We were thrilled with the success of our inaugural Under the Elm event held two weekends ago, hosted by The Hills Montessori School Foundation (HMSF).  It was a twilight event packed with connection and memorable moments shared by past and present members of our community.

The music set the perfect vibe with musicians Tim Moore, Naomi Keyte, Sanjay Taverna and Myles Mayo, and old scholars Isaac Bonilla-Killey and Zoe Cipriano bringing immense talent to the stage. Delicious food and drinks added to the festive atmosphere, making it an event to remember.

Sincere thanks to the HMSF Board for organising the event and volunteering in the set up/pack up and working throughout the day. A big thank you to old scholars Johnny Daly and Andrew Garsed who along with Paul Daly, ran the bar at the event. Thanks to other staff and parents who volunteered and helped out and particularly to Che Zahra who skillfully cooked delicious paella and to the Fundraising committee that ran the BBQ. Thanks to Tim and Helen McNamara for adding to the festivities offering Hokey Pokey icecream from their van.  Thanks also to Anthea Hagar for MC-ing the event.

A massive thank you to everyone who joined us creating a wonderful atmosphere. We’re already looking forward to seeing even more of our community at Under the Elm next year!

Cathy France

Principal

We would like to acknowledge and thank Georgia Richmond (Cycle 4 parent) who for the past ten years has chaired our school's Fundrasing committee.  Georgia has generously offered her time and expertise to the committee and has done a wonderful job of organising various school events bringing our community together and offering a wide variety of activities which have raised valuable funds for our school.

Over the ten years of Georgia's leadership the Fundraising committee has raised $158,000! An amazing effort!

There have been so many great initiatives along the way that have helped raise funds and helped our community stay connected such as garage sales, school cook books, lotteries, sausage sizzles, food at school events such as the Festival of Arts evening, Cultural Studies expos, electives for parents during covid, the family picnic and colour run and of course our annual quiz night and silent auction.  All of these activities require people to step up, turn ideas into action, work as a team and generously offer their time and skills.

The funds raised through the committee have gone towards projects such as sand pits and a mud kitchen, PA systems, equipment for lunchtime clubs, gardens and raised beds, the preschool outdoor learning area, indigenous resources, Wairoa climbing structure, special equipment and resources for classrooms and many, many more items.  Our students have greatly benefitted from our fundraising efforts over the years.  And more importantly, our community has benefitted from the "FUN-raising" and connection that is a by-product of many of these wonderful events and activities.

Georgia's youngest child Jet will be leaving Wairoa at the end of this year and so we say a HUGE thank you to Georgia as she steps down from her fundraising role ready to 'pass the baton' on.  

It is with sadness that we announce to the school community that one of our long serving staff members, Penny Raven will be leaving the school at the end of this year.  Penny has made this hard decision to enable her to spend more time with her family. 

Penny has worked in the school for 15 years.  She has been a greatly valued staff member and we thank her for the love and care she has shown all of her students over the many years.  Penny will be sorely missed by staff, students and parents and we wish her well for the future. 

Below are some reflections and words from Penny.....

What is it about the school that you have enjoyed over the years that you have worked here? 

I am grateful for being part of my Montessori family and the fact that we genuinely care about each other. It is truly special to be surrounded by passionate and enthusiastic Montessori staff. I have particularly enjoyed teaching in Cycle 2 and getting wrapped up in the children's love of learning.  I definitely cannot say enough about the Montessori materials, particularly the maths and geometry equipment. They help everything just "make sense". I love how we encourage students to follow their interests, become strong advocates for themselves, have control over their learning and ensure they learn at their ability levels to achieve success. Over the years I have taken Cycle 2 to excursions where it has been mixed with other schools. On every occasion our children have not been afraid to speak up and have posed and answered the most questions. Often the other schools have had children 3 year levels higher! Organisers regularly comment on the maturity of our children and that is because of the culture of our whole school community, of which I am very proud to have been a part of. 

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

There are so many fond memories. Cycle 2 camps have always left happy and sometimes funny memories. My favourite camp memory was swagging at Monarto Zoo and listening to the lions during the night. Other favourite memories have been witnessing the "oh" moments from children as they suddenly understand something they had not realised before. Doing the hokey pokey with preschool in a moon boot was an amusing memory. Teaching two of my nephews was such a privilege (and they still talk to me). 

What will you miss about The Hills Montessori School?   

I will miss turning up to school, and no matter how troubled my morning is, seeing the children and their smiles which make the world wonderful again. I will miss the school community, my whole work family, particularly Lyn who I have worked and laughed alongside for the past ten years. Yep, I am definitely going to miss the children, their energy and their honest remarks (no matter how harsh it was). 

Parting words 

A couple of weeks ago the Cycle 1 children excitedly gathered in the Common Room  to welcome our visitor Brett from Animal Anonymous. They knew that a visitor was coming to share their specialised knowledge and show us some live native animals, but the children weren't quite sure what was in store and which animals they might get to meet. Brett was very engaging as he introduced us to 8 Australian animals, many that the children had never seen before; a tawny frogmouth, bearded dragon, Stimpson's python, squirrel glider, saltwater crocodile, bettong, Spencer's monitor and carpet python.

As the children took turns patting the animals, Brett shared fascinating facts and insights, making it a special and interactive experience, the perfect way to consolidate our Zoology studies and learning. 

Maya - I liked the baby possum, it was really cute. 

Elsie - The tawny frogmouth felt very smooth and soft. 

Bodhi - We got to meet a bettong and that's really special because they are nearly extinct. 

Hawk - I really liked the snakes and the lizards. They are cold blooded so they have to go outside to warm up in the sun. 

Frances - I remember that all of the animals were really soft. 

The first few weeks of term 4 have been jam-packed with new learnings. As part of our Zoology unit, students in Cycle 2 have been exploring the concept of classification of vertebrates and invertebrates and looking at the characteristics of mammals, fish, birds, and reptiles. We had a visit from Animals Anonymous and their menagerie of animals and we stepped into the roles of citizen scientists, tallying the birds we see in our school yard. 

Currently, we are focusing closer to home by researching native fauna unique to the Adelaide Hills environment. We have been developing our research skills, recording facts specific to classification, appearance, diet, habitat, and behaviour.

To bring their learning to life, students have also been representing their animals through watercolours, pastels, and pencil art and have creatively expressed their knowledge by composing haikus and acrostic poems.

We are about to begin letter writing from the perspective of their chosen animal, describing their daily life, environment, and offering advice to humans on how to help protect them and their habitat. Stay tuned for updates on our learning! 

Cycle 3 - Leadership Program: Graduate Week throughout Year 6, leadership skills are fostered through opportunities that encourage responsibility, communication, and teamwork. One of the key events is "Graduate Week," where students take the lead in planning and executing activities for their class. During this week, each student brings personal items from their life to share with their peers, offering a glimpse into their individual journeys and experiences. This activity helps build empathy and strengthens the sense of community. Additionally, students have the chance to organise a guest speaker, taking on roles such as coordinating logistics, communicating with the speaker, and facilitating the session. As part of their leadership development, they also design and run a class activity, which encourages creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration. By taking on these roles, Year 6 students not only develop key leadership skills but also gain confidence in public speaking, teamwork, and event management, laying a strong foundation for future academic and personal success. Graduate Week marks one of the final stages of the Cycle 3 journey, with preparation for graduation and speech writing commencing after camp in week 5.

Our Term 4 endeavours are in progress, underway, afoot, astir!

The Adolescent Program is never dormant, but given that this term’s Occupations offering includes beekeeping, you might say that our campus is… humming!

The Wairoa campus is always a hive of activity, and this term is no different. Students chose between beekeeping; building outdoor spaces; and hosting and planning our major events this term.

The Beekeeping group is learning how to care for bees in preparation for our new hives! This group will focus on understanding bee biology, their place in society and ecology, and the functional day-to-day management of bee hives. Students will work alongside experts to extract honey and develop our apiary by building boxes and frames and using wax foundations.

Carrying on from last term’s work on outdoor gyms, our Building Outdoor Spaces team is preparing the space for our own, student-designed, equipment (check it out in the photos!). Working in an unused corner of the campus, students are clearing, measuring, levelling, restoring, cementing, building - and transforming this space to serve our adolescent community. As well as installing the outdoor gym, students will create a green wall, relocate the bike shed, and restore the wood yard.

Finally, Term 4 is a time of change. We have the beautiful work of welcoming new students to our community through our Year 6 Transition Day, and of farewelling our current Year 9s through their graduation ceremony. Our Transitions and Celebrations students are responsible for planning and hosting these events… as well as our Big Day Out, end-of-year brunch and gift exchange, and activities during our aquatics camp. We are examining rituals in different cultures, and asking what role these play in human society.

And speaking of events: our final Wairoa Cafe is this Friday (November 15th). We’d love to see you there, especially our Yultiwirra families. Our students prepare and serve the food and coffee, and we will also have our Crafter & Young pop-up stall stocked and ready for end-of-year gifts.

As always, Wairoa is positively abuzz!

The Year 3 recorder group meets weekly to rehearse and build playing and comprehension skills around the instrument, music theory concepts and its selected repertoire. There is a sense that this group’s exclusivity is a rite of passage for the Year 3 students and has some mystical allure for those who will graduate into it. This is the power of history and tradition, creating a legacy of expectation within the Montessori student community.  

Of course, like every rite of passage comes responsibility, and apart from the learning and playing of the instrument, the responsibility to look after it, remember it for the lesson day, keep your book in good order, practice to stay with the group, all fall upon these young shoulders. As you would expect, some are more ready for these tasks than others.  

The recorder group takes their responsibilities seriously, as students begin to look after their own equipment, begin to consider the timing of their lesson each week, and to pack their bag accordingly. 

Resilience, self-care, responsibility, adaptability and confidence are a few of the outcomes that learning in the Year 3 Recorder group foster. 

The recorder group of 2024 look forward to playing for parents in the upcoming end of year concert on Monday 9th December. 

This term, ICT students are diving into the world of invention and creativity with two exciting tools—Microbits and Makey Makeys. From game controllers to DIY pinball machines, our students are transforming everyday materials into interactive creations! Cycle 2 students have used Makey Makey kits to turn everyday objects into digital musical instruments and game show buzzers. With a circuit board, alligator clips, and a USB cable, students are exploring conductivity by making items like fruits, playdough, and graphite pencils into touch-sensitive interfaces. Next, they’ll design custom game controllers to connect with Scratch games, combining creativity with coding skills. Meanwhile, Cycle 3 students are embracing a STEM challenge with Microbits, pairing these pocket-sized computers with Hummingbird robotics kits to build pinball machines from recycled materials, complete with automated features. As they design, code, and construct, students are putting principles of forces, motion, and simple machines into action. This hands-on project brings together physics, engineering, coding, and recycling in an exciting, all-in-one learning experience!

Sunday 1st December - Save the Date!

The Hills Montessori School will be participating in the Stirling Christmas Pageant this year being held on Sunday 1st December from 11am. 

The parade commences on Druid Ave, Stirling and makes its way to the Stirling Oval for the Fair and Market.

This year's theme is “Christmas around the World”. Our school’s interpretation of this is ‘An Aussie Christmas’.

All children (and adults) participating on the day are asked to:

• wear an orange t-shirt &
• either orange or black/denim bottoms. 

The cost for participating will be $5 per child which will cover cost of materials (adults who wish to walk do not need to pay but will be required to wear an orange t-shirt and orange or black/denim bottoms). 

Children & adults will be dressing up as prawns (we will let families know when the cardboard templates for the prawn costumes will be available for collection from the School Office with instructions for all participants).

Click here to register and pay for pageant entry. Please register by Friday 22nd November. 

On the Day - Sunday 1st December: 

• Please have your child/ren at our float on Druid Ave by 10:30am sharp (instructions on exact meeting spot will follow)
• Sign your child/ren in when you drop them off (even if walking with them)
• Children will need to be signed out by a parent/guardian at the collection point on the Stirling Oval after the pageant. 

We look forward to participating in this great community event with you all & proudly representing our wonderful school. 

From the 2024 Pageant Committee