Head of Junior School
UPCOMING EVENTS
Please note that all Upcoming Events for the Junior School are now on their own Note Day article/page.
This Head of Junior School page will consist of general information from the Head of Junior School.
A Story to Tell
Last Thursday and Friday, Yrs 5 and 6 students and staff were treated to a wonderfully-engaging talk from acclaimed author, Jack Heath. As an award-winning author of 30 thrillers, some of which have also been adapted for film, Jack’s passion for writing was obvious and inspiring to all present. Jack’s love of reading started at primary school and he started writing books himself at the age of 13! Jack’s love of literature and ability to weave humour into his presentation had the students completely enthralled in his story. Under the guise of being ‘Human Lie Detectors’, he involved the students with animated examples on the attributes of being a good writer, with eight points on how to write a great story:
- Tell it out of order
- Use dialogue (not just summaries)
- Add sensory detail
- Reveal the narrator’s flaws
- Include surprises
- Describe emotions
- Research things only professionals would know
Jack shared some of his edited pages and talked about the importance of feedback and re-reading, a message the students were already familiar with.
My thanks are extended to Head of Arnold Library, Mrs Wiebe, for organising this wonderful opportunity for planning such an entertaining and creative way of inspiring the students in both their reading and writing pursuits, which culminated in a lively question and answer session. Next Friday, Yrs 3 and 4 will enjoy a visit and talk from another wonderful children’s author, Jacqueline Harvey.
Grandparents and Special Friends Day
Last Friday saw many special family and friends join us for our annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day, a highlight in our calendar and from speaking to many of our guests, a highlight in theirs.
The palpable warmth of the event superseded the chilly winter’s day and our guests enjoyed some time in classrooms and were also treated to some of the musical items from our recent Junior Music Festival. Through the power of technology, a number of children were also able to FaceTime or video call grandparents across the world and give them a special ‘virtual’ tour of their classroom, which was just delightful to see.
Mosman Youth Awards in Literature 2019
I was thrilled to hear that two of our Junior School students, Georgia Slack (Yr 4) and Rory Hobbs (Yr 5), have been shortlisted in this year’s Mosman Youth Awards in Literature competition, a wonderful achievement in itself.
The annual contest, now in its 27th year, has been one where many Redlands students have been shortlisted in previous years and we wish the girls all the best as they attend the awards presentation at the end of this month.
Gala Ball
My wife and I are looking forward to joining other Redlands parents at this Saturday’s biennial Redlands Gala Ball. As well as being a wonderful community event, the proceeds of the evening will go towards the means-tested Redlands Scholarship Fund. Thank you for the generosity of our School and local community who have donated some amazing items and experiences to assist in raising these funds and the auction items can be accessed by anyone in our community via this link.
Mr Ari Guha
Head of Junior School
aguha@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9953 6022