From the Head of Junior School

The last four years feel both slow and like they’ve whizzed by in a flash. Very much like our raising of children journey! The days can blur into one long story, but then there are little crystal clear memories that stand out…..

Being welcomed by families to my new role in 2022 – a Wentworth Falls family gifted me with a special South American rose that lasts for a whole year. They wrote the most beautiful card and that rose, encased in cloche (so very Beauty and the Beast) has not dropped a single petal. It reminds me of the generosity of our families.

Watching the Junior School teachers get excited about their teaching and learning. Our teachers embrace new things like Wild Ed from Pre Kindergarten. The teachers have been learning alongside the children and every bushwalk, every puddle jumping expedition, every stick being whittled and cubby being built has reminded the teachers how the brains and bodies of children grow and learn by DOING things that stretch them, excite them, challenge them and bring them joy. Seeing our Primary children get passionate about the incredible environment we live in, often winning prizes focused on protecting the Blue Mountains bush has been a humbling and exciting part of this job.

Walking into classrooms and joining the children as they learn. Many lessons are standard – spelling, multiplication, reading. Others are really special and the children will always remember them. I love to watch the reading journey our Kinder students embark on. At this time of year when I join them they are reading books by themselves and writing sentences that they are proud of. These roll on to the most amazing stories that children show me proudly. One little girl at Springwood has been sharing her stories (The Adventures of Pusheen!) with me for a few years now – she has grown bit by bit, building on those foundations her teachers have nurtured, into quite the author!

There are many, many students I’ve watched grow in confidence and leadership. Children who started out quite unsure, not really knowing where they fit in, and then finding that they were accepted as who they were. A special thing about our school is that all of the children are seen, heard and known by all staff. It’s special to see them nurtured by staff, encouraged to step up and out and to help them find their way.

I’ll miss the little moments of each day, in seeing the children in the Junior School flourish and grow. I’ll miss the incredible Junior School team who make the childhood learning journeys of these students a place of safety, joy and challenge. I’ll miss the parents who have supported me and partnered with our school. I’ll be praying for Mr Sanders, the leadership team and all of the members of this incredible community, as they embark on the next chapter of the story.

Merry Christmas and farewell,

Rachael J Newton

Assistant Principal – Head of Junior School