From the Principal
Over the past few weeks I have been meeting with each Year 12 Tutor group individually for a morning tea to both celebrate and acknowledge their achievements and efforts as they come to the end of their schooling journey, while also getting some feedback on their experience at Redlands.
For one of my questions, I have asked each of them to share one word that best describes or sums up Redlands to them and their three most common answers were: Opportunity, Community and Supportive. A powerful and heartening list.
Pleasingly, I have seen these words in action over the past week around the School. Last Friday, we announced our new Secondary School student leaders to the community at lunchtime in Liggins Quad. What was so special to me about this event was how much pride and excitement the outgoing Year 12 student leaders showed in embracing the new student leaders and the wider support from the Secondary School students and staff as each of the new captains was announced.
On Sunday I attended the Dance Awards and again community, opportunity and support were on display with students, parents and staff reflecting on the year, enjoying performances and receiving well-earned recognitions. A highlight of mine was hearing from two Redlanders who were leaders in the Redlands Dance program during its inception almost 25 years ago: India Patten (Lathey), Class of 2000 and Ariane Beeston (Solomons), Class of 2001. While the Redlands Dance Academy has certainly progressed in leaps and bounds since their time at the School, the underlying cultural messages of inclusivity, diversity and support have remained the same.
On Monday I enjoyed attending the final student run assemblies led by the Class of 2024 Captains and hearing their underlying message of the importance of authenticity and how we are all so fortunate to be a part of a school that celebrates students for being their authentic selves.
Then on Tuesday morning I was able to speak to the Year 1 students before they headed off for their Camp program and hear their excitement of embarking on new activities and stepping out of their comfort zones. I also joined in an Aboriginal education experience with our Year 2 students led by the Nyumbar education team, which provided Year 2 with an opportunity to learn more about Aboriginal culture in a deeper and more meaningful way.
On Tuesday I also enjoyed seeing our Secondary School athletes shine at the ISA Athletics Championships. There were many outstanding results on the track and in the field, but it was also wonderful to see the strong support our students showed for each other, whether it was filling in for injured athletes in a race or cheering them on down the home straight.
I would like to make a special mention of our School Captain, Isaac Brooks, who finished his stellar athletics career at Redlands winning both the 800 metre and 1500 metre races I would also like to congratulate our Junior, Intermediate and Senior Girls teams who each finished second in Division 1, leading Redlands to an Overall Girls second place finish.
Yesterday evening I attended the Year 12 IB Visual Arts Exhibition and was blown away not just by the creations but also by the curations of our IB Visual Arts students. Last night I was also privileged to hear our outgoing student leaders share their reflections on their final year at Redlands with our Board of Directors. Their maturity, insight and pride for their School was a truly heartwarming experience for all of us in attendance. And this morning, I was able to be a part of the Year 12 Final Chapel Service and witness how our graduating students have been nourished and supported over the course of their spiritual journey at Redlands.
A community that is supportive with so many opportunities for students to let their light shine. A wonderful description of Redlands which has certainly been on display over the past week.
Mr Sean Corcoran
Photo Caption: It was a proud moment on our Senior Campus as we announced our 2025 Student Leadership team! A big congratulations to our student leaders and a special mention to Aneke and Liam, who were announced as our new School Captains.