Head of Preparatory School
Prep Fun Run
A message from Ms Longworth
Last Friday was an amazing day as the sun shone down on the vibrant colours of the house flags, tents, and balloons, while posters lined the course for our Prep Fun Run. The excitement was palpable as students eagerly added house stickers to their PE uniforms in preparation for the run.
After enthusiastic war cries and a walk-through of the course, our students participated in the fun run event. We extend our thanks and congratulations to all our outstanding Prep School students for their remarkable efforts. Their energy and determination were truly inspiring as they conquered the distance with enthusiasm and resilience!
The sense of camaraderie and support was fantastic, fostering a true sense of community within our school. It was wonderful to hear the chants and cheers of students supporting one another, uniting housemates, classmates, and friends across their Year Groups.
We would also like to express our gratitude to the parents who joined us to support all the runners. Your presence made the day even more special for the students. Thank you for getting involved with high-fives and war cries
AFL comes to the Afterschool Sport Program
AFL is our new sport joining the Prep program and our amazing new providers would love to show everyone a little bit about what they would do throughout the term. The goal for AFLKids is to help every player reach their full potential, whilst maintaining high levels of enjoyment for the game. All AFLKids Coaches are accredited and play a high standard of AFL in the Sydney Premier Division (Top Sydney league), VFL (league below AFL) or the AFLW (Top league for Womens). This invaluable experience allows the examination and development of players. By having young senior players coach juniors, we form important mentorships on and off the field.
On Wednesday 31 May we would like to welcome any Prep students to an AFL Open Day on the Junior Campus Oval. The Open Day will run from 3:30pm-4:15pm. Please pick your child up from their class first and then take them to the oval. If your child attends OOSH on this afternoon, they are to register for OOSH as normal and then they will be taken to the oval. They will be guided back to OOSH at the conclusion to the session.
Understanding Emotions: Helping Children to Navigate their Feelings
Thank you to all parents and carers who came to the ‘Understanding Emotions’ presentation on Tuesday. For those who missed the morning, you can find the slides to the presentation on the Preparatory School Pulse page. Below is a message from our counsellors outlining some key messages from the information session.
Parents can play a vital role in helping children understand and manage their emotions. By teaching them about the inner workings of their bodies during different emotional experiences, we can empower them to develop self-regulation skills. In this article, we will share some activities from The Big Hearts Project that can assist you in supporting your child’s emotional growth and well-being.
- Bunny Breathing: Imagine a little bunny in the garden, sniffing the air. Encourage your child to take three quick sniffs in through their nose, just like the bunny, and then exhale slowly and deeply through their mouth. This simple breathing exercise can help them regain control over their emotions when they are feeling overwhelmed.
- Exploring Anxiety and Self-Regulation: The Child Mind Institute has created an insightful series called ‘Nixie and Nimbo,’ which delves into topics such as anxiety and self-regulation. We recommend watching this clip together with your child. It serves as an excellent starting point for discussing anxiety and the ways we can regulate our emotions. By engaging in these conversations, you can create a safe space for your child to share their thoughts and concerns.
- Creating Emotional Binoculars: The students in The Big Hearts Project made binoculars out of toilet paper rolls and masking tape to help them investigate their emotions further. When you notice your child experiencing a particular emotion, you can ask them to use binoculars to explore what emotions, body sensations, and thoughts they observe.
By engaging in this activity, you demonstrate your interest in their emotional well-being and provide an opportunity for open communication. It also encourages them to be more mindful of their internal experiences, fostering self-awareness and self-regulation.
Jump Rope for Heart
We continue to participate in Jump Rope for Heart this year which is a fantastic physical activity program and fundraiser by the Heart Foundation.
Over the coming weeks your child will learn new skills, increase their physical activity, and learn about heart health. Before school, as well as during recess and lunch, the students will have time to practice, have fun and show off their new skipping skills to their friends. Ropes will be available in the playground for all students.
If you’d like to partake in the optional fundraising component, your efforts will go towards lifesaving heart research and support programs. When you register your child online, you’ll get access to additional skipping resources to help give your child a great reason to get away from the screens and get outdoors.
Thank you for getting involved in Jump Rope for Heart!
Fancy Socks or a Touch of Pink
26 May
May is breast cancer awareness month, and Redlands is helping support the Breast Cancer Network Australia charity. On 26 May, Prep School students are encouraged to bring in a gold coin donation and wear Fancy Socks or a Touch of Pink to participate in this school-wide effort. For those looking to make a more substantial contribution, you can do so here:
Come and experience the Lucy Hill Library
8.30am Monday 29 May
We have had numerous parent requests for an information session about the wonders that lie within the fabulous Lucy Hill Library. If you would like to experience a ‘hands on’ tour, find out what research apps are useful for young learners and to find out how to make the most of family borrowing, please join Sharron Stokes in the Lucy Hill Library after drop off on Monday 29 May.
Winter Uniforms and Hats
Lost property is hitting an all-time high with unnamed pieces of clothing, lunchboxes and drink bottles. Please write your child’s name on everything! As we tell the children, it is not the job of the teachers, Mrs Hunt or Mrs Alfonso to chase after lost pieces of property or return things to children after break times.
The Redlands values, respect and responsibility have been a focus this term. We have talked extensively about how we treat each other and how we look after our things. It’s time now for our students to put their words into action.
A reminder that the K-2 bucket hat is to be worn daily in the playground. The cap is NOT part of the K-2 uniform. Staff will be asking students to remove a cap if they are wearing it and reminding them to wear their bucket hat only which does provide more sun coverage.
The cap is for Junior School only as per the Redlands uniform guidelines.
Permissions in Pulse
When an excursion permission is required by a parent or carer, Pulse will generate the following messages to our families.
(Child’s name) has been allocated to an activity requiring your permission.
1. Please click on the following link to view activities requiring permission for (name of child):
Portal: CLICK HERE TO VIEW STUDENT ACTIVITIES.
If above fails: CLICK HERE TO VIEW STUDENT ACTIVITIES
2. Select ACTIVITIES then ACTIVITIES REVIEW from the blue navigation bar.
3. From the STUDENTS dropdown select student name and from the SCHEDULE drop down select ACTIVITIES REQUIRING PERMISSIONS (for the relevant term)
4. Click on the ACTIVITY NAME to view the attached letter and further details (organising teacher, date, time, and activity description).
5. CLICK THE CONFIRM BUTTON NEXT TO THE ACTIVITY TO FINALISE STUDENT PERMISSION.
6. If your student is unable to attend an activity, please contact the activity organiser and/or classroom teacher. The organiser can be found by clicking on the activity title.
We hope this clears up any confusion. We are currently working with Evan Karagiannis, Digital Projects Manager, to organise some Pulse navigation sessions.
Redlands Gala Ball – Early Bird Tickets Available Now
Mrs Ainslie Breckenridge
Head of Preparatory School
abreckenridge@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9848