Acting Head of Preparatory School - Edition 18 - 2022

Introduction

The end of Term 4 is always a time of reflection, departures and new adventures to look forward to. This year has been a huge success for the Preparatory School, and we are proud of the many and varied achievements from our staff and students. I am exceptionally honoured to work with a team of outstanding educators who each bring their own style and experience to their roles. Our class teachers provide not only tuition, but a special pastoral relationship with each and every child in our care. Our specialist educators do an outstanding job in teaching their given subject/s to the highest standard, whilst building relationships with hundreds of students throughout the year. Our STRETCH team goes above and beyond to provide the support and extension that our students need to thrive. Our wonderful Office team keep everything running smoothly and is always there with a friendly ear and the answer to almost any question! The Prep Deputies have worked tirelessly to ensure that the students in their care receive the very best academic and pastoral support available, as well as being the engine behind every event (big and small) hosted by the Preparatory School. I extend heartfelt thanks to Belinda Daniel who stepped into the role of Acting Deputy seamlessly and to Danny Page for his dedicated leadership of the Junior Primary.

To every member of our team, I say a huge thank you for the commitment, dedication and professionalism that you have maintained throughout the year. It is appreciated by all and I am sure our families will join with me in these thanks.

Some staff members are leaving the teaching team in 2023. We wish Emily Rowlands well as she takes up a new position at Mercedes College. Emily has been a much-loved member of the Year 3 team this year and the care that she has shown for her students has been exemplary. We also farewell Georgie Papst and thank her for her work in our Reception team and across various year levels during the past four years. Justine Shields joined us in Term 4 and has led 5B beautifully through a very busy term. We wish her well as she joins the teaching team at SPW in 2023.

Finally, we send Kaori Kamei off into the world of academics with much love and affection. After more than 20 years of service to the Preparatory School, Kaori is well known to all students and has used her talents in Japanese, Music and Technology to enhance the curriculum. Kaori also organised the very popular tours of Japan that ran for several years. She will be missed by the team and we thank her for all that she has contributed over the years. We hope that her future studies will be a new adventure that brings her great joy.

The rest of the teaching staff remains unchanged, and we have the welcome addition of Sapphire Collins-McBride who joins the Year 4 team in 2023. Sapphire has been a familiar face around our School and we are delighted that she will join us on a full-time basis. We also welcome back the highly respected Kelly Warren as she resumes her substantive position in Year 3. Ruby Harris has worked in multiple learning areas this year and we welcome her back in Term 1 to cover Craig Leith while he enjoys some very well-deserved long service leave.

I have very much enjoyed my time as Acting Head of the Preparatory School and thank Danny, Belinda, Nicole and Kate for their unwavering support. It has been a joy to meet families that I usually wouldn’t in my normal role and to work closely with Simon Shepherd and the Senior Leadership Team. I am very much looking forward to resuming my role as Deputy of Years 3 to 6 and working closely with my year level teams and students again. We are also eagerly anticipating the return of our illustrious leader Grant Bock who will come back to us fresh faced and well rested after a term of well-deserved long service leave! We have missed him very much and look forward to seeing him back in his office after the break.

In what ever way you are spending the summer break, I hope that it is a safe, happy time spent with family and friends. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for a joyous and successful New Year.

2023 Year 6 School Leaders

Congratulations to our new leaders for 2023! This year was a very difficult year for the teachers as there were so many quality applicants to choose from. Thankfully, the student vote makes things a little easier as it became clear who the top 22 candidates were, as voted by their peers. It then falls to the teachers and Preparatory School leadership team to allocate the best person to each leadership role. We are very confident that our Prep Student Leaders will do a wonderful job next year and look forward to watching them lead our student body.

School Leaders

School Captain Emmerson Warren

School Captain Alex Heneker

Leader (Sport/ Mr Weatherald) Mackenzie Furness and Flynn Wilson

Leader (Environment/ Mr Page) Piotrek Kowalczyk

Leader (Music/ Mrs Wandel) Katherine Ma

Leader (Service / Mrs Baldwin) Connie Wang

Leader (Junior Primary/ Mr Page) Sophia Trethowan

Leader (Primary/ Mrs Barr) Fredrik Oak

Leader (Wellbeing/ Ms Heaslip) Ethan Greenfield

House Captains

Abbey

Captain Jude Maloney

Captain Amelia Parkinson

Charter

Captain Lexie Bristow

Captain Reuben Swaffer-Schapel

Crown

Captain Emily Wood

Captain Caleb Dyer

Mace

Captain Niels Koeper

Captain Lilah Reeve

Wesley

Captain Georgia Davison

Captain Scarlett Swalling

Wyvern

Captain Leo Mather

Captain Ashley Tran

Mace has a new Head of House!

Congratulations to Alex Bachmatiuk who has won the position of the new Head of Mace House. We know that Alex will be a wonderful and caring Head of House. Undoubtedly, she already has made plans to lead Mace to great things next year. We thank Meg Fitzgerald for all that she had brought to Mace over the past seven years.

Reception Orientation Visit

Across several weeks, the 2023 Reception Students attended transition visits to get to know their teachers, peers and school routines. On the final visit, the children visited Westminster's Sturt Grove Farm.

The children met and collected the eggs from our resident chickens and picked produce from the vegetable patches.

The 2023 Reception teachers, Stacey McCue, Brooke Cheesman-Smyth and Meg Fitzgerald, cannot wait to work with these exceptional young people next year.

Environmental Club Christmas Market

Our Prep Environmental Club worked hard across the year to prepare for their Christmas Market!

Students made pots and planted seedlings and succulents, which then they sold along with candles, eggs and produce from Sturt Grove Farm. The students raised an incredible $405, with all proceeds going toward future club projects.

Disc golf championship

Henry Arnold competed at the recent Australian Disc Golf championship in Queensland.

He played three amazing rounds and took first place in his age group! What a remarkable achievement – congratulations Henry!

Champion Volunteer!

Henry Keen has shown our community the impact that volunteering can have and recently completed his 100th volunteer session with Seacliff Esplanade parkrun.

Henry started volunteering in London when he was five. Following his return to Adelaide, Henry has continued volunteering, making a sign most weeks to encourage participants. He's volunteered in a number of different roles, including tailwalker, marshal, finish token support and barcode scanner.

What a milestone to reach – we are very proud of you Henry!

Code Camp

As school holidays approach, students wanting to attend Code Camp at Westminster only have limited time to book a place to benefit from the Early Bird offer.

Diary Dates

• Year 6 Graduation Ceremony - Tuesday 13 December
  
• Farewell for David Wallage - Tuesday 13 December 4.00 pm
• End Term 4 - Wednesday 14 December at 12.40 pm
  
• Start of Term 1 2023 - Tuesday 31 January at 8.45am

Important Notes for End of Term

• This is the last eNews for 2022. We’ll return in Term 1 Week 2 2023.
• The School Main Reception, Prep Office, Senior School Office and Business Office will be closed on Thursday 15 December from 12.00 to 5.00 pm. They will reopen for normal hours from Friday 16 until Thursday 22 December. Please note the ELC and OSHC continue to operate as per normal.
• Full holiday closure covers Friday 23 December 2022 to Friday 6 January 2023. If you need to contact the School urgently, please email ws@westminster.school
• School Main Reception opens again on Monday 9 January 2023.
• Senior School Reception opens again on Monday 9 January 2023.
• Preparatory School Reception opens again on Monday 23 January 2023.
• The School will be closed on Thursday 26 and Friday 27 January for the Australia Day long weekend.
• During any times of closure, if you need to contact the School, please email ws@westminster.school
• Before School closes for Christmas, all parents and caregivers will receive an email from Consent2Go asking you to review and update your child’s health/medical information held by us and to update any contact information for yourself or nominated emergency contacts. We ask that you please review and update before School recommences for Term 1 2023. If you are already up-to-date, this will require you to do very little.
  

Ali Barr
Acting Head of Preparatory School