From the Principal
As we come to the end of the year, it is great to see the Christmas spirit alive and well around Redlands. Earlier this week we held the Junior Campus Christmas Carols and Redlands House End of Year Christmas Concert, and tomorrow we will hold the Secondary School Christmas Carols. Each celebration has been marked by festive cheer, colourful attire, important Christmas messages and, of course, wonderful music. We also look forward to students and families joining us for our Redlands Community Carols at St Peter’s Anglican Church from 5pm this Sunday 3 December.
It has also been great to see the Christmas spirit shine through Service Learning initiatives across the School. On the Junior Campus, students have been collecting gifts for Anglicare’s Toys and Tucker program for those in need, while on the Senior Campus each House has had a Christmas drive for their designated charity: Cowper – Matthew Talbot; Dumolo – Children’s Medical Research Institute; McDouall – First Nations Reconciliation; Roseby – Headspace. In addition, on Monday afternoon 35 Junior Campus students from Redlands House to Year 6 performed a Christmas concert for the residents of Mackillop Grange Retirement Village which included dance, violin and Christmas carols.
The profound impact they had on that community was summed up by the following reflection shared by one of the residents at the end of the concert: “It gives us great hope, because in this gloomy world of war, hate and greed, you have shown us – by giving us your time and your talent – your generous spirit of caring and sharing. You are tomorrow’s world, and our hopes for the future.”
As I reflect back on my first year as Principal, I am so proud of all our many and varied accomplishments, whether in service, leadership, academic or cocurricular pursuits. My focus for this year was on reconnecting community, and I truly believe our community is now as strong or stronger than at any time over my seven years at the School. While I will share more in my Speech Day addresses next week, I want to especially thank you, the parents and carers, for your continued partnership in support of your children, our staff and the School. I also thank all members of our community who supported us this year in raising funds for the means-tested Dr Sue Morey AM Scholarship, the restoration of the Liggins building and the expansion of our High Country Campus.
A specific strategic focus this year has been on integrating and advocating sustainable best practices across the School, and I am proud to say that Redlands has been recognised for our efforts in being awarded the 2023 Sustainable School of the Year at the 2023 NSW Environmental Education Awards on Friday evening. A huge congratulations to all of the students and staff across the School who have driven our sustainability efforts and in particular, our Sustainability Manager, Kimberlee Chipper.
I wish you and your families a safe, joyous and blessed Christmas and holiday season, and look forward to seeing you at our end of year events next week.
Mr Sean Corcoran
Photo Caption: It was wonderful to get into the Christmas spirit at the Junior Campus Christmas Carols and Redlands House End of Year Concert this week.