Head of Junior School

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Speech Day

As you would have seen in the calendar and read in Mr Webber’s recent communication, our Junior School Speech Day takes place at 11.00am on Wednesday 2 December and will again be held at The Big Top, Luna Park. All students are expected to attend this final formal occasion of the year and further details of the event will be sent in a separate letter to all families.

On Friday afternoon, class teachers will notify their students of this year’s class prize winners in their respective classes. In each class, six prizes are awarded as outlined below:

• 2 x Academic Effort and Achievement 
• 2 x Outstanding Approach to Learning 
• 2 x Citizenship 

Each year, class teachers award these prizes based on their observations over the whole year and in conjunction with feedback from specialist teachers who teach them too. In addition, there are some major prizes awarded in Yr 6 only and these will also be announced to the cohort on Friday. All of these prizes will be presented on Speech Day which will also be the occasion for the announcement of our 2021 Student Leaders, as previously communicated.

2021 Junior School Student Class Placements

Junior School staffing for 2021 will be finalised shortly and we continue to have the same number of classes in each Year Group as listed below:

Yr 3:             4 classes
Yr 4:             4 classes
Yr 5:             5 classes
Yr 6:             5 classes

Class teachers have commenced the meticulous process of class formations for 2021 and finalise the composition and balance of each class factoring in the teaching teams in each Year Group. Past experience has shown that the careful and professional approach we take ensures the optimum learning environment for each student.

Class placements are organised by the teaching staff who see and teach these students each and every day and hence, know the students best in the context of the classroom learning environment, taking particular account of the following factors:

• the individual learning, social and emotional needs of each child
• knowledge of the different teaching styles of teachers in the next Year Group
• friendships of students where this has a positive impact on their learning (students are also involved in this step)
• ability levels to ensure an even spread of ability levels across each class
• an aim to balance gender in each class, as best possible

You will understand and appreciate that it is not possible to request a specific teacher for your child as this would set a precedence that is neither sustainable nor fair to all families. Please also note that younger siblings will not necessarily be placed with the same class teacher as older siblings as invariably, siblings can be very different in both their learning preference and their personal traits.

A significant amount of time, professional dialogue and thought goes into this important operational process to aim to match each individual student with the right teacher and peers and our Dean of Students, Counsellors and I also take part in this process with our additional knowledge of students.

Once Year Groups have finalised these, there will be a comprehensive face-to-face handover of knowledge between teaching staff before the start of Term 1, 2021, to ensure that teachers have as much information as possible ahead of next year. These class lists are then prominently displayed on the first day of the new school year but we also have individual student timetables up on the portal before the start of term so that parents have access to see who their child’s class teacher will be before the start of the 2021 academic year.

I hope this summary clarifies the detailed process that will take place later this term in this very important part of our preparation for 2021.

Yr 6 Uniform

A reminder for Yr 6 boys moving into Secondary School next year that white short sleeve shirts are required to be worn. With boys now having the option of wearing shorts in the Secondary School in Terms 1 and 4, they may continue to wear their grey shorts from Junior School in Term 1 next year.  

House Poetry Recital

Monday saw our 13^th Annual House Poetry Recital, a joyous oratory occasion that both students and teachers look forward to. This term, every single Junior School student has been immersed in poetry having read, written, appreciated and presented poems. With one representative selected from each Junior School class, the rest of the school enjoyed a truly memorable start to the week with our performers showing poise, charisma and confidence as they delivered their respective poems via Zoom to the audience of students, teachers and their parents.

Following on from the introduction of this aspect last year, students were excited to hear poems read by a number of teachers. My appreciation is extended to Mr Price, Ms Anagnostu, Senora Colagiuri, Mrs Rolon (Head of English) and our Deputy Principal, Ms McGarry, for their marvellous recitals.

Well done to all of the students for their involvement this term and in particular the students listed below who performed so eloquently on Monday.

Yr 6 Legacy Fair

Well done to our Yr 6 cohort, ably supported by their teachers, in organising and hosting a wonderful Legacy Fair last Friday for Yrs 3-5 students to enjoy and be part of. With the threat of rain, the event moved indoors but this did not impact on the meticulous way in which the event was planned and carried out and the students’ enthusiasm in running the Fair was palpable.

The final total raised was a staggering $3,410 (yes, that’s a lot of gold coins to count!) and alongside this amazing collection, we were grateful to receive a generous donation of $2,500 from the Redlands Parents and Friends Association towards a feature indoor green wall in the atrium and a time capsule to capture the unique nature of 2020, and we look forward to seeing these two items in due course.

Along with the Fair, it was great to host a small rock concert to allow the Junior Rock Band to perform in the Hall with appropriate distancing. My thanks to Ms Moses and Mr Owen for facilitating this and it was great to see the group enjoy the opportunity to perform as a small group and the joy amongst the student audience.

Congratulations, Yr 12 – Class of 2020

It is always such a privilege for me to attend the final assembly for our departing Yr 12 cohort and after the postponement of this milestone event last term, the School warmly welcomed back this special group of students yesterday for one last time. Like many of the Junior School staff, we remember many of the group from their younger days and share in the pride of the young adults that they have become.

At the end of last term, I was deeply moved by a late afternoon visit from one of the group, Maya Auld. Maya had joined Redlands in the Junior School some eight years ago and popped in to pass on a handwritten ‘thank you’ card with photos of her and her younger brother on their first day in the Junior School in January 2013 and then a comparative photo on Maya’s last day. To say I was moved by Maya’s visit and her words would be an understatement but was another affirmation of the privilege we have as educators to see students grow and blossom. Along with Maya, I watched with immense pride as the Class of 2020 listened to the very personal words of peer and school leaders recognising their extraordinary leadership as a group in this extraordinary year. Then, in time-honoured tradition, the Year Group were given a guard of honour by students and staff from Preschool to Yr 6, albeit one with no high-fives but generous applause. Following this assembly, I joined the Yr 12 Valedictory Dinner last night and it was a joy to see both students and parents be able to gather for this momentous occasion and finish this chapter in their lives at Redlands. As has been customary, the School Captain when this group started Yr 7 was the guest speaker and Billy Gleeson spoke with great passion and warmth sharing his phenomenal journey since leaving Redlands, during which time he has achieved much across many different areas.

State Championships Softball

Congratulations to Lauren Rolfe (Yr 4) who competed for Manly Warringah in the NSW Softball State Championships. As an integral member of the team, Lauren demonstrated great leadership and teamwork as her team progressed to the Grand Final and then won to become NSW State Champions for 2020. In talking to Lauren, she talked about the strength of togetherness in her team and that their teamwork made the difference. 

Mr Ari Guha
Head of Junior School 
aguha@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9953 6022