Titirangi Rudolf Steiner Messenger

The Titirangi Three

expelled for being bullied

Successful Human Rights Mediation with a Steiner School

(December 2012)

“You and your family have been very badly treated. [...] You are being blamed for everything that is wrong in the school rather than seen as the catalyst of change that is needed. [...] My wife & I discussed your situation at length and we questioned what we would do if we had been in your situation... we concluded that we would have not kept quiet either.”


Paddy Delaney, Titirangi Steiner School Trustee and founder of Realstew, who did nothing else to help (July 2009)

“I have read all your archives and mails, and your annoyance and anger at the school is absolutely justified.”


A parent of Titirangi Rudolf Steiner School (July 2009)

“The Anthroposophical Impulse is invoked as the reason that the school cannot come into line with the rest of the world on developing (and possibly adapting) a policy of zero tolerance of intentional hurting.”


Letter sent to the school’s trustees (May 2009)

Three and a Half Years

Wednesday, 9 January 2013
Three and a Half Years

Thanks to the help we received from the Human Rights Commission, and following that, from the Director of the Human Rights Tribunal, we have finally reached a settlement with the Titirangi Rudolf Steiner School.
Through the mediation we, and the...

Mediated

Wednesday, 19 December 2012
Mediated

We are now able to publish this agreed statement.
Our Human Rights Act complaint against Titirangi Rudolf Steiner School has now been resolved by agreement between the parties. 
We will post the details soon.
Merry Christmas

Old Habits

Sunday, 16 September 2012
Old Habits

Following due process is certainly a discipline requiring patience, which over the course of the last three years has become a habit of necessity for us.
It involves a lot of waiting.  For example, it took three years to get any kind of a hearing...

Titirangi Rudolf Steiner School agrees to mediate through the Human Rights Commission

Wednesday, 14 March 2012
Titirangi Rudolf Steiner School agrees to mediate through the Human Rights Commission

“a safe, peaceful and natural learning haven"

We heard back a week ago from the offices of the Director of the Human Rights Tribunal with the news that the Titirangi Rudolf Steiner School have finally agreed to attend mediation with us.  To...

Further invitation to mediate, this time from the Director of the Human Rights Tribunal.

Thursday, 23 February 2012
Further invitation to mediate, this time from the Director of the Human Rights Tribunal.

In November 2009 The International Forum for Waldorf/Steiner Schools, formerly known as the Hague Circle, ratified a document which it described as a:
“description of the main characteristics of Waldorf Education.  These characteristics are basics...

What does 'natural' mean?

Sunday, 22 May 2011
What does 'natural' mean?

Definition
Main Entry: me·di·a·tion
Pronunciation: \ˌmē-dē-ˈā-shən\
Function: noun
Date: 14th century
: the act or process of mediating; especially:intervention between conflicting parties to promote reconciliation, settlement,...

What isn’t Mediation?

Sunday, 22 May 2011
What isn’t Mediation?

Definition
Main Entry: me·di·a·tion
Pronunciation: \ˌmē-dē-ˈā-shən\
Function: noun
Date: 14th century
: the act or process of mediating; especially:intervention between conflicting parties to promote reconciliation, settlement,...

How Not to Make a Documentary!

Thursday, 10 March 2011

In 2009 the Law Commission of New Zealand recommended several much needed reforms to protect the welfare of children at private schools.  Although the National Government failed to listen, missing the immediate opportunity to close dangerous legal loop-holes...

The Power of Video

Friday, 14 January 2011
The Power of Video

Who are the Titirangi Three?2011 - Rudolf Steiner is 150 Years Old

At 17.50 on Saturday Nov 11th 2010, as Parliament sat in urgency, Education Amendment Bill passed into law, enshrining a crass, unfair and, we maintain, unlawful system of...

So why were our children really expelled?

Friday, 12 November 2010
So why were our children really expelled?

93% of parents favour information before expulsion in private schools. 

The results of our survey aren’t really that surprising, of course parents want their children to be safe and of course schools shouldn’t be able to treat people the...

Double Take!

Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Double Take!

Oops! Trustee’s wife shows evidence of brainwashing!

Photo courtesy of Greg du Toit

Here is some interesting evidence of the power of a group.
If David Cameron and Michael Gove’s plans for Free Schools in the UK do involve,...

Oops

Sunday, 10 October 2010
Oops

Private Steiner school lies to prospective parents claiming “vindication” of illegal expulsions

It has come to our attention via multiple sources over the last few months that the Titirangi Rudolf Steiner School tells people that since government...

“I really can’t talk about this now” Sheryl Mace

Wednesday, 29 September 2010
“I really can’t talk about this now” Sheryl Mace

“I really can’t talk about this now”Sheryl Mace,Teacher and Manager of the Titirangi Rudolf Steiner School,during the expulsions

This is just one of the ridiculous and cruel things that Sheryl, who we had always trusted up until these awful...

The views of a Movement?

Wednesday, 15 September 2010
The views of a Movement?

“90% of parents thought Mark Thornton handled it badly”Sean Gribben - Chairman of the Board

Talking of statistics, that’s a pretty shocking one for you!  But it does go to illustrate why filling in private schools survey 2010 is a good idea....

Private School Survey 2010

Saturday, 11 September 2010
Private School Survey 2010

There is now a survey online designed to canvass the opinions of parent’s and student’s knowledge of the laws relating to private schools.  This is a national survey and we understand that all private schools in the country have been individually asked...

Yet More Lies from the School

Wednesday, 1 September 2010
Yet More Lies from the School

Well, Paddy Delaney (pictured above with Heather Peri) wrote back to us as follows:
Hi Steve & Angel
“You are perfectly correct it was not a restraining order it was a trespass order and I am happy to correct this statement but at the end...

Last chance to have your say

Monday, 30 August 2010
Last chance to have your say

“We’re not expelling any children,we’re asking a family to leave.”

Here are a few personal invitations to people in case they think they couldn’t make a constructive contribution to the documentary....

Mark Thornton - we have so...

More Lies from the School

Saturday, 28 August 2010
More Lies from the School

Paddy Delaney’s letter to us yesterday repeated the words “restraining order” that were used by the young lady outside the school recently.  Apparently the adults who are manipulating information at Titirangi Rudolf Steiner School want people to think...

Creative Writing by Paddy Delaney

Friday, 27 August 2010
Creative Writing by Paddy Delaney

In our last posting we asked Paddy Delaney, Trustee and co-founder of Realstew, for information in response to our becoming aware of comments that he wrote by email to a journalist in the UK who enquired about the Titirangi Three. Mr Delaney’s comments...

Liability? What liability?

Sunday, 15 August 2010
Liability?  What liability?

Heather Roy, Minister for Special Education said on the 31st of May 2010 at a speech to the Independent Schools of New Zealand Board Chairs' Seminar,
“A Board of Trustees is an essential part of every school.  It provides leadership, strategic...

Big Bullies - Transcript of Alleged Bad Treatment of a Child

Friday, 13 August 2010
Big Bullies - Transcript of Alleged Bad Treatment of a Child

The whole school has now been officially invited to contribute to the documentary, now in production

AT LAST!  Some spirit from the Steiner School!  A brave young lady from the High School, (founded on the anniversary of the illegal fixing...

The Part of the College of Teachers

Friday, 6 August 2010
The Part of the College of Teachers

The above letter was written by Our Eldest Child to Susanne Cole, when she found that her stuff had been interfered with, just shortly after her efforts to comply with school policy on bullying had resulted in her de facto expulsion from the school....

Documentary Delay

Saturday, 31 July 2010
Documentary Delay

Apologies.....there has been a slight delay in us posting because of recent developments. 
I guess that’s one facet of it being a documentary website - nobody knows what’s actually going to happen that will need to be documented!
As soon as...

What is a Documentary Website?

Thursday, 29 July 2010
What is a Documentary Website?

From this point on we are going to start publishing our Documentary process as it occurs.  Why?
Because we need an online resource for some of the elements we have planned for the documentary.
Because this site has a fair amount of (unsolicited)...

“The real story here is about two thugs” Richard Lee

Monday, 19 July 2010
“The real story here is about two thugs” Richard Lee

Definition
Main Entry: thug
Pronunciation: ˈthəg
Function: noun
Etymology: Hindi & Urdu ṭhag, literally, thief
Date: 1810
: a brutal ruffian or assassin : gangster, tough
— thug·gery ˈthə-g(ə-)rē noun
— thug·gish...

Harsh Lessons indeed - The Aucklander Article

Thursday, 15 July 2010
Harsh Lessons indeed - The Aucklander Article

As today’s article in the Aucklander says, we have now received information about what the Government is planning to do, and more importantly as it turns out not planning to do, about reforming the Law relating to Private Schools in New Zealand.  

What is Mediation?

Wednesday, 14 July 2010
What is Mediation?

Definition
Main Entry: me·di·a·tion
Pronunciation: \ˌmē-dē-ˈā-shən\
Function: noun
Date: 14th century
: the act or process of mediating; especially  intervention between conflicting parties topromote reconciliation, settlement,...

One Year On

Tuesday, 8 June 2010
One Year On

Today marks the one year anniversary of this school’s disgusting and damaging response to very real concerns about real bullying that our child suffered - to throw out not only her but also her little sisters.  They did this simply to avoid ‘meeting’...

Selfishness

Monday, 23 November 2009
Selfishness

Some thoughts on having talked with people outside the Advent Fair on Sunday.  
Parents of the school sometimes have informed us that we ‘lost’ their support by our activism and our campaign of information.  We want to make it clear that, although...

Answers

Thursday, 5 November 2009
Answers

Yesterday we visited the school, to inform those coming cold to the High School meeting about some of the ugly things that have happened on that pretty campus.
We were lucky to finally get someone from the school to talk to us.  Mr Cole, husband...

Natural Justice

Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Natural Justice

Gosh, it looks like this is bigger news than we thought!  
What a relief to know that he’s got his sights on making sure criminal cowboys can no longer set up a private school.  What a shame so many kids have had to suffer before that becomes a...

We the undersigned.....

Monday, 14 September 2009
We the undersigned.....

We have been prompted to post by a series of texts with a parent from the school, who has obviously, now that some time has gone by, time in which we were not visible, have not posted etc., accepted that it was necessary to throw out our children and...

Real Men Protest!

Saturday, 8 August 2009
Real Men Protest!

Yesterday Steve went to demonstrate outside the school.  This should not have come as a surprise to anybody as we have pledged to inform people about the way the school  has treated our family.  As yesterday was an Open Day, we needed to be there in...

Sign the Petition!

Tuesday, 4 August 2009
Sign the Petition!

Please sign our online petition asking for the re-instatement of our children and a public acknowledgement that the school’s behaviour has been inhumane, extremely damaging to a well-meaning family and unnecessarily traumatising to three innocent children.

Bases and conditions

Wednesday, 22 July 2009
Bases and conditions

We’ve been thinking about what was written in the letter from the Trust yesterday and have realised what was meant by ‘no basis under which’ we will be allowed back into the school “community”.
The reason that this grammatical mistake was made...

Preparedness - a good basis

Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Preparedness - a good basis

Unfortunately, we’ve just received an email from Sean Gribben of the Trust.  Apparently there is “no basis under which” they would be prepared to re-instate us back into the school community.  
They are not either “prepared to debate the matter...

Trust Issues

Monday, 20 July 2009
Trust Issues

Our latest video has now been widely viewed, with the most viewings of all the videos this month.  We have been getting some feedback, especially from abroad.  Here’s a sample from Australia:-
“I'm very sorry to hear about the bullying at school-...

The Real Deal

Friday, 17 July 2009
The Real Deal

Our latest video is now online. You can view it by clicking either on the image above or here.
Even though we are apparently the only family to have been expelled from the school, it is becoming apparent, the more people we talk to, just how many...

Truth and Safety

Thursday, 16 July 2009
Truth and Safety

On Tuesday morning two parcels arrived with the girls’ names on them.  Inside were some of the items that had been left at the school.  Because we were very busy we didn’t look carefully at them till later, when our eldest daughter told me about the...

Tired Old Projections

Sunday, 12 July 2009
Tired Old Projections

What does it mean to project?  It means to throw.  Psychologically it means to throw out or away, to attribute to another qualities that are really in yourself.  
We’d like to ask anyone reading this to consider what it might feel like when a whole...

We're Back!

Friday, 10 July 2009
We're Back!

Gosh it’s interesting what happens when you try and negotiate with the Steiner School, they leave you hanging for days and then come back with a sweet invitation for you to willingly stich yourselves up.
We were asked to take some responsibility,...

Retractions and Ethical Marketing Assistance

Monday, 6 July 2009
Retractions and Ethical Marketing Assistance

We retract any intention to destroy the Steiner School and stand laughing in its ashes.  Such savage sentiments came through the provocation of personal slander following on from institutional bullying, after appalling management decisions including...

An Open Invitation

Friday, 3 July 2009
An Open Invitation

Wow!  40 visits since yesterday.....that’s something of a record.  We can only imagine the scenes in several houses yesterday as people realised that their “secret” back-stabbing is now public knowledge; yet more parents stitched up by Management, not...

Put Up or Shut Up! [Updated x2]

Thursday, 2 July 2009
Put Up or Shut Up! [Updated x2]

Today Sue Russell of the Steiner Federation will meet with two members of staff at the Titirangi Steiner School.  They will discuss the matters recorded on this website.
Unfortunately we have had to alert Ms Russell to the fact that two nights...

Parent Information

Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Parent Information

5,455 pages viewed, 28,745 hits.
Before we get around to making another video to explore what has happened to us at the Titirangi Steiner School, we need to look at a lot more information.
We've started to research the legality of the school's...

Hypocrisy ?

Monday, 29 June 2009
Hypocrisy ?

"To claim any sort of ‘victimisation’ without acknowledging your own responsibility is not an adult position"
Yes, of course someone quoted this back at me on Sunday, only one person it’s true, but I was going to write this anyway because of course...

A Long River

Sunday, 28 June 2009
A Long River

There have now been 22,899 hits.  4,376 pages have been viewed in 8 countries.
We were yesterday congratulated by a local ex-Steiner parent on providing an important social service for those overseas looking for a school in New Zealand for their...

Sharing

Friday, 26 June 2009
Sharing

We have put up our second video.  Please go and have a watch of it, then press the ‘share’ button, and send it to a few people. Help us to inform the community about the school’s treatment of us, so that we can get our kids re-instated and sort the...

Legalities and Oppresive Regimes

Thursday, 25 June 2009
Legalities and Oppresive Regimes

In our research yesterday we came across this interesting paper from the Law Commission about the lawfulness of uncleared video footage in New Zealand; where the subject has not signed a release. Wow, it’s very interesting.  There’s a big debate going...

Who is looking at this website?

Wednesday, 24 June 2009
Who is looking at this website?

As of today at 11.05 am we can report that this website has received 7505 hits from within New Zealand!  That’s quite a lot considering it has been live for less than 48 hours.

The next biggest volume of hits has come from the UK, followed...