Principals Message
It is an honour to lead a team of dedicated professionals at Hunter River Community School, and work with and learn from the amazing students who attend our school. Our school sits proudly on Woonarua lands and we acknowledge, respect and value the traditional custodians and owners of the land and pay respect to Aboriginal people and leaders past, present and emerging.
Our teaching staff are committed to the philosophy of being lifelong learners, and enthusiastically engage in Professional Learning to inform best practice. The team works as a collaborative unit, focused on supporting and enhancing the learning opportunities for young people with disabilities. Targeted professional learning and action research ensure we keep pace with the ever changing context of Special Education.
All members of our teaching team are tertiary qualified and are working towards satisfying and maintaining Accreditation levels. All teachers are mentored by a team of highly skilled and experienced Assistant Principals, who work collaborative through the Professional Development Plan format which is underpinned by the Australian teaching Standards.
At Hunter River Community School, our supported by a diverse and extensive team of professionals, who work together to support our students.
Our Student Learning Support Officers (SLSO) are a team of dedicated, highly skilled personnel who work alongside teachers to deliver high quality educational programs, and to support our students in all of their health care and wellbeing needs. Our SLSO’s enthusiastically engage with the Professional Development Plan framework and are committed to ongoing professional learning that maintains levels of accreditation and embraces innovative developments in Special Education.
Our Administrative Team work collaboratively to diligently uphold all aspects of effective administration management. Their processes and procedures are underpinned by audit recommendations, and their management practices are transparent and reflective of current Department of Education initiatives. They are highly skilled staff who embrace the importance of effective communication, and will be available to answer all enquiries and questions.
Our School Counselling team work alongside staff and families to support, inform and assist under the umbrella of the Learning Support Team forum. The counselling team is supported and mentored by a District Counselling cohort of highly trained professionals.
Our School Maintenance staff are integral members of our school community. They are committed to ensuring the school grounds are meticulously presented and maintained. The maintenance team have highly refined skills in minor repairs and work closely with staff to design, construct and modify equipment and resources.
Our school is enhanced by the excellent relationship and networks that have been established with our partnering schools. Our students enthusiastically engage in a variety of Service Learning projects in several of our local primary and high schools.
Hunter River Community School is extremely fortunate to have the support of an inclusive local business district who are extremely generous with their financial sponsorship. East Maitland Bowling, Leisure and Golf Clubs have been our major sponsor for many years and are committed to maintaining the partnership with our school.
Our families and carers are highly valued and respected members of our school community. At Hunter River Community School we work collaboratively and humbly with our families and carers to ensure that together, the programs and learning opportunities delivered are individual, authentic and engaging. The Learning Support Team scaffold provides a student focused approach to inclusive, engaging and high quality educational experiences.
Together, all stakeholders work tirelessly to ensure that the abilities of our young people are the focus of our core business. Hunter River Community School has been recognised as A Centre of Excellence which is testimony to the dedication and commitment of all those who have contributed to the fabric of our school.
Together we can make a difference and open up the world for our amazing students.
Tracey Rapson
Principal