Head of Secondary School

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Welcome back to Term 2

It’s been a wonderful week to catch up with students and commence another amazing term full of opportunities for learning. The students appear refreshed and ready to reconnect and learn. Over the break a lot happened on the Senior Campus. This year, we have greatly increased our Study Centre offerings and the library has been receiving an update in recent months too. Over the holiday period further updates have taken place, so that the students can enjoy this space with greater purpose – to study and  also deepen their learning across all subject areas, via research and collaboration. Our two new library staff members Ms Young and Dr Alice are keen to get to know more students this term and deepen their support to enable independent learners. 

At our ANZAC Assembly on Tuesday I spoke to students about how Year 12 have spent their holiday period busily studying for their assessment block. I prefaced the possibility of a somewhat stressed or fatigued demeanour as being typical for a Year 12 student at this point in the year and contextualised this as part of the process for senior students who care deeply about their learning and who have been engaged in disciplined study for an extended period of time. Although they will engage in a series of tests in the coming weeks, the real test for them over the next two weeks is in how they respond to the challenge – and this challenge might look like a timed condition, an unseen question, an increase in the amount of knowledge they have to convey or the need to transfer their skills in a way they have not done before.

We then moved into our ANZAC Service which is all about learning and the opportunity to pause and reflect as individuals and as a broader community on the generous act of service, and its impact on our lives. This year instead of a guest speaker we were privileged to have two of our own students be our guest speakers – Year 10 students Yasmin Allen and Heidi Charles. Both Yasmin and Heidi demonstrated vulnerability and courage in their willingness to interview two people, who are both part of our broader Redlands community, and who both served in the military. One is our very own Mr Lachlan Bradley who works in our Property Services Department. The other is Mr Tony Charles who is the father of Heidi in Year 10 and Henry in Year 12. The stories can be read here.

Illuminate Scholars Program

Our Independent Learning Coordinators, Lilli O’Driscoll and Redlander Grace Bracks, are energised by the strong enrolment numbers for Term 2 Illuminate Scholars Program. Many students are finding this a supportive and structured way to engage in dedicated study one or more nights a week in the comfort of the Learning Hub. As we move into the assessment season for students in all Year Groups, it would be wonderful to see some of our younger students and more Year 10 and 11 students take up this opportunity for structured tutoring by our Redlands Academic Coaches. Thursday afternoons are our lightest afternoon so far, so any students keen to engage in some solid hours of study after Thursday afternoon Sport Training, are encouraged to register. Have you seen the short Illuminate video? Our very own students share their experiences….

2024 Community Awards

Last year, a member of the community nominated the Redlands Bougainvillea Club for the North Sydney Community Awards in the Next Generation Award category. Each week, 10-20 students from all years at Redlands walk to Bougainvillea to visit with residents, read to them, share stories, play games or assist with technology. Each visit is different and students build connections with residents by aiming to visit the same residents each week. Due to the enthusiasm behind this club, the interest has grown from 20 students last year to 60 students this year. With the growth in this space, students are being creative in developing more ways to engage with the residents and serve their community.

Inspirational individuals and groups of people doing good for the community were nominated and highlighted at the North Sydney Community Awards Ceremony that took place in the first week of the term break at the Independent Theatre in North Sydney. Redlands was honoured to receive this award. Thank you to Yr 12 Bianca Goggin and Yr 10 Francesca Richardson for giving an acceptance speech on behalf of Redlands as well as Yr 12 Olivia Salmond and Yr 10 Millie Salmond for representing Redlands at the awards ceremony, along with their families. 

Chemist Warehouse Australian Junior Athletics Championships

Redlands had four students, compete at the recent Chemist Warehouse Australian Junior Athletics Championships on 11^th – 19^th April.

Below are their exceptional results. Special congratulations to Elizabeth Whelan who placed 3^rd in the U16 Hammer Throw Final and Isaac and Olivia who both made the finals in the 800m.

Elizabeth Whelan:
3^rd place – U16 Hammer Throw Final : AUS NSW 50.18m
8^th place – U18Hammer Throw  Finall: AUS NSW 47.82

Isaac Brooks:
9^th place i-  800m final: AUS NSW 1:56.70

Amber Kusano:
8^th place – 800m heat: AUS NSW 2:23.01

Olivia Law:
7^th  place.- 1500m final: AUS NSW 4:42.44
6^th place – 3000m final: AUS NSW 10:18.56 SB

Melbourne Universities Tour

During the April term-break, 21 students from Year 11 and 12 attended the Melbourne Universities Tour with Careers Advisor Ms Justine Fowler and Year 12 Year Advisors Ms Alissa Ynson and Ms Katharine Boase. This was a fantastic opportunity to visit Melbourne University, RMIT and Monash University and tour five of Melbourne Universities’ residential colleges. This experience has given our students an opportunity to be better informed when making decisions about their next steps after school. 

One of the highlights was talking to Redlands Alumni currently studying in Melbourne and hearing about their experiences. Our Year 12s really appreciated being able to speak to students they knew from the Class of 2023 and see that there is ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ as they approach the conclusion of their Year 12 studies. 

Students were able to appreciate the vast size of university campuses as they clocked a record high step count on Day 1. They participated in college rituals similar to those seen in Harry Potter as they dined in gowns at Ormond College banging spoons on the table in unison while welcoming in the winning sports teams of the week. And in true university student style, they even toured the many dining options around Melbourne, maximised their ability to spend $20 on multiple lunch options, walked by countless Italian restaurants, sampled the local Yo-Chi and enjoyed delicious pastries from Bakemono, a local bakery down an unassuming laneway, on the steps of RMIT.  

Thank you to all the students who represented Redlands so positively and were engaged and professional throughout the Tour.

Parents and Carers are Strongly Encouraged to Attend the Following Upcoming Events

Ms Gemma Van de Peer
Head of Secondary School
gvandepeer@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9811