Head of Secondary School
Embracing Opportunities
We’ve witnessed some clear examples of students stepping up this week and embracing opportunities. At Redlands there are many opportunities for students. These range across curricular, cocurricular, sport and service. On many occasions, the students themselves provide the impetus for these opportunities, actively initiating them by themselves, and for themselves. This proactive mindset and way of being is striking and exemplary.
The week started with a group of Yr 9 students presenting to the Secondary School teaching staff about sexism. Anhu Guan, Olivia Salmond, Emma Sullivan, Charlotte Waterland and Annie Zhang confidently delivered a well-crafted presentation to the teachers where they surfaced some complex issues related to casual sexism and its impact. Many of their insights emerged from a survey they undertook in Yr 8, but others too have emerged from shared experiences in modern society. These students were articulate, calm and resolute in their messaging. It takes confidence and courage to stand up and address people in public, and the Yr 9 students embraced this opportunity and were in turn, embraced by the teachers, who asked genuine and interested questions, in response to the students’ presentation. I want to congratulate these students for requesting this opportunity to be heard, and for sharing their experiences and perspectives with us.
The Yr 12-led House Spirit Fair which was held on Tuesday afternoon was a wonderful culmination of creativity and collaboration. Earlier this year, the Yr 12 Student Leaders and Prefects expressed their desire for an opportunity to engender House Spirit and a sense of fun during a busy term, and prior to the Athletics Carnival. Yr 12 deserve praise for their effective collaboration on a range of events to inspire Secondary School students. What was very apparent on this cold wintry afternoon was that the Fair enabled a fairly tired student body to take a break from study and sport and to relax in each other’s company, engaging in fun activities, and building community. The Fair gave younger students the opportunity to engage in activities with others in their House and with whom, they might not necessarily spend time. I particularly enjoyed watching the lip sync battles, Yr 12 dancing in the quad and the 3×3 basketball.
Sabrina Blasco and Hannah Mitchell offered a wonderful presentation during the Yr 10 Year Assembly this week about the impact of homelessness on the LGBTQ+ community. What struck me about their presentation was their mission to leverage their privilege for the good of others. Embracing yet another opportunity, they delivered an inspiring and insightful presentation to their peers, challenging them to consider their role in supporting others and making a difference to the broader community. Both students are commended for their efforts and their courage in surfacing these important messages for our community.
Yr 8 Futurepreneurs
Today I was privileged to attend the Pitch session of our Yr 8 Futurepreneurs Masterclass held at Canva HQ in Surry Hills. Mr Bentley, Head of Teaching and Learning, and Mr Corcoran, Deputy Principal, attended with me and we were impressed with the creativity and passion of our students. Ms Vale and Ms Jansons accompanied 40 Yr 8 students to Canva HQ where they worked on bringing their entrepreneurial ideas to life, culminating in presentations to Canva employees and invited parents. Ten groups presented on a range of business ideas from companies that support the management of mental health, people living with Autism Spectrum Disorder, the slow fashion industry, sustainability and people who need guidance with public speaking. The students were articulate, passionate, socially minded and inventive.
Many of them anticipated building companies underpinned by social entrepreneurship and in a non-profit space, connecting their business venture to their own personal values and desire to see positive change in the world. From Ms Vale and Ms Jansons, I hear the day was fairly fast and furious, but when Mr Bentley, Mr Corcoran and I arrived, you could not tell – the presentations were slick and professional (a big thanks to Ms Vale and Ms Jansons for their wonderful support of the students and their expert readying of them to this point). What we saw were future leaders – start-up pioneers, social change agents and inventors. The Canva employees who joined us at the end of the day provided insightful and supportive feedback to all students and affirmed their skills and developing ideas. One asked the students to continue to meet, and to sustain an exploration of these ideas. Another said, ‘Sign me up – I am ready to invest!’ As English teachers, Mr Bentley, Mr Corcoran and I, were most impressed with the students speaking skills – they way they used the space and visual resources to convey their ideas and the cohesion they demonstrated between speakers, was exemplary. I am not sure now what these 40 students are going to do in Yr 9 Commerce. We may need an extension class! And I am certain if invited, they would embrace that opportunity too.
Ms Gemma Van de Peer
Head of Secondary School
gvandepeer@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9811