Year 9

Coaching Conversations and Academic Planning Week

Throughout the course of the week, Year 9 students have been having a one-to-one meeting with their Tutor to review their progress throught the use of iGrow data. From this they are setting themselves targets in the short and long term for the year. Students’ iGrow Trees track multiple dimensions of their schooling over time including academics, ATLs, participation to cocurricular activities, behaviour metrics and attendance. From this they can identify trends and develop a focus for the term ahead.  

It has been a pleasure to see students working closely with their Tutors this week to develop goals specific to their own growth needs and I highly encourage you to discuss this with your student so that you are also able to help support their term focus.

While not engaged with in conversation with their Tutors, student have also been organising themselves for the term ahead by preparing planners which include: 

  • 2024 Assessment Tasks due dates (available on the Year 9 Pulse Page) 
  • Key Events e.g. musical, sports finals, exams, term dates etc. 
  • Weekly Schedule including cocurricular commitments, basic study schedule etc. 

As the demands of Stage 5 progress this form of planning at the beginning of each term is a crucial component to study success, especially planning for how to achieve the recommended 8-9 hours of home learning per week. 

Please see a sample planner and some recommended apps that several of our students are currently using to keep themselves organised. 

  • Excel Planner Template 
  • Desktop Apps 
    • Big Day Countdown 
    • Countdown Timer Plus 
    • Be Focused – Pomodoro Timer 

UNSW GERRIC Gifted Students Program

Congratulations to the following students who were invited to participate in the UNSW GERRIC Gifted Students Program (10-12 January). To qualify for the program, they needed to show evidence of exceptional academic ability, achievement and critical thinking skills. They participated in university-style seminars and advanced content pitched at two years above grade level. They also toured the science labs and observatory, as well as engaged in projects centred around cosmology, theories of relativity, myths about the lost city of Atlantis, the science of the brain and the practice of logical thinking. 

  • Thomas Beatty 
  • Lara Hook 
  • Roman Jackson 
  • Sophia Liu 
  • Abby Stante 
  • William Thomson 
  • William Vass 

Parent Online Safety Information Session (Via Zoom) 

Today our Stage 4 and 5 students engaged with our annual ySafe presentation in Redlands Hall. As always, it provided an illuminating insight into current digital trends and provided sound advice for students on how to navigate this space.

Please see the link below for the ability to access the parent information session this evening if you have not already signed up.

Thursday 15 February (this evening)
6pm – 7pm 

This informative session provides relevant, positive, strategy-rich and practical content that help parents ignite conversations with their children about the online world and share the tools parents need to guide and support them. 

Please register using this link. 

A Zoom link to the online session will be emailed to those registered. 


Upcoming Events

We have a few events left in the first part of the term which include: 

  • Week 3 – Thursday 15 February – ySafe Presentations and Parent Webinar
  • Week 8 – Musical Week 

Secondary School Individual Portraits and Secondary School Sibling Photos Catch-up Opportunity

Friday 1 March.

A catch-up date for missed Year 7-12 Individual Portrait photos and Secondary School sibling photos will be offered on 1 March at recess (10.10am) in the Redlands Learning Hub Level 2 Atrium.

All students are required to be wearing their full school uniform, including blazers for all and ties for boys. Boys must be clean shaven with hair that has been cut so that it is away from eyes, ears and collar. Boys and girls with a hair length touching the collar is to be styled and tied-up neatly so that it is away from eyes, ears and collar. Hair is to be tied back with navy or hair coloured accessories.  No hair dye, mullet style haircuts, make-up or nail polish is permitted. No jewellery is to be worn other than one pair of plain gold or silver studs in ear lobes.

If you have any questions, alterations or additional orders, please contact Melba Studios directly on (02) 9438 4566 or email sales@melbastudios.com.au.

Our Illuminate Scholars Program Commences in Week 5 this Term

Our new Illuminate Scholars program offers students the opportunity to engage in home learning activities and assessment preparation in an academically supported environment, with learner-centred academic coaching. 

To book your child’s place in this program, please visit the Illuminate Scholars Program Pulse Page here.

Mr Tobias Horan
Yr 9 Advisor
9968 9872
thoran@redlands.nsw.edu.au