Head of Secondary School

Staffing Update 

While later in the term I will send further communication of staffing changes for 2019, I wanted to take this moment to acknowledge two teachers. After 20 years of service to Redlands, Mrs Wendy Hollings will be retiring at the end of the year. A Redlander herself, Mrs Hollings has had a variety of positions across the previous Middle School, the Junior School and now the Secondary School, where she is currently Dean of Administration. Her friendly and professional manner has endeared her to many staff, parents and students over her time at Redlands, and she will be missed. We will advertise for her current position in the coming weeks.

In addition, Mrs Barbara Potter will be retiring at the end of this year. Mrs Potter joined the Mathematics Department in 2015 after a long and distinguished career teaching Mathematics at a number of different schools including Ascham and International Grammar School. She has been a valued Maths teacher at Redlands, teaching a wide range of classes and often getting the best out of her students. We have hired Ms Eleanor Dalton to join the Maths Department next year. Ms Dalton has been teaching Maths at Newington and also has previous experience teaching Maths in the UK. We will properly farewell both Mrs Hollings and Mrs Potter in various ways at the end of the year.    

Yr 7-10 Yearly Examinations 

This week, students in Yrs 7 and 8 have been sitting their Yearly Examinations and next week, students in Yrs 9 and 10 will be doing the same. Assessments such as these are an important tool in assessing students’ learning and we would hope all students prepare and revise accordingly so that they are giving their very best effort and are achieving their own personal bests. However, it is also important that students and parents see these examinations as just one in a number of different assessments of student learning over the course of the year. The final results and marks are not nearly as important as the habits of and approaches towards learning that students have developed in the preparation for these examinations or will further develop in the reflection and evaluation of their learning after these assessments so that they can best develop strategies for future improvement. In my opening assembly address, I spoke to the students about having a “growth mindset” towards their learning at school and I hope students in Yrs 7-10 put into practice this approach over the coming weeks.

Yr 12 Leadership Training

Over the past two days we have been holding leadership training sessions for many of our incoming Yr 12 student leaders. On Wednesday 31 October, our new Yr 12 Prefects spent the day at Westpac’s Barangaroo offices partaking in leadership workshops. Jeff Hurdis, Westpac’s State General Manager, initially welcomed us to Westpac and shared some of his insights around leadership, and then Sarah Butler, a Partner and Senior Advisor with PwC, as well as a current Redlands parent, shared some of her experiences and advice around leadership. For the rest of the day, Bel Yorston, from yLead led the students through a number of team building and reflection activities to prepare for the year ahead. Today, Bel from yLead, returned to the Campus to work with the various Captains of Activities and their faculty advisors in leadership training and planning for the year.

I thought I would share some of Sarah Butler’s “Top Ten Tips” for leadership as they pertain to all facets of leadership both in and out of school. They are:

  • Have a clear vision, with goals and priorities
  • Have strong underlying values
  • Make decisions and take accountability
  • Be creative and innovative
  • Have strong and clear communication
  • Inspire other with passion and commitment
  • Remain positive and be resilient
  • Be sure to collaborate and delegate
  • Listen more and talk less
  • Develop self-awareness and learn from mistakes

 

Canteen Bandanna Day

Last Friday 26 October, the Secondary School was awash with bright colours as many staff and students were wearing bandannas that they bought throughout the week as part of CanTeen’s Bandanna Day. We raised $1455 which goes to CanTeen to provide many different support services for young people aged 12-25 who have been affected by cancer. It was great to see the new Yr 12 Prefects, led by our Service Captains Lachlan van der Pluijm and Isabel Binnekamp, really hit the ground running with their efforts towards this event and the Teacher Appreciation Morning Tea last week, as well.

Teacher Appreciation Morning Tea 

On behalf of the Secondary School teachers and staff, I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the many parents and students who assisted in organising the Appreciation Morning Tea last Friday. Your gestures of gratitude meant so much to so many people who work in the Secondary School and was just a further illustration of the wonderful sense of community and partnership that we have here at Redlands.

Mr Sean Corcoran
Head of Secondary School
scorcoran@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9870