Head of Junior School

End of Year Appreciation

The huge rainfall of this week has done little to dampen spirits as the school year draws to a close. In this final Note Day for 2018, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the people who make Redlands the very special community it is.

Firstly, a thank you to Redlands parents for your ongoing support, both through your words but also through your actions. Thank you for the many and varied ways you have supported Redlands again this year; please know that it makes a difference and is appreciated. I am also immensely proud and privileged to work alongside an exceptional group of leaders, teachers and support staff who work collaboratively, tirelessly and passionately, as we always aim to provide the very best learning experiences and opportunities for students, both in and out of the classroom setting. Lastly, I thank our students for their boundless energy, enthusiasm, care and empathy for each other and their thirst for learning, all qualities which are truly infectious.

I look forward to seeing many parents in these final days of the academic year and I hope that the upcoming holiday break will allow you all to stop from daily routines and enjoy time with family and friends. As I have often said, the quality time we spend disconnecting away from school can be just as important as the time we are here.

Information for the 2019 academic year will be sent in mid-January to families and Term 1 commences on Wednesday 30 January 2019. With sincere appreciation and very best wishes to you and your families for Christmas and the New Year.

Ballet and Dance Performance

Last Thursday, accompanied by my youngest daughter, I joined many other staff and Redlands families in the Redlands community, in being thoroughly entertained by the passion, professionalism and sheer joy of the Ballet and Dance Academy’s annual concert. I still have to remind myself that this is a school production and not a West End performance given the quality of this show, the energy of the children performing and their obvious enjoyment on the stage. Well done to all of the many Junior School students who performed and it was also delightful to see the range of performers from Yr 1 up to Yr 11. My thanks are also extended to the many parents involved in supporting this production, without whom it simply would not have run as smoothly and of course to Mrs Martin and her wonderful team.

2019 Staffing News

As we move into the final week of the academic year, I write to notify parents of some changes in our Junior School staffing for 2019.

I am delighted to confirm the appointment of Mrs Samantha Kourakis as our new Dean of Students P-6. This Campus leadership position will be responsible for the continued development and implementation of the student wellbeing program on the Junior Campus and Mrs Kourakis’ knowledge and understanding of our School made her the stand-out choice from a very strong field of external and internal applicants.

Departures

At the end of the term, we say farewell to a few Junior School staff members and thank them for their contributions to our School community.

After 22 years of dedicated service, Mr Bill Baugh is leaving Redlands to explore new opportunities. Bill has helped Numeracy Support students from K-10 over this period of time and his passion for Mathematics and students with additional learning needs has dovetailed perfectly.
Mr Jake Turnbull leaves Redlands after six years of teaching in Yr 6. Mr Turnbull is looking forward to a new challenge as he takes up a position at Pymble Ladies College from 2019, a school that will also significantly reduce his commute time. I thank ‘Mr T’ for his commitment to the students and adding value to our staff team over the years.
After just over two years teaching at Redlands, Ms Emily Nagel is moving out of Sydney to country NSW to be closer to her partner and we acknowledge her commitment to the students over this time.
Mr Josh Aghion has come to the end of his maternity cover contract with us. In a short amount of time, Mr Aghion has made a wonderful contribution to our school community and now moves overseas to take up at position at the Australian International School Hong Kong.
Ms Shelly Acland finishes her contract with us as a Junior School Counsellor and we are sincerely grateful for the care and professional guidance she has given so many students, staff and parents.
Miss Claire Patterson concludes her time as our gap year student and we thank Claire for the warmth and energy that she has given to the role as she now takes some time to consider travel and study options.
Current Yr 3 teacher, Ms Emma Bladen will take up a teaching role in the Prep School in 2019 so remains as part of our Redlands staff team.

I know that you will join me in wishing these staff members all the very in their next positions and I thank them sincerely for their contributions to Redlands during their time here.

Arrivals:

With nearly 20 years’ experience, Mr Hugh Brakell joins us from Sydney Grammar where he has been teaching for the last eight years and is currently a Year Coordinator.
Ms Lyn Wynne joins us from Lane Cove West Public School where she has been teaching for the last few years and has been a valuable member of their Stage 3 Leadership team.
Ms Alexandra Smith is already a familiar face with many students having done a number of casual teaching days this term after returning from the UK where she has worked for the last few years at a leading co-ed, independent K-12 school as Assistant Head of Year and Junior School teacher.
Mrs Kate McAliece will be very familiar to many families and students as a previous Prep School teacher and regular casual teacher for our Campus.
We are also thrilled to welcome back Ms Kristie Randle who was on maternity leave this year and will resume her Junior School class teacher role again in 2019.

All of these teachers will further add expertise, passion, experience and leadership to our overall Junior School staff team and I know you will join me in welcoming them into our school community next year.

Junior School Speech Day 2018

Please find below a reminder overview of the schedule for our annual Junior School Speech Day, the final event in the Junior School calendar next Wednesday 5 December. Attendance for all students is compulsory and every student will also be performing at least one item on stage.

Eye Dissections

This week, as we have continued to ensure our students are learning right up until the end of the term, our Yr 5 students have enjoyed the opportunity to be part of practical Science lessons on our Senior Campus as part of their Unit of Inquiry topic, Light. Connected to this, each class has explored the structure of the eye and building upon this, the students were able to be guided to dissect bull’s eyes as part of a practical Science lesson. It was wonderful for me to hear the level of thinking and questions that our Yr 5 students displayed and their tangible excitement being in the senior Science labs.

“The eye dissection was fun, and my favourite part was feeling the vitreous humour, because it felt like slime. I also liked cutting the eye in half. I learned a lot, and I loved this experience.” Emily Collins

“It was very interesting to see the liquid come out of the eye after Mrs Harrisson did the first eye incision. It was also very cool seeing how the lens magnified the words on the paper. It was so much fun!” Finn Scott Brown

Junior School Debating

Debating wrapped up for 2018 this week and I extend a big ‘thank you’ to Mrs Sharp and the students for their participation each week throughout the year. Our thanks also go to Masters Academy who have facilitated the weekly Debating sessions, providing over 150 students across Yrs 4-6 with the opportunity to learn new skills. Details about the 2019 Debating, both as a Cocurricular Club and the Representative Debating Teams for Yrs 5 and 6, will be available early in Term 1 next year.

For our Yr 6 students moving into the Secondary School, Redlands competes in the FED and ISDA competitions in Semester 1 and expressions of interest are open for Yrs 7-10 for the 2019 season. Debating and public speaking develops students’ confidence, respect for others and sense of timing and structure, as well as their ability to present a persuasive argument and their knowledge of current affairs topics. Redlands aims to foster an inclusive culture in our Debating program that supports all students to develop their skills in Debating. More about our program is available in the About Debating and the Debating Expectations section of Redlands Pulse. Competitive Debating enables you to qualify for Pockets, Half Colours and Full Colours. More information about these awards is the Student Planner. You may also be part of Debating Club for additional coaching and social Debating.

If you are interested, please register for trials here, which we be held after school on Friday 1 February 2019. For more information, please contact the Debating Coordinator, Mrs Bryant (sbryant@redlands.nsw.edu.au).

End of Representative Sports Season

Last weekend saw the final Junior School Representative Sports matches for 2018. Over the year, we have had 50 separate Junior School Sports teams across all sports, and I am indebted to the tireless work of our Head of Junior School Sport, Mr Carter, and Sports Administrators, Mrs Michael and Ms Dongas, in ensuring that all of the work behind the scenes organising fixtures, coaches, training sessions, venues, referees, and so on has been meticulously carried out. Overall, from my observations watching a range of sports every weekend, I continue to enjoy seeing the skill development of individuals and teams, the sense of team play that is fostered, the strong camaraderie amongst the students and the genuine sense of enjoyment and pride the students have representing Redlands.

Premier’s Reading Challenge Certificates

Congratulations to the many students who have been presented with Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) Certificates in the last fortnight. This week, we heard from the Premier’s Reading Challenge Office who apologised and informed us that the 2018 Gold PRC certificates were delayed in production and are expected to be mailed to schools this Friday.

Semester 2 Reports

Please note that Semester 2 student reports will be finalised and uploaded to the parent portal for access towards the latter part of the week commencing, Monday 10 December. An SMS will be sent to families when these reports are accessible.

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