Head of Preparatory School

Head of Preparatory School

End of Year Events 

To assist families in the final weeks of the 2023 school year, please find the end of year events tabled below. We look forward to welcoming families into Prep classrooms and playgrounds in the coming weeks. Please talk to Karin at Reception if you have any questions.

Week 8

  • Tuesday 28 November:
    • Junior Campus Carol Service
      • Students Only
    • Christmas Mufti Dress
  • Wednesday 29 November:
    • 10am – 11am: Redlands House and TG Concert
    • 2:15pm – 3pm: Year 2 Passion Projects, Gallery Walk
    • Last Day for Redlands House and TG Students (no extended care)
  • Friday 1 December:
    • Prep Games Day
      • Parents Welcome

Week 9

  • Sunday 3 December:
    • Redlands Community Carols
      • 5pm – 6:30pm – St Peter’s Church Cremorne 
  • Monday 4 December
    • Last School Sport Session
  • Tuesday 5 December
    • Prep Presentation Day
      • Full summer uniform 
    • Last Day for Prep Students
    • No OOSH
  • Wednesday 6 December
    • Junior School Presentation Day
    • Last Day for Junior School Students
    • No OOSH

Anglicare Giving 

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas in our Prep and Junior School Receptions. It is the final count down for bringing in gifts to support Sydney families in need this Christmas through Anglicare’s Toys and Tucker Campaign.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see our receptions overflowing with gifts this time next week ready for collection on Monday 4 December. 

As always, we will be wrapping and sorting the donations in readiness for collection. If you would like to lend a hand, please drop by the reception area after school on Friday 1st December.


Prep Games Day
Friday 1 December

We are excited to welcome families to our annual Prep Games Day on Friday 1st December. It is going to be a great day full of fun activities and community sharing.

What to Wear

PE uniform

What to Bring 

  • Hat 
  • Water bottle
  • Recess and Lunch (canteen orders will still be available)

Schedule

  • 8-8.20am – Regular arrival time. 
  • 8.20-8.30am – Students will go to classrooms for roll call. Parents are welcome to sit on the benches around the oval.
  • 8.30-10.30am – Rotation of events in class groups.
  • 10.30-11am – Recess 
  • 11am-1pm – Rotation of events in class groups.
  • 1pm – Picnic lunch in the piazza (Parents/caregivers welcome, BYO picnic). Any students who don’t have a parent/carer at school will be encouraged and welcomed to sit with friends.
  • 1.50pm – Children may leave with their parents/carers (you must sign out with your child’s teacher before taking your child home).
  • Children staying will enjoy an afternoon movie and be dismissed at regular times.  OOSH and sport will be on as normal.


K-6 OOSH Family vs OOSH Staff Football Game

A message from Ana Nogueira and Ruddy Franco

What an incredible showdown it was last Friday at our football game! The intensity, the skill, and the sheer determination on the field were nothing short of extraordinary. The final score may have been close, with the parents’ team securing a nail-biting victory of 5 goals to the OOSH staff’s impressive 4 goals, but the real triumph was the spirit of fun that filled our school.

 Your presence added so much joy and warmth to the event, and it was amazing to see so many familiar faces sharing the field – and the food – with us! A massive shoutout to the stars of the match, the players who left their hearts on the field:

  • Nobuatsu Aoki
  • Chris Cooper
  • Louis White
  • Julia Shi
  • Liberty Lee
  • Juan Mascheroni
  • Alex So
  • Arati Shroff
  • Anita Fonseca
  • Marshall Ma
  • Richard Kazimierczuk
  • Nadine Thurn
  • Sandy Hu
  • Xavier Ramirez
  • Yuki Zhao

Each one of you contributed to the thrill of the game, and your sportsmanship truly made it an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.

Due to popular demand and the undeniable success of this match, we’re thrilled to announce that OOSH will be organising another game next year! Keep an eye out for our Term 1 2024 communications so you won’t miss the chance to be part of the action again.

Emotional Intelligence and Regulation

A Message from our Counsellors

We are excited to share the highlights from our third and final session of the Big Hearts Project, where we delved into the intricacies of understanding how our brains respond to stress and continued to build on the valuable lessons from the previous week.

Exploring the Three Fs: Fight, Flight, and Freeze

In this session, the students actively engaged with a thought-provoking video that explored the three fundamental responses to stress: Fight, Flight, and Freeze. You can watch the video here. We took the discussion beyond physical danger, emphasising everyday contexts that trigger these responses in children. The goal is to empower students with psychoeducation, enabling them to comprehend their brain functions and navigate their emotions more effectively. Understanding these reactions allows them to identify their responses and access their “smart brain” to address challenges constructively.

Bunny Breathing: A Simple Tool for Emotional Control

One of the highlights of the session was the introduction of “bunny breathing.” This delightful technique encourages students to envision a bunny in the garden, taking three quick sniffs through their nose and exhaling slowly and deeply through their mouth. This simple yet powerful breathing exercise serves as a valuable tool for regaining emotional control when feeling overwhelmed. We encourage you to explore this technique with your children and discuss its effectiveness in managing emotions.

Practical Strategies for Emotional Responses

In addition to these activities, we engaged in discussions about practical ways for students to respond to their feelings, considering the various emotional responses. For example, when students find themselves in a “fight” mode, such as yelling at a sibling, we explored constructive alternatives to help them respond to those emotions effectively. We encourage you to ask your children about their personal experiences and insights regarding the strategies they might be able to implement.

Apple Watches in Prep

A gentle reminder to Prep parents that students are not to wear or bring any type of smart watches to school. If there is an emergency or your child wishes to communicate with you during the day, they can do so from the Prep Reception phone under the supervision of Mrs Alfonso.

Mrs Ainslie Breckenridge
Head of Preparatory School
abreckenridge@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9848