Year 8

Congratulations

Next Friday 18 September is the Debating SDN Grand Finals. The following students will be representing Yr 8 at this event: Ahnu Guan, Rafferty Heard, Sholto Mirrlees-Black, Jack Petering, Krishan Price, Scarlett Thorp, Jocelyn Wang and Annie Zhang. Congratulations on a fantastic season and all the best for Friday.

Yr 8 will participate in the second Inter-House Debating event scheduled for the first week of Term 4, where students from each House will debate against one another. Teams are already starting to prepare their approach. We look forward to this next Debating event. 

See Something – Say Something

Across Australia, the Police departments in each state support the idea that if you see something, you say something. This is the right approach to being a positive member in a community and a role model to others, while helping those in need. In Yr 8, it is a pivotal time when students feel challenged between “saying something” because they know it is the right thing to do and “dobbing” because they do not want to get their friends in trouble. At Redlands we rely on building a strong and trusting relationship with our students as we aim to be a community that is supportive and fair. A lot of what we do is dependent on students speaking up when they know something is not right or when someone is being treated unfairly.  We thank you and encourage you to continue this conversation at home so we can continue supporting your children in the best way possible.      

There’s More to Say After R U OK?

R U OK? Day is today and a formal assembly was held. There will be a mufti-day tomorrow for all students to wear yellow in honour of the day and cause. Yr 8 students spent Tuesday sharing how they check in with their peers, discussing signs their peers are doing OK or NOT OK and focused on the theme of this year’s R U OK? Day, There’s more to say after R U Ok?.

As we know, a common answer to “How are you going?” as a teenager, seems to be ” fine.” Casel.org supports the structure below for conversations between adults and teenagers:

Probe: “Tell me more about that.” “What does that look like?” “I want to make sure I understand what you’re saying. Can you explain a little more?”

Communicate care and a calm emotional state: “Your teachers/parents/coach care a lot about your success.”

Validate emotions: “That must be so difficult. I see you and I’m here for you.” “I can only imagine how much that impacts you.”

Stay solution-oriented: “It sounds like a lot has been happening that is out of your control, and that sounds really frustrating. What are some things you do have control over – something small you can do to start to make things better?”

Wind down the conversation: “You’ve given me some things to think about. I’m going to take some time to process what you shared, and we’ll make some time to talk again in a few days.”

Ms Alissa Ynson
Yr 8 Advisor
9968 9863
aynson@redlands.nsw.edu.au