From the Deputy Principal
During the past week I have been delighted to witness the exceptional participation of our Junior School students on stage at their annual Junior Music Festival and on the track and in the field at yesterday’s very successful Athletics Carnival.
Under the theme of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics), students showcased both their developing and proficient Music skills in front of a full audience of parents and friends in Dunnet Hall at the Junior Music Festival. How great it was to see the students’ focus, excitement and enjoyment as they performed musical items by artists as diverse as Gustav Holst, Elton John and Imagine Dragons, all connected thematically and linked to their learning in other key learning areas – a terrific demonstration of integrated learning. Each year we see the students’ skills and confidence grow, resulting in a very enjoyable performance. A sincere thank you to all our Music teachers and tutors and administrative staff for their work in preparing for, and staging, such a wonderful performance, and for the Junior School staff support for this major event. I have to admit that I was tempted to join in for the finale, Europe’s rock anthem The Final Countdown, but fortunately for the students and staff on stage, I managed to exercise some restraint. The energy and enthusiasm was palpable – thank you all.
Yesterday our Junior School students, along with a number of Year 2 student athletes, had the opportunity to fledge their athletic prowess at the Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre. Participation was certainly the name of the day, with the stands mostly empty as students competed valiantly or cheered loudly for their House, and for a 5th consecutive year, Cowper was awarded the trophy for House Champion. It was extremely heartening to see the number of students trying their best, giving 100% effort to each event in which they participated – not necessarily with the aim of winning, but for the experience of trying something new, stretching and challenging themselves physically and mentally, and for the satisfaction that comes from putting in one’s best effort. Many of you may have read Angela Duckworth’s work on GRIT – her TED talk on the power of passion and perseverance speaks about exactly this topic. I congratulate all students for their excellent efforts, and all of the Junior School Sports staff and teachers for their superb organisational efforts to ensure the success of the event. It was also tremendous to see Year 7 and 11 helpers and Secondary School House Mentors and staff helping out.
During the past week I have met with the RPFA and dedicated parent coordinators who are enthusiastically organising and supporting the Redlands Spring Fair to be held on Saturday 15 September. I encourage all families to ensure this date is in their diaries. It is shaping up to be a fantastic day of carnival fun and enjoyment for the whole Redlands community – staff, students, families and alumni. We hope to see you all there!
Ms Sarah McGarry
Photo caption: Students performing at the Junior Music Festival – a terrific demonstration of integrated learning as well as a veritable showcase of students’ music skills.