Head of Preparatory School
PREP SCHOOL UPCOMING EVENTS
What a Great Term
As the term draws to a close, I would like to thank all our families for a tremendous term of connection and community.
This term has highlighted the importance of student voice in many areas of learning. Our Yr 1 students demonstrated their skill in organising and sharing key messages around Reconciliation Week, Heritage Week, kindness and embracing diversity in our fortnightly Prep Gatherings. Their bravery and risk-taking skills were impressive as they stood proudly and engaged all our staff and students. We thank our Yr 1 staff for gently guiding our students and helping them organise their big ideas! Next term we welcome the voices of our Kindergarten students in Prep Gatherings.
Term 2 is always a bit of a ‘light bulb’ term for me as an educator. It is a term where the ‘settling in process’ is well and truly over and our learners have shown us how they learn and together we have worked out how to get them to the next steps in their journey. Friendships have developed and the language used to negotiate them is embedded. Compassion and kindness is highlighted for so many as is the courageous voices of some who have learnt to say ‘I need help.’
Connection has occurred in many ways this term in Prep. We have loved all our visiting parent speakers, helpers and volunteers who have shared in our learning. Our musicians had their lunchtime concerts and we finally had our Mother’s Day event! Next term we can’t wait to welcome parent helpers into our Reading Groups and hopefully we can find many more ways that we can connect together.
As a staff we also found new opportunities to connect and collaborate around our teaching and learning practices. The staff now meet every second Tuesday afternoon for a professional development session where we can focus on a specific area together. Next term we will have the focus of Seven Steps to Writing Success program as our focus.
I would like to thank you all for a great term, for your ongoing support of the Prep and of the fabulous staff. I hope that you all enjoy a lovely break and I look forward to seeing you all in term 4.
Save the Date
Prep Learning Conversations: Term 3 Week 3
Please note that our Prep Learning Conversations with teachers will take place in Term 3, Week 3. You will find it in the calendar on Pulse. We will be following the same process as we had in Term 1 with staff opening up times for both face to face or Zoom interviews. Please read the information carefully as to which you choose. The information will be sent out shortly with booking information.
Community Day: Saturday 4 September
Please save Saturday 4 September in your family calendar for our Community Day. We will share further details of this whole of Redlands community event early next term.
Lost Property
Friday will be the last day to come to find that lost lunch box, drink bottle, blazer and wait for it, even a seat belt! It has been so helpful to have names on so many items and they have been able to be returned to their owners.
Winter Uniform
Can I please remind families that all students are to be wearing their blazer to school in the winter months and have their jumpers in their bags for extra warmth during the cold weeks ahead. The students have hangers in their rooms that they use to hang their blazers on when they take them off. Blazers I know can be lost easily and hence some students are not bringing them to school. Please know that we are attempting to teach our young learners to look after their property, find it when it goes missing and learn to take responsibility for their things. Please help us do this by ensuring their names are clearly marked on all items. It’s a great idea to write the names together so your child knows where to look and develops ownership of the property.
Term 3 Parent Volunteers
Thank you to all the parents who came to the helper information session this week. It was so lovely to see so many faces who are all willing to give up their precious time to assist us in our reading groups. Our Grade Coordinators will email out the roster hopefully by the end of term or if not, the first week of Term 3 for our Week 2 start to those parents who came on Wednesday.
Please don’t worry of you didn’t get to come this week as we will have another information session at the start of Term 4 for any new volunteers.
Term 3/4 Departure Notice
As we are approaching the mid-point of the year, this is a reminder that those families who are planning on leaving the School during or at the end of Terms 3 or 4 are required to give notice to the Principal via an email to registrar@redlands.nsw.edu.au by the following dates:
Term 3 Departure: Friday 18 June 2021 (tomorrow)
Term 4 Departure: Friday 16 July 2021 (Term 3, Week 1)
As per the 2021 Schedule of Fees emailed to all families in December last year, there will be fees in lieu payable for any notices of departure received after this date.
Mrs Ainslie Breckenridge
Head of Preparatory School
abreckenridge@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9848