From the Principal
It’s been an actioned filled week with our Redlands students shining on the stage and on the sporting fields.
Last Friday night was a veritable showcase of our students’ Performing Arts talents with our annual Gala Arts festival which I greatly enjoyed. From humorous theatre pieces to virtuoso instrumental, poignant dance and beautiful vocal performances, a near capacity audience at The Concourse, Chatswood delighted in the evening’s entertainment. I congratulate all performers and especially the winners:
Overall/Dance: Chloe Church (Yr 11) and Samantha Menzel (Yr 12)
Theatre: Asha Boswarva, Rebecca Burchett and Patrick Friedlander (Yr 11)
Instrumental: Michelle Li and Jeroen Speckmann (Yr 12)
Vocal: Poppi Kent and Alisha Karunagaran (Yr 11)
Winner of the House Shield: Cowper
Thank you to all of the teachers and tutors who mentored the students in their wonderful performances and to all of the staff involved in the auditions and staging of this year’s Gala Arts.
The New Music Centre was officially launched as a performance space on Monday afternoon and evening with the Junior and Senior Piano competitions, providing a beautiful venue for our pianists. Congratulations to the performers, the Year Group and Category Winners and to the following overall winners: Junior School – Zetong Shen (Yr 3); Secondary School – Michelle Li (Yr 12).
Tuesday saw more Performing Arts success with our Intermediate Theatresports team being crowned joint winners of the Theatresports Schools Challenge Semi Final. Congratulations to Yr 10 students Grace Bracks, Flynn Henry, Maddi Howard, Toby Paige and Tadgh Robinson who will now contest the Grand Final at the Enmore Theatre on 17 June. Well done also to our Senior Theatresports team who placed third at the Semi Finals.
On the sporting field, a long standing drought was broken when our Boys Football 1sts won against St Pats for the first time in 21 years! Following on from their tenacious effort last week, the boys utilised their learnings to win the match 2-0. The Girls 1sts Football team had a strong 8-0 victory and there were also successes on the Hockey and Rugby fields, with both 1sts teams continuing their seasons unbeaten.
Our Parent Rowers also achieved significant success at this year’s Great Autumn Rowing Carnival held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre. With a 56 strong contingent of 56 parents in 7 boats, the Dogs of War won Silver in the A Final, and the Oarcas Silver and the Octonauts Bronze in the B Final. Not only did our parents enhance their rowing skills and fitness, they also raised over $20,000 for the School’s Rowing program. Thank you to parent coordinator, Kevin Bush, to all of the parents involved, to Coordinator of Rowing, James Petering and all the coaches, student rowers and coxes for your excellent efforts and results.
Heritage Week
This week we have been celebrating the 134th birthday of our School which was founded in 1884 by the Misses Liggins and Arnold, making Redlands one of the oldest independent schools on the lower north shore. This year also marks 40 years since Coeducation was introduced.
Our Preparatory School and Junior School students learned about our School’s history from Deputy Principal, Ms Sarah McGarry, and Archivist, Ms Marguerite Gillezeau, at their assemblies this week. Our Secondary School students will mark the occasion at our annual Foundation Day assembly tomorrow. We will be joined by special guests Mr John Lang OAM, Mr Bruce Adams and Mr John Roberts, three gentlemen who played a pivotal role in our School’s history over 40 years ago, when Redlands was faced with a threat of closure, and by Board members and local, state and federal representatives.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending our annual Platinum Girls Luncheon along with around 50 Old Girls who left school more than 50 years ago. They delighted in singing their version of the School Song, beginning ‘Girls of the Grammar School’ as of course, Redlands was a girls’ school during their years. From the girls of the 1940s to the Class of 1968 attending for the first time, the Platinum Girls enjoyed reminiscing over a delicious lunch, along with Music and Dance performances from our current students.
Thank you to all involved in commemorating this significant event in our School’s history.
Dr Peter Lennox
Main photo caption: Our School Prefects were delighted to welcome Old Girls from the 1940s to the Class of 1968 to our annual Platinum Girls’ Luncheon.