Our playground works are complete! Needless to say, the children are very happy to have some new equipment to play on, supplied by Kompan and installed by our team from AM&JD Contractors

With only 10 days to go until our Family Info Session finaug21.eventbrite.com.au, I've compiled my list of Top 10 Tips for School Readiness. I'm going to share 1 tip each day until our event, which I hope is helpful for new parents. Stay tuned for Tip #1 incoming!

Tip #1 - Regular attendance at preschool or a similar structured play-learning environment for at least 2 days per week in the year or even months leading into Kindergarten is strongly encouraged, and preschool educators are well positioned to advise on school readiness.

Tip #2 - Children should be 4 or 5 years old when starting school. Turning 5 before school starts is ideal. Turning 5 in Feb/March/April can be ok too, pending the child. Turning 5 in May/June is pushing it, and from July onwards you must wait until the following year.

Tip #3 - Without assistance, can your child put on and take off a jumper, put on and take off their shoes, open and close a lunchbox and go to the toilet? If so, then they are well prepared for Kindergarten. If not, this is something to begin working on before starting school.

Tip #4 - It is important that all literature our children engage with is high quality i.e. even adults can enjoy after 30 readings/viewings/listens. Reading at least 1-2 books with your child each day is extremely important to foster a love of reading and develop language skills.

Tip #5 - Most children from the age of 4 should be able to count to 10 and sing the alphabet, but can they recognise numbers and letters when out of context? Help your child engage with the world around them by reinforcing number and letter recognition when out and about.

Tip #6 - Children naturally learn through singing, playing and dancing, and thrive when doing creative activities. Music is especially powerful at activating more parts of the brain than any other activity and should be nurtured from the early years, as should all of the arts.

Tip #7 - Whilst we'd all love our Kindergarten children to be able to tie their shoelaces independently on day 1 of school, the reality is this skill takes most children a number of years to master. Velcro shoes are strongly recommended for the early years of primary school.

Tip #8 - Children will be using pencils, markers and scissors frequently throughout the day at school. Activities like threading beads, playdough, puzzles and building blocks assist children develop their fine motor skills which support their pencil grip as they learn to write.

Today we have assembled our brand new 2-octave Contrabass Marimba, generously donated by Greg and Kath Butcher. A wonderful addition to our growing orhcestra of Orff mallet percussion instruments!

Tip #9 - There is a difference between passive screen time (e.g., television) and active screen time (e.g. a tablet/phone). The less screen time overall the better for young children, with passive screen time strongly preferred over active screen time. 1hr per day is recommended.

Tip #10 - All children are different and develop at different tempos to one another. Whilst milestones are important to be aware of, don't panic if there are other children who appear more highly developed in certain areas than your own child. Meet your child at their level.

Richard Gill School are recruiting for 2022! We are looking for an Infants Classroom Teacher (K/1/2) to join us in 2022. This is a permanent position with a relocation allowance available. See details: seek.com.au/job/53510380 Applications close 4pm, Monday Sept 13

PRINCIPAL'S BLOG 017 Another edition of our Principal's Blog is now ready to read. In this post, Chris provides an insight into remote learning through lockdown, a general update on the school and more. Read Now: ow.ly/kFvF50G3x8n

Our Principal Chris had a chat with Dana and Dylan at PowerFM about our “Holiday Care Packages” - check it out here 981powerfm.com.au/podcast-player…

Our 2oct contrabass marimba has today welcomed a little brother! Meet our 3oct bass/alto marimba, kindly donated by the marvelous Humphries family (Muswellbrook families may recognise the surname..) our students can’t wait to play these beautiful instruments

The marvelous Richard Gill AO would have today celebrated his 80th birthday. The most wonderful conductor, music educator and advocate. We trust Richard’s friends, family and followers are all celebrating his legacy today in their own special way. We shall sing Bim Bam 🎶

Principal's Blog 019 This month Chris recaps our recent Kindy for a Day program and introduces our fabulous Kindergarten 2022 teacher, Mrs Nicole Sherringham. Read Now: richardgillschool.nsw.edu.au/principals-blo… #RGSPrincipalsBlog

What a year! Here’s a throw back to our first day. Thank you to everyone in Muswellbrook and beyond for their support in 2021, our inaugural year at RGS. We look forward to an even better 2022 and can’t wait to welcome back our students on Monday January 31. Happy New Year!!