Year 9

Key Dates

Yr 9 Exams

The Yr 9 exam block kicks off in Term 4 Week 4. The holiday period is a fantastic opportunity to ensure study notes are up-to-date, ready for examinations in Term 4. Students should consider:

• What exams do they have?
• Should they be making some study notes?
• Are there areas of difficulty they should address?
• What do they want to achieve both academically and personally?

Set some goals!

The Study Skills Handbook (UN: redlands | PW: 68results) has useful resources on Active Studying and Preparing for Exam Blocks (starting with the summary sheets is always useful). The Redlands Study Centre is also a useful resource (the timetable can be found on Redlands Pulse).

Summer Uniform

All students are expected to arrive on day one of Term 4 in full summer uniform. Many of our students have again had growth spurts and need hem and pant length adjustments. There will be a uniform check on day one – this includes hair. We also encourage all students to have their blazer and tie cleaned before the start of the new term. Uniform requirements can be found in the Student Planner.

Term 3 Assessment Reflection

Term 3 was a heavy and more complex assessment period. Redlands attempts to coordinate the timing of Assessment tasks and students are required to submit their tasks on the due date. Many students thrived during this time, one student outlining that ‘I managed well because I started the bigger tasks earlier and regularly reviewed progress’. Others found this term to be overwhelming, experiencing increased stress, fatigue and sometimes relationship conflict. This week, students reflected on successes, challenges and lessons learnt. Key points included:

• The importance of time management
• Useful time management tools (personal discipline, diary, term planner, revised schedules)
• Strategies for managing feelings of being overwhelmed

To support conversations at home, key tips and strategies can be found HERE (UN: redlands | PW: 68results).

Yr 9 Pastoral Team Staffing Update

Many of you may have read in Note Day that from Term 4 our current Dean of Students, Ms Carolyn Shaw, will be heading off on Maternity Leave. Ms Shaw has been an incredible support to Redlands and Yr 9, and we send her our warmest wishes as she embarks on this new and exciting journey. We look forward to welcoming her back in 2021. During this time, I will be stepping into the role of Acting Dean of Students; Mr Nick Walker will be Acting Yr 9 Advisor, supported by Ms Eleanor Martin. Mr Walker is the current Assistant Year Advisor to Yr 11 and has a wealth of experience in the pastoral sphere at Redlands. This week, Mr Walker joined us for our Year Meeting and shared his excitement towards working with this fabulous Year Group. I will sincerely miss directly supporting Yr 9, however, I am confident that they will be in very capable hands. 

Pastoral Care Program – Solving Conflict and Positive Self-Talk

Yr 9 can be a year of change especially in relationships which can sometimes result in tension between peers. The word ‘conflict’ carries a negative connotation in our minds, and is primarily associated with emotions such as anger, frustration and sadness. However, when managed appropriately, conflicts can become opportunities to make something better. Whatever the outcome, conflict is a natural part of life and socially intelligent people are often highly skilled at solving problems without fighting. Pastoral Care activities this week aimed to have students develop productive ways to solve problems and practise reframing negative thoughts and interactions through positive self-talk.

Parent Viewing: The Social Dilemma 

Social media is a way for teenagers to stay in touch with their friends. Teens have always talked after school, long before social media – hanging out at the bus stop, at the local park, chatting on the phone – now they just have a different platform to do so. Social media is an important part of socialising and connection in the modern world. However, there is another side to social media. The Netflix docudrama, The Social Dilemma, explores how addiction and privacy breaches are features, not bugs, of social media platforms and features tech experts sounding the alarm on their own creations. Whilst recommended viewing for parents, the documentary would be more suitable for students in Yrs 11-12. Concerned about your child’s social media use? The eSafety Commissioner offers some useful resources including Taming the Technology and Privacy and Your Child.

News and Achievements

• This term, Yr 9 welcomed Lachlan Dekker (Singapore) and Maddie Boris (USA) to our cohort. In Term 4, Loch Wilding (Singapore) and Ava Fenton (UAE) will also be joining Yr 9.
• Congratulations to Emilie Bessel and Oliver Kesby for both earning a position on the 2020 Girls and Boys Basketball 1sts teams.
• Redlands students recently competed in the 2020 ICAS Science Competition. Congratulations to the following students on their exceptional results: Lucinda Baird (High Distinction), Liam Franklin (Distinction) and Jack Forrest (High Distinction).

A Final Note

I would like to thank you for your support during another full term. Our Yr 9 students are hitting all of the adolescent milestones. Being able to work as a community to guide student development is essential in supporting our young people as they develop into the best versions of themselves. We wish you and your family a happy, safe and restful holiday period and we look forward to welcoming students back in Term 4.

Ms Marita Jansons 
Yr 9 Advisor
mjansons@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9819