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.
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