Head of Preparatory School
Welcome Mrs Alfonso!
Today we welcome Mrs Karin Alfonso to Redlands. Mrs Alfonso joins us our new Prep Receptionist on Thursdays and Fridays. Please say hi to Karin if you get a chance in the mornings or at pick up. Karin has already met most of the staff and will continue to build connection with our students each day.
Welcome Karin!
Helping your Child to Deal with Emotions Post Lockdown
Please read the latest advice and post lockdown strategies from our Junior Campus counsellor, Mr Digiacomo.
Many children may find the rest of this school year strange or unfamiliar, but by working together, schools and parents can assist to alleviate any fears that children may have. Students may have grown accustomed to their remote learning lifestyle, which included spending more time with you, and losing this may cause them to have mixed emotions. While many students are excited to spend time with their friends and to see their teachers, it’s important to remember that some may be struggling with the transition. Below I’ve summarised key recommendations to help your child deal with separation post lockdown.
Reflect
Take a look back at the time you spent with your child in lockdown. Consider what you’ve accomplished together, what you’ve learned about each other, what was challenging, and what was enjoyable. Make plans with your child to keep some of those activities going even now that they are back at school. For example, if you enjoyed going for bike rides during the lockdown, schedule one for the weekend after school starts as a special treat; or if you enjoyed playing Uno together as a family, make sure that continues.
Short and sweet school drop off
While it is reasonable to be concerned or anxious about leaving your child in the morning, children might pick up on this and become concerned about you leaving as well. Plan who would be the best person to drop the child off to school in these circumstances: a parent/caregiver, a grandmother, or a babysitter, if that is the case. Remember to keep it short and sweet when dropping off. Once your child sees familiar faces at the gate, say goodbye and depart so they may concentrate on the possible excitement of school rather than the sadness or fear of a parent leaving.
Positivity and Connection
When talking about school, try to be as upbeat as possible, especially if your child can hear you. Teachers are working hard to keep children at school and to help them connect with their friends. Children are alert, and they may pick up on any tension or negativity that you are experiencing, so be mindful of how you talk about school or themselves at school. We understand that some students may be slowly settling back into on-campus learning, and this is completely fine. Just remember that while their educational goals are important, a lot of them are craving connection with their friends and teachers. Encouraging this is more beneficial at the moment than their academic progress.
Staying at school
It’s natural for students to feel a little wobbly or fatigued now that they are back at on campus. This could come as a result of social or even physical fatigue. We encourage students to build resilience by coping with difficult emotions and remaining at school. They may need to speak with someone briefly or reset and refocus their attention. There are lots of teachers or staff members who can help your child get through any shaky times, and staying at school and working through the feeling can help them to boost their resilience, as long as it’s not urgent.
Earth Day
On Wednesday 10 November, Redlands is celebrating Call to Earth Day. One way we are celebrating is through encouraging a ‘Waste Free Wednesday’ for all students. If possible, it would be a valuable learning experience for all students to pack their own lunch on the day. This would allow each student to consider what foods do not have any packaging and allow them to experiment with new ways of packing lunches (for example, through using containers and not plastic wraps).
School Safety
Thank you to everyone for their patience and calmness as we continue to navigate the road works in Allister Street. Our Prep side of the road seems a little easier to use now but can I please remind parents who drop their children along Allister St to not leave their cars in the mornings. Please have your child ready to leave the vehicle when you pull up. There is always a staff member to help and to walk any child to the door if they are feeling a little worried.
End of Term Date and Information
Please note that the last day for Prep students is Tuesday 30 November. Our Prep Presentation Live Stream will be in the morning and students are then to be picked up from 12.30pm.
The Junior School Speech Day will be held on Wednesday 1 December.
More details will be available in next week’s Note Day.
School-Wide K-12 Parent/Carer Survey Closing this Sunday 7 November
This is a reminder to those parents and carers of students in Kindergarten to Year 12 who have not yet completed our School-wide Perspectives Survey that the survey will remain open until this Sunday 7 November at 11pm. The survey will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete and will help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies. The survey can be completed via this link. Thank you to the parents and carers who have already shared their views.
International Families Returning to Redlands: COVID-Safe Requirements
As we are now starting to welcome back international families returning to Redlands, we can confirm the COVID testing and isolation requirements for returning school students which were communicated by NSW Health this week. The requirements are as follows:
- Students who are under 12 and thus not vaccinated, must not attend school or childcare until they have a negative result from their day 7 test after their arrival to Australia.
- Students who are 12 and over and not vaccinated or partially vaccinated cannot return to campus until after completing 7 days home quarantine and returning a negative COVID-19 test to the School on Day 5 or 6 after their arrival to Australia.
- Students who are 12 and over and fully vaccinated are required to get a COVID-19 test within 24 hours of landing back in Australia. They can return to campus after returning a negative test result to the School.
Second Hand Summer Uniform Sale
Mrs Ainslie Breckenridge
Head of Preparatory School
abreckenridge@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9848