Head of Junior School

Head of Junior School

It has been wonderful to see and feel the sense of Spring this week as we approach the halfway point of the term. As is often the case at Redlands, our students have loved a number of experiential learning opportunities this past week, which I have highlighted below and the students’ engagement and enjoyment in these events has been highly evident.

Music Instrumental Program (MIP) Concert

This afternoon, alongside a wonderful audience of students, staff, parents and guests, I had the joy of watching the superb culmination of this year’s work in the Yrs 4 and 5 curriculum music ensemble program – affectionately called ‘MIP’.  Each year, the incoming Yr 4 cohort (and new Yr 5 students) begin their journey on an allocated Concert Band or String instrument. It was spectacular! 225 musicians – so many of whom have only been learning since the start of this year presented a dedicated, polished ensemble performance to thrill the crowd.

My gratitude and congratulations to the exceptionally talented team of Music teachers and tutors that we are blessed to have at Redlands and of course the stars of today’s show, our students.

Inquisitive Minds Mathematics Incursion

Pencils were sharpened and ready in hands, minds were reeling, brains firing and a palpable sense of excitement filled the air as every student in Yrs 3-6 took part in this week’s Inquisitive Minds Maths incursions. Over the course of the two days, every class participated in problem-solving relays to tackle mathematical wonders from tangram shapes and coloured sudokus to number problems of all shapes and sizes. Every student engaged in fun, hands-on, challenging learning experiences, practising perseverance and grit to solve problems. 

Yrs 3 and 4 enjoyed a captivating afternoon session with Inquisitive Minds making towers, characters and cities with wooden planks. Leaning on mathematics and engineering knowledge, there were challenges to build the longest bridge, the tallest tower and the sturdiest shape. The collaboration and focus of the students during this hands-on activity was noticeable and also put a smile on every individual’s face. 

Reflecting on the two days, it was fantastic to see so many students enjoying mathematical thinking in different contexts. Students used abstract reasoning, numerical understanding, spatial awareness and deductive reasoning to piece together pictorial and number puzzles. They were reminded that Mathematics is not just about formulas and algorithms. The purpose of mathematics educations is to teach students how to solve problems, find solutions and give things a go. We want students to build the tallest bridge, find the missing code and create the unimaginable.

The days seemed to ignite a passion for solving problems in many as well as presenting the opportunity to work as a team and to put together pieces of a puzzle to achieve something incredible. We also appreciated having Redlands students from Yr 7 and Yr 9 assist with the incursion and it was delightful to see them working closely with the younger students.

Ms Ciara Harding
Mathematics Specialist Teacher

Yr 5 Leadership Workshop

Last Friday, Yr 5 enjoyed their second half day student leadership workshop led by Cameron Brown from Explore, Discover Act. Cameron has spent time with them throughout the year on leadership and this workshop was another important step in the year group’s journey towards their collective student leadership in 2023. I know that we will have no shortage of potential leaders and I will share further information on the process for student nomination and election in next week’s Note Day.

Surf Education

Our students have enjoyed the opportunity to complete the second week of their Surf Education sessions at Freshwater Beach. In the glorious sunshine, and as part of this annual program, the students developed increased beach awareness and safety skills which will be invaluable ahead of the summer holiday period.

Thank you to Ms Robinson for coordinating the program again in tandem with Surf Life Saving School Australia and their qualified team of SLSSA instructors.

Sustainability Gardens Activity

As previously mentioned, our six-week Sustainable School Garden project led by ethnobotanist, David Harrington is well under way and the students have thoroughly enjoyed the sessions with David.

In Yrs 3 and 4, classes have been doing an audit of visible pollinators around the school using a pollinator check sheet and audit the school’s plantings for pollinator value. They have discussed species for pollinators and then planted appropriate species in the Allister St garden using bush regeneration techniques. A secondary goal has been to investigate and discuss what bush tucker species are already in the school.

In Yrs 5 and 6, each class has worked towards a common goal to refurbish and renovate our existing garden area and build two new garden beds that are sustainable and self-watering, using recycled materials. Students have been part of an initial site assessment and analysed the local garden microclimate using weather monitoring equipment, test the soil for pH, structure and organic material and calculated what materials are required to refurbish the existing beds.

2023 Student Orientation – Tuesday 8 November

 Next Tuesday, we will welcome over fifty new students who will join the Junior School in 2023 as part of their process of orientation into Redlands. I know that our current students will warmly welcome their soon-to-be peers and for part of the day, Yrs 2, 3, 4 and 5 also move up a year to the Year Groups that they will be in next year.

This will allow them some time with possible new teachers, new students, and begin to get a feel of new learning spaces and expectations. The students will also rotate around each classroom doing a series of engaging activities and on the same day, our Yr 6 students will have a full day in the Secondary School as part of their transition.

Redlands App – Updated Version Now Available

We’re excited to announce that the next-generation version of the Redlands App is now available to download. We’ve redesigned the App from the ground up for parents, students, and staff to keep the Redlands community updated with key information that is relevant to your child/ren. 

Key features of the Redlands App include:

  • News and Notices: Receive Pulse Updates straight to the App. 
  • Calendar: Provides key dates relevant to your child/ren
  • Absentees: Parents can submit prefilled absentee forms directly to the School
  • Activities: View Sport and other Cocurricular schedules, team lists and change or cancellation alerts
  • My Groups: Access and join Pulse groups within the App relevant to your child/ren
  • Other Features: Access Key Links, Term Dates, Note Day and more. 

You can download the Redlands App from the iOS App Store or Google Play Store by searching Redlands. If you already have the current app, you’ll need the latest app update released today. 

For more information, visit our Redlands App Information section on Pulse here. 

As with Pulse, we’re committed to developing the app further and have additional improvements in the pipeline to provide a better user experience across all our digital platforms. If you have any feedback, please contact pulse@redlands.nsw.edu.au.

Pulse Password Update

Following parent feedback, we have simplified the Pulse password protocol. Parents who wish to change their password to a simpler version can do so via Pulse in the ICT and Help sections. For further assistance please contact isupport@redlands.nsw.edu.au. 

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