We have some sad news and some exciting news to share regarding staff and staffing at Western Heights School.
Our beloved and long serving Deputy Principal Pat Hutton is retiring at the end of this year. Pat has given her career to our school and Western Heights will not be the same without her. She is and has been our “mother hen” - keeping a wise and watchful eye on us all, but perhaps especially our “young chicks” (male and female so not being sexist) to keep the analogy going. Pat will continue this role but in a new environment, as she mentors young Graduate Student Trainee Teachers from next year on. We have a farewell assembly for Pat on December 9.
We will also be farewelling two teachers who have given their heart and soul to our school over a number of years (in Nichola’s case that’s 11 years). Nichola Hogan is moving to Tirimoana School for the next stage in her teaching journey. Nichola has done so much in our school with an Enviro focus and in providing stunning outdoor equipment such as planters and the model car (along with the help of Bob her wonderful dad of 80 years of age). Nichola has invested so much in our young ones here, getting them off to a great start in their learning journey.
We also farewelling Caroline Leader who is moving to Rangeview Intermediate School to take over their new Digital Device classroom. Caroline will also be a Community of Learning Literacy Leader there, so this is an exciting opportunity for her. Caroline has also invested so much of her heart and soul into her teaching, our children and her colleagues here, so she too will be greatly missed.
We do have some good news from our school perspective too though.
We have appointed two new Team Leaders. Jenna Aalbers will now be leading our Middle School teaching team, and Annette Pram will be leading our Year One teaching team. Both are full of ideas, initiatives and enthusiasm, so exciting times are ahead for both teams and the children therein.
We have been able to confirm permanent appointments for four of our teachers, after the resignations of four teachers who were on long term maternity leave. Robyn Applegate, Diana Weaver, Stefanie Tipi and Isla Noakes all resigned their permanent positions here, allowing us to make Jo Merritt, Abdel Ramadan, Helen Rollo and Lauren Nummy all permanent employees. All have taught here for at least a year - Jo and Abdel for several years, so all are well settled here. They are all delighted, as are we.
Teachers Jarred Tito, Rosemary Cooper and Robyn Meisel are also leaving us at the end of the year. They were here in temporary positions - covering for Mr Noakes’ retirement partway through the year, and opening two new New Entrant classes part way through the year. All three are magical people and will be much missed. We may yet be able to bring Rosemary and Robyn back to reprise their new New Entrant class roles next year. Fingers crossed as they say.
But wait, there is more, as they also say.
We can also confirm the appointment of Jennece Morris and Charlotte Westerhoff to teach in year one next year. Both are exciting young teachers and will bring a new dimension to WHS. Charlotte was a student here, so she will feel right at home for that reason too. Both have also completed teaching practicums here over the last year.
Another new appointment is Kate Molineaux in our year three and four area. Again Kate has completed her teaching practicum here this year and has featured in our newsletter a few times for her work in room 16. Kate also has so much to offer and we are really looking forward to her joining us in 2017.
I will share more information on each of our new teachers in the near future. For now, please be assured that our appointments process is exceptionally rigorous, our employee standards particularly high, and the result that we achieve is we employ teachers of excellence.
