Year 9

Empowering Tomorrow’s Problem Solvers: Year 9 Commerce Intrapreneurship Program Celebration of Learning event

Mrs Elizabeth Green: Innovation & Entrepreneurial Learning Strategist

Yesterday, we marked a momentous occasion at Redlands as we celebrated the remarkable achievements of our Year 9 Commerce students. The event was a culmination of dedication, creativity, and collaborative effort, bringing together our students, executive members, Year 9 Commerce staff, and esteemed industry partners. At the heart of the Commerce program is the opportunity for students to work in teams on a real-world challenge provided by one of our partner organisations and yesterday each student team had the opportunity to pitch their prototyped solution to the founder, CEO of decision maker of the business or organisation they were assigned.

Our student teams sat with the challenge for 9 weeks as their teachers guided them through the process of user research, ideation, prototyping and finally preparing a pitch. The challenges posed to our students were not simple; they ranged from addressing issues like “How might we prevent obesity across generations?” to “How might we avoid discarding uneaten food?” These complex, evergreen problems were deliberately chosen to stretch our students’ critical thinking abilities and inspire them to seek sustainable solutions.

As educators, we entered this program with several key learning intentions in mind. Firstly, we aimed to introduce students to a real-world methodology that they are likely to encounter as they step into the workforce. Additionally, in increasingly changed future of work landscape we recognise the importance of developing collaboration skills. By working together on group projects, our students practiced navigating the challenges and nuances of teamwork in a supported environment. Not only do many NSW curriculums, including Commerce, mandate that students engage in group projects, we do so to provide high support environments for students to have a go at executing a group project. In this unit, we introduced students to a ‘sorting system’ whereby each team ranked the level of difficulty and skill within individual tasks to achieve parity when assigning different components of the pitch and prototype creation. Beyond technical knowledge and collaboration, the Year 9 Commerce program also nurtured core competencies essential for personal and professional growth. Our students gained the creative confidence to transform their ideas into tangible solutions. They actively sought and acted upon feedback, honing their ability to iterate and improve. They developed problem-solving skills rooted in empathy, understanding the needs of various stakeholders, and proposing solutions that address those needs. Equally important, they learned to face setbacks with optimism, recognizing that challenges are opportunities for growth and innovation.

During the celebration, we had the privilege of enjoying a delicious lunch provided by one of our partners, Plate It Forward. Our meal came from Kabul Social, a restaurant with a mission to make a difference. For every meal purchased, one goes to a family in need in Sydney, and another to a family in Afghanistan. This act of kindness and generosity added a meaningful dimension to our event, reminding us of the global impact we can have through our actions. We want to express our deepest gratitude to our partners who have supported us throughout this program journey. They generously entrusted our students with real-world problems, allowing them to conduct interviews and gather insights. Moreover, their presence during the pitch presentations was instrumental in creating a bridge between theory and practice, demonstrating their commitment to nurturing the next generation of thinkers and innovators.

• Ben Perry, Founder PlantaBox
• Kate McHugh, Founder Kitchenhand
• Shaun Christie David, Founder Plate it Forward
• Vicki Condon, Founder Raise Foundation
• James Petering, Head of Redlands Rowing
• Tom Richardson, Chair of Friends of Rowing
• Dr Phil le Page, Surgeon

House Spirit Fair

Today, the school’s House Captains and a variety of other supporting students and staff coordinated an array of fun and ‘spirit’ filled events for the annual House Spirit Fair. It was a wonderful lunchtime in the sun, offering a time for students to relax, have a bit of fun and enjoy being themselves. Whether they were eating a sausage sizzle, playing dodgeball, ‘Just Dancing’ or relaxing with friends, it looked like Yr 9 students had a really great time; and, all the money raised from the fair is going to a great cause, raising funds for the Yr 12 Legacy Gift.

ISA Carnival

On Tuesday, a collection of Redlands students attended the 2023 ISA Carnival. A large contingent of Yr 9 students were involved in the carnival, with some of them achieving some impressive results. These students were: Ashley Corn, Annalyse Rowe, Lexi Rowe, Finn O’Sullivan, Max Taylor, Ethan Lee, Amber Kusano, Arkie Riches, Otto Ross-Sampson, Heidi de Saxe, Alexandria Fitzpatrick, James ford, Ryan Beggs.

Particular congratulations to the following students who achieved top three placings in their events!

• Elizabeth Whelan – 1^st place 14 years girls Discus – 23.91m
• Otto Ross Sampson 15 – 16 years 1500 – 2^nd place, 3^rd place 15 – 16 1500m 4:26, 2^nd place 15 – 16 years 3000m 9:53.22
• Lexi Rowe – 2^nd place Div 1 B 200 – 29.25s
• Imogen Kroon – 2^nd – 14 years girls Javelin 17.65m
• Ethan Lee – 3^rd place 14 years boys 800m – 2:14.77s
• Amber Kusano – 1^st place 400m 1:02, 2^nd place 15 years girls 800m – 2:20.60s, 3^rd place 1500m 5:15.38s,
• Max Taylor – 3^rd place 15 years boys 800m – 2:22.58s
• Ashley Corn – 3^rd place 14 years 100m 12.53s
• Lexi Rowe – 2^nd place 15 years high jump – 1.40m

A further congratulations goes to the following students who will be representing Redlands at the CIS Representatives Carnival:  

• Amber Kusano: 1500 Meter Run, 800 Meter Run, 400 Meter Run
• Ethan Lee: 800 Meter Run 
• Otto Ross-Sampson: 1500 Meter Run
• Max Taylor: 800 Meter Run
• Elizabeth Whelan: Discus Throw 

Term 3 Key Dates

Please note some key dates for the final week of Term 3 below for your reference:

Mrs Lucienne Willis
Yr 9 Advisor
lwillis@redlands.nsw.edu.au