Head of Preparatory School
Please note that all Upcoming Events for Prep are on their own Note Day article/page.
Sibling Photos
Sibling photos will be taking place tomorrow, Friday 21 February for Redlands siblings in any section of the School (not with other family members). More details can be found on the Upcoming Events page.
Contacting Redlands Preparatory Reception
To ensure we are able to respond to all emails in a timely manner, could I please remind all parents to send correspondence to prep@redlands.nsw.edu.au. Mrs Rosling and Mrs Hunt share the role at Prep Reception and therefore sending correspondence to either one of their addresses may result in an email being overlooked.
Seesaw Learning
Prep School will be continuing to use Seesaw, a digital platform for students to capture and reflect on their learning. Each student has been provided with a letter in their Home Learning folder or Student Planner that outlines how to sign up and connect to your child’s learning journal. Each letter has a unique code which you will need to enable access so please look out for this, follow the instructions to join and enjoy the work samples your child shares with you. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher. Thank you to e-Learning Coordinator, Shireen Winrow for her extensive support of the staff and students with this wonderful program which provides opportunities for students to upskill in their digital technology competence, whilst sharing learning with their families.
Social Connectedness
Social connectedness at school plays an integral part in establishing a stable foundation for students from which successful learning can occur. At Redlands, we believe that students who have positive relationships are much more likely to be highly engaged learners. We therefore embed the development of five key social and emotional competencies into our curriculum and teaching methods. The widely used Framework for Systemic Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) identifies five core competencies that educate hearts, inspire minds and help people navigate the world more effectively. It informs how students relate with each other at all levels of the system, creating a welcoming, participatory, and caring climate for learning. Three of the five competencies are associated with social skills, specifically Social Awareness, Relationship Skills and Responsible Decision-Making. In the Prep School, Circle Time, Friendship Club and The Friendship Bench are practical applications of the social awareness and relationship skills we aim to build. Connected to this is the careful and purposeful integration of students from year to year where students are mixed with different members of their cohort to be able to form new friendships for personal growth in all areas of their learning. At times, students can find this challenging; however, it is these situations that assist with the development of resilience and the widening of their circle of friends as they move through school. Friendship Club runs three times per week during lunch time, providing a space for students who would like to build friendships and play in an environment that is supported by a teacher. This year, we are delighted to have several Yr 6 leaders, who have volunteered their time during lunch to assist the younger members of the School with their overall development of social skills. The Friendship Bench is a place where students can go, if they are having trouble finding their friends in the playground or need someone to play with.
Twilight in the Piazza
I look forward to seeing you at the Twilight in the Piazza event tomorrow evening. More details can be found on the Upcoming Events page.
Mrs Audrey Fellowes
Head of Preparatory School
afellowes@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9848