Year 8

Week 2 – Fly me to the Moon(bah)

This week a group of 30 students embodied our 2024 motto – ‘Step Beyond’ – by volunteering to travel down to our High Country campus in Week 4 to engage in a pilot run of our Moonbah Connection week. Our enthusiastic students met in a group on Wednesday to discuss what they might expect over the week and to receive important information on how they could make the most of this opportunity. Embodying our School’s desire to empower student voice, this week will give the students the chance to experience High Country Campus living first hand and share their experiences with their peers. Students left the meeting feeling excited and energised about the opportunity and I can’t wait to hear back from them how the week unfolds! 

The inaugural 2025 Moonbah Program for Year 9 is certainly an exciting prospect for our cohort and the Moonbah Connection week should help to clarify some of the queries students still have over how their term away next year will operate. Stay tuned for more details from the students once they return!

Further information on the 2025 Moonbah Program, including a detailed FAQ and video, can be accessed through Pulse.

A student who definitely ‘stepped beyond’ recently was Henry Richardson, who was awarded the Step Beyond award in assembly on Tuesday. Henry showed great honesty and vulnerability in being part of the student voice at the end of our relationships workshops last week and sharing his thoughts on the material we had covered over the day. Other recognised, notable speakers were Lachlan Carter, Juliet Cooke and Fergus Kerr.

Cocurricular Club Spotlight – The Irregular

Now that we are into Term 2, students are well-immersed into the cocurricular clubs on offer at Redlands. The School offers a range of clubs to suit all passions and tastes and engaging with these clubs is a great way of building new knowledge and skills, expanding friendship circles and having fun! The times and locations of all clubs can be found on Pulse.

Every Monday, The Irregular, the online newspaper club, meet, confer and write in LH2.6. After a term of organising and writing, the team are about to release their first paper and round of articles for the year with topics ranging from the Taylor Swift Eras tour experience; the impact of height in women’s sports; and an exploration of fast fashion through Temu and Shein. The newspaper encourages students to compose articles on topics of interest, encouraging them to engage in thorough research and careful composing and structuring of their work, so that it engages readers. So, if you are a keen writer or want to develop your writing skills, come along and check out The Irregular next Monday!

Computational and Algorithmic Thinking Exam – Tuesday 21 May 

Redlands will be running the Computational and Algorithmic Thinking Exam again this year for interested students. It will be held in LH2.10 from 8:00am-9:00am, with students needing to arrive by 7.45am.

Any interested students are welcome to enter this online competition, which will challenge and extend your problem-solving skills through algorithmic thinking. Previous computer programming experience is not needed.

Just make sure you have approval from a parent/carer to compete and that you are ready to pay $8.50 for registration. You will need to complete this registration form before Monday 13 May; the $8.50 fee will then be added to your term fee statement. Please email any questions to Ms Duckworth: wduckworth@redlands.nsw.edu.au

Balmoral Burn – Rise to the Challenge and Join the 2024 Balmoral Burn Schools Relay:

Get ready to unleash your potential and join the 2024 Balmoral Burn Schools Relay. Students from Yrs 7-12 have the chance to conquer Sydney’s steepest streets in Mosman for a noble cause. Join Redlands for the Humpy Dumpty Balmoral Burn Schools Relay on 26 May, 7:30 to 9:30am. This event isn’t just about the challenge; it supports sick children nationwide. Founded by Phil Kearns AM to thank the Royal North Shore Hospital, the Balmoral Burn aids hospitals through the Humpty Dumpty Foundation. Students can form teams of four, aiming to raise $250 per team for the cause. Separate races will be held for boys and girls. Contact Mr. Walker with your team if you want to participate. Let’s unite as a Redlands community and make a difference.

Term 2 Key Dates and Upcoming Events:

  • Festival in the Fahl – Week 5: Thursday 30 May
  • Redlands Heritage Week – Week 6: Monday 3 June
  • Year 8 Moonbah Parent & Student Information session – Week 6: Tuesday 4 June
  • Year Group Photos – Week 6: Wednesday 5 June
  • SS Athletics Carnival – Week 9: Tuesday 25 June
  • Police Liaison Officer task (cyber safety and social media) – Week 9: Thursday 27 June
  • End of Term 2 – Week 9: Friday 28 June

Mr Jimmy Tod-Hill
Year 8 Advisor
jtodhill@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9908 6462