Head of Preparatory School

Raise Dough: Bake a Difference

What: A bake sale for Raise Foundation
When: Monday 25 March lunchtime (classes will be staged)

How can we be involved: Get together and spend Sunday Funday baking your favourite treats!

Please label any Tupperware containers so they can come back to you.
Drop off on Monday morning in the Prep Meeting Room.
No nuts or nut products to be used and label any Dairy of Gluten Free options.
Bring gold coins in if you would like to buy any cakes!

Junior Campus families and students are encouraged to support this Year 10 student initiative to raise awareness and donations for Raise Foundation.

Raise provides youth mentoring to 13–15-year-old students around Australia. These young people are grappling with issues like anxiety, depression, loneliness and bullying. With 1 in 4 young people saying they feel lonely all or most of the time, there’s never been a better time to support the work of Raise Foundation.

Not only are we providing access to a trained mentor we are supporting our Year 10 Redlands students who devised this fundraising initiative in their Commerce group project last year. Raise Foundation loved the concept so much they wanted to use it immediately. We have just heard word that one of their corporate partners utilised our students’ concept and raised $3000 in a single event! That’s enough to sponsor 1.5 entire mentor/mentee programs. Let’s see if we can do better!

Uniform Recycling Week

Textile Recyclers Australia (TRA) has been selected as our uniform recycling partner following a comprehensive review of available options in 2023. TRA will commence the collection of unwanted Redlands uniforms in Week 7 of Term 1, with each Year Group having a specific day to bring in their unwanted uniforms. Bin collections will be monitored, so please ensure only requested items are brought it, or they will be sent back home. Any non-Redlands branded uniforms can be taken to your local charity bin for reuse, or to H&M and Zara (who offer used clothing recycling).

Upcoming Events

There are quite a few events coming up in Prep for parents and our students. Please pop the following events into your diaries and reach out if there are questions or confusion surrounding any information.

Kindergarten Home Reading Workshop

Friday 15 March

8.45am-9.30am

Join us in the Arnold Library (in the Junior School) for the Kindergarten Home Reading Workshop on Friday 15^th March 8:45-9:30am. Discover the magic of early reading with the Kindergarten team as they delve into phonics, essential reading skills and supporting your child’s home reading journey. Unlock the keys to literacy success for your child.

As this will be held during morning drop off time, we ask parents to park either on the opposite side of Allister St or in surrounding streets please. Thank you for your continued understanding.

International Women’s Day Event

Monday 11 March from 7am

Redlands invites Students, Parents and Carers to our inaugural ‘Count Her In’ International Women’s Day Breakfast on Monday 11 March from 7am – 9am.

Hear from two incredible leaders and changemakers committed to the creation of opportunities for women to earn, learn and lead.

Guest Speakers:

The Hon. Bronnie Taylor – Deputy Leader of the NSW Nationals, Member of the NSW Legislative Council
Vicki Condon AM – Foundation, CEO, Executive Director of Raise Foundation.

Click the following link to book tickets.

Redlands Photo Days

Prep School: Thursday 14 March

(Year 2 will have their photos taken first so that they can get to their excursion)

Junior School: Friday 15 March

Junior Campus Sibling Photos: Week 7, Friday 15 March, 7:00am – 7:45am – Dunnet Hall Foyer

For parents with children across both Senior and Junior/Prep School who would like sibling photos, we welcome you to attend Sibling Photo Day on Friday 15 March on Junior Campus.

As we are in a transition phase for the new school uniform, Prep students are to wear which ever option they come to school in on this day as well. There is no need to buy any additional pieces.

You can book sibling photos for Wednesday 14 February online 24 hours beforehand by using the following link.

Term 1 Parent Topic Talk

Equipping your child to navigate anxiety and distress.

8.30am Tuesday 26 March

In recognising the vital role parents play in equipping their children with essential life skills to face challenging situations and emotions, we invite you to join us for a talk facilitated by the school counsellors. This session will focus on equipping your child to navigate challenges associated with anxiety and distress. Delve into the fundamentals of understanding distress and anxiety as we explore what these emotions might look like in your child. Discover the importance of building distress tolerance and learn to identify different manifestations of anxiety. We will provide valuable insights into practical strategies to help your child work through distressing situations. From distinguishing between hypo and hyper reactions to implementing effective coping mechanisms, you’ll gain actionable tools to support your child’s emotional well-being. Additionally, we’ll address separation anxiety and its impact across different age groups. Empower yourself with effective parenting concepts and practical tools to guide your child through challenging times.

For seating arrangements, please click the link to RSVP.

Prep School Learning Conversation Week

Monday 18 March – Friday 22 March

Earlier this week all prep families were provided with information regarding times and booking instructions for Prep Learning Conversations. This 15 minute face-to-face conversation with your child’s class teacher will be an opportunity for you to discuss where your child is at currently in their learning and where to next in their 2024 journey, both academically and pastorally. It is a ‘snapshot in time’ discussion and we call it a ‘conversation’ for that reason! Can I please encourage you to reach out to any specialist teachers or myself directly if you would like a 15 minute catch up.

Grandparents Day

Tuesday 11 June

Please note that this year Grandparents Day will be held on Tuesday 11 June. This hopefully gives families ample time to book those flights and get spare rooms ready.

Term 1 Parent Topic Talk

Equipping your child to navigate anxiety and distress.

Tuesday 26 March, 8.30am

For seating arrangements, please click the link to RSVP.

Mrs Ainslie Breckenridge
Head of Preparatory School
abreckenridge@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9848