From the Principal
Last week we held our Heritage Week with events taking place across both campuses which culminated in our Foundation Day Service on Friday 7 June. This year was extra special as we celebrated two significant milestones in our history: 140 years since our founding and 125 years since our move to Redlands Estate, our current Senior Campus location.
When I mention to new staff or prospective families that we are 140 years old, they are often surprised as they do not associate Redlands as one of the oldest schools in Sydney. I believe this is because from our earliest days, we have had a forward thinking and innovative approach to education – an underlying philosophy that continues to this day.
However, I believe it is also important to recognise how our long and rich 140 year history provides us with the solid foundation upon which our special culture is built. This culture, which we cherish so much at Redlands today, was not suddenly created nor formed in recent years. Instead, it was slowly shaped and moulded by thousands and thousands of students, staff and parents who have come before us. All of us who are a part of the Redlands community today are stewards who are now responsible for keeping this culture strong and passing it on to the next generation.
For this year’s Heritage Week, we recognised our long history of service at Redlands. Our school motto, Luceat Lux Vestra, comes from the Gospel of Matthew, “let your light shine, so that others may see your good deeds”, so at the very heart of our School, is a service ethos.
From our earliest years which saw students knitting socks and balaclavas for the soldiers on the frontline in World War I, to today which saw the whole Secondary School coming together recently with our Festival on the Fahl and Pink Sock Sports Round raising over $16,000 for the Jane McGrath Foundation, service has been, and continues to be, a core pillar of a Redlands education.
At the Foundation Day Service on Friday, we heard from a panel of Redlanders who have dedicated their lives to the service of others. I encouraged the Year 6 and Year 12 students in attendance to look to these and other graduates as inspiration to have careers where they will make a difference in the lives of others and live our motto of letting their light shine so that others may see their good deeds. By doing so, they will continue to build upon a 140 year legacy of service at Redlands and further strengthen that special culture which we all continue to cherish today.
Cross Country Achievements
Congratulations to our 38 Junior and Secondary School Cross Country athletes who recently represented HICES and ISA respectively at the NSW CIS Cross Country Championships.
Special congratulations to the following athletes and teams on their exceptional results:
- Aurelio Nicholas (Yr 4) – 2nd
- Isaac Brooks (School Captain, Year 12) – 6th
- Oliver Morcos (Yr 3) – 8th
- Imogen Howard (Yr 10) – 9th
- 16 Yrs Girls team – 2nd overall
- 16 Yrs Boys team – 3rd overall
- 8/9 Yrs Boys team – 2nd place
Further to this, Aurelio, Isaac and Imogen have all qualified for the NSW All Schools Cross Country Championships, an outstanding achievement. We wish them all the very best in this prestigious event.
Foundation Day Photogallery
Photo caption: We were delighted to welcome Kylea Tink Federal Member for North Sydney and Tim James MP, NSW member for Willoughby and other special guests to share our milestone 140 year anniversary celebration with us.