Redlands Parents and Friends

Redlands Parents and Friends Association

Welcome to the new school year at Redlands and an especially warm welcome to all our new families! I hope you all had an enjoyable and restful summer and are ready to join us in building our vibrant community here at Redlands in 2023. We have several exciting events coming up this term – the parent-only Twilight in the Garden drinks to welcome in the new year in two weeks’ time and the family-friendly Autumn Fair extravaganza in March.

Twilight in the Garden 

Our first major function for the year, Twilight in the Garden is a great opportunity to meet other parents in your Year Group, as well as school executives and teachers, in a casual environment. We are planning to hold the event outside in the Fahl Garden on Friday 17 Feb. We will be serving drinks and light refreshments. Book your tickets here. Although the event concludes at 8pm as this is an on campus school event, please take the opportunity to make plans for a dinner out with friends, old and new, afterwards.

Event Details

5.45pm   |   Doors open and collection of name badges at the welcome desk      

6.00pm   |   Event Opening – food and drinks service begins. Please look for your Year Group flag to meet and mingle with parents and teachers from your Year Group

6.30pm   |   Speeches by JP Forrest (RPFA President), Glenda McLoughlin (Redlands Chair), Sean Corcoran (Redlands Principal)   

7.45pm   |   Conclusion of food and drinks service    

8.00pm   |   Event Concludes

Help Needed

Class and Year Reps 2023

We are currently in the process of putting together an amazing group of year and class parents, who will be the main points of contact between parents and the respective Heads of School, as well as helping to organise morning teas, drinks and other get togethers soon. If you are interested in being a Secondary School rep (particularly for Yrs 8 & 9), please signal your interest by clicking here. For Junior School and Prep School, please let us know if you’d like to be a class parent here. Alternatively, you can send us an email.

Autumn Fair

A tradition since 1961, Redlands’ postponed Spring Fair will be held on Sat urday18 March with tons of food, fun and entertainment, showcasing the community’s diversity and depth of students’ art-related activities. We need parent volunteers for set up/pack down, sell coupons, supervise rides and games, and help out at various food stalls. Please volunteer if you can, to help us make this event a success. Please let us know if you are interested in helping here.

 
Second Hand Uniform Sale

Our Second Hand Uniform Sales provide great value for families and also give each of us an opportunity to contribute to the clear benefits of recycling. In addition, funds raised are contributed towards the means-tested Redlands Foundation Scholarship Fund.

We are planning on holding our next Second Hand Uniform Sale on the last weekend of Term 1. Winter uniforms, winter sports uniforms, fleeces, tracksuits and various accessories will be available for purchase. We will need parent volunteers to help us sort through inventory and run the sale. Please let us know if you are interested in helping here.

Coming Up

Parent Get-togethers                         

‘Friends of’ Get-togethers

Friends of Groups are subcommittees of the RPFA made up of interested parents who support the activities of a particular Sport or Performing Art at the School.                        

Walks on Tracks

Weekly guided walks around the northern Sydney area are organised by an RPFA volunteer. This is a great way to meet other Redlands parents and get in shape, plus a wonderful way to spend a morning discovering the many paths of the Sydney area.

The invitation for walks is open, so if you have friends or family who you think would like to come along, please feel free to bring them. Dogs are also welcome on most walks.

Our first walk for the school year will be on Wed 8 Feb from Balmoral to Chinamans Beach. Meet outside the Balmoral Boatshed at 8.40am.

Any questions, please contact Ann Marie Kimber or call 0406 691 533.

Book Club

Come along and enjoy the lively conversation of other Redlands parents from all around the world with a common love of reading. The Book Club meets twice each School term, rotating among members’ homes. There is also an annual visit to Sunday Writer’s festival (May) and sometimes to movies that are tied in with a book discussion. 

Our first meeting for 2023 will be on Thurs 23 Feb at 7.30pm to discuss Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. All are welcome, even if you have not read the book!

If you would like to learn more or join the meeting, please contact Monica Gessner or Sabiha Naqvi for further information.

Save the Date

Sat 18 Mar             Redlands Autumn Fair – food, fun and entertainment for the whole family

Sat 12 Aug             Redlands Gala Ball – a black tie event held at the Fullerton Hotel

Photo Gallery

Book club meeting/Christmas lunch last December

Do you have pictures of parent / family get-togethers you want to share? Please send them to RPFA Note Day.

2023 RPFA Committee

President: JP Forrest
Vice President: Brittne Whitelaw
Secretary: Rebecca James 
Treasurer: Annette Swann
Committee – Jaqui Halliday, Declan Hourihan, Jennifer Mast, Lisa Middlebrook, Karen Nicholson, Emma Okhovat, Sophia Stewart-Kasimba, Carrie Taylor

Contact us!