Head of Secondary School

A Sunny Week 2

It was great to see Yr 12 back on campus in a regular capacity yesterday. They are a calming influence for the younger students and despite the pressures of the final year, they are always smiling and positive as they move through the school. The sunny days have been welcomed by all and students have enjoyed playing outside at recess and lunch and using the Fahl Garden for their lessons. Ms Walker had her Yr 11 Geography students learning on the Fahl Garden and the rooftop garden for their double lesson on Wednesday. Her students used their mobile phones to photograph and record artefacts for their research into sustainability. It was great to observe students and teachers enjoying the space, and being able to use it for learning and play. Seeing the community in this way felt like we were almost back to ‘normal’ and there was a lovely surge of hope for the future. This week has seen a range of events in the Secondary School: Yr 11 Burn Bright, Yr 11 Moneyvest Workshop, Yr 10 Diagnostic Testing and the Platinum Luncheon. Being able to welcome our extended community and guests onto campus furthered that feeling of normalcy and I was really proud of how maturely the secondary students conducted themselves across a range of activities this week.

Yr 7 & 8 Assembly

This morning we met with Yr 7 and 8 to reiterate some key messages. Firstly, we congratulated our Stage 4 students for their strong Term 1 effort grades. They’ve made an exemplary start to the school year and have many reasons to be proud of their academic commitment and participation so far. Ms Rolon, our Dean of Studies, spoke with students about their upcoming assessments this term and reminded them of the various support mechanisms available to them in the school. We also reiterated 1.5-2 hours of home learning each evening and an increased effort on the weekends, spending 2-3 hours on class learning, revision and/or assessment preparation. Shifting students’ perspectives about outside of school learning is fundamental to them becoming independent and agentic learners. The aim is they shift their understanding and approach to homelearning from something they are forced to do, and therefore often complete in a rush, to an activity they take time over and gain value from.

We then moved to a discussion of the school values. Students were reminded that they will face serious consequences if they engage in behaviours that are not conducive with the Redlands values of honesty, respect, responsibility, compassion, fairness and moral courage.

Vaping is one of these concerning behaviours, and engaging in vaping undermines the values of respect (for oneself and others) and responsibility (to self and others). Students were reminded about the detrimental effects of vaping (smoking e-cigarettes; also known as, juuls or STIGS) on a person’s health, and that vaping at school, or in school uniform is a serious breach of the school rules. We outlined what vapes are, how they look, taste and smell and the harmful impact they have on health. I also confirmed for students that we have vape detectors in key locations across the school because we have a zero-tolerance approach to vaping at Redlands.

The importance of moral courage was also reinforced with students in our assembly. We spoke of the dangers of a bystander culture, especially when students stand-by and do not report risky or inappropriate behaviour in their peers.

Risky or inappropriate behaviour may occur in-person, or online. It may be physical or emotional in nature, such as:

Watching whilst others intentionally break the school rules
Sharing or receiving videos of others breaking the school rules
Composing offensive or hurtful text messages to another student or group of students
Taking sides in an argument and/or excluding people, in-person or online

We reminded students that is their Redlands responsibility to look out for each other and their School; to hold each other accountable for their personal and online safety.

With a focus on three of the Redlands values: responsibility, respect and moral courage, we explored how students should demonstrate these values, by:

Being the best version of themselves
Showing respect to each other and having respect for themselves (online and in-person)
Asking for help/guidance if they need it – not waiting for a teacher to ask if they need help, but stepping up and speaking up for themselves and others
Stepping up and speaking up if they witness behaviour which results in increased risk to others and our community
Understanding that the School has confidential processes and safe spaces to enable students to step up and speak up
Asking students to consider how they can become a young person of character and strength, who is respected by others, and who in turn, respects themselves

Distribution of Rapid Antigen Tests

Next week, each student will be sent home with an additional supply of ten Rapid Antigen Tests which should be used for discretionary purposes. Specifically, students should return a daily negative Rapid Antigen Test before coming to school if they have been deemed a household/close contact. In addition, if a student is showing COVID-19 symptoms, they should stay home and take a Rapid Antigen Test.

Dance Worlds Championship Florida

Sam Hely, Yr 11 HSC, recently competed in the Dance World Championships in Florida. She competed in Open Jazz and her team finished 7th in the world, an achievement that surpassed her expectations, and was gladly received, no doubt! Below is a photo of Sam and her dance captain Elise Thomas (Redlander) with the trophy.

Mother’s Day Classic

On Sunday 8 May, Redlands will be participating at the Mother’s Day Classic to honour and support the 1 in 7 women diagnosed with breast cancer. This year is an extra special year for the Mother’s Day Classic community as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of getting active for breast cancer research. So, tell your friends, recruit your siblings, enlist your family and join us for a special day out!

Parents and Carers Information Evening

Respectful Relationships: Dr Tessa Opie
Monday 23 May, 7.00-8.30pm
Redlands Hall

All parents and carers are invited to this presentation on Respectful Relationships Education: At School and in the Home. Last year Dr Opie’s workshop was well received by Redlands parents and carers, and we envision this year’s information evening will be just as informative and valuable. As seating numbers are limited, booking is essential so please ensure that you book via this link by Friday 20 May to avoid disappointment. This presentation will target parents and carers of students in Years 6 through 12; however, all Redlands parents and carers are welcome.

Local Community Event to Support Parents

Ms Gemma Van de Peer
Head of Secondary School
gvandepeer@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9811