Head of Junior School

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All the Fun of the Fair!

What a wonderful community event last Saturday’s Autumn fair was! With summer instead of autumnal weather, the warm temperatures matched the palpable feeling of community warmth as this eagerly-awaited event took place after months of meticulous planning.

It was so good to see students and families enjoying the event and above all, I want to extend my sincere gratitude and congratulations to our Redlands Parents and Friends Association, ably assisted by an army of parent volunteer helpers and a dedicated team of our Redlands staff, for their herculean efforts. Quite simply, the event’s success and military-like precision was due to this group of people and we are all deeply appreciative.

Behavioural Expectations

Every member of our Redlands community has the right to feel safe, valued and included.

In our assembly this week, I revisited my start-of-term message with the students about the School’s expectations on how we treat and interact with one another, which parents and carers may recall I highlighted in my first Note Day of the year.

I shared with the students that in the last fortnight, we have had behaviours that are not aligned with either our School Values (p.3 of the Student Planner), our School Rules and Expectations (p.8 of the Student Planner).  I also reminded the students of the School’s clear expectations and the processes that are in place when this happens.

Whilst the vast majority of our students live our School Values, I asked all of the students to look out for one another and support our staff by using our School Value of moral courage and being positive bystanders when they see things that they know are not right. Class teachers will also talk about this with their students in class and I will speak to Yr 5 when they return from camp next week.

We know how important these personal values are in life beyond the school gates and so I encourage families to talk about this at home, as you feel appropriate.

Athletics Carnival

In searing temperatures, our abridged Junior School Athletics carnival took place last Thursday morning and it was a joy to see the students enjoy this day of House spirit and athletic endeavour. As I shared in my words at the end of the carnival, whilst there were some incredible achievements and records broken, for me it was just as important to see students giving of their best and achieving their own personal bests, having great fun along the way. I also loved seeing the intrinsically supportive mindset that so many students have, even whilst competing against others.

I recognise and thank our Sports team, ably supported by a team of coaches and Redlands staff, who all play various roles to ensure the smooth operation of the day. In particular, Mr Dunne and Mr Sharma submitted a number of modifications in our own internal processes due to the weather and were at the venue from 6am to ensure that everything was in place for the benefit of the students.

Yr 5 Camp

Yesterday, I enjoyed a memorable day with the group and in only one day, I was able to see students involved in mountain biking, canoeing, raft building (and water testing!), a low ropes course, a high ropes course, camp craft, initiative exercises, orienteering, tent set-up (even though they are not camping overnight) and take on the infamous ‘Giant Swing’!

Mr Brakell (Yr 5 Coordinator) has placed some photos on the Yr 5 page of Pulse for families to get a ‘feel’ of the camp so far and I look forward to joining parents as we welcome the group back tomorrow (Friday) at the updated time of 2pm on the Murdoch St side of the campus where there is a larger, designated bus zone.

I also acknowledge and thank Mr Brakell’s meticulous preparation and hands-on leadership, ably supported by Mrs Smith and our team of staff there, both in the weeks leading up to camp and whilst there to care for each child.

Education Perfect World Languages Champions 2023

Congratulations to Redlands for coming 1^st in Spanish internationally out of 1,182 schools in the recent EP World Championships! This was last achieved by Redlands in 2020 (during lockdown!) and is a phenomenal result and recognition of the students’ diligence and efforts to learn and revise their language vocabulary.  We acknowledged this notable achievement in assembly and the students listed below finished in the top 8 of their respective Year Group in Spanish and will be invited to enjoy some churros to celebrate. The highest scoring student (as denoted by the asterisk) in each year will also receive a $30 gift card.

International Day: Tuesday 4 April

On Tuesday 4 April (Week 10), our school community will celebrate our global-mindedness and diversity through our annual International Day event. Students and staff are encouraged to dress up in either international dress or colours for the day and teachers will have a series of themed lessons during the day.

Parents are encouraged to connect with your child’s class teacher if you are able to present or share your own cultural backgrounds and experiences utilising the knowledge we have in our community and connecting home and school further. Teachers will also be in touch.

Early Bird offers for April Holiday Code Camp Classes

We are delighted to again have Code Camp run 2 holiday classes from 19 – 21 April in Week 2 of the April break.  These camps are only for Redlands students and are run at Redlands.  

The two camps they will run are listed below for information:

1. Minions Animation K-2 (ages 5-7) and 
2. Spark 3-6 (ages 7-12)

Bookings: Please click HERE for further information about the camps and to make a booking and read the flyer for details on an early bird discount offer.

Message from Ms Nogueira (K-6 OOSH Coordinator)

We are so proud of our children, families, and staff involvement with OOSH this term. Parents have been engaging with our activities in many ways, making it possible for us to get to know our children even more. After receiving beautiful books written in many different languages, we want to hear more from you.

What is your family’s favourite traditional meal? Our next step is to create, with the children and families, our OOSH cookbook. Children have already started working on this project and it looks promising!

Our community will continue to be our focus for the upcoming Vacation Care, and some parents have already shared great ideas with our team. There will be delicious food, performances and activities reflecting our diverse group. Don’t forget to email us or talk to us if you can collaborate in any way. Children feel so happy when they can share about their families with others, and this is so important to help create the sense of belonging that we are celebrating this week.

Thank you for all the support!

Uniform Shop Holiday Opening Hours

The Uniform Shop will close at 4pm on Thursday 6 April and reopen on Thursday 20 April 2023.  All students must return in full winter uniform (including blazers) for Term 2.  To make an appointment for a winter uniform fitting, please click HERE ​​​​​​or visit Pulse for further details.

If you have any queries, please call 9968 9850 or email uniformorders@redlands.nsw.edu.au

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