Head of Preparatory School

Please note that all Upcoming Events for Prep are now on their own Note Day article/page.

This Head of Preparatory School page will consist of general information from the Head of Preparatory School.

Clubs Yrs 1 and 2

Prep Clubs are run by teachers on Wednesday afternoons from 3.00-4.00pm for Yrs 1 and 2 students only. They are designed to be an hour of fun activity and provide children with an opportunity to mix with students in a new group, made up of both Year Groups. If you would like your child to take part in the Clubs program, for which there is no additional cost, please refer to the letter emailed to families yesterday. Prep will be using the Trybooking system to organise the registrations for Term 1. All registrations will be made on a first in, first served basis and children are required to choose one club only for Term 1. Clubs will commence in Week 3 (Wednesday 12 February) and will finish in Week 10 (Wednesday 1 April).

Year/Class Parent Representatives

This year, class parents in each Year Group will work more closely together to create greater community connection by organising events across the Year Group. If you are interested in being a class parent, the RPFA welcomes parents to volunteer for the following classes by emailing prep@redlands.nsw.edu.au. The class parent guidelines can be found on Redlands Pulse, however, if you have any questions about the role please contact prep@redlands.nsw.edu.au.

Preparatory School Photographs

An email was sent to Prep families yesterday providing details of School photo day. On Wednesday 12 February, the Preparatory School will have their school photos taken. All children are required in their full school summer uniform, including blazers. Please ensure shoes are polished and socks are correct length. Girls need to have hair tied back with navy elastic and ribbon. Only gold or silver studs may be worn. Orders for photography packages from Advanced Life be placed securely online using this online order link. The Prep online order code is VWP CQN 923.

The option of having a family photograph for Redlands siblings in any section of the school (not with other family members) is also available. These photos will be taken on Friday 21 February. Sibling photographs will take place between 7.30-9.30am in Parkes Hall on the Junior Campus. All parents will be responsible for taking their children to Parkes Hall for the photographs and returning them to their classrooms or relevant areas of the school upon completion of photos. Orders for sibling photographs can be placed online. A photograph will not be taken without an order. Sibling photographs only apply to children enrolled at the school.

Flexischools App for Canteen and Uniform Orders

There is now a Flexischools app to facilitate Canteen and Uniform orders. Please visit the Flexischools website which has a link on the home page for downloading the Flexischools app.

Meet the Teacher Afternoons

Staff have been holding Meet the Teacher evenings this week. Yr 2 will be meeting this evening Thursday 6 February at 5.00-6.00pm. For those parents who are/were unable to attend, all information from the sessions will be placed on Redlands Pulse.

Safer Internet Day 2020 – Tuesday 11 February

During Week 3, Redlands will participate in the global Safer Internet Day. Safer Internet Day raises awareness and encourages everyone to play their part to practise and promote online safety. In assembly, Prep School students will take part in an activity introducing the three principles we practice to be safe, respectful and responsible online. You might hear students talking about how when we visit places online or use the internet for activities, we always ask our parent (or teacher) first, only talk to people we know, stick to places that are just right for us. It is never too early to start talking about online safety and to support parents with Helping kids to thrive online, the eSafety Commissioner will be running webinars on Wednesday 12 February and Thursday 13 February. These webinars are free and you can register here. They also offer resources for families, click here.

Teaching and Learning

I feel excited and privileged to have joined the lovely community that we have here at Redlands. I have really enjoyed visiting many of the classes and aim to forge strong relationships with the children and you over the coming months. I bring with me to Redlands many years of teaching experience and leadership roles in my area of passion which is teaching and learning. My goal is to provide opportunities for all students to achieve their personal best. Please introduce yourself to me if you see me in the playground before or after school. If you have any specific curriculum questions, please contact me via email on ssmith@redlands.nsw.edu.au. Mrs Stacey Smith, Dean of Teaching and Learning P-6

Car Line and Collection Procedures

This week saw car line begin in the Preparatory School. It is to be expected that the first week of car line is busy and new families to the School are using this facility for the first time. For parents new to the School, Prep car line was implemented to give families the convenience of staying in their car to collect their child. This eliminated the need for finding a car park at an already very busy time of day, easing congestion and keeping the children safe. This also meant, families with younger children could keep their child inside the car whilst collecting their older sibling. Staff gladly spend the extra time in their day providing this service to our community and I would like to remind all families to be considerate in their interactions when using the car line. Thank you for following the important safety guidelines below when using car line.

Please only come at the designated times for your child; Kindergarten 2.45-3.00pm and Yrs 1, 2 and siblings 3.05-3.15pm. If you come earlier, please do not park along Allister Street, as this impedes the car line.
Students who are unable to independently secure themselves with a seatbelt are not permitted to use car line. Teachers, parents and carers are not able to assist, due to the added time and congestion.
Please place your name card clearly on the passenger side visor for easier visibility.
Please do not overtake cars in the car line – if you miss the line you will have to drive around the block and attach to the end of the car line queue.
Could you please adhere to these times and if you arrive before the allocated time, we respectfully ask that you refrain from parking on Allister Street, as this blocks the Car Line and reduces the effectiveness of this facility.

For those of you that are yet to register, please do so via the document located on Redlands Pulse.

If you are not using car line and collecting children from the Meeting Trees, could I please remind parents of the following pick-up times: Kindergarten – 2.45pm; Yrs 1 and 2 – 3.00pm.

Understandably, this is a busy time of day and I would also remind you that it is never appropriate to leave siblings in the car whilst you are coming into the School to collect your child.

If a Prep student has a sibling in the Junior School, it is not possible to have students wait in the Prep Reception area until their sibling finishes school at 3.20pm. Staff are unavailable to watch students and often the Reception area doesn’t have a staff member present, which would mean students would be left alone. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

Beware…Parking Rangers

Please be aware of the Parking Regulations on Allister Street, directly outside the Preparatory entrance of the School.

Between 7.30-9.00am and 2.30-4.00pm there is no parking. If you are leaving your car to assist your child, you must be within 3 metres of your car. To avoid a fine, please do not park in this area.
The Parking Rangers patrol these areas vigilantly at school drop-off and pick-up times.

If you are parking your car in other designated areas, please be mindful of the neighbours in the surrounding streets. Driveways must remain unblocked, so they can access the road both morning and afternoon.

I would also like to draw your attention to the underground drop off area for the Prep School on Allister Street. This is available between 8.00am and 8.20am. Whilst there are prefects and teachers to assist, students need to be independent when walking up the internal stairs and onto the playground. Thank you for your ongoing assistance as we endeavour to keep our community safe.

Every Little Bit Helps

Looking for a place to give your unused travel toiletries? Look no further… place all items in the red bin at Prep or Junior Reception. We will be donating to the charity Every Little Bit Helps who shares with organisations who support people in need in our community. Last day for collection Wednesday 26 February.

Twilight in the Piazza

I look forward to seeing you at Twilight in the Piazza, our first parent event for the year on Friday 21 February. The Invitation can be found on the Upcoming Events page.

Mrs Audrey Fellowes
Head of Preparatory School
afellowes@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9848