Head of the Preparatory School
COVID-19 Update
As mentioned in the Principal’s report, in accordance with advice from NSW Health, parents and carers are reminded NOT to send children to school if they are unwell, even if they have the mildest flu-like symptoms. These symptoms include fever (37.5 or higher), cough, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, runny nose or loss of taste or smell. NSW Health has requested that schools ask anyone who is unwell or has even one of these symptoms, to arrange to be tested through their local medical practitioner or one of the COVID-19 clinics. Students with flu-like symptoms will need to be tested, provide a copy of a negative COVID-19 test result and be symptom-free before being permitted to return to school.
Prep School Photos
Prep School photos are on Wednesday 10 February (Week 3 ). This year we are using a new school provider Melba Photography. Ordering information will be sent to all families shortly. Can I please ask that all students in K-2 wear their full school uniform on this day and bring their blazer. If your child has PE on this day, they can bring their sandshoes in their bag to change into.
Allister Street Parking
Please be aware that the school side of Allister Street is a no parking zone in the mornings and afternoons. This area is only to be used as a drop off zone. It would be greatly appreciated if parents didn’t exit their cars on Allister Street when dropping off. Staff members are placed specifically out in the street to assist students out of the cars. This will allow the flow of the morning car line and also reduce the congestion that builds down Allister Street. If you would like to walk your child into school, please park in surrounding streets or walk in via the Murdoch Street entrance. Rangers do patrol this street often and will fine drivers who are parked in the zones during drop off times.
Prep Clubs
Prep Clubs are scheduled to begin in Week 4 this term for children in Yrs 1 and 2. Students who would like to attend are able to choose from a variety of options, running Wednesdays from 3.00-4.00pm. If you would like your child to take part in Term 1, for which there is no additional cost (excluding the new Science Club), please refer to the letter being emailed to families on Monday. Prep School will once again be using the Trybooking system to organise registrations, which will be made on a first in, first served basis. Children are required to choose one Club only for Term 1 and they will begin on Wednesday 17 February with the final week being Wednesday 24 March (Week 9). Please note that there will be no car line after Clubs now that parents are able to come onto school grounds to collect their children.
We are also happy to announce that we have engaged Eye Heart Science to provide a Young Investigators Science Club as an extra offering this year. Details about the Club, how to register and payment details will be included in Monday’s letter.
Parent Information Evening
Thanks to all K-2 families who Zoomed into the Parent Information sessions on Tuesday night. It was exciting to connect with you and share all our exciting plans for the year ahead. We tried to answer as many questions as we could, but if we happened to not answer something, please don’t hesitate to ask us. The link to the recorded sessions and PowerPoint slides information can be assessed on the Year Group Redlands Pulse pages from next Monday.
We discussed the importance of connection within our Redlands community and being a class parent is a wonderful way to help facilitate this. We still have some classes that don’t have class parents yet. If this is something you would like to do but need to have a further conversation please don’t hesitate to reach out to Jennifer Mast, who is coordinating the Class Parents for the Prep School this year or ask Prep Reception for a copy of the Duty Statement.
Technology in the Classroom Information Session
Redlands invites Prep parents to save the date for our first Technology in the Classroom Prep Parent Information and Workshop session on Wednesday 24 February. This session introduces parents to how Redlands uses technology as a tool for learning in the Prep classrooms. Parents will have an opportunity to experience how students use iPads during class through hands-on activities with various apps on school iPads. This is the first of four information sessions to be held this year, one per term. Booking information will be provided in next week’s Note Day.
Lucy Hill Library
This year the Preparatory School is once again taking part in the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge. This state-wide initiative was introduced several years ago to encourage schools and children to get serious about enjoying reading and using libraries. We don’t have any trouble getting children interested in reading or in enjoying what the Lucy Hill Library has to offer, but we like to offer children and their parents the chance to take part. Some students who are now in the Secondary School have taken part every year since they were in Kindergarten and therefore have quite a collection of certificates from various state Premiers!
The Challenge is divided into K-2; 3-4; 5-6; and 7-9 Year Groups and a list of books appropriate to each of these age groups is provided for them to read from. The students have until August to read the required number of books.
Students participating in the K-2 Challenge need to experience 30 books, either by reading themselves, shared reading of the book or having the book read to them.
The Lucy Hill Library has identified the listed books with spine stickers and printed the code for each book on the back page to make it very easy for you. Or, you can access the lists for yourself here.
The website is not live yet, but you may begin reading. If your child is not new to the school, they will already have their password in the back of their last year’s Planner. If your child is in Kindergarten or new to the school, later in March we will affix your child’s password and login details to their Planner so that you will be able to record what you read online. Until then, record what you read on paper. There is a log on the site.
As parents are still unable to visit the School Library, we will continue the borrowing procedure which was instigated last year. You may borrow ten books at a time. Please email the Library or send an email to Ms Roberts and we will put books in a bag for you to collect from the Prep School foyer. If you want specific titles or genres, please say so in your email, otherwise you will have the pleasure of a lucky dip each week. Of course, you may not necessarily like everything that comes home, but the beauty is that you can just send it back and get more.
Mrs Ainslie Breckenridge
Head of Preparatory School
abreckenridge@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9848
