From the Principal
One of the great pleasures in working with young people in education is that they regularly inspire you with their energy, resilience, positive outlook and hope for the future.
Our Year 12 leaders wanted to do something special today to lift the spirits of the students and staff and as usual they came up with a creative initiative. I have just come from Redlands Hall where a group of our Yr 12 students performed a medley of songs from the musical Grease (that unfortunately has been postponed), with the performance being streamed online to every Tutor Group meeting in the Secondary School.
The sense of fun, energy and enjoyment beamed into classrooms around the School, with students joining in and other staff around the Campus also having the opportunity to watch online. I was so impressed by their leadership and care for the community and it was wonderful to see smiling faces both in Redlands Hall and via Zoom online in the classrooms and offices. You can sing along and dance to their performance here.
One aspect of the current situation we are all dealing with that has become abundantly apparent is that we are all connected, locally, nationally and globally. Our common humanity across the globe is amplified, we start to recognise that decisions made at all levels and around the globe have a ripple effect far and wide, and that we are dependent on so many others who we at times take for granted.
This is not only a time for us to value those dear to us, our family and friends, but also to think beyond our immediate circle and our commitment to our broader society and in seeking creative ways in which we can make a difference. It may have been a brief performance but today we were reminded by our students of the importance of looking outwards, and that in giving we all receive so much more than expected.
We are looking forward to a day of remote learning tomorrow with students and teachers collaborating in our virtual classrooms, with students learning from home and teachers at school delivering and overseeing lessons. We have our Sports Department running an online physical training session for our students from 6.45am to get the day of remote and online learning started. The subsequent feedback from staff and students will enable us to further refine our remote learning processes, should the need for a more sustained period of remote learning eventuate.
Mr Corcoran, Mr Guha and Mrs Fellowes have reinforced the arrangements for tomorrow in each of their sections of Note Day, so could you please read their sections closely. I would just reiterate that all students will be assumed to be present for learning tomorrow from home unless parents notify the School that their child is unwell via the usual absentee email.
I would also like to advise that this weekend there will be a thorough cleaning and sanitisation treatment of all internal areas of both campuses, including classrooms, offices, bathrooms and halls. This is in addition to the increased daily wiping and sanitising of all surfaces, chairs, handles, handrails and light switches throughout all areas of the School and the wiping and sanitising of School buses prior to and after each trip. This is not due to any current student or staff diagnosis, as you would be informed if this was the case, it was a good opportunity to implement this as an additional measure due to no activities being held on campus this weekend.
I also draw your attention to the School’s COVID-19 Information Page on Redlands Pulse which provides the latest updated information from the School, an updated list of cancellations and postponements and other resources for parents.
The development of the New Learning Hub on our Senior Campus has been progressing as per plans and it has been exciting to see it unfold from the scaffolding. We are grateful to all our partners and community for supporting this transformative project.
Stephen Webber
Photo caption: Uplifting students and staff, Yr 12 students performed songs from the musical Grease with the performance being streamed online to every Tutor Group.