Year 8

Week 5 – Celebrations and Festivals

This past week, Dumolo Red proved that a great way to manage the routine of school and the pressure of assessments is to find space to celebrate and have fun in each others’ company. They took the opportunity during our ‘Fun Friday’ Tutor time to embrace this philosophy, holding a joint birthday party for Cooper, Laura and Lucas, with some amazing cakes and cupcakes to share. It is always lovely to see our students thinking beyond themselves and celebrating one another.

Moonbah Pilot Returns:

This week, there was also much buzz and genuine excitement with the return of students from the Moonbah Pilot Program. Students reported a fantastic week away, exploring the High Country Campus and engaging in new learning to expand their personal skills and to foster their abilities in collaboration.

In our Year Assembly on Monday, Deaana, Fergus, Kate and Lachlan shared with the group highlights from their Moonbah Pilot experience. They identified their enjoyment and satisfaction from time spent interacting in the natural world, and engaging in service learning through developing knitting skills to make pouches for orphaned native animals. Just having space to disconnect from the often busy and fast paced nature of modern life proved unexpected and incredibly positive.

The students also offered their reflections about living in a shared dormitory setting and the joy of connection and camaraderie that this new experience engendered. They also outlined their satisfaction from the variety of immersive activities over the week but most noticeably it was the strengthened connections with their peers that they most appreciated. Their overall message was one of excitement for the Year 9 Moonbah program in 2025.

You can find more information about the Moonbah Program through Pulse.

Da Vinci Decathlon Reports and Results:

This week, we were excited to learn the overall results of our amazing Yr 8 Da Vinci Decathlon team. They came tenth out of 78 competing schools nationwide, placing second place in English and Art/Poetry, eighth in Code Breaking and fourteenth in Mathematics. What a fantastic achievement!

Members of the team, Aaron, Aimee and Ina, spoke to the cohort during our Year Assembly, explaining the challenging and wonderfully satisfying nature of their day at the Da Vinci Decathlon. They emphasised the valuable focus Da Vinci places on collaboration to solve tricky tasks and the variety of activities that pushed them to apply their knowledge and skills successfully. They also explained one of their excellent submissions to us, which achieved second place in English. It was a visual depiction of the impossibility of achieving utopia, where a brightly coloured fish was being caught from amongst a lake full of greyscale fish. The thoughtful message being that homogenised, perfect identities are not the way to a brighter future, and rather we need to be vigilant that the world does not take away our individuality.

On Tuesday, our Da Vinci team were awarded certificates for their success.

Festival on the Fahl

Today, in support of breast cancer awareness and to raise money for cancer research with the McGrath Foundation, our Yr 12 leaders are holding the now annual, Festival on the Fahl. There has been a wonderful outpouring of support for this day, with students donating generously, purchasing tickets from the Redlands Rhino earlier this week. It is lovely to see our Redlands community coming together for a great cause.

The day itself will be filled with fun activities and games, music performances and, of course, a good old-fashioned sausage sizzle. I am looking forward to heading out to the Fahl later this afternoon and enjoying the sunshine, games and festivities.

I managed to take some photos of students dressed in their pink best this morning but stay tuned for more festival photos next week!

ISA Cross Country

On Wednesday, the ISA Cross Country Carnival was held with Redlands achieving great success. Congratulations to all our Yr 8 students who competed. Including: Natalie Bain, Angus Baird, Tristan Fournier Le Ray, Luca Garvey, Finn Gurney, Liv Law, Apollo Mangos, Dean Mansell, Anay Mishra Mall, Lily Musgrave-Kresa, Freja Nixey, Ken Osaki, Jaime Rogerson, Zara Siva, Alex Taylor, Lily van Hulsen and Ariella Wold.

A special congratulations to Liv Law who achieved the exceptional result of first place in the U14s girls 3km.

Moonbah Parent Information Evening

On Tuesday 4 June, parents will have the opportunity to discover more of the Moonbah program for 2025. The event will be held in Redlands Hall from 6:00pm-7:00pm. Full information is available on Pulse.

Yr 8 students are welcome to attend with their parents but we advise that students return home before the event and then arrive in full school uniform for the starting time of 6:00pm. If this is not possible, please contact me (Mr Tod-Hill, Year Advisor) to discuss alternatives.

Term 2 Key Dates and Upcoming Events:

Redlands Heritage Week – Week 6: Monday 3 June
Year 8 Moonbah Parent & Student Information session – Week 6: Tuesday 4 June
Year Group Photos – Week 6: Wednesday 5 June
SS Athletics Carnival – Week 9: Tuesday 25 June
Police Liaison Officer task (cyber safety and social media) – Week 9: Thursday 27 June
End of Term 2 – Week 9: Friday 28 June

Mr Jimmy Tod-Hill
Year 8 Advisor
jtodhill@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9908 6462