At the end of Term 1, when the rest of our students had departed for the holidays, Shearwater hosted the inaugural Steiner school senior student Philosophy camp, with students from four schools joining our own Year 11 class for two days of workshops, presentations, games, conversations and community building.

“Our students were quite apprehensive before the camp but by the end of it they were raving about how good it was and all the connections they had made,” said Delaney Crawley, who teaches the Philosophy course at Shearwater, which is a key part of the Steiner curriculum for all senior students. Delaney said she was inspired by the 2019 Waldorf 100 Youth Conference at Samford Valley Steiner School, which was one of a number of events in Australia to mark 100 years of Steiner education.

The students, from Shearwater, Linuwel, Newcastle, Lorien Novalis and Cape Byron schools, took part in conversation groups with community members and alumni, who brought topics such as Living a Buddhist Philosophy, Living the Artistic life and Managing Conflict,  as well as practical and artistic workshops, such as clay work, painting, printmaking, drama, farming and songwriting.

The keynote presentations were by Gabriel Brandolini – who is an ex-Shearwater student currently undertaking his PhD in Ethical Philosophy and Neuroscience. The days were bookmarked by morning eurythmy and evening campfires, with indigenous philosophical perspectives from local Elders and alumni who spoke about their connection to this area and to Shearwater and their Steiner education.

“It was magical,” said Delaney. “I was overwhelmed by how much our teenagers need and love this kind of experience even when they think they don’t. We are part of something bigger than any one School and these kind of events help the students feel that way too.”