Year 9

Winter Representative Sport Grand Finals

The impromptu ‘green and gold’ supporters day on Wednesday highlighted the powerful impact that the Matildas’ journey to the World Cup has had for women’s football and sport on the whole. While last night’s Semi-Final result was not the outcome hoped for, the Matildas’ resilience, grace and fortitude in defeat alongside their wins reminds us grit and determination are powerful tools for success.

With this in mind, we wish all of our Yr 9 students who are participating in a Grand Final this weekend the best of luck!

Thinking about Term 4 Examinations

While this may seem very early, being midway through a term often means that organisational systems start to become overburdened or broken down. This happens as a result of a focus on assessments and difficulties in managing large content volumes in most subjects.

With the planned assessment block for Yr 9 early in Term 4, we will be encouraging students to do a ‘stocktake’ of their notes and learning resources over the next week with the end goal of making revision an easier process at the start of next term.

This should also be done as part of independent learning time each night, with part of this time dedicated to organisation.

This time could be spent:

• Re/organising digital resources – putting files into appropriate folders based on subject and topic
• Setting up personal notes – taking learning from class and translating into a preferred format e.g. a study book or a single Google Doc – in both cases there should be one per subject
• Developing flashcards for key terminology or language
• Starting to develop a study plan for the first three weeks of next term

Wellbeing Wednesday

Wellbeing is important for students. It’s not just about staying physically healthy, but also feeling good mentally and emotionally. When students have good wellbeing, they handle stress better, focus more, and become stronger when facing difficulties. Taking care of wellbeing helps students do well in school, feel happier, and build better relationships. It’s like giving them the right tools to succeed in school and life. Over the coming weeks, Yr 9 will be working together to engage in student-devised wellbeing and service initiatives. 

2024 Homeland Tour to Arnhem Land

Following on from a wonderfully successful Year 9 Camp, in partnership with Culture College, we will be offering a Homeland Tour to Arnhem Land on 21-27 April 2024. This Tour will be open to current Year 9 students.

In this cultural immersion, students will revisit and build on the ideas they were introduced to earlier in the year during the Culture College Camp, consolidating knowledge and understanding. After a brief stay at the Gulkula site students will travel to one of the remote Yolngu Homeland areas, usually Nyinyikay. This offers the opportunity for a much more personal, extensive and detailed exploration of Yolngu culture than was possible on the year group Camp.

Visiting and spending time in a Yolngu Homeland is something few people ever get to experience. Students will be immersed in the living culture of Aboriginal clans of East Arnhem Land, one of the most culturally intact and pristine regions left on Earth. This unique program provides privileged access and interaction with the Yolngu people and their lands of which they have been the traditional owners for over 50,000 years.

This Tour is an opportunity for students who are ready and willing to consider more deeply the knowledge they gained previously and how to effect change for the future. This is a time of great importance for the relationship between First Nations and non-indigenous peoples and we are proud to be working with Culture College to provide opportunities for connection between cultures.

The cost of the tour is $5,395. A proposed itinerary and booking form are available through the Dean of Activities, Mr Jon Gray – please email through for this information. Students were presented with  information in an Assembly last Friday.

Bookings and payments are made directly to Culture College, so please check their Terms and Conditions on the Booking Form once you have a copy.

Term 3 Key Dates

Please note some key dates for Term 3 below for your reference.

Mrs Lucienne Willis
Yr 9 Advisor
lwillis@redlands.nsw.edu.au