Head of Junior School
As we ease into the new term, it has been pleasing to observe our students showing strong learning effort in their lessons as well as demonstrating very good standards in their conduct and behaviour. Across the term it will be a priority for these core expectations to remain high so that students can make the most of the learning opportunities at the School.
Year 6 Camp
This week Year 6 students have been attending their school camp in Canberra. I have previously mentioned the many benefits that school camps bring to the social and emotional development of students. Prior to leaving for Canberra, I spoke to the Year 6 students about my view of the main aims of such experiences which in summary are; to have fun and enjoy different activities in a different setting, to find opportunities to be challenged and thereby grow, and to practise empathy by putting others first which is pivotal to the success of the whole camp experience. When I caught up with the Year 6 students in Canberra this week it was clear that the Year 6 cohort were indeed putting these aims into action.
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 and as such contributes funding of $30 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. As a school we acknowledge and are grateful that this subsidy 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.
Year 6 Healthy Relationships Workshops and Parent and Carer Webinar
On 30 May, Year 6 teachers, PDHPE staff and School Counsellors will help external providers, ‘In Your Skin’, to lead and facilitate Healthy Relationships workshops. As per previous years, the half day workshops from Year 6 – Year 12 will be age appropriate and tailored specifically for each Year Group in line with our relationships, consent and sexuality education curriculum. More detailed information about the content of the workshops will be sent to Year 6 parents and carers next week. To support parents to navigate this area the School is facilitating an online information session featuring Dr Tessa Opie. Please refer to the details below from Mrs Sabine Partington:
Dear Parents and Carers,
We are pleased that we have once again engaged with ‘In Your Skin: Relationships and Sexuality Education’, to continue to partner with us as we further develop and implement our relationships, consent and sexuality education programs.
Dr Tessa Opie will be conducting a series of workshops and presentations for students in Years 6-12. Additionally, on Monday 13 May, Dr Opie will run an online information session on Relationships and Sexuality Education for Redlands parents and carers, from 6pm-7pm.
This presentation will focus on Years 6 through 12; however, all Redlands parents are welcome.
As a school, we are committed to ensuring our students are properly educated on these very important topics, and we are pleased that our continued engagement with Dr Opie will only further enhance our relationships, consent and sexuality education programs already taught through our PDHPE and pastoral care curricula.
Please feel free to contact me or the appropriate pastoral care staff if you have any further questions.
Yours sincerely
Sabine Partington
Deputy Principal
Parents Circles: Responsive Parenting and Raising Healthy Children
A message from our Junior Campus Counsellor, Silvia Roberts
Being a responsive parent sounds simple enough, but living high stress lives, often in isolation, lots of us know how nearly impossible it can be. Recognising that the essential condition for a healthy child’s development is the child’s relationship with nurturing adults, we invite you to join us for regular Parents Circles facilitated by School Counsellor, Silvia Roberts.
The Parents Circles will draw on specific topics and will be centred on providing a space for open discussions and questions. The sessions will also equip parents with a wide range of essential practical and emotional regulation skills, and guide parents through the art of fulfilling their children’s needs which are the essence of healthy positive parenting.
The topic for the session in Week 4 (Wednesday 22 May, 8.30 am – 9.30 am in Lucy Hill Library) is:
Family Systems – Boundary Systems: Boundaries Must Be Taught
- Small children have no boundaries and develop whatever the boundary system parents have.
- What happens when parents either wall up or lack boundaries? Or what happens when each parent has a different boundary system?
- Exploring different possibilities of families’ boundary systems and family roles. Guiding parents to help children set up functional healthy boundaries, which in turn will help children to create healthy friendships.
In Week 7, we will be exploring the topic of Negative Core Beliefs in Children – Positive Parenting
- Negative core beliefs in children can lead to them developing depression, anxiety, codependency, relationship issues or addictions later in life.
- How can parents prevent the onset of negative core beliefs?
- Exploring five core natural attributes of children and guiding parents to attend to those in a functional and effective way.
This will help their children develop each separate characteristic properly, which will lead to functional teens and adults who feel good about themselves rather than develop dysfunctional survival traits.
We extend a welcome to our prep and junior parents to attend. You are welcome to bring your own coffee or tea. As this is a parenting circle of support, numbers are limited to 20 to keep it small enough for interactive discussion so please book your space here.
Wayside Chapel Update (from our Junior School Captains)
Thank you everybody for your kind donations on Friday, for Wayside Chapel. As well as a hefty amount of money, many toiletries were brought in to school on Friday for Wayside Chapel. We raised a total of $1938.85. We have the goal to raise the most money ever raised in a calendar year by a school for Wayside Chapel, so these donations have really helped.
Our goal is $4300, we have $2400 to go!
Thank you everybody for the support.
From Amelie and Pax
Mr Ian Holden
Head of Junior School
iholden@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9953 6022