Last week I was fortunate to attend the Montessori Schools and Centres Australia (MSCA) Head to Head Forum held in Perth WA. This annual forum is held for Montessori school leaders from around Australia. Thirty one Montessori Principals and Deputy Principals gathered to share ideas, develop practice, tackle challenges and provide collegial support over four days.
The Forum started at The Montessori School in Kingsley, Day Two was held at Beehive Montessori School in Mosman Park and over the two weekend days we visited Rockingham Montessori School; primary and secondary campuses at Port Kennedy and Margaret River Montessori School; primary and adolescent program campuses.
A variety of presentations and rich discussions filled the four days. As a Montessorian it is always fascinating and inspiring to see other Montessori schools and so worthwhile and valuable to meet and spend time sharing and having conversations with other Montessori leaders. I feel very grateful to have had this experience.
Cathy France
Principal
We extend our thanks to the Chau family for generously donating fruit for our Community Breakfast this Thursday. The Chau's operate Oaktree Hills Homestead, a fruit produce business that delivers fresh produce boxes at affordable prices. Their donation not only supports our event but also enables us to pass on savings to families. Additionally, Oaktree Hills Homestead is committed to minimising food waste by donating surplus produce, all year round, to local food banks. Thank you to the Chau family and Oaktree Hills Homestead, for your generosity.
It is with sadness that we announce the death of past parent, Board President and Life Member of our school; Debrina Cazzolato.
Debrina had a long association with The Hills Montessori School – 14 years. Both of her children, Tiffany & Evie attended The Hills Montessori School. Tiffany from 1992 – 2001 (Preschool-Year 7) and Evie from 1998-2006 (Preschool-Year 6). Debrina gave generously of her time, energy and expertise over the 14 years. She chaired the Fundraising committee for several years and worked tirelessly fundraising for our school. She was the type of person who “got her hands dirty” setting up for school fairs, quiz nights, cake stalls, school functions, working wherever she was needed and always packing and cleaning up and being the last to leave. Debrina also chaired the Marketing committee and helped as a guide at every Open Day for many years.
Debrina was a Board member from 2003 – 2006 and in that time sat on the Finance, Marketing and Fundraising committees. From 2005-2006 Debrina was President of the School Board.
Debrina and her husband Danny were extremely supportive parents over the 14 years and both of them assisted the school in numerous ways. Despite their busy lives they both always found time to help out where needed and often put their hand up for jobs that nobody else wanted to do. No matter what, they always carried out their voluntary duties with enthusiasm, a smile on their faces and a great sense of humour. Both Debrina and Danny were great role models for students, staff and other parents in demonstrating the true meaning of the virtue of ‘service’.
We express our sincere condolences and our love and thoughts are with Danny, Tiffany and Evie during this difficult time.
At the last Board meeting, one person was nominated for Life Membership of the school. Our School Constitution and Regulations state that… “a person shall be made a Life Member of the School as a recognition of consistent, long standing and excellent service rendered to the School by that person and such person shall be of good standing in the community and held in high regard by other members of the School.” Written nominations need to be submitted to the Board by four school members setting out the details of the nominee’s service. Nominations then need to be displayed for 14 days calling for any further written submissions supporting the nomination prior to the Board voting on the appointment.
Ruth Nisbet has been nominated for a Life Membership. It is customary that Life Members are inducted at a formal presentation at the AGM. If you wish to support this nomination in writing please do so and submit it to the office by Wednesday 3rd April.
Ruth has been nominated as a Life Member of The Hills Montessori School in recognition of her long standing and generous service to the school.
At our school, Harmony Day was a celebration of cultural diversity. Children brought in items representing their family's heritage or cultures they admired. Alice our Well Being Worker, took origami lessons with students, crafting roses and lotuses, symbols of beauty and peace. During the sharing assembly, children shared their origami flowers with parents. Teachers joined the festivities with a shared lunch of dishes representing their diverse backgrounds.
We have embraced and enjoyed the first cooler days of autumn. Enjoying some autumn tree leaf painting and getting into the practical life element of sweeping up the leaves in the courtyard!
A new record was set this week for the youngest Infant Program start date at just two days old! Welcome to the world and to Infant Program Zachariah! Congratulations Shannon and Luke, a little brother for Alexander (who attends Infant Program), as well as Aurora and Beatrix (who are both in the Preschool).
The children have enjoyed exploring many different aspects of Australian culture, including information about the native flora and animals, looking at various paintings and creating Indigenous inspired artwork by Bronwyn Bancroft. She uses watercolours and then introduces dots in her paintings. A nature artist called Janelle Amos and her works called “Self-Pollinate” inspired the children to use items from the natural environment which they collected to create mandalas.The children were introduced to language such as symmetry, pattern and shown a different type of medium from which to create their art.
To continue the children’s learning about Australian animals we had a visit from Maddy from Animals Anonymous who introduced the children to a python, crocodile, tawny frogmouth and a bandicoot. The children were so quiet and still that a little sugar glider showed them how she jumps from tree to tree by “flying” from Tris’s shoulder. The children learned that a crocodile closes its throat so that water doesn’t go down it as well as closing its nostrils and ears when they go under the water and they can hold their breath for up to four hours.
Quotes
“It felt tickly and was very dry.” Clem (talking about the python's tongue)
“His eyes are closed.” Matilda (talking about the crocodile)
In art class this term, Cycle 1 explored identity through portraits. We matched paint palettes to our skin tones for self-portraits or peer drawings. Despite differences, we noticed similar facial proportions, improving our drawing skills. We learned that artists notice details and that portraits reveal information about the sitter through body language, expressions, and colours, helping us understand their identity better.
“A portrait is a picture of yourself that’s really special” - Frankie
“A painting of someone else or your self” - Maranda
“So people can remember you” - Eliose
“Because you love them” - Ned
“The portrait work is super fun because we use different materials and it gets messy but we tidy up” - Vivienne
“Our art has been cool, we do lots of different details” - Walter
This term, Cycle 2 classes have been focusing on understanding and applying the essential design elements in art.
One of the standout experiences of this unit was our exploration of Cubism - drawing inspiration from the legendary Pablo Picasso. Our students explored the concepts of line, shape, colour and form to create Cubism-inspired sculptural portraits. They crafted three-dimensional portrait sculptures using both profile and frontal views, allowing viewers to see the subject from multiple perspectives. Utilising a variety of geometric shapes for facial features and incorporating primary and secondary colours, the students added vibrancy to their creations.
Another highlight was our exploration of texture in art. Inspired by Max Ernst's technique of 'frottage', we embarked on a texture hunt around the classroom and schoolyard with paper and pastels in hand. This process involves placing a piece of paper over a textured surface and rubbing a pastel over it to capture the texture. We discovered unexpected patterns, textures and images. Students found the air purifier and the soles of our shoes produced interesting geometric patterns, and Ellie had the brilliant idea of creating texture rubbings of scissors to fashion wings for a dragonfly.
We also enjoyed creating a class mural, experimenting with line, shape, and colour in response to music. We played various songs, each evoking different emotions and discussed our emotional reactions. Mila used slow, smooth, wavy lines along with the colour purple to represent her feeling of calmness in response to a song. Scarlett used her hands to make paint spots in time to the music, while Sophie painted a boat to the tune of Enya’s ‘Sail Away’.
This term in science Cycle 3 has explored food chains. They have learnt about producers, primary, secondary and tertiary consumers and decomposers, and their role within a food chain.
With this knowledge they are currently diving deeper into this topic with free choice investigation-based projects. These projects need to include a research component as well as a practical component and students can choose to work individually or in small groups. Students formed investigation questions including: ‘how do fungi communicate?’; “are humans considered apex predators?”; “how long does it take decomposers to break down different types of fruit?” and “what would happen to major cities if humans ceased to exist?”. We look forward to seeing the answers to their questions.
Alongside these investigations, students have also conducted food science experiments with a focus on accurate measurements and recording data. They have tested recipes and variations to recipes to make the tastiest product. Small teams have experimented with making honeycomb, gluten free cupcakes, rice paper wraps and yoghurt raviolis (molecular gastronomy). Students have tested the amounts of ingredients, interchanging types of ingredients used and the amount of time allowed for particular stages.
A culmination of these culinary endeavours was witnessed during our recent visit to Wairoa, where each group prepared and presented their 'best' recipe in a Cycle 3 feast, showcasing not only their scientific understanding but also their culinary creativity.
Our Cycle 4 students (Year 7 to Year 9) headed off on camp in Week 7 together with Cycle 4 teachers. We asked them to recount some of their adventures!
I liked the rock climbing, and the zipline which is the longest zipline in South Australia! - Ollie, Year 7
The things I most enjoyed about this camp were the night games. We played ‘Spotlight’ in the forest at night - I was not expecting to see a possum run up a tree around a foot away! I also liked running through the maze in the dark and trying to beat the other groups and our personal best. All in all, I thought the night games were a fun activity, and the whole camp was also VERY fun - Matilda, Year 7
One of the best things about the Cycle 4 Woodhouse camp is that it is centred around welcoming the Year 7s to both the school community and Cycle 4 camps. There is a lot of work done to make sure that the Year 7s are included in all the activities and to help integrate them into the friend groups and community - Luca, Year 9
Our first camp of the year has been and gone, in a flurry of shelter-building, orienteering, cooking, water colouring, board-gaming, zip-lining, whittling, and cloud-gazing. As Luca mentions above, our Term 1 camp is about appreciating our adolescent program community, and welcoming new students. As the adults on the camp, we never take for granted the way the students cheer each other on, share jokes and encouragements, and walk alongside in newly-minted familiarity - Riley – Cycle 4 teacher
This term's ICT lessons have delved into fundamental Chromebook skills and Cyber Safety awareness. Our Year 1 students proudly accepted their ‘computer licenses’ by demonstrating adept logging in, navigating Google Drive, and creating word documents.
Meanwhile, our Year 2 learners crafted engaging slideshows that not only exhibited their knowledge on specific topics but focused on visually pleasing slide designs and slide animations. In a creative twist, Year 3 students embarked on an imaginary shopping spree with a $150 budget, meticulously logging their purchases on a spreadsheet. The exercise involved a fair amount of estimation, and it was commendable to witness most students successfully managing to stay within their budgets.
Moving up the grades, Years 4 and 5 students immersed themselves in the art of Slide Show presentations, steering clear of the pitfalls of a mundane PowerPoint experience. They honed in on the purpose of a slideshow, understanding how it can enhance their presentations rather than divert attention. In parallel, Year 6 students practiced using Google Sites to present their research, creating an interactive platform that allowed their projects to be seamlessly viewed by individuals.
It’s been a lovely term of musical engagement and education. Students in Cycles 2 & 3 have begun working with Djembe and Bongo drums, while simultaneously reading changing rhythms. Students at this level have also been consolidating their use of Triplets and Tim-ka rhythms using body percussion.
Cycles 1-3 have been investigating musical form in known contexts and will conclude the term with some harmonic work within new repertoire.
Preschool and Cycle 1 have observed and played drums from 5 different countries, while playing some standard rhythm patterns within song context.
The Year 3 Recorder Group has been blazing a hot trail with their learning and I’m looking forward to their future development as young musicians.
This year, Closing the Gap Day was held on the 21st of March. It is a campaign aimed at improving the health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. When we were researching Close the Gap Day, we learnt that the life expectancy for First Nations Peoples is 10–17 years lower than other Australians. We decided to raise awareness of Close the Gap Day and the health challenges that First Nations People face by running some traditional Indigenous fitness games such as Jumpinpin, Tabud Nuri and Emu Tag. We went around to the classes to play these games, sharing some information about where the games were from.
Jumpinpin, for example, is a game based on traditional spear fishing. The game is named ‘Jumpinpin’ after a meeting place for Aboriginal people on Stradbroke Island and is also the name of a part of an edible root. Tabud Nuri means ‘snake coiling’ and is a game of tag seen being played on Mabuiag Island in the Torres Strait. Finally, Emu Tag is based on a chasing game played by Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory. We had lots of fun learning these games and teaching them to the classes.
Olivia & Bella (students in the RAP Working Group)
We invite you to an online Information Session for parents interested in learning more about the Montessori Philosophy.
This session will highlight how the Montessori approach to learning differs from mainstream schooling. The session will be informative with participants having the opportunity to learn more about how the Montessori Philosophy is applied at The Hills Montessori School.
Knowledge gained will help you to become more informed about your child’s education in a Montessori environment. By knowing the values and basis of the Montessori Philosophy at our school, you will be able to further capitalise on opportunities for consistency of approaches presented to your child between home and school.
The Zoom link will be sent prior to the session. We sincerely hope that you are able to join us.
You're invited to the Wairoa Twilight Market on Friday 5 April, being run by our Cycle 4 students in the Middle School Program. Yultiwirra and Wairoa families are invited to our Middle School campus at Wairoa for an evening of food, children’s activities, live music and market sales!
Indulge in a culinary journey featuring delicious dishes from Cuba, Japan, India, and Afghanistan, all priced at $15 for mains and $5 for desserts. Experience the talents of our students: Year 7’s are showcasing their culinary skills, Year 8’s are managing logistics and finance and Year 9’s are launching their innovative small businesses offerings including everything from terrariums to homemade chocolates, handcrafted pyjamas to screen printed tote bags, cutlery wraps and sweet treats.
Don't forget to capture the magic of the evening with Say Cheese! Students will be overseeing a photo booth which will offer a variety of photo options: A4 prints for $12, A5 prints for $7, and digital copies for $6.
Make sure to arrive early to secure your favourite dishes and preserve your Twilight Market memories! We look forward to seeing you there.
A parent of a child in Cycle 3 is looking for another parent in the Mt Barker area to car pool to school. Please contact Debbie on deeluvscookie@protonmail.com if you are interested. Thank you!
A note will be sent home in preparation for our Term 2 Sausage Sizzle to be held in the 1st week of next term (Friday 3rd May). Orders must be in by the last day of THIS term. Class Parent Reps are organising and hosting this special lunch for the students to celebrate the beginning of Term 2!