Crucial piece of the school puzzle

Kylie Whittaker Kempton Primary

KEMPTON Primary School teacher Kylie Whittaker expects many Tasmanian students will feel emotional when they return to class on Monday.

“We’re not really sure what to expect,’’ she said.

“I think some of them will be quite emotional, they’ve been out of the school for quite some time.

“We’ll have lots of hands on deck to support their social and emotional wellbeing. I’m planning on doing lots of activities to get everyone back together again and help form relationships with the friends that they’ve missed so much.’’

Ms Whittaker said one thing was certain — she’s feeling exciting about seeing lots of familiar little faces.

“I can’t wait,’’ she said. Kempton Primary ordinarily has only 39 students enrolled from kinder to Grade 6 so, with many at home due to COVID-19 in recent weeks, the school grounds have been quiet.

The school has only three classes — a kinder/ prep, a prep/one/two, and a Grade 3-6 class, and Ms Whittaker shares the teaching of children from kinder to Grade 2.

A teachers’ aide for many years, she returned to study to become a teacher, and this is her first year on the job.

She is delighted to be at Kempton Primary, a school she attended as a child. A kinder mum nominated Ms Whittaker as a Top Teacher, saying the Brighton tutor had put 100 per cent effort into the educational and emotional needs of students and their families during a difficult time.

“Nothing was ever too much or too hard, no time was too late or too early,” the nomination letter said. “Teaching is about passion, and she has it in abundance.’’

Ms Whittaker said she’d had great support from the school’s new principal this year, Alison Williams, and the rest of the staff.

And she said parents had done an amazing job delivering lessons.

“I’m just a really small piece of the puzzle,’’ she said.