Community Update
It was a privilege to join our staff and students this morning at a Remembrance Day commemoration honouring those lost to wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations. The ringing of our historic School Bell marked the beginning of a minute’s silence, providing time for peaceful reflection on the remarkable cost of conflict and how it has shaped our world. I used this precious time to remember my much loved Grandfather who served in the Second World War. While he was one of the ‘lucky ones’ to survive the battlefields on which he fought in Europe and North Africa, his experience as a soldier in The Black Watch shaped a lifetime of service to country and community.
We are fortunate at Redlands to have a community with a strong and generous tradition of service. Parents, carers and friends of the School proudly support the enrichment of our students’ lives in many ways, through regular donations and by giving one of the most special gifts of all – their time.
Redlands, like most independent schools, has a Foundation that supports the School’s strategic and philanthropic programs. The Foundation Advisory Committee (FAC) guide the School with experienced counsel and stewardship of our Foundation Office, providing resources and assistance in support of the School’s Vision, Mission and Strategic Plan.
The FAC’s experienced stewardship of our philanthropic program enables Redlands to continue to invest in the growth and advancement of the School. The FAC held their final meeting of the year this week and my thanks to those who serve on this committee for their individual and collective contribution in yet another year of growth. More information on the Foundation Advisory Committee along with an update on the Belinda Oxley Scholarship can be found here.
It has been lovely to see and hear how our community has been connecting through the year. With the end of another School year in sight the Redlands Parents and Friends Association (RPFA), Parent Contact Groups (PCGs) and Friends of Groups (FoGs) continue to actively bring our various groups together both socially and operationally. A number of social events still remain in the calendar and these can be found on here.
I remain grateful for the continued guidance and support our community provides and, as ever, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Community Engagement team should you have any feedback, suggestions or questions.
And to finish, The Ode, from the poem For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon.
“They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.”
Lest we forget.
Mr Grant Birse
Head of Community Engagement
9908 6406
gbirse@redlands.nsw.edu.au