Head of Secondary School

Welcome

The Redlands Secondary School students returned this week with great enthusiasm and excitement for the year ahead. We welcomed Year 7 and a number of new students from Years 8 to 11 on Monday and they settled in well on Tuesday when the rest of the School commenced Term 1.

In our Assemblies on Tuesday I spoke about the opportunities that a fresh start affords at the commencement of a new academic year. I reflected on last year’s Secondary School Goal and shared the 2024 goal of establishing and maintaining consistently high expectations for personal growth. The students have a range of supportive structures and mechanisms in the School which means the staff can challenge them to be their very best.

Commitment to ensuring the highest expectations for students, across all aspects of their learning journey means supporting them with their relationship navigation with friends, teachers, coaches, self-management of time, emotions, punctuality, collaborative efforts in Sport, Music and other teams they may be a part of, and of course their academic pursuits.

I then moved to a focus on success and what this may look and feel like for each student, with examples from last year’s Year 12 cohort who were common in their articulation of what contributed to their success:

Strong relationships with key teachers
Challenging yourself
Knowing yourself as a learner – what works and how to be self-directed

School Captains Jasmine Black and Isaac Brooks shared details of their summer holiday experiences with the students before encouraging them to set ambitious goals for the 2024 school year. Their 2024 motto Step Beyond is about taking that extra step, challenging yourself and encouraging others to challenge themselves. They implored students to try new things and to sit with the range of emotions which surface when placed in a situation of discomfort. They reminded students that it’s easy to go up to someone new and say hello, and challenged them to go beyond this superficial gesture to something even more meaningful – helping someone with school work, providing advice, in order to guide and support another. Making a personal action concrete and memorable can assist both the individual and the person receiving the support.

Excitedly, Jasmine and Isaac shared their motto’s image, which adorns the front cover of the 2024 Student Planner.

Literally, the cover shows a bubble exploding but the symbolism enables the real meaning to emerge. On the left side, is a student who is static, not pushing themselves, and in their comfort zone. On the other side, is a student bursting with colour, with life, with opportunity – a student who dared to dream big, who challenged themselves, who stepped beyond. Jasmine and Isaac look forward to their arrival of their Step Beyond badges and celebrating student success at their assemblies each Tuesday.

Next Tuesday we hold the Secondary School Swimming Carnival. Students need to be at school very early on Tuesday morning – before 7.15am. Students will be transported to Homebush and their departure locations are as follows:

Cowper – Junior School Oval
Dumolo – Dunnet Hall
McDouall – Parkes Hall Tennis Courts
Roseby – Senior Campus Top Terraces

Students who want race the 200m Individual Medley need to register with the Sports Department, and gather at school at 6:45am on the Senior Campus Top Terraces, in order to catch the early bus to Homebush.

Parents are welcome to attend. Student will be dismissed at the end of the day and may leave with parents who attend the Carnival, but not before the official Swimming Carnival has concluded.

A Lot Happened During the Holidays!

A large cohort of students from Years 8-10 were invited to participate in the UNSW GERRIC Gifted Students Program (10-12 January). To qualify for the program, students needed to show evidence of exceptional academic ability, achievement and critical thinking skills. Our students enjoyed delving into university-style seminars and advanced content pitched at two years above grade level with like-minded peers from schools across NSW. Dr Phoebe Poon (High Potential Learning Coordinator 7-12) caught up with students as they engaged in projects centred around cosmology, theories of relativity, myths about the lost city of Atlantis, neuroscience and the practice of logic and rational thinking. Thank you to Dr Poon and Ms Vyvian Kang who provided support to all students throughout the program. It’s fantastic to see so many of our students being recognised for their exceptional abilities and collaborating with each other.

Congratulations to Daisy Thomas who (Year 12) won Australia’s first ever Winter Youth Olympic Medal in Big Air Freestyle Skiing, claiming silver at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea.

Congratulations also go to Jasmine Black (Year 12) who was selected to play for Sydney FC over the holidays. Many other students worked hard throughout the holiday break across a range of pursuits and passions and we look forward to sharing these with you in coming weeks.

Redlands Community Prayer Event

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