Head of Junior School
Live from Yr 6 Camp in Canberra
There is something serenely uplifting about driving out of Sydney as the sun rises and I enjoyed this experience as I drove down to Canberra yesterday morning to spend time with Yr 6 and the teachers on camp this week. As always, I have really enjoyed the many opportunities to sit and enjoy a conversation over a meal or on an activity with students, which are always a highlight for me on each Junior School camp. It is these types of moments where, as teachers, we find out a little more about each child and often vice versa too.
There is a uniqueness about this particular trip where our Yr 6 students are engaged in rich learning experiences in both civics and outdoor education such as the high-ropes course, camping, canoeing, hiking and mountain biking, interspersed with curriculum-related learning experiences at The CSIRO Discovery Centre, The Australian War Memorial, Parliament House, The Museum of Australian Democracy and the National Gallery of Australia, where my day started yesterday with three of the groups. They have also enjoyed evening activities with this evening’s activity being a private session at Questacon, the interactive National Science and Technology Centre which is always an absolute student highlight.
So close after ANZAC Day, the visit to the Australian War Memorial had greater significance and impact to many of the students and I loved seeing the sheer awe of the students as they saw the original David Hockney painting of A Bigger Grand Canyon, which they have studied in Visual Arts this year. Jackson Pollock’s famous 70-year-old abstract work, Blue Poles, which the National Gallery Of Australia purchased for $1.4m and is now worth a staggering $153m w2as another highlight.
One of the things that has made me particularly proud has been observing how the students have been looking after one another and I have seen a how polite, engaged and respectful the group have been as they have moved around Canberra.
To assist in meeting the cost of part of our week in the nation’s capital, the Australian Government generously contributes funding of $30 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs, which is duly acknowledged and paid directly to the School upon completion of the excursion. This has supported the opportunity for our students to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy. The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education.
We have posted some pictures of the trip so far on the Yr 6 page on Pulse for you to enjoy and get a feel of the trip so far and I look forward to joining families welcome the group back at approximately 4pm on Friday afternoon. I know you will also join me in thanking the marvellous team of teachers here caring for the group in loco parentis. It is a huge responsibility, but the meticulous planning of Mrs Robinson, Mr Atkins, Ms Proctor and the team has helped with the smooth organisation of the week yet again, for which I and the students are immensely grateful.
Student Medications on Yr 4 Camp
We are looking forward to Yr 4 heading down to the Southern Highlands next week and a reminder that if your child/ren requires medication (Prescribed or OTC) on camp, you will need to complete a Medical Authority Form located on Pulse HERE.
This form will need to be returned to Mr Atkins ASAP. Students should not be arriving to camp without a completed MAF if they require medication.
Please contact our Head of Outdoor Education, Mr Atkins, for any other questions via email.
Mother’s Day Celebration
We are looking forward to hosting our Mother’s Day Celebration on Monday 15 May.
RSVP: For catering purposes and to give us a sense of numbers in attendance, please could attendees all RSVP here.
Event Details
Location: Piazza, Junior Campus
Time: 7.45am-8.30am
Other info: Freshly brewed barista coffees will be served from the coffee carts accompanied with some refreshments. Students will enjoy a complimentary juice popper.
K-6 Parent Cybersafety Workshop
Absence Notifications
If your child will be absent or late to school, please be reminded to inform the school office by either emailing jsabsence@redlands.nsw.edu.au or via the Redlands App prior to 9am. If we have not had any notification, an absence SMS will be sent to you at 9.30am as a prompt.
Yr 6 Healthy Relationships Workshops
Next week, our Yr 6 teachers, PDHPE staff and school counsellors will help external providers, In Your Skin, to lead and facilitate Healthy Relationships workshops. Our Redlands staff have undertaken training ahead of time to enhance their skillset and know the students best.
As was the case across Yrs 6-12 last year, these half day workshops and presentations for students will be age appropriate and tailored specifically for each year group in line with our relationships, consent and sexuality education curriculum.
As a School, we are committed to ensuring our students continue to receive appropriate education on these essential topics in line with our School Vision to inspire our students to achieve life-readiness.
Junior School Information from other Sections
I enjoyed this term’s meeting with our Class Parent Reps and thank them for their continued support of our School community. Connected to part of their feedback, I have created links to relevant Junior School information in other parts of Note Day that you might not access as regularly yet.
Whilst I won’t put direct links to these pages every week, I hope that this week’s links allow you to explore the content of these pages and bookmark them if you feel appropriate.
Years 5 and 6 Oxford University Computational Challenge Opportunity
Redlands is excited to again offer the opportunity for Yrs 5 and 6 students who are experienced with Blockly coding, computational thinking and problem-solving, to enter Round One of the global Oxford University Computational Challenge (OUCC), which will be held on Thursday 25 May here at Redlands.
For interested students, further information on the competition and how to enter, please click here.
Mr Ari Guha
Head of Junior School
aguha@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9953 6022