Year 12

Key Dates

  • 6 February SS Swimming Carnival
  • 25 March Student and Parents UAC Webinar
  • 28 March SS Cross-Country Carnival
  • 30 April – 10 May  Yr 12 IB Half-Yearly Examination Block
  • 28 June Yr 12 Formal
  • 25 & 26 July Gala Arts
  • 20 & 21 June Senior Music Festival 
  • 5-16 August YR 12 HSC & IB Trials
  • 26-30 August Yr 12 Final Orals & Yr 3-12 HSC Visual Arts Exhibition
  • 16-20 September IB Visual Arts Exhibition
  • 25 September Valedictory
  • 16 October – 8 November Yr 12 HSC Exams
  • 21 October – 11 November Yr 12 IB Exams 
  • 2024 TERM DATES


Welcome Back to Yr 12 Graduating Class of 2024!

Happy New Year and welcome back to all students, parents and carers to a new and exciting last year of Secondary School for the 2024 cohort. I hope everyone had a restful break, time to rejuvenate with friends and family and time to prepare for the year ahead. 

We welcome Mr Tony Callaghan to our Yr 12 Pastoral Team. He is joining the Cowper Blue team and will lead his Tutor Group through this year. Mr Callaghan is an HSC and IB Mathematics teacher and can often be found riding his bike to school in the mornings. We farewelled Mr Igor Srbinovski at the end of last year as he celebrated his wedding and moved back to Victoria. 

This year, students will need to keep reality in check and watch out for one another. There are many exciting times ahead that are all balanced with many moments of anxiousness. With two days of Yr 12 underway, students have described the return as everything from “abrupt” and a “shock to the system” to “productive.” Countless students have already taken advantage of the Study Centre on Level 2, receiving support from teachers or finding a quiet space to study.  

A huge congratulations to Daisy Thomas (Yr 12) who won Australia’s first ever Winter Youth Olympic medal in Big Air Freestyle Skiing, claiming silver at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea. Daisy cleanly executed two of her three jumps to claim the silver medal with a combined score of 172.75, just 7.25 points behind the gold medallist from Italy. This exceptional achievement follows her success in the Ski Slopestyle final, where she placed 5th.

“I came here with the goal of getting on the podium, I’ve had the Youth Olympic medal on my phone’s home screen for over a year now, and to now have the medal in my hands feels so surreal!” Daisy said.

Please see the full article released here.

Will Andrew, Conor Petersen, Frederick Yates and Aaron Beder were also busy over the summer and attended Engineering Summer school following the end of Term 4. 

Reflection from Conor Petersen: The Engineering Summer School residential was held on the first week of the holidays. It was run by Engineers Australia, and we stayed at the Sancta Sophia College at Sydney Uni for four nights. It was a great opportunity to understand what engineering is all about and the different streams of engineering. I met some great people, made long-lasting friendships, visited unis, experienced what it is like to be an engineer in the workplace, and was able to ask current uni students for advice. We visited five unis: USYD, UNSW, UTS, MQU and UoW and five workplaces: Rhode Island Navy Station, Bluescope Steel, Transurban/Westconnex, ANSTO nuclear facility and Cochlear. It was great fun and I would highly recommend the program to anyone who is thinking that engineering might be a career option. 

Reflection from Will Andrew: The summer school was really awesome; it was amazing to see all the engineering facilities both in universities and places of work. The week really helped me open my eyes to the things I could achieve with engineering and I can’t wait to learn more in the future.

Yr 12 Academic Deadlines and Due Dates

All academic resources for students to access and engage with for self-management are linked in iLearn for students and Pulse for parents. Please see the updated Pulse page with academic resources here.

Uniform Reminders

It has been a challenging week for some students ensuring their uniforms are in line with Redlands uniform guidelines, as outlined in the Student Planner, and in preparation for being a Yr 12 role model. A few ongoing uniform issues are listed below. While this is in the hands of our young adults, thank you in advance for checking in with your child to ensure they are wearing their uniform with pride.

  • Students are required to wear polished, black, laced, black-soled school shoes (not leather trainers)
  • Hems for dresses and skirts are to fall to top of knee
  • Hair is to be styled and tied up neatly, so that it is away from the eyes, ears and collar. Long hair is to be tied back with navy or hair coloured accessories.
  • Students wearing the dress or skirt are meant to wear ankle socks (not sport socks)


University and Careers Updates

All information regarding university applications and career options is advertised through the University and Careers Pulse Page. All Yr 12 are encouraged to ensure they have met with the Careers Advisors at least once by this point to discuss their Yr 12 Career Plan and life after Yr 12. Students can book appointments here: book an appointment.

Please see information below around upcoming events.

Student and Parents UAC Webinar

Gap Year

Year 12 students should start thinking about whether they are interested in taking a gap year in 2025. Some structured programs require applications in the first semester of Year 12.

Information on gap year options is available on Pulse in addition to these interesting resources:

Gap Years and What You Should Know About Them

A Gap Year With No Travel

University of Cambridge Masterclass

Subject Masterclasses are subject-specific events that offer students in Year 12  the chance to experience typical undergraduate teaching at the University of Cambridge, and to learn more about a topic of interest. The events are designed for students looking to apply in October 2024. For more information click here.

Secondary School Photographs

  • Wednesday 14 February: Individual Portraits and Sibling Photos
  • Wednesday 5 June: Year Group Photos

Uniform Requirements

All students are required to be wearing their full school uniform, including blazers. Boys must be clean shaven with hair that has been cut so that it is away from eyes, ears and collar. Boys and girls with a hair length touching the collar is to be styled and tied-up neatly so that it is away from eyes, ears and collar. Hair is to be tied back with navy and hair coloured accessories.  No hair dye, mullet style haircuts, make-up or nail polish is permitted. No jewellery is to be worn other than one pair of plain gold or silver studs in ear lobes.

Photo Packages

Standard Portrait and Year Group Package ($40): this will be automatically billed to your school account and posted directly to your primary contact address following the Year Group photos in June. If you do not wish to receive a standard package, please click HERE to opt out before 14 February. Further details of the photo package can be found here. 

Sibling Photos: If you would like to order Sibling Photos, please click SIBLING ORDER, and complete the Order Form before 7 February.

Catch-Up Photo Day

If your child is unable to have their portrait taken on Wednesday 14 February, catch-up photos will be offered on Friday 1 March

If you have any questions, alterations or additional orders, please contact Melba Studios directly on (02) 9438 4566 or email sales@melbastudios.com.au.

Ms Alissa Ynson
Yr 12 Advisor
aynson@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9865