Hello, and welcome to the sixteenth of my monthly Principal's blogs. In this post I will provide a general update of the school and enrolment activities.
Update
With confirmed cases of Covid-19 emerging in the Hunter region, we have now entered a 7-day lock down, with our “Remote Learning Implementation Plan” coming into full effect today. This morning I joined Miss Presland and our K/1 students, who have been divided into 3 groups, for their morning Zoom sessions which will be repeated at lunchtime and in the afternoon each day of lockdown. I am confident we have done all we can to provide outstanding continuity of learning at extremely short notice and must thank our staff for going above and beyond in difficult circumstances.
Tree Planting
On Wednesday July 28, Richard Gill School students participated in National Tree Day and were supplied with 50 native trees to be planted in the school grounds. Thank you very much to Muswellbrook Shire Council and the Sustainability team of Mick Brady and Tracy Ward for fostering this initiative and teaching us how to plant the trees, and to Final Form Regeneration for doing the hard yakka and digging the holes for each tree, allowing our students to plant the trees with ease.
Playground
We are grateful to have our playground works completed and can report that the children are having a wonderful time using the equipment during their break times. Many thanks to AM&JD Contractors for their hard work on this.
Enrolment
Family Info Session – Postponed
Unfortunately, due to the lockdown, we must postpone our Family Info Night originally planned for next Wednesday, August 11. We will await the end of the lockdown period until we decide if our Kindy for a Day program scheduled for Friday, August 27 will be postponed also. Stay tuned. For now, please still register for the events if you are interested in finding out more about Richard Gill School.
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 on our Enrollment Documents page.
Early Childhood Music
Unfortunately, despite the recent growth of 4 new enrolments, our Early Childhood Music program must be postponed until the lockdown subsides. These classes bring me great joy each week, and I am grateful to Sheridan Carmichael who is our outstanding volunteer assistant. We will have these running again as soon as possible.
Scholarships
Scholarship applications are now open and available to all students entering Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 in 2022. Richard Gill School offers scholarships in areas of Equity, Academic and Talent. For more information, please visit our scholarships page.
Inspiration
Seven-year-old Molly Wright, one of the youngest-ever TED speakers asks
"What if I was to tell you that a game of peek-a-boo could change the world?"
Breaking down the research-backed ways parents and caregivers can support children's healthy brain development, Wright highlights the benefits of play on lifelong learning, behaviour and well-being, sharing effective strategies to help all kids thrive by the age of five. She's joined onstage by one-year-old Ari and his dad, Amarjot, who help illustrate her big ideas about brain science.
It’s a brilliant and inspiring watch for parents and carers. I would highly recommend taking a look.
This TED Talk was produced in collaboration with Minderoo Foundation as an educational tool for parents and caregivers around the world and is supported by UNICEF.
Follow Chris English
I have recently started on my own professional blog space for sharing my opinions and ideas about education. I recently reviewed the 2021 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report and welcome you to read my commentary at www.chrisenglish.com.au.
Wishing everyone all the best.
Yours in Music,
Chris English – Principal, Richard Gill School