YSS Newsletter 2025 Term 1 Week 2

I acknowledge the Wadandi (Saltwater People) as the traditional custodians of these lands, skies and waterways where we come together at Yallingup Steiner School, and where learning has taken place for thousands of years. I extend this respect to all First Nations people and thank the Ancestors, Elders, and custodians of the Wadandi community. With expert knowledge, the Wadandi people have cared for and continue to nurture Country, in their many restoration projects, community and cultural research and spiritual wisdom of the earth as sacred.

St Brigid

In the morning and evening of December the 9^th, the Class 3 children of 2024, gave two stunning performances inspired by the deeply intuitive and beautiful work of Diane Tatum in her festival script version of  ‘Brigid of Iona’. The children and I have been working on this play for some time as a labour of love and we began contemplating the spirit of Brigid, both the Goddess and the Saint in the previous year of Class Two, also through the work of Diane.

Many people have asked how it all came together.  Well, piece by piece, section by section throughout most of the year, the children engaged with the songs and speech during morning circle time and drama classes.  Some children learned lines at home. In the final two weeks we placed the pieces of our puzzle together. We were assisted by Rae Lee with our  ‘Every Leaf on Every tree’ song and movements as well as the melody of ‘Sacred Fire’ and general support. Julie gave insight throughout eurythmy sessions for the added ‘Goddess Brigid’ song and other heartfelt elements the children later adapted to fit with the opening scene.  The children created many of their own movements especially in the contraction and expansion of the song ‘Sacred Fire’. They were asked to consider what deep reverence might mean and how this could present in movement and song. I was astounded at their level of maturity, investment and ability to hold the sacred, which in turn guided me to reflect on the nature of reverence.  

On the sacred, and in the beginning, Laura Mc Donald’s  ‘Welcome to Country’ was truly a wonderous gift. These opening sentiments were golden as they allowed for the gold of several other streams of inspiration  -to shine through in companionship, healing and unity. Indeed, one of the major impetuses behind this work was the idea that the First Nations people and the Ancient Celts were always present at significant moments and shifts of human consciousness throughout world history.

The work of the play formed alongside our ‘Authority and Leadership’ learning  block, which considers myths and stories from the Old Testament, rather than from a religious standpoint. In this imagination, the children travelled through Brigid’s portal, to discover stories of Moses told from both Islamic and Hebrew perspectives. The play  took greater form when the children began working with the Chivalric set of “Iron Rules” (rules developed by the Hazrat Inayat Khan and Pir Zia Inayat Khan).  In an abbreviated and accessible form, the children and I worked through these rules as an alternative and compliment to traditional sets of laws. Although, there was no outer manifestation of this, there appeared to be an inner working, which spoke to the needs of the nine-year-old child, and which I believe allowed for unique expression in the work of our play. 

In our additional ocean scene, the class was gifted by the presence of Brigid’s Brigand’s (Juliette, Laura, Leila, ) singing  the Celtic hymn ‘Gabhaim Molta Bride’ in Gaelic. It was truly an honour to sing with such accomplished women, naturally gifted in the healing arts and harmony. Included in this magic was another Brigid’s Brigand’s member – Robbie who assisted in our understanding of Celtic mythology in Class Two and conveyed an authentic and soulful expression through tin whistle accompaniment. All of the children worked together in creating this scene through our drama classes. This contemporary dance movement was inspired by considering and becoming the nature of the elements, particularly water –  experiencing how it moves and dances as the softest rain or as part of a raging and relentless ocean mediated by the moving elixir of silence, and essence of Dadirri. 

A special  thank you to the following people  – to  Jacqui who carefully created the movement costumes years earlier for another of Diane Tatum’s plays ‘Persephone’ , performed by Rae Lee’s former class. To Laura’s Keane’s mother Vivienne who made the Druid King and Brigid’s capes, to Juliette for crafting Brigid’s cross, to Paul for gifting his felt birds, which were employed as peace doves.  These were made for Paul’s  previous play – ‘Conference of the Birds’ by the Sufi poet, Farid ud din Attar. To Donna Livingstone for her support. To Jodie Cranfield who selflessly gave of her time in the kitchen, to Gaia who beautifully captured this work in her photography and for all other staff and parents, who perhaps without realising, gave much needed encouragement and understanding.

I would also like to acknowledge the brilliance of Anna Bogochova, who weaved all of this work together through her exquisite piano accompaniment and additional hymns played during transitions, there is always a felt sense of wonder when listening to Anna play. 

Finally, I would like to thank the children. It was joy to see them excitedly working on ideas as they collaborated and worked well together, making this work their own. It complimented the fine work of previous classes throughout the years as well as other class plays, and speech work performed in classes for 2024, with each offering a true and timely expression of the divine feminine.