Year 7

Week 6 – Festival on the Fahl and Reconciliation Week

This most recent week for Yr 7 has been one of laughs and enjoyment, but also one filled with serious messages about reconciliation, responsible technology use and how to be kind to and supportive of one another.

Last Friday saw many laughs and great enthusiasm as Redlands embraced the mantra ‘wear it pink’ and celebrated a Festival on the Fahl, all in the name of raising money for breast cancer research. Organised by our wonderful Yr 12 leaders, the festival had lolly-jar guessing competitions, hot chocolate stands, baked goods, sausage sizzles and a range of others food treats for students to indulge in. There was also live music, skill-tester games and a very popular three-legged race! A range of our Yr 7s became experts at the art of three-legged racing. Of course, some were more successful than others, but it was great to see so many students getting out there to have a bit of a laugh with their friends!

Chapel for Reconciliation Week

On Monday, we started the week with some valuable messages around Reconciliation Week in our Yr 7 Chapel. Messages regarding the importance of respecting other cultures and taking time to understand and value our own indigenous heritage were shared with students. Students were also encouraged to contribute symbolic images to a ‘reconciliation campfire’, as a way of encouraging them to consider what they can do to further the noble cause of reconciliation in Australia.

Thank you too to Kate Rintoul and Clemence Leroux who started our Chapel Service off leading our singing of Be Thou my Vision!

Ms Van de Peer’s Special Assembly

On Tuesday, Ms Van de Peer (Head of Secondary School) and Ms Partington (Deputy Principal) spoke to Yr 7 and Yr 8, offering important messages around how to embody our Redlands values, act responsibly in online forums and treat each other with kindness. Ms Partington made the pertinent comment that we expect all Redlanders to be upstanders and not bystanders. We want our students to show moral courage and call out inappropriate behaviour when they see it.

Ms Van de Peer then followed this discussion with some clear messages around appropriate online behaviour, particularly when using social media forums. She discussed how important it is to treat others with kindness both online and in real life (‘IRL’ – a new acronym for me!). She also outlined clearly how behaviours like selling or using vapes and sending others questionable pictures of yourself or others is illegal.

Yr 7 students were attentive and engaged in this session. Ms Van de Peer sent a clear outline of this discussion home to parents/carers on Tuesday, and I encourage you to discuss these points with your children. You can find more useful information to guide your discussions through our Digital Citizenship and Safety page on Pulse.

Please also note that in order to support a focused end to the term, Yr 7 students were reminded that mobile phones should be kept in their lockers throughout the school day. Phones seen in class without prior teacher permission, or out at recess or lunch will be confiscated and handed into the YA office for collection at the end of the day.


The Wonderful Theatre of English 7M

This week Yr 7 English classes worked through their final week’s study of David Almond’s novel, Skellig. Many teachers took the opportunity to engage their students in an activity where they transformed key chapters of the novel into scripts, which they then performed for their classes. 7M engaged particularly well in this task, creating strong scripts and performing with confidence. There were definitely a few drama buffs amongst the group, and everyone rose to the occasion to present some engaging theatrical representations. Well done 7M!

Assembly for Reconciliation Week

On Wednesday, an informative and engaging assembly was held as part of Reconciliation Week. The assembly began with a meaningful Welcome to Country from David Barnett from the Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council. He discussed his own experience as a member of the Stolen Generation and explained the importance of Reconciliation Week to him. This was followed by some thoughtful comments from Yr 11 students, Alfie Leach and Antonia Morgan, who offered reflections on their recent trip to Arnhem Land and provided practical ways that we can connect to country in our day to day lives. Students were engaged in this meaningful assembly.

Student Recognition:

Ari Abe-Apostolou – Journey to Canberra

Last week, Ari journeyed to Canberra where he had the opportunity to speak to the Federal Health Minister, Hon. Mark Butler, and other medical professionals, as he undertook various media interviews at Parliament House. He was there to discuss the listing on the PBS of a new drug for the treatment of children born with dwarfism. It is the first medication in the world to treat this condition. As one of three families present at Parliament House for the official launch of this medication, Ari was a great advocate for his condition. If you wish to view the news report on this event, you can find it HERE.

Ari has also expressed gratitude to the Redlands community for supporting him over the years and he looks forward to continuing to advocate for all genetic conditions through Jeans for Genes day. So, keep an eye on this space for that support initiative, which is coming up next term!

Charlie Lee – CAT Competition

A few weeks ago, 47 Redlanders sat the Computation and Algorithmic Thinking (CAT) competition. The CAT competition gives students the opportunity to develop their problem-solving skills through algorithmic thinking. The competition incorporates unique ‘three-stage tasks’ that encourage students to develop informal algorithms and apply them to test data of increasing size or complexity.

Congratulations to all the students involved in what was quite a challenging competition. Special mention goes to Charlie Lee (Yr 7) who received a High Distinction – achieving a perfect score of 36. This is an exceptional achievement!

ISA Cross Country

Last Thursday a collection of Yr 7 students competed in the ISA Cross-Country and we saw some impressive results achieved. Congratulations to the students below for their excellent efforts!

    • Matilda Hugman 6th place in the 12 years 3k
    • Phoebe Sun 7th place in the 12 years 3k
    • Elisabella Ty 8th place in the 12 years 3k
    • Angus Baird 7th place in the 12 years 3k
    • Alex Taylor 8th place in the 13 years 3k

Natalie Bain, Mackenzie Willis and Sarah Yates – Balmoral Burn

Last Sunday, we also had a few Yr 7 students challenge themselves by competing in the Balmoral Burn – a race from Balmoral Beach up Awaba St – to raise money for the Humpty Dumpty Foundation. Congratulations to Natalie Bain, Mackenzie Willis and Sarah Yates who were part of three Redlands teams who ran the race. In a little under two weeks, our three Redlands teams, fundraised over $1000, which was a great effort! Each of our runners, left nothing on the finish line, giving their absolute all as they reached the top of the very VERY steep Awaba St.

Upcoming Assessments:

  • Technology – Week 7 (9/6)

For full details, see the ‘assessments’ tab on the Year 7 Core Page on iLearn.

Key Dates and Upcoming Events:

  • Week 7: Secondary School Photo Day (Wednesday 7/6)

Year 7 will have their year group photo at the start of Period 1 (see more details below).

  • Week 7: Secondary 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.

Other Notices

Secondary School Photo Day– Save the Date!

Year Group photos will be held for all Secondary School students on Wednesday 7 June. Students will need to bring their student ID card to the photo.

Students are required to wear their full school uniform, including blazers, and adhere to the school’s regulations for school uniform. Please refer to the School Uniform regulations located on each Year Group page in Pulse.

If your child is unable to attend school or has an appointment scheduled during the day, please inform the Year Advisor.

Irregular Writing Competition

The Redlands Newspaper club, including Yr 7 members Lachlan Carter, Buddy Miller, Angus Goodall, Olivia Law and Aimee Kang, are holding an exciting competition – ‘worldviews, interviews and reviews.’ Students are encouraged to submit article of 200-300 words on one of the three topics for the chance to win a $20 voucher from Chargrill Charlies. More information can be found on the Irregular Website on Pulse.

Winter Woollies Appeal

As the temperature continues to drop, we are reminded of those who may not have the resources to stay cosy during the Winter season. But fear not, because together, we can make a difference and bring warmth to those in need. As part of the Yr 12 ‘Give back’ initiative, the Winter Woollies Appeal, aims to collect and distribute warm clothing and blankets to individuals and families who may be facing the harsh realities of Winter.

Please raid your closets and share the warmth! Gather gently used or new coats, sweaters, scarves, gloves, and hats that you no longer need. Every piece you donate will help someone stay snug during the cold months ahead. Please bring all items down to the Student Services Centre foyer and place in the yellow bin, before the end of Week 9. Your support and generosity is greatly appreciated.

Friday Afternoon Athletics

This coming Friday, Friday Arvo Athletics will begin. The session will run every Friday afternoon (3:30-5:00pm) this term and next at the Undercroft. There will be sprints training with Sprints Coach Rich Frost; Middle Distance with Coaches Nick Walker and Jess Carroll; and throws with Coach Jason Turner. Sprints and Middle Distance training will begin this Friday, Throws training will start next week. 

All students participating, will be required to get changed  and then head directly to the Undercroft for a group warmup which will begin at 3:30pm. Students participating in the training sessions are to wear Redlands sports uniform. This is a great opportunity for students to prepare for the upcoming Redlands Athletics Carnival and ISA Athletics Carnival next term, or to use this session as fitness for their rep sport. All levels of ability welcome.

 

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