Head of Junior School

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JUNIOR SCHOOL UPCOMING EVENTS

Bandaged Bear Teddy Bears’ Picnic (Friday 19 March)

A reminder that we are delighted to support the Bandage Bear Appeal again this year, as we look forward to raising money for The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

All of our Junior Campus students from Preschool to Yr 6 will enjoy a Teddy Bears’ Picnic with buddy classes enjoying lunch together and students are encouraged to bring in a teddy bear from home and make a gold coin donation.

This is a particularly special fundraiser for many in our community and having visited the Children’s Hospice, Bear Cottage, which is affiliated to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and the hospital itself, I know that our collective donation will have a significant impact on the lives of many families.

Balmoral Swim for Cancer

This Sunday, Redlands will be participating in the Balmoral Swim for Cancer Schools Relay Challenge at Balmoral Beach. The Schools Relay Challenge is a community-based initiative where schools help raise funds for the Children’s Cancer Institute, increase awareness of this important cause and importantly have fun participating in an open water swim relay.

We have a Yr 6 team who have entered and we wish Charlotte Algar, Katie Jennings, Evie Krallis and Tara Ward all the very best in their age group race which sees them each swim 200m in their relay team.

Please follow this link if you would like to donate to this worthwhile cause.

Year 5 Camp (23-26 March)

Next week sees the first of our 2021 Junior School camps as Yr 5 set off for Camp Wombaroo in the Southern Highlands. The children and staff are excited about the Camp and I am also looking forward to spending time with them next week, just as I will visit every Year Group on their respective camps during the first semester.

I will send parents an email update from Yr 5 Camp either on Wednesday night or Thursday morning depending on when I return to Sydney to give you a sense of how the trip is faring and we will also put some photos up in the Yr 5 section of Redlands Pulse during the week.

These special opportunities for teachers and students to interact with one another in an environment outside of the classroom often builds a platform for developing increased connections and insights upon returning to school, not to mention fostering potential new student friendships along the way. I am sure that the trip will provide some wonderful opportunities and memories for students and staff alike and I will share my observations and experiences through Note Day too.

International Day: Tuesday 30 March

Redlands will once again celebrate International Day on Tuesday 30 March in the final week of term. This will be a time for our community of 51 different nationalities to join together to celebrate both our rich, cultural diversity and international awareness. The event aligns with similar events on the Senior Campus and Year Groups will also be incorporating international perspectives in curriculum lessons. Teachers will be contacting parents who may be able to share their knowledge and experiences through a range of activities on the day.

As always, I am sure that the school will be awash with vibrant colour as we celebrate the day with students encouraged to wear national costume or colours from any chosen country on this day with a reminder that enclosed shoes and sun-safe clothes should be worn. 

Uniform Shop

A reminder that students will be required to wear full winter uniform from the beginning of Term 2. Parents are now welcome to visit the Uniform Shop to purchase winter items or place an online order through Flexischools.

The Uniform Shop will be open on the following days during the holiday break: Wednesday 7 April, Thursday 15 April, Friday 16 April and Monday 19 April from 8.00am-4.00pm. Appointments can be made by clicking here.

Mensa

We were delighted to hear that Yr 6 student, Sam Ashby, has been accepted into Mensa based on his IQ being in the top 2% in his age group in Australia. Getting into Mensa is something that Sam has been striving for and he is excited to have achieved this goal.

School Service

As part of their IB Diploma, Redlands Secondary students engage in Service programs in the school or local community. For some students, they will return to the Junior School to support younger students in a range of areas and for us as teachers, it is a joy to reconnect with a number of students that we have taught in their formative years.

Currently, we have two students, Lara Cody and Edwina Magnus, who started in our Preschool and are now in Yr 11, providing particular support to a small group of students with their handwriting. The girls use a range of strategies to develop students’ fine motor skills which should contribute to improved handwriting and over the course of the year, we look forward to having other Secondary School complete aspects of Service on our campus with the younger students who always love having older students mentor them.

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