From the Principal

Finally, the students have returned and the energy in the School is palpable!

The start of the year brings new beginnings and possibilities with many students joining our community for the first time along with a number of new staff, who will no doubt add to the dynamic of our School.

We welcome the following staff to the School and look forward to their contribution. It is already clear to me that we attract outstanding people who are passionate about education:

Matthew Bentley – Head of Teaching and Learning
Jessica Carroll – Science Teacher
James Duncan – Junior School Teacher
Trevor Dunne – Head of Junior School Sport
Kevin Fenger – Innovative Design Teacher
Rebecca Hutchings – Preschool Teacher’s Assistant
Simon Johnson – Co-Subject Coordinator HSIE
Elia Lanzuise – Canteen Assistant
Katherine Moses – Music Teacher and MIC Strings
Brigida Nocera – Mathematics Teacher
Matthew Price – Junior School Teacher
Charlotte Putman – Visual Arts Teacher
Trishna Rai – OOSH Coordinator (2IC)
Joh Sawa – Gap Year Student
Stacey Smith – Dean of Teaching and Learning (P-6)
Ebony Stewart – HSIE Teacher
Romy Tobiansky – Junior School Teacher
Chloe Vandervord – Science Teacher
Joel Watkins – Junior School Teacher
Lisa Wright – Learning Support Aide

I have been given an incredibly warm welcome to the community and am very much looking forward to the myriad of school events this term. A priority for me in my first year is to get to know the School and whilst this obviously includes all stakeholders, a key focus for me will be our students. I look forward to having lunch in groups with our Year 12 students this term, to get to know them as leaders of the School and to learn from them. I will also be visiting our Year 7 students when they are on camp at our High Country Campus in Week 2.

I enjoyed the opportunity to speak to the students at our range of start of the year assemblies. The focus for me was to share with them what is important to me, what has shaped the person I am, why I wanted to join the Redlands community and some key expectations that I have of them as students of the School.

I am passionate about leading through purpose and will always seek for us to live out our vision. The challenge is for us to seek to enable every single student to ‘shine’ to grow and develop their individual gifts and to become confident in who they are, the skills they possess and what they have to offer the world beyond our school gates. To do so requires a culture that sets high expectations, prioritises wellbeing and support, encourages innovation and creativity and inspires students to connect with what drives and motivates them.

I have confidence that our senior students will lead the School with distinction in 2020 and they set a very positive tone through their speeches at our opening Secondary School Assembly. School Captains, James Reid and Isabel Simpson, shared themes that the Prefect group had chosen to focus on throughout the year, being Positivity, Courage and Celebration.

During the holiday period there was significant work undertaken on the construction of the New Learning Hub, as well as maintenance works on both campuses. The internal fit out of the New Learning Hub is continuing on all levels and the project is on schedule to be ready for occupation by students by the start of Term 3.

I encourage all parents and carers to register for our Twilight in the Piazza function on Friday 21 February and look forward to seeing many of you on the night.

Please read this important Health and Safety update from Deputy Principal, Ms McGarry – https://redlands.fireflydigital.dev/article/from-the-deputy-principal-5/

Mr Stephen Webber

Photo caption: Fun adventures and new friends on the first day back at school.

Foundation

A very warm welcome to all our Redlands families! I hope you all had a relaxing break and had time to reconnect with your families and friends. There are many opportunities for you to meet with other parents and friends. We are very proud of our friendly and supportive community.

School Development Programs

I would like to thank all the families who have kindly made donations to the School’s Scholarship, Building and Library funds. Your support is greatly appreciated as it helps us to develop and grow areas that are important to our students and teachers.

In 2019, the School received just over $1million in donations towards Building, Scholarship and Library Funds, sponsorships, events proceeds and pledges. We are thrilled with the generosity of our community.

During the holidays significant progress has been made on the New Learning Hub and construction work continues as planned.

In 2020, our fundraising efforts are to continue to support the means-tested Redlands Foundation Scholarship fund and grant another scholarship of this nature. This Scholarship Fund, established in 2010 by Dr Peter Lennox, is to support exceptional students who otherwise would not be able to experience the Redlands journey. For more information, please visit our website.

Community and Fundraising Events in 2020

There are several exciting events planned for this year. This a great opportunity to meet other parents, Redlands staff and Executive including our new Principal Stephen Webber, learn more about the School and support our development programs. See below:

Twilight Drinks 

book here 

Spring Fair
Saturday 5 September, Redlands Junior Campus

Melbourne Cup Luncheon
Tuesday 3 November, 12.00 – 5.00pm, Sergeants’ Mess, Chowder Bay

Alumni Sporting Success

Over the school holidays, Mr Nick Walker had the opportunity to travel to Staten Island, New York and train/coach/compete with the Wagner College team which is where Redlands Alumni, Tom Corel (Class of 2017), trains and attends college.

Tom has become an asset to the Wagner College track and field team since joining in 2018 and recently broke the Wagner College 600m indoor track record running a time of 1:20.35. 

Tom is currently ranked in the top 10 for the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the 600m and is looking forward to competing in the 400m at the NCAA National Championships later this year. 

Congratulations to Tom! We look forward to more success to come for him in 2020! See photo at top of the page.

Mrs Dana Casimaty
Director of Development
dcasimaty@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9858

RPFA

Twilight in the Piazza

Come and meet other parents, staff and our new Principal, and welcome the start of the new school year at our annual Twilight Cocktails.

book here 

Walks on Tracks

Wednesday 5 February at 8.30am: Balmoral to Chinamans Beach. Meet at Balmoral outside The Boatshed. Dogs welcome. Any questions, please call Ann Marie Kimber on 0406 691 533.

Book Club

All new members welcome! For any enquires please email Lerida Grant on lerida@bigpond.net.au.

2020 RPFA Committee

rpfa@redlands.nsw.edu.au

President: Michelle Tea
Vice President: JP Forrest
Secretary: Jo Lloyd 
Treasurer: Christina Walsh
Committee: Anna Maria Stillone, Annette Swann, Jean Martin, Kate Kesby, Malcolm Pascoe, Maria Kinsela, Peter Coleman, Tina Shacklock

Event

Twilight in the Piazza

We look forward to seeing you at the Twilight in the Piazza event on Friday 21 February. 

book here 

Head of Secondary School

Welcome Back

It has been wonderful to hear and feel the buzz of students returning to the campus over the past few days, giving life to the School. Last week I sent home a Welcome Letter for 2020 to all Secondary School families with lots of information relevant to the commencement of the year. This letter has been published on Redlands Pulse if you missed it last week.

Our opening assembly set a great tone for the year ahead, with valuable messages from our new Principal, Mr Webber and student leaders. I thought I would share some of my opening speech for you where I reflected on the impact of the bushfires on our community.

“Now usually at the first assembly of the year, I share with you, the student body, focus areas, aims and messages for the year ahead. Last year, I focused on the importance of trust, and in the coming weeks, I would like to speak to you further about the 2020 focus areas of reflection and feedback. But I am not going to elaborate on these today.

At the outset of my speech I said that I hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable break. And I really hope that this was the case for you. However, this year when people have asked me, “Did you have a good break?” I haven’t been able to give a truly heartfelt, “Yes”.

Sure, the Baltimore Ravens loss in the NFL playoffs hurt, and, like many other basketball fans, I have been hit hard by the tragic death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others in a helicopter crash two days ago.

But the real reason this summer has felt different to any other one since I have lived in Australia, has been the terrible bushfires which have destroyed lives, devastated communities and choked our state and much of our nation.

For the past three months all of us have been affected by the bushfires in one way or another, and I know some of you and your families have been directly impacted. You may have experienced a range of emotions such as confusion and sadness; anxiety and anger; guilt and grief.

These emotions are all normal and it is important for you to acknowledge your feelings and talk to people close to you about them – whether it be your family, friends or our School’s Support Staff. As an article in the Sydney Morning Herald reminded us, “It’s OK to not feel OK.”

Personally, the South Coast of New South Wales has been a regular holiday retreat for me since I moved to Australia almost 20 years ago and communities and people dear to me are struggling. I was down there over the holidays and saw the beaches covered with soot and ash, smelt the acrid smoke and felt people’s exhaustion, fear and anxiety. Like many of you, it has been difficult for me to witness the destruction of pristine forests and wildlife, cherished businesses and homes and, most tragically, lives.

Unfortunately, it seems like it has taken a disaster of this magnitude for our nation and the wider world to recognise the devastating effects of climate change and, maybe, inspire us to take real action.

But amidst the charred ruins have also been inspiring stories of heroism, compassion and the strength of the human spirit which, in some small way, have helped to bring comfort and hope to many. The literal and metaphorical green shoots of life are beginning to sprout again.

As a School, we will liaise with staff and students in the coming days to ensure we are doing our part to best assist communities and individuals in need.

So, to those of you who have been directly impacted by the bushfires or are just not “feeling OK”, I empathise with you and offer our Pastoral support services of our Chaplain, teachers, Tutors, Year Advisors and Counsellors who you can turn to for support.

To those of you worried or unsettled by recent events, I hope you can find comfort in the many stories of selflessness, kindness and resilience.

And to those of you angry or upset by the bushfires, I hope you are spurred into action to literally make this world a better place in the years to come.”

Tutor Meetings

On Tuesday we held our start of the year Tutor meetings for returning students. We hope this initiative further strengthened the strong partnership between students, parents and teachers in the education of the boys and girls in the Secondary School. If you have any feedback on this day, please email Susan Jones in the Secondary School Office (sjones@redlands.nsw.edu.au) as we hope to continue to strengthen this program in future years.

Yr 11 and 12 HSC and IB Information Evenings

Next week we will be offering HSC and IB Information Evenings for students in Yrs 11 and 12. These evenings are valuable sessions for both students and parents to learn more about their individual academic programs for the year ahead. These evenings will commence at 6.00pm in Redlands Hall on the following days:

Monday 3 February: Yr 11 IB Information Evening
Tuesday 4 February: Yr 12 IB Information Evening
Wednesday 5 February: Yr 11 HSC Information Evening
Thursday 6 February: Yr 12 HSC Information Evening

Uniform

Could I ask parents to assist in ensuring students’ dress and appearance (hair and uniform, for example) meet our standards as they return to School this week. Please refer to the Student Planner if you are uncertain of our expectations. Please note that while blazers are optional for students in Terms 1 and 4, students are still not permitted to wear fleeces or hoodies to and from school. If, on cooler days (hard to believe with the current weather), students want to wear an outer garment, they are required to wear their blazers both to and from school.

Please note we are trialling shorts for boys as part of the summer uniform. Unfortunately, the shipment has been delayed but should be arriving in the coming days. We will communicate further information once it arrives. If boys still have shorts that fit from their time in the Junior School, they may wear these until the new shorts arrive.

School Photos 

School photographs will be taken on Monday 3 February (Yrs 8-12) and Wednesday 11 March (Yr 7).              Yrs 8 -12 Portrait photographs are scheduled to be taken by Advanced Life on Monday 3 February. Secondary School sibling photographs and Yr 7 Portrait photographs will be taken by Advanced Life on Wednesday 11 March. It is important that students are in proper school uniform on these days. Please note blazers are mandatory for students in photos on these days.

An envelope and flyer will be distributed in Week 1 and orders for photography packages can also be placed securely online at www.advancedlife.com.au using our School Order Code: NWL 4NR ETY. Portrait and group package orders are due by photography day. Should you have any queries concerning school photographs or online ordering, please direct them to enquiries@advancedlife.com.au.

Message from School Nurse

Attention: Parents of students with Medical Action Plans for potential life threatening conditions: 

In order to help us to assist you in the management of your child’s health for the academic year, it is imperative that you ensure that your child provides the Health Centre Nurse with the pertinent valid emergency injector/medication (Insulin, EpiPen, Cortisone etc) and an updated Action Plan in a clearly labelled (preferably clear plastic) container by the end of Week 1.

Attention: Parents of students with non-life threatening conditions who require prescription medications to be stored at school

At the discretion of the School Nurse, assistance will be given in the administration of prescribed medication when requested in writing by parents /guardians and accompanied by the relevant medical documentation. Prescribed medication to be retained in the Health Centre must be provided in the original container, with a label clearly displaying the student’s name and the doctor’s dispensing instructions.

New School Information System

Thank you to all parents for your support during the settling in period of the upgrade to our School Information System (SIS) from Edumate to Engage. The new SIS system has a clearer more friendly interface for students and parents and is more compatible with mobile phone web browsers. Our ICT Support team is on hand to address any queries you may have. Please contact pulse@redlands.nsw.edu.au.

2021 Scholarships – closing 10 February

Applications for Academic and Merit Scholarships for Yr 11 2021 and Academic, Merit, Music and Ballet Scholarships for Yr 7 2021 are closing on 10 February.

Please note that a current Redlands students can only apply for a Yr 11 scholarship on a demonstrated “needs” basis, which will involve means testing. The Yr 7 scholarships are open to all current and external Yr 6 students.

To apply, please go to: https://www.redlands.nsw.edu.au/enrolments/scholarships-2/

Term 1 Departure Notice

This is a reminder to those families who are planning on leaving the School at the end of Term 1: If you have not already given notice to the Principal via an email to registrar@redlands.nsw.edu.au, could you please do so by next Monday 3 February, as fees in lieu will be payable for any notices of departure received after this date.  

Twilight in the Piazza

Mr Sean Corcoran
Head of Secondary School
scorcoran@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9870

From the Deputy Principal

Coronavirus Update 

Thank you for your responsiveness to our letter on Monday regarding the Coronavirus situation.

We are continuing to monitor and act upon the latest advice regarding the management of this situation and appreciate the cooperation from our families thus far.

Our previous stated protocols remain relevant, but please note the information in bold below, in addition to our earlier advice:

1. If your family or child has recently visited any region in China, please ensure that your child does not attend school until they have received a medical clearance (for Novel Coronavirus) from a doctor. Please advise the School prior to them returning to check whether the information from NSW Health has changed.
2. Advise the School if you have travelled to China recently (returning within the last 14 days) and provide the locations and dates of travel.
3. If you have travelled to China recently please do not attend any start of the year school functions (until you have been symptom-free and in Australia for at least 14 days).
4. If your child is unwell and experiencing flu-symptoms they are not to attend school and should seek medical attention as soon as possible, particularly if they develop a fever, cough, sore throat or shortness of breath.
5. If you or your children have had close contact with anyone who has returned from China in the past 14 days, we would ask that you contact the school to seek advice.

Should any student present at our Health Centres with symptoms resembling those of the Coronavirus, their parent/s will be contacted to collect their child until a medical clearance has been obtained.

We are very aware of the concerns within our community about the risk of potential contagion; if you have queries or concerns we would ask that you contact the School directly to discuss these.

Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding as we manage this dynamic situation.

Emergency Procedures at Redlands

At Redlands, our first priority is safety. In the coming weeks we will be conducting Lockdown and Evacuation Drills on both Sydney campuses – Junior and Senior – as part of our ongoing Emergency Training procedures.

As a School we have an Emergency Planning Committee, we have extensive emergency management plans in place, we train our students and staff, we conduct planned drills periodically and reflect and analyse when unplanned evacuations occur.

Our Plans

The School works with emergency management specialists to develop and implement safety procedures, and the goals of drills throughout the year are to improve our ability to protect students, save lives, and reduce injuries, in the event of an emergency situation. These practice drills allow us to evaluate our emergency response plans and improve our response skills.

We do not generally announce in advance whether a lockdown or evacuation is a planned exercise. It is essential for the safety of our students, staff and any campus visitors that they are very familiar with our processes and can perform the required steps to complete a safe lockdown or evacuation without forewarning. In the case of younger children, we practise these more frequently and in varying formats so that they are not unduly alarmed.

On both our Senior and Junior Campuses, students have been reminded about what to do in the case of a lockdown or an evacuation and all new students are provided with this information when they start at the School. This information is also contained in the front section of the Student Planner.

Communication

• Students are not, under any circumstances, permitted to use their mobile phone during a lockdown or an evacuation.
• We would usually not communicate to parents that we are undertaking a lockdown or evacuation unless it resulted in a serious emergency requiring a longer disruption to the School day.
• If an emergency situation does continue to disrupt the day, the School will communicate to parents via SMS if it is safe to do so.
• In the case of an emergency situation requiring parents to collect their children, the School will communicate to parents with specific details about pickup arrangements.

Site Access

No person may enter or leave the site during an evacuation or lockdown, including students, staff, parent visitors or helpers. If you are onsite during an evacuation or lockdown, you must follow the instructions of the staff, in particular the wardens (wearing coloured safety helmets). If you arrive whilst an evacuation or lockdown is in place, please wait patiently until it has concluded and it is deemed safe to enter the site.

Please talk with your child about the reason for these drills. Our goal, while practising important safety procedures, is to be sure all students feel safe and confident in how to respond. If you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s class teacher (Junior Campus) or Tutor (Senior Campus).

Ms Sarah McGarry
Deputy Principal

Careers

Engineering Australia School Programs

The Cochlear Autumn School of Engineering is open to 100 Yr 11 or Yr 12 students during the Term 1 holidays: 20-24 April. Students will be introduced to a wide range of Engineering disciplines as well as visiting multiple Engineering organisations. Cost is $300 and registrations are limited to four per school so be quick! Please email Ms Salier for registration details.

A Discover Engineering Day will be held on Friday 1 May at Chatswood High School for interested students in Yrs 7-10. Cost of $22 and permission from Mr Corcoran needed as it is a school day. Please email Ms Salier for registration details.

TAFE (TVET) Students in 2020

All classes start back on Tuesday 11 February. Ms Salier will contact all students to advise of orientation details.

Tertiary Information Evening for Parents

Yrs 10-12 parents are invited to a 40 minute presentation on the 2020 Tertiary Education program for your Year Group as well as opportunities and other important information. This will be held in Redlands Hall on Monday 10 February – Yr 10 at 6.00pm, Yr 12 at 6.40pm and Yr 11 at 7.20pm. No RSVP necessary. A letter will be sent with further details.

Redlands is a SAT Administration Centre

Please see below for details of all SAT exam dates in 2020. Ms Salier has practice booklets and further information for interested students.

SAVE THE DATE: The annual USA Fair will be held on Monday 11 May at Redlands, this year we will have the NCAA participating!

Ms Simone Salier
University & Careers Advisor
ssalier@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9867

Debating

Welcome back! It has been a busy start to the year for Debating. We have the ISDA and FED competitions starting this term and continue with social Debating or Debating Club. If you have been considering Debating as a Cocurricular, now is the opportunity to join a team.

1. Competitive Debating – (ISDA and FED competitions in Semester 1)
   Trials for these are after school this Friday 31 January 3.30 – 5.30pm and the teams chosen continue to compete for the whole season (Semester 1). Students should register for the trials here. Please use your full and official name. These trials will be run by experts in the field, Masters Academy. They will be providing coaches for the competitions and will ensure that there is a coaching program and that the coaches are trained and experienced. More about these competitions and about Debating in general is in the Debating section of Redlands Pulse. Students should meet at the Liggins Quad after school on Friday for the trials. We will try to put all students who attend trials into a Debating team. Please register for trials using the above link.
2. Social Debating (Debating Club) – (Yr 7 only)
   These run on a weekday morning and are also being conducted by Masters Academy. Please email info@mastersacademy.com.au for more information.

Students are encouraged to enrol for both Competitive Debating and Debating Club but it is not compulsory to do one in order to do the other.

Please read About Debating on Redlands Pulse and feel free to chat with me or with Aleisha Lawrence, our Debating Captain, before you decide to make the commitment.

I look forward to another productive Debating season!

Ms Simone Bryant
Debating Coordinator
sbryant@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9875

Languages

A number of our Latin students from Yrs 7-10 greatly enjoyed attending the week long Latin Summer School at Sydney University during the Summer break. They had the opportunity to study ancient texts in depth alongside Latinists from all walks of life, and to attend lectures on Roman literature and history. A highlight was meeting the visiting lecturer, Professor James Uden of Boston University, a specialist in ancient medicine and the poetry of Juvenal. 

Miss Shirin Borthwick
Latin Teacher
sborthwick@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9903 3133

Year 12

Welcome back to the final year of school for the Class of 2020! We are looking forward to a great year ahead, filled with hard work, excitement and celebration.

To that end, it is with absolute delight that I share with you the birth of Ruby Atkins, daughter to Eddy and his wife, Laura, born on 21 January. Mr Atkins will be on paternity leave until Tuesday 11 February. Please contact me if you have any questions.

School Photographs

School photographs will be taken on Monday 3 February and Wednesday 11 March. Yrs 8 -12 portrait photographs are scheduled to be taken by Advanced Life on Monday 3 February. Secondary School sibling photographs and Yr 7 portrait photographs will be taken by Advanced Life on Wednesday 11 March.

An envelope and flyer will be distributed in Week 1 and orders for photography packages can also be placed securely online at www.advancedlife.com.au using our School Order Code: NWL 4NR ETY. Portrait and group package orders are due by photography day. Should you have any queries concerning school photographs or online ordering, please direct them to enquiries@advancedlife.com.au.

Ms Rachel Wilson
Yr 12 Assistant Year Advisor
raswilson@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9800

Year 11

Welcome Back

The school was a buzz yesterday as students returned from their Summer break. It was wonderful to see our Yr 11 students excited for this new chapter as they commence their senior studies. I would like to take this opportunity to extend a warm welcome to all returning students as well as our new students and families as we start the new year. We are delighted to welcome the following students: Amelia (Millie) Ford (Sydney), Jules Kabbaj Fermin (Sydney), Colette Laliberte (Anchorage, Alaska), Kelly Balarin (Singapore) and Miriam Toivainen (Helsinki, Finland). In addition, it was exciting to welcome Rex Markman back to the cohort after his cultural exchange immersion in Spain. On Wednesday, we were fortunate to hear our new Principal, Mr Stephen Webber, give the opening address at our Term 1 Welcome Assembly. Our students were interested to learn of Mr Webber’s background, experience and vision for Redlands as well as his expectations for students and community. I know that Yr 11 look forward to speaking with Mr Webber and sharing their aspirations for their next two years of schooling.

Key Dates

Monday 3 February: (parents and students) IB Information Evening, Redlands Hall, 6.00pm

Wednesday 5 February: (parents and students) HSC Information Evening, Redlands Hall, 6.00pm

Monday 10 February: (students only) Dr Prue Salter Study Skills, Redlands Hall periods 5 and 6

Monday 10 February: (parents only) Ms Simone Salier, Careers and Tertiary Study Information Evening, Redlands Hall

Thursday 20 February: (compulsory event) Annual Redlands Secondary School Swimming Carnival, Homebush

Tuesday 25 February: (students only) The Day of Hope, Redlands Hall, all day

School Photographs

School photographs will be taken on Monday 3 February and Wednesday 11 March. Yrs 8 -12 portrait photographs are scheduled to be taken by Advanced Life on Monday 3 February. Secondary School sibling photographs and Yr 7 portrait photographs will be taken by Advanced Life on Wednesday 11 March.

An envelope and flyer will be distributed in Week 1 and orders for photography packages can also be placed securely online at www.advancedlife.com.au using our School Order Code: NWL 4NR ETY. Portrait and group package orders are due by photography day. Should you have any queries concerning school photographs or online ordering, please direct them to enquiries@advancedlife.com.au.

Student Achievements

It was delightful to hear students’ news and achievements realised over the holiday break. Please do write to me and share your child’s achievements as it is always significant to acknowledge our Yr 11 students either at our regular Year Assemblies or in Note Day.

Yale Young Global Scholars Program Offer

Kira Prado has been offered a position at the highly coveted Yale Young Global Scholars Program during the June/July break. The Yale Young Global Scholars Program is highly selective. Participants live and work together as a community in an environment that is curriculum tailored especially for high achieving high school students. Each session brings together an array of Yale’s best faculty and outside speakers to provide an intense, hands-on experience designed to challenge and inspire. We congratulate her on this significant achievement.

University of Sydney Computer Programming

During the holiday break, Theo Mirrlees-Black and Kira Prado attended the National Computer Science School at the University of Sydney. This was a ten day experience living on campus with over 100 other attendees. The experience proved enriching, by virtue of experienced tutors and the opportunity to meet new people with both similar interests from a variety of backgrounds. They worked collaboratively on project based work which they presented at the end of the week.

RSYS International Youth Match Racing Team

Jameson Prescott has been selected by the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron to participate in the under 25’s International Youth Match racing team to compete in two international regattas in Sydney and New Zealand. We look forward to hearing Jameson’s news of these two prestigious events and we wish him and his team every success in competition.

Ms Sarah Matthews
Yr 11 Advisor
smatthews@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9908 6494

Year 10

Please read the Yr 10 letter emailed to parents from the Year Advisors for this week.

School Photographs

School photographs will be taken on Monday 3 February and Wednesday 11 March. Yrs 8 -12 portrait photographs are scheduled to be taken by Advanced Life on Monday 3 February. Secondary School sibling photographs and Yr 7 portrait photographs will be taken by Advanced Life on Wednesday 11 March.

An envelope and flyer will be distributed in Week 1 and orders for photography packages can also be placed securely online at www.advancedlife.com.au using our School Order Code: NWL 4NR ETY. Portrait and group package orders are due by photography day. Should you have any queries concerning school photographs or online ordering, please direct them to enquiries@advancedlife.com.au.

Ms Rebecca Mountain
Yr 10 Advisor
rmountain@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9908 6462

Year 9

News 

• This Year, we welcome Antonio Segorbe, Kia Habibi, Tess Miller Maliepaard, Jenna O’Reilly and Jamie Dawson-Damer to Yr 9. We look forward to getting to know all students in the coming weeks. Thank you to Finn Woodward, Josh Miller, Maia Healey, Poppi Justice and Bella Zepple for acting as buddies and showing the new members of our community around Redlands.
• Yr 9 were excited to welcome back Ms Walker, our Yr 9 Assistant Year Advisor, who is returning from maternity leave.
• Ms Willis has joined our Yr 9 Pastoral Team for Term 1 as Tutor for Cowper Blue. Ms Willis is an experienced English and Pastoral Care teacher has been enjoying getting to know her Tutor Group throughout this first week. 
• Secondary School Photos are Monday 3 February, Week 2. Students need to ensure their uniform meets requirements and they have their blazers. 

Important Communication

This past week key information has been emailed to parents via the Secondary School Office. Please familiarise yourself with this communication, which covers, but is not limited to information on:

• Redlands management of Coronavirus 
• Student and parent expectations
• Communication
• Leave requests
• The Study Centre 
• Technology policies 

Communication 

A reminder that subject related questions should be directed to your child’s teacher or relevant Subject Coordinator. If you are unable to find the necessary contacts, please contact your child’s Tutor who will be able to assist. 

School Photographs

School photographs will be taken on Monday 3 February and Wednesday 11 March. Yrs 8 -12 portrait photographs are scheduled to be taken by Advanced Life on Monday 3 February. Secondary School sibling photographs and Yr 7 portrait photographs will be taken by Advanced Life on Wednesday 11 March.

An envelope and flyer will be distributed in Week 1 and orders for photography packages can also be placed securely online at www.advancedlife.com.au using our School Order Code: NWL 4NR ETY. Portrait and group package orders are due by photography day. Should you have any queries concerning school photographs or online ordering, please direct them to enquiries@advancedlife.com.au.

Teens and Technology

It was wonderful to see so many students and parents attending Tutor meetings on Tuesday. Many parents shared that technology, and how their teenager’s use it, is one of their biggest concerns. To learn more about the benefits and risks of technology and how to support your teenager to use technology in a balanced and safe way, read ReachOut Parents fact sheet on Technology and teenagers. Or see some of their top tips on what you can do to help your teenager manage technology. Everyone is different so it’s best to try a few strategies and see which ones work best for your family.

New Year, New Class

The first few days of a new year can be tricky and, often, not just for students. Dr Judith Locke’s article, Help them process their first day of school, offers some valuable, considered and balanced advice on how to navigate this sometimes delicate time of year. 

Redlands Study Centre

The aim of the Study Centre is to provide students from Yrs 7 -12 with the opportunity to receive shoulder-to-shoulder support or assistance in specific disciplines from Secondary School teachers. These sessions are not to be seen as formalised one-on-one tutoring sessions but instead should be seen as opportunities for students to get answers to specific questions of feedback on specific areas of learning. The Study Centre timetable is available here.

Thank You

The Yr 8 Pastoral Team sincerely thank parents for your generosity at the end of 2019, your gift of cinema tickets was greatly appreciated by Year Advisors and Tutors. Thank you also to our Year Group parents for organising this kind gesture. Finally, we look forward to working with you through 2020 as students navigate Yr 9.

Key Dates

Ms Marita Jansons 
Yr 9 Advisor
mjansons@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9819

Year 8

Welcome back to Yr 8! We hope every student and family had time to relax, re-energise and spend time with family and friends over the holiday season. The buzz this Wednesday as students returned to school was powerful and it is exciting to start a new year with so many new experiences ahead of them. 

Yr 8 is a year of growth in maturity and students will begin to take even more ownership over their own learning. Students will be encouraged to represent themselves proudly and to try something new to continue learning and growing as they move through the Secondary School. 

While students will be helping to determine a theme for this year’s Pastoral focus, the Yr 8 Pastoral Program includes positive and negative risk-taking, resilience, positive psychology, study skills and getting along with others in an online world. Yr 8 also culminates with STEAM week. Therefore, our Service projects this year will focus on our local and broader environment.  

Important Dates and Upcoming Events

School Photographs

School photographs will be taken on Monday 3 February and Wednesday 11 March. Yrs 8 -12 portrait photographs are scheduled to be taken by Advanced Life on Monday 3 February. Secondary School sibling photographs and Yr 7 portrait photographs will be taken by Advanced Life on Wednesday 11 March.

An envelope and flyer will be distributed in Week 1 and orders for photography packages can also be placed securely online at www.advancedlife.com.au using our School Order Code: NWL 4NR ETY. Portrait and group package orders are due by photography day. Should you have any queries concerning school photographs or online ordering, please direct them to enquiries@advancedlife.com.au.

Dr Prue Salter’s Study Skills

How Much Time Should You Spend on Schoolwork?

In Secondary School if you do not have any specific homework or assessments to work on, you are then expected to spend some time that night on independent learning. This is where you ask yourself, what else COULD I be doing that will help me understand my subjects better and improve my results? Examples of independent learning are: reading ahead in your textbook, making a mind map about what you have been learning, doing extra research on a topic that interests you, making study notes, reviewing work you find difficult… the list is endless.

However schools do not expect students to spend all of their time on schoolwork! We want you to play sport, see your friends, spend time with family, do activities you enjoy and have some rest and relax time as well. If you work effectively, then you can do your work for school, but still have a life. So given this, how much time are you expected to spend on schoolwork?

It depends on your year level, your school, your parents and your own abilities and goals. First, check your Student Planner or ask your teacher what is expected. Then discuss these outlines with your parents and see if you can both agree what is right for you.

As a general rule, expected time to spend on schoolwork at home:

Junior Years: In the first years of Secondary School students usually do at least half an hour to an hour each day. In many schools it is around 1-1.5 hours on average or 7-10 hours of home learning over the whole week.

Middle Years: In the middle years of Secondary School it should be at least an hour. In many schools the average is around 1.5-2 hours or 10-14 hours of home learning over the whole week.

Senior Years: In the final years of Secondary School students do at least 1.5-2 hours a day and this will increase as students approach the end of their schooling. Most Yr 11 students do 2-3 hours per day (14-21 hours over the whole week) and in Yr 12 around 3-4 hours (21-28 hours over the whole week).

Remember this is just a guide. Some parents and some schools will expect more (or less!) so treat these as guidelines. What about the weekend? The amount of time students need to spend on schoolwork on the weekend will depend on their current workload and how much work they complete during the week.

You also need to ensure you are getting enough sleep.

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

Year 7

Welcome! This year, Vanessa Wang and I are very much looking forward to meeting and working with you all as the Yr 7 Advisors. 

Secondary School

Welcoming our new Year 7 cohort to the Secondary School is an exciting and challenging step for students, parents and teachers. Redlands has a strong culture and set of expectations across all campuses yet each campus reflects the age and growth for students at a particular time in their educational journey. On the Senior Campus, we want students to continue developing their established friendships from Junior School, while also meeting new people and growing from previous relationships. We want students to continue playing the sport they love and delving deeper into the subject they find inspirational while keeping their eyes open and stepping outside of their comfort zones to try new things and, just maybe, surprise themselves. We want to support students in developing a growth mindset and to learn from feedback and setbacks to become an even stronger individual. We are a close and supportive community and each student will be working with every student in their Year Group in some capacity between Yr 7 and Yr 12. We want our students to take ownership of their actions, treat others with kindness and be aware of how their actions affect others. Starting Yr 7 on a new campus is a wonderful chance for students to start fresh and our teachers are eager to meet them and get to know them as unique individuals.

Communication

All pertinent information will be shared via Note Day and Redlands Pulse.

From the start of this school year, the first point of communication is your child’s Tutor teacher.

For subject specific questions, please contact the individual Subject Coordinator.

For any information that may need to be shared across all teachers, meeting requests for all teachers, incidents involving several students or sensitive information, please send me an email.

We will have a chance to meet face-to-face and you will be able to meet your child’s Tutor and classroom teachers at our Yr 7 Meet and Greet on 24 February. 

The excitement of camp is wonderful. This is a fabulous opportunity for our cohort to bond and develop new friendships, to appreciate and value the outdoors, to build on their skill set of resilience, achievement, persistence, organisation, teamwork, self-awareness, self-management, and mindfulness. Further information will be provided to students on Thursday at their camp briefing.

School Photographs

School photographs will be taken on Monday 3 February and Wednesday 11 March. Yrs 8 -12 portrait photographs are scheduled to be taken by Advanced Life on Monday 3 February. Secondary School sibling photographs and Yr 7 portrait photographs will be taken by Advanced Life on Wednesday 11 March.

An envelope and flyer will be distributed in Week 1 and orders for photography packages can also be placed securely online at www.advancedlife.com.au using our School Order Code: NWL 4NR ETY. Portrait and group package orders are due by photography day. Should you have any queries concerning school photographs or online ordering, please direct them to enquiries@advancedlife.com.au.

Maths 

Maths classes in Yr 7 are organised differently from core classes. An information letter discussing the organisation of Maths classes has already been sent by our Mathematics Department Head, Ms Karen Pittard. Any further questions regarding Mathematics, please email Ms Pittard directly.

Term 1 

The Pastoral Program for our students in Yr 7 Term 1 is developed around creating a strong connection between students and their Tutors, students and their peers, organisation with finding classes and materials and feeling comfortable and confident on the Senior Campus. Older students and teachers will continually be visible around the school, at the front and back gates, and at the bus stops to support our new Yr 7 students in finding their way and learning the culture on their new campus.  

This is a most exciting time for our Yr 7 students, and as their support network develops, we will continue to guide, encourage, and motivate each individual to ensure success throughout Secondary School.

Thank you in advance for your support and I look forward to an amazing 2020!  

Key Dates

Ms Lisa Vale
Yr 7 Advisor
9968 9837
lvale@redlands.nsw.edu.au

Head of Junior School

UPCOMING EVENTS

Please note that all Upcoming Events for the Junior School are now on their own Note Day article/page. 

This Head of Junior School page will consist of general information from the Head of Junior School. 

Welcome Back

I love the start of a new school year and as I shared in assembly, the very first day is arguably my favourite day. Whether it was as a student myself or for the last 24 years as a teacher, those feelings of excitement, opportunities and hope that come with the start of a new chapter are invigorating and from observations of colleagues and returning students, I know I was not alone.

There has been a palpable energy as we have started to the new school year and I acknowledge the preparative work of our teachers, Support staff and Facilities team over the holidays to allow us to hit the ground running yesterday. Of course, all of this preparation is for the students and it was a joy to see them bound in on Wednesday morning for the start of term.

In our Welcome Assembly, we particularly welcomed our new Principal, Mr Webber, new staff and our 75 new students. I hope that the journey ahead for all of them will be full of happy memories, as is my hope for all students, teachers and families.

Mr Webber spoke to the students about himself and his hopes for Redlands and the students, encouraging them to be comfortable with who they are, to support each other and be positive in all that they do.

During this assembly, I talked about the significance of our School Values: Respect, Honesty, Fairness, Compassion, Responsibility and Moral Courage, as important qualities of being a good person and our hope that these values intrinsically become part of our students’ character.

I also shared the image below and talked about the personal race we will all run in 2020, which may present ups and downs along the way. The road to success is rarely a linear pathway and sometimes our greatest learnings can be in how we respond to a setback, in whatever form. As I shared with students, our role as parents and adults is to be there as support for them, particularly at these times.

My final message centred around us all focusing on just one word that we hope will define us in 2020. This has been a theme for the Junior School for the last three years where instead of having longer-worded goals, each student and teacher has chosen to focus on just one word for the year.

Many of the classes have already discussed this idea and a number of students have shared their #oneword2020 with me already in passing, which I have loved hearing about; but more importantly, why the word is poignant for them. I encourage you to ask your child what their one word for 2020 is and ask them to explain why they have chosen this word. And perhaps consider a word yourself and share it with your child?

School Photographs

A reminder that school photos taken by Advanced Life Photography are next Thursday 6 February and that students will be required to be in their school blazers for the photos. Orders for packages can be placed securely online with Advanced Life  using the Junior School’s unique 9 digit Online Order Code: WG5 WJZ 1J5. Pease note that sibling photographs will only be taken on Friday 21 February if an order has been placed. Should you have any queries concerning school photographs or online ordering, please direct them via email to enquiries@advancedlife.com.au.

Cocurricular Clubs

The Junior School optional Cocurricular program will start in Week 3 of Term 1, commencing on Tuesday 11 February. Information will be emailed to all families at the start of next week with details of an online booking system and an outline of each Cocurricular activities on offer. Please note that places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Junior School Calendar

A comprehensive Junior School calendar has been uploaded to Redlands Pulse for your reference and can be accessed here.

Meet the Teacher Information Evening

As previously communicated in my start of year letter to all families, next week sees our annual Meet the Teacher Information Evening. These will be held in your child’s classroom where you have an opportunity to meet your child’s class teacher who will speak briefly about their expectations, classroom management, daily routines and curriculum matters, amongst other things. There will also be time for you to ask any questions you may have. A reminder of the date and times for this evening are listed below:

Yrs 3 and 4       Tuesday 4 February     5.00 – 5.45pm 
Yrs 5 and 6       Tuesday 4 February     6.00 – 6.45pm        

Class Parent Representatives

We are always fortunate to have parents volunteer for the role of Class Parent each year and class teachers will seek interest for this role at the Meet the Teacher evening next week. The role is not an onerous one but is one that makes such a difference for families in the class, particularly our newer families to Redlands. If you would like to nominate as the person for your child’s class or if you have any questions about the role, please do feel free to contact either of our Junior School Parent Contact Group Coordinators, Jay Cunningham or Rebecca James, who will be only too willing to assist.

Parking and Pick Up

My thanks to the vast majority of parents who have supported our communication about our student safety focused approach to the drop off and pick up students at the end of the school day. We are also very mindful that many families are new to Redlands and getting to grips with possible new parking and pick up arrangements. For families using the car line process, please remind your child to wait with the duty teacher at the Junior School gate and please also be reminded not to push into the line or double park for obvious safety reasons. If the line is full, you will need to go around the block and come back to Allister St. If you are picking up your child from within the grounds of the school, please also organise a regular meeting point which is away from the gates which causes additional congestion.

And lastly, please may I remind you to be respectful and considerate of our neighbours. It is not acceptable to block or even park in someone’s driveway as has already been reported to us. Thanks, in advance, for your cooperation and support.

New School Information System

Thank you to all parents for your support during the settling in period of the upgrade to our School Information System (SIS) from Edumate to Engage. The new SIS system has a clearer more friendly interface for students and parents and is more compatible with mobile phone web browsers. Our ICT Support team is on hand to address any queries you may have. Please contact pulse@redlands.nsw.edu.au.

2021 Scholarships – closing 10 February

Applications for Academic, Merit, Music and Ballet Scholarships for Year 7 2021 are closing on 10 February. To apply, please go to: https://www.redlands.nsw.edu.au/enrolments/scholarships-2/

Term 1 Departure Notice

This is a reminder to those families who are planning on leaving the School at the end of Term 1: If you have not already given notice to the Principal via an email to registrar@redlands.nsw.edu.au, could you please do so by next Monday 3 February, as fees in lieu will be payable for any notices of departure received after this date.  

2020 Junior School Captains

After the formal announcement of our new Junior School Leaders for 2020 at last year’s Speech Day, I was delighted to re-introduce these students to the Junior School in our first assembly, where they were recognised and congratulated by Mr Webber. As I shared with the students, I have every confidence that they, alongside every one of their peers in Yr 6, will set a wonderful example to the rest of the Junior School in the year ahead and we wish them all the best in their student leadership roles.

Junior School Captains – Leda Subasi and Jacob Cartwright
Sports Captains – Stella Cunningham and Joel Daily
Arts Captains – Kira Delaney and Dante Minassian
Cowper House Captains – Lola Brasler and Digby Scott
Dumolo House Captains – Heidi de Saxe and Jake Nochar 
McDouall House Captains – Alexandria Fitzpatrick and Gabriel Grindlay
Roseby House Captains – Sophie McDonald and Roy Rivera 

Baby News

After going on maternity leave at the start of this week, Junior School teacher, Stacey Clarkson gave birth to a beautiful baby girl this morning, a younger sister for Lucy. Born in the very early hours, both Stacey and the baby are resting and doing well and we look forward to seeing them later in the term.

Mr Ari Guha
Head of Junior School
aguha@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9953 6022

Junior School Upcoming Events

A more comprehensive calendar can be found on Redlands Pulse.

Twilight in the Piazza

The first social gathering for all Redlands families has already been planned and will be our annual Twilight in the Piazza parent cocktail evening between 6.00-8.00pm on Friday 21 February on the Junior Campus. This promises to be another wonderful community event for parents and teachers and additional details will be sent shortly. Many of the teachers will also be at this event which is always a wonderful first whole of school social gathering.

Mr Ari Guha
Head of Junior School
aguha@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9953 6022

Head of Preparatory School

UPCOMING EVENTS

Please note that all Upcoming Events for Prep are now on their own Note Day article/page. 

This Head of Preparatory School page will consist of general information from the Head of Preparatory School. 

Welcome to 2020

It is with great enthusiasm that the staff and I welcome you back to school for 2020. Academic staff and prior to that, Facilities and Support staff, came back to school in early January and it really didn’t feel like “school” until the children and families returned this week. On Tuesday, we welcomed all new students and their parents where they had the opportunity to meet their Year Coordinators, class teachers and familiarise themselves with the school grounds before everyone returned on Wednesday. The following day, the Piazza was buzzing and it was clear to see and hear the excitement as students checked class lists to find their friends and teacher. It was lovely to see parents lingering a little while after students went into class as they reacquainted with friends. The students eagerly shared their holiday adventures and this year there were some heartening stories about fundraising efforts with cupcake and lemonade stalls. I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome many new families to the Redlands community and trust that your association with the School will be a long and happy one.

Last week, prior to the students’ return to school, the staff had the opportunity to learn together and hear from some wonderful guest speakers. We had the pleasure of hearing from Adjunct Professor Erica McWilliam from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation. As an educator, professor and speaker, Erica’s focus is to engage with teachers who are interested in high-challenge learning for their students. She highlighted the importance of respectful relationships, class structure, challenge, collaboration, information and co-ownership. The Junior Campus staff came together to learn more about pedagogical practices in Spelling from AISNSW consultant, Jill Ryman. These presentations prompted some thought-provoking discussions as we continue to embrace and embed deep thinking and learning in our school.

With great anticipation, staff also warmly welcomed the School’s Principal, Mr Stephen Webber, who shared a little of his life history and background in teaching and learning. His kindness and sincerity were evident and there was overwhelmingly positive feedback from staff who particularly enjoyed listening to and learning about his knowledge and interest in Harvard’s Culture of Thinking and his deep respect for diversity, wellbeing and community. In already such a short time, there is a continued positivity and energy in the School as we commence the year.

The Prep School came together for their first assembly of the year today. We had the opportunity to meet and introduce all the staff and welcome the new students to the School. Next week, Mr Webber will join the Prep School for Assembly where I am sure he will share more of his life with our students. Important reminders about our school values, together with the Positive Behaviours for Learning (PB4L) framework will be discussed. During the first week of school, class teachers will unpack the PB4L pillars and collaboratively choose class agreements and behavioural expectations that will be the touchstone for students throughout the year.

Meet the Teacher Afternoons

Kindergarten – Monday 3 February at 5.00 – 6.00pm
Yr 1 – Wednesday 5 February at 5.00 – 6.00pm
Yr 2 – Thursday 6 February at 5.00 – 6.00pm

Staff will be holding Meet the Teacher evenings at the above days and times. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet your child’s class teacher. During the evening, information will be provided on the exciting program teachers have developed for 2020. In addition, timetables, expectations, curriculum matters and daily routines will be explained and you will have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have. You will leave with a good understanding of the learning your child will experience this year and I therefore encourage you to attend. The structure of the afternoon will see all classes in the year level, meet together for the first half in the Arnold Library in Junior School and then break off into classrooms for the remainder of the session. All information from the sessions will be placed on Redlands Pulse, if you are unable to attend. We kindly ask that students are not in attendance at this event.

New School Information System

Thank you to all parents for your support during the settling in period of the upgrade to our School Information System (SIS) from Edumate to Engage. The new SIS system has a clearer more friendly interface for students and parents and is more compatible with mobile phone web browsers. Our ICT Support team is on hand to address any queries you may have. Please contact pulse@redlands.nsw.edu.au.

Twilight in the Piazza

I look forward to seeing you at Twilight in the Piazza, our first parent event for the year on Friday 21 February. The Invitation can be found on the Upcoming Events page.

Car Line

Car Line begins next Monday 3 February. As a reminder, if you wish to use Car Line, please re-register and read the procedural requirements for 2020 via Redlands Pulse. You will find a Car Line registration form here. Preparatory School children can be collected from Car Line at the following times:

Kindergarten – 2.50 – 3.00pm
Yr 1, Yr 2 and siblings – 3.05 -3.15pm

Could you please adhere to these times and if you arrive before the allocated time, we respectfully ask that you refrain from parking on Allister Street, as this blocks the Car Line and reduces the effectiveness of this facility. 

Beware…Parking Rangers

Please be aware of the Parking Regulations on Allister Street, directly outside the Preparatory entrance of the School.

• Between 7.30-9.00am and 2.30-4.00pm there is no parking. If you are leaving your car to assist your child, you must be within 3 metres of your car. To avoid a fine, please do not park in this area.
• The Parking Rangers patrol these areas vigilantly at school drop-off and pick-up times.

If you are parking your car in other designated areas, please be mindful of the neighbours in the surrounding streets. Driveways must remain unblocked, so they can access the road both morning and afternoon.

I would also like to draw your attention to the underground drop off area for the Prep School on Allister Street. This is available between 8.00am and 8.20am. Prefects and teachers are on duty to assist your child when leaving the car, without walking onto a busy street. I urge you to utilise this wonderful initiative. Thank you for your ongoing patience and assistance as we endeavour to keep our community safe.

Term 1 Departure Notice

This is a reminder to those families who are planning on leaving the School at the end of Term 1: If you have not already given notice to the Principal via an email to registrar@redlands.nsw.edu.au, could you please do so by next Monday 3 February, as fees in lieu will be payable for any notices of departure received after this date.  

Mrs Audrey Fellowes
Head of Preparatory School
afellowes@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9848 

Prep/RH Upcoming Events

A more comprehensive calender can be found on Redlands Pulse.

Mrs Audrey Fellowes
Head of Preparatory School
afellowes@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9848

Redlands House/Transition Gold

UPCOMING EVENTS

Please note that all Upcoming Events for Redlands House/Transition Gold are now on the Prep/RH Upcoming Events Note Day page. 

This Redlands House/Transition Gold page will consist of general information from the Head of Preparatory School. 

Welcome

What a fabulous week we have had in Redlands House and Transition Gold to start the year. We warmly welcome all new and returning families to Preschool, and look forward to embarking on a wonderful year of fun and learning together.

Parent Information Evenings

For Redlands House families, this event will take place in your child’s classroom in Week 2. As this event is for parents to listen and participate in the presentation from their child’s teacher, we do request that no children are in attendance.

Redlands House – Monday 3 February from 4.00 – 5.00pm
Transition Gold – Tuesday 4 February from 4.00 – 5.00pm

Parking

Parking around the school can be busy, especially around pick up time. To ease congestion and ensure the safety of our students, the Prep School use a Car Line that enables parents to collect their children from the underground carpark from 2.45pm each day. We therefore ask Redlands House families to refrain from parking in the 5 minutes parking zone outside the Preschool from 2.45pm onwards. Families are still able to park for 5 minutes out the front of Redlands House between 2.30 – 2.45pm. Cones will be placed on the road at 2.45pm, not before, in order to prepare for the Prep Car Line. Please do not move these cones as they are an important part of our school safety procedures. 

Food Breaks in the Preschool

Just a reminder that each child has three breaks for food in the Preschool each day – Crunch & Sip, Morning Tea and Lunch.

Crunch & Sip is a small fruit or vegetable snack that is accessible to the children, along with their drink bottle, please place the container in the wire basket at the door of your child’s classroom.

Morning Tea and Lunch are stored in separate containers in the large fridge in the foyer. Each class has a fridge door to open. Morning Tea containers are kept in the class basket in the fridge and Lunch boxes and stored on the shelf.

Please remember that we are an Allergy Friendly Centre (ie. allergy aware) and have a number of children with serious allergies. Therefore, we ask that any food your child brings to Preschool does not contain nuts or traces of nuts, egg or shellfish. We have a number of resources containing nutritious and well-balanced lunch box ideas available in our parent library in the foyer for inspiration.

New School Information System

Thank you to all parents for your support during the settling in period of the upgrade to our School Information System (SIS) from Edumate to Engage. The new SIS system has a clearer more friendly interface for students and parents and is more compatible with mobile phone web browsers. Our ICT Support team is on hand to address any queries you may have. Please contact pulse@redlands.nsw.edu.au.

Birthdays

The Preschool staff love to celebrate the children’s birthdays each year. The children love to celebrate their birthday too – it’s a great conversation topic all year round! We are happy for you to bring a cake on your child’s special day. Please be mindful of food allergies, a list of the ingredients will assist us to ensure children with allergies are accounted for. All celebrations will be held in the afternoon and cake will be available for the children to take home. Small cupcakes are suggested as they are easy for the children to manage and don’t require cutting by staff.

Term 1 Departure Notice

This is a reminder to those families who are planning on leaving the School at the end of Term 1: If you have not already given notice to the Principal via an email to registrar@redlands.nsw.edu.au, could you please do so by next Monday 3 February, as fees in lieu will be payable for any notices of departure received after this date.  

Mrs Audrey Fellowes
Head of Preparatory School
afellowes@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9848

Secondary Sport

redlands Rhino – Weekly Fixtures

Please note: Redlands Rhino has the most up-to-date weekly fixtures. This is uploaded every Tuesday afternoon at 4.00pm. Please ensure you check this with regards to game times, venues and oppositions.

Weekly Results

Head of Secondary Sport

As we begin the 2020 school year it is important to reflect on what matters to us within Redlands Sport and the culture we strive to achieve for our students to learn and develop. Too often sport is reduced to a zero sum game, you win or you lose. Whilst this is true of the result of a game, it is by no means the measure of our success and falls very short of any meaningful point of learning. Winning can produce euphoria and losing can produce sadness but neither are behaviours we desire in young people, they are just emotions that our students need to learn to acknowledge and regulate. By the very nature of team sport, 50% of the people who compete will win and 50% will lose, this is one of the few things that is certain. This is why our focus for success needs to shift towards the behaviours and actions we value within sport and not just an outcome. It is the consistent behaviours revealed in a sporting contest that enables the greatest lessons in sport to be learned and practised.

It is therefore our focus in 2020 to concentrate on the process over the outcome and the behaviour over the result. How we execute a skill or tactic with precision and the desired temperament and behaviour of the individual and team is more important than the score. If we can encourage our students to enact these desired behaviours through their actions in training and competition then the score line will take care of itself. 

What are our desired behaviours? This question is vital to understanding our focus and it is important to recognise in the first instance they are OUR behaviours, not others and not just words we place on posters on walls. Our staff, coaches and students need to own them and be accountable for them day to day. Our desired behaviours need to reflect our values and lead our actions. This is why all our Sports staff meet weekly to review and achieve consensus on what we see as critical behaviours to develop within all of our Sports programs. Below is a table which outlines the link between our values and the behaviours that reflect these values. From there our coaching staff are held accountable for measuring and encouraging specific actions within their Sport that espouse these behaviours.

Our behaviours are the standards by which our students and coaches are measured not the result. Winning or losing is just a result, the measure of our success on how we confront the challenges associated with sport is where the greatest lessons are learnt. Everyone goes through challenges in life and this is how we grow and develop as people. Sport is an avenue to expand this development to its full potential to ensure our Redlands students flourish and are life-ready, both now and in the future.

Basketball

This Saturday will be Round 7 of the ISA Basketball season. Please check the Redlands Rhino carefully as there are a number of changes to the original fixture that was released in 2019. 

Please save the date for the End of Season Basketball Presentation. The presentation will be held on Saturday 21 March. More information on the event will be provided shortly, please view the invitation on Redlands Pulse. 

Australian School Championships 2019

In December 2019, our 1sts Boys and 1sts Girls Basketball teams travelled to Melbourne to play in the Australian Schools Championships. The Boys competed in the U20 Division 4 competition and won their first two games. The next game ended with a 9 point loss to Bonnyrigg. Following this they played ISA rivals, St Andrew’s Cathedral School. The Boys finished the tournament in 6^th place.

The Girls competed in the Division 1/2 Women’s competition, with two losses first up. The Girls got two wins in their next two games against Mount Lilydale Mercy College and Moreton Bay College. The girls left with a Bronze medal, an achievement of which they should be very proud.  

An off-court highlight of the week for the girls was enjoying a Q&A with Leilani Mitchell, a current Australian Opal who has represented Australia on the national stage. Leilani was awarded the 2019 WNBA Most Improved award and holds the record for the most three’s scored in a single game in the WNBA.

Fitness Centre

Please be aware that the Redlands Fitness Centre will not be open for morning/afternoon sessions until Friday 7 February. From this date, the Centre will be available across all mornings 6.30-7.45am along with Monday and Wednesday afternoons immediately after school.

Rowing

During the holidays it was great to see such a large number of students taking the opportunity to complete some of the optional water training sessions. The goal of these sessions is to not only maintain fitness and skills but to also prevent injury during camp when the training load increase along with the training loads of Term 1 compared to what can be a sedate activity level associated with school holidays.

The Juniors started their camp at Mosman Rowing Club for the first two days but then relocated to Narrabeen Lagoon for the remainder. For the final session of camp, all ten Junior crews were able to race side by side in what was an epic session for students and coaches alike. The coaches and myself are more than excited to see where our crews are placed over the next few weeks as we start racing.

The camps would not have been so successful without the assistance of many parent volunteers. This was a huge effort and words cannot describe how appreciative the coaches and myself are. Special mention should be singled out to Tom Richardson and Sabrina Pauling who made sure that everything was setup each morning and that there was plenty of food to go around, thank you again!

Looking ahead, please note the DRAFT dates for the 2021 January Rowing Camps (pending school approval and confirmation of accommodation being available) however it follows the same format as previous years where camp concludes on the Friday of the Australia Day long weekend: 

Seniors: Wed 13 – Wed 20 January
Juniors: Tue 12 – Fri 22 January

Tennis

During Term 1, Tennis students will be entered into the Northern Suburbs Tennis Association competition in similar teams and divisions as Term 4 2019. Please make sure you have read the important information emailed out earlier this week.

At the end of last year, Redlands introduced a new Tennis tshirt. Students are not required to purchase the new tshirt but it is made of a more conducive material for sport.

Just a friendly reminder, students should be bringing a hat and water bottle to training and matches. Sunscreen is available at Cammeray and Wheatleigh St courts if students have forgotten their own.

Important Dates
Tuesday 4 February – Tuesday morning training recommences for Teams 1-10
Saturday 8 February – Round 1 of competition
Saturday 14 March – Finals/Playoffs – Last Saturday of Summer Tennis

Touch Football

We are now entering the back end to the ISA 2019/2020 Touch Football season with the final four rounds before the Finals day on Saturday 29 February.

The Touch Football Presentation afternoon will be held on Thursday 5 March at Gore Hill Oval (this will take place during School Sport time). Students will be charged $15 for the event (pizza and drinks will be provided). If any students have food allergies, please email Mr Ellis cellis@redlands.nsw.edu.au.

Congratulations to Anna McCormack (Yr 12), Aayushi Singh (Yr 12), Monique Pascoe (Yr 12), Olivia Donoghue (Yr 11), Maddison Barwsie (Yr 9) and Katie Wightwick (Yr 10) who have been selected in the Norths Touch Football Representative teams for the upcoming State Cup this term.

This weekend will see our 1sts, 3rds, Junior A and Junior B teams travelling to Bathurst for double headers against Scots All Saints College and Kinross Wolaroi School. Our 2nds, 4ths, Junior C and Junior D teams will be travelling to Central Coast Grammar School. All game times and fields can be found on the Redland Rhino. Bus permissions have been emailed out via the new online forma. If you are having issues accessing this please email pulse@redlands.nsw.edu.au.

Swimming

The Secondary Swimming Carnival will be held on Thursday 20 February at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. More information regarding the Carnival will be posted on Redlands Pulse – Swimming . There will be some Swimming sessions held on Friday afternoons from 3.30 – 5.00pm at the North Sydney Olympic Pool starting Friday 7 February. If you are interested in attending these sessions, please email Mr Ellis cellis@redlands.nsw.edu.au.

Yr 7 Sport Rotation

Please see table on Redlands Pulse for information.

“I have self-doubt. I have insecurity. I have fear of failure…. We all have self-doubt. You don’t deny it, but you also don’t capitulate to it. You embrace it.” Kobe Bryant

Mr Tom Kindred
Head of Secondary School Sport
sports@redlands.nsw.edu.au

All Sports contacts can be found on Redlands Pulse.​

Junior Sport

Fixtures

REdlands Pulse

Absences

Welcome Back

Welcome back to all families and students in what promises to be a very exciting year for sport in the Junior School. A special welcome to those families who are new to Redlands in 2020. Like you I am new this year having come from a similar role as Head of Sport at St Aloysius’ College Junior School which I held for the last 18 years. I am very excited by this new role and have heard some great things about the School and the Redlands community.

Week 1 Term 1 is always a busy time and like me, I am sure that you have had to hit the ground running. There will be information aplenty coming from the School from a range of areas and sport will be one of them in the coming weeks.

To aid you in this process there are a few new initiatives that will hopefully make this much easier for you in the coming weeks with the start of Summer Sport season.

Redlands Pulse

For those of you who are unaware, this is the parent portal for parents at Redlands. From Term 1 onwards, this will be the ‘source of truth’ for all information relating to Junior School Sport. I have spent the last few weeks populating the Junior School Sport pages with enough information to give you an overview of the sports on offer, their respective seasons, costings and links to live documents.

I am asking that if parents have an enquiry relating to sport that your first port of call will be the Junior School Sport section of Redlands Pulse.

Saturday Fixtures

From this term onwards, the fixtures (Friday night or Saturday morning matches) for coaches, parents and staff will be ‘live’ in nature and will be available via this link which allows you to filter the draw by sport and even team. Sport draws will no longer be emailed to parents. When changes to times and or grounds come through from host schools during the week these will automatically update this draw on your device. I have also included the addresses of the venues within the host school to save time and stress once you arrive at a venue with 25 playing fields and you have to find Field 1b. Please spend some time navigating this document on your phone or device.

Student Absences

From this term onwards, if students are absent on match day, parents are required to complete this online absence form. This will allow your responses to be passed on electronically to your child’s coach efficiently and at short notice. The Student Absence link can also be found on the Junior School Sport page on Redlands Pulse.

Team Movement

This may already occur but the aim is now to make the process more transparent for all parties as unexplained team movements sometimes cause unnecessary stress. At Redlands our teams are ‘fluid’, meaning teams may change from week to week depending on three main criteria:

Ability: in direct comparison to other students on the team
Attendance: any student who misses two games in a season unrelated to sickness may be moved
Attitude: this is based on behaviour at trainings, on game day and not limited to the sporting arena.

Swimming Carnival

Our first major carnival is confirmed for Wednesday 19 February at SOPAC (Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre). In preparation for this Carnival every student has been allocated with a 1, 2 or 3 digit entrant number and will need to memorise their own entrant number. This number is a computer reference for their House colour, DOB, events etc. and on the day when they finish their race (by touching the touch pads in the pool), they can turn around and see their name and time on the large digital screen.

On the morning of the Carnival, this number will need to be written in large text on their arm prior to them arriving at school. On the day of the Carnival students can head down to the marshalling area when an event is called that they wish to enter, have their entrant number recorded and they are allocated a lane to swim in.  

This new process will allow a smoother process for students when entering events, accurate results, name on the big screen but, most importantly, will allow every student the opportunity to track their times over their Junior School years in various events.

In order to encourage students to learn their numbers off by heart, and which has had great success in the past, commencing next week Mr Guha and I at various random times will ask students what their entrant number is and if they are correct they will receive a small prize.

Upcoming Events/Key Dates

I look forward to meeting many of you over the course of the term and beyond and please don’t hesitate to contact our Sports team via the contact details below, if you have any questions pertaining to Sport.

Gemma Michael and Sarah Ellis (Sports Administrators) juniorsport@redlands.nsw.edu.au  9968 9854

Mr Trevor Dunne
Head of Junior Sport
tdunne@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9953 6022

Ballet and Dance

Important Dates

Welcome Back

It was a very busy holiday in many ways. Several changes has taken place and most noticeable is that we now have a new (shared) studio in P1.3 where a new sprung floor has been fitted. This is for use for after school hours only. We also had new vinyl flooring added in the Ballet Studio. Extra bench space with storage has been fitted along the Ballet corridor making it easier for students to change/do homework. We also have a new trophy cupboard, a generous donation from the Psaroulis family. It includes a Ballet book library if any student would like to borrow books for assignments.

Our students are now enrolled in classes on Engage and there will be lots of tweaking to the system during the next couple of week so we thank you for your patience. Do let us know if you have questions or concerns.

Term 1 will be busy with several auditions. Please see above as well as welcoming many new Ballet and Dance students to the Academy. We look forward to a busy term ahead! 

EOYC 2019

A very big thank you to all our Friends of Ballet and Dance who tirelessly contributed their time and energy to our dancers and their production. We could not put on the EOY concert without your continuing support and encouragement. We would like particularly to thank our Executive Committee, Chair Sue Banfield, Treasurer Kristina Green, Parent Coordinator Katherine Dixon, Costume Coordinator Sofia Gaspar, Makeup Virginia Clayton Hair Virginia Burmeister.

2020 Enrolment

2020 class enrolments are now closed for current students. Any changes or questions, please let the office know. If you are a new student, please enquire about 2020 places.

Lost Property

You can now find lost property in the far left cupboard in the corridor (closest to the Ballet Office). It will be emptied regularly.

Can’t Come to Class?

Please do not forget to let us know if sickness, injury or change of circumstance has occurred. Send an email to evabishop@redlands.nsw.edu.au

Any Questions?

Please contact us at evabishop@redlands.nsw.edu.au  We would love to hear from you.

Ms K Martin
Head of Ballet and Dance
evabishop@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9908 6461

Curriculum Dance

Welcome back to all student! We hope everyone had a relaxing break and feeling refreshed for the start of the new year.

Important Dates

Thursday 14 February – Callback Excursion (Yr 11 plus 12 HSC and IB students)

Mrs Katharine Boase
Subject Coordinator of Dance
kboase@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9889

Drama and Theatre

Welcome everyone to an exciting Term 1 for the Redlands Drama and Theatre community. A special welcome to all our new families. Redlands offers a variety of courses in Acting, Theatresports, Shakespeare, Musical Theatre, Film and Production for students from Preschool to Yr 12. There are lots of fabulous activities, festivals, performances and competitions planned for 2020. Any student interested in joining any of our classes can collect an enrolment form from any reception, Redlands Pulse or via email.

Musical

Tickets on sale soon!

Tickets will be on sale very soon for Redlands Musical for 2020 and will be available directly from the Chatswood Concourse box office. Redlands will be presenting the wonderful musical Grease from 26-28 March in The Concourse Theatre.

Musical Rehearsals

Our full rehearsal schedule has been emailed to all Musical company families. Exact scenes, songs and students required for each rehearsal are available here, on the Theatre and Drama noticeboard, and will also be emailed to parents. Students are reminded to be prompt to all rehearsals, bring plenty of food and water, wear appropriate clothing as required and bring the very important libretto!

Makeup and Props Team

Any student interested in theatre makeup or property creation is invited to become part of the Makeup or Props team for 2020. Students will meet every week on Friday afternoons and are trained in stage makeup and stage properties. The teams will be involved in school functions throughout the year such as the Musical and Gala Arts. Any student interested in joining these groups should collect an enrolment form from the Drama and Theatre office.

Gala Arts

This year’s Gala Arts performance will take place on Friday 29 May in the Concert Hall at The Concourse at Chatswood. Auditions are this term. Audition application forms will be available in Week 3 at the Gala Arts information meeting. Tickets will be on sale after the contestants are announced at the end of Term 1. Mark your diary with this wonderful event for Performing Arts at Redlands. It is always an exceptional evening as we celebrate the talents of our students.

Theatresports

Junior School

Any student wishing to participate in Theatresports in Junior School is welcome to join us at lunch on Tuesday. Meet at the flagpole on 4 February. Workshops are free and open to all students from Yrs 3 to 6.

Secondary School

Redlands Theatresports competition preparation is beginning. Workshops are free and open to all students from Yrs 7 to 12. Classes take place on Tuesday lunchtimes in the Drama Studio. Redlands will be holding our carnival on Monday 2 March and will be entering a senior and intermediate team in Impro Australia’s 2020 Theatresports Schools Competition. The regional TSC takes place in Term 2 with heats running from early May. Winning schools will progress to take part in the qualifying finals in June and the top teams in each division will go into a Grand Final at the Enmore Theatre at the end of June.

The Shakespeare Carnival

Sport for Jove Theatre is returning with The Shakespeare Carnival for 2020. Right across NSW, high school students will have the chance to tread the boards and creatively engage with Shakespeare’s works on the stage as actors, dancers, musicians and designers. Redlands Shakespeare Carnival will be held on Monday 16 March at 6.30pm on the Garden Terrace. To audition please see the categories guidelines.

Senior Acting Ensemble

Interested in becoming part of the Redlands Drama Senior Acting Ensemble? Students who would like to develop their acting skills and be part of an ensemble that creates new works as well as working towards Theatre Festivals are invited to come on Monday lunchtime to the Drama Studio. See Mrs Daley for details.

More information can be found on

Redlands Pulse

Mrs Joy Daley
Coordinator of Theatre and Drama
drama@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9860

Music

Music Forms and Events can be found on Redlands Pulse

Departmental News

Welcome back to another new year as part of our vibrant Music community in 2020, where together, we all play important roles in fostering, encouraging and creating rich learning environments in which each individual is able to develop and extend their creativity and musical skills. As a department, we believe that learning to sing and play a musical instrument, along with the habits of mind that are attributed to these learning experiences, is one of the many incredible opportunities that our school provides. In pursuing a music learning journey, each child is provided with broad musical experiences that fosters personal curiosity, encourages persistence and patience over time, builds resilience when facing new challenges, and ultimately cultivates grit and determination through the learning of new skills. Connections between home and school are paramount, and we believe that students, parents and teachers all play vital roles within this learning process. In achieving these developmental goals, the department values partnerships that supports regular practice routines in order to develop, enhance and extend students’ skills.

Friends of Music

In further building community and collaboration this year, we extend the invitation to all parents to consider joining the Friends of Music association, as we value the benefits from the participation of all parents working together actively within this parent group and in association with our teachers. If you would like more information on the Friends of Music, please contact our President Ms Emma McLaren at g_e_mclaren@hotmail.com. Our first meeting is set for Wednesday 5 February commencing at 7.00pm in the Edwards Auditorium, Senior Campus Music Centre.

Welcome New Staff

In recognition of the ongoing growth within our Academic, Cocurricular and Extra Subjects Music program, we are pleased to introduce Ms Katherine Moses, who has been employed as our new MIC of Strings. Ms Moses will teach Music (P-6) on the Junior Campus and take a lead role in overseeing the Strings program from Kindergarten through to Yr 12. Joining us from MLC School, Ms Moses is an accomplished musician, with specialist skills as a cellist, along with being a passionate educator with experience in Kodály teaching methodologies. Also joining our Music team, we welcome new Specialist Music tutors, Ms Gemma Lawton (French Horn) and Ms Gabrielle Jung (Violin and Viola), who will work in our Extra Subjects and Music Instrumental programs (MIP).

Music Department Launch Event

The Music Department calendar is already shaping up to be filled with many exciting performance opportunities and various other activities through 2020. Planning is already underway for our major events and more detailed information will be provided at the Music Department Launch Event Jazz in The Garden on Saturday 14 March at 6.00pm. At this event, we are pleased to announce that we will be releasing our second instalment of the Redlands EP that captures original student compositions. Hosted by the Friends of Music, we invite all parents to attend this 2020 launch event in listening to a diverse range of Jazz Music and other student performances.

Book here

Extra Subjects Private and Group Music Tuition

The Private and Group Tuition commences next week in Week 2. Please note that Music specialists will be in direct contact with parents to issue the teaching timetable for the term.

The Extra Subjects Music Tuition program provides specialist lessons in private singing and instrumental tuition. This program is primarily to provide tuition during school hours, where students leave a curriculum lesson for 30 minutes per week to attend their private Music lesson. Music tutors rotate the lesson times on a four weekly cycle to ensure that students only miss 30 minutes of the same curriculum lesson 2 to 3 times each term. Only in special circumstances, and if possible, within individual teaching timetables, will Music tutors be able to organise for lessons to be made during free periods, lunch, before or after school hours.

All enrolments for Extra Subjects Voice and Instrumental tuition must be submitted by Friday 14 February for lessons to commence in Term 1. Any forms received after this date will commence lessons in Term 2. Parents and guardians are advised that students who are requesting a change to their current Extra Subject Music Tuition will need to submit a Notification of Change form four weeks prior to the end of Semester 1. Please note that once term has commenced, lessons will NOT be able to be terminated. The Notification of Change form can be downloaded from Redlands Pulse and emailed to Music Administrators.

Extra Subjects Group Music Tuition Program

This program includes lessons in Musicianship, Sound Engineering, Rock Bands and Composition, with groups meeting weekly in providing students with opportunities in building music theory skills, recording, contemporary performance and song writing. These lessons occur before or after school, and are led by our experienced Music tutors and specialists in these areas of learning. Days and times of classes can be found on Redlands Pulse.These classes commence in Week 2.

Junior and Secondary Cocurricular Music Ensembles

Cocurricular Music ensembles commence in Week 3, providing students with a wide variety of Ensembles in which to participate. The ensemble program is based on participation in the CORE experiences of Band, Choral, Guitar and Strings, with students provided with the opportunity to audition for the Extension program in the areas of Jazz and Chamber Music. The Music Department invites any interested students to sign up to CORE Music Ensembles by Friday 14 February. Days and times of rehearsals can be found on Redlands Pulse.

Music Competition Series

Students are encouraged to begin selecting and preparing repertoire for the upcoming auditions for the various Music competitions. The process in selecting finalists will require students to present one work which demonstrates musical competency. For information on audition requirements please download forms from Redlands Pulse.

Senior Campus

Senior Music Lockers

Music instrument lockers are in the process of being processed and assigned. Please ensure you have completed the Music Locker form and submitted it to the Secondary School Music Office by Monday 3 February. This form can be found on Redlands Pulse.

Junior Campus

Music Instrumental Program (MIP)

MIP commences this Thursday Week 1, 2020 for Yrs 4 and 5. In allocating instruments, parents are required to have logged into Redlands Pulse to give consent for Instrument Hire if you are wishing to hire from the school. A reminder that all students in Yr 4 will be billed $20 for the accompanying text for the program. This book will be distributed on Thursday, Week 1. It is an expectation that all students complete a minimum of 3 x 15 minute practices a week. For any enquiries regarding the MIP program, please contact Mrs Hilary Luck, Assistant Coordinator of Music.

Junior Music Ensemble Auditions

Students who would like to audition for the ensembles listed below are required to complete an audition application form. For information on audition requirements, please find application forms on Redlands Pulse. On receipt of submitted applications, parents will be contacted with confirmation of audition by Junior Music Administration.

• Junior Voices Audition – Friday 7 February (7.30am)
• Junior Concert Band – Thursday 6 February (Lunchtime)

Mr Darren Kuilenburg
Coordinator of Music
seniormusic@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9820