Year 7
Week 3 – Finding our Feet, our Friends and our Focus
After a full fortnight of classes now, Yr 7 are really looking like they belong in the Secondary School. In addition to ‘learning the ropes’ in each of their academic classes, students have successfully been making friends, connecting with their teachers, and experiencing the fun (and challenges!) of the Redlands cocurricular program.
Week 2 ended with a bonding event, as the Yr 11 service students held a wonderful movie night for Yr 7 on Friday. Students enjoyed watching the film Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and there was many a laugh, particularly from the antics of actors Jack Black and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. I really enjoyed the film too! Thank you to the Yr 11 Service leaders for coordinating such a fun event.
On Monday, students started the week with a firm focus towards the future, engaging in Coaching Conversations with their Tutors across Periods 1 and 2. These conversations are all about fostering students’ self-awareness and skills in personal reflection, as they are encouraged to set important goals for Term 1, communicating these with their Tutors. Later in the day, Yr 7 experienced their first Chapel service. The cohort were impressive in their respectful movement into the Chapel and their reflective demeanour as they listened to Mrs Phillips’ sermon on how best to ‘fill themselves’ this year with all Redlands has to offer. Our new Principal, Mr Corcoran, was also in attendance to hand deliver to each student a personal diary, signed by him, and gifted to them by our former Principal, Mr Webber.
On Tuesday, students experienced their first Student Leader assembly in the Lang Gym, where they were warmly welcomed into the school by our school captains, Dan and Josie, and later congratulated on their confident and positive integration into the Secondary School by Mrs Van de Peer. On Wednesday, students stepped up to the challenge, successfully evacuating their classrooms in a fire drill. Yr 7 responsibly found their way to the Basketball court where they checked off their attendance before waiting patiently to return to class. Everyone remained calm and composed throughout – a good sign should we ever really need to evacuate the school. Well done!
On Thursday, students benefitted from specific instruction from their Tutors on how to use their student planners to record their home learning and plan for the weeks ahead. These lessons in organisation will continue once we return from camp. Students were also presented to by ySafe who gave them important information on managing cyberbullying and online conflict; understanding the dangers of sexting and their obligations under the law; and how to maintain their online wellbeing. While sometimes confronting, this was an extremely valuable and informative event for the cohort.
Key Dates and Upcoming Events
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Week 4: Yr 7 School Camp (Monday 20/2 – Friday 24/2)
All Yr 7 students will journey to the High Country Campus for a fantastic week of camping, including activities such as hiking up to Mount Kosciusko, mountain bike riding, raft building and more.
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Week 5: Yr 7 Meet and Greet evening (Monday 27/2)
Parents are invited to attend the school to meet Yr 7 teachers and Tutors, and fellow parents, as a way of connecting with the Redlands community.
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Week 6: Yr 7 Burn Bright – Recipe for Success (Monday 6/3)
Students have an incursion led by ‘Burn Bright’ where they will explore strategies for successful integration into High School, including building positive relationships and personal confidence; enhancing their resilience and problem solving skills; and being inspired to make a difference in the school.
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Week 7: NAPLAN testing commences (Wednesday 15/3 – Friday 17/3)
On Wednesday 15 March, Thursday 16 March and Friday 17 March, students in Yr 7 will sit the annual National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). Parents should have received a detailed notification of this through the school portal.
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Week 8: School Musical (Thursday 23/3 – Saturday 25/3)
The school will be performing The Addams Family musical. This will be a great night out for all the family!
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Week 9: Monday 27/3 – Cross Country Carnival
A compulsory event for Yr 7 – so get excited to get involved!
Important Notices
School Camp – Last Chance to Get all the Right Kit!
On Monday February 20, Yr 7 head off to our wonderful High Country Campus for their ‘Making Connections’ camp. Please make sure students are in the Undercroft by 6:30am to have their names marked off prior to departure. A reminder that students need to pack everything outlined on the packing list. Students should not bring any electronic devices to camp. Camp details, including packing lists, can be found on the OEG website (in the Login section, look for School: ‘Redlands’ and use the passcode: ‘Shine’).
Please contact Mr Atkins on eatkins@redlands.nsw.edu.au for any questions about Camp.
Winter Sport Choices
The time has come for students to begin signing up for their Winter Representative Sport, which will begin in Week 7 of this term. Selecting a Winter Sport in Yr 7 is compulsory. Students will have TWO training sessions a week as well as a Saturday commitment for the duration of the season. All Yr 7 students need to complete the registration form available on the Secondary School Sport iLearn page. Further information is available at here.
Online Safety – Parent Information
The Online Safety Parent Information session on Monday evening was a great success with over 130 parents / carers joining via Zoom to learn more about the complexities and tips for parenting in the digital age. Please use the link below to access a recording of the presentation. The recording will be available for 2 weeks:
Parents/Caregivers also have access to the Redlands Cyber Safety Hub where you can get advice on the latest apps and games; learn more about online safety topics; get help with social media incidents and more. Access the hub here.
Mr Jimmy Tod-Hill
Year 7 Advisor
jtodhill@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9908 6462