4 days ago
'Deeply shocked': school community in disbelief after stabbing death of Chinese exchange student
THE DEATH of a Chinese exchange student allegedly at the hands of another at their host family's Lake Macquarie home, has rattled a Hunter school community.
The two girls, aged 13 and 14, were on exchange at Newcastle Waldorf School in Glendale through Beijing Depu Cultural Exchange, a Chinese private limited company based in Beijing, which focuses on cultural exchanges between the East and West in education, architecture, and agriculture.
The students had been in Australia since last week as part of a tour group.
In a joint statement, Newcastle Waldorf School co-principals Peter Muddle and Tracey Ashton said they were deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic incident involving the two visiting Chinese students.
"Our priority has been to ensure care and professional support is in place for our school community as well as for the visiting students and their carers who find themselves dealing with grief far away from their families," they said.
"We have arranged extra counselling to support everyone through this very difficult time."
Mr Muddle and Ms Ashton confirmed the visit was organised through an external tour operator, and the school had agreed to its request for the students to attend and experience classes.
"The tragedy occurred at a residence where both students were billeted," they said.
"Although the host family is not connected with our school, we are thinking of them as they too, must cope with this ordeal.
"Our thoughts and compassion are with the students, their families, and everyone affected at this time."
Emergency services were called to an Edgeworth home just before 10.30pm on Monday.
Early investigations indicate the two girls and the couple hosting them had retired to separate bedrooms for the night when the woman hosting heard a commotion.
When she entered the 14-year-old girl's bedroom, she found her with one stab wound to her torso, police said.
NSW Ambulance paramedics worked to save the child's life, rushing her to the hospital in a critical condition, where she later died.
Police arrested a 13-year-old girl at the scene, and she was taken to Toronto police station. Officers also seized a kitchen knife for forensic examination. Detectives charged the girl with murder late on Tuesday night.
At Broadmeadow Children's Court on Wednesday, the 13-year-old made no application for release on bail, and it was formally refused.
Newcastle Waldorf School in Glendale offers a human-centred education based on Steiner principles.
Depu, the Chinese company that placed the students in Newcastle, has an educational approach rooted in Waldorf education and 'Nature Pedagogy'.
Depu was founded in 2012 in Beijing by Amerigo Sivelli, and originally focused on cultural exchange programs such as professional tours abroad and training.
The Newcastle Herald has contacted Mr Sivelli for comment.
The company organises travel for children and teenagers to "expose them to different cultures and languages".
In Mandarin, "Depu" means the cultivation of virtuous seedlings.
"Some of the targeted benefits are the inspiration to help shape their lives or the stewardship to form their worldview," Depu's website said.
"The world is a stunning place, and experiencing it as a young person can trigger a more cultured, compassionate, and balanced personality."
Posts on the company's Facebook page show Chinese students from the Hangzhou Manyuan Waldorf School visited the Newcastle Waldorf School earlier this year.
THE DEATH of a Chinese exchange student allegedly at the hands of another at their host family's Lake Macquarie home, has rattled a Hunter school community.
The two girls, aged 13 and 14, were on exchange at Newcastle Waldorf School in Glendale through Beijing Depu Cultural Exchange, a Chinese private limited company based in Beijing, which focuses on cultural exchanges between the East and West in education, architecture, and agriculture.
The students had been in Australia since last week as part of a tour group.
In a joint statement, Newcastle Waldorf School co-principals Peter Muddle and Tracey Ashton said they were deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic incident involving the two visiting Chinese students.
"Our priority has been to ensure care and professional support is in place for our school community as well as for the visiting students and their carers who find themselves dealing with grief far away from their families," they said.
"We have arranged extra counselling to support everyone through this very difficult time."
Mr Muddle and Ms Ashton confirmed the visit was organised through an external tour operator, and the school had agreed to its request for the students to attend and experience classes.
"The tragedy occurred at a residence where both students were billeted," they said.
"Although the host family is not connected with our school, we are thinking of them as they too, must cope with this ordeal.
"Our thoughts and compassion are with the students, their families, and everyone affected at this time."
Emergency services were called to an Edgeworth home just before 10.30pm on Monday.
Early investigations indicate the two girls and the couple hosting them had retired to separate bedrooms for the night when the woman hosting heard a commotion.
When she entered the 14-year-old girl's bedroom, she found her with one stab wound to her torso, police said.
NSW Ambulance paramedics worked to save the child's life, rushing her to the hospital in a critical condition, where she later died.
Police arrested a 13-year-old girl at the scene, and she was taken to Toronto police station. Officers also seized a kitchen knife for forensic examination. Detectives charged the girl with murder late on Tuesday night.
At Broadmeadow Children's Court on Wednesday, the 13-year-old made no application for release on bail, and it was formally refused.
Newcastle Waldorf School in Glendale offers a human-centred education based on Steiner principles.
Depu, the Chinese company that placed the students in Newcastle, has an educational approach rooted in Waldorf education and 'Nature Pedagogy'.
Depu was founded in 2012 in Beijing by Amerigo Sivelli, and originally focused on cultural exchange programs such as professional tours abroad and training.
The Newcastle Herald has contacted Mr Sivelli for comment.
The company organises travel for children and teenagers to "expose them to different cultures and languages".
In Mandarin, "Depu" means the cultivation of virtuous seedlings.
"Some of the targeted benefits are the inspiration to help shape their lives or the stewardship to form their worldview," Depu's website said.
"The world is a stunning place, and experiencing it as a young person can trigger a more cultured, compassionate, and balanced personality."
Posts on the company's Facebook page show Chinese students from the Hangzhou Manyuan Waldorf School visited the Newcastle Waldorf School earlier this year.
THE DEATH of a Chinese exchange student allegedly at the hands of another at their host family's Lake Macquarie home, has rattled a Hunter school community.
The two girls, aged 13 and 14, were on exchange at Newcastle Waldorf School in Glendale through Beijing Depu Cultural Exchange, a Chinese private limited company based in Beijing, which focuses on cultural exchanges between the East and West in education, architecture, and agriculture.
The students had been in Australia since last week as part of a tour group.
In a joint statement, Newcastle Waldorf School co-principals Peter Muddle and Tracey Ashton said they were deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic incident involving the two visiting Chinese students.
"Our priority has been to ensure care and professional support is in place for our school community as well as for the visiting students and their carers who find themselves dealing with grief far away from their families," they said.
"We have arranged extra counselling to support everyone through this very difficult time."
Mr Muddle and Ms Ashton confirmed the visit was organised through an external tour operator, and the school had agreed to its request for the students to attend and experience classes.
"The tragedy occurred at a residence where both students were billeted," they said.
"Although the host family is not connected with our school, we are thinking of them as they too, must cope with this ordeal.
"Our thoughts and compassion are with the students, their families, and everyone affected at this time."
Emergency services were called to an Edgeworth home just before 10.30pm on Monday.
Early investigations indicate the two girls and the couple hosting them had retired to separate bedrooms for the night when the woman hosting heard a commotion.
When she entered the 14-year-old girl's bedroom, she found her with one stab wound to her torso, police said.
NSW Ambulance paramedics worked to save the child's life, rushing her to the hospital in a critical condition, where she later died.
Police arrested a 13-year-old girl at the scene, and she was taken to Toronto police station. Officers also seized a kitchen knife for forensic examination. Detectives charged the girl with murder late on Tuesday night.
At Broadmeadow Children's Court on Wednesday, the 13-year-old made no application for release on bail, and it was formally refused.
Newcastle Waldorf School in Glendale offers a human-centred education based on Steiner principles.
Depu, the Chinese company that placed the students in Newcastle, has an educational approach rooted in Waldorf education and 'Nature Pedagogy'.
Depu was founded in 2012 in Beijing by Amerigo Sivelli, and originally focused on cultural exchange programs such as professional tours abroad and training.
The Newcastle Herald has contacted Mr Sivelli for comment.
The company organises travel for children and teenagers to "expose them to different cultures and languages".
In Mandarin, "Depu" means the cultivation of virtuous seedlings.
"Some of the targeted benefits are the inspiration to help shape their lives or the stewardship to form their worldview," Depu's website said.
"The world is a stunning place, and experiencing it as a young person can trigger a more cultured, compassionate, and balanced personality."
Posts on the company's Facebook page show Chinese students from the Hangzhou Manyuan Waldorf School visited the Newcastle Waldorf School earlier this year.
THE DEATH of a Chinese exchange student allegedly at the hands of another at their host family's Lake Macquarie home, has rattled a Hunter school community.
The two girls, aged 13 and 14, were on exchange at Newcastle Waldorf School in Glendale through Beijing Depu Cultural Exchange, a Chinese private limited company based in Beijing, which focuses on cultural exchanges between the East and West in education, architecture, and agriculture.
The students had been in Australia since last week as part of a tour group.
In a joint statement, Newcastle Waldorf School co-principals Peter Muddle and Tracey Ashton said they were deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic incident involving the two visiting Chinese students.
"Our priority has been to ensure care and professional support is in place for our school community as well as for the visiting students and their carers who find themselves dealing with grief far away from their families," they said.
"We have arranged extra counselling to support everyone through this very difficult time."
Mr Muddle and Ms Ashton confirmed the visit was organised through an external tour operator, and the school had agreed to its request for the students to attend and experience classes.
"The tragedy occurred at a residence where both students were billeted," they said.
"Although the host family is not connected with our school, we are thinking of them as they too, must cope with this ordeal.
"Our thoughts and compassion are with the students, their families, and everyone affected at this time."
Emergency services were called to an Edgeworth home just before 10.30pm on Monday.
Early investigations indicate the two girls and the couple hosting them had retired to separate bedrooms for the night when the woman hosting heard a commotion.
When she entered the 14-year-old girl's bedroom, she found her with one stab wound to her torso, police said.
NSW Ambulance paramedics worked to save the child's life, rushing her to the hospital in a critical condition, where she later died.
Police arrested a 13-year-old girl at the scene, and she was taken to Toronto police station. Officers also seized a kitchen knife for forensic examination. Detectives charged the girl with murder late on Tuesday night.
At Broadmeadow Children's Court on Wednesday, the 13-year-old made no application for release on bail, and it was formally refused.
Newcastle Waldorf School in Glendale offers a human-centred education based on Steiner principles.
Depu, the Chinese company that placed the students in Newcastle, has an educational approach rooted in Waldorf education and 'Nature Pedagogy'.
Depu was founded in 2012 in Beijing by Amerigo Sivelli, and originally focused on cultural exchange programs such as professional tours abroad and training.
The Newcastle Herald has contacted Mr Sivelli for comment.
The company organises travel for children and teenagers to "expose them to different cultures and languages".
In Mandarin, "Depu" means the cultivation of virtuous seedlings.
"Some of the targeted benefits are the inspiration to help shape their lives or the stewardship to form their worldview," Depu's website said.
"The world is a stunning place, and experiencing it as a young person can trigger a more cultured, compassionate, and balanced personality."
Posts on the company's Facebook page show Chinese students from the Hangzhou Manyuan Waldorf School visited the Newcastle Waldorf School earlier this year.
