Head of Secondary School

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New Learning Hub Opening

It has been wonderful to see the excitement of students as they have begun using the New Learning Hub this week. This space will transform the Senior Campus and provides innovative learning and teaching opportunities through large, modern classrooms; state of the art audio visual capabilities; a myriad of individual and small group breakout and study spaces; and specialised Visual Arts and Innovative Design facilities. The breakout spaces are currently designated for Yr 12 study areas which they will be able to use before school, during their study periods, recess, lunch and after school. Other students are not to use these spaces during their break times. However, the before school and after school Study Centre will move from the Library to the Learning Hub where students will be able to receive individual support from academic teachers. An updated schedule can be found on Redlands Pulse.

Return to Campus Arrangements

Overall, the students have made a smooth transition to On-Campus Learning this week, despite some alterations to their routines and usual practices. As stated in my previous communications, while we are pleased to see the decrease in Covid-19 cases in NSW, we must remain vigilant as evidenced by some of the recent cases in schools. Please note that the School has plans which we would implement in the event of a positive Covid-19 test within our community. We are asking students to continue to follow our safety measures such as physical distancing, good hygiene practices, temperature checks and an altered schedule. We are reviewing and evaluating our practices and will continue with our current Senior Campus arrangements for Week 6. We will communicate any updates or changes for Week 7 and the remainder of Term 2 in next week’s Note Day.

Academic Review

Over the first part of this year, a primary focus in the Secondary School was conducting an in-depth review and evaluation of the 2019 HSC and IB Academic results. The review was conducted at various levels of the School, from Executive and Secondary School Deans to Subject Coordinators and teachers, incorporating both internal and external data and feedback. The review’s findings were due to be released towards the end of Term 1; however, due to the COVID-19 crisis, these findings were not able to be released until now. Parents can find a summary of the findings of this academic review on Redlands Pulse. In addition, parents will also be able to see a more detailed analysis of our 2018 and 2019 HSC and IB results here. We hope that this information will be useful for parents. In the Secondary School we are committed to providing the very best educational experience for all students in Yrs 7-12. We hope this review illustrates that we will continue to strive for continuous improvement while supporting students to achieve their best academically, cocurricularly and personally over their time at the School.

National Reconciliation Week

This week is National Reconciliation Week and the theme this year is “In This Together”. In Tutor Group periods this week, students in Yr 9 have been exploring and discussing some of the important issues surrounding National Reconciliation Week, culminating in developing their own Acknowledgement to Country. We hope that this learning will help prepare Yr 9 students for their cultural immersion experience to Arnhem Land which has been postponed until later in the year.

National Careers Week

National Careers Week culminated with The Great Debate on Friday between teachers and students via Zoom on the topic, “It’s not what you know but who you know that determines success in your career,” with the teachers arguing the affirmative. It was a spirited and entertaining debate and congratulations to the students for their victory for a second year in a row.

Yr 10 into Yr 11 Subject Selection

On Wednesday evening we held our Yr 10 into Yr 11 Subject Selection Information Evening for students and parents via Zoom. For those Yr 10 parents and carers who missed this event, you can find a video of the meeting and the slides on Redlands Pulse. Due to the current restrictions, we have had to alter our usual arrangements and will now be moving the Subject Fair, which usually occurs in person as part of the Information Evening, to next Wednesday 3 June from 5.00-7.00pm. Students and parents will now be able to book times for Zoom meetings with Subject Coordinators and other teachers to ask specific questions about the subjects offered. More information on how to book these times will be sent home to Yr 10 parents and carers tomorrow. We appreciate this is a change of practice and comes with its challenges; however, we hope that this event will allow students and parents to garner further information to assist with their subject choices.

Cocurricular Arrangements

Cocurricular and sports activities continue to be updated as we are transitioning back to On-Campus Learning. Please check the Covid-19 Events page on Redlands Pulse and specific activity pages for the latest information.

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