Head of Preparatory School

Head of Preparatory School

Term 4 Dates and Information

Please refer to the updated Prep School calendar on Redlands Pulse for Term 4 dates.

Please be aware that Prep afternoon Football will commence Monday, Week 1, Term 4.

Clubs will also start from Week 1, Term 4.

Prep Games Day and an Afternoon of Connection

Our Prep students showed up in a splash of their House colours with a spring in their step and bursting with enthusiasm this morning. Prep Sports Games Day had arrived and we were ready for a day of fun and connection with friend, staff and our Yr 6 helpers. Girls and boys ran their hearts out in races and participated in a wide variety of other activities. It was a fun morning and provided all students with wonderful opportunities to enjoy some healthy competition, team work and ability to take a risk and have a go. Having our Yr 6 friends join us to assist in the running of the events provided a special connection that we have been missing this year. A big thank you to all the students and staff who helped make this day such a success. A special thanks to Mrs Dongas who ensured the day was jam packed full of fun and exciting challenges and events for the students.

Staff Updates

We farewell two very important and highly valued staff members from the Junior Campus this week. Mrs Hillary Luck and Mrs Sam Kourakis. They both have both been at Redlands for quite a long time between them and have achieved extraordinary things in the Music Department and as Dean of Students. They both will be very much missed and we wish them well as they begin their new journeys at Abbotsleigh and the AIS.

Due to COVID restrictions, Sam has been unable to see families on campus so she said her goodbyes to Redlands families through this message.

We are thrilled to confirm the appointment of Mrs Amy Richardson to the Term 4 role of Acting Assistant Coordinator of Music, whilst we seek to fill the role for 2021. Amy is an established and valuable member of the Music team and well-known to many students and staff on our campus through her involvement in a range of primary musical offerings. Amy will be meeting with Hillary this week to ensure a sound handover takes place. I know that you will join me in welcoming Amy to the Junior Campus and support her in this role for Term 4, arguably one of the busiest in the musical calendar…….normally!

New PE Uniform

We are delighted to announce that we will be introducing an updated PE uniform for Prep School students from the start of Term 4.

Feedback from the last Uniform survey identified a number of quality and styling issues with the current PE uniform, especially the quality of the yellow polo shirts, which have been addressed with the updated uniform. The new uniform is made from UltraDry fabric which is super lightweight, breathable, moisture absorbent, quick drying and has UV protection. The styling reflects the school tracksuit and there are the following styling/fit options:

PE tops – unisex and girls
PE shorts – unisex

Please note that the skort for girls did not require updating.

The new PE uniforms will be available for purchase from the Uniform Shop at the start of Term 4.

We request that from the beginning of Term 4 2021, all students are in the new PE uniform – in the meantime, students may continue to wear their current PE uniform.

 

Book Week Junior Campus Celebrations

Due to Covid-19, Children’s Book Week, which usually occurs in August, was postponed to the second week of Term 4, 19–23 October. We are lucky to be able to celebrate this special week by having a visit from two authors on Tuesday 20 October and a K-6 Character Dress-up Day on Thursday 22 October. The theme for Book Week this year is Curious Creatures; Wild Minds and in Library classes this term students have been exploring books that exemplify this theme. When discussing with your child what they would like to dress up as, ask them about what ‘curious’ means and think about being a strange creature eg. a tapir, a bunyip, an armadillo, a blobfish, or someone who has a ‘wild mind’ like Albert Einstein, Picasso, Salvador Dali, Frida  Kahlo. Alternatively your child might like to choose a book character that s/he thinks is ‘curious’ or ‘wild’. We look forward to this fun activity where we will join with our Yrs 3-6 friends.

Redlands Spirit of Christmas Card

This year Redlands will be celebrate the Christmas spirit by showcasing the students’ creativity in a range of Christmas Cards featuring art from our talented Junior and Prep School students and sharing the joy with those in need. Submissions of artworks, which can be drawing, painting, mixed media and digital art together with a short description of the image, will close on Wednesday 14 October (Week 1, Term 4). Students can hand them to Class teachers or at the Prep School Office.

Artworks are to showcase what Christmas means to our students selecting from the following themes:

  1. An Australian Christmas – bush, beach, BBQ, summer holidays
  2. Christian images – The nativity, baby Jesus, three wise men 
  3. My family Christmas– students depicting what Christmas looks like at their house/in their family/in their culture
  4. Favourite Christmas meal/food/snack 

Ten artworks (either individual or group submissions) will be selected and featured in this year’s Redlands Spirit of Christmas card set which will be available to purchase in Term 4. Please join us to create wonderful Christmas spirit for our broader community!

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