From the Principal
The Board and Executive team have continued to progress the development and finalisation of our Strategic Plan 2021-2025, and workshops held in December and January have provided an opportunity to further refine proposed strategic drivers and to ensure they align with the vast amount of feedback and data collected throughout 2020. I look forward to sharing the outcomes of the process with the community during the first semester this year.
It would not surprise you that one of the key focus areas is the development of our staff. A new initiative this year, led by Head of Teaching and Learning, Matthew Bentley, has been the establishment of Professional Learning teams. These teams of academic staff have selected key research questions to investigate during this semester, which are focused on continual improvement in our pedagogical practices. The process is informed and supported by qualitative and quantitative data on student outcomes and we are most fortunate to have Dr Tracey-Ann Palmer and Associate Professor Nick Hopwood from UTS partnering with us and supporting the teams.
One of the things that struck me when joining one of the teams in their discussion about what their research question would be, was the comment that feedback from the Student Voice Surveys last year had identified an area of potential improvement. The team then discussed strategies that they could research and implement to address the feedback.
Educational research is clear that there are improved outcomes when teachers are provided time to collaborate professionally together in areas that directly relate to their classroom practice. We are looking forward to the outcomes from the research and the cultural benefit from the staff having dedicated time to work together.
It has been wonderful to see the Secondary School students enjoying our new Landscape Podium, in front of the Redlands Learning Hub, which has been named the Fahl Garden. I appreciated the opportunity to share with the students the important history behind the selection of the Fahl family name for this stunning area and thought that parents and carers may also be interested.
Lynette Fahl died in May 1963 after completing her Intermediate Certificate the previous year. She would have been in the Class of 1964. The Lynette Fahl Memorial Garden was a small rose garden, established in the previous “Arts Precinct”. When building commenced on the Redlands Learning Hub the roses were removed and planted outside the Senior Campus Reception. In 1980, Lynette’s father, Richard Fahl bequeathed the proceeds of the sale of his house to Redlands, which the late John Roberts, who was Treasurer at the time, considered to be extremely serendipitous in terms of supporting the school financially at a critical time. The Board resolved to name the new Landscape Podium the Fahl Garden in recognition of the entire family. It will be a feature of the Senior Campus for many years into the future, that provides an exceptional social space for students and the broader community.
Finally, in accordance with advice from NSW Health, parents and carers are reminded NOT to send children to school if they are unwell, even if they have the mildest flu-like symptoms. These symptoms include fever (37.5 or higher), cough, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, runny nose or loss of taste or smell. NSW Health has requested that schools ask anyone who is unwell or has even one of these symptoms, to arrange to be tested through their local medical practitioner or one of the COVID-19 clinics. Students with flu-like symptoms will need to be tested, provide a copy of a negative COVID-19 test result and be symptom-free before being permitted to return to school.
Mr Stephen Webber
Photo caption: Students enjoying the Fahl Garden on the Senior Campus.
