Redlands Parents and Friends

Welcome to Redlands 140th Anniversary Year!

On behalf of the RPFA, we extend a particularly warm welcome to all the new students and their families joining Redlands this year. We trust everyone enjoyed a wonderful Christmas and New Year break, with students recharged and eager for a fantastic school year, leaving us parents in need of some recuperation.

The year 2024 promises to be exceptional as Redlands celebrates its 140th birthday.

Twilight in the Garden

Our first major function for the year, Twilight in the Garden, is a great opportunity to meet other parents in your Year Group, as well as school executives and teachers, in a casual environment. We are planning to hold the event outside in the Fahl Garden on the Senior Campus on Friday 16 Feb. We will be serving drinks and light refreshments.

Book your tickets here.

This year we will also add some fundraising fun to support the High Country Campus campaign.

Although the event concludes at 8pm as this is an on campus school event, please take the opportunity to make plans for a dinner out with friends, old and new, afterwards.

Event Details

5.45pm   |   Doors open and collection of name badges at the welcome desk      

6.00pm   |   Event Opening – food and drinks service begins. Please look for your Year Group flag to meet and mingle with parents and teachers from your Year Group

6.30pm   |   Speeches by Brittne Whitelaw (RPFA President), Glenda McLoughlin (Redlands Chair), Sean Corcoran (Redlands Principal)   

7.45pm   |   Conclusion of food and drinks service    

8.00pm   |   Event Concludes

Coming Up

Term 1 also marks the beginning of class get-togethers organised by our dedicated army of Class Parent volunteers. These events provide wonderful opportunities for new parents and their children to strengthen connections with classmates and meet other parents.

Be sure to check this section weekly for upcoming important dates and events. 

Parent / Family Get-togethers

Walks on Tracks

Weekly guided walks around the northern Sydney area are organised by Ann Marie, a wonderful RPFA volunteer. This is a great way to meet other Redlands parents and get in shape, plus a wonderful way to spend a morning discovering the many paths of the Sydney area.

The invitation for walks is open, so if you have friends or family who you think would like to come along, please feel free to bring them. Dogs are also welcome on most walks.

Walks are roughly 11/2- 2 hours and for those with the time, we love to stop for a coffee afterwards.

We have planned all the walks for the term so mark your calendars.  First three shared here:

• Wed 7 Feb: Little Manly to North Head. Meet at Little Manly Beach for an 8.40 departure.
• Wed 14 Feb: Mosman to Cremorne Point. Meet at the Roundabout at The Buena, Mosman for an 8.40 departure.
• Wed 21Woolwich  Feb: Hunters Hill. Meet at Woolwich Pier Hotel, 2 Gale Street Woolwich, for an 8.40 departure.

Any questions, please contact Ann Marie on 0406 691 533.

Book Club

The Redlands Book Club is a group of Redlands parents – past and present – who share a love of reading. New members are always welcome! The Book Club meets twice each school term to discuss a book, rotating among members’ homes. Occasionally, outings are also organised to events, movies or shows that are tied in with books, including annual attendance at the Sydney Writers’ festival in May. If you would like to join Book Club, or simply want to know more, please contact Monica or Sabiha.

Mon 19 Feb: we will discuss The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley. All welcome even if you have not read or heard of the book☺

Behind the Scenes with RPFA: Meet your RPFA Committee

The Redlands Parents and Friends Association (RPFA) is a group of committed parents who support the broad activities of the Redlands School’s diverse community. The RPFA is your first point of contact for Redlands community events or support. Check back here each week to meet 2024 committee members or to find to how to get involved.

RPFA FIVE with President Brittne Whitelaw

Name: Brittne Whitelaw
Role: RPFA President
Kiddos: Y5: Ollie Y7: Bear

If you could choose a RPFA theme song (or super hero) what would be the title name?

I’d combine the two and say the Song “Heroes”  would best fit! I think every one of our Parents and Friends (and kids) are their own sort of superhero. Even though the smallest of things (like getting out of the door on time in the morning!) can take a heroic effort, but the best thing is we can be there to support each other through our amazing community.

Why did you decide to join RPFA?

The desire to meet other families, help bring our community together and support our school to be the best it can be. I think you get back what you put in, and that it’s important to invest ourselves in our community and set an example for our children to do so as well.

Why would you encourage other parents to volunteer to join RPFA?

Every parent and friend of the school is already a member of the RPFA the minute they join the School! Taking the next step and volunteering your time in either a more regular position such as a class or year parent, or simply popping in to help with our 2nd Hand Uniform Sales, book reading or scribing, or even event planning from time to time will help you to get to know the community and school better and enjoy the Redlands experience to the fullest.

If you could trade places with your children for a day what would you most want to experience? 

The innocence and wonderment of learning something new and big for the first time. When my children come home and tell me about things they learn in school with sheer joy and excitement that may seem mundane to us adults, it reminds me that the simplest of things are actually pretty awe inspiring and we shouldn’t take them for granted. 

Parent Power Needed: Join the Team in 2024!

Teachers and Class Parent Coordinators are doing a Shout Out for Class Parents and Year Coordinators.  A great opportunity to meet other parents and get involved in your school community. All you will need is a sense of fun, enjoy people wrangling, a working with children check, and have a spare couple of hours a week. Please fill in this form to indicate your interest.

The Week in Pictures

Last week Book Club members were already out and about attending the launch of the book-based film The Dry: Force of Nature staring Eric Bana

Do you have pictures of parent / family get-togethers you want to share?

Please send them to RPFA Note Day.

Wishing everyone a safe and smooth start to the school year. Looking forward to a fab year…thanks to all the FRPFA Committee members ready to roll in 2024 and Redlands 140th year!

RPFA Committee

President: Brittne Whitelaw
Vice President: Carrie Taylor
Secretary: Jennifer Mast
Treasurer: Joe Russo
Committee: Monika Crennan, Michelle McDonald, Lisa Middlebrook, Karen Nicholson, Emma Okhovat, Sophia Stewart-Kasimba

Contact us!