It is with great sadness that I announce to the school community that our longest serving staff member, Anne Winter, will be retiring from her teaching/learning support position in the school at the end of this year.  Anne has worked in the school for 30 years which is an incredible feat!  Over the years she has taught and supported hundreds of children.  Anne is particularly passionate about supporting students who have difficulties with their learning and accessing the curriculum.   Anne is a highly valued and much loved staff member and I thank her for the patience and kindness she has shown to all of her students and I greatly appreciate the loyalty and dedication she has shown to our school.  Anne has made a huge contribution over the years and will be sorely missed by staff, students and parents. I know you will all join me in wishing Anne happiness and good health as she transitions into her retirement in 2021.

Up Close and Personal with Anne...

What is it about the school that has made you want to stay here and work here for so long? 

When I came from Victoria in 1986, and having taught Primary level for 17 years, I went to a presentation by Barbara Colquhoun about the Montessori philosophy. I was so impressed that I enrolled my son, Ryan, in the Pre-school and I became employed as a teacher's aide with Denise Connelly. Over the years, as Ryan progressed through the cycles, I saw the values being reinforced. 

What will you miss about The Hills Montessori School?   

Each year at the graduation I'm so proud of the students standing before the school community and speaking with such passion and assurance about their time at the HMS and their hopes for the future.

My interaction with the children from all the cycles has been a highlight of my 30 years as have been the friendships with my colleagues and school families. I will certainly miss the intellectual stimulus of working in the Montessori environment.

What will you do in your retirement?   

The door is open for me to make the most of all opportunities that may come my way. I love the idea of spending more time with my friends and family and volunteering in the wider community.

Parting words 

I've loved being part of this amazing school and working with a committed and hard-working staff, and having the privilege of guiding the children in their learning.  I wish the school and the community all the very best for the future. I hope the HMS will not be side-tracked by the difficult demands of the modern education system and will remain faithful to its unique Montessori principles.

Covid-19, lock down and restrictions have taught us to rejoice and celebrate in the simple things.  Some things in life fill us with delight even though they are such small, simple things.

They provide moments of joy that bring us firmly back into the present moment and make us grateful for everything we have in life.

*A walk in the park.   *Baking and cooking for loved ones.

*Getting out into nature. *Being present and in the moment.

*Spending time with friends and family. *Hugging someone you love.

*Watching the sunrise or sunset. *Gardening and being outside.

*Listening to music.  * Growing your own vegetables.

*Playing with your pets.    *Completing a jigsaw puzzle.

*Making someone laugh or smile.  *Reading a good book.

*Sitting still and quietly to listen to your surrounds.

"Enjoy the little things in life because one day you'll look back and realise they were the big things."

Robert Brault

View the Infant Program video  Here

The Infant Program is aimed at nurturing the interests, curiosity and developmental needs of children aged 0-3 years in a Montessori setting. Children and their parents attend weekly sessions which are designed to meet the developmental needs of the children by providing hands on, practical activities that develop skills of independence, self-discipline and concentration, and educate the visual, auditory and tactile senses. The program provides a calm, curated, supportive environment that helps lay the foundations for future learning. For parents, the weekly sessions are designed to further their understanding of Montessori education and philosophy.

View Cycle 1 Preschool video here

Our Montessori Cycle 1 Preschool is a prepared environment, both indoors and outdoors, for 3 to 5 year old children, built around a child’s natural curiosity. Each classroom is carefully curated with Montessori materials and activities which enhance the child’s understanding of numeracy, literacy and learning for everyday life. The Practical Life Curriculum provides a link between home and school where children develop concentration and independence through activities such as food preparation, cleaning and caring for the natural world. Our Montessori Preschool is a unique space that allows students the opportunity to explore, discover and learn in a structured, yet home-like setting that is designed to encourage a life-long love of learning for the child as they embark on their educational journey.

View the Cycle 2 video here

The Cycle 2 classroom caters for 6 to 9 year old students which is typically Years 1, 2 and 3. The Cycle 2 multi-age classroom is a learning environment that encourages and inspires children to be attracted to, and in awe of the wonders of the world.

Cycle 2 students commonly ask: “Why?” which directs the learning activities in the classroom. Students regularly work in small groups and the class is more community centered which reflects the development of this age group and their innate desire to interact more with their peers.

For children to be able to explore and understand the world, they need to be able to read, write and calculate. We aim to expose students in Cycle 2 to a complete view of the world, physical and cultural, through visual and hands on activities leading to an understanding of abstract concepts. A particular focus is learning to respect studies of the past, develop an understanding of ethics, and value the contributions of others. These skills aid the child’s development, and confidence with themselves, their society, and their world as a whole.

View Cycle 3 video here

Our Cycle 3 classes cater for students aged 9 to12 years of age which is typically Years 4, 5 and 6. At this age, children commonly ask: “How?” and this directs the learning activities of the Cycle 3 classroom where students are involved in increasing levels of paired, small group and whole class discussions. Students typically have a strong sense of justice at this age and are keenly involved in class meetings, leadership task groups and regularly contribute to planning activities.

The Cycle 3 curriculum is in-depth and integrated. There is a strong emphasis on expanding student competency in literacy, numeracy and advanced mathematics; as well as a love and appreciation of the arts, health and PE, English, music, and Indonesian language and culture. This integrated approach with its foundations in global values encourages a cohesive community and promotes a sense of belonging for our Cycle 3 students.

In the Infant Program we have been doing lots of activities to celebrate the spring season: patty pan flowers using sequins, pop sticks and glue; beautiful butterflies using paint; and a flower frieze using paint and a stamp. We also have a flower arranging activity using colourful spring flowers. The children have been enjoying the opportunity to make their own little pots of flowers to take home.

Connecting with nature and caring for the environment is a continual focus for learning in the preschool. This spring children have helped to maintain our lovely garden by weeding, watering and planting seedlings. The Extended Program students helped to fertilise the garden beds with worm castings. Students also helped to move the worm farm closer to our wicking beds so that we can easily fertilise them when needed. Children have shown much pride, ownership and excitement when working in the garden. They have especially enjoyed harvesting some of its wonderful produce including snow peas, broad beans, mulberries, nasturtiums, lettuce and parsley. 

As a component of our Cultural Studies, the Cycle 1 students have been linking their knowledge of Geography and Zoology to study the continents where animals originate. The Animals of the Continents is a much loved part of our program. Mila shared, “I really enjoy doing the Animals of the Continents booklets because the ‘who am I’s’ are fun and I love writing”. Jasper said, “I like trying to match the animals with the right continent”. Bentley followed, “I love learning about animals, especially penguins from Antarctica”. Ava learnt that Squirrels came from ‘the red continent’ Europe and Noah said, “Lemur’s come from Madagascar in Africa just like King Julien”.

Most students have completed sewing their section of the friendship quilt and some have chosen to turn them into small pillows. They are very proud of their creations and their newly developed sewing skills!

This term we have also been learning about the body systems and healthy eating. The children particularly enjoyed learning about the digestive system. We estimated how long the small intestine is (as big as the school? An arm length? The same as the door?) and discovered it is actually seven metres long! Each group had a great time measuring out this length with streamers and then scrunching it back up to fit on their human sized diagram of the digestive system. The last two weeks have also had a large focus on healthy eating. We have familiarised ourselves with the food wheel and each child recreated their own after perusing supermarket catalogues. 

This Term, as part of the Cultural Curriculum, Suzie and Lauren’s class has been putting their own take on ‘Horrible Histories’. Children in the class have been researching different, significant events and milestones in Australian history such as The Eureka Stockage, Burke and Wills’ attempt to cross Australia, the Stolen Generation and the work of Simpson and his donkey. In small groups the students have researched and recorded on the Australian history they were given. Then as a group they have written short scripts that have incorporated facts and events.  Each group has been practicing their skits, preparing props and gathering costumes ready for filming and editing next week.

What a whirlwind of a week it has been in the Adolescent Program! With our Riverland aquatics camp cancelled due to COVID restrictions on the night before we were due to leave, the guides organised a last minute, alternative camp at Victor Harbor. After arriving and setting up our camp in the heat, the news came through that we would have to leave due to the lockdown. The students rallied bravely and we managed to squeeze in a surf lesson before heading back to Wairoa for a condensed trangia cook-off. Throughout the day, the adaptability, flexibility and resilience of our adolescent community was nothing short of extraordinary and the support from the parent community was deeply valued and appreciated.