Head of Junior School

Welcome Back 

There was a wonderful buzz of energy as we welcomed the students back for Term 3 and start another eventful and exciting semester of learning opportunities and experiences. I hope that students and families have been able to take some time to rest and enjoy the time together away from school and that the children are refreshed and energised ahead of the second half of the year. In particular, I extend a warm welcome to our three new Junior School students and their families and wish you much happiness and enjoyment at Redlands.

In our first assembly, the students and I spent time revisiting our School Values of Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, Fairness, Compassion and Moral Courage and the importance of ‘living’ these values as part of our everyday lives. In particular, we focused on the value of Respect and the notion that we earn respect by showing respect and what respect might look like in the context of our School. Connected to this, I shared our expectations of the importance of students focusing on enjoyment and challenges in learning but also the expectation that they do not compromise their own learning or that of others in class. Many students looked resplendent in their full school uniform on the first day of term and this is another area of expectation that we reminded students of for the term ahead.

Term 3 Staffing News
  • We welcome Mr James Clanfield who will teach Christian Studies on Fridays and also takes on the Subject Coordinator role for Christian Studies, teaching in the Secondary School on the other four days.
  • We welcome back Mrs Catriona Ling and Mr Bill Baugh to our Learning Plus Mathematics team after their long service leave breaks last term.
  • I am delighted to confirm that Ms Shelly Acland will work three days a week as an extra Junior School Counsellor, alongside Mrs Kourakis’ three days in the same role. Having just completed the last year working in the Prep School, Ms Acland is very familiar with both Redlands and many in our community and will provide additional pastoral care and support for students, teachers and families, as needed.
  • With our eLearning Coordinator, Mrs Winrow, returning from maternity leave for three days a week, I am very pleased to confirm that Mrs Fiona Rugg will take up an eLearning teacher role for two days a week to support student learning alongside Mrs Winrow and class teachers in P-6.
  • From Week 3, we will welcome back Mrs Hilary Luck to her Music leadership and teacher role, which will continue to be ably covered by Mr Castelli and Ms Kent.
Snowsports Success

It has been another busy and successful start to the snow season and, over the break, many Junior School students and families were involved in Family Week at our High Country Campus, the Redlands Cup, the Sydney Interschools Championships, or a combination of all three!

In talking to many students and teachers present in the last couple of days, they had a wonderful time at the snow with friends and family and we were thrilled to hear of the Junior School students’ success (supported by a large number of Prep students) at the Sydney Interschools Championships, which we were able to acknowledge in our first assembly back.

Our primary team were crowned with the following accolades:

  • 1st Primary Coed Overall Champions
  • 1st Primary Coed Skiing Champions

Many students won individual medals and we have a large number of students who will now progress to the State Championships. 

Thank you and well done to all of our students, teachers and parent helpers who combined together to make this another wonderful start to the snow season for Redlands.

Student Safety Reminder

At the end of last term, we had an unfortunate incident where a student fell and broke her wrist whilst running to catch a bus after school. As sad as this was, it also uncovered another issue; a number of Junior School students going to McDonald’s or the Shell service station to buy food and drink after school, which they are not permitted to do, before racing to catch buses home.

In addition, if your child is catching a bus from Military Road, please can you also reinforce the need to use the pedestrian crossing on Murdoch Street and the Military Road footbridge if catching a bus northbound from outside the Secondary School.

How to Get a Message to Your Child?

If you need to get an important message to your child during the day, please contact the School Office on 9953 6022 or via email at the Junior Campus office and cc the class teacher who is not guaranteed to check emails through the day.

Please also be reminded that parents should not be contacting their child via mobile technology during the day, a message that has also been reiterated to students. Whilst some students have mobile phones as they travel independently to and from school, these are not accessible to students during the school day. Similarly, if they have an iPad as a learning resource, it is solely for this purpose and not as a tool for communication.

Three Way Conferences 

Parents will receive an email of information from our Junior Campus Dean of Administration, Ms Atkins, about the online booking process for this term’s upcoming three-way conferences, where reflections on Semester 1 will be shared and goals set for Semester 2.

I hope that you and your child find the experience as beneficial as their class teacher and that the sharing of these personal goals will serve as important dialogue between home and school through the second half of the year. 

Chess Team Success

Over the break, we were thrilled to hear that our Junior School Chess team had won their division in the Metropolitan North Region division in the NSW Junior Chess League. The team had been competing against local public and independent schools through the first semester and we were pleased to acknowledge and congratulate Will Andrew, Mischa Barac, Isaac Brooks, Tom Jackson and Conor Petersen in our assembly this week.    

Junior Music Festival

All students in the Junior School will be performing at the 2018 Junior Music Festival to be held next Thursday 2 August in Robert Dunnet Hall at 4.30pm. As you will be aware, the students have been learning repertoire and are very excited to be performing for families at this event.

On the day, students will remain at school for afternoon tea and the concert, which commences at 4.30pm, is expected to finish at approximately 6pm. As such, all students will need to bring afternoon tea and a water bottle.

Students will be dismissed from their classrooms at the conclusion of the concert and it is advised that only one parent goes to collect their child to reduce the volume of pedestrian traffic in corridors.

Please note that before school, after school and lunchtime Junior Cocurricular Music ensemble rehearsals will be cancelled next week.

Updated Junior School Calendar 

An updated Semester 2 Junior School Calendar has been uploaded to Redlands Pulse for your reference here.

Jeans for Genes Day – Friday 3 August

Next Friday sees a Redlands ‘Mufti Day’ in support of the Jeans for Genes Day. Students are asked to bring a gold coin donation and encouraged to wear denim. SRC leaders in each class will collect and count monies donated and this will also combine with the collection in the Prep and Secondary sections of our School.

Semester 2 Cocurricular Clubs

These commence next Tuesday 31 July and students will be notified of the Clubs that they signed up for at the start of the year. We have some spaces left in Fitness and Boxercise, Mindfulness and Art, Claymation, Plushy Making and Poetry Around the Place. Interested students should contact the Junior School Office and preference will be given to students who did not take part in the Semester 1 offerings.

Jump Rope for Heart

The Heart Foundation’s Jump Rope for Heart has officially launched at Redlands. After raising $66,000 in 2016, we are aiming for a fundraising target of $70,000. Throughout the term there will be various fundraising incentives to motivate students to raise money for this very worthy cause. The students are very enthusiastic and are already trying out new skipping tricks around the school yard. The first fundraising incentive will be a prize for all classes in the Year Group who are the first to have everybody signed up online. 

Please ensure you sign you child up for Jump Rope for Heart via this link.

Term 4 Notice of Departure

Required by 5pm Friday 27 July

This is a final reminder that those families who are planning on leaving the School during or at the end of Term 4 are required to give notice to the Principal via an email to registrar@redlands.nsw.edu.au by 5pm tomorrow, Friday 27 July.

As per our Conditions of Enrolment emailed to all families in December last year with the 2018 Schedule of Fees, there will be two terms fees in lieu payable for any notices of departure received after tomorrow.

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