Head of Junior School

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JUNIOR SCHOOL UPCOMING EVENTS

The Power of Yet

“I’m not that sporty and I’ll be in the lowest team, Mr Guha.” 

These were the words of a Yr 5 student to me during Basketball trials at the start of this term which I reminded him of last Saturday morning after he had scored the winning basket in a come-from-behind, a thrilling two point victory for our Yr 5/6 E team against Knox. The unadulterated joy on both his face and those of his team mates at the final siren was priceless and reminded me why we ask all of our students to be part of our Representative sports program from Yr 5, noting that many start this journey from Yr 3.

As his mother had shared with me, the School’s expectation of him joining a team was met with some initial reluctance on his part but stepping out of his comfort zone had been very good for him as were the many social benefits of being part of a team of girls and boys from Yrs 5 and 6 in an interschool competition that supports fair play, sportsmanship and enjoyment.

As a teacher, whenever I hear students say, “I can’t” or “I haven’t” or other language of a more fixed mindset nature, I will generally add the word yet to their sentence….”I can’t yet” or I haven’t yet”. Nurturing a growth mindset in our students’ way of thinking and being is an attribute that continually occurs here at Redlands as we guide our students to realise that their intelligence and abilities can be improved with effort, persistence, practise and the right strategies.

Having also been part of a winning debate for the first time as part of a school team on the Friday night, this student enjoyed a great start to his weekend and now can’t wait for his game this weekend.

Outdoor Education Camps

Information has been sent home to our Yr 5 families ahead of Yr 5 Camp in Week 9 (23-26 March).

As you may recall from my letter before the commencement of term, all of our Junior School Year Groups enjoy the opportunity to be part of a Year Group camp which are often highlights for students and staff alike. These fun and exciting outdoor educational learning experiences aim to enhance students’ perceptions of their abilities, improve self-confidence, develop essential life and social skills, and foster a deep respect for the natural environment.

As teachers, these trips also give us a greater insight into the unique personality of each student as we spend quality time with them in an environment other than the classroom. This knowledge can then often be transferred back into the classroom for mutual benefit.

Redlands partners with the Outdoor Education Group (OEG) on all of our camps from Yrs 2-12 and additional information about each camp can be found here with the password Shine.

Junior School Debating

Congratulations to both Primary A and Primary B Representative Debating teams who won their debate last Friday against Trinity Grammar School. The topic was ‘Whether public transport should be free’ and, as the affirmative, Redlands proposed a range of persuasive reasons why this should be the case. In particular, we congratulate our Yr 5 students who comprise the Primary B team in their very first representative debate.

Junior School Class Parents Meeting

Along with the School’s new Head of Community Engagement Mr Grant Birse, and our Director of Development Mrs Dana Casimaty, I was delighted to attend the first gathering of our volunteer Junior School Class parents. With restrictions of parents on-site during school hours, the group met at a local venue and it was the first time in over a year that the meeting had been able to take place in person which no doubt had an influence on the near full attendance. I look forward to working with this important community group, ably led by Rebecca James and Becky Gait, and I know that there is excitement at the prospect of social gatherings this year with the changing positive position of NSW’s Health guidelines.

Clean Up Australia Day

As in previous years, Redlands has been registered for Clean Up Australia Day on Sunday 7 March between 12.00-2.00pm. The School has registered a site at Balmoral Beach with families asked to meet at the rotunda at 11.50pm.

To support this day, please click here and equipment such as bags and gloves have been sent to the School but attending families may wish to bring their own. 

Bus Safety Week

In our assembly this week, I spoke briefly to the students about this week’s NSW Bus Safety Week, highlighting the importance of bus-related safety issues for them and indeed all road users. The week helps educate students and our wider school community about bus-related road rules so that they stay safe as passengers when catching or alighting from a bus, when riding their bikes to and from school or as pedestrians when walking to and from school crossing our busy roads occupied by many buses and when driving around school zones. 

I also reminded students of the need to stand up for adult passengers when buses are full and if they are seated.

Yr 4 Excursion by Luca Cowlishaw and Jennifer Todd

On Monday, Yr 4 went on an excursion to the National Maritime Museum and Hyde Park Barracks, as part of our History unit this term. First off, we explored the Maritime Museum, where we boarded a replica of the HMS Endeavour, the ship that Captain Cook used to chart the eastern coast of Australia. We discovered how the Aboriginal Australians marked the seasons according to things like the stars or the migration of different animals and how they mapped their world. We learnt about the traditional bark boats, which were used for fishing and travelling to trade with neighbouring groups. I really enjoyed visiting the replica of the Endeavour and imagining what the life of the explorers who travelled on the original ship would have been like, as they sailed to the other side of the world.

At the Hyde Park Barracks, the guides were helpful and showed us paintings and the sorts of tools that the convicts used as we heard about the jobs they did. We also looked at the hammocks that the convicts slept in and got to try these ourselves and I found them to be very comfortable although the guide did explain that there would be many more people sharing and sleeping in this space at the time. We also enjoyed building a room outside using foam bricks and had to build an isolation room which we heard was a secondary punishment.

We were very happy to be able to have parent helpers join the excursion for the first time in over a year and we are grateful to the teachers for planning the day.

Second Hand Uniform Sale

The second hand uniform sale will take place next week. Please visit the RPFA article for more details. 

Mr Ari Guha
Head of Junior School 
aguha@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9953 6022