Head of Junior School

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Swimming Carnival

Back in its usual Term 1 slot this year and in the grandiose arena of the Sydney Olympic Aquatic Centre, yesterday’s Junior School Swimming Carnival was an uplifting event that brought our Junior School community together for our first House event of 2023.

I spent most of the day in the stands with students and staff and was able to see first-hand the genuine sense of House spirit, connection, passion and camaraderie between the students, which was both inspiring and heart-warming in equal measures. Many told me how they had simply loved taking part and getting House points, regardless of the place they came. Others proudly shared how they had been involved far more than they had planned to as the energy of the day and the support of friends gave them the courage to compete in either pool. This is truly the essence of a House event that seeks to involve every child.

As I stated at the end of the event, I acknowledge and am grateful to all the staff and coaches involved in every aspect of the event which allows an event of this magnitude to run as smoothly and as efficiently as it did. We were also thrilled to welcome so many families and friends to enjoy the carnival again.

On behalf of the students, my appreciation is extended to our Sports team, ably led by Mr Dunne, who oversaw the very detailed pre-carnival preparation, the day’s schedule and the playlist! It really is such a joy to see the stands devoid of students as they immerse themselves fully in the day and particular congratulations to Dumolo House who won the overall trophy.

We now shift gears and venues as we look forward to our rescheduled House Athletics Carnival which takes place next month at Homebush and promises to be another joyous occasion.

Cybersafety Education

This week, Yrs 5 and 6 students and all staff were involved in our first Cybersafety education sessions with ySafe. Our longstanding partnership with ySafe, industry leaders in this important ever-changing landscape, has allowed us to continue to review and refine the educational experiences for our students, in particular, to ensure that these sessions are both relevant and impactful.

Later next term, ySafe will run age-appropriate sessions with Yrs 3 & 4 and will also lead a parent seminar again.

As mentioned before, I strongly encourage every parent to explore Redlands’ Cybersafety Hub for resources, tips and information as needed.

Student Leadership

Each year, we recognise and provide student leadership opportunities for our whole Yr 6 cohort over the year as they lead our student body in different ways. This week, further student leadership roles were provided in the areas of wellbeing, technology and library and we congratulate these students on their successful applications and wish them well this year.

Yr 4 Excursion – Maritime Museum and Hyde Park Barracks

by Madeleine Hogue, Class 4B

On Tuesday, Year 4 went on an excursion to the city with the help of class parents and, of course, the teachers. Our excursion took place in the city Maritime Museum (on a model of The Endeavour, Captain Cook’s Ship) and inside the Hyde Park Barracks (where English convicts worked).

We went to these specific places because of our Unit of Inquiry subject: Discovery Creates Change. Convicts built the Hyde Park Barracks and these barracks are now a museum that Year 4 navigated. I think Year 4 would agree that briefly relaxing in some modified convict hammocks (yes, hammocks!) was a highlight, and being in the front of the Endeavour, in a large, spacious cabin, could be a great highlight as well. In that cabin at the prow of the boat was a bolt that had been to space, on a space shuttle called the Endeavour! This is connected to Year 4’s learning because, remember, Captain Cook sailed the Endeavour to Australia and the convicts came to Australia. Year 4 and I enjoyed this excursion, because it was fun and meaningful.

iGrow

During assembly this week, our Head of Learning Analytics, Mr Ben Castelli introduced iGrow to the students. This is an exciting interactive data platform that has been developed by Redlands to visualise student growth within our holistic learning framework. This is up and running in the Secondary School and throughout Term 1, students will have the opportunity to provide feedback that will shape the development of a bespoke dashboard and growth coaching model for the primary campus as well. 

I look forward to sharing more about this bespoke program that will further enhance our knowledge of each child and how we support their continued growth.

Road Safety Reminders

FINAL CALL: Parent Seminar: Sleep and Healthy Routines 

Date:               Tuesday 28 February 2023 (Week 5) 
Time:               8:30am-9:30am
Location:         Junior School Arnold Library 

We are delighted to extend a warm invitation to all Junior and Prep School parents to our first parent seminar of 2023. The session will be led by our team of expert in-house counsellors and the Dean of Students and focus on Sleep and Healthy Routines.

All of us need regular, high-quality sleep, and helping your child get a good night’s sleep can enhance both their general functioning during the day, and their mental health and well-being. The establishment and development of healthy routines is without a doubt a critical aspect to help parents prepare their child for a sound sleep. 

The session will particularly focus on:

– the importance of sleep and its connection to brain and mood

– common difficulties: nightmares, digital media, separation

– how to create and implement healthy routines 

Registration:   Please fill out this form

If you have any questions on the focus areas of the session you would like us to address, please fill out this anonymous voluntary form.

We look forward to seeing many of our families at this event.

Working Alongside UNICEF

On Monday afternoon a group of Year 6 students participated in a co-design session with a representative from UNICEF Australia. The aim of the session was to design a Term 3 unit of inquiry program that focuses on natural disasters. The students were invited to share their insights on behalf of their cohort around what makes a memorable learning experience, how they would like to demonstrate their learning and how we can ensure the learning in meaningful, relevant and connected to the real world. We will partner with UNICEF on this exciting learning opportunity and experience and this partnership will provide our students with the view of several perspectives in a natural disaster such as philanthropists (e.g. UNICEF Australia), first responders, Indigenous Australians and Government (State and Federal).

Excitingly UNICEF are hoping that this program of work would be part of a resource bank that they could disseminate more widely to schools across Australia and even globally.

Term 1 Junior School Class Parent Meeting

On Tuesday, It was delightful to connect with our 2023 class parent representatives and I am grateful for them volunteering in these important community connection roles. In the first meeting, our new Principal and Deputy Principal, Mr Sean Corcoran and Ms Sabine Partington, were also in attendance and Mr Corcoran was able to share his vision of the year ahead with this parent group.  

Unnamed Belongings

In assembly, I asked our students to take responsibility to ensure that all of their belongings were named and that they took care of them. Of course, we know that from time to time, students will misplace items but we can always repatriate them if named. If required, I encourage parents to remind children of this and give them the task of checking their belongings are named, especially lunch bags, drink bottles and sports clothing.

Rapid Antigen Tests

To help protect our community, each student will be given a box of 5 test kits. We encourage the use of these kits and more importantly, please remember to keep your child at home if they are unwell, regardless of the test result.

Redlands App

Stay connected and informed with the Redlands App. This essential tool keeps you updated on all the latest news and events in our school community. Seamlessly integrating with Pulse, you can view your news and notices, groups, and calendar.

This year, we’re excited to introduce a new activities section that allows you to easily view your child’s activities, from sports to music lessons. You’ll receive push notifications for any session cancellations or changes.

It’s easy to get started! Download the Redlands App from Google Play or the Apple App Store and log in with your Redlands parent account. For more information and an overview of features, visit the Redlands App section on Pulse.

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