old clothes that you don't mind getting dirty - we're working on a building site, there are obstacles around and it's very dusty. Please note that children are not allowed on the new kinder site during the working bee as it is a building site and not safe for children. Older children are welcome to play in the school playgrounds outside the working bee site.

If you can help at any of these working bees, please contact me on:

9521 8278/0425 739 529, rachel@careythomas.com.au

Please contact me to let me know you can attend, so that I can ensure we have the right number of people and advise you of any last minute changes.

If you are unable to help out at weekend working bees, but are able to help out during the week - e.g. during school hours or in the evenings - please contact me to let me know and discuss getting access to the building.

Thank you for your help.

Rachel

Working Bees this weekend

2007-02-21T02:49:00.000-08:00

We will be running 2 working bees at the new kinder site at East Bentleigh Primary School (Bignell Rd, East Bentleigh) this weekend.

We are running the first working bee on Saturday 24th Feb from about 8.30 am. We'll be constructing a section of timber fencing and finishing off building the sandpit. If you have any basic timber skills and can come along, that would be particularly helpful, but don't be put off if you don't have any woodworking skills or aren't especially handy because there are other things that need doing too. Please bring along the following if you have them: drill, driver, circular saw, belt sander, workbench, tape measure, hammers, rubber gloves, shovels and trowels, wheelbarrows, polyfiller and spatula for applying it.

The second working bee will be on Sunday 25th Feb from 9 am. We'll be preparing the interior of the building for painting work, digging a pathway, and perhaps starting on some painting inside the building, and staining some sections of the fence (depending on the weather). Please bring along the following if you have them - rubber gloves, buckets, rags for cleaning, broom, scrapers, sandpaper, paint brushes, canvas drop sheets, shovels, wheelbarrows, polyfiller and spatula for applying it.

Please wear solid footwear and old clothes that you don't mind getting dirty - we're working on a building site, there are obstacles around and it's very dusty.

If you can help at any of these working bees, please contact me on:

9521 8278/0425 739 529, rachel@careythomas.com.au

Please contact me to let me know you can attend, so that I can ensure we have the right number of people and advise you of any last minute changes.

Please note that children are not allowed on the new kinder site during the working bee as it is a building site and not safe for children. Older children are welcome to play in the school playgrounds outside the working bee site.

Thank you for your help.

Rachel

Help needed urgently if kinder is to have a home!

2007-02-19T03:31:00.000-08:00

Hello kinder parents and friends,

The Carnegie Rudolf Steiner Pre-School urgently needs your help. The lease at our current premises at Tara Grove runs out at the end of term 1, which means that we have only 6 weeks to finish all the work at the new kinder site at East Bentleigh Primary School if the kinder is to have a home for term 2.

We have also had some bad luck on the building site in the last week - a plumbing/sewerage issue arose that will add extra cost and time delays to the project, and vandals knocked down 6 of the masonry pillars on the perimeter fencing (one of several acts of vandalism on the site that have caused delays in the building works).

All of this has made the already difficult task of getting the kinder ready to open even more difficult. The amount of work still to be done is huge – as anyone who has visited the site recently will already know - and it will require a phenomenal effort from the entire community if we are to get the building ready for term 2. But let's not forget that we are near the end of a very long road for this project.

Efforts to relocate the kinder to East Bentleigh Primary School began almost 5 years ago when the Uniting Church informed us they were going to sell the hall at Tara Grove, and there have been many occasions since when it looked like the kinder might close, because our lease at Tara Grove was tenuous and we didn't have the funds to relocate. Each time the community banded together to ensure the kinder's survival. We find ourselves at that juncture again, but this time there is light at the end of the tunnel - we're almost there. With a supreme effort from the current kinder community, and perhaps a little bit of help from our friends - past and future kinder families - we can still get the kinder open for the beginning of term 2.

We know that it is difficult for some people to attend working bees at weekends, so to make it easier for everyone to help, we have divided the tasks up into manageable chunks, and specified the time period in which they need to be completed, so that you can get together with a couple of people (or come by yourself) to help out at a time that suits you. We will still be running working bees at weekends if you find it easier to come along and help then.

Below this post is a list of most of the tasks that need to be done by the kinder community before our new kinder can open (tasks like planting the garden and sewing curtains and other furnishings are not yet on the list). We need to have everything on this list done by the end of March if we are to open on time at the beginning of term 2.

Task & When the task needs to be done:

Internal painting
Paint main room 1- 15 March
Paint toilets 1 – 15 March
Paint store room 25 Feb – 15 March
Paint office & kiln room 25 Feb – 15 March
Paint kitchen & meals area 1 – 15 March

External painting
Fill & patch holes in weatherboards & window frames 18 Feb – 3 March
Paint extension for office & store room 1 – 25 March
Paint new window & door frames 1 – 25 March
Touch up other external paintwork as necessary 1 – 25 March

Shelves & cupboards
Construct & install storage cupboards in the main room 25 Feb – 15 March

Install overhead cupboard in the children’s toilets 25 Feb – 15 March

Install towel hooks in the children’s toilets 25 Feb – 15 March

Install shelf in the adult toilet 25 Feb – 15 March

Install timber shelf over the art trough in the main room 25 Feb – 15 March

Install timber canopy over the window in the office 25 Feb – 15 March

Install overhead cupboards in the kitchen 3 – 18 March

Staining & oiling of joinery
Stain & oil kitchen cupboards & benchtops 25 Feb – 25 March
Stain & oil joinery in toilets 25 Feb – 25 March
Stain & oil joinery in main room & meals area 25 Feb – 25 March
Stain & oil joinery in kiln room and store room 25 Feb – 25 March
Stain & oil joinery in office 25 Feb – 25 March

Fencing
Render masonry inserts to perimeter fencing 7 – 11 March
Paint masonry inserts to perimeter fencing 14 – 18 March
Finish construction of timber fencing 18 Feb – 18 March
Oil timber fencing (school carpark fencing) 5 – 18 March
Oil timber fencing (Bignell Rd fencing) 5 – 18 March
Oil timber fencing (Moorleigh laneway fencing) 5 – 18 March

Gates
Construct & install 3 timber gates & install one cyclone gate 28 Feb – 4 March

Sandpit
Finish sandpit construction Working bee on 24 Feb from 8.30am
Fill sandpit with sand Working bee on 24 Feb from 8.30 am
Build swingframe & install swings 15 Feb – 15 March

Build climbing frame 15 Feb – 15 March

Build pole maze 15 Feb – 15 March

Grade ground around trees near building (so tree roots don’t present a hazard to children) 3 – 15 March

Construct main pathway from Bignell Rd to kinder entrance & grade for pushchair access 15 Feb – 15 March

Construct pathway from kinder entrance to door 3 – 15 March

We are asking members of the kinder community to consider which of the tasks on this list they are able to lead (i.e. be responsible for getting the task done) or help out with. We need many more people to lead tasks – at the moment, we have just a couple of people who are leading all working bees and they are feeling exhausted! Please consider also leading tasks.

You can talk to me – Rachel Carey (0425 739 529/9521 8278, rachel@careythomas.com.au) – about getting hold of the materials you need, finding other people to help, getting hold of the key to the building etc.

Please contact me to let me know which tasks you are able to help out with. The list is also at the kinder at Tara Grove near the sign in book if you would like to put your name down there.

Thank you on behalf of all the children who are looking forward to moving into their new kindergarten and very much hoping that it will be ready soon.

Rachel

Steiner story-telling at the Sustainable Living Festival

2007-02-15T02:31:00.000-08:00

Our kindergarten will be represented at the Sustainable Living Festival at Federation Square this Sunday February 18.

Come and hear parent Denise McDonough at the playground near Birrarung Marr.

Title: Story Telling for Young Families

Speaker: Denise McDonough

Location: Playground

Date: Sunday 18 February 2007

FIRST SESSION:
Time: 11.00am-12.00pm

SECOND SESSION:
Time: 1.00pm-2.00pm

Working Bees February 17 & 18

2007-02-15T02:26:00.000-08:00

We will be running 3 working bees at the new kinder site at East Bentleigh Primary School this weekend.

We are running the first working bee on Friday evening from about 4.30 pm for a few hours. We need just a few people for this working bee to dig in some fence posts and set them in concrete. If you've been involved in the fencing work at previous working bees and can spare a few hours, we'd particularly appreciate your help at this working bee (and/or Sunday's working bee when we'll also be doing some fencing work).

The second working bee will be on Saturday morning from 7.30 am to about 12 pm (the early start and finish this weekend is due to the weather forecast of very high temperatures). This working bee is to finish off constructing the sandpit - putting in boulders, posts and timber edging. Again, we need a small team of people. Please bring shovels and crow bars if you have them.

The third working bee is on Sunday morning from 8am to 12pm. We need a bigger group of people for this working bee as there are a number of different tasks - putting up timber palings on a section of fencing, digging a pathway, clearing the storeroom of furniture and filling and patching up holes in the weatherboards and window frames on the exterior of the building. Please bring the following if you have them: shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows, hammers, polyfiller, metal spatula for applying polyfiller.

If you can help at any of these working bees, please contact me on:

9521 8278/0425 739 529, rachel@careythomas.com.au

Please contact me to let me know you can attend, so that I can ensure we have the right number of people and advise you of any last minute changes.

Please note that children are not allowed on the new kinder site during the working bee as it is a building site and not safe for children. Older children are welcome to play in the school playgrounds outside the working bee site.

Thank you for your help.

Rachel Carey

Changes to working bee schedule for new kinder

2007-01-31T01:55:00.000-08:00

We are making some changes to the working bee schedule, because of issues that have arisen with the building works.

Firstly, this Sunday's working bee is cancelled. This is because plumbing works have been delayed by a week, and we need to wait until work on the drains is complete before we can start the garden work. We have also had to delay the remainder of the fencing work, because parts of the supporting masonry need rebuilding.

Instead, we are running a working bee on Saturday to build the kitchen cupboards and benchtops. It looks like we have enough people for that one with people who have contacted me already. For others who are thinking of volunteering their time, perhaps you could consider coming to one of the working bees on the following two weekends when we will need a lot of people to attend.

To make up for the cancelled working bees, we will need to run large working bees on both days of the following two weekends so that we can make headway with the garden, fencing and interior works. Working bees will be held on:

Saturday 10 February - garden work
Sunday 11 February - garden work
Saturday 17 February - garden, fencing and interior work (painting etc)
Sunday 18 February - garden, fencing and interior work (painting etc)

All working bees will be held at the new kinder site at East Bentleigh Primary School, Bignell Rd, East Bentleigh. Working bees will generally start around 9am. We sometimes need to make changes to working bees at short notice so we ask you to please let us know in advance whether you’ll be attending a working bee so we can inform you of last minute changes. This also helps us to ensure we have the right number of people at each working bee.

Please note that children are not allowed on the new kinder site during working bees on 10 and 11 February as it is a building site and not safe for children (we hope that the site will be safe for children by the 17 & 18 February working bees). Older children are welcome to play in the school playgrounds outside the working bee site.

If you are unable to help at working bees, then please consider helping in some other way, such as providing food and drinks for lunch, morning or afternoon tea, or donating equipment or materials.

Please get in touch with Rachel Carey to let us know how you can help.

Rachel Carey - 9521 8278/0425 739 529, rachel@careythomas.com.au

Thank you,

Rachel

New premises officer, Carnegie Rudolf Steiner Pre-School parent committee

'Handy' people needed urgently to help on the new kinder's kitchen

2007-01-29T15:07:00.000-08:00

We are looking for some help at the new kinder building. We need to do some joinery work in the new kitchen - building and putting up kitchen cupboards and benchtops, and we need to have the work finished in the next fortnight so that we don't hold up the building program.

Have you ever built kitchen cupboards and benchtops or done something similar? Do you have any skills or experience in woodwork/carpentry/joinery or do you know anyone who has?

We plan on holding a working bee this Saturday (3 February) to start on the work, beginning at around 9 am.

If you think you or someone you know might be able to help in any way, please get in touch with Rachel Carey:

rachel@careythomas.com.au/ 9521 8278/ 0425 739 529

Part or all of the working bee may be held off the new kinder site, so please contact me for details. And if you can't make Saturday's working bee, but are able to help, please contact me anyway.

Thanks,

Rachel

New Premises officer, kinder committee

Important working bees

2007-01-06T15:41:00.000-08:00

Dear past, present and future kinder community members,

This request for help is aimed primarily at current and future kinder parents, but we would all be extremely grateful for any help that past members of the kinder community or members of the school community feel that they can also give to this project. There is a lot of work to be done to get the new kindergarten at East Bentleigh Primary School ready to open in early 2007!

As most of you will already know, to be able to go ahead with project at all, we have had to cut costs wherever we can, and we - the parent community - need to take on everything that we can tackle ourselves. This includes:

Painting - internal and external
Joinery work on the kitchen cupboards and putting shelves up
Oiling of all new joinery
Getting the garden ready
Fencing

Working bees will begin at the site early in the new year. There is a huge amount of work to be done, and we will need all hands on deck to achieve it. Please get out your diaries and check your schedules to see when you might be able to come along and help. Don't worry if you're not particularly handy with DIY, fencing or gardening. All working bees will be well supervised, and all help is very welcome. Please bring along any grandparents, aunts, uncles or friends who are also willing to help.

The first working bees start the weekend of 6-7 January. Working bees on that weekend and the following weekend (13 and 14 January) will mainly involve fencing. Working bees from mid-January will also involve work on the garden, and February working bees will include painting and other work on the building. Working bees will generally start from 8 am. All working bees will take place at the new kinder site at East Bentleigh Primary School (the art building, accessible from Bignell Road).

Working bees will take place on...
Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 January
Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 January
Sunday 21 January
Sunday 28 January
Sunday 4 February
Sunday 11 February
Sunday 18 February
Sunday 25 February (and additional Sundays until all the work is finished...)
We will be following up with phone calls in the new year and prior to working bees to check availability, but please get in touch with either me or Martin Greenwood to let us know when you can help.
Rachel Carey - 9521 8278/0425 739 529, rcarey@careythomas.com.au
Martin Greenwood - 9551 0721/0408 338 420, bmgreenwood@bigpond.com
Also, if you are taking time off during January and are available to help at other times, please get in touch to let us know. If a few people are available then, we'll convene another small working bee.

The sooner we get the work finished, the sooner the children can move into their beautiful new kindergarten. Thank you very much in advance for any help that you are able to give.

Rachel Carey
New Premises Officer, Carnegie Rudolf Steiner Pre-School Inc

Spring Open Day, November 26.

2006-11-13T02:15:00.000-08:00

You're invited to the Carnegie Rudolf Steiner Pre-School Spring Open Day. Sunday November 26, 2006. 10.00 am until 3.00 pm.

Music. Massage. Craft stall. Cafe. Story telling. Puppet show. Children's craft tent. Breadmaking.

Entrance from Tara Grove, Carnegie (near the corner of North and Koornang Roads).

CRAFT MARKET AT COLLINGWOOD COLLEGE– 10/9/06.

2006-09-07T04:08:00.000-07:00

In light of the recent success of our craft stalls we venture to Collingwood College this sunday 10/9/06 between 11am and 3 pm to see if we can crack the $1000.00 barrier.
The stall will be held at Collingwood college, cnr cromwell street and mccutcheon way, collingwood.

Help needed:
Please volunteer to help at the tables. Please look for a roster on the wall/door/noticeboard at kinder and nominate when you can help us.
Rochelle in younger group and/or amy in older should be able to assist with any details.