Head of Secondary School

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Assembly Message

Over the past few weeks a number of students have approached other staff and me wanting to say or do something in response to the concerns that have been raised in the Black Lives Matter protests in the United States, Australia and around the world. In Tuesday’s remote assembly, one of our Service Captains, Maya Auld, spoke to staff and students about how we can make a difference by listening to, learning from and showing support for people who are experiencing injustice. The Yr 12 leaders then invited students and staff to volunteer to take a knee for a minute after the assembly in a moment of reflection and support. I joined many Yr 12 students and staff in taking a knee in the top garden and appreciated their solemn and thoughtful act of solidarity. Our students’ continued passion to make a difference in the world, to stand against injustice and to show support for others continues to inspire me.

I have included Maya’s speech below.

You’ve no doubt seen the harrowing footage and photos from the police brutality protests that have been taking place across America and here in Australia, and probably felt somewhat helpless in the face of it all. In light of these recent events, and in recognition of the countless we don’t and will likely never know about – we are reminded that when we see injustice, it is up to us to step in and make a difference. 

Questions about systemic racism are not bad or forbidden, and honest, open-minded dialogues about the resulting movements are encouraged and really normal. HOWEVER it is our responsibility as allies to be as informed and educated as we can. Before we act or speak, we must first investigate. 

What does it mean to be an ally? 

Being an ally means continually learning and educating yourself and those around you on the ways we can help and support marginalised communities.

Ally-ship cannot be defined merely on the basis of binaries such as Black and White, oppressed and oppressor, less and more privileged. For, privilege itself cannot be determined only through the variables of race and class. Rather, it is multi-dimensional and shaped by each individual’s lived experiences. Thus, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic class, education, and many other factors can make a person privileged among a group of people and less privileged among another. 

Consequently, it is an individual’s willingness to contribute to and actively participate in a community’s struggle for justice and equality that renders them allies and partners of this community, despite the fact that this person is not originally a part of it.

It is no longer enough to be ‘non-racist’, it is vital to be actively anti-racist. As Redlands students, we are committed to fight racism wherever we find it, including in ourselves. This is the only way forward. True ally-ship is not just talk. It is about the work. It is an active process. And that process belongs to everyone. 

It is our responsibility to listen, learn, take action, and repeat. If you’d like to be supportive and don’t know how, we’ve compiled a list of  resources, including books, podcasts, movies, documentaries and articles on the Redlands Service Learning iLearn page.

Parent Student Teacher Nights

Yesterday evening we held our Yr 12 Parent Student Teacher Night remotely via Zoom and will be holding all other upcoming Parent Student Teacher Nights online via Zoom for the remainder of this term (Yr 9) and early next term (Yrs 7 and 8). Information will be sent home to these families about how they can schedule their meetings with teachers and access the meetings via Zoom. We would ask parents to please read these directions carefully as we are continuing to try to improve and update our procedures for these meetings. If you have any general questions about these nights, please send enquiries to Susan Jones. If you need ICT support for any of these evenings, please contact our ICT Support team. While different than in person meetings, we still hope these meetings will provide valuable academic feedback for students and families.

We are also asking parents to take a few minutes to give feedback on the remote Parent Student Teacher meetings after their scheduled evening to help us with our planning moving forward. Parents will receive a separate email with the link to the feedback survey or they can access it here.

Holiday Activities

There are a number of school related activities for students taking place in the upcoming holidays. Specifically, there will be a number of academic workshops for Yr 12 students and there will be Sports training for representative teams as they prepare for the commencement of interschool fixtures next term. We know many students are looking forward to the opportunity to participate in these sessions during the holidays. Please note that while we encourage students to join in these holiday activities where possible, they are still optional. If students have any concerns around their participation, they should speak to the relevant activity coordinator or Dean.

Secondary School Prize Vouchers

A number of students still have unclaimed book prize vouchers from 2019. Because of the challenging circumstances over the past few months, we have asked the book sellers for an extension for the redemption of these prize vouchers until the start of Term 3. Accordingly, if you have not yet claimed your prize voucher from Speech Night last year, you will be able to redeem the voucher until 21 July. Please contact the Secondary School Library with any further questions.

Term 3/4 Departure Notice

As we are approaching the mid-point of the year, this is a reminder that those families who are planning on leaving the School at the end of Terms 3 or 4 are required to give notice to the Principal via an email to registrar@redlands.nsw.edu.au by the following dates:

End Term 3 Departure:  Friday 26 June 2020
End Term 4 Departure:  Sunday 26 July 2020

As per our Conditions of Enrolment emailed to all families in December last year with the 2020 Schedule of Fees, there will be fees in lieu payable for any notices of departure received after this date.

If your family is experiencing current financial difficulties as a result of COVID-19, please contact our Chief Financial Officer at bweatherstone@redlands.nsw.edu.au to see how the School may support your child’s continued enrolment at Redlands.

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