Head of Secondary School
Class of 2018
Over the past week we have had a number of activities to farewell our Yr 12 students, including their Farewell Chapel Service and morning tea on Monday, their harbour cruise and beach day Tuesday, their Final Assembly on Wednesday and of course their Prize Giving and Valedictory dinner last night. It has been wonderful to see this Year Group enjoy their last week at school with each other and the larger community. One highlight for me was a new initiative this year where, on Monday afternoon, we invited our graduating Yr 12s who started in the Prep or Junior Schools to return to the Junior Campus for a “pilgrimage” to visit classes. While I believe the Kindergarten and Yr 6 students enjoyed the visits by the “big boys and girls”, I know it was a special afternoon for all Yr 12 students who had the opportunity to return to where their Redlands journeys began.
It has been a special week for a wonderful Year Group and there have been many people here at school who have put forth a tremendous effort in the organisation of these activities. To all of them, I express my thanks. I would also like extend my deep appreciation towards Mr Castelli, as Year Advisor, and Ms Boase, as Assistant Year Advisor, for all of their support for Yr 12 this week and this year. I firmly believe that we have an exceptional Pastoral support team of Tutors, Year Advisors, teachers and Counsellors for all of our students at Redlands, and I know this has certainly been the case with Yr 12 over their time at school.
Many lovely words, thoughts and feelings have been shared by parents, teachers, staff and students about this Year Group. My sentiments towards the Class of 2018 can probably be best summed in an excerpt from the speech I gave at their Farewell Assembly yesterday.
“Today is a special occasion as we, the Secondary School community, farewell this wonderful Year Group. They have been exemplary leaders for our school over the past year, leading by example without asking for fanfare or seeking recognition.
This selflessness could be seen regularly, whether it was when the Arts Captains spent the whole day at the Musical auditions in Term 4 just to lend support to younger students who might be nervous auditioning; or when a number of 1st XI Boys Football players travelled to Oakhill to cheer on the 13As Boys Football team in their Semi Final match; or when over the half of the Year Group recently braved a chilly Sunday morning to participate in the 10km Blackmores Run to raise money for headspace and awareness for mental illness.
They have been a cohesive Year Group, sharing a laugh with each other at House competition days or a hug and a shoulder to cry on during their toughest times.
And they have certainly been a successful Year Group, whether it has been on the stage, the sporting fields or in the classroom.
In so many ways they have left a legacy at Redlands for the rest of the student body to live up to.
So, I would like to share a brief story with you, the Class of 2018, that I heard from a Tongan minister when I visited that country a few years ago, which I think captures the essence of leaving a legacy.
A very old man was walking along the side of a road with a bag of avocado seeds, planting them every now and then as he walked. A young man saw this and stopped him to ask, “Why are you bothering to plant those avocado seeds at your age? You are going to be too old to be able to ever eat the fruit that is harvested from those trees”.
The old man replied, “Because I have enjoyed eating avocados my whole life, and someone else planted those seeds before me, knowing that other people would enjoy their fruit one day.”
You, the Class of 2018, are a wonderful example of what it means to build and leave a legacy. And the legacy you leave has so many different forms.
There are the tangible legacies you are leaving the school such as your Legacy Gift of sustainable gardens which will add to the aesthetics and the sustainability of the new outdoor space to be created adjacent to the New Learning Hub next year, even though you won’t be at school to enjoy this space, or the Yr 12 mural that you painted outside of the Canteen which has brought colour and beauty to an otherwise drab hoarding wall – if only for a year.
However, even more powerful are the intangible legacies you leave us through memories. Whether it is Bailey’s artmaking, Hugh’s acting, Cara’s dancing, Jeroen’s drumming or Stella’s singing. Or whether it is Zach’s running, Anna’s swimming, Tim’s tackling or Jemma’s netballing. Or whether it is Kat’s recycling, Nono’s giving, Matt’s rapping or Nat’s “flossing”, you have left your legacy through the seeds you have planted and the paths you have forged so that others might follow.
At the celebratory dinner at the end of your Yr 11 camp in Term 4 last year, when I spoke to you of leadership and the year ahead, I asked that you build on the legacy of the 130 Yr 12 classes who have come before you at Redlands and as the All Blacks say, “leave the jersey in a better place”. Well, I can certainly say that “you have left it better than you found it” and for that we are all thankful.
So, to you, the Class of 2018, I ask you now, what legacy will you continue to build and leave for others after you walk out of the gates of Redlands for the final time?
Will you speak out against those who discriminate others because of their race, gender or sexuality?
Will you live a life that is not dictated by self-interests, but instead on how you can serve others and the larger community?
Will you be a good son or daughter; brother or sister; father or mother?
While you have certainly left your positive legacy here at Redlands, I am confident that you will also leave a positive legacy for countless others in the future.
So, to the students in Yrs 7 to 11, I want you to look at these Yr 12s in front of you, think of the legacies they have left during their time at Redlands, and ask yourself, what will your own legacy be when you leave the School?
And, to the Class of 2018, on behalf of all of us here today, I want to thank you for the legacies you have left us. While your journey at Redlands may be coming to a close, the next stage of your journey is just beginning.
I encourage you, like the old man in my earlier story, to continue planting your avocado seeds long after you leave school so that so that the fruit you will leave behind can continue to be enjoyed by others far into the future. “
Staffing Update
To maintain proper communication, I wanted to inform you of some staffing updates for Term 4. Our counsellor, Ms Lara Luitingh, commenced her maternity leave last week and we are fortunate to have Tanya Luangsangthong join the Pastoral team as our School Counsellor. Ms Luangsangthong has experience working with adolescents as a Counsellor in schools and other organisations and has most recently been working as a School Counsellor at Santa Sabina College. She has had a three week handover period with Ms Luitingh to ensure a smooth transition. We also thank Mr David Newling (HSIE) and Ms Sarah Simpson (Science) for their contributions to Redlands this term, covering the Long Service Leaves of Ms Emma Bergin and Ms Elizabeth Scott respectively. We also thank Mr Atkins and Ms Privett for their roles as acting Year Advisor and Assistant Year Advisor, respectively, for Yr 10 this past term. Next term, Ms Joy Daley and Mr Yuji Okawa will go on Long Service Leave and we are pleased to have Ms Alyssha Clarke and Ms Mai Takamura joining the School in Term 4. Ms Clarke joins us from MLC School while Ms Takamura has had experience in a number of government schools, including Murray Farm Public School and North Sydney Girls’ High School. Finally, Mr Argyris Giantsis leaves us at the end of this term to return to Sydney Boys’ High School in Term 4. We thank him for his contributions to Redlands over the past two terms. We are pleased to have experienced IB Latin teacher, Dr Astrid Seele, joining the school in Term 4 to cover these Latin classes.
End of Term 3
It has been a very busy term and I know that teachers and students are looking forward to a well-earned break. I hope that you are able to spend some quality family time over the next few weeks. I will send a letter in the second week of the holidays in preparation for Term 4, and I look forward to seeing the students return to school refreshed and ready for their final term on Monday 15 October.
RPFA AGM and Volunteer Thank You
Mr Sean Corcoran
Head of Secondary School
scorcoran@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9870