Year 8

Week 1 – Welcome back to Redlands Term 3!

I hope everyone enjoyed a fantastic break and are revitalised and ready to tackle all that Term 3 throws our way! I know some of our cohort were lucky enough to travel across the world to countries in Europe, journey across the savannah in Africa, and hop across the ditch to New Zealand for some skiing and boarding on the slopes; while others just enjoyed some beautiful, well-earned downtime in Sydney and along the NSW coast. I was fortunate enough to spend some time at the absolutely gorgeous Lake Lucerne in Switzerland, as illustrated below.

Wherever the holidays took you, I hope it offered some valuable time for excitement, rest and relaxation, and connection with friends and family.

Ms Wang and I are looking forward to an exciting term ahead, as we seek to encourage the Yr 8 cohort to think beyond themselves and consider how they can engage in acts of service. Our central focus this term in our Pastoral Sessions will be on service, both within the school community and beyond in students’ own communities. We will be encouraging students to understand the benefits of helping others, serving in their community and supporting charitable causes. Tied to this, we will also be thinking about the value of gratitude and fostering skills of mindfulness in students. It should be a valuable term of social and emotional learning ahead, and we look forward to continuing to see wonderful growth in the cohort.

Jeans for Genes Day Bake Sale – Yr 8’s First Chance at Service

Did you know 1 in 20 children faces a birth defect or genetic disease? This equates to around 1 student per class! With these facts, a cause close to our hearts at Redlands is ‘Jeans for Genes’ day. This event is all about supporting medical research and raising funds for children and families living with genetic disorders.

On Friday of Week 2, we will be promoting this cause with our own ‘Jeans for Genes’ day events. Students are encouraged to come to school in their favourite pair of jeans or denim clothing, as well as wearing the colour blue. For the privilege of dressing in casual clothes, a gold coin donation will be collected during Tutor. Students may also wish to purchase a blue ribbon before school for $2 or to buy a bake sale items in the Liggins Quad at recess.

Importantly, this year, Yr 8 are in charge of coordinating and running the bake sale. For this – WE NEED YOUR HELP!

If you are able to bake some cookies, slices, brownies or cupcakes for this event, that will go a huge distance towards helping us to raise important funds for the event. Please see the graphic details below for how to get involved and what to bake!

Year 7 and 8 Critical Reasoning Course:

On Wednesday, Redlands held a novel Critical Reasoning Course for Yrs 7 and 8, which saw Dr Regis and Dr Poon present a workshop on Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of moral development. The purpose of the course was to introduce ethics and concepts of moral philosophy to a select group of Yr 7 and 8 students, so that they could be equipped with the intellectual skills to break down the assumptions behind theories about the ways in which humanity arrives at consciousness of morality. From all student reports, it was a really valuable and engaging afternoon.

Students did a fantastic job participating with thought and insight in the session and demonstrated outstanding confidence and cognitive ability when faced with challenging questions and discussions. Congratulations to Natalie Bain, Lachlan Carter, Lucas Gai, Otis Gait, Jason Gong, Ina Guan, Aimee Kang, Audrey Kwok, Aaron Oh, Lauren Rolfe, Gabby Thomas and Elisabella Ty, who were all selected to participate in the course.

Thank you to everyone involved in the running and organisation of this fantastic event.

Year 8 Student Led Conferences

In Week 3, on Wednesday 7 August, parents and carers of students in Yr 8 will have the chance to discuss their child’s progress with their teachers in the student led conferences. These conferences are an excellent opportunity to connect with teachers and gain insight into your child’s strengths and areas for development.

To help students take ownership over this process, during Tutor Time in Week 3, we will spend time planning scripts and question prompts for students to lead these conversations, introducing parents to their teachers and seeking to identify their perceived strengths and weaknesses in the subject. This student led process will help students to take ownership over identifying and addressing where they can improve in their engagement, diligence or behaviour during lessons.

Flashback: End of Term 2 Assembly

Last semester, we had an exciting final Term 2 assembly mc’ed by students Lewis Fitzhenry and Aaron Oh. Josh Freer also impressed us with some wonderful singing, and Georgia Grace provided a beautiful reflection about her and her peers’ experiences over the semester. Congratulations to all these students for the roles they played in the assembly.

We also recognised a range of students in Yr 8 who had achieved top results in their subject assessments over Terms 1 and 2. Students were acknowledged and applauded in the end of Term 2 assembly and will be issued with academic certificates in our Year Assembly on Monday. Congratulations to all those students who put in strong effort and were able to achieve fantastic results in their subjects. We look forward to everyone continuing to work to the best of their ability this term as they seek to continue their academic growth.

Congratulations Otis Gait – Hockey Nationals

After a tough weekend of hockey trials, Otis Gait performed exceptionally well and was selected to represent on the NSW U14s hockey team. This means that he will be competing at Nationals in Perth this October. Congratulations on a wonderful achievement!

It took a lot of hard work to get there, and Otis is very excited to represent NSW. We look forward to seeing how his team progresses!

Academic Assessment Services

On 7 August, Year 8 students will sit a half day of testing provided by Academic Assessment Services from 8.25am – 12.10pm in Redlands Hall. Students will need to bring a pen and a scientific calculator (not a CAS) to the test. As independent consultants, they specialise in the assessment and analysis of educational performance and progress. Their team of professionals include measurement and curriculum experts, education experts and teachers who will provide guidance in the development of strategic action plans for each student. Parents will be emailed a copy of the results.

Term 3 Key Dates and Upcoming Events

Term 3 Welcome Assembly – Week 1: Friday 26 July
Gala Arts – Week 1: Friday 26 July
Jeans for Genes Day – Week 2: Friday 2 August
Year 8 Allwell Testing – Week 3: Wednesday 7 August
Year 8 Student Led Conferences – Week 3: Wednesday 7 August
School Play: ‘Away’ – Week 3: Thursday 9 to Saturday 10 August
Science Week – Week 4: Monday 12 – Friday 16 August
SS Parent Wellbeing Session – Week 5: Tuesday 20 August
Yr 8 Geography Excursion – Week 6: Friday 30 August
Wear it Purple Day – Week 6: Friday 30 August
R U OK? Day – Week 8: Thursday 12 September
2025 Student Leaders Announcement – Week 8: Friday 13 September
End of Term 3 – Week 10: Thursday 26 September

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