Year 7

Welcome back! I hope that the holiday break allowed time and relaxation with loved ones, and students are ready to embark on a new term with enthusiasm, diligence and focus.

It is an absolute pleasure that I introduce four new students to Yr 7 this semester: Grace Dawson-Damer, Maria Monsees, Alexia Van der Merwe and Julian Newman. We wish them a wonderful start to Redlands.

Yr 7 Achievements

Congratulations to the following students who received a merit award for academic excellence throughout Semester 1: Keira Attard, Thomas Dewar, Jesse Forrest, Rebecca Frantz, Iona Gait, Federico Gazzilli, Krishna Gupta, Annabelle Hwang, Jessica Lee, Rory McMillan, Liam Petersen, Hannah Scott, Thea Scown, Lucile Thompson, Stella Simpson-Morgan, Emma Wong and Sophie Yu.

Phillips Academy Andover eSummer – Remie Gibbs

“Over the past break, I have been participating in an online course called Express Yourself offered by Phillips Academy Andover, a top-ranked US boarding school north of Boston for Yrs 9-12.  I went through an application process and was selected to attend this course, as one of 25 students from the USA, Dubai, Jakarta, Australia and China.  This program focuses on developing our inner filmmakers, writers, performance artists and most of all, our inner creativity. We are looking at ways people can express themselves as humans and as artists. The structure of the course includes a weekly live Zoom class, a weekly 1:1 meeting with my teacher for an hour and weekly assignments, projects and class discussions.  

So far, we have completed four learning goals. These small tasks lead up to our final project of writing, acting, filming and producing our own movie. The first learning goal for Communication and Expression was a Where I’m From poem, similar to the one we wrote at the beginning of the year. The following week we looked at scriptwriting, and acting techniques. We wrote a monologue and then performed it (or alternatively videoed it). I was looking at comedy, given that I haven’t done much comedy before. This past week we worked on filming techniques and using camera angles such as close ups and master shots to convey mood. This week we’re focusing on Genre Elements of Dramatic Narrative.  

We have been using similar applications and websites to the ones we use at school, such as Canvas, Zoom and iMovie, so I have been mostly up to speed on the technology. As the work is uploaded to Canvas, due dates and daily work is scheduled, helping to keep us on track. Last week, we were peer editing via Zoom, which was a great way to connect us with people from around the world. My peer editor, Val, is from Jakarta, and I enjoyed learning from her too. My teacher is very enthusiastic and flexible, willing to help and making my experience better by working with me and applying her experience teaching creative writing, theatre and drama. The experience is great for me to extend my abilities, while also having fun and getting creative.”

We wish Remie well for the remainder of her course.

Registration for ICAS 2020 

The 2020 International Competition and Assessment for Schools (ICAS) in Science will take place on Monday 17 August in school. This competition is undertaken by over 400,000 students across Australia and the region, and is a rigorous test of scientific thinking. Participation in the competition provides our students with excellent examination practice and an opportunity to see how they fare in competition with students of their own age from across the country. Students who are interested in Science can use the test to assess areas of strength and weakness. Success at the test is a way of demonstrating aptitude when applying for Science related opportunities in and out of school.

Entry for students in Yrs 7-10 is voluntary. Please complete the registration form before Monday 3 August if you would like them to take part. A fee of $15.95 will be charged to your account if you wish your child to participate. 

More information about ICAS is here. Please contact Ms Simone Bryant, Assistant Science Coordinator, if you have any queries.

Ms Lisa Vale
Yr 7 Advisor
9968 9837
lvale@redlands.nsw.edu.au