Year 7

Week 3 – Winter has Arrived!

Technically, Winter does not begin in the Southern Hemisphere until 1 June (write that one down for a fun trivia fact), but we definitely experienced quite a cold snap this week! Luckily, students have been able to rug up in their winter blazers, with jumpers underneath (only when on school grounds) and then escape into the warmth of their classroom to negate the worst of the cold. It is a timely point to remind everyone of uniform requirements during our Winter Terms though. If you are unsure, please check the uniform policy on our Yr 7 Page on Pulse.

This week, we started with an important Yr 7 Assembly on Monday, where I reminded students of key expectations in the Secondary School. Reaffirming some of the key messages outlined below will be valuable in ensuring our young people stay on the right track this term!

  • Student planners need to be signed by parents every Thursday, Week A
  • Technology is only to be used in the classroom for learning purposes. Laptops should remain closed until teachers direct them to open them.
  • Phones are not to be used in class. Phones are not to be used around the school grounds. It is recommended that phones remain locked in lockers for the day.
  • Lockers should have a lock on them. This needs to be done by Week 4.
  • Except for Thursday, students should not be arriving at school in PE uniform; students should not be leaving school in PE uniform.
  • The Health Centre is a resource for supporting students with medical issues. Please do not go there unless you have a genuine health concern.
  • Students need to arrive promptly to class and Tutor group. Laptops, textbooks, exercise books, student planners and pencil cases should be brought to every lesson.

We also heard from Yr 7 student, Jason Gong, who recently travelled to America to compete in an international robotics competition. He explained that he and his team had to construct small robots that could shoot discs into various targets around a court. He also shared with the cohort his passion for Robotics and how it developed from his interest in Lego.

I have encouraged Yr 7 students to let me know if they wish to share something with the cohort in one of our assemblies, so we can all learn from each other and our different experiences.

Meanwhile, this week, I was able to visit a few different Yr 7 classes in action, including Art and English (technically, this last one was cheating, as it was my English class!)

7P Art were cheery, enthusiastic and very engaged in their art-making in preparation for their assessment in Week 4. Students are currently working on completing a painting that shows their understanding of the Elements and Principles of Art. They have been tasked with creating a resolved painting by using acrylic paint and a monochromatic colour scheme. Their paintings should display a composition of forms which should appear three-dimensional by using tints, shades and tone. As a total amateur in the art world, I was fascinated by the focus and diligence the students demonstrated in painting their colourful shapes. There are surely some young Picassos amongst us!

7M English are currently studying the novel, Skellig. Recently, students were looking at the poem The School Boy by William Blake – a poem alluded to on several occasions in the novel. After exploring this poem in class, students were challenged to create their own poem, The 2023 School Student, reflecting their understanding of and feelings towards school. To draw out their inner budding poet, I took my class to a novel lesson location on the roof of the Leaning Hub. It was an exciting and different new space to engage in our leaning in a creative way.

A big congratulations to Buddy, Lachlan, Aimee and Liv who confidently presented details about their lunchtime newspaper club, The Irregular, to the Years 10-12 assembly on Tuesday, and are planning to do it all over again to the Years 7-9 assembly next Tuesday.

On Thursday, Yr 7 was given a valuable presentation on Respectful Relationships from external presenter Jana Gomes of In your Skin. Through a mixture of verbal presentation, video material and group discussions, students were engaged in thinking about:

  • Social and emotional changes during puberty
  • What to do if you think you like someone
  • Differences between flirting and sexual harassment
  • Understanding everyday consent

Students responded maturely to the presentation and helped to reaffirm some valuable principles when it comes to engaging in relationships with others. Many of these topics will be addressed further in our future Tutor sessions.

Upcoming Assessments:

  • PDHPE – Week 4 (19/5)
  • Visual Arts – Week 4 (19/5)
  • Mathematics – Week 5 (23/5)
  • HSIE – Week 5 (26/5)
  • Technology – Week 7 (9/6)

For full details, see the  Assessments tab on the Yr 7 Core Page on iLearn.

Key Dates and Upcoming Events:

  • Week 5: Vaccination Catch Ups (Wednesday 24/5)

An opportunity for students who missed Term 1 vaccinations to be vaccinated. Further information will be forthcoming.

  • Week 7: School Athletics Carnival (Thursday 8/6)

A fun day where students will connect in House groups and compete in a variety of track and field events.

Mr Jimmy Tod-Hill
Year 7 Advisor
jtodhill@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9908 6462