From the Principal
When asking students about what they love most about Redlands, one of their most common answers is the many and varied opportunities they have to shine at our School. This penultimate week of Term 3 has certainly highlighted these many and varied opportunities.
On Monday, I was present for the introduction to the Prep School Camp Week and have loved popping into various activities over the course of the week and seeing the students fully engage in their “survivor” activities. On Tuesday, I spent time at SOPAC cheering on our Secondary School athletes as they competed in the ISA Athletics Carnival; it was wonderful to see and hear the support of their peers in the stands as our students achieved 60 podium places. Congratulations to all athletes and especially to our girls’ team who placed 2nd overall and to the 21 students who qualified for the Combined Independent Schools Championships next week.
On Wednesday the Year 9 Commerce Intrapreneurship Program concluded when students gave their final pitches to their industry specialists and guests, and also enjoyed a Celebration of their Learning Lunch on the Fahl Garden, catered for by Plate It Forward. Yesterday evening, we also had the opening of our Year 12 IB Visual Arts exhibition, and it was impressive to hear the students reflect so deeply on their installations.
Today at lunchtime Secondary School students enjoyed the House Spirit Fair run by our Year 12 students to raise money for their Legacy Gift. There was much mirth and merriment as students got involved in the various games, activities and events across the Senior Campus.
And finally, students and staff across both the Junior and Senior Campuses today were wearing a splash of yellow in support of R U OK Day as reminder to check in on each other’s mental health and wellbeing not just today but every day.
A special thank you to all of the staff who work tirelessly to provide these opportunities for our students, not just this week, but throughout the year at Redlands.
Last Friday was a special day as our outgoing Secondary School student leaders introduced our incoming leaders to the school community. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the student leaders from the Class of 2023 and by extension, the leadership displayed by the entire Year Group this year. Their authenticity, vulnerability and active engagement in the School has left a remarkable legacy for future Year Groups to learn from and aspire to.
We are pleased to the announce the appointment of Ben Castelli to the Executive role of Director of Learning and Growth, commencing in Term 4 2023, replacing Matt Bentley who leaves us as the Head of Teaching and Learning (P-12) at the end of this term. Since commencing in 2020, Matt Bentley has made significant contributions to the teaching and learning space at Redlands including leading the refresh of the Redlands Learning Platform, revamping the professional learning program across the campuses and successfully navigating the academic areas of the School through the challenges and disruptions caused by the pandemic. He has also been a valued teacher in the English Department.
Ben Castelli joined Redlands in 2012 and over the past 12 years, has made significant contributions to the academic, pastoral and cocurricular areas of the School. In addition to his role as a Music teacher during his time at Redlands, Ben has also held leadership positions as Head of House, Assistant Head of Music, Year Advisor, Dean of Academic Administration and most recently, Head of Learning Analytics P-12 where he has led the development of our iGrow data analytics platform. We look forward to Ben’s strategic leadership of the academic program, as well as staff and student growth and development at Redlands.
The following article from our Deputy Principal, Ms Sabine Partington, introduces our Redlands Student Wellbeing Framework, which has been developed by our Pastoral teams to support the holistic development of our students.
Mr Sean Corcoran
From the Deputy Principal
Redlands Student Wellbeing Framework
At Redlands, we believe in the holistic development of our students, ensuring that their emotional and social growth is nurtured alongside their academic performance. To this end, we are continuously reviewing and updating our Pastoral Care and Wellbeing programs to better serve our students.
In 2022, a significant focus was placed on embedding Social Emotional Learning (SEL) into our P-12 Student Wellbeing programs. This initiative was led by our Dean of Students (7-12), Marita Jansons and Dean of Students (P-6), Katie-Louise Clinton, who conducted extensive research during their Redlands Innovative Teaching Fellowship trip to the United States. The insights and experiences gained have enabled us to refine our approach to SEL, ensuring an alignment with the specific needs of our diverse student community.
This year, our efforts have been directed towards designing a developmental continuum that underpins our P-12 Student Wellbeing programs. Our Redlands Student Wellbeing Framework provides a clear roadmap with specific outcomes for each stage of your child’s development, addressing the five key areas of SEL: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills and Responsible Decision-Making.
As parents and carers, your support and engagement in your child’s wellbeing journey are invaluable. We share this important document with the intention that it will provide you with guidance around where we anticipate your child to sit developmentally across the five key areas of SEL. It is important to remember that children develop at different rates and that while this is a useful reference, it is not to be used prescriptively or in isolation.
We firmly believe that a strong foundation in SEL is essential to nurturing young people towards “life-readiness”, empowering them to navigate challenges and embrace opportunities with resilience and empathy.
For details on the specific programs we have in place for your child’s individual age and stage, please do not hesitate to contact Katie-Louise Clinton, Dean of Students (P-6), or Marita Jansons, Dean of Students (7-12).
Ms Sabine Partington
Photo Caption: Our 2024 School Captains, Jasmine and Isaac, were introduced to our community by 2023 School Captains, Josie and Dan, along with all of the other 2024 Student Leaders.