It is with sadness that I announce to the school community that one of our longest serving staff members, Terri Ross will be retiring from her school assistant position in the Preschool at the end of this year.  Terri has worked in the school for 22 years.  Over the years she has worked with hundreds of children in our Preschool.  Terri is a valued and loved member of our staff team and I thank her for her kindness and her caring nature that always shines through to all of the students in her care.  I greatly appreciate the dedication she has shown to our school over the years.  Terri has contributed to our school in so many ways over the years and will be sorely missed by staff, students and parents. I know you will all join me in wishing Terri happiness and good health as she transitions into her retirement in 2021.

Up Close and Personal with Terri...

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

 I feel blessed to be able to say to people that I love my job. 

Working here has felt like home, especially being in the Preschool and supporting children to learn so many life skills. Right from the start I have appreciated the way we guide children as they journey through the cycles; it has always felt the right way to foster children’s learning. 

Working in this beautiful environment has been special. 

What is a favourite memory that you have from your time here?   

It’s hard to choose one stand out memory as there have been so many that have touched my heart. A recent special moment though was at Coffeehouse Cabaret when in one act all 6 people on stage had been in my Preschool class, how privileged to have the opportunity to see their performances. 

What will you miss about The Hills Montessori School?   

The children definitely, each day is rewarding, different, fun and makes me smile a lot. Working so closely with the children and their families has been such a joy. I’ll miss the staff greatly, they are an amazingly dedicated and passionate group of people who also  like to have a lot of fun together. They’ve become like family. 

What will you do in your retirement?   

Spending time with my grandchildren will feature highly in retirement. 

I’ve been studying permaculture and also learning beekeeping, furniture upholstery and mosaics, my goal is to increase the productivity of my garden and also have time to complete some other projects.

Parting words.....

I’ve loved being a part of and seeing such amazing growth in the school like the establishment of our childcare program and later on the Middle School. I wish the school, staff and students continued growth and much happiness going into the future. 

In the preschool this term we have a focus on the study on invertebrates. During a class discussion Raphael commented that, “Invertebrates don’t have a backbone” while Charlie said, “You can find them under rocks!”. Children have especially enjoyed making observations of visiting a Hunstman spider, hermit crabs and our new ‘pet’ stick insects as well as and a range of species found in our natural environment. Luca commented that “Hermit crabs can grow back their claws”. Meanwhile Aurora found out that “Crabs have a hard shell that protects their body called an exoskeleton”. Children have enjoyed using the Montessori nomenclature card materials to learn the correct language for types and parts of invertebrates.

Cycle One has been exploring rocks and minerals in science this term. We tried to think of as many words as we could that we use for rocks, and the list of ideas kept growing. We also went on a rock hunt in our bush area. Sahara said, “We find sandstone in our bush” and Annabel added, “And we found quartzite.” Jasper mentioned that, “Sand is a tiny rock” and Micah said, “Rocks can also be sand or dust”. Mila told us, “Rocks can come out of volcanoes”, and Zavier said, “Some rocks are heavy and some are light”. “I saw a diamond; it was shiny!!” announced Ava.

Friday afternoons continue to be a time in the week that we capitalise on the opportunity to come together as a whole cycle and build on our creative skills. In Term 4, we kick off an exploration of ‘The Arts’ with a mixture of students rotating through performance arts workshops and clay and sculpture creations. Cycle 3 students offered their thoughts ... 

“I have really enjoyed the games because it is a great experience and I enjoy spending time with the other class". Portia.

“I really like Art as a whole cycle especially when we get to draw together. The chance to mix with the other class is great”. Owen. “Drama is fun and getting to know more people is fun too because I have some friends in the other class". Catlyn

“The clay activity is really fun and I enjoy working with the other class for art. I am excited to do the next round of drama too”. Georgia

Monday - Cooking with Holly and Maddy

Tuesday- Games and Sports with Holly and Clinton

Wednesday - Art with Megan, Angus and Marley

Thursday - Gardening with Megan and Maddy

Friday - Gardening with Megan and Angus

Our extra support staff are Sammi, Charlie and Lyn.

Afternoon tea will be offered from 3:45-4:00 and when weather permits, we will venture out to one of our lovely outdoor spaces.

For a full program, please visit the hall for daily happenings and the term breakdown. Thankyou staff, children and families for a lovely Spring vacation care, here’s to a positive finish to the year.