Hello, and welcome to the sixth of my monthly Principal's blogs. I will be sharing a new blog post on the first Friday of each month and in this post I will provide an update of the school’s development, family information night and a brand new “fly-through” video of our current architectural plans.
Update
This has been another busy month for the school, with the launch of our Early Childhood Music program, our first physical “Family Info Night”, the final phase of our teacher recruitment process and ongoing project management of the upcoming school construction.
We were excited to have had our development application (DA) selected as one of six major projects to be accelerated by the Department of Planning in Tranche 5, which they have indicated will be determined by next Friday, September 11. This is an exciting milestone for the school and for the community of Muswellbrook, as it will officially mark the change of use of the site from Muswellbrook Shire Council to Richard Gill School. We will soon be seeking formal tenders from contractors for the construction of the school and would especially like to hear from tradespeople in Muswellbrook and the Upper Hunter.
Early Childhood Education
Our complimentary Early Childhood Music (ECM) introductory program has been very well received by the four centres who have signed up for the 5-week program. It has been a real joy for me to get away from the office and back into teaching where the children have been participating in singing and dancing activities with great enthusiasm. I look forward to developing this ECM as a permanent offering to the community from 2021 and beyond.
School Development
It is now 45 days until construction will commence at Richard Gill School, and 150 days until day 1 of Term 1, 2021!
Recruitment
Our recruitment process continues, and I hope to announce our inaugural classroom teacher in next month’s blog.
Enrolment
Enrolments for 2021 are now being accepted, with 8 children already confirmed for our K/1/2 class in 2021. Please do not delay in returning your enrolment form. Our prospectus, enrolment form, parent info (NESA) and fee information can be found here.
On Wednesday, September 2 we held our first physical “Family Info Session” for local families, which was a great success. It was wonderful to meet some new families interested in the school and reconnect with the families who have already enrolled. I am confident we will see some new enrolments come through shortly, with a growing interest in Year 1 and 2 proving to be very encouraging. I look forward to holding more of these events throughout October and November as families begin to lock in their schooling options for 2021.
Sneak Peak of Construction Plans
See below video for a Richard Gill School Stage 1 “Fly-through” . Many thanks to Little Ruby and Stanton Dahl Architects for assisting with the creation of this video. I for one am very excited to see exactly how Stage 1 of construction will transform the current Council Administration Building into a modern and attractive school.
Music in Schools
I recently signed and shared a petition created by Mark Walton OAM asking the NSW Premier to reconsider the current temporary ban on singing and playing wind instruments in schools due to COVID19, and I ask you to please sign and share with your networks also. The petition is close to gathering 10,000 signatures and opposes the unfair ban on musical activities in schools, despite there being numerous strategies schools and ensemble directors could employ to safely continue musical activities which provide countless academic, social and emotional benefits to Australian children. Please follow the link here.
Wishing you all the very best for a warm and joyful spring!
Yours in Music,
Chris English – Principal, Richard Gill School