"If a child has been able in his play to give up his whole loving being to
the world around him, he will be able, in the serious tasks of later life,
to devote himself with confidence and power to the service of the world." - Rudolf Steiner
There will be limited office support from 9am to 1pm on Wednesday 7 Sept while the women in our Admin team are out celebrating Secretary's Day.
CLASS 9 is proud to present:
LAST 3 SHOWS!
Saturday 3 September at 2:30 PM & 7:00PM Sunday 4 September at 3:00 PM
This year’s production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona is highly entertaining –
full of drama, romance, humour and slapstick. The Class 9s are putting in fantastic effort and commitment, ensuring a high quality piece of work.
A performance not to be missed!
Refreshments and home-baked goods for sale during interval. Delicious hot meals will also be for sale on Saturday evening.
Please share the Open Day flyer with family, friends and anyone else you feel may be interested in learning more about our unique approach to education. Click here to open the flyer posted on our Facebook page; use this link to share this poster on your Facebook profile; or click here to view and download the flyer.
After a good four months of maternity leave at home, I braced the cold and joined the Michael Oak school community once again. What a good feeling it was to be back - but I can’t deny that I miss my time spent at home with Idris, filled with kisses, cuddles and PJs. Idris is my second-born and Dalia is my first. With only two and a half years between them, needless to say it has been quite an adjustment. Yes, I’ve always recognised the hard work, patience, love, and deep sense of selflessness it takes to be a parent but this time it looked different for me. Something changed. Something shifted in my perception of motherhood and parenthood. I saw things differently and held a new found sense of respect for parents and all they do for their children.
During these sleepless nights filled with endless nappy changes and breastfeeding, I am reminded of my contribution to my child - physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally - and how this combination of feelings also enhances a deep sense of connectedness. Having a strong connection with my children is something that I hope I always maintain, and it is a wish that I hold for each of you as parents too.
I read something the other day that said something along the lines of ‘you only have 18 summers with your child/ren’. This really hit home and gave me a different outlook on how precious our time as parents is with our children, and how quickly that time passes. Just think about that: eighteen summers and then into the world they go…
So, parents of the Michael Oak community, I want to bring forward that every stage of your child will have its challenges. This is simply your reminder that even in the most difficult moments, we are so unbelievably blessed to be the parents to these beautiful little humans, placed in our hands to care for them. Never for a single moment doubt your impact and influence on them; and theirs on you.
With love, light and some tired eyes,
Tasneem Jacobs
tjacobs@michaeloak.org.za
School Counsellor & Social Worker at Michael Oak
Welcome to Lindy Graham,
our new Primary School Aftercare Supervisor
Dear Michael Oak Parents & Guardians
My name is Lindy Graham and I am taking over from Paola as the Primary School Aftercare Supervisor from 01 September.
I have been a parent at Michael Oak since 2007 – my daughter matriculated in 2020 and my son is currently in class 7. I have also been involved with the high school doing matric invigilation for the last five years.
I am a trained Waldorf teacher who has taught at both Khanyisa and Imhoff Waldorf schools. I have a particular heart for students with learning difficulties and have tutored these students privately for many years. I have also worked in the NGO / NPO field, most recently training young adults with mild intellectual disabilities for the open labour market. What I love most about Waldorf education is the awareness that we hold of the “threefoldness” – we understand each child to be unique, arriving with their own particular gifts and challenges. I look forward to growing in love for the children that will come to me at aftercare and the learning that I will acquire here.
Acquiring this position has happened very suddenly, so I have not had the chance to closely observe aftercare and begin to establish a relationship with your children – there is a lot to master quickly! It is very important to me to have healthy communication and connection with the children, their caregivers and my colleagues. If you have any questions, please do feel free to approach me. I look forward to getting to know you.
Part of the Class 6 curriculum is to explore Business Maths. They were able to do this in a practical way by holding a market during first and second break on Thursday. In groups, the children had to create something to sell. They had to cost their products, source their materials, calculate the profit they would need to make, and advertise and sell their products at their market.
What a wonderful way to spend the day where the whole school could enjoy supporting the Class Sixes in their learning. Not only did Class Six show business acumen but also compassion with their young clientele.
Thank you to everyone who supported our market. Now Class 6 has the exciting prospect of counting their money, working out their profit and deciding what percent to give to which charity.
Dear Kindergarten & Primary School Parents & Guardians
It is time to find a new Meeting Links Chair! Melisa Smuts has held this position for the last 3 years and her time as Chair is soon complete. We are looking for a new member of the Kindergarten & Primary School parent community to bring a fresh perspective to this role. We would ideally like someone who has been a Meeting Link for at least 1 year but anyone who has been a Link of any sort is welcome to volunteer for this position.
This is a position which allows great insight into the workings of the school. The person interested in the job will have specific duties as outlined in the Terms of Reference document. This document is currently under review as part of the process with the proposed new Trust deed, but anyone who would like to view it can request to do so.
The key role of the Links meeting is to facilitate dialogue between the kindergarten and primary school faculties and its parent body, more specifically between School representatives and Class representatives. In the last 3 years we have had many valuable discussions on issues such as: COVID regulations and teaching during the pandemic, standardisation of certain processes, neurodiversity, as well as many small but important elements of school-life such as managing lost property, holiday clubs, extra-murals etc. The Links Meeting is not a decision-making body but a place to make suggestions, air common concerns and celebrate aspects of our school in an open and constructive dialogue amongst teachers, admin staff and parents.
The Chair arranges and holds the space for these discussions. Useful qualities and attributes for the role are: organisational skills, listening and facilitating dialogue skills and an enthusiasm to building the school and its community. Anyone who is drawn to take this role is asked to make a one year commitment, with the option of one additional year if chosen.
This will allow us to expand our reach when recruiting for positions, especially in the administration. It also allows current and former staff, students and parent volunteers to link their personal profiles, which will help grow awareness of our school on the world’s largest platform for professionals.
We encourage everyone associated with the school who uses LinkedIn to link to our profile or follow our page.
I am available most days and times to Au Pair, lift, joyfully accompany homework, cook and prepare healthy meals, play, bake and laugh with your children. Including and not limited to home and pet management in your absence....or presence. Please phone me if you wish to arrange a meeting, EASTLYNNE 082 830 1758
INSTRUCTIONS
Adverts will be published a maximum of 3 times per school term.
Posters should be 560px wide with text large enough to read on a mobile device.
Please send community notices and display adverts to: leaflet@michaeloak.org.za
COST
All advertisers are expected to make a contribution to our Bursary Fund.
Minimum donation of R50 for community notices and R100 for display adverts.
Please use these bank details for EFT transfers:
Standard Bank / Branch: 02510900 / Acc. No.: 071885382
Acc Name: Michael Oak School Fundraising / Ref: ‘Leaflet-Ad’
I braced the cold and joined the Michael Oak school community once again. What a good feeling it was to be back - but I can’t deny that I miss my time spent at home with Idris, filled with kisses, cuddles and PJs. Idris is my second-born and Dalia is my first. With only two and a half years between them, needless to say it has been quite an adjustment. Yes, I’ve always recognised the hard work, patience, love, and deep sense of selflessness it takes to be a parent but this time it looked different for me. Something changed. Something shifted in my perception of motherhood and parenthood. I saw things differently and held a new found sense of respect for parents and all they do for their children. 
I read something the other day that said something along the lines of ‘you only have 18 summers with your child/ren’. This really hit home and gave me a different outlook on how precious our time as parents is with our children, and how quickly that time passes. Just think about that: eighteen summers and then into the world they go…
My name is Lindy Graham and I am taking over from Paola as the Primary School Aftercare Supervisor from 01 September. 
