Principal’s Blog 019 - Kindy Day Recap, New Teacher Introductions and a Special Birthday

Hello, and welcome to the nineteenth of my monthly Principal's blogs. In this post, I recap our successful Kindy for a Day program and introduce you to our Kindergarten 2022 teacher, Mrs Nicole Sherringham.

Update

It has been a welcome change to finally resume normality at Richard Gill School for weeks 2-5 of Term 4. Consistency and routine have been on the agenda as the children have refamiliarised themselves with school and formal learning.

Our children have enjoyed using our wonderful Orff instruments in recent weeks, including the recent assembly of our Alto/Bass Marimba donated by the Humphries Family, which complements our existing Contrabass Marimba donated by Greg and Kathy Butcher.

Kindy for a Day

Our Kindy for a Day program is an initiative introduced by the school to allow students to experience Richard Gill School for a day, to help them decide if the school is right for them and their families. Last Friday we had a group of children commencing Kindergarten in 2022 enjoy a program full of fun, creativity and learning with Miss Presland and myself. The day also happened to be World Teacher Day, where we celebrated and thanked Miss Presland for her tireless work as our inaugural infant’s teacher. We cannot thank Miss Presland and all the teachers around the world enough for the important and wonderful work they do.

Early Childhood Music Resumes

It was wonderful to recommence our complimentary Early Childhood Music classes this month, after what feels like a very long break due to Covid-19. It was so rewarding to see the children’s faces light up once again as we all sang, clapped and danced to music together. We still have some positions in our Wednesday afternoon timeslot for anyone not yet registered. If you or someone you know has preschool-aged children, why not come along and experience a wonderful and engaging afternoon of music and creativity with your child. For more information or to register, visit our Early Childhood Music page.

Enrolment

We are looking forward to welcoming a new Kindergarten student in the coming days, in addition to 11 new Kindergarten students for 2022. Places are still available, contact the school on 02 6543 1900 to secure your enrolment.

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

Mrs Nicole Sherringham

I am thrilled to announce the appointment of our second full-time teaching staff member, Mrs Nicole Sherringham. Nicole is a passionate educator and has worked with children for over 20 years. She is a mother of three children: two in primary school and one in high school. Nicole comes to Richard Gill School from Newcastle Grammar Junior School and The University of Newcastle where she lectures in primary music education. Nicole’s experience includes teaching early childhood music, instrumental teaching, primary music teaching and other classroom teaching. An accomplished performer, she has played professionally with orchestras on both modern and early instruments. Nicole believes that holistic learning which actively promotes the development of learner attributes enables students to succeed. She is excited to join Richard Gill School and looks forward to joining next year’s Kindergarten as they begin their educational journey.

Happy Birthday to Richard Gill

The marvellous Richard Gill AO would have celebrated his 80th birthday yesterday on November 4. The most wonderful conductor, music educator and advocate. We trust Richard’s friends, family and followers celebrated his legacy in their own special way. We all sang Bim Bam with the children and reminded them of who Richard Gill is and how lucky we are to be at his school.

Yours in Music,

Chris English – Principal, Richard Gill School