Head of Junior School

The Art of Slow Looking

As Mark Church from the Harvard Graduate School of Education shared at the parent symposium last week, in order for a School to genuinely demonstrate how it values student learning, it needs to also value the same for its staff, and this has been a prominent, strategic focus for Redlands for many years.

Last Saturday, I joined a number of Redlands teachers from all sections of our School at the Project Zero Sydney Network Conference, with the primary sessions led by Dr Rhonda Bondie from Harvard University, who presented on her area of expertise, Differentiated Instruction.

In one of the other sessions I attended, I was intrigued by the notion of being a ‘slow looker’ as presenter, Simon Brooks, shared his insights into the importance of taking the time to observe more than first meets the eye, which subsequently leads to deeper understanding and greater engagement. As learners, we were involved in applying this theory in his workshop and in a world that can sometimes feel rushed, the message was to encourage us and our students to become slow lookers who:

  • Observe details
  • Defer interpretation
  • Make careful discernments
  • Shift between different perspectives
  • Are aware of subjectivity
  • Use a variety of observation strategies to move past first impressions

In assembly this week I shared this idea of taking more time to take in our surroundings and our learning with the students and have encouraged them to be more thoughtful, reflective and deliberately slower in their thinking and making judgments, not just in their thinking and learning at school, but also in everyday contexts and situations, which some students were able to give examples of during assembly. I encourage parents to talk to your child about this and look for opportunities to perhaps encourage them to do the same at home.

Mother’s Day Breakfast

We look forward to welcoming Junior School mothers to breakfast next Monday and wish you all a special day this weekend.

Please be advised, that the lift on Junior Campus won’t be operational at this event. If you have concerns, please email us and alternative arrangements can be organised.

Yrs 3 and 4 Camps

Next week sees our Yr 4 group head off to camp and the following week, our Yr 3 cohort will enjoy their outdoor education experience for the year. Teachers have been preparing for these events and I am looking forward to spending time with both groups whilst they are away.

NAPLAN – Yrs 3 and 5

Next week sees students across Australia in Yrs 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit the National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy, or NAPLAN, as it is more commonly known. Our teachers have been preparing to ensure the students are appropriately prepared for these formal assessments and our starting point is always to ensure that the students not feel any undue pressure, that they are familiar with the format of the tests, and that we provide the conditions for them to do their very best, all that we can ever ask of them.

Walk Safely to School Day

The 19th annual Walk Safely to School Day initiative is on Friday 18 May. Walk Safely to School Day (WSTSD) is an annual, national event when all primary-aged children are encouraged to walk and commute safely to school. It is a free community event seeking to promote road safety, health, public transport and the environment.

Students are encouraged to walk to school or as is more viable for many families, park further away from school and walk a short distance to school. Stickers can be collected from benches near the flagpole if you have walked to school where some of our Yr 6 students will give them out.

You Can Sit with Me

On Friday 1 June , the Junior Campus will be joining together with their buddies at lunch time to observe You Can Sit with Me day. This initiative began to strengthen communities with children of all ages, fostering friendships across schools. You Can Sit With Me reminds everyone in our school that we welcome anyone to sit with us regardless of interests and age. On the day, we are encouraging all students to wear a touch of yellow. If you are interested in buying a pencil or bag tag, please visit youcansitwithme.org. All proceeds from the sale of items go to the Literacy and Numeracy Foundation.

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