Head of Secondary School

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Gearing up for an Awesome Term 2

It was wonderful to see students back on campus yesterday for the commencement of Term 2. We began the day with tutor time, reconnecting and ensuring that all of the little things were in place for the start of a new term. From my conversations with many of the students, it sounds like there were a diverse range of experiences enjoyed over the Easter break.

Mr Corcoran and I attended the ANZAC Day Dawn service with our School Captains Josie and Dan. It was once more a wonderful commencement to the term to lead the Secondary School for the ANZAC Day Assembly held in Dunnet Hall yesterday. Acknowledging and commemorating together as a school community is about learning – and we know that learning sits at the heart of what we do each day. We took the opportunity to reflect and to solemnly recall those we have lost in war and conflict. Briefly, I spoke to the students about how this Anzac Day also comes at a time of national reflection over Australia’s painful history with its treatment of First Nations peoples. Interestingly, as part of this, the Australian War Memorial is signalling a commitment to include ‘proper recognition of the frontier conflict’ in its current renovation and expansion. I felt this was important to mention, given our experiences of connecting with country, and our School’s privilege in being able to share and experience the lives of First Nations peoples, in trips like the recent one undertaken by a group of Yr 10 and 11 students and the upcoming trip to Arnhem Land which Yr 9 attend in Week 6 of this term.

As part of our ANZAC Day assembly, Yr 10 students Millie Winton and Jaiden Murphy shared their reflections on the ANZAC spirit, connecting us to their ancestors and supporting the students to consider the ANZAC legacy in their own lives.

‘They have taught us, inspired us, and made us think in particular about the meaning of ‘mateship’.’

I would like to thank all of the students who made the ANZAC Day Assembly a powerful experience.

Important Events for Students and Parents/Carers

In the coming weeks there are a number of events for students and parents/carers. We strongly encourage and request the specific Year Group evenings to be attended by all students and parents/carers in that Year Group and warmly invite all parents and carers to attend the non-specific Year Troup evenings being held in Week 2 and 3 which concern issues which directly impact adolescents.

Week 2

Next Tuesday Evening is our termly Wellbeing Support Session for Parents, led by the Secondary School Counsellors. This term’s focus is on Understanding and Responding to Emotions in Adolescence and the evening is open to all parents and carers with students in Yr 7 to 12.

Week 3 

On Wednesday 10 May we have a presentation for parents and carers of all students in Yr 7 to 12 on Parties, Gatherings and Alcohol – What Parents Need to Know

Week 5

On Tuesday 23 May we have the Yr 9 Experience to Extend Evening for all Yr 9 Students and Parents/Carers. The evening will explore:

• the range of experiences available in Yr 9
• the expectations and the challenges of Yr 9
• support and self-management practices necessary for Yr 9 students
• how a positive experience of Yr 9 enables consolidation and extension in Yr 10

Week 6

On Wednesday 31 May we are holding the Senior Pathways and Subject Expo Evening  for all Yr 10 Students and their Parents/Carers.

On Thursday 1 June we are holding the Yr 8 Building Blocks for Success in Secondary School Evening for all Yr 8 students and Parents/Carers. The evening will explore:

• the fundamentals necessary for success in Yr 8
• the habits, routines and mindsets which underpin this success
• academic expectations and the step up from Yr 7
• readiness for Yr 9: what should be happening in the next 8 months

Reflections on Term 1 and the Easter Break

North Sydney Student Forum – Yr 10 student Krishna Gupta and Yr 11 student Amelia Barter attended this event which gave them the opportunity to share their perspectives on the issues important to them. They shared their reflections on the issues of cybersecurity in schools and standardising the products/services that students use in class. Both students welcomed the opportunity to explore issues related to climate change, transport, mental health, and artificial intelligence. They felt the experience extended their understanding about changes they can make collectively as a community.

Melbourne University Trip – Redlands Careers and University Advisors Ms Justine Fowler and Ms Clare Hurst, along with Yr 12 Year Advisor Mr Nick Walker accompanied a group of 21 Yr 11 and 12 students to Melbourne in the Easter holiday break. This was a fantastic opportunity to visit Melbourne University, RMIT and to tour three of Melbourne University’s residential colleges.

This experience provided the students the chance to be better informed when making decisions about their post-school decisions. One of the highlights was talking to Redlands Alumni currently studying in Melbourne and hearing about their experiences. Our Yr 12s in particular appreciated being able to speak to students they knew from the class of 2022. They also appreciated Melbourne culture by visiting the Melbourne Comedy Festival and consumed some fairly excellent pastries from a laneway cafe. Ultimately, the  experience gave students the opportunity to step up and gain the independence that is required when moving out of home to a new city. Congratulations to Anneka Steele who navigated the whole group on the tram from our hotel to Ormond College! In the photo below, our current senior students pose with Alumni from recent years- a lovely opportunity to reconnect and envision the future.

Australian Junior Athletics Championships Achievements

Congratulations to Isaac Brooks (Yr 11), Amber Kusano (Yr 9), Elizabeth Whelan (Yr 9) and Olivia Law (Yr 7) who all competed during the holidays at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships held at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre.

• Isaac finished 14^th in the U18 Boys 800m & 26^th in the U18 Boys 1500m
• Amber finished 12^th in the U16 Girls 800m
• Elizabeth finished 5^th in the U15 Girls Hammer throw
• Olivia finished 11^th in the U14 Girls 800m and 8^th in the U13 Girls 1500m

What stunning and deserved achievements by these athletes.

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