Year 10

Half Yearly Examination Wrap Up

I would like to highlight the maturity displayed by all of our Yr 10 students throughout the exam period. All students arrived on time and left promptly after their exam. It was also great to see Yr 10 maximising their writing time in the exam, working right up until the end time.  In the coming weeks, students will receive their marks back. As expected, there will be highs and lows. I hope that Yr 10 can use the time, post-exams, for insightful feedback from teachers which will assist them with understanding strategies which they can use to improve along with greater insight as to what subjects they choose in the lead up to subject selection. 

Industry Day: Friday 14 May

Tomorrow, all of Yr 10 will be participating in the highly anticipated Industry Day. Students must make their way to and from their company venue. Students should have already done their transport research to ensure that they get to their company venues on time. All students are required to wear the dress code recommended by their company.

The general dress for Industry Day is smart casual which was highlighted to all of Yr 10 at last week’s Year Assembly. Students are not permitted to wear jeans and a t-shirt and need to look professional. Specific dress requirements and key pieces of information for each company were emailed to Yr 10 last weekend. 

This experience for Yr 10  will be extremely valuable and beneficial and I really hope Yr 10 value this opportunity to step into the shoes of an employee at their selected company. 

IGNITE: Mindfulness Reflection

For the last three weeks, the IGNITE Term Two team has met each Monday to discuss the Term Two theme: Resilience: Mindfulness and Gratitude. Last week, the IGNITE team was able to implement their knowledge by presenting to the Yr 10 cohort in Tutor Groups what mindfulness is, and how it can be used in the lead-up to exams and during exams and everyday mindfulness activities.

Below is a thoughtful reflection by Spencer Farrell and Will Pearson which was read by both of them at last week’s Year Assembly which summarises a few of the key takeaway messages from the Mindfulness session which was lead by all of the IGNITE team during Tutor Time. 

In yesterday’s tutor, the IGNITE team members went to all the tutor groups to discuss what mindfulness is and how one should best achieve it. We established that to be mindful you must be in touch with your thoughts and feelings and be present in the moment. We also discussed the importance of mindfulness and how it can help improve your mental health.

To be mindful is not a process; it is an outcome that could be achieved through an array of different methods which are best suited to you. Whether that means playing sports and being physically active, or if that meant participating in yoga and trying to connect your mind and your body, the discussion yesterday demonstrated that there was no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way. 

Yesterday we ensured that there were a variety of options available for you all to choose from, so you could truly achieve mindfulness in a way that suited you. So you weren’t forced to pretend like you were actually benefitting from something that may have only benefitted a few.

 We believe that the idea of achieving mindfulness in a way that you are comfortable with and that can resonate with you is so important to remember.  

We can often get caught up in trying to be like someone else, and sometimes it is really valuable to know an activity that will help you calm down, slow down, and breathe. To feel like you, not being forced to be someone else. And hopefully after yesterday’s activities,or today’s speech, you guys might be one step closer to discovering what mindfulness activity suits you.

So to conclude, whether you all took lots away from yesterday’s activities or you just sat there and enjoyed a break from the stresses from school, remember to be kind to yourself, to be present with who you are, and lastly to remember it’s ok to take a break, to slow down.

Thank you

Mr Nicholas Walker
Acting Yr 10 Advisor
nwalker@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9909 3133