From the Principal
Like many of you, I spent last Friday evening thoroughly entertained, impressed and in awe of the performances of our Secondary School students at this year’s Gala Arts. (Gala Arts is a showcase of the creative and performing arts across the categories of photography, theatre, dance, vocal and instrumental in a House Competition format.) Congratulations, not just to the winners, but to all students and staff who were involved both on stage and off stage.
Yet what struck me even more than the vast array of talent on display were the underlying messages about our School’s culture that were also on display and were reinforced by conversations I had with some of the impressive alumni judges who were present.
At Redlands we pride ourselves in providing a vast smorgasbord of opportunities for students to “let their light shine” and “develop their own unique potential”. These opportunities are in the arts, sports and other cocurricular pursuits, as well as in their learning, leadership, service and social development, to name a few.
However, what I think sets Redlands apart from other schools that may have similar missions, is that we truly celebrate this “unique potential” of individual students and create a safe space for them to “have a go”, “put themselves out there” and extend themselves in ways they may never felt was possible.
Luke Haberecht (Arts Captain and Redlander 2014) shared with me that he took for granted these opportunities and this Redlands culture until he was in the industry and, when sharing his school experiences with fellow professional performers, they were envious of what Redlands provided him.
What was also on display on Friday evening was the tremendous support for those involved, whether that was from the fellow performers or from the audience – an audience which was made up of a large number of students supporting their peers.
Another alumni judge, Tess Haubrich (Arts Captain and Redlander 2007), remarked to the audience about how impressed she was by the palpable support she could sense amongst the performers and from the audience on the night. She also reflected to me that this level of support is quite special and is not always felt in the professional realm.
I would encourage those who were not able to attend Gala Arts this year, to book in their tickets early next year as it is a truly special night in many different ways.
Vale Martin Longhurst
At the end of last week we were informed that long serving former staff member, Martin Longhurst, passed away after his battle with cancer.
Martin played many roles in his thirty years of dedicated service at Redlands from 1981-2010, most notably Director of Sport. As Director of Sport, he initiated many important changes in the Sports program at Redlands, not the least of which was the transition to a fully coeducational sports program. Martin was also instrumental in the establishment of the ISA (Independent Sporting Association) in 1990 and was the ISA’s founding Director of Sport until 1998.
A number of staff, student representatives and I attended his funeral today and our most sincere condolences are with Martin’s family and those close to him during this time.
Mr Sean Corcoran
Photo Caption: Congratulations to all students and staff for staging another fantastic Gala Arts event last Friday.