Head of Secondary School

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Spirit Week

This week is Spirit Week where our Yr 12 student leaders organise a variety of activities to celebrate our School Spirit in the Arts, Sports and through the Houses. On Tuesday, our Yr 12 Prefects focused their last Prefect Assembly around “school spirit”. A new initiative they instituted this year was for each of the House Captains to award House Spirit Awards to students across Yrs 7-12 who have illustrated exemplary House spirit throughout the year. Yesterday, our House spirit was further on display with a House dodgeball competition taken out by McDouall. Today we celebrate our School Spirit through sports with a Staff v Yr 12 students Basketball game. And on Friday, we celebrate our School spirit through the Arts with a special lunchtime activity. Friday is also a mufti day where students can wear their House colours on the day with the money going to the Yr 12 Legacy Gift for the Scholarship Fund.

I have been reflecting on School spirit this week and how it is displayed at Redlands. In speaking to a number of the Yr 12 leaders in recent days, they have said that one of the accomplishments of which they are most proud is the further development of School spirit this year. And reflecting on this past year, I would wholeheartedly agree. Redlands is not a school that “forces” or “mandates” students to attend an event or activity to cheer, support or make up an audience. Instead, when our students support each other in the incredibly wide array of activities offered, they do so because they want to an they have chosen to be there. To me, this is in indication of true School spirit. I have seen this School spirit displayed in so many ways this year. Whether it was witnessing the large number of senior students who travelled out to Blacktown to support our Girls 1sts Football team in their Grand Final or the excited congratulations extended by one of our Athletics Captains to a successful junior student at the ISA Athletics Championships. Or whether it was the Yr 12s spending time with Yr 7 Tutor Groups this term or the large number of Yr 11 and 12 students who showed up last night at the opening of the IB Yr 12 Visual Arts Exhibition to support their friends. These examples, and so many, many more like this, are true examples of School spirit which happen daily here at Redlands.

Blackmores Run

On Sunday morning, Mr Gray, Ms Bergin, Ms Riley and I joined over 70 students and parents participating in the Sydney Running Festival 10km run. This initiative began last year and was a way for students to raise awareness for mental health as well as money for Headspace, an organisation dedicated to helping young people who struggle with mental illness. It was wonderful to see so many Yr 12 students wearing lots of pink and coming together as a community. While there were a few sore legs on Monday, I am certain that all of us involved enjoyed this special day. I would like to especially thank Chloe Woodward who has led this initiative over the past few months and all of the parents who donated money to support this worthy cause. 

Yr 12s

The banner for the Yr 12s is up in the Liggins courtyard counting down their final days at School. (While the IB students will return for classes at the beginning of next term as their final examinations are later than the HSC Examinations, we will officially celebrate the commencement of Yr 12 with their Prize Giving and Valedictory evening next Wednesday.) It is an exciting and emotional time for our senior students as one stage of their life’s journey comes to a close and another one is about to begin. Personally, I have greatly enjoyed seeing this group of Yr 12 students mature and flourish over the last few years as they have been exemplary leaders for our school community. I hope all of them are able to balance their continued preparation for their final examinations with a sense of joy and appreciation of the many events planned for them over the next week to wish them a fond farewell.

Yr 12 House Morning Teas

One way we have already acknowledged and celebrated our Yr 12 students over the past few weeks is through House Morning Teas. These events have provided an opportunity for the two Tutor Groups in each House to gather to reflect on their time together in the House and/or their Tutor Groups. For many students their first “connection” with Redlands has been through their House and they have had this association from their first day at school – even all the way back to Kindergarten! They have also been together in the same Tutor Groups from the beginning of Yr 7 (or from whenever they individually started their Redlands journey). It was wonderful to hear the Heads of House and the House Captains from the four Houses share their individual reflections on this special connection to the School.

Yr 12 IB Visual Arts Exhibition

Last night was the official opening of the Yr 12 IB Visual Arts Exhibition in Redlands Hall. The exhibition showcases not only the talents, but also the effort, dedication and discipline of our Yr 12 IB Visual Arts students who have produced works of such a high quality. Personally, I was so impressed with the deep thoughtfulness behind each piece of work and appreciated the “guided tour” that some of the students were able to give me of their works. A special thank you to the staff and parents who have supported these Visual Arts students on this journey and who must have been so proud to see their finished products on display last night.

Public Transport

I often receive emails or phone calls from members of the public complimenting our students on their appropriate behaviour, polite respect and or support for others when travelling on public transport. It is wonderful to know that many of our students are representing themselves and their school so well in public. However, unfortunately I occasionally receive messages where our students are not behaving appropriately. This week we are reminding all students of a few simple messages: that they should behave respectfully to each other and all members of the public when on public transport; they should stand up and give up their seat for paying members of the public who are standing; they should not clutter the aisles with their bags; and they should always tap on and tap off with their student Opal cards (even though they are not charged for this usage). Thank you for supporting us in ensuring that our students are always showing the best versions of themselves in public. 

Uniform Shop

In the school holidays, the Uniform Shop will be open on Monday 30 September, Thursday 10 October and Friday 11 October between 9.00am – 3.00pm. If you wish to make an appointment, please click here.

Engineering Club

The Engineering Club this term had a competition to determine which students would represent Redlands in the Aurecon Bridge Building Competition. William Andrew, Isaac Brooks, Thomas Jackson and Conor Petersen, all from Yr 7, were the successful students who spent every lunch for the last month designing and building their bridge. On Tuesday the team from Redlands joined 55 other schools at the Art Gallery of NSW where they were quizzed by a panel of engineers regarding their bridge design and then they watched as their bridge was load tested to destruction. The team were rewarded by winning the Strength category. Their 110 gram balsa wood and string bridge supported a mass of 50.2kg. This earned the school an impressive giant cheque and each student shared in a prize. The students came away from the day enthusiastic about their short term engineering future as they discussed modifications they intend to make next year. Congratulations to all members of the club for their enthusiasm and particularly our successful bridge builders.

Japanese Exchange

Seven passionate Japanese students (James Reid, Anna Saunders, Caroline Bates, Lachlan Edwards, Harrison Winton, Tylor Wessels  and Katherine Keller) departed for Kiryu City, Japan, on exchange at Jutoku High School (Redlands sister school) on Saturday 7 September. They flew from Sydney to Haneda, Tokyo, with Mr Okawa, and were warmly welcomed by their host families and teachers of Jutoku at Shin-Kiryu Station. On their first day a special whole school assembly was held for these students, and they competently and confidently delivered their individual speeches in Japanese to the school community. Their presentations were well received by the audience. The seven Redlands students are spending two weeks at Jutoku High School and will experience the immersion program by attending various academic classes and participating in a range of cocurricular activities and school events while in Japan.

Mr Sean Corcoran
Head of Secondary School
scorcoran@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9870