Richard Gill School Blog 046 - School Updates and Leadership Announcements

Hello and welcome to the monthly Richard Gill School blog. I can hardly believe this is the 46th blog! This edition includes an update on events during the past month, plus a change in leadership at the school.

Year 3 Violinist’s first live performance

On Wednesday, April 10, our Year 3 students took centre stage for their inaugural live violin performance. After weeks of dedicated small-group lessons with Ms. Ellis, we were blown away by how far they’ve come in a short period of time! Congratulations to both the students and Ms. Ellis for their hard work and commitment.

Year 3 Inaugural Performance, Richard Gill School, April 2024

The Year 3 violin ensemble is a pivotal part of our Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4) String Program, under the guidance of the talented Ms. Ellis. As we transition from the foundational focus on movement and rhythm in the early years to the introduction of instrumental learning in Stage 2, we see the essence of our comprehensive music curriculum at Richard Gill School come to life. It's wonderful to see the children taking on this new challenge with such enthusiasm.

PowerFM Breakfast

On Thursday, April 11, we had the pleasure of hosting the crew from 98.1 Power FM as they broadcasted live from our school premises. Students were excited to take the mic and share insights on weather, traffic updates, and their favourite school experiences. Adding to the excitement, we sang a special medley of Taba Naba/Welcome to Country live on air, accompanied by Ms. Ellis and Mr. English.

Power FM Breakfast, Richard Gill School, April 2024

These radio breakfasts have become a cherished tradition at our school, offering students the chance to enjoy breakfast with friends while parents mingle and chat. It's a wonderful opportunity for community building and an effective way to showcase our school and spotlight our talented students. A heartfelt thank you to Power FM for their ongoing support and for providing us with this fantastic platform.

End of Term Parent Assembly

On Friday, April 12, we gathered for our end-of-term assembly, a time to celebrate achievements and acknowledge outstanding efforts. Congratulations to our swimming age champions and place getters, as well as to our Strength awards (zest) recipients. A special shout-out to Towarri house for their outstanding performance at our swimming carnival, earning them the highest points in 2024 (again!).

Swimming Carnival Awards, Richard Gill School, April 2024

We extend our gratitude to the families who joined us for the assembly and open classrooms, where our students proudly showcased their exceptional work. A big thank you to our dedicated staff for their constant hard work.

ANZAC Day

Anzac Day March, Richard Gill School, April 2024

During the school holidays, on Thursday, April 25, a number of our staff and students participated in the ANZAC Day mid-morning march and service. Zayn and Charlotte delivered poignant readings of their poems, while Nathan and Felix proudly laid our wreath at the cenotaph. The warbird flyovers were exciting for all! Congratulations to all involved for planning and delivering such a meaningful and respectful service.

Enrolment

The school is currently teaching Kindergarten to Year 4 in 2024, and is now taking enrolment enquiries for Kindergarten - Year 5 for 2025.

Enrolment Discount for Kindy 2025: Those families who are offered a position, and accept this prior to July 1, will receive 25% off first-term fees for the following year.

To request an enrolment interview, please contact the school.

Kindy for a Day Program: Not sure about enrolment yet? Why not send your child to “big school” just for one day, so both you and your child could decide if the school is right for you? Taking place May 17. Find out more.

Please visit our enrolment documents page to view our prospectus, enrolment form, parent info, fee information and more.

Media

Building a better brain through music, dance and poetry

Donations

Thank you to David and Amanda Walsh for donating a Korg LP-380 Digital Piano to the school. This will be well used by our students. David also donated much of his time as a previous Board member of the school and we are grateful for your generosity and ongoing support of the school.

A Final Note From Our Foundation Principal, Chris English

Today marks the end of a remarkable chapter in my life. With a mixture of sadness and gratitude, I announce my departure as the Principal of Richard Gill School after 4.5 years of service.

To the staff and Board of Directors, whose dedication and expertise will drive the future growth of the school, I extend my deepest appreciation. Your tireless efforts, unwavering commitment, and boundless passion have been the driving force behind our collective achievements.

To our donors and supporters, thank you for promoting the endless benefits of music education through your support of this special school. Your generosity knows no bounds and the contributions made by philanthropic individuals and groups such as yourselves to the school is deeply appreciated by our families and children, and I encourage everyone to continue their support for the school moving forward.

To our families, whose unwavering trust, support, and partnership have been the cornerstone of our success, thank you for taking a chance on our school. Your partnership has been invaluable, and it is through our collaborative efforts and the support of the Parents and Friends Association that we have nurtured an environment where every child can thrive.

In closing, I wish the school and its staff and supporters all the very best for the future. Please remember, all we do is for the children, and they deserve the world.

Additionally - From TARA Stanford

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and explain a little about the recent changes to our staffing structure at the Richard Gill School. I am excited to take on the role of Deputy Principal and guide our school through the transition and appointment of a new Principal. As an experienced Early Childhood and Primary School Educator, who has worked in the Muswellbrook and surrounding communities since 2016, I am very passionate about Positive Education and the vital role that wellbeing practices play in student and school success. With experience in curriculum support and implementation, I prioritise the mentorship and continual development of staff to ensure we maintain the high standard of education that is offered at the Richard Gill School.

Many of our community already know me through my role as Classroom Teacher and Wellbeing Coordinator and are familiar with my commitment to the success of my students. I am eager to work with students, staff and families throughout the year and thank the Richard Gill School and community for their continued support.

Thank you,

Tara Stanford (Deputy Principal)

Principal’s Blog 045 - Our Diversity, Creativity, and Athletic Achievements

Hello and welcome to the monthly Principal's blog. In this post I will discuss our diversity, creativity, and athletic achievements including Kia Ora Youth Music Camp, Harmony Day, Swimming Carnival, Upper Hunter Show and more.

Kia Ora Music Camp

This week, our Year 4 cellists had the privilege of participating in the Upper Hunter’s 3-day Kia Ora Youth Music Camp. Kia Ora, which means "be well" or "be healthy" in Māori, is a renowned music camp that offers young musicians a unique opportunity to hone their skills and collaborate with peers from across the region. Despite residing outside the immediate area, our Year 4 students received a special invitation to attend. This camp is only a short drive from Muswellbrook and is closely aligned to our educational philosophy.

Students started the first day with a combined choral session led by Dr Aleta King, before heading off with their cellos for the first string rehearsal with their tutors. They will also be participating in Jazz Dance and Ukulele sessions with their tutors over the 3 days.

Kia Ora Music Camp 2024

Edie and Izaac, Kia Ora Music Camp 2024

Ms Ellis is also assisting with the strings, and we thank Mrs Lanegan from Blandford Public School for assisting with supervision of the small schools. Tonight, the camp culminates in a spectacular Finale Concert in Scone, where our students will showcase their talents. Wishing Edie and Izaac the best of luck as they take the stage and represent Richard Gill School!

Harmony Day

On Thursday, March 21, Richard Gill School came together to celebrate Harmony Day, embracing our vibrant cultural diversity. In 2024, our school community proudly represents a diverse range of cultural backgrounds, with over one-third of our families coming from non-Western backgrounds, including India to Zimbabwe, Ghana to the Philippines, in addition to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Patience, Nina, and Rhonda for graciously volunteering their time to share their cultural heritage with our students, enhancing their understanding and appreciation of the world around them.

Richard Gill School Harmony Day 2024

Our staff are looking forward to connecting with the local culture of the Wonnarua Aboriginal people through a visit to Baiame Cave with elder Uncle Warren McTaggart booked for the staff development day to commence Term 2, on Monday April 29 (with children returning to school Tuesday April 30). Baiame Cave is a heritage-listed cave and cultural site containing unique and excellent examples of Aboriginal rock art which is highly respected by the local Wonnarua people and numerous Aboriginal nations throughout south-east Australia and the wider community of the Hunter Valley.

Staff will also be connecting with the “Cultural Cohesion” team from the Association of Independent Schools (AISNSW) throughout Term 2 to engage with strategies to support our culturally diverse community.

Easter Hat Parade

On Thursday, March 28, we held our annual Easter Hat Parade, which is without a doubt one of the sweetest dates (quite literally!) on our calendar. The parade was filled with lots of excitement as our students proudly showed off their Easter hats, which looked amazing, as always.

Our students and families go to great lengths to create their hats, and they never fail to impress! The parade was followed by an Easter Egg raffle, generously organised by the P&F, which raised $341 - including some generous donations. It's times such as these that remind me how wonderful our school community is.

Library Bags

The Library at Richard Gill School continues to go from strength to strength, thanks to the generosity of some fantastic community members and their volunteering efforts.  Mrs Jane Thatcher has been volunteering in our library for a number of years now, having recently retired from St Joseph’s High School at Aberdeen. Living close to the school, Jane has taken great pride in regularly visiting and constantly improving our library, building our resources, developing our cataloguing software, putting on displays and encouraging reading with the children.

Recently another volunteer of ours, Mrs Rhonda Fry, has produced some fabulous library bags for each of our children so they can begin to borrow books from the library. Rhonda donated all of her own material (in the school colours) and worked with the children on their own personal handprint design.

Thanks to these 2 wonderful individuals, and our staff, our library is now at full strength! Our staff, children and their families are so appreciative!!

Upper Hunter Show

Our first public performance of the year took place at Muswellbrook Showground on Friday May 15. The children sounded great and worked very hard in recent weeks in numerous rehearsals with Ms Ellis who has done a wonderful job in her new role conducting the choirs. Congratulations to everyone for doing their best, persevering, and demonstrating a love of learning.

Our first public performance of the year was a resounding success at Muswellbrook Showground on Friday, May 15. The children delivered an outstanding performance, a testament to their dedication and hard work in the weeks leading up to the event. Under the guidance of Ms. Ellis, who has done a wonderful job in her new role conducting the choirs, our students showcased their talents with confidence and passion. Congratulations to everyone for doing their best, persevering, and demonstrating a love of learning.

Richard Gill School, 2024 Upper Hunter Show Performance

Congratulations also to our students for their fantastic craft displays at the Upper Hunter Show! We received 2nd place in the group exhibit theme “Under the sea” (Infants school students), and 1st place in the group exhibit 3D model “Water Safety” (Infants school students).  A big thanks to our learning support staff and SLSO work placement student Mrs Jane Finn for their coordination of the exhibition. Well done everyone!

Richard Gill School Upper Hunter Show Entries, 2024

Year 2-4 Swimming Carnival

A big congratulations to all our Year 2-4 students who participated in the swimming carnival! Your enthusiasm and sportsmanship were truly commendable. We eagerly anticipate announcing the winners and place getters at our upcoming end-of-term assembly on Friday, April 12. We extend a warm invitation to all our families to join us for this celebration of our students' achievements in the pool.

Richard Gill School Swimming Carnival 2024

Enrolment

The school is currently teaching Kindergarten to Year 4 in 2024, and is now taking enrolment enquiries for Kindergarten - Year 5 for 2025.

Enrolment Discount for Kindy 2025: Those families who are offered a position, and accept this prior to July 1, will receive 25% off first-term fees for the following year.

To request an enrolment interview, please contact the school.

Kindy for a Day Program: Not sure about enrolment yet? Why not send your child to “big school” just for one day, so both you and your child could decide if the school is right for you? Taking place May 17. Find our more.

Please visit our enrolment documents page to view our prospectus, enrolment form, parent info, fee information and more.  

Donations

Thank you to David Miller, member of Grevillea Ensemble with soprano Wendy Dixon, for his contribution towards our Library Fund. Thank you also Jeremy Borthwick and Sue Carson at The University of Newcastle Conservatorium for donating 24 nylon string acoustic guitars in various sizes for future RGS student use. Thank you to the Darlington family for delivering these from Newcastle to Muswellbrook for us. We know our older students can’t wait to get started!

A big thank you also to BHP for donating $9,000 towards our music program including $3,000 towards existing cello tuition for our 2 x Year 4 students through the Upper Hunter Conservatorium of Music, the purchase of 2 x ½ sized cello’s at $2068.80, and the purchase of a clarinet, trumpet, trombone, flute, and saxophone to prepare for our prospective Stage 3 Orchestral Program.

School Improvements

During the school holidays our grounds contractors, AM&JD Contracting, will be installing a new front fence to completely enclose the front of the school grounds, improving the safety of the children in and around the carpark area.

Preliminary construction and demolition works are also taking place in the currently unused rear areas of the school as we begin to scope out the shape, size, and design of future classrooms for our growing school. As always, we welcome any contribution to our Building Fund as we plan and prepare for these works in the future. Contact the front office for further information if this is of interest to you.

Wishing everyone a safe and restful Autumn school holidays in the weeks ahead.

Yours in Music,

Chris English – Principal, Richard Gill School

Principal's Blog - 044 - 5 Weeks of Term 1 Highlights

Hello and welcome to the February edition of my Principal's Blog. As we dive into the new school year, I'm excited to share some updates and highlights from the first five weeks of Term 1, including our new students, early childhood music growth, Clean up Australia Day and more.

Update 

Firstly, a warm welcome to our new Kindergarten families! As always, it's been a pleasure to see our school community grow with a wonderful new group of families joining our school. Personally, it's been a lovely to witness my youngest child start school, joining his older sibling in Year 2.

Kindergarten’s First Day, February 2024

Our Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4) String Program, led by the talented Ms. Ellis, is now in full swing, thanks to a recent generous donation of violins, violas, and cellos. Currently, our Year 3 students are enjoying weekly small-group lessons with Ms. Ellis's. As they gain confidence and master the basics they will transition into a String Ensemble rehearsal alongside our Year 4 cellists in Term 2. This transition aims to foster the camaraderie and fulfilment that comes from musicians playing and performing together.

Stage 2 String Program, RGS 2024

Speaking of our Year 4 cellists, we are excited that 2 Richard Gill School students will be the first ever to participate in the Kia Ora Youth Music Camp held annually in Scone. Whilst the program is predominantly for Upper Hunter hire students (and we’re located in the Muswellbrook Shire), the organisers have warmly welcomed our string players into the 3-day camp at the end of Term 1. With a fantastic line-up of tutors on board and 3 full days of music making activities planned, we know our students will have a fantastic time playing, learning, and making new friends through music at the Kia Ora Youth Music Camp.

Clean Up Australia Day and Sustainability

Muswellbrook is fortunate to have a highly active and engaged sustainability unit attached to our local council, led by the dedicated Mick Brady. We are pleased to partner with Muswellbrook Shire Council and Sustainable Futures - Muswellbrook to ensure our school remains committed to teaching our children about sustainability.

Through our composting, waste sorting, gardening, bee attraction, water collection, and more, we are striving to teach our children how to leave our planet in a better condition than when they found it. These types of real-world activities can develop independence, responsibility, concentration, and essential life skills in our students that will serve them well throughout their lives.

Sustainable School Credentials, February 2024

Hands up if you love school?! 🏫
Hands up if your teachers are the best?! 👩‍🏫
Hands up if you love singing?! 🎶
Hands up if you’re wearing a glove?! 🧤
Hands up if you’re excited to Clean Up Australia!

Clean Up Australia Day, March 1, 2024

We had a great time this morning adventuring into the rear block of the school, picking up rubbish and exploring our surroundings to participate in Clean Up Australia Day.

Our Early Childhood Music Program is Growing

Since 2021, I've had the pleasure of offering complimentary Early Childhood Music classes to children aged 3-5 years old in the Muswellbrook community every Wednesday afternoon during school terms. This year, we've experienced a remarkable surge of interest in the program, prompting us to add a second lesson time to accommodate all interested families!

Currently, we have 27 children enrolled in the program, and the numbers continue to grow. It's incredibly gratifying to witness the program resonate so deeply with the families in our community. We firmly believe in the transformative power of quality music education from an early age, and it's heartening to see this belief reflected in the enthusiasm of our students and their families.

You can learn more and express an interest in the program here. 

Wellbeing at RGS

We continue to celebrate the character strengths of both our students and staff as part of our school’s wellbeing framework. Congratulations to those students who were recognised with a strength award at our first fortnightly assembly of the year. Well done on putting your best foot forward at all times!

Our strength-based wellbeing model is inspired by the principles of the local organisation Where there's a Will. Their invaluable guidance has empowered us to implement a robust, evidence-based wellbeing framework throughout our school community. Through this model, we aim to foster a supportive environment that nurtures the holistic development of every individual.

Donations

Thank you to Judy Lockhart and Karella Mitchell for their generous donation of numerous string instruments, which were kindly transported from Sydney to Muswellbrook by our dedicated Board member, Philip. We now have an excellent range of instruments to support our Stage 2 String Program thanks to these wonderful people!

Enrolment

In 2024, Enrolment is open to Kindergarten, Year 1, to Year 4, with limited spaces in all classes K-4 available. To request an enrolment interview, please contact the school.

Please visit our documents page to view our prospectus, enrolment form, parent info, fee information and more.  

Media

The National Music Teacher Mentoring Program was established by Richard Gill AO in 2015. This unique program is built on the foundational belief that every child should have the opportunity to learn, participate in, and express themselves through music. This is made possible by improving access to high quality music teaching and learning especially in the early years of schooling, through teacher mentoring. We are proud to be part of this program, which in 2024 has rebranded to be called “Music in Me”. Visit their new website, here

You might like to the view the revamped Music Education: Right from the Start website  and LinkedIn page

We are also excited to see the Stanmore Music Festival sharing on their social media and website that the date for the 2024 edition is confirmed, for Saturday November 16. We are excited to attend again in 2024 as it becomes an important event on the RGS calendar. Be sure to mark this date in your calendar! For more information, visit www.stanmoremusicfestival.com

Yours in Music,

Chris English – Principal, Richard Gill School

Principal's Blog 043 - 2023 Reflections and the Term Ahead

Hello and welcome to the new year at Richard Gill School. Throughout 2024 our blog posts will continue to be published on the first Friday of each month. In this month's post I reflect on the end of 2023, introduce some new members of our team, look at the term ahead and share news on some very special donations.

Update

Today we welcomed our Year 1 to Year 4 students back for their second day of 2024, with our newest Kindergarten children and families joining us on Monday February 5, which we are very excited to welcome into our school.   

In addition to our new students, we're pleased to welcome two new members to our school staff. Mrs. Susan Norman has joined us as a full-time classroom teacher, bringing her expertise to enhance our educational environment. Joining Mrs. Norman is Mrs. Kalli Suckling, our new full-time Student Learning Support Officer (SLSO), who brings a wealth of past student support experience. Both of these additions to our team are expected to contribute significantly to the growth of our school. We express our sincere gratitude to Mrs. Nicole Sherringham for her invaluable service to our school throughout 2022 and 2023, and wish her all the best in her future endeavours.

2023 Reflections

End-of-Year Assembly and Disco

Reflecting on the close of 2023, our "Celebration Assembly" and "School Disco" on Tuesday, December 12, was a joyous occasion where we celebrated the growth, musicianship, and achievements of all the children at our school.

Awards were distributed, encompassing one accolade per class for Music, STEM, Growth, and Effort. Additionally, a special award for School Spirit was awarded to one standout student (congratulations, Oliver). The assembly also provided the opportunity to recognise the accomplishments of our students in previous sports and cross-country events, awarding place ribbons and medals.

RGS End of Year Celebration Assembly, December 2023

Following the ceremony our students enjoyed a disco to celebrate the year coming to a close thanks to the P&F volunteers. It was fantastic to see all the children “let their hair down” and have some quality social time with their fellow classmates.

A heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined us for the Celebration Assembly. Congratulations to all our award recipients and, indeed, to every student for their remarkable achievements throughout the year. We also extend our gratitude to Mr. Graeme McNeil, who represented Muswellbrook Shire Council as our special guest, adding to the warmth of the occasion.

Community Performance

Our performance at Muswellbrook Fair on Wednesday, December 13, was well received by our families and community members, many of whom expressed their gratitude and well wishes. The staff and I are proud of our students. While it might look like an easy task to some, being able to remember words and sing in unison is no small feat for little ones, especially our youngest and newest students. We are also proud as a school to be taking the lead in offering free live music to our community.

Community Performance, Muswellbrook Fair December, 2023

We look forward to making these types of community performances a regular part of our annual schedule as Ms. Olivia Ellis takes the musical reins from the departing Mrs. Sherringham in 2024.

Ms. Ellis, an exceptional violinist, is also deeply committed to expanding her music education qualifications. Having already completed her Orff training, she achieved Level 2 Kodály certification in her own time over the Christmas break. It's a privilege to have someone so dedicated and passionate about music education part of our team.

Muswellbrook Toy and Food appeal

During the final weeks of Term 4 in 2023, a large number of our families generously contributed to the Muswellbrook Food and Toy Appeal. For over 25 years, Radio Hunter Valley has supported this meaningful initiative, aiding 330 families within the Hunter Valley last year. In 2023, Richard Gill School proudly joined the team.

RGS Food and Toy Appeal Donations, December 2023

The Food and Toy Appeal is more than just charity; it's a testament to Muswellbrook’s community spirit that makes our region special. Everyone comes together to help people of all ages, creating memories that last a lifetime.

Special thanks to our parent volunteers, Jem and Ian, for their assistance and for bringing this initiative to the attention of our P&F and coordinating the collection.

A busy Term ahead

As we head into the new year, our calendar is once again full of exciting events and activities to complement our students’ education and school experience. Here are a few items to look forward to in Term 1:

• Clean Up Australia Day (Friday, March 1)

• Swimming Carnival (Friday, March 8)

• Harmony Day (Thursday, March 21)

• Upper Hunter Show Performances (Saturday, March 16)

Stay tuned for all the highlights to come!

congratulations

We're thrilled to highlight the recent Australia Day awards in Muswellbrook, celebrating significant community contributions. Explore the achievements of many deserving winners across various categories here. I am honoured to have been recognised in the Open Category, and must also extend my heartfelt congratulations to Upper Hunter Voices Choral Director, Samantha Cobcroft, for her outstanding contribution to the arts across the region.

In addition, we extend our warmest congratulations to our Chairman, Mr Kim Williams AM, on his new and prestigious appointment as Chair of the ABC. What an outstanding achievement! We are fortunate to have such an experienced Board of Directors, led by Kim, helping to guide the school's vision and future success. Read more about this exciting news here.

Donations

Our school has been blessed with some terrific instrument donations during the summer holiday period.

Firstly, a heartfelt thank you to local residents, Mr Nick Glenn and his wife, who donated a lovely upright piano to the school. This has been placed in our newest classroom as we strive to place a piano in every learning space.

Additionally, thank you to the wonderful David Robertson (and his sidekick Lilly) at Hunter Valley Violins for donating 10 second-hand violins and 1 second-hand cello to our school. These instruments will be invaluable to launching our “Stage 2 String Program” and violin lessons with Ms Ellis in 2024. David and Lilly kindly serviced and set up each instrument, ensuring all had the necessary accessories and a case so students could commence music-making immediately in the new school year.

Hunter Valley Violins

We highly recommend reaching out to Hunter Valley Violins for all your string instrument needs. David and his team are kind, generous, and helpful. Thanks again from the RGS community and thank you to all the individuals who contacted the school in support of the violin donations with various offers.

Enrolment

In 2024, Enrolment is open to Kindergarten, Year 1, to Year 4, with limited spaces in all classes K-4 available. To request an enrolment interview, please contact the school.

Please visit our documents page to view our prospectus, enrolment form, parent info, fee information and more.  

Media

As always, I like to share music education advocacy articles each month, with this year being no different. Please enjoy this wonderful article, Playing Music or Singing Is Beneficial at Any Age - by Ria Andriani / ABC Classic

Yours in Music,

Chris English – Principal, Richard Gill School

Principal's Blog 042 - The Final Wrap Up for 2023

Hello and welcome to my final Principal's blog for the 2024 school year. In this post, I delve into our recent ventures at the Stanmore Music Festival, our Summer Swim School, the upcoming end-of-year Celebration Assembly, and the closing weeks of 2023.

Would you believe it? Today is the first day of Summer! Another year has quickly flown by and 2024 will soon be upon us.

Summer Swim School

In the last fortnight, our students enthusiastically participated in a 10-day intensive learn-to-swim program at Muswellbrook Aquatic Centre, guided by trained instructors and supported by our dedicated staff. Each 45-minute lesson focussed on the essential skills needed for swimming and staying safe in the water, with children grouped per their ability.

RGS Learn to Swim Nov 2023

We are most grateful for the support of Bengalla Mining Company, whose generous $5,000 donation covered all tuition and bus transport costs, making this program accessible to all of our families at no cost. A much-appreciated reprieve at what can be a costly time of year.

As we approach the summer holiday months, we recognise the importance of swimming lessons, not just as a vital life skill but also as a source of joy and recreation for our young learners.

Kindy Orientation

Our 2024 Kindergarten Orientation program has concluded on a high note, with 12 Kindergarten students (and counting) set to join RGS in 2023. Over three consecutive Tuesdays, all young people immersed themselves in the Richard Gill School experience - including our daily music lessons, in which the children enthusiastically participated.

RGS Kindy Orientation Nov 2023

RGS Kindy Orientation Nov 2023

The program not only acquainted them with their future peers and staff but also fostered a sense of confidence and familiarity with the school environment. We look forward to officially welcoming our newest cohort in 2024.

Stanmore Music Festival 2023

Embarking on the early hours of Saturday, November 18, Richard Gill School families set out for the Inner West of Sydney, marking our annual pilgrimage to the Stanmore Music Festival. The bus journey buzzed with excitement as tired eyes, mainly those of parents, met the gleaming anticipation of children ready to don their formal uniforms. A late wrong turn raised concerns about missing the opening ceremony, but our fears were allayed as we arrived just in time to join the amazing Batucada Funk band and dancers, leading the opening procession down through the main streets of Stanmore, officially inaugurating the festival.

RGS Students, Stanmore Music Festival 2023, Image supplied Inner West Council

Our next stop was the St Michael’s primary school, where we enjoyed the performances of fellow students before gracing the stage with renditions of (six) meticulously practiced songs. The warm yet sunny weather complemented the students' stellar performances, filling us with immense pride. As the afternoon unfolded, free time allowed us to discover the magnificent painting of Richard by local Sydney artist, Ox King, and partake in the myriad street performances, musical delights, and local culinary offerings.

Artist Ox King,  Perfect Match Street Artwork in honour of Richard Gill Stanmore Nov 2023 -

RGS Students, Stanmore Music Festival 2023

To the families who undertook this journey, your presence was invaluable. We extend our sincere appreciation, knowing that Richard and his family would undoubtedly share in our pride.

Heartfelt gratitude goes to the organisers for extending their warm welcome once again, fundraising for our bus, and to the Inner West Council for championing this excellent event in honour of Richard. We eagerly anticipate returning next year to strengthen the bond between our school and the broader community that rallies behind Richard’s enduring legacy. P.S. Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 16, 2024.

Final Events for 2023

Our end of year “Celebration Assembly” and “School Disco” is scheduled for Tuesday, December 12 from 4:30pm, at the Upper Hunter Conservatorium of Music with special guest, Mayor Steve Reynolds.

All RGS families are warmly invited to attend where class and whole school awards will be presented for academic achievement, growth, Music, STEM, and School Spirit. This assembly is a special time to come together as a school community and celebrate our students and their achievements for the year.

We thank Dan Repacholi (Federal Member), and Dave Layzell (State Member) for their donations towards the prizes and note their apologies at this busy time of year. Thanks also to Bengalla, AGL, RSL sub-branch, Rotary, and Osborns for their donations towards the award prizes.

Excitingly, we're also looking forward to a special and final 2023 performance at the Calvary Aged Care facility on Wednesday, December 13. Connecting with our community is something we value at Richard Gill School and we anticipate that this performance will be a rewarding experience for everyone involved.

Importantly, I’d like to thank our staff and volunteers for their fantastic efforts across an enormous year for the school. Your work is so important for the learning and wellbeing of our students and their families. Congratulations on all you’ve achieved in 2023, and we look forward to making even more improvements to our school in 2024!

Enrolment

In 2024 Enrolment is open to Kindergarten to Year 4. To request an enrolment interview, please contact the school. The school will be closing over the Christmas New Year period with final day being December 14, 2023, so it is important to get in touch about 2024 enrolments as soon as possible.

Please visit our documents page to view our prospectus, enrolment form, parent info and fee information and more.

Recruitment

The school is currently seeking applications for a full time, permanent, Student Learning Support Officer (SLSO) for 2024. Please see our Seek advertisement for more information.

Donations

Thank you to Dr Carol Richards, a fabulous musician and educator, who has donated a full scholarship for 2024. We welcome any further scholarship contributions from our supporters as we seek to offer positions at the school to families who might not be in a position to do so otherwise. Good quality upright pianos are also sought after by the school as we seek to furnish each classroom with an instrument.

Staff and students are now looking forward to a well-earned break over Summer. My next blog will be at the start of February, just as the children return to school. Wishing all our friends and supporters a safe and happy holiday period, and we’ll speak again in the New Year!

Yours in Music,

Chris English

Principal's Blog 041 - Term 4 in Full Swing

Hello and welcome to my monthly Principal's blog. This post dives into the recent highlights at school such as the captivating Musica Viva "Lost Histories" performance, a Bird Watching Workshop, and our Civic Centre Excursion. I also touch on Richard's birthday and upcoming significant events as we quickly approach the year's end.

Tomorrow, we celebrate what would have been Richard’s 82nd birthday, as we reflect on the enduring legacy he left us. Happy Birthday, Richard! May your legacy live on through the many musical and educational initiatives you created and influenced, and through your family, friends, and many students.

Richard Gill Teaching, Credit: Australian Youth Orchestra

Musica Viva ‘Lost Histories’

We started term Term 4 with music! Three talented musicians from the Musica Viva "Lost Histories" tour joined us and our special guests, K-4 students from Pacific Brook Christian School, for a special performance on Tuesday, October 10.

The performance delved into questions like who we are, where we come from, and how we want to be remembered. Troy Russell, a Biripai and Gamillaroi musician, and composer, explores these themes in his songs in this series, reflecting his deep connection to history and place. Students got to experience these songs performed by Troy, along with viola player Naomi Jones and vocalist Leila Hamilton. It was a chance for them to think about their own history and sense of place, sparking creativity and encouraging them to embark on a journey of self-discovery.

Musica Viva ‘Lost Histories’, Richard Gill School and Guests, October 2023

Bird Watching Workshop

Big thanks to Liz Huxtable from the Hunter Bird Observers Club (HBOC) and Mick Brady from Muswellbrook Shire Council Sustainability Unit for hosting an awesome bird-watching session for our students on Friday, October 13.

Bird Watching Workshop, Richard Gill School, October 2023

In the workshop they shared insights into the significance of native birds in our area, explaining their role in the local ecosystem. And of course, they added a bit of fun by imitating bird sounds, much to the delight of the kids. They also delved into the art of bird counting and stressed the importance of protecting these crucial contributors to our environment.

Civic Centre Excursion

RGS Excursion, On the Bus, October 2023

Last Tuesday, our entire school embarked on an exciting journey to the vibrant heart of downtown Muswellbrook! Despite being a small regional town, we're fortunate to have some incredible community facilities right at our fingertips.

RGS Excursion, STEM Lab, October 2023

RGS Excursion, Library, October 2023

Our students had the opportunity to explore the enriching spaces of the Art Gallery, dive into the treasures of knowledge at the Library, and step into the future at the new Donald Horne building, home to the STEM Innovation Hub. It was a day filled with discovery, learning, and appreciation for the gems nestled in our own backyard, thanks to the support and facilitation by Muswellbrook Shire Council.

Power FM Breakfast, Radio Staff and RGS Students, Oct 2023

PowerFM Schools Breakfast

On Thursday, October 19 we welcomed Annie and Lachie from our local 98.1 PowerFM to host their morning broadcast live from Richard Gill School. The “Schools Breakfast” program is supported by Woolworths who provided cereal, fruit, milk, and bowls with spoons for the children from 7am. Thank you to the staff who arrived earlier than usual to assist with supervision. As always, the children had lots of fun talking live on radio!

Grandparents Day

We're thrilled to have such a fantastic group of kind, caring, and supportive grandparents in our community. A heartfelt thank you to all the wonderful grandparents who made Grandparents Day on Friday, October 27, extra special. Your presence, along with the enjoyment of a delightful morning tea, engaging classroom activities, and a musical performance from the children, brought immeasurable warmth to our school. We truly appreciate the love and support you showered on your grandchildren.

Grandparents Day, Richard Gill School,October 2023

Our upcoming events in Term 4 include our Swim School during Week 7/8, an in-school water safety program, our performance at Standmore Music Festival, as well as our end-of-year “Celebration Assembly” and “School Disco” scheduled for Tuesday December 12 from 4:30pm at the Upper Hunter Conservatorium of Music with special guest, Mayor Steve Reynolds.

All RGS families and friends are warmly invited to attend our end-of-year Assembly where class and whole school awards will be presented for Academic Achievement, Growth, Music, STEM, and School Spirit. We thank Dan Repacholi (Federal Member), and Dave Layzell (State Member) for their donations towards some of the prizes and note their apologies at this busy time of year. Thanks also to Bengalla, AGL, and Osborns for their donations.  

Enrolment

In 2024, Enrolment is open for those in Kindergarten to Year 4, with limited spaces in all classes from Kindergarten to Year 3 available in 2023. To request an enrolment interview, please contact the school.

Please visit our documents page to view our prospectus, enrolment form, parent info and fee information and more.  

Scholarships

In a bid to foster talent and inclusivity, Richard Gill School proudly announces the opening of scholarship applications for new enrollments in the academic year of 2024. These scholarships, embodying the school's ethos, are designed to celebrate and nurture talent, academic prowess, and to break down barriers to education.

Targeting new students entering Year 3, Year 4 in 2024, a limited number of approximately five scholarships are on offer, presenting a unique opportunity for families seeking exceptional educational experiences.

To find out more, view our Scholarships page.

Donations

Thank you to the volunteers at the Stanmore Music Festival for donating $2,500 to our school to cover bus hire fees for our students to attend the festival. Thank you also to The Salisbury Hotel and their staff for hosting the fundraiser event. Your support and generosity are both humbling and heartwarming.

Media

The School That Strikes the Right Note - Hunter River Times (a local article about our school)

The Importance of Music – Spread Music Now

Yours in Music,

Chris English - Principal, Richard Gill School

Principal's Blog 040 - Term 3 Highlights: Athletics, Music, and More at RGS

Hello and welcome to the monthly Principal's blog. In this post I discuss our recent Athletics and Cross Country Carnivals, the Term 3 Student Concert, Stanmore Music Festival, and more.

Update

September was a busy month at the school that began with all students participating in the MS Readathon - Congratulations to our families who raised $503 for Multiple Sclerosis, surpassing our goal of $500! Thank you to Mrs Clement for coordinating our efforts at a school level.

The school celebrated Jersey Day on Friday September 1, with Mrs Stanford our Year 2/3 teacher sharing a personal story of her father Kevin requiring an organ transplant, which is the issue which Jersey Day raises awareness of. Thank you to those families who joined us in a jersey of their choice to start an important conversation around organ donation.

Jersey Day, Richard Gill School, September 2023

Athletics And Cross Country

On Friday September 8 we scheduled our inaugural Cross Country and Athletics carnival at Weeraman Fields, Muswellbrook. Despite our best efforts and unwavering optimism, a torrential downpour eventually cancelled the carnival midway through the initial 8/9 years Cross Country event.

Parent Volunteers, Athletics Carnival 2023

House Flags, Athletics Carnival 2023

Undeterred, students completed their field events on Wednesday, September 13, and walked to Muswellbrook Showground on Thursday, September 14, for the track events.

(L-R) Kindergarten, Year 1, Year 2-3 Sprints, Athletics Carnival 2023

Well done to everyone for showing fantastic persistence and bravery in completing the events through various weather conditions across multiple days!

Shotput, Athletics Carnival 2023

An extra special thank you to Toby and Jason from Muswellbrook Little Athletics Centre for mowing the fields and loaning equipment to assist with delivery of the carnival, and to Amber from Muswellbrook Showground for allowing us to use the grounds. Thank you of course to staff and our generous parent and carer volunteers, we couldn’t have done it without you.

Term 3 Student Concert

Our Term 3 concert was held at the Upper Hunter Conservatorium of Music on Tuesday September 19 and was a wonderful success. The children from RGS performed in a total of 12 separate items including whole school singing, primary and Kindergarten singing, and class ensembles featuring the ukulele, scarves, and mallet percussion.

RGS Term 3 Student Concert, at UHCM, September 2023. Images by Alyssa Bestmann.

In the lead-up to the concert and on the evening itself, the dedication and enthusiasm displayed by the children were truly heart warming. Witnessing their perseverance and passion brought immense pride to the staff and myself. What made the occasion even more special was the incredible turnout of family and friends. In our unique school community, the level of family support and active participation in events like these is truly exceptional. It reinforces the strong sense of togetherness that defines the spirit of our school.

The second half of the concert featured a performance by Upper Hunter Voices, our local community youth choir, showcasing their continued growth in numbers. Guided by the passionate talents of volunteers Samantha Cobcroft and Vincent Parmeter, the choir's repertoire was not only diverse but also captivating, holding everyone's attention and delivering a simply beautiful musical experience for all.

Upper Hunter Voices performing at UHCM September 2023. Images by Alyssa Bestmann.

For families of young children living in the Upper Hunter and harbouring an interest in singing, we encourage you to explore the Upper Hunter Voices. You can find more information on their website. The choir rehearses at Richard Gill School every Wednesday afternoon and frequently performs at local events throughout the Upper Hunter. It's a wonderful opportunity for young voices to blossom in a supportive and musically rich environment.

Chess Tournament

On Thursday, September 7, 5 students from RGS competed in their first-ever chess tournament. Playing a total of 7 games over the day in the “rookies” section, our young team learnt an enormous amount as they bravely competed against older opponents, all the while having a fun and exciting day.

Chess is a fantastic game that promotes respect, problem-solving, concentration, self-regulation and more, with many similarities to the benefits of music education.

Thank you to the organisers, it was a wonderful day and we can’t wait to return again next year.

RGS Chess Tournament, September 2023

Well done to our competing students Finn, Edie, Zarlee, Emily, and Xander.

Stanmore Music Festival

The eagerly anticipated Stanmore Music Festival, a cornerstone in our school's performance calendar, is drawing near on Saturday, November 18. We are delighted to have received another invitation to participate in this significant event, closely linked to Richard and his family, who played a pivotal role in its inception. The festival, nurtured by dedicated volunteers, continues to flourish, promising a day filled with delightful musical experiences.

The generous volunteer team have again agreed to assist with fundraising for RGS to subsidise our bus transit costs, with a fundraiser event taking place at the Salisbury Hotel on Thursday October 12 from 6pm - as well as a raffle (please purchase raffle tickets via the link to support RGS and the festival). With live music and a special, discounted food menu it promises to be a great night.

I myself will be representing RGS at the fundraising event, and hope as many people as possible will consider supporting the school and event by attending both the fundraiser and festival, or purchasing raffle tickets via the festival website. Your support is invaluable in making these events a success and ensuring that our students can participate fully.

View Fundraiser Event Details

Enter Raffle

Other Upcoming Events

There is a variety of events and initiatives taking place at Richard Gill School in early Term 4 including:

A visit from Musica Viva for their “Lost Histories” tour - Tuesday October 10

A bird-watching workshop - Friday October 13

A PowerFM schools breakfast - Thursday October 19

Excursions to the local  Library, Art Gallery, and STEM Innovation Lab – Tuesday October 28

World Teacher’s Day - Friday October 6 AND Friday October 27

Children’s Week - Beginning Monday October 23

Grandparents Day and Day for Daniel - Friday October 27

Enrolment

It’s always nice to receive our official school registration certificates from NESA, as a reminder of the hard work we do as a new school required to undergo annual compliance checks and balances.

In 2024 RGS will offer Kindergarten to Year 4, growing from our inaugural K-1 class of 2021.

To express your interest in enrolment, please visit our website.

Employment

Richard Gill School are seeking interest for primary teaching staff for 2024.

To express your interest in future roles, please visit our employment page.

Media

The Importance of Music - Ellen Judson spreadmusicnow.org

We look forward to commencing Term 4, our final term of 2023, from Tuesday 10th of October.

Yours in Music,

Chris English – Principal, Richard Gill School

Principal’s Blog 039 - Celebrating Achievements, Opportunities, and School Spirit

Welcome to the latest instalment of my monthly Principal's Blog. In this post, I delve into recent Term 3 activities, upcoming teaching opportunities that are now open, and share news from our fabulous Book Week celebrations.

For the love of Reading

Last week, Richard Gill School enjoyed a fabulous Book Week, a celebration of books and literature, and a great way to help cultivate our student's lifelong love of reading. Friday saw our students and staff donning costumes inspired by some of their favourite book characters and the resulting mosaic of imagination and creativity did not disappoint. Students had the opportunity to visit the Scholastic Book Fair, noting their book wish lists and many families had the opportunity to purchase new books for their homes.

Richard Gill School Book Week 2023, Whole School

Richard Gill School Book Week 2023, Staff

Throughout August, students have also been participating in the MS Readathon, another way to help capture the importance and fun of reading and a perfect compliment to Book Week activities.

Thank you to everyone for your efforts across both book-related activities.

Music in the Regions

‘Music in the Regions’ at Richard Gill School, August 2023

We were fortunate to have Blanch and Grainger, a harp and guitar duo from Music in the Regions, visit us during the month and provide a complimentary performance and workshop for the children. Thank you so much to the organisers for offering to completely subsidise this opportunity for Richard Gill School, showing your support for the legacy of Richard and our musical vision.

Fundraising

P&F Bunnings Fundraiser - Volunteers

P&F Bunnings Fundraiser - Volunteers

Thank you to the P&F and school community for organising and supporting our recent “Bunnings BBQ fundraiser”. A lot of time and energy was invested by some of the core P&F members, and one of our staff members, Mrs Goodhew, even volunteered half her Saturday to assist. The fundraiser was a big success, raising a total of $1322.90! Well done everyone, and stay tuned for how the P&F use their raised funds for the benefit of our school and students.

While we’re mentioning Mrs. Goodhew, it’s important to acknowledge that it is Teacher Aide Appreciation Week, and we celebrate the fantastic work Mrs. Goodhew, and all the work SLSOs do in schools across the world to support students, their families and staff.

Wrapping Up Jump Rope for Heart

The school finally wrapped up this year’s Jump Rope for Heart, receiving prizes from participation and fundraising efforts, which were distributed to the children at a recent assembly. Well done again everyone on a fantastic job and for the great improvements made to your skipping skills.

Upcoming Events

Inaugural Athletics Carnival

The excitement is building as we gear up for our very first ever Athletics/Cross Country Carnival scheduled for Friday, August 8th. Our students have been eagerly practising their running and honing their skills in various athletic disciplines such as shot-put, javelin, and long jump in preparation for this exciting event. We look forward to witnessing the entire school community come alive with an infectious school spirit that's sure to be in full swing.

A special touch to our upcoming carnival is the debut of our school house banners. We've put in the effort to craft vibrant and dynamic banners for each house, adding a burst of colour and unity to the festivities.

Term 3 Student Performance

Join us for an evening of music as Richard Gill School students showcase their talents, in class and ensemble performances starting at 6:30 pm. The concert will be followed by a program of works from Upper Hunter Voices at approximately 7 pm; with both groups joining forces at the end of the evening for a combined finale vocal performance.

Presented by Richard Gill School and Upper Hunter Voices.

Details

Day: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Time: 6:15 pm Arrival for a 6:30 pm Start
Where: Atherstone Room, Upper Hunter Conservatorium of Music
Who: Friends and Family of RGS and UHV Students - All welcome

Free – No tickets required

School Dates

Please note that Spring School Holidays commence on Saturday, September 23, with students returning for Term 4 on Tuesday, October 10.

Staffing Update

Richard Gill School are advertising for generalist primary teaching staff for 2024.
For more information and to apply visit our Job Advertisement at: https://www.seek.com.au/job/69649191

To express your interest in future roles, please visit our employment page.

The Welcome Experience

Considering a move to Muswellbook to work at Richard Gill School?

Muswellbrook has been selected as 1 of 8 regional locations in NSW to benefit from the State Government initiative called The Welcome Experience, an exciting new service that provides essential workers and their families with the support they need to move into regional communities, settle in and become one of the locals.

Teachers considering relocating to Muswellbrook for work at Richard Gill School should visit the website, or contact Katrina Kiely at Muswellbrook Shire Council on T: (02) 6549 3897

Enrolment

We are excited to announce a SECOND Kindy for a Day session for the year taking place on Friday, September 15.

This is for families who are yet to decide on their school for 2024, and who didn’t attend our first session in Term 2. With no commitment to enrol, Kindy for a Day is an opportunity for families to send their child to “big school” just for one day, helping to decide if the school is right for them. The day will be filled with a program full of fun, creativity and learning.

To register, please visit our Kindy for a Day page.

In 2024 Enrolments are open to Kindergarten to Year 4 students, with limited spaces in all classes K-3 still available in 2023. To request an enrolment interview, please contact the school.

To view our prospectus, enrolment form, parent info and fee information and more visit our documents page or browse our website.

Yours in Music,

Chris English – Principal, Richard Gill School

Principal's Blog 038 - Returning to School, Teaching Opportunities and a Special Visitor

Hello and welcome to the monthly Principal's blog. In this post I discuss our return to school, 2024 teaching opportunities, and an unexpected visit from the Prime Minister at the opening of Muswellbrook’s new STEM teaching space.

Update

RGS 100 Days of Kindergarten, July 2023

First and foremost, congratulations to our lovely Kindergarten class on celebrating their first 100 days of school. It's heartwarming to see our little ones transition from preschool to "big school" with such enthusiasm. We are proud of their progress and the support from their families, which has laid the foundation for a lifelong journey of learning.

RGS 100 Days of Kindergarten, July 2023

During NAIDOC week celebrations at the end of Term 2, we had a meaningful experience working with Mrs. Rhonda Fry. Together, we created two beautiful quilt works that now brighten up our foyer and breakout space. The fabric squares, lovingly made by the children, incorporate indigenous symbols, and we extend our gratitude to Rhonda for generously sharing her knowledge of indigenous culture and textiles.

RGS Students NAIDOC Quilting, July 2023

RGS Students NAIDOC Quilting, July 2023

On a rather unexpected note, it was a thrill for Mrs Katrina Clement (our STEM teacher), and myself, to witness the Prime Minister, Honourable Mr Anthony Albanese, officially open Muswellbrook Shire Council’s Donald Horne Building on Tuesday, July 18. Located within Musellbrooks’s new Hunter Innovation Precinct, the Donald Horne Building is home to the STEM Innovation Lab and The Melt and provides enhanced education and commercial activity for the region.

Richard Gill School received considerable support from our local Council when establishing the school in Muswellbrook, and an emphasis has always been placed on STEM given its importance to our local community and economy.

Located on the first floor of the Donald Horne Building is the STEM Innovation Lab – a purpose-built space that provides students with the tools and mentorship to develop STEM soft skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and communication. We are preparing our young people to meet the needs of a rapidly changing employment market, meeting immediate skills gaps and future industry demands and providing opportunities that are not traditionally available in regional areas.

Upcoming Events

The upcoming weeks are packed with events that are sure to bring much joy to our school community. We are eagerly looking forward to Book Week, which includes the ever-popular Book Parade and the Scholastic Book Fair. Additionally, we have a concert by Music in the Regions coming up in Week 6. Week 8 will be busy with our inaugural Athletics/Cross Country Carnival and IEP meetings, where we work together to support our student's individual learning needs. And finally, we end the term in Week 10 on a melodious note with a Term 3 concert at the Upper Hunter Conservatorium of Music, featuring Richard Gill student classes and ensembles, as well as a showcase by Upper Hunter Voices.

Staffing

In the weeks ahead, Richard Gill School will be advertising for new teaching staff to join us in 2024. If you are enthusiastic about nurturing young minds and shaping the leaders of tomorrow, we invite you to explore the opportunities at our school. Additionally, stay tuned for a part-time administration position that will be available in 2024, with more details to come later in the year. Express your interest in these roles by visiting the employment page on our website.

Enrolment

We are excited to announce a SECOND Kindy for a Day session taking place on Friday September 15.

This is for families who are yet to decide on their school for 2024, that didn’t attend our first session. To register, please visit our Kindy for a Day page.

In 2024 Enrolment is open to Kindergarten, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, and Year 4, with limited spaces in all classes K-3 available in 2023. To request an enrolment interview, please contact the school.

Please visit our documents page to view our prospectus, enrolment form, parent info and fee information and more.  

Media

Recent articles of interest:

Music teachers band together to stop 'illiterate' students falling through gaps

Also, various new articles from Bigger Better Brains:

I succeeded as an entrepreneur because of my music degree 

Are pianists at an advantage when learning surgical skills?

A French horn-playing economist: how did learning an instrument help him think big?

Yours in Music,

Chris English – Principal, Richard Gill School

Principal's Blog 037 - End of Term 2 Highlights, NAIDOC Week Celebrations and 2024 Enrolments

Happy holidays! Welcome to my 37th monthly blog post. This blog is coming to you live from sunny Far North Queensland, where my family and I have escaped the Upper Hunter Valley Winter. In this edition, I will be sharing some noteworthy highlights from the recent activities that marked the conclusion of Term 2, announce our achievements at the Muswellbrook Business Awards, and provide important information regarding enrolment and recruitment for the upcoming school year.

It was an eventful final few weeks of the school term, with our Jump Rope for Heart “Jump Off”, NAIDOC Week, a parent assembly featuring our Year 3 cellists’ debut performance, and all whilst our staff juggled report writing and an annual inspection from the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA).

Jump Off

Jump Off Day 2023, Years 2-3

After working on their skipping skills for most of the term not only during Friday sports lessons but at almost each and every break time, on Wednesday, June 14 it was time for the children to showcase their abilities. Every child has improved immensely with their skipping during this time, and our families worked together to raise $2,830 for the Heart Foundation! Well done children for showing exceptional perseverance, many of whom did not even know how to skip prior to deciding to take part.  

Jump Off Day 2023, Kindergarten

NAIDOC Week

Uncle Ritchie Didgeridoo Workshop, 2023

With NAIDOC Week technically falling during the school holidays, our staff opted to celebrate this special week prior to the break. This was also an opportunity for us to engage local elder, Uncle Ritchie, to deliver a Welcome to Country and a special yidaki (didgeridoo) performance as we held a flag-raising ceremony on Monday, June 26. Thank you to local grandparent, Rhonda Fry, who delivered numerous learning experiences for our children including learning about Aboriginal symbols, reading a dreamtime story, and contributing to a quilt work on Friday, June 30.

Uncle Ritchie Flag Raising Ceremony, 2023

Parent Assembly and Cello Performance

Year 3 Debut Cello Performance

On Friday, June 30 our parents and carers were invited to the school to celebrate the achievements of the children throughout Term 2. The event began with the recognition of notable accomplishments, including the presentation of awards for the Jump Rope for Heart program, highlighting our students' commitment and hard work. Additionally, we celebrated the recipients of the "Strength Awards," acknowledging their perseverance throughout the term.

One of the highlights of the assembly was the cello performance by three Year 3 students. Guided by Mrs Gillian Miles from the Upper Hunter Conservatorium, they showcased their talent with a debut performance that received warm applause and admiration from the audience.

Parent Assembly, Term 2 Strength Awards

To celebrate NAIDOC week and connect with our cultural heritage, the students performed an indigenous medley of Taba Naba and Sesere Eeye, which incorporated both movement and indigenous lyrics.

We take great pride in the achievements and talents of our students, and the Parent Assemblies provide an excellent opportunity to celebrate their growth and contributions. We extend our congratulations to all the performers and award recipients for their dedication and valuable contributions to our school community.

National Music Teacher Mentoring Program 

Our involvement with this supportive program continues, and we thank Dr Sue Lane for working with us again on June 20 and 21. Dr Lane demonstrated numerous music lessons, particularly involving movement and music theory, in addition to working closely with 2 of our generalist staff who are building their skills and confidence in music education. We look forward to the program and Dr Lane returning in Week 9 of Term 3.

Muswellbrook Business Awards

A wonderful night was had at Muswellbrook Business Awards on Friday, June 2, a night filled with excitement and pride for our school community. We are delighted to share that we received a Highly Commended award in the category of "Outstanding Community Organisation." This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff, students, and supportive families. We would also like to congratulate our colleagues at the Upper Hunter Conservatorium of Music, who received the top award in the same category. Their commitment to excellence in music education is commendable.

Richard Gill School Muswellbrook Business Awards 2023

Furthermore, we would like to celebrate the Hodder family (Jaxson and Harrison, Peter and Nicole) for winning the Excellence in Micro Business award, as well as the Cameron family (Genevieve, Grace, and Jarrod) for receiving the ‘Outstanding New Member’ award. Their achievements reflect the community spirit and dedication to excelence within our school community.

We are incredibly proud of the accomplishments of our families and staff who continue to make meaningful contributions to the Muswellbrook community. Together, we strive to create a positive and impactful presence that extends beyond the walls of our school.

Enrolment

We are pleased to announce that round 1 of our Kindergarten 2024 enrolment intake has concluded. In 2024 Enrolment is open to Kindergarten, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, and Year 4, with limited spaces in all classes K-3 available in 2023. To request an enrolment interview, please contact the school.

Please check out our website’s enrolment section for more information or to make an enrolment enquiry.

Recruitment

As we look towards the future, I am excited to announce that Richard Gill School is actively preparing for the recruitment of various roles (2024) to accommodate the continued growth of our school. We are committed to providing a nurturing and enriching environment for our students, and that begins with assembling a dedicated and passionate team. If you or someone you know may be interested in working at Richard Gill School, you can register your interest through our website’s employment page to be among the first to know about new opportunities as they arise.

Media

Some interesting articles published in June on Music Education:

It’s in the curriculum, but most teachers don’t expect to ever teach this subject - Nicole Precel, Brisbane Times, June 2023

How does music affect learning? - Shannon Meyerkort, School News Australia, June 2023

Sir Elton John: ‘I never would’ve written these songs without my classical training’ - Maddy Shaw Roberts, Classic FM, June 2023

Donations

Thank you to the following people who have made tax-deductible donations to the school prior to the end of the financial year:

• Our Chairman, Kim Williams AM

• Hunter Prosigns Pty Ltd

• Stephen Abernethy

We look forward to welcoming our students to Term 3 on Tuesday July 18 and hope that everyone is having a wonderful break.

Yours in Music,

Chris English – Principal, Richard Gill School

Principal’s Blog 036 - Events, Daily Music Observations and Community Recognition

Hello and welcome to the monthly Principal's blog. In this post I discuss our recent school events, daily music observations, and our nomination as Outstanding Community Organisation.

Winter has just begun and we are certainly feeling it in the Upper Hunter Valley, with temperatures dropping to near zero overnight and frosty mornings at school becoming more frequent. Despite the cold, the school grounds are alive with vibrant energy and a sense of community.

Events and Excursions

We have hosted an extensive number of initiatives, events and excursions to enrich the learning of our children in recent weeks including a wellbeing workshop Resilient Rockstar, a trip back-in-time to the historic Tocal Homestead, a PowerFM breakfast and live radio broadcast, Mother’s Day BBQ breakfast hosted by our P&F, a visit from Dr Sue Lane our National Music Teacher Mentoring Program, Jump Rope for Heart, National Reconciliation Week participations, the hosting of Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea, plus our Kindy for a Day program which has proven very successful again this year. I thank all of my staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to allow such a varied array of experiences to be made possible for our students and school community.

RGS Resilient Rockstar Excursion, May 2023

First up our whole school attended Resilient Rockstar, named after the heartwarming children's books "Puppy Rescue" and "Tiger" from the beloved series "The Adventures of Jessie and Rocky Rockstar," and was a lovely addition to our school's recent list of excursions.

The Resilient Rockstar Show really captivated the children with its high-energy, fun-filled, and interactive format. With a touch of magic, uplifting music, and empowering messages, the show left a lasting impact on the children, promoting values of compassion and kindness. The positive feedback from students, parents, and teachers has been great to hear.

RGS Tocal Homestead Excursion, May 2023

Next on the list of excursions, the school organised a captivating trip back-in-time to the historic Tocal Homestead. This excursion allowed our students to immerse themselves in local history, gaining a deeper appreciation for the rich heritage of our region. The students eagerly explored the homestead, learning about the lives of the early settlers and the significant role they played in shaping our community. This experience not only expanded their knowledge but also fostered a sense of pride in our local history

P&F Mothers Day BBQ, RGS, May 2023

Thank you to our incredible Parent and Friends Association (P&F) who organised a heartwarming Mother's Day BBQ breakfast, celebrating the remarkable women in our students' lives. The aroma of sizzling bacon and the sound of laughter filled the air as families came together to show their appreciation and love. It was a wonderful morning of connection and gratitude, highlighting the strong bonds within our school community. Thanks to those who attended and also those who volunteered their time to see this happen.

Sue Lane, National Music Mentoring Program, RGS, May 2023

Next, we were honored to have Dr. Sue Lane visit our school as part of the National Music Teacher Mentoring Program. Dr. Lane's expertise and passion for music education inspires our students and teachers alike. Her interactive classes provide valuable opportunities for our students to explore their musical talents and develop their skills further while her guidance also provides valuable opportunities for both myself and my teaching staff to further develop our music education skills and gain feedback on our teaching practice.

We’ve also been participating in Jump Rope for Heart for the first time as a school this term where our students have raised nearly $2,000 for the Heart Foundation. The Heart Foundation is a charity dedicated to fighting the single biggest killer of Australians – heart disease. Well done children for getting enthusiastic about this wonderful initiative while also learning a new skill.

Reconciliation Week Flag Raising Ceremony, May 2023

As part of National Reconciliation Week, on Wednesday 31 May, four of our students were invited to attend the Annual Raising of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flag. The students heard a fantastic didgeridoo performance by students from St James' Primary School, Muswellbrook led by Uncle Ritchie, who we are pleased to announce will also be at our end-of-term NAIDOC assembly to share his skills and knowledge with our community. Well done to those students for proudly performing and connecting with their culture.

It was very inspiring to hear both Uncle Ritchie and Uncle Glen Morris speak from the heart about how indigenous and non-indigenous people need to come together, which was particularly significant given as the Voice to Parliament referendum passed through the House of Representatives and now moves to the Senate.

Thank you to Muswellbrook Shire Council for hosting this important community event.

Richard Gill School is looking forward to acknowledging NAIDOC Week in the final week of term.

RGS / Little Kindy Biggest Morning Tea, May 2023

On Thursday, May 25, we welcomed our neighbours from the preschool Little Kindy Muswellbrook as we hosted a cancer fundraiser for Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea. Thank you to our families from Wollemi sports house who provided the share plates this year and to everyone who made a donation towards this great cause. Mrs Goodhew and Mrs Hines did a fantastic job setting up and serving the morning tea for our families and guests. A total of $180 was raised, including $38 from Little Kindy and $142 from Richard Gill School.

RGS Kindy for a Day program, May 2023

Finally, our highly anticipated Kindy for a Day program returned this year, and it was a tremendous success. The program offers prospective kindergarten students the opportunity to experience a day in the life of a Richard Gill School student. Our current students welcomed the young visitors with open arms, showing them the ropes and making them feel like part of our school family. This initiative not only provides a more seamless transition for incoming students but also showcases the supportive and inclusive environment we cultivate at Richard Gill School. Thank you to Mrs Sherringham who led the program, supported by Mrs Clement and Mrs Goodhew.

Community Recognition

The school is excited to be a finalist in the Muswellbrook Business Awards which are to be held tonight at the Muswellbrook RSL. Please wish us well in the category of “Outstanding Community Organisation” and join us in congratulating all of the other finalists for the recognition of their hard work.

Daily Music Observations

On Wednesday May 24, I was graciously hosted by the music and executive staff at Sydney Grammar, St Ives Preparatory School, where I shadowed the music staff as they taught their fantastic Kodály inspired curriculum and led their ensembles. This is the first of numerous visits to schools that deliver daily music and/or a highly regarded music program which I hope to make in the coming months, as we look to make further improvements to our music teaching program at RGS. If you work at or know of a school that fits this criteria, I would love to hear from you. 

Thank you again to Dr Sue Lane and the National Music Teacher Mentoring Program for working with our school in this area also.  

Enrolment

Enrolment is open to Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 students in 2023, and a waitlist is in place for Kindergarten 2023. To enrol or join our waitlist, please contact the school.

Offers of enrolment for Kindergarten in 2024 will be made soon, following a review from our enrolment panel.  

Enrolments for Richard Gill School are always open. Our prospectus, enrolment form, parent info and fee information can be found here.

Media

It was a privilege to be included in an advance briefing for Principals, hosted by Dr Anita Collins, who was discussing the fantastic work they are doing with Alberts and the Tony Foundation, advocating for the importance of music education. To stay up to date with this initiative, please visit their website.

Donations

With the end of Financial Year now less than 1 month away, we ask our supporters to please consider a tax-deductible donation to Richard Gill School, to support the sustained growth of our school, of our scholarship program, and of our musical and general resources. Please contact the school directly should you wish to make a donation, and we thank you in advance for any generosity you might be able to consider towards supporting our students.

Yours in Music,

Chris English – Principal, Richard Gill School

Principal's Blog 035 - Welcoming our Newest Teacher, Anzac Day Activities and Upcoming Events

Hello and welcome to the monthly Principal's blog. In this post I discuss our recent ANZAC Day activities, National Music Teacher Mentoring Program, and introduce you to our newly appointed classroom teacher, Miss Ellis.

Staff and families alike enjoyed a generous holiday break over Easter with public holidays on either side of the usual 2-week hiatus, extending the time away to nearly 3-weeks.

ANZAC Day

We are most grateful to the staff and students who showed their civic and school pride by participating in the ANZAC Day March and Main Service. Our students made a musical contribution to the service by singing during the wreath laying, and Oliver and Zelie recited a poem. Many comments were made about the respectful behaviour shown by our young students during the service. Well done everyone on participating in such an important day, Lest We Forget.

Welcome to Miss Olivia Ellis!

A familiar face is returning to RGS! I’m excited to announce that Miss Olivia Ellis has won the permanent classroom teaching position recently advertised and will be teaching Kindergarten from Monday May 15 onwards, with Mrs Katrina Clement returning to her RFF role. Olivia will be visiting the class next Monday May 8 and a meet and greet will be scheduled for Kindy parents and carers soon. Olivia is in the process of coordinating her move to Muswellbrook as she is relocating from Sydney.

Miss Olivia Ellis

Hello everyone, my name is Miss Olivia Ellis. I am a passionate teacher, singer and viola player who last year had the pleasure of working at RGS in Term 3 of 2022. A little bit about me; I enjoy yoga, swimming, and tending to my fish tanks. Over the years I have been a member of the Sydney Youth Orchestras and toured internationally with the Arts Unit Orchestra. I have also worked with the Young Manheim Symphony program founded by Richard Gill. My passion is building the foundation for students musical and educational journeys, and I’ve recently been completing additional training in Orff Schulwerk and Kodály training methods. I am looking forward to moving to Muswellbrook and joining the community. See you soon!

National Music Teacher Mentoring Program

We are looking forward to collaborating with the wonderful staff from the National Music Teacher Mentoring Program, which was established by Richard Gill, in the coming weeks. Dr Sue Lane will be onsite at Richard Gill School supporting myself and the teaching staff with ways to further incorporate music across the curriculum throughout Term 2 and beyond.  

Upcoming events

For the remainder of Term 2 we look forward to participating in many more community events, including:

• Hosting a PowerFM Breakfast - Thursday May 11

• Excursion to Muswellbrook for the “Resilient Rockstar” program - Tuesday May 16

• Excursion to Tocal Homestead - Wednesday May 17

• Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea Fundraiser - Thursday May 25

• Participating in Simultaneous Story Time (24/05) and Reconciliation Day (29/05)

• Celebrating NAIDOC Week in the final week of Term 2, Monday June 26-Friday June 30. 

Enrolment

Enrolment is open to Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 students in 2023, and a waitlist is in place for Kindergarten 2023. To enrol or join our waitlist, please contact the school.

“Kindy for a Day” places for families considering 2024 enrolment are limited, with the event taking place on Friday May 26 now open for enrolment. Be sure to Register Your Interest as spots are filling up fast.

Mr English is setting up a “pop up” booth at local shopping centres each Thursday through May, for local families to discuss enrolment at the school. Visit Mr English at the following times/locations:

• Thursday May 4 – 8am-4:30pm – Muswellbrook Marketplace Shopping Centre (near Woolworths)

• Thursday May 11 – 8am-4:30pm – Muswellbrook Fair (near Coles)

• Thursday May 18 – 8am-4:30pm – Muswellbrook Marketplace Shopping Centre (at the top of the escalator)

• Thursday May 25 – 8am-4:30pm – Muswellbrook Fair (near Coles)

Enrolments for Richard Gill School are always open. Our prospectus, enrolment form, parent info and fee information can be found here.

Media

Music Education – A Sound Investment

Dr Anita Collins, her collaborators, and Alberts/The Tony Foundation continue to do excellent work advocating for the importance of music education in the research and philanthropic fields. As you would imagine, Richard Gill School is modelling many of the recommendations in the report for how to provide an outstanding musical education and the benefits this has on a young person. Read their report here.

Donations

With the end of the Financial Year approaching, we ask our supporters to please consider a tax-deductible donation to Richard Gill School, to support the sustained growth of our school, of our scholarship program, and of our musical and general resources. Please contact the school directly should you wish to make a donation, and we thank you in advance for any generosity you might be able to consider supporting our students.

Yours in Music,

Chris English – Principal, Richard Gill School

Principal's Blog 034 - Wrapping Up Term 1, 2023

Hello and Happy Easter! Welcome to the monthly Principal's blog. In this post I provide a wrap up of Term 1, Kodály music training, and a prelude to Term 2.

Update

March was a busy month at RGS, where we held our inaugural Swimming Carnival, commenced our fortnightly school assemblies, performed at the Upper Hunter Show, and held an Easter Hat parade and parent assembly. The children have thoroughly enjoyed these learning experiences, and we are grateful for the wonderful support from our parents and carers who have attended these events with enthusiasm. We have also been most grateful to those parents and community members who continue to volunteer at RGS in our reading program, at the swimming carnival, and even with admin and grounds improvements. Thank you!

Behind the scenes, the school recently submitted our annual application to NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority) to expand to offer Year 4 curriculum in 2024, as we remain on track to become a complete K-6 primary school by 2026. Significant planning continues around the delivery of our bus turning bay and the future construction of additional classrooms at the school, to ensure we keep up with the growth of the school.

Kodaly Training

I am excited to be completing professional learning in the Kodály method of music education next week during the school holidays. Zoltan Kodály believed that every person has musical aptitude and that, ideally, a music education should begin as early as possible in a person’s life – firstly at home and then later within the school curriculum. Kodály believed that singing should be the foundation of all music education. Richard was adamant that the pedagogies of both Kodály and Carl Orff are embodied at Richard Gill School, and we are working hard to realise Richard’s vision always.

Swimming Carnival

RGS Inaugural Swimming Carnival and Awards Presentation, March 2023

Kudos to the students who gave it their all at the first-ever swimming carnival of Richard Gill School! Congratulations to Towarri, who emerged victorious on this occasion. It was truly inspiring to witness the students' dedication and enthusiasm, and the way they cheered and sang their War Cries to support their fellow mates showed remarkable team spirit. Great job, everyone!

Students were presented with ribbons and medals for their efforts at our Formal Assembly.

The school is now planning to combine our Athletics Carnival and Cross Country Carnival as one event in mid-Term 3. Stay tuned. 

Upper Hunter Show

RGS performing at Upper Hunter Show, March 2023

On Friday, March 17, we participated in our first public performance of 2023 at the Upper Hunter Show and it was an amazing experience. Mrs. Sherringham and I were thrilled to see all the students putting their best foot forward while singing a program of works that we had been working on this year. Additionally, we were delighted to see the students' talent and creativity reflected in their craft entries, with one of the group entries securing the first position in its category. We couldn't be more proud of them! Thank you to Mrs Goodhew and Mrs Clement for supporting the students with their craft and offering their break times to work with the children.

RGS Student’s group craft entry, Upper Hunter Show, 2023

Easter hat parade AND Swimming Awards

After the formal assembly on the last day of term, the students of Richard Gill School participated in the first-ever Easter Hat parade and it was a delightful sight to behold. The students' efforts and creativity were on full display as they showcased the incredible hats they had brought from home. It was truly a treat for the eyes!

RGS Easter Hat Parade, April 6, 2023

Upcoming events

In Term 2 we look forward to participating in many more community events, including: 

• ANZAC Day March and Main Service performances during wreath laying - Tuesday April 25

• Timmy and the Breakfast Band from Musica Viva with Pacific Brook Christian School at RGS - Friday May 5

• Hosting a PowerFM Breakfast - Thursday May 11

• Excursion to Tocal Homestead - Wednesday May 17

• Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea Fundraiser - Thursday May 25

• Participating in Simultaneous Story Time (24/05) and Reconciliation Day (29/05)

• Celebrating NAIDOC Week in the final week of Term 2, Monday June 26-Friday June 30.

Enrolment

Enrolment is open to Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 students in 2023, and a waitlist is in place for Kindergarten 2023. To enrol or join our waitlist, please contact the school or visit our enrolment information page.

Our recent “Early Bird Tour” was well attended, with our Kindy for a Day program taking place on Friday May 26 now open for enrolment. Places are filling quickly so be sure to register today.

Enrolments for Richard Gill School are always open. Our prospectus, enrolment form, parent info and fee information can be found at here.

Media

I recently had the opportunity to attend the inaugural AISNSW Cyber Security Symposium, hosted at the Microsoft building in North Sydney. This conference was an eye-opener for me, as I learned about the urgent need for schools to actively address cyber security (CS) threats. You can read my personal blog post for my insights.

Cyber Security – The Rising Need in Education - Chris English, 2023

Donations

With the end of Financial Year approaching, we ask our supporters to please consider a tax-deductible donation to Richard Gill School, to support the sustained growth of our school, our scholarship program, and of our musical and general resources. Please contact the school directly should you wish to make a donation, and we thank you in advance for any generosity you might be able to consider supporting our students.

We know that our families are looking forward to the holiday break and we welcome their safe return on Wednesday, April 26.

RGS Staff Day, Muswellbrook Cup, Muswellbrook Race Club, March 31, 2023

After a busy term, it was lovely for staff and their partners to connect socially, taking advantage of the recent half-day public holiday in Muswellbrook (teachers like to have fun too!). A big thank you to everyone for a huge effort this term. We wouldn’t be where we are without you and all your hard work.

Yours in Music,

Chris English – Principal, Richard Gill School

Principal’s Blog 033 - Grant success, school improvements and upcoming events

Hello, and welcome to the monthly Principal's blog. In this post I discuss our successful grant funding application, recent school improvements, upcoming events and more.

Chris English, Playground Duty with Students, February 2023

Grant success

We’re very excited to share with the RGS community this fantastic news announced by our local MP, Dave Layzell. In addition to 10k received from Bengalla Mining Company in 2022, we have received a grant of $306k to create safe bus access to the front of the school! This is a large project that couldn’t happen without an available grant like the Stronger Country Community Fund and the support of local organisations. We look forward to commencing the project later this year. Thank you to everyone involved for your support of our school and the safety of our children.

State MP, Dave Layzell, parents, teachers and students Richard GIll School, February 2023

School Assemblies

Last week we held our first, fortnightly assembly for students, now that our student body has grown. Each sport’s “house” within the school will rotate responsibility for delivering the assembly, ensuring they have a strong focus on the children, with Barrington (blue) leading our first assembly. Towarri (red) and Wollemi (yellow) will have their turn in weeks to come, with our school houses named after nearby national parks in the Upper Hunter, Wollimi, Towarri, and Barrington. The children all shined when undertaking their leadership responsibilities. A perfect opportunity to support our students in building self-confidence and leadership skills.

Richard Gill School’s first assembly for 2023

School Improvements

Improvements to our playground have been completed, with retaining walls, rainwater tank and pool-style fencing installed around our vegetable gardens and undercover eating area. We hope to install a new piece of playground equipment throughout the year as a result of reviewing submissions made by our students last year through their STEM project learning task.

New water tank being installed at RGS

Individual Education Plans

Individual Education Plans (IEP’s) are a key feature of Richard Gill School, which staff develop in collaboration with families for EVERY student. Meetings with families are being scheduled for Week 8, giving time for children to settle back into their school routines and a strength-based plan to be formulated to ensure our students can work to their potential.

Upcoming Events

There are lots of events and initiatives planned this term!  

Today we participated in the Clean Up Australia Day initiative where all students donned their hats and gloves and ventured to nearby grass clearings, collecting numerous bags of rubbish and discussing the importance of putting our rubbish in the bin and maintaining a healthy ecosystem. It is always a joy to take the children outside of the classroom to participate in these kinds of community initiatives. The children really look forward to hands on activities, and I’m sure our neighbouring residents appreciate the reserve to the rear of the school being free of litter.

Clean Up Australia Day at RGS 2023, Friday March 3, 2023

Our inaugural swimming carnival is next Friday, which all staff and students are extremely excited about. This will be our first official sports carnival event and will see students participate in three competitive events of freestyle, breaststroke, and diving. It will also be the first time they are able to sing their sports house’  ‘war cry’ outside of practicing it at school. All house war cries were composed by Richard Gill’s son, Anthony. Sports carnivals are an exciting time for the whole school, and we can’t wait to watch the children enjoy their first event that encompasses lots of team spirit and healthy competition.

Richard Gill School students are also excited to be preparing for our first performance for 2023 at the Upper Hunter Show on Friday, March 17. Myself and Mrs Sherringham have been working hard to prepare a program of predominantly vocal works for the exhibition, where Kindergarten children will be performing for the first time. We will be performing at 2pm. Keep an eye out for details on our Facebook page if you would like to attend.

Enrolment 

Next Thursday we are offering an “Early Bird Tour” for families who have already expressed interest in joining Kindergarten in 2024. This will be followed by our popular “Kindy for a Day” program on Friday, May 26, after which time enrolment offers will be made to families. With 6 siblings joining the class, there are only 14 places in Kindergarten available for 2023. There is also a lot of interest for Kindergarten by new families for 2023, so if you are at all interested I would suggest you register your interest in enrolment as soon as possible.

Enrolment is open to Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 students in 2023, and a waitlist is in place for Kindergarten 2023. To enrol or join our waitlist, please contact the school.

Our prospectus, enrolment form, parent info and fee information can be found here.

Media

Stay tuned for a “Cyber Security” blog incoming from www.chrisenglish.com.au , following attendance at the inaugural AISNSW Cyber Security Symposium hosted by Microsoft in North Sydney last Friday.

Donations

Thank you so very much to Valerie Tamblyn-Mills and Sheila Keane who have contributed another $4,000 to our school, in addition to the $8,000 they contributed in 2022. A reminder that Richard Gill School is a tax-deductible charity, and we welcome donations to support the work we do at our school.

Richard Gill School is always on the lookout for donations of good quality upright pianos, as we forecast the need for up to 8 more pianos in the school in the years to come. This will ensure we have a piano in every learning space, which we know would make Richard most pleased. If you have a good quality piano you would consider donating the school, please contact us and we will organise delivery and tuning.

Yours in Music,

Chris English – Principal, Richard Gill School

Principal's Blog 031 - Final update for 2022, Stanmore Wrap-up and Christmas Spectacular

Hello, and welcome to the thirty-first of my monthly Principal's blogs and my final update for 2022. In this post, I discuss our race toward the end of the year, upcoming performances, and plans for 2023.

Update

We are mid-way through our 10-day intensive swim school and preparing for our inaugural “Celebration Assembly” next Friday, December 9. We are currently recruiting for a full-time Student Learning Support Officer (SLSO) as we farewell Mrs Linda Dolbell, and look forward to our final performance of the year, at the Upper Hunter Christmas Spectacular on Saturday December 10.

Intensive Swim School

As part of the school’s commitment to giving our students the best physical education opportunities as well as a way to teach an important life skill, all students have been offered the opportunity to take part in our Term 4, 10-day, intensive swim school program. The students have loved this change to routine over the last week and we hope that all students will be better prepared for the school holidays by the end of the program, where hot days often means swimming and water play. Thank you to the Muswellbrook Public Pool staff for facilitating this important initiative.

Images: RGS Intensive Swim School Program

Stanmore Festival of Music wrap-up

Thank you to the festival organisers, our Board Members, Reverend Angela Peverell, and Chair Kim Williams AM who came and supported our school, in addition to our lovely families who traveled considerably for the performance. We had a wonderful day and enjoyed performing our program and watching many other performances.

We are so proud to have been included in this year’s festival, which honours Richard, is well supported by his family and friends, and which forms an important part of the school’s legacy and commitment to music education.

Images: Stanmore Festival of Music Excursion

Kindy transition to school

On Monday we commenced our official Transition Program with our 2023 Kindergarten class. It is always a joy to have such young children in our school, so full of optimism and happiness. We thank Miss Presland for the wonderful work she is doing with the children.

We recently held a Family Info Night for our new families, and also for our existing families to meet our new classroom teacher for 2023, Mrs Tara Stanford. We host these events to communicate clearly with our community and provide opportunities for relationships to build and flourish as we support the children in their learning journey at Richard Gill School. Thank you to all who attended as well as the P&F for volunteering their time to put on a sausage sizzle for everyone.

Image: P&F Volunteers at School Transition Info Night.

Other school events

November was an exceptionally busy month, with Richard Gill School hosting a number of special visitors who each gave their time to our children free of charge, including:

Guest musical performances from both Nexas Saxophone Quartet who performed and answered questions for our students on November 9; as well as Mrs Gillian Miles and Clem from the Upper Hunter Conservatorium of Music who performed on the cello for prepare for Year 3 students who will commence a cello program in 2023.

Images: Musical Performance from UHCM (L), and Nexas Saxophone Quartet (R)

This was followed by our local PowerFM breakfast team of Lachie and Dylan who broadcasted their show live from the school on Thursday November 17. Some of our students even got to speak on the radio and the school sang a song live on air.

Image: Power FM Live Broadcast from RGS

Finally, Surf Lifesavers from the “Beach to Bush” program provided a wonderful safety session for our students as the weather begins to warm. Our students loved getting to use colourful zink to learn the importance of sun safety.

Image: Surf Lifesavers at RGS

It is so wonderful to be able to offer all of these experiences and more to our students and we hope to have many more in 2023.

Upper Hunter Christmas Spectacular – Saturday December 10

Richard Gill School are excited to combine with to our local community youth choir, Upper Hunter Voices for their debut performance at Muswellbrook Showground for the Upper Hunter Christmas Spectacular on Saturday December 10. The school will sing 3 short pieces as RGS at 4:15pm, followed by a combined choral ensemble performing 3 Christmas themed pieces at 4:30pm. We will also take the stage at 7pm for a massed item, “Jingle Bell Rock”, which may even see a VERY special guest arrive by helicopter and take the stage, I wonder who this could be… ? The event is free of charge thanks to incredible local sponsorship and PowerFM, and will commence at 3pm, with fireworks to conclude the evening at approximately 9pm. We hope you can make it!

Please feel free to subscribe Upper Hunter Voices, newsletter for news and updates about the Choir, performances, audition opportunities and more.

Enrolment

Enrolment is open to Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 students in 2023, and a waitlist is in place for Kindergarten 2023. To enrol or join our waitlist, please contact the school.

Enrolments for Richard Gill School are always open. Our prospectus, enrolment form, parent info and fee information can be found here.

As we recharge our batteries over Summer, the next blog post will be at the start of February. On behalf of the staff and Board of Richard Gill School, we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Yours in Music, 

Chris English – Principal, Richard Gill School

Principal’s Blog 030 - Happy Birthday Richard, Stanmore and Christmas

Hello, and welcome to the thirtieth of my monthly Principal's blogs. In this post I discuss our race towards the end of the year, upcoming performances, and plans for 2023. Oh, and Happy Birthday Richard! Our very own Mr Gill would have been 81 today, and we think fondly of the immense contributions he made to music and education throughout his life.

Richard Gill, 2005. Photograph: Tracey Nearmy/AAP

Update 

With only 6 weeks of the school year remaining, the children appear to be growing right before our eyes. We are looking forward to finally celebrating Grandparents Day next Wednesday, having postponed twice due to a Covid-19 outbreak that saw absences rise across the school the week previous.  

World Teacher’s Day

World Teacher’s Day was celebrated on Friday October 28. On behalf of the school, the board, and our families, we’d like to wish a big, happy World Teacher’s Day to our wonderful classroom teachers Miss Presland, Mrs Sherringham, Mrs Clement, and our incoming Mrs Stanford.

St Anmorè (Stanmore) Festival of Music

Stanmore Festival 2019 - Image by Kris Egan

Tomorrow morning bright and early at 6am our children and their families are heading to Stanmore! We are so excited to perform at the festival as representatives of Richard Gill School.

For all your last-minute timetable and other event information, visit St Anmorè Stanmore Festival website.

We hope you can come and participate in the opening march from 11:30am, commencing at the Gill household, followed by the opening formalities at which the students will sing our school song composed by Nigel Westlake. Following the formalities, watch us perform a short program at the St Michaels stage from 12:30-1pm.

Upper Hunter Christmas Spectacular – Saturday December 10

Richard Gill School are excited to combine with Upper Hunter Voices for their debut performance at Muswellbrook Showground for the Upper Hunter Christmas Spectacular on Saturday December 10. The school will sing 3 short pieces as RGS, followed by a combined choral ensemble performing 3 Christmas themed pieces at approximately 4:30/5pm. The event is free of charge thanks to incredible local sponsorship and PowerFM, and will commence at 3pm, with fireworks to conclude the evening at approximately 9pm. We hope you can make it! 

Enrolment

Enrolment is open to Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 students in 2023, and a waitlist is in place for Kindergarten 2023. To enrol or join our waitlist, please contact the school.

Enrolments for Richard Gill School are always open. Our prospectus, enrolment form, parent info and fee information can be found here.

Donations

Thank you to the QLD Orff Association who have donated a bass xylophone to Richard Gill School.

Thank you to one of our incoming Kindergarten families, the Melichar’s, for donating a wonderful, brand new, timber cubby house for our playground.

Media

As always, we do our best to closely follow music education advocacy pieces in the media.

Below is a link to my personal blog summary of the recent Positive Education conference. Thanks again to the Where There’s a Will foundation for sponsoring my attendance at the event, as part of 41 delegates from the Upper Hunter.

Re-Connect – Key Takeaways from the National Positive Education Conference 2022 – by Chris English

And an interesting article on the benefits of learning Music

If you want your child to be more resilient, get them to join a choir, orchestra or band – By The Conversation

At Richard Gill School, we start every day with whole school singing and do daily music lessons. All our children are by default part of our school choir, and various music ensembles throughout their music lessons. Our musical offerings will be expanded in 2023 through partnerships with the Upper Hunter Conservatorium of Music, which we look forward to sharing in the weeks ahead.

Yours in Music,

Chris English – Principal, Richard Gill School

Principal's Blog 029 - Holiday construction works, Stanmore Festival of Music and More

Hello, and welcome to the twenty-ninth of my monthly Principal's blogs. In this post I discuss our new teacher for 2023, holiday construction works, Stanmore Festival of Music, and more generous donations!

Update

Today we near the end of the spring school holidays as we prepare for Term 4 at Richard Gill School. It seems so much has happened this last month, so strap yourselves in for an action-packed update.

Firstly, we would like to thank and congratulate Miss Olivia Ellis, our recent practicum teacher, for completing of her 10-week practicum at Richard Gill School. It has been a pleasure having Miss Ellis at the school and we wish her all the best for a long and prosperous teaching career.

Teacher 2023 appointment

We are excited to announce the appointment of Miss Tara Stanford to the Richard Gill School teaching staff, commencing in 2023. Miss Stanford is a local teacher with a young family of her own, who has a passion for whole school wellbeing and positive education. We look forward to Miss Stanford joining the team and know she will bring about new and exciting opportunities for our students and school community.

Holiday construction works

These holidays have seen the completion a new footpath, a covered outdoor eating area, and acoustic panels and cabinetry in our third classroom. It is always exciting to see our school grow.

Students are also currently working on a STEM project to design a new piece of playground equipment, and we look forward to reviewing the designs and installing the successful project in the months ahead.

You can see the update on our Facebook video here

St Anmorè (Stanmore) Festival of Music and Fundraiser

On Thursday, September 29, a fundraiser was held at the Salisbury Hotel in Stanmore, Sydney. We are most grateful to the festival organisers, Tony and Simon, for offering to raise funds for our school to cover bus transportation costs. Whilst the final figure raised is still being calculated, I am excited to announce that the bus hire fee has been COMPLETELY covered, with some additional funds to go towards equipment purchases made to facilitate our live performance.

We hope to see you at the festival on Saturday, November 5! For more information, visit their site here.

Professional learning – Orff and Positive Education

These holidays as Principal, I have been busy completing an Orff Level Course, and attending a Positive Education conference, thanks to local organisation and newly formed partnership with Where There’s a Will. Through this partnership, the school are adopting a strength’s-based wellbeing framework in 2023 to support the growth of our students.

2022 Orff Course, Sydney

2022 Orff Course, Sydney

Music teaching at Richard Gill School is grounded in the Orff pedagogical style (and Kodaly), and it was most enriching to spend a whole week making music and refining teaching practice. It was wonderful to attend this course and connect with other like-minded music educators.

Upper Hunter Voices

In partnership with the Upper Hunter Conservatorium of Music, the school is excited to announce the launch of Upper Hunter Voices, a children’s community choir with voices drawn exclusively from The Upper Hunter Region, including those of Muswellbrook and Upper Hunter Shires. Upper Hunter Voices comprises of young people between the ages of 6 and 12, with a keen interest in singing. Singers are provided with performance opportunities and access to professional training and musical skills development.

The development of the organisation has been ongoing for more than 18 months and is another way that Richard Gill School is working to engage with the community and further promote the importance of music and singing.

The ensemble is currently recruiting members, with their debut performance confirmed for the Christmas Spectacular in Muswellbrook on Saturday, December 10.

For more information, visit the Upper Hunter Voices website.

Enrolment

Enrolment is open to Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 students in 2023, and a waitlist is in place for Kindergarten 2023. To enrol or join our waitlist, please contact the school.

Enrolments for Richard Gill School are always open. Our prospectus, enrolment form, parent info and fee information can be found at here.

Donations

Sheridan Carmichael, a local supporter of the school, has very generously donated $10,000 to our scholarship fund and $5,000 to our library. This is an incredible contribution, especially considering Sheridan donates her time each week to support our Early Childhood Music program and is also a community representative of our Parents and Friends Association (P&F). Sheridan has also previously donated a beautiful upright Yamaha piano to the school which is in our instrumental room. What would we do without you, Sheridan?!

For over 50 years Dr Carol Richards has been involved in many aspects of Orff Schulwerk - in her teaching and in her professional development work. At completion of the Orff Levels Course last week, which may sadly be her last time presenting, Carol kindly made a donation of a soprano glockenspiel to the school. Thank you, Carol!

St Anmorè (Stanmore) Festival of Music – as mentioned earlier, the festival have raised approximately $3,000 to go towards bus hire and equipment for our performance at the festival. This figure was contributed to by about 65 different people, who bought a meal, raffle tickets, or made a direct donation. Thank you to the festival community for supporting our school.

Media

As always, we do our best to closely follow music education advocacy pieces in the media. Below are links to 2 stories which resonated with us, that you might enjoy.

Why Music Matters

Alberts Launches Music Education Right From The Start Initiative

Yours in Music,

Chris English – Principal, Richard Gill School

Principal's Blog 028 - Early Childhood Music, Bus Turning Bay and Kindergarten.

Hello, and welcome to the twenty-eighth of my monthly Principal's blogs. It has been an action-packed month. In this post I share the huge array of wonderful activities the students and staff have engaged in, Early Childhood Music, Bus Turning Bay, Kindergarten at capacity and more.

Update

Today sees the end of Week 6, Term 3 at Richard Gill School. Our students have engaged in a wide range of learning activities throughout August, including Book Week, an author visit from Nicola Bolton, excursions to the Library and Art Gallery, guest music teaching from the wonderful Danielle Abbott at the National Music Teacher Mentoring Program, a Magic Show on resilience from Joel Howlett, a puppet show about Waste Management from Muswellbrook Shire Council, and more!

School Excursion - Muswellbrook Library and Art Gallery

Guest music teaching from the wonderful Danielle Abbott

Staff have also partnered with local visible learning organisation, Where There’s a Will, and we’ve welcomed new volunteers into our school who have been so valuable. We’ve also seen the finishing touches of our 3rd classroom commence completion, with our glass sliding doors recently installed. Today staff and students are encouraged to celebrate Jersey Day, which aims to raise awareness about organ donation. See more information here.

2022 Book Week - Richard Gill School Staff

2022 Book Week - Richard Gill School Students and Staff

Early Childhood Music at Muswellbrook Pre School

At Richard Gill School, sharing music and delivering structured music education is part of our core philosophy. We also believe giving opportunities to children to enjoy and learn music from a young age is critically beneficial to their learning and development - and lots of fun! For these reasons we like to find ways to share music with the community outside of school grounds which is why recently Mr English conducted a series of Early Childhood Music sessions for children at Muswellbrook Pre-School, which were well received.

MS Readathon

Throughout the month of August we had 7 students at RGS sign up for the MS Readathon, raising money for multiple sclerosis. Congratulations to these students, their families, and donors for exceeding our fundraising goal by over 300%! We are so proud of our student’s efforts. What a wonderful result. There is still time to support this great cause simply visit the RGS Fundraiser page.

Bus Turning Bay

The school is currently embarking on a fundraising quest to allow the completion of a safety access road to accommodate large bus access to the front of the school. As our student population continues to grow, we are eager to ensure access via our carpark and via bus transportation is as safe as it can possibly be.

We are grateful to Bengalla Mining Company who has already contributed $10,000 towards the completion of our Bus Turning Bay from their Community Development Fund. We will continue to keep you up to date with the progress of the project and our fundraising goals.

Enrolment

We are excited to announce that our Kindergarten class for 2023 has reached capacity and families can now join the waitlist. What makes this such encouraging news is that the community of Muswellbrook are recognising the importance of a musical education!

Enrolments for Richard Gill School are always open. Our prospectus, enrolment form, parent info and fee information can be found here.

Media

Good news for the musicians, and of course all the Richard Gill School students; “Researchers find link between learning instrument while young and improved thinking skills later in life” Read article.

St Anmorè Festival of Music

Richard Gill School students are excited to be preparing to perform at the St Anmorè Festival of Music to be held in Stanmore, Sydney, on Saturday November 5. The festival was created in honour of Richard Gill, and is a free-to-attend, open-air style event featuring a diverse range of musical performances. We would love to see you there!

From all at RGS, we hope you enjoy a warmer month ahead as we embrace the beginning of Spring.

Yours in Music,

Chris English – Principal, Richard Gill School

Principal's Blog 027 - Teacher Mentoring, 100 Days of Kindy and Sustainability

Hello, and welcome to the twenty-seventh of my monthly Principal's blogs. In this post I discuss the National Music Teacher Mentoring Program, 100 days of Kindy, our Sustainability Grant and more.

Update

Today sees the end of the third week of Term 3 at RGS. It has been a challenging start to the term, with absences impacting both staff and students. Nevertheless, the learning journey continues and we soldier on! 

National Music Teacher Mentoring Program

We are thrilled to commence our involvement with the National Music Teacher Mentoring Program (NMTMP), an initiative spearheaded by Richard Gill himself, and recently had our first visit from our incredible mentor, Miss Danielle Abbott. Both children and staff have learnt a lot from Miss Abbott in a short period of time and look forward to future visits throughout the term.

Music and Movement professional learning with Musica Viva

On Tuesday, August 2nd, Richard Gill School hosted Julia Rennick from Musica Viva who presented a 2-hour workshop on “Music and Movement”. It has been wonderful to partner with organisations like Musica Viva, who Richard and many others in our community have had so much to do with. It is an honour for our school to be involved with supporting the musical professional development of teachers in the Upper Hunter and beyond, and we thank the attendees and Musica Viva for choosing Richard Gill School as their venue for this learning experience.

Sustainability Grant

Earlier this year RGS was successful in applying for a sustainability grant through Muswellbrook Shire Council. Thank you to Alyssa, mother of Edie, for assisting with our application. Recently, we received our “C-Thru” bins, which will- assist the school and our children to separate their waste at recess and lunchtime, to divert waste from landfill. A great way to engage and educate the students in caring for their environment, which we are passionate about at RGS.

MS Readathon

Throughout the month of August, we are encouraging students at RGS to sign up for the MS Readathon, to encourage a love of reading and raise money for multiple sclerosis. We are thrilled to see our students and their generous families and friends have already exceeded our fundraising goal!

Please visit Readathon RGS Fundraising Page to support this great cause.  

100 days of school for Kindy

Recently, our Kindergarten children have celebrated their first 100 days of “big school”. Go Kindy!

Enrolment

In 2023, enrolment is open to Kindergarten, Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 students. There are only 2 places remaining for Kindergarten 2023!

Enrolments for Richard Gill School are always open, and in 2022 are open to Kindergarten, Year 1, and Year 2. Our prospectus, enrolment form, parent info and fee information can be found here.

Donations 

Elizabeth O’Neill – thank you for the donation of music teaching resources to our school.

Media

There were some great articles about music education shared over the last month, two of which I’ve reshared below for your reading pleasure.

The Slow Fade of Music Education

Music Education Helps Improve Children’s Ability to Learn

Yours in Music,

Chris English – Principal, Richard Gill School