Penny:

I started at Millthorpe as a prac student in 2002. My relationship with Millthorpe has been as a teacher and Assistant Principal and now the pre school.

Parent:

Penny's a wonderful principal. She's just the most loving and warm and approachable person. The kids just absolutely love her.

Student:

It's just got a lovely community It's just got a lovely community feel and all the teachers just are so good and their ways of learning are just so different.

Penny:

We have a really strong strategy around literacy and numeracy, and that's then enveloped within a well being strategy. With teachers having the greatest impact obviously on learning outcomes, we have made a decision to invest in our teachers professional knowledge and learning.

Tom:

I have 29 different students with 29 different ability levels. You've got to tailor fit each of your lessons to each of them to try and get the best out of them.

Penny:

The teachers are constantly improving their practice. Each year they improve so the students can improve and the school can improve.

Tom:

The teacher will know their students best and they will be working day to day to try and get the best out of their children. But Penny and the exec would be looking over the data that's coming through and kind of analysing it to see if there's any students that are at need, that maybe we might not have identified and possibly looking into different programs that we could offer to support those children.

Student:

I feel that my writings improved a lot. Mr Mason, he explained everything so well and he made all these new ways to write and I've never forgotten them. They understand if you're having trouble and they like, say, stuff like it's not all about the grades, it's about trying.

Penny:

They other kids that are the first to hug you and say thank you.

You know there are the children who I don't know, will always have a pretty special place in your heart and we we always say that they're are Millthorpe kids.

They really focused on the individual relationship with each student and helping them learn at their best in the way that is best for them.

That individual sort of attention to the kids learning needs has been evident across across the board with my kids.

School success is based on context and it's based on the students that sit in front of you and the community that envelopes you. And it's having the ability to meet the needs of your students, your community and the staff that can really make the school hum. As we like to say here, we like to make our good kids great.

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