Head of Junior School

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Yr 6 Bake Sale

Yr 6 are hosting a bake sale on Monday 24 June. Please bring in gold coins to buy some baked goods. All money raised will be donated to the Smith family.

Gallery Walks

Next week the following Gallery Walks are occurring within the Junior School. These are always a highlight of the term and an outstanding showcase of the students thinking and learning.

Tuesday 25 June, Yr 5 Gallery Walk, Yr 5 classrooms, Top Floor of Parkes Building, 8.30 to 9.30am

Friday 28 June, Yr 6 Gallery Walk, Yr 6 classrooms, Top Floor of Cornish Building, 8.30 to 9.30am

No Tuesday Clubs

A reminder there will be no Tuesday clubs next week or first week of Term 3.

SRC Mufti Day

With its focus on environmental action, the Student Representative Council, will host a Mufti Day on Friday 28 June, the last day of school term.

Students from Preschool to Yr 6 are invited to dress in earthy colours and to bring a gold coin donation for farmers in need. All funds will be donated to Rural Aid Australia, an organisation which strives to provide support to farmers and rural communities in times of need.  

As it is normal school timetable, students are to wear suitable enclosed footwear and appropriate clothing. No offensive slogans or symbols, no singlet tops, or torn or ripped clothing please.

Cashless Canteen

The Junior Campus Canteen has been using the very popular on-line ordering platform, Flexischools, for 12 months. Recently, the Canteen acquired an Eftpos machine which will assist families if they would like to buy hot chocolates and breakfast in the morning.  The overarching goal for the Canteen is for it to run completely cashless, in order to improve efficiencies and allow for better planning of requirements by having all menu items on the Flexischools platform. Beginning at the start of Term 4, all students who would like to purchase a snack or a Recess and Lunch order will be required to order this on Flexischools. An option for families with older Junior School students is to acquire a prepaid debit card giving them the opportunity to learn important budgeting skills. Spriggy is an example of one of these cards.

Junior School Representative Debating

Last Friday, the Yr 6 (Primary A) Debating team (pictured top) competed in the Semi Final of the ISDA competition. They came up against the Yr 6 team from St Ignatius College, Riverview and argued the affirmative case on the topic “That the government should increase spending on space exploration”. In a closely contested debate, which was decided by a panel of adjudicators, they narrowly lost in a split decision 2-1. 

The Yr 6 team consisted of: Bettina Butcher, Oliver Cooke, Kiana Gapaillard, James Gray, Lachlan Green, Krishna Gupta, Ruby Holgate, Carolina Pedro Inacio and Joshua Salis. 

It is important to acknowledge that the efforts of all team members throughout the season, both in training and in debates, enabled them to achieve a place in the Semi Final. In the 11 years Mrs Sharp has run Junior School Debating, no other primary team has gone this far in the ISDA Competition, which is one of the largest and most competitive competitions in Sydney. This is an accomplishment of which they can be proud.  

Friday night’s Semi Final team (L-R): Kiana Gapaillard, Carolina Pedro Inacio, Krishna Gupta and James Gray. 

Please note there is no Debating training after school on Tuesday next week (25 June). 

Yrs 4, 5 and 6 Debating Club – Term 3

For any Yrs 4, 5 and 6 students who are interested in joining the Debating Club on Tuesday afternoons next term, there are a limited number of places available in these groups. Please read the detailed information on Redlands Pulse. To sign up, please follow the link within the letter to complete the registration form. This will need to be done no later than Friday 28 June. If you have any questions, please email Mrs Sharp directly. The first Debating Club session for Term 3 will take place on Tuesday in Week 2. Please note: for students in Debating Club this term, there is no debating after school on Tuesday next week (25 June).

Uniform Shop

The Uniform Shop will open during the school holidays on Monday 1 July, Thursday 18 July and Friday 19 July 8.00am – 4.00pm.   

Appointments are essential and can booked online here.

Lost Property

As the end of the school term is upon us, now would be a good time to check lost property.

We have a small number of practically new unnamed items of school uniform in the office.  Should you wish to reclaim, please see Sharon Fairfax at the Junior School Office.

Usually, Junior School Lost Property is located in the Yr 3 stairwell in the Parkes building.  Please can we ask that parents and carers look in this area before the end of term, as we have a large amount of recycled clothing that has not been renamed or unnamed items, that will have to be passed on to the Second Hand Sale if not collected. All named items are returned to students.

International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS)

Please refer to last week’s Note Day for a comprehensive overview of these assessments.

At Redlands, the Junior School students sit these tests by choice. Assessments occur during class time within a supervised area of the Junior School. No particular preparation is required. This year students will complete the assessments online, with the exception Yr 3 and Yr 4 who will be completing the Writing test offline.

The timetable is as follows

This year parents will directly access the UNSW Global website to order the assessments for their child and to pay online. All orders and payments need to be completed by 31 July. No orders or payments will be taken after this date. All tests will cost $14.50.

Please access this service by clicking unsw.global/parentpay and enter the code: faa6c9576b. 

UNSW Global is more than happy to assist with any questions. To access them via email or phone please click here. 

For any further enquiries concerning the ICAS assessments please contact Leonie Atkins, Dean of Administration Junior Campus. 

Yr 3 Taronga Zoo Excursion

Last Friday, Yr 3 attended an educational workshop at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo. Here, they learned about some similarities and differences between Australian landscapes and neighbouring Sumatra in an immersive classroom. To the children’s delight, they were in close proximity to some exotic creatures, including the red-breasted pigeon and the cotton top tamarin monkey. Students learned about the importance of invertebrates in our world and how specific features help animals survive in their habitat. When students weren’t in this workshop, they explored the many enclosures and exhibitions that Taronga Zoo has to offer. They attended Keeper talks, both the seal and bird show and were in absolute awe of these creatures. It was truly an incredible day of learning mixed in with the excitement of seeing such amazing and unique animals.  

The Yr 3 team would like to thank all the wonderful parent helpers who offered their time and energy on the day, allowing the students of Yr 3 to see the zoo in the comfort of small groups. It is truly appreciated.

Term 3/4 Departure Notice

As we are approaching the mid-point of the year, this is a reminder that those families who are planning on leaving the School during or at the end of Term 3 or Term 4 are required to give notice to the Principal via an email to registrar@redlands.nsw.edu.au by the following dates:

• Term 3 Departures: Friday 21 June
• Term 4 Departures: Saturday 27 July

As per our Conditions of Enrolment emailed to all families in December last year with the 2018 Schedule of Fees, there will be fees in lieu payable for any notices of departure received after the relevant date.

Ms Leonie Atkins and Mr Nigel Coutts on behalf of

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