Head of Preparatory School
A Special Visit From A-League Football Team, Macarthur FC
This week we were very excited to welcome members of the Macarthur Football Club to Redlands. A few of the teams’ key players held sessions with our Prep students where they played mini games and carried out skills and drills. All our Prep students were so excited and so grateful for the time that they spent with them.
A highlight of the session was welcoming the Redlands Rhino and the Macarthur Bull mascots onto the oval! So much fun and a big thank you Ms Wilson, Mr Dunne and Mr Gerry Gomez for organising this day for us all.
Junior Campus Open Morning
160 families joined us in Dunnet Hall this week to experience our Junior Campus. It was thrilling to have this event in person and to be able to share an authentic Redlands experience. We were privileged to hear from two Yr 11 students, Samantha Hely and Lachlan Binnekamp. They spoke effusively of their journey at Redlands thus far from Preschool to Yr 11 and it was great for parents to see how students grow in every sense as they move up through the School.
Our Years 6 and 2 tour guides did a tremendous job of taking families on tours and showcasing key areas of the Junior Campus. The feedback from families was overwhelmingly positive from these tours and to say we are proud of our students is an understatement. They were a credit to the school and to themselves.
Waste Free Wednesday: Starting Monday 23 May
Next Wednesday we will begin our Waste Free Wednesday sustainability initiative. We are encouraging our students to bring ‘a waste free lunch box’ which is one that only contains packaging that can be composted or reused (such as a banana peel or reusable containers).
As we will be discussing what ‘waste free’ means in our classes, it might be an idea to have your child help pack their lunchbox, discussing what could be used. This opens up the dialogue relating to waste and can even help you plan waste free ideas for Wednesdays ahead.
Our Yr 2 sustainability leaders will help lead the initiative by collecting compost materials and helping spread the sustainability message in Prep.
Thank you for helping us to not only get this off the ground but also by helping us to make sure this isn’t just a tokenistic activity but a lifestyle choice for a better future.
Learn to be Safe with Emmy and Friends
Over the next five weeks Act for Kids will be conducting their ‘Learn to be safe with Emmy and Friends’ protective behaviour program. The program focuses on what is safe and unsafe behaviour and provides strategies to help students navigate what to do when they need help. It is never too early to start teaching these skills to young children and this program does so with age-appropriate visuals and conversations to help guide the process.
If you would like to know more about the program, please talk to your class teachers or to Dean of Students P-6 Katie -Louise Clinton.
Return to Parent Borrowing
Parent borrowing from the Lucy Hill Library will recommence next week. The library will be open from 8am-8.20am and again at 3pm-3.30pm. Parents may borrow ten books at a time for a two-week loan period.
The emailing and collection of book bags from the school foyer will now cease. If you currently have books at home, please leave them in the foyer or bring them back to the library when you have finished with them.
We are certainly looking forward to sharing the library and all it has to offer with you again.
Dr Tessa Opie Presentation
Respectful Relationships: Dr Tessa Opie
Monday 23 May, 7.00-8.30pm
Redlands Hall
All parents and carers are invited to this presentation on Respectful Relationships Education: At School and in the Home. Last year Dr Opie’s workshop was well received by Redlands parents and carers, and we envision this year’s information evening will be just as informative and valuable. As seating numbers are limited, booking is essential so please ensure that you book via this link by Friday 20 May to avoid disappointment. This presentation will target parents and carers of students in Years 6 through 12; however, all Redlands parents and carers are welcome.
Flu Season
Pleasingly, we have seen a significant decrease in the number of student COVID-19 positive cases over the first four weeks of this term. However, as many of you are aware, there are a number of other “bugs” spreading throughout the wider community which are also affecting our students and staff. The NSW Health Department has expressed their concerns about this flu season and you can find a link to their influenza fact sheet here. Whether it is COVID-19 or other illnesses, our general advice is the same: students who are unwell or are displaying flu-like or COVID-19 symptoms should stay at home, get tested and not return to school until they are symptom free.
Mrs Ainslie Breckenridge
Head of Preparatory School
abreckenridge@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9848