Head of Preparatory School
It’s Great to be Back
What a great first week back we have all had. From Redlands House Juniors to Year 2, the commencement of the 2023 school year has been exciting, smooth, and fun. Can you believe that this time last year we were wearing masks, saying our hellos and goodbyes at the gate whilst meeting each other on Zoom.
I am so grateful for this week and all the connection points we have experienced together so far. My energy levels are high as is the staffs’ enthusiasm for this year so let’s get started!
For our new families, please take the time each week to read Note Day as it will provide you with upcoming event information as well as messages around operational aspects of the Prep School. Pulse will always have specific information relating to extracurricular actitivtes as well as the key contact people if you have questions.
I look forward to getting to know our new families as well as continuing friendships with existing Prep families. If at any time you would like to get in touch with me directly, please email me at abreckenridge@redlands.nsw.edu.au or Claire Hunt or Karin Alfonso can always be contacted on 9968 9848 to make a meeting or answer a question.
Allister Street Parking at Drop Off and Pick Up Times
Please be aware that between the hours of 7.30am-9am and 2.30pm-4pm daily,
Parents and carers are only to use Allister Street as a drop off or pick up space for their K-2 children.
If you do drop your child off in this zone during those times, please DO NOT exit your car. Your child will be met by a staff member who will ensure their safe entry into school.
During these time periods, please DO NOT park your car and leave it to pick up or drop off your child. Rangers frequent Allister Street often and they will issue fines to any parent who is not obeying the parking guidelines.
We ask parents to either park in surrounding streets and walk in to school or use the car line option to drop off and/or pick up their children.
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our children safe and the traffic flowing smoothly.
2023 Class Parents
Thank you to the many parents who have been in touch already with Jen Mast or Jenny Krallis regarding the positions of class parents for this year. We are thrilled with the interest to date, but we would still like to extend the invitation for any interested parents to reach out over the next few days. We would certainly love to hear from some of our new families as well as it is a great opportunity to meet other parents and families.
Please email Jen Mast at Jennifermast18@gmail.com or Jenny Krallis at Jenkrallis@gmail.com if you would like to discuss the role with them or volunteer.
K-2 Meet the Teacher Evening
5pm-6pm Thursday February 9
We look forward to welcoming all our K-2 families to our Meet the Teacher evening next Thursday. On arrival, please head straight to your grade area. The sessions will be consistent in messages across grades and information will only vary slightly depending on the age group so please feel free to move between sessions if you have more than one classroom to visit.
The evening will provide an overview of key logistical and operational information for families. Please note that there will be further workshops and information sessions throughout the year that will focus on specific areas such as IT and how we use it in Prep, curriculum updates and other key pieces of information we’d love to share with you.
If you would like to have a further conversation with your teacher after the information evening, please contact them directly for a more one on one conversation via their email address.
We look forward to welcoming you all next Thursday. Please be aware that this a parent only event and there is no babysitting or supervising of toddlers available during the evening.
Safer Internet Day
Safer Internet Day is coming up on Tuesday 7th February. This is a global event that brings together our communities to help create safer online spaces. This Safer Internet Day our government agency, the eSafety Commissioner, invites us all to Connect. Reflect. Protect.
- Connect safely and with purpose – by keeping apps and devices secure and using social media in positive ways.
- Reflect before we act – by taking a moment to consider how what we do and say online may affect others.
- Protect ourselves and others by taking action – by telling family, friends, or colleagues about eSafety and how we can help.
The eSafety Commissioner is offering a range of Webinars for parents during February on a variety of topics such as online friendships, gaming and setting your child up for success online.
Lost Property
As always, we ask that every piece of your child’s property is clearly labelled. We do have a large amount of lost property already so if your child is missing something, can I please ask you to come and check the lost property cupboard in the mornings or afternoons. Drink bottles and lunchboxes are normally disposed of after a week if they are not claimed.
One of key learning points at the start of the year is to teach our students how to be responsible by looking after their property and ensuring they have everything in their bag at the end of the day. We would love you to help us do this by asking your child if they have everything with them before you head home.
Mrs Ainslie Breckenridge
Head of Preparatory School
abreckenridge@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9848