2024 Newsletter Term 03 | Issue 01

Dear Farmhouse Montessori Families,

Welcome to another term! Term 3 is a busy term with school photos (next week), Book Week, Fathers’ Day breakfast/afternoon teas, parent information sessions, and parent-teacher conferences.

New Campus

Our primary school campus (K-6) has found a new home at North Head Sanctuary, Manly. We have been thrilled to start the school term in a new, light-filled building, and students, staff, and families will be delighted with the new campus. Our classrooms are now well connected, and a verandah connects the two classrooms (lower primary and upper primary) with beautiful bushland views. Some of the highlights of the new campus include a library, music room, and multimedia room.

The planning and process for moving our primary school campus have been quite the undertaking, and I would like to acknowledge the support of the School Board and all of our parent volunteers, who have spent hours helping pack and unpack boxes for the move and helping to set up. Former Principal Bruce Rixon was instrumental in initiating the process of moving to our new campus.

You can sign up online to take a tour of the new primary campus.

Suzanne Lyle’s 20th Work Anniversary

We celebrated Suzanne Lyle’s 20th work anniversary during the term break at Farmhouse Montessori School.  Suzanne began working at Farmhouse Montessori School 20 years ago on July 19th, 2004!  Suzanne started working at the preschool campus based in Manly Vale through the transition to the North Balgowlah Campus. She is currently based at the North Head, Manly campus. You can read a few of her highlights in the written piece included in this newsletter. Please congratulate Suzanne on this milestone when you see her.

Parent-Teacher Conferences in Term 3

This is a reminder that parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for this term.

August 19-23 – Primary Parent Conferences
September 23-27 – Preschool Parent Conferences

If you would like to schedule a meeting with your child’s teacher outside of regular conferences, please contact reception or email your class teacher.

Save the Date, November 9th Trivia Night

Please save the date for our annual fundraising Trivia Night on Saturday, November 9th! Our Trivia Night has been postponed until November. The event will be held at Wakehurst Golf Club. If you would like to volunteer for the event or if you have some donations in mind, please email pa@farmhousemontessori.nsw.edu.au .

We look forward to seeing you there.

Kind regards,

Alia James  |   Principal

Celebrating 20 Years of service at Farmhouse Montessori School

Suzanne Lyle began working at Farmhouse Montessori School 20 years ago in July of 2004!  Suzanne began working at the preschool campus based in Manly Vale through the transition to the North Balgowlah Campus and is currently based at the North Head, Manly campus. Please congratulate Suzanne on this milestone when you see her.

MY 20 YEAR JOURNEY WITH FARMHOUSE

My journey started a vicennial ago at the Farmhouse Montessori School on the 19^th July 2004. I remember that day so well. I started at the old Manly Vale church site in King Street during the transition to the now current location at Nth Balgowlah during the school holidays. We opened the Nth Balgowlah site at the beginning of Term 3 2004. We had one pre-primary class which was run by the Principal Carmen Parker with Sara Brady running the toddler class of two-year-olds and also running a parent child class for under twos.  I was on the front desk and Jill Robertson was in the office.  We were a small but happy team to start with but over the years have grown to what we see today.

Many funny tales along the way too many to retell except one maybe-my fear of spiders and my visitor in the reception area one cold winters morning when a large Huntsmen came to visit me on the wall above the Toddler window. My first reaction and unintentional was to yell. Carmen came running out of the classroom to see if I was alright. I could just point to the Huntsman.  Once she finished admonishing me for yelling, she calmly removed the spider to a safe location outside. It was the last time I have ever yelled/screamed at the sight of a spider (I still don’t like them) however as Carmen pointed out we have to remember the children in our care and to act calmly at all times.

I am indebted to the dynamic leadership of one key Principal and many teaching staff and operational and support staff over the years I have worked at the school. Carmen Parker the first Nth Balgowlah Principal who tough me a lot about the Education System and different Government Department Reporting bodies… and important skills of catching a spiders. I have also worked alongside many wonderful, innovative and exciting– exemplary leaders and educators Sara Brady, Phillipa Alford, Fiona Campbell, Monique Burton, Matty Van Dempt & Jenny Bensted (all fabulous Montessori Teachers) just to name a few as well of course not to be forgot Jill Robertson who has been at the school for approximately 23 years firstly as a parent and then in the office handling the school accounts.

I have above all made some wonderful lifelong friends and colleagues along the way

They were, and some remain, exemplary leaders: those who had and have student engagement and achievement at the very core of every decision that they made and continue to make. They unite; they do not divide. They guide, they do not impose. They listen, they do not dismiss. They promote the innovation of others; they do not take the credit for themselves. They care about themselves last, and others first.

In Maria Montessori words: The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, ‘The children are now working as if I did not exist,”

Finally, schools exist for children. I have never ceased to be amazed by the capacity of young people to learn and to achieve and to develop a love of lifelong learning.

The students at Farmhouse Montessori are outstanding, are polite, energetic and kind. They are loyal, sincere and generous.

Students are not simply the wonderful human products of their school, they are wonderful human products of their home. Parents, you too, are to be congratulated for the values and work ethic that you have instilled in your child.

I have enjoyed the last twenty year, roll on the next few years at this stage, maybe not another vicennial (Ha Ha Ha). I look forward to working with the new school principal Alia James and continuing this exciting story. 

Suzanne Lyle

“If help and salvation are to come, they can only come from the children, for the children are the makers of men”-Maria Montessori