Redlands Parents and Friends

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Easter means many different things to families. But above all else; it is a time of hope, renewal and new life. This long weekend is a welcome moment to pause from an often hectic start to the school year, and a time to reset for the change in season. We have had so many well supported community events and activities since school commenced and it is wonderful to see the new friendships and momentum of connection in our community. Enjoy a restful break and we look forward to more fun after the chocolate Easter rush!

Coming Up 

Saturday 19 October – Redlands Garden Party

A first-of-its- kind event for our community as we ‘Shine a Light on 140 Years’, celebrating our heritage and future. Set in the grounds of the Junior School, this event will include games, sports, arts, drama, music and refreshments and will also showcase our High Country Campus. 

To bring this amazing occasion to life, we are calling on as many in our community as possible to volunteer. Please let us know if you would like to be involved on the organising committee. Contact us! 

Parent / Family Get-togethers 

Walks on Tracks

Weekly guided walks around the northern Sydney area are organised by Ann Marie, a wonderful RPFA volunteer. This is a great way to meet other Redlands parents and get in shape, plus a wonderful way to spend a morning discovering the many paths of the Sydney area.

The invitation for walks is open, so if you have friends or family who you think would like to come along, please feel free to bring them. Dogs are also welcome on most walks, look for the ???? below .

Walks are roughly 1 1/2- 2 hours and for those with the time we love to stop for a coffee afterwards. We have planned all the walks for the term so mark your calendars.  Next three shared here:

• Wed 3 April: Cammeray to Northbridge. Meet at Tunks Park, brothers Ave Cammeray ????

• Wed 10 April: Mosman to Rocks. Meet at Mosman Ferry, Avenue Road Mosman. No dogs as we will take the ferry back.

• Wed 17 April: (yes we‘re walking during school holidays) Balmoral to Clifton Gardens. Meet at Balmoral outside the Boatshed for an 8.40am start. ????

• Wed 24th April: (school holidays) Narabeen Lake. Meet outside ProKayaks on the lake at 11 Narrabeen Street. ????

Any questions, please contact Ann Marie on 0406 691 533.

Book Club

The Redlands Book Club is a group of Redlands parents – past and present – who share a love of reading. New members are always welcome! The Book Club meets twice each school term to discuss a book, rotating among members’ homes. Occasionally, outings are also organised to events, movies or shows that are tied in with books, including annual attendance at the Sydney Writer’s festival in May. If you would like to join Book Club, or simply want to know more, please contact Monica or Sabiha.

• Wed 3 April we will be discussing The God of No Good by Sita Walker as an evening session. Stay tuned here for the location.
• For our May meeting we will be reading a debut crime-thriller by local author, Lynne Johnson, The Bait Trap.

Behind the Scenes with RPFA: Meet your RPFA Committee 

The Redlands Parents and Friends Association (RPFA) is a group of committed parents who support the broad activities of the school’s diverse community. The RPFA is your first point of contact for Redlands community events or support. Check back here each week to meet 2024 committee members and be inspired for how you can get involved.

Name: JP Forrest

Role: One of 5 Yr 7 parent reps, 2nd hand uniform co-coordinator (and previous RPFA President 2022-2023:)
Kiddos: Jenna (Yr 7), James (Yr 9), Jesse (Yr 11), Jack (Class of 2023)

If you could choose a RPFA theme song (or superhero) what would be the title / name?

Be the Change by Britt Nicole. It’s upbeat and has a great message, plus the light imagery eg “We can make this world bright / Turn on all the lights” which ties in to the school motto. 

Why did you decide to join the RPFA, and what do you love most about it? 

We had only just landed in Sydney mid-2019 when I was recruited into the vacant role of VP of the RPFA straight away, having kids in all three sections of school and having had years of experience as class parent, parent group coordinator and even scout leader in the US and Singapore. It was a great way to meet people and get involved with school – to help out, but also to show my kids how much I value Redlands and the importance of giving back. I’ve also made a lot of awesome friends in the process.

What advice would you give to a parent or carer looking to get more involved in the school?

Do it! There are so many different ways to get involved and varying levels of commitment. You get a better understanding of how things work, and input into how to make things better, and you get to meet so many amazing people!

If you could trade places with your children for a day, what would you most want to experience?

Nah, been there done that! I love that they are learning in a supportive yet challenging environment with a diverse group of great friends and they have the opportunity to get involved in so many different activities, in a beautiful setting. I hope they can appreciate that.

The Week in Pictures

Thank you to all the Class Parents for arranging these wonderful events for us!

Centennial Park Morning Walk

3W Parent Dinner: “We had a lovely evening at home with nearly 30 people from the class including 6 new families. It was wonderful to get to know one another and build on some friendships for the year ahead. 

Easter Service

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Gold Star photos goes to the amazing Nadine (Y1 and Y4 Class Parents) who made this morning very exciting for the kids with a visit from the Easter Bunny!

Do you have pictures of parent / family get-togethers you want to share?

Please send them to RPFA Note Day.

RPFA Committee

President: Brittne Whitelaw
Vice President: Carrie Taylor
Secretary: Jennifer Mast
Treasurer: Joe Russo
Committee: Monika Crennan, Michelle McDonald, Lisa Middlebrook, Karen Nicholson, Emma Okhovat, Sophia Stewart-Kasimba 

Contact us!