Head of Secondary School
Student Leadership at Redlands
The 2025 Year 12 Induction Assembly took place earlier this week and the entire School community were exceptional in their support of, and respect for, our incoming student leaders. Each Year 12 student received their Year 12 badge and those with specific leadership responsibilities received a certificate, leadership badge and blessing, shown below.
Today, we commission you as Redlands Captains for 2025.
We embrace your leadership of our community and know you will demonstrate and nurture the Redlands values in your words and actions.
As servant leaders you are called to be a light to those around you – to support, guide and inspire. We encourage you to ‘let your light shine’ so that others may see your good deeds and be motivated by your words and actions.
May God guide and bless you to lead with humility and hope.
It’s always an exciting time when a new Year 12 cohort commences their final year of school. The Camp experiences is a catalyst for this new beginning and it has been a joy to hear students speak of forming new friendships with their peers and the anticipation of what lies ahead. At the Induction Assembly this week, I leaned into Joan Chittister, one of my favourite theologians, who has these messages for leaders.
Firstly, don’t ask who the leaders are. Be one. If we want change and growth in our schools or community, we must not look for someone else to create change or bring about growth. We must be willing to step up to lead the change or pursue the growth. Secondly, have the courage to disagree. It is alright to say, “I think differently about that” because we cannot create change or achieve growth if we are not willing to have differences. Also, use your gifts. Do not sit quietly while your gifts lie dormant. The world is waiting on you. You have been created with gifts and a purpose. If there is something you want to change, activate your gifts. A reminder to stop making excuses. People often make excuses for not being a leader: claiming perfectionism, or being too sensitive to criticism, or even being too busy. We are reminded that “You cannot complain about something, if you do nothing to fix it”. And finally, get educated. You cannot use the reason, “I don’t know what the issue is or how to help.” Gather 5 people together, get educated about something then do something about it.
Mr Corcoran’s speech about his own experience of leadership disappointment was discerning and honest. Regardless of what the Class of 2025 achieve over the next 12 months, how they step into the space of leadership and grow from this will be the mark of their character. We are all so hopeful of how they will let their light shine.
Mary’s House Walk: Sunday 27 October – 8:30 am
Many of our students are supporting Mary’s House and registering to take part in the walk this Sunday.
It’s not too late to register or donate to the team (whether you are a student, staff member, parent or friend) by following this link! The walk is 8.8km starting and finishing in St Leonard’s Park, North Sydney. Registration costs $85/adult and is free for those under 18. If you would like to donate, please follow the same link.
If you are joining us, please be at St Leonard’s Park, North Sydney by 8:30am for check-in. Look for the Redlands banner!
The Great Book Swap for Indigenous Literacy Foundation: Friday 1 November
Redlands is also holding a Great Book Swap on Friday 1 November in support of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation who work with remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to provide the tools and resources they request to shape the direction of their children’s future and to publish their own stories, often in First Languages.
Students are asked to bring in a second-hand book that is in good-condition and a gold coin donation over the course of Week 2 and 3 to then be part of the swap. Please see the Service section of Note Day for more information.
Meet the Academic Coach – Sabrina Blasco (Redlander, Class of 2023)
Sabrina supports students across Year 7 to 11 at the Illuminate Scholars Program. Learn more about her below in this Q&A.
Q: What was your favourite subject at school?
A: My favourite subject at school was English. I especially loved the texts I studied in Years 11 and 12.
Q: What is your favourite subject to tutor and what subjects do you tutor?
A: I tutor lots of different subjects, including English, Biology, History, Theatre and some Maths. I specialise in IB subjects, including Theory of Knowledge, and can help with other IB-specific skills such as CAS and the Extended Essay. My favourite subject to tutor is either Biology or History because I love to explore how bigger concepts connect to each other in explaining processes or cause-and-effect claims.
Q: What’s your best study tip for exam preparation?
A: Use past papers! They are the best guide to the format and content of your exams. By reading over and marking your past papers you can easily identify the areas where you need more support, making your study more efficient. They can also develop your exam technique (like reading questions carefully and answering depending on rubrics), as well as help you get used to organising your time during exams and managing stress.
Q: What’s your favourite study method?
A: Definitely the blurt method. You get a blank piece of paper and choose a topic, then you blurt out all the information you remember about this topic (you can use diagrams, dot points, mind maps etc.) After this compare your paper to the syllabus points of class notes on this topic and fill in the blanks. Repeat until you remember all the content! I find this is helpful because it can demonstrate that you usually know more than you think and so it improves confidence and gives you the motivation to keep going. Also having the freedom to just blurt out all the information you have can take some of the pressure off making perfect notes and is a cathartic way to start revising.
Q: What are you studying at university? What do you like most about it?
A: I am majoring in English and Ancient History at the University of Sydney. The thing I like most about my degree is the broad range of texts that I get to read, including classic and modern literature, ancient sources (such as poems and inscriptions), and the academic articles that link them all together.
Wellbeing Support Seminar for Secondary School Parents
Ms Gemma Van de Peer
Head of Secondary School
gvandepeer@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9811