Head of Secondary School
Yr 11 Camp
Last week our Yr 11 (moving into Yr 12) had their Camp in the Snowy Mountains where students engaged in a week of outdoor education and leadership training activities in separate groups before all students and teachers returned to our High Country Campus on Thursday evening for a dinner and celebration. This final dinner was meant to not only culminate their experiences in the bush, but also to signify the completion of Yr 11 and their transition into Yr 12. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend this year’s Camp due to a foot injury. However, I videoed a message to the students which they watched at their dinner and have included an excerpt below.
“A final message I want to leave you with comes from the All Blacks team culture which is to Follow the Spearhead. In the Maori culture the term “whanau” has come to symbolise an extended family. Brothers, sisters, mates, community, team. And for you – this is your class, your Year Group. Those sitting around you tonight The whanau is symbolised by a spearhead. All three tips of the spearhead have to be working in unison, aligned properly, for the spear to fly far and straight. You can’t have anyone working or pulling against the others. Instead, you need to work together in collaboration and harmony, without dissent. Many sporting teams have various analogies to symbolise this whanau. The Sydney Swans AFL team put a high priority on how the character of the individual adds to the team culture. John Wooden, the legendary American Basketball coach at UCLA, used to say that “a player who makes the team great, is a great player”. And for the All Blacks their mantra is that no player is bigger than the team.
So, my final message for you is to continue to develop and strengthen your whanau. You are an extended family who, by working together and supporting each other every step of the way, will have an amazing year ahead of you. So, once again, congratulations on your ascension to Yr 12 and for completing the Yr 11 Camp. I hope you enjoy tonight, and I am sorry I’m not down there to enjoy it with you. And I look forward to seeing you back at school next week and supporting you on the exciting final 12 months of your Redlands journey.”
RPFA Thank You
Last Thursday was the RPFA Annual General Meeting and Volunteer Thank You Evening. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend in person. However, I would like to take this opportunity to extend our appreciation and thanks to all of the parents who support the Secondary School in so many different ways. Whether it be through cocurricular Friends of Groups, assisting in Learning Plus or as a Year Group volunteer, our wonderful parent community plays such an important role in so many different areas. I have said many times that our strength is our community at Redlands and the positive partnership between School and home continues to foster this strength.
International Baccalaureate Turns 50
This year the International Baccalaureate Programme turns 50 and on Thursday 25 October we celebrated its 50th birthday at Redlands. We are proud to have the longest continuous running IB Diploma Programme in NSW and we are celebrating our 30th year of the IB at Redlands this year, as well. We are also proud to be able to offer a choice of either the IB or the HSC for our Yr 11 and 12 students as both program provide rigourous, comprehensive and stimulating educational opportunities for our senior students to prepare them for “life-readiness”.
Yr 12 HSC and IB Examinations
Last Thursday 18 October our current HSC students commenced their final HSC Examinations while our IB cohort begin their final IB Examinations on Monday 29 October. We wish all of our graduating Yr 12 students all the best on these final examinations.
Mr Sean Corcoran
Head of Secondary School
scorcoran@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9870