Head of Early Childhood

A Special Morning

For Mother’s Day this year the front of my special card said “It’s not what we have in our life, but who we have in our life that counts”. This was clearly evident at the Mother’s Day morning celebration in Dunnet Hall and activities that followed in the classrooms. The teachers gave the children ownership of the activities they wanted to complete with their mother, grandmother or special friend. As expected, they came up with wonderful choices. Wandering from room to room, I saw some of these unique ideas including self-portrait drawings, abstract art work, still-life drawings, origami flowers, poetry writing and most interestingly, a massage and pampering station. Thank you for joining us on this special day and I hope you took away some lovely memories. Additional thanks must go to the Junior Canteen staff and Facilities team for their assistance with the organisation of this event.

Redlands Konica Minolta Art Prize

Last Thursday evening I attended the Redlands Konica Minolta Art Prize Parents’ Evening at the National Art School in Darlinghurst, which was well attended by the Early Childhood section of the School. Thank you for your support of the 22^nd anniversary of this esteemed prize, featuring very special art works from well-respected members of the art community and up and coming artists. Amongst the judges this year were Visual Arts Coordinator, Mark Harpley, and Visual Arts teacher, Fabian Byrne. They remarked that this year’s Prize offered a very strong field of artwork in both the established and emerging artist categories, making it particularly difficult to select an outright winner. Gail Hastings’ artwork was awarded the winning prize in the established artist category for her work Colour Circle: four colour scheme for a room, which was noted by judges to be playful and inventive. Mr Harpley added that this work will be an important addition to the Redlands Collection providing students a provocative teaching and learning tool referencing the colour wheel.

We are fortunate at Redlands to have a community with a strong tradition of generously giving back to the School and we are most appreciative of the families who attend events such as this and give of their time and generosity with sponsorships, community building events, volunteering and donations. The building of the New Learning Hub, which Prep students will have the use of when they reach the Senior Campus, is a chance for families to donate to the Building Fund. A unique opportunity to have a family plaque on a Legacy Board at the entrance to the Learning Hub is available to reserve. If you would like further details on this very special initiative, please email Dana Casimaty, Director of Development.

Launch of the Spring Fair

This week I had the pleasure of attending the Early Childhood Parent Group where the launch of this year’s Spring Fair was shared. Thanks must go to Mrs Trudi Waterhouse and Mrs Jean Martin for their vision and enthusiastic approach to this year’s Fair. I have fond memories of my very first day at Redlands which fell on the 2016 Spring Fair day. The School is most appreciative of the time that has already gone into the preparation and planning for this very special event and I look forward to it with anticipation.

Waste Free Wednesday

The students in the Prep School have been very enthusiastic about Waste Free Wednesday and are committed to reducing the amount of rubbish found in our playground. Last week, 101 students in the Prep School participated in Waste Free Wednesday and this week we had an astonishing 130 students participate. Some students are so eager to reduce waste that their lunchbox is free of waste over the course of an entire week. It is wonderful to see how motivated students are in taking care of our school environment and more importantly, developing an understanding of how rubbish can affect and impact our lives.

Yr 2 Camp Information Session

On Wednesday 30 May, the Prep School will be holding a Yr 2 Camp Information Session for interested families. The session will be held in the Arnold Library on the Junior Campus, beginning promptly at 3.30pm, finishing at 4.30pm. David Gregory, Head of Outdoor Education, Nicola Sharp, Yr 2 Coordinator and Shelly Acland, Prep School Counsellor, will be in attendance and sharing pertinent information about the Yr 2 Camp program.

Part of this discussion will centre around the School’s Outdoor Education philosophy for students of this age and our understanding of the range of student emotions, abilities and child-development rates. As such, we respectfully ask that children not be in attendance for this particular session. For any Yr 2 parents who have children across the Prep School, we would like to offer additional care for students, if required, in Two Crimson and Two Aqua classrooms after school. If you would like to use this service, you must register by  emailing earlychildhood@redlands.nsw.edu.au BEFORE 23 May. If you are unable to attend this session, all information, including all questions and answers will be uploaded onto the Yr 2 section of Redlands Pulse.

You Can Sit With Me

On Friday 1 June, the Junior Campus will be joining together with their buddies at lunch time to observe You Can Sit With Me day. This initiative began to strengthen communities with children of all ages, fostering friendships across schools. You Can Sit With Me reminds everyone in our school that we welcome anyone to sit with us regardless of interests, ability and age. On the day, we are encouraging all students to wear a touch of yellow. If you are interested in buying a pencil or bag tag, please visit their website. All proceeds from the sale of items go to the Literacy and Numeracy Foundation.

Girls’ Uniform Trial

As part of ongoing consultation with students and parents regarding the School uniform, we are trialling girls’ trousers this Winter, Terms 2 and 3. The School has recently sourced smaller sizes for Prep students. If you are interested in trousers for the Winter for your daughter, please visit the Uniform Shop. There are black socks available to purchase to wear with the navy trousers.

Mrs Audrey Fellowes
Head of Early Childhood
afellowes@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9848