Head of Secondary School
Read, listen, talk, observe and be thankful
The extra time afforded us during the lockdown has meant more dedicated time to read, listen, talk and observe. In many ways, this forced slowing down of our lives has provided space for thought, wonderment, contemplation and reflection. With my students and colleagues, I have been reading books, listening to podcasts, observing nature (physical and human) and then welcoming any opportunity I am offered, to talk about this with others.
Yr 7 are currently in the final throes of their Term 3 English assessments, producing a monologue, performed as a fairytale character, who has something to say. Last night, I watched a few snippets of the creations of students in my Yr 7 class and was overjoyed to see them so unselfconsciously inhabit a character, in full costume, in their backyard. Their efforts have brought me a lot of joy and I have delighted in their capacity to engage with this task. They are a creative and thoughtful group of students who have grown so much this year.
This week I have also been thankful for the opportunity to talk with colleagues. Each morning, just before 8.00am, the Secondary School Leadership Team meet via Zoom to discuss the day, reflect on the previous one and catch up. Seeing the bright faces of my colleagues each morning certainly puts me in a positive frame of mind for the day ahead and lessens the impact of disconnection at this time.
I also value those personal moments of being alone. Taking a walk, having the house to myself (rarely) or making a lightning run to Woolworths, provides opportunity to listen to podcasts and step out of my own reality. Recently I listened to a Conversations episode which featured Steve Biddulph. It was an enlightening conversation and I highly recommend it, for the various topics he covers about himself and others. One aspect which interested me was his metaphor for the mind as a four-storey mansion. Biddulph uses this metaphor as way to represent the architecture of the mind.
Broadly speaking, the first floor represents the body; our need to eat and sleep and the physical impacts on wellbeing. He calls it ‘our super-sensing machine’. It’s raw and real. It’s where our gut instinct is located. The second level represents our emotions. It’s colourful and alive. Emotions are the power source for living. But, he reminds us, people can get stuck and lost in these emotions and on this floor. So, we’ve evolved a third floor and this is where our thoughts are. Our capacity to reason and think, and find clarity is enabled on this third floor. He reminds us that If you have a friend who is super-emotive you know how tiresome this can be. You want them to be able to move to the third floor and consider their emotions more rationally – to find solutions to their feelings. However, there are issues with being stuck too much on the third floor too. He confidently asserts that a lot of men get stuck on this floor – this floor of thinking. Biddulph tells Fidler that when stuck on this floor, we really need to stop talking and stop thinking and go downstairs and identify what is really driving us – the emotion, that is.
And then there is the fourth floor. He describes this as a roof terrace open to the stars and identifies that this is where our spiritual world is located – where we get outside of our bodies and focus on others. This might be the garden, the surf, stars, another world, nature, cosmos, or other people. He describes this floor as being a place where we move from being focused on our own world to being focused on another’s. This is a freeing realisation, according to Biddulph, because we can only function when we have the lights on all four floors. Being able to access all four floors provides a wonderful mobility and spaciousness within our own mind. We can travel up and down at will and as we do that we are a unified system. Our mind will unify, what we believe in, what we feel, what we think and what our gut is telling us, will begin to point the same way, and our life will never be the same.
For Biddulph, this spiritual moment came when he memorialised a group of women and children who drowned seeking asylum in Australia. This memorial took four years to build and involved 300 hundred pieces of art work, which now stands on the Canberra lakeshore, as a memorial to each individual who drowned – big poles for adults and little poles for the children, with their names on – and Biddulph says, “that was the most spiritual thing I have ever done in my life”.
It seems like we are all conscious of identifying the special and the unique at the moment, and finding ways to acknowledge and celebrate this. What’s been interesting about the extra ‘space’ afforded to us in the pandemic, and this lockdown in particular, is the chance to reflect on these matters and then be able to explore them with others. This is indeed, a privilege.
Week 9
Wellbeing Day on Wednesday September 9 is a day dedicated to strengthening psychological health
Redlands Secondary School Wellbeing Day
Wellbeing days are a good opportunity to bring awareness of the importance of mental wellbeing for young people. To enrich our pastoral programs and to recognise the incredible engagement and diligence of our students during Remote Learning, Wednesday 8 September will be a dedicated Zoom-Free Lesson Day with a focus on student wellbeing.
Activities on this day will provide simple and effective ways to support a healthy mind and healthy body by linking to the 5 Ways to Wellbeing:
- Social connection
- Being active
- Continued learning
- Being aware
- Helping others
‘5 Ways to Wellbeing’ introduces five simple and effective ways to improve psychological and emotional health, based on extensive international research.
During the Redlands Secondary School Wellbeing Day, students will work in teams of their choosing to navigate a packed schedule involving a series of self-directed challenges and activities. Each student will have access to a Wellbeing Day booklet which outlines their daily schedule and activities.
We know that a healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body for our overall wellbeing. Like physical fitness, our young people can strengthen their psychological health in lots of small day-to-day ways. This will help them live a happier and more fulfilled lives as well as help them cope with stress, particularly during this period of lockdown.
The Week 9 Timetable can be found here.
Friday Night Live
The Arts Captains are organising a “Friday Night Live” event on Friday 10 September at 5pm, with ‘LIVE’ performances. Streamed via Zoom, we hope to showcase several students from each Year performing a 2-3 minute act.
Students wishing to be involved should submit a video of their act to the Friday Night Live assignment page in the iLearn Student Leaders course. It can be Vocal, Theatre, Instrumental, Dance, Comedy, Rap, Poetry reading – anything to showcase your talent and creativity.
Performers will then be chosen to take part on the night. Unfortunately, we can only have several acts per year group but we will try to build a diverse, entertaining and amazing repertoire of performances so get as creative as possible! Submissions will remain open until next Monday.
Thanks to our Arts Captains, Maddie and Felix, for bringing the community together!
Essential Worker?
If you are sending your child to school next week because you are an essential worker, please complete this registration survey to log their attendance. Please do not send them to school if they are unwell.
Come Zoom Dine with Us
Monday 6 September, 6pm. Register here.
Redlands Head of Catering and Chef Joel Squire will demonstrate and guide us through a delicious and easy family friendly recipe of Baked White Chicken Enchiladas. Cook along with your family, and have fun plating up this meal while sharing your experience with other Redlands families, all under the watchful eye of Chef Joel. Recipe, ingredients and Zoom details will be emailed to registered families in advance of this highly anticipated enchilada masterclass. his will be a dining experience not to miss!
Secondary School Sport and Cocurricular Photographs
Secondary School Sport and Co-Curricular activity photos are ready for ordering. Please visit the Melba Studios website, www.melbastudios.com.au. Select school orders and enter the password, WINNIE.
If you have any questions, please contact Melba Studios directly on (02) 9438 4566 or email sales@melbastudios.com.au.
Mullets for Mental Health
From 1 September, a number of Secondary School students, along with Mr Jack Gooding our Director of Coaching: Rugby and Athletic Development, will be shaving in mullets in support of the Black Dog Institute and Mullets for Mental Health. https://www.teamblackdog.org.au/fundraisers/jackgooding/mulletsformentalhealth
Mr Gooding will be documenting the whole process, including the cutting of his the hair and the progress towards a true flowing mullet across the whole month. Along with a blog detailing the process, there will also be a number of ‘invitational barbers’ who will give their thoughts around mental well-being as well as offering their assistance in manicuring the mullet.
This is a wonderful opportunity to support a charity and have some fun during this lockdown period.
Ms Gemma Van de Peer
Head of Secondary School
gvandepeer@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9811