If you listen carefully...

...on Mt St John, you can hear lots of different sounds.

Like the sound of lovely birds. - Vanessa

...And mooing sounds, when the cows speak. I think they’re saying hello to us. - Anika

You might hear dogs barking. - Paige

You hear the trees blowing in the wind. Listen, it’s like this...whoooo wooooo whisssh.

- Zara

We hear the chapel bell when it rings, just before we have a picnic morning tea. - Sophie

It’s peaceful on Mt St John. You hear peaceful quiet sounds. - Emma

There are different smells on Mt St John too!

Sometimes you can smell a smell of perfume and it’s really nice. - Alice

But sometimes you smell cow poo! - Anika

You can also smell a fresh air smell, which kind of smells like nothing.
- Paige

Mount Saint John is a beautiful place. It has beautiful flowers and beautiful bushes and trees. Trees that you can climb. Some aren’t so good, but some are REALLY good to climb. Ones that are easy.

- Paige

Our Wishing Tree.

Yesterday we made our very own wishing tree. This is a tree which captures all of our hopes and dreams! We have been inviting our mums and dads, grandparents and sisters to all hang a wish on our tree too and it is filling up fast. If you have a spare moment, take some time to read the different wishes. They are inspiring, thought provoking, funny, clever, and a real delight to read.

"The wishing tree is special because the wishes are like the leaves of the tree."

 - Vanessa

"Children the world over have a right to a childhood filled with beauty, joy, adventure, and companionship. They will grow toward ecological literacy if the soil they are nurtured in is rich with experience, love, and good examples."

- Alan Dyer (A Sense of Adventure.)

The stained glass windows.

On Tuesday during our visit to the Chapel, Vanessa, Emily and Kaitlyn expressed a particular interest in the stained glass windows. The girls spoke excitedly about the pictures that are in the windows, as well as the stories they tell and the beautiful colours which cast "rainbow shadows" across the chapel seats, when the sun is present. 

"They're very beautiful" Vanessa expressed as she touched one of them carefully. 

The girls were invited to photograph the windows, as well as to sit and draw them. Unfortunately, we had only brought sketching pencils with us to the chapel. The girls each did a pencil sketch of the windows, but it was evident that they weren't satisfied with only these drawings. "I wish we had colours here with us!" Emily shared.

When we returned to the classroom, I invited the girls into the office to print off the photographs of the windows. "I know!" Kaitlyn shared excitedly, "we can do a drawing of the windows from the photo and use colours too!" 

We set up a table in a lovely sunny spot in the garden and the girls worked for nearly an hour on their stunning pictures! Their enthusiasm and perseverance was impressive, as this was a very time consuming project, and the joy which was shared upon completion of the drawings was very special.

The girls are very proud of their drawings and loved taking these down to share with Mrs Brewin. 

Artist: Vanessa

Artist: Kaitlyn

Artist: Emily

Our Chapel...

...through the eyes of the Foundation Class.

On Tuesday after our Chapel service, we stayed behind after everyone had left to return to their classrooms. Thinking about the book we are putting together for incoming girls, we thought it would be meaningful to share some of our insights about the Chapel. Going to Chapel can be quite a new experience for many of the girls who start with us. 

The girls shared many wonderful insights about the Chapel and following on from this they were each invited to photograph an aspect of the Chapel which they found interesting. 

Here are their photographs: 

Photographer: Kaitlyn

 

Photographer: Vanessa

 

Photographer: Emma

Photographer: Emily

 Photographer: Paige

Photographer: Zara

Photographer: Anika

Photographer: Sophie

Photographer: Chloé

Photographer: Alice

Photographer: Zoe

Reflections.

 Emma, Vanessa, McKenna, Emily, Chloé and Alice have also been sharing their understandings of what a neighbourhood is. The girls engaged in a fascinating discussion together and following on from this they represented their thinking through the language of drawing. Take a look below at their interesting drawings and descriptions of their work. The girls also wrote their own stories about these into their books!

 

 “In neighbourhoods there are playgrounds and animals. Like cats and dogs and that. Neighbourhoods have cafe’s in them too. I go to GPK and Prego, but they’re restaurants. Cafes, well you go to the cafe for breakfast and well with restaurants you go to those at night time, for dinner.” 

- Emma

 “If I walk outside my house, I can see my friend Esthers house. She is my friend and my neighbour and we love to play together.” - Vanessa

 

 “In my neighbourhood, around my house there are lots of trees. Some big ones and some little ones.”
- McKenna

 “The sky tower is in my neighbourhood. I live in the city. It’s a little bit loud in my neighbourhood. There’s lots of people and cars and wind!” - Emily

 “In my neighbourhood is a Japanese restaurant. I love getting the noodles from there.” - Chloé

“Sometimes I go to the shop with mum and dad and Lucy. We go when we need stuff like milk and bread. I wish that I could get an Ice cream every single time we go to the shop for these things but I’m not allowed. Only sometimes.” - Alice

Leaf rubbings.

 "We do not see nature with our eyes, but with our understandings and our hearts." 

- William Hazlett