We've had an extremely productive, last eight weeks at CCALFA -- productive and intense. Beyond CCALFA, the overall energetics these last few weeks has been (and still is!) a huge time of transition for planet earth. I hope you are staying grounded, whilst keeping your heart open, with the fire of your soul and will strong; with your sovereign boundaries well-anchored.

It is so important to find steadiness, and cultivate knowing who you really are right now, whilst being kind and finding compassion in one's heart. 

The mind can go on a spiral, we are a highly-logos culture over-invested in the mind, and it feeds one too many addictions and fears. The "how" (mind) needs to be subservient to the heart, gut and soul. Bring it down, when it's getting too "heady"by finding quiet breaks away from the flux - time spent in creativity, a good swim or walk in nature; yoga practise; listening to inspired music -- these are all great ways to stay earthed.

It is a revolutionary time of huge transformation internally, and globally - as always "as above, so below". It's been a purge and shedding of old relationships, systems, patterns, and identity - as metamorphosis does. No pearl was formed without grit! With grief comes space and the birth of new.

At ground-level, CCALFA mentors and young learners have covered a lot of ground exploring each Module's projects offered by each respective course outline as it's been rolled out by each mentor organically. Outlines are simply the starting framework, and this term we've had to re-calibrate and modify a few times to be responsive to circumstances, genuine interest, energy-levels, and capacity for focus.

"Progress" is an interesting term. At CCALFA, we look for and cultivate two things:

(1) The child’s sense of connection with their work - both in terms of accountability, as well as genuine interest and joy — the opposite to this outcome would be the child mechanically going through or racing through the motions just to finish work, fixated on the “process”, without finding any real joy or connection with the piece. It is easy to slip into this, as it is a dominant cultural norm.

As the term has progressed, this component is what we've found to be most challenging.

CCALFA’s vision and main focus is to cultivate, seed, and reinforce the habit of being present with one's work, which translates to the young learner having a sense of purpose and feeling a connection with and genuine interest in their work.  Fostering accountability means we encourage being respectful other people’s time; we encourage respecting their own time and effort; and that of their mentor; and extending to the inanimate materials they are handling. Mindfulness.

This is the real work at hand.
 

---- Announcements ----

Details on the last 7 weeks - You can read the detailed course coverage and what we've done below.

Last Day  - Wednesday 7 December 2022
EOY Community Gathering and Markets  - Tuesday 6 December- Community Afternon Tea/ Presentation of Works/ Markets is next Tuesday 6 December from 1-3pm. This is a laid back and casual affair. Parents and carers/ family members, are invited to join us onsite. Bring a plate of fruit or food to share. Weather-permitting it will be a good way to connect as a community and celebrate all the wins and efforts this term. "Markets" is simply an opportunity for any young learner who is interested or wired as a young entrepreneur, to have the opportunity to offer their work for sale, and see how what they've created connects with people, as part of a learning process. Back in the day, one would exchange a chicken for a service needed and rendered, or as appreciation and exchange for an item wanted and well crafted. Today we have money (barter is always still welcome and celebrated of course!). It is a simple energy exchange that gives feedback on how one's talent or skill can provide service or joy to someone. Feedback provides a learning experience that supports to build confidence/ and refine one's work, Please RSVP at info@ccalfa.com.au by Saturday 3 December.

Term 1 2023 INTAKE is now Open - CCALFA Modified Summer Program
With the hot weather setting in, the CCALFA teachers have really had to ponder what the best approach would be for this time of year. CCALFA at it's core, is not about having one set homogenic routine for the entire year. If anything, CCALFA is the contrary -- it intentionally seeks relevance in the moment, and breaks away from the monotony of having one fixed program running throughout the year. (I know we can eat grapes throughout the year, but there is a reason to eat responsive to the seasons :) Hence, CCALFA's Summer Program will be starting earlier in the day, at 7:30am, finishing modules at 11:30am, with pick up time at 12noon, allowing the children half an hour to play before heading to the beach, for lunch, or home. Daylight is out earlier, people and children are up and active earlier. The heat progresses through the day, and it is important to catch productive energy concisely instead of overstretching everyone over the heat of the day, inappropriately.

View our timetable and ENROL here. Places are limited, priority is given to return students re-enrolling first on or before 21 December 2022. (*Please note, some slight tweaks ongoing, as we refine the timetable). **We will resume our regular day sessions 9am to 2:30pm with cooler weather, in April 2023. "Gardening and Perma-culture" also re-joins in April.

School Holiday Program - We are not running a Summer Holiday Program this December-January period. The team is embracing a full break to rest and recharge, to come in fresh in the new year! :D

----  ----

The biggest hurdle/ main challenge this term
The biggest hurdle these last 2-3 weeks has been managing how much or ho wlittle the young learners cared about what they did. Granted, as this term winds down this year-end, everyone (children, parents and mentors all around) are feeling run-down and exhausted.

The mentors and I remind the children, that more important than carpentry, drawing, or learning any skill - is igniting themselves their sense of care and respect for their own time and effort, and the time and effort of others/ their mentors; their respect for materials, and their sense of purpose.

It seems to be a theme well-connected and reflective of the big transition the world is going through right now - there is a sense of numbness, or a wide-scale imprint of just going through process day in and day-out, without stopping to reflect on whether one has a genuine connection with the work they have in front of them, why one is engaged in the work in the first place (?), what the sense of purpose and intention is behind the effort.

Right now, the planet is a place of unrest, fear, and immobility. How this numbness, and routine-based way of life, lacking in purpose or core-values, is unsustainable, is apparent everywhere. ** It is also what is birthing so many new initiatives that are tasked with vision to build a better more sustainable future for our kids, and the planet.

The question is whether one has the patience required to see this process through. Not only are most on earth feeling and experiencing the weight and pressure of this time - few, are able to maintain their sense of presence, as we go through the intensity of this transition.

CCALFA is a grounding and heart-centred supportive space over this time of transition. CCALFA is a grounding and heart-centred initiative tasked to design new sustainable systems to allow the soul healthy articulation and grounded accountability on entry, as we go through this transition time on earth.

Many in the world have lost their humanity, kindness, compassion, community and accountability -- these are much needed medicine in the world right now. Supportive community is key, as the farce behind independent emotionally-shut self-reliance has led to wide-scale depression - normalising separation, as a (more permanent) living arrangement.

  ---

 

(2) Progressive skills learned - secondary to #1, but also just as important are the technical skills we are harnessing. Here's an example outline of how we integrate #1 and #2 in our Visual Art Module -

Week 1-2: Colour Theory  :  Creating the Colour Wheel (Understanding Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Fourth and Fifth dimensions colours); Colour Mixing:  Warm and Cool Colours; Colours and Emotional Resonance/ Emotional Connection as Self-Expression and with the Viewer; Work final piece - (1) Colour Wheel; (2) Main Art Work - mark making using "Complementary Colours" - Choosing the mood of expression > Revisiting and layering on Weeks 2, 5 and 7.

Week 2-3: Vincent van Gogh:  Exploring his life journey: Studying his work. : Link to Week 1-2 — Using Complementary Colours  (Van Gogh used  complementary colours largely oranges and blues, across all his work). : Work final piece: Recreating/ your own version of “The Sunflowers”; or “Van Gogh’s Room”.  Week 2 emphasis on use of the student’s own choice of complementary colours aside from oranges and blues; Week 3 Introduction to Landscapes : “Perspective” - horizon line, foreground and background. : Qualitative discussion: Vincent van Gogh wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. He was a school teacher, then a pastor, then a shop keeper. He then turned to art. He painted his best works, confined in a mental institution/ asylum; Exercise/ Reflection: (1) For children 9 and under - draw your self-portrait. Why did Van Gogh cut off his ear?   Exercise/ Reflection: (2) For children 10-15 - Do you know what you want to do? It is ok and natural at this age to be unsure of and to explore what you want to do; Not knowing what one is particularly good at, is natural. It is the age of exploration. CCALFA mentors are here to support you in your exploration.

Week 3-4: Manga as a Japanese Art Form : History; The word “Man-Ga” (translates to ‘funny’ ‘pictures’ = originally referred to Japanese black and white comic books/ picture books; What is “Anime” - different to “Manga”. “Anime” is Manga made into ‘animation’. “Anime” only refers to Japanese animation (not American or any other country’s cartoons). What’s in a Japanese Manga team — the revered “Manga-Ka” (creator of main character/lead drawing artist), the Writer, the Editor, the Assistant (backdrop artist); Qualitative Exercise: Samples of drawing emotions: eyes, mouth. Exercise #1: spotting emotions; Exercise #2: <Link to Week 1-3 coverage>  Using colour to build the character’s personality - colour and emotions/ character/ accessories. Exercise #3: Storyboard writing - team up with a buddy and get your characters into a storyline - map out on a storyboard. <Storyboards to to be shared on Week 5>

Week 4-5: Theme: Exploring and Celebrating Diversity  :  Building on "Character design and personality-building arising from colour and marks" in Weeks 3-4. Final Work:  Drawing out 6-20 individual characters; Studying pictures of diversity across race and countries; Studying artwork on gender diversity; < Link to previous weeks> (1) Drawing/ Developing a Character/ now several different characters on one page; Qualitative Reflection: (2) Studying the RAINBOW - it’s relevance to the LGBTQ “rainbow” symbolism — “The rainbow won’t be the same, if two or three colours are selected out”. The world won’t be as rich and diverse, in black and white. Each colour is celebrated and is of equal relevance and importance."

-- --

At CCALFA we feel, that as a community, it is our job to ensure each child is and feels supported. Our children growing into their full potential, and as kind, compassionate and accountable adults - is not the job of just one parent. This is our responsibility as a community. It is important for parents not to feel isolated. It is important for kids and families to feel supported.

On behalf of our faulty of mentors -- we wish you all a wonderful and restful time over the December-January break. Please note, CCALFA is, and we look forward to seeing you in the new year! For all our new families enrolling, we extend you a very warm welcome :)

Kind regards
Nic Anderson - Founder, CCALFA
www.ccalfa.com.au
Follow us on Facebook - Find out what's happened this week!
Join our Private Community FB Group - Join the discussion!
Follow us on Instagram

What have we covered?

VISUAL ARTS PROGRAM
Colour Mixing/ Colour Theory
Van Goh
Degas - Impressionism or Realism
Manga and Being the "Manga-Ka". Building your drawn character
Our ancestry : How has the world changed? How did we learn about the world back in the day -
Landscapes
Anatomical Study: Eyes, Nose and Ears
Story-telling Art
Composition

SEWING/BOTANIC ART PROGRAM

View Outline
Shibori pigment and print on fabric
Sewing Japanese lotus flower bags
Wax wraps and bags
Doggie Scarves
Card-making

CARPENTRY PROGRAM

View Outline
Wood-working skills cultivated to complete various projects:
1. Reading a metric rule or measuring tape.
2. Using a try square and pencil accurately when marking out.
3. Applying the correct stance for balance and hand position for safety and accurate cutting.
4. Best ways to clamp materials when using a hand saw or chisel to achieve most accurate results.
5. Taking responsibility for their own pieces of material and work space.
6. Replacing tools after use and leaving workspace clean.

GARDENING/ PERMACULTURE

1. Permaculture:    Layers in a garden Bed, intro to Coir, plant seedlings
2. Seeds:   Examples of where seeds originate, saving / collecting and planting them in a garden
3. Harvesting: Digging up Sweet potato, how to pick Lettuce leaves
4. Propagating: Various ways to propagate plants
5. Maintaining a veggie garden:   Watering , weeding & pruning.
6. Composting: How to make a compost, various, plus Mulching, etc

CLAY/SCULPTING

View Outline
Our kiln that was meant to arrive July 2022, then September 2022, finally arrive end of October 2022. It took two weeks for the electrician to source the appropriate 20amp plug/ outlet. And another two weeks for the Clay Shed to source and provide kiln shelving to allow a batch to be loaded - Hello end November! We are finally here!!

We have Biscuit-Fired two batches.
Biscuit Firing (#1First Firing) takes 10 hours.
This is followed by glazing.
Glaze Firing (#2 Second Firing) takes approximately another 10 hours.

Cost of Firing:
Kindly note, as per our enrolments page/ Timetable (page 2)
(a) $6 for small item firing + $8 glaze + glaze firing.
10 hours to bisque + 10 hours to glaze, the cost includes the glaze.
(b) $15 for big items to bisque + $15 to glaze and second firing

 

Onsite Private Tutoring with Sarah Richards. Sarah Richards, CCALFA's on site tutor, is pleased to formally launch her private tutoring service. **This service is separate to the free onsite consultation you are eligible for as part of your standard rate attending CCALFA - i.e. home-schooling parents are eligible to consult their home-schooling plan with Sarah anytime, as part of your standard rate fee/ attendance fee.

Private Tutoring is a separate service at a dedicated time - and this is organised directly between yourself and Sarah Richards, on behalf of your child. Please contact Sarah directly via her email here.
 
Price per hour for a one on one session - $45 
Price per hour for a group session - $20 per child, minimum of four children
Please contact Sarah directly via her email here.

Yes, we can accommodate you if your child is Plan or Self-Managed. In fact, our entire program is very ideal to meet MANY of your child's needs. 

What's the process?
Make your initial purchase (first two weeks) on a casual pass - We will generate a "Paid Invoice" to certify your payment, which you can then seek reimbursement for from your plan manager. During these first two weeks, we will (1) determine which day/ days you prefer/ work best for your child + (2) and work with your plan manager for them to then fund the remainder of the term on your behalf and ongoing. 

What do we need from you?
Your initial two-unit purchases (first two weeks) will send us a confirmation receipt via email.
(1) Please make sure to book your days under your profile/ schedule, after you are redirected to our website from PayPal - this will do two things: (A) it will create a profile for you; (B) this profile will be created after you fill up our online form providing any relevant information on your child. ** Please note, it's a separate transaction per child - it's one online form per child, per transaction
(2) We need your child's NDIS ID number
(3) We need your plan manager name, email, and contact number

What does our program provide your child?
Our invoice will indicate that our programs provide for: 

• Social activities, daily tasks and routine assistance
• Self-care and emotional-expression through Art Creation
• Guided movement and emotional regulation through Yoga and Gardening
• Sensory integration and adaptation through Clay work/ Hand-building
• Learning, Listening and Taking action - from beginning to end of task completion through all our activities, which also include machine sewing and other hand sewing. 

• DIVERSE MODALITIES. The day rate includes a diversity of 4-5 hands-on creative activities in that one day [the list of modules includes - carpentry, hand-building clay, sewing (machine and hand), botanic textile art and pigment making, yoga, gardening and perma-culture, music, poetry, and theatre] View our timetable here.
• ONE LOCATION. This diversity of 3-4 modalities in a day is efficiently located at one venue, on acreage - at 12 Tecoma Road Palmwoods
• OPTIMISED TIME FOR PROGRESSIVE CREATIVE LEARNING. One location means less driving time + optimised time to learn several different creative and practical skills.
• PROGRESSIVE CREATIVE LEARNING OVER TIME. CHILDREN NEED TO REST IN THE PROCESS. We are not a day-care/ one-off drop-off centre. Our syllabus provides progressive learning (practical creative skills) for each modality, layering over a period of time.

If you believe in this vision, and would like to support it, we need your help. We keep our entry cost as low as possible to make it accessible to as many as possible - our operation cost is high on consumables daily, as well as labour cost as we introduce several diverse modalities a day.

Here's how you can help us:
1. Calling for Volunteers (More hands make light work) - If you have -

• a skill-set or creative skill you wish to share/teach and give back to community regularly in this way, contact us. We will organise your blue card at no cost to you.
• you are a modern-day elder with skills you wish to pass on to young learners, contact us
• a business who wishes to educate young learners on your trade + promote your business, come and do a guest session we will announce you in our marketing - contact us
• Parent volunteer - onsite "Time-Keeper + Grounds-Keeper" - snack time is self-directed (the child is free to have a snack when they are hungry anytime between 9.30am-10.30am. This is for 10-15 minutes - we need a parent volunteer to help us round children back to continue with their work; lunch time is 11.30am-12:00pm. Play is 12:00pm-12:45pm. Duties include calling out/ announcing lunchtime :) and rounding people back for the afternoon module commencing.
• Help with Pack-Up. Packing up at the end of the day is a big job. Over time, we encourage kids to look after their materials, and set up and packing up/ returning materials and equipment where they belong will be part of their work habit. But for now, any volunteer/s to help pack up and clean/ clear/ reset for the next day - would be a big help - this is Studio 1, Studio 2, Gazebos 1 and 2, Garden Gazebo and Garden beds; and the Big Tree House/ Play area. P.S. We have found most kids to be mindful and good, they put rubbish in the one rubbish bin located in Studio 2. On occasion, we get destructive kids/ or unmindful of their environment - we encourage you to speak with your children ahead of time, to be respectful and mindful of their environment. No rubbish on lawns, and equipment and furnishing are good to be respected and remain in place/ returned to their rightful place.

2. Donations:
Materials Donations: Thank you to all those who have donate materials. We have very limited storage space, so we can't accept all donations. What we need are - (sewing) cotton fabric; macrame rope; (clay) BRT Clay and Stoneware 10 (Clay Shed Kunda Park); pottery moulds; pottery tools; (art class) art materials, drawing paper, water colour paper, acrylic paints, water colour, pencils, pastels, charcoal, conti, easels; (carpentry) good treated pine, hard wood, drills, carpentry tools; (gardening) coir, potting mix

Monetary Donation: We thank all those who have kindly donated to support CCALFA. If you have none of the above materials lying around, and still wish to help this initiative, you can always give a monetary donation here.

We are currently URGENTLY raising funds to (1) insulate and enclose Studio 2, and install air-conditioning to this outside studio - our current priority;

(2) purchase more pottery wheels and equipment;

(3) build a big shed on site (we are quickly running out of space as we grow - we need space to be able to offer more activities on site.

Our future plan includes a shed that will house a few more rooms/ studios to accommodate all the creative activities and presentations this hub will be running and producing; which includes offering indoor regular yoga classes as part of community practice.

This shed will include a small ancillary cafe and gallery - for all young learners/ future entrepreneurs to have a go at selling what they've created at CCALFA; to have the venue to present their business model; a commercial kitchen to be able to bake and sell their creations; and the small cafe, for young learners to have a go at customer service/ taking a food order. If you share this vision, contact us on how you can help; or donate here.

What's on THIS WEEK

View our Gallery Here, to see what each day is like.




Check out the Timetable and Book here.

SHARE THE GOOD NEWS
FORWARD THIS ON TO A FRIEND!!
Receive a 2-hour session gift certificate valued at $90, if they sign up. Contact us to claim your certificate.