A Variety of CoursesApril 30, 2012

We have multiple courses running at Taruna this week with both the Certificate in Applied Organics and Biodynamics and The Practice of Teaching Young Children.

The Applied Organics and Biodynamics has just started it’s Winter intake and the students are already busy studying the soil, compost making and have done three farm visits, Hohepa, Weleda and Te Koha.

 

The Practice of Teaching Young Children is part of our year long Diploma in Rudolf Steiner teaching but is also open students who want to join to do this week as a short course that is particularly appropriate for those involved in early childhood education or considering such involvement. We are pleased to welcome Marjorie Theyer,  who has been advisor to kindergarten and playgroup initiatives on behalf of the Federation of Rudolf Steiner schools for many years now.

Happy Easter from TarunaApril 12, 2012

Happy Easter from all at Taruna.

Art As A Basis for EducationMarch 27, 2012

‘Art is the lifeblood of education’ says visiting American Waldolf art teacher Van James.  Van is spending two weeks at Taruna immersing students in the world of visual art and it’s place in both Rudolf Steiner Schools and other primary school settings.   This course will highlight the importance of art in the overall education of the child and the teacher.

Van will lead students to experience the joy of confidence in colour through painting, reveal the magic of mandalas, braids and metamorphic patterns in form drawing and enable them to discover drawing as a means of articulating the outer world and the inner life of imagination.

Van James is visiting the Hawkes Bay from Hawaii where he has been teaching art at the Honolulu Waldolf School for over 20 years.

Van will also be giving a talk this Friday evening at 7.30 titled “Hawai’i Its Sacred Sites and Place in the Pacific”

 

Being Well: Otautahi Summer Youth GatheringMarch 7, 2012

Taruna staff recently supported the Being Well: Otautahi Summer Youth Gathering by offering workshops and presenting as guest speakers.

The Gathering is a five day event run by youth volunteers for young people, aged 18 – 35 at Ōnuku Marae near Christchurch, 20th – 25th January 2012.

The theme of the Gathering was Being Well, a very holistic exploration of health. It explored being well individually, being well in relationship with others, and being well in relationship to the earth. This included biography work, compassionate communication, flax weaving and biodynamic/organic gardening.

Student welcomeFebruary 23, 2012

We formally welcomed this year’s students to the Diploma in Rudolf Steiner Education through a traditional Powhiri.  The class of 2012 has 16 students from all across New Zealand, Australia and a good selection from the rest of the world.

The Powhiri included a Maori welcome from the Kaumatua, a response from Brian, a song from both staff and students, polished off with afternoon tea.

The students are now hard at work in the classroom as they begin their journey to become teachers.

It’s a New Year!January 10, 2012

Happy new year!! the Christmas tree has been taken down, and we are busy preparing to welcome our students for 2012. Andrea and her lovely helpers have blown through the Taruna homestead and grounds clearing, cleaning and preparing the space for a brand new year.

2012 sees some big changes for Taruna, with a few staff members going into the wide world for new adventures, and new, yet familiar faces joining us to carry on the wonderful work here at Taruna.  The large wall planner looks bright, colourful and busy!

Foundations are due to be laid for the new building as the last of the clearing has been completed.  The gardens are blooming and the bird life sounds like one of those relaxation CD’s.  Little baby rabbits have even been seen flopping around on the lawn!  There is a lovely clean feeling of new beginnings about to happen.

Applications for our formal qualifications are still being received and processed, but please feel free to contact us here at Taruna if you need any further information and would like to spend some of your year with us here.

The Outdoor ClassroomDecember 5, 2011

Anything is possible in the Outdoor Classroom.  Working with the natural rhythms of nature, a space is created outdoors to foster an experience to balance head, heart and hands.  For one week, the Diploma in Rudolf Steiner Education students, also joined by 12 visiting students experienced an outdoor classroom programme, combining woodwork, metal work, leather work, pizza oven making and biodynamic gardening and preparation stirring.  Each of us experienced the unique connection with age old practises of making practical and useful objets through a craft medium.  Our visitors were welcomed with good humour, beautiful singing by morning and a harvest of refelctions by afternoon.

Thank you to John, Jonathan, Peter and Rachel, Michael, Brian and Paul for their contributions to such an enlightening and invigorating week of the outdoor classroom.  Let us continue to work with the rhtyhms of nature and be in harmony with our local environment that provides us with such rich resources for our survival.  Our connection with the natural world works to balance our state of being and allows us to experience natural, strengthening movements. – Lauren Kearney (Diploma in Rudolf Steiner Educaiton student)

Friday 11/11 PerformanceNovember 16, 2011