Kate and husband Brendan are parents of Sophia Mundi Steiner School alumni: Rebecca, who graduated in 2017; Piers and Thea, who graduated in 2015; and Ondine, who graduated in 2013. Kate shared her reflections for the SEA newsletter. 

All our children went through Sophia Mundi Steiner School from Prep to Year 12 (including kinder and playgroup for some) and as our youngest child completed the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme in 2017, we realise how grateful we are to the School and the experiences it has afforded all of us.

On reflection Steiner Education fulfilled our hopes to develop thoughtful, compassionate, resilient and creative children who I feel confident will make a good contribution to our world. I look at our children now and can thank the School in a large part (as it takes a village to make a child), for they are grounded, kind and thoughtful, responsible and accomplished.

Both Brendan and I expected some challenges along the way, fully aware and respectful of the strong and independent characters our children have become.

I am mindful that we as parents have to guide and support our children to weather the ups and downs with consistent messages of persevering and simply just doing one's best. As an educationalist, I see the importance of maintaining and reviewing boundaries and showing our children the belief that they can meet the next challenge with the right attitude and commitment (as every Steiner year brings incremental challenges). A wonderful sense of accomplishment and acknowledgement is the reward that has made it worthwhile.

During the more senior years our children were curious about attending other schools. They researched the pros and cons but ultimately our guidance informed their decision to stay on at Sophia Mundi. I breathe a sigh of relief and am proud to have seen them all come through and be held so warmly and assuredly by this incredible School and our family.

There are many things that are unique and special at Sophia Mundi. The IB programme was a beautiful and fitting finish to an immensely rich and meaningful Steiner curriculum. At times our children doubted they'd make the next challenge, yet they did. The journey from the wonderful music program, the camps, especially the Year 9 Camp Program, French Exchange Program, Work Experience Program and finally the IB were challenging and ultimately rewarding.

Since leaving Sophia Mundi, Ondine and Thea studied International Studies at RMIT. Piers studied Health and Medical Science at Adelaide University and Rebecca took a gap year with plans to work and travel.

The children’s collective experiences have included a university semester in Barcelona, an internship in New York (which involved helping to  compile and attend negotiations for the right of self-determination of West Papua at the United Nations); working in a refugee camp and lifeguard patrol and rescue on the island of Lesvos in Greece; hiking in Nepal; travelling in Chile, Peru, Bolivia, North America, Europe, Japan, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam and also stints of working for an organisation in Cambodia educating children and teaching First Aid to village elders and providing medical supplies and motor bikes - all from hard-earned savings to a worthy organisation.  Closer to home, two of the children volunteer each week for social justice programs in Melbourne.

Although our children may have succeeded academically elsewhere, I believe that Sophia Mundi has encouraged more than just academic rigour. The School instils meaningful values that I believe are sadly lacking elsewhere. These include a love and respect for our environment exemplified in an extensive Outdoor Education program and farm work. There’s also a sense of community and spirit I've not seen the likes of outside of Steiner schools, imbuing our children with a thoughtfulness and purpose to working for environmental and social justice concerns.

The School teaches a worldliness, which culminated with the socially responsive IB and began from the time of the cultural and language exchange in Year 10. This provided our children with a wonderful and sometimes challenging adventure that matured them beautifully. It also brought international students to our home and School.

Our eldest tells us that it was the best education she could ever have had. She felt so ready and prepared for university and the world at large. This is so heart-warming and hits home what I witnessed in the playground at Sophia Mundi years ago, when our children were very young. The older Sophia Mundi students that I approached were able to look me in the eye and be thoughtful, responsive and respectful to me and our children.

These values and behaviour are what I hoped our children would embrace and I thank my lucky stars that this is exactly what a Steiner Education from Sophia Mundi has encouraged.