From the Principal

During the last two weeks we have celebrated Harmony Day and International Day, with both events enabling us to focus on the importance of celebrating inclusivity and diversity. These two words are prominent in the Mission of the School and as shared previously, have been consistently mentioned when I have asked people about the culture of our School.

I was most impressed with the Year 8 students who led the development of an assembly for Harmony Day. Redlander and current parent, Kate Kesby provided a powerful guest speaker address on the importance of valuing inclusivity and diversity in the workplace and how research has continually demonstrated that it leads to improved outcomes.

I have often shared with students that my strong desire is to have a school community in which ‘no one feels left on the outer’. This is simple to say but aspirational in practice. I ask them to imagine if every single student decided to take personal responsibility for never putting anyone down, for only pushing people up, and supporting each other’s achievements. I do get some quizzical looks which imply ‘is he serious’, however, I believe in challenging the status quo that assumes putting down others is something that just happens during adolescence.

To be clear, I am not talking about experiencing adversity and having to show resilience and fortitude, these moments are essential for human growth and flourishing. However, I detest the acceptance in society that put-downs are a part of life.

To be fully inclusive we must aim for more.   

I thank all of our families for their support during this term and I wish you well for Easter and the holiday break. May it be a special time with family and friends.

Mr Stephen Webber

Photo caption: With 23 Acts from Years 5-12, Rock Bands and Unplugged, 2 stages, Live and Zoom audiences, this year’s Battle of the Bands was a night of electrifying performances!

This is Redlands

I was delighted to attend the Junior School Sport Carnival yesterday where, bathed in sunshine and awash with equal measures of House colours and sunscreen, I was inspired by the enthusiasm and team spirit of our young participants, their teachers and our support team. It was lovely to welcome back parents to the event this year and their cheering and support of the students most certainly enhanced the atmosphere at this impressive event. Thank you to those who I met for sharing your time and feedback with me. 

The support from our community for the Redlands Arts Luncheon event has been extraordinary. Thank you. If you haven’t already booked your seat or table then I suggest getting in quick as we only have a limited number of seats. Proceeds raised from this unique and special event will be directed to the Belinda Oxley Scholarship in acknowledgment of her dedication to Redlands and passion for education. A reminder that the event will be held on Wednesday 26 May from 11.30am to 3.00pm at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. For further information and to purchase tickets please click here.

Those unable to attend can still support the event through a number of different channels that include the purchase of raffle tickets, bidding on auction items or by making a donation. More information on these will be provided early in Term 2.

Thank you for your continued guidance and support and as ever, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Community Engagement team should you have any feedback, suggestions or questions.

The Community Engagement team wish you all a happy, healthy and peaceful term break with your family.

Mr Grant Birse
Head of Community Engagement
9908 6406
gbirse@redlands.nsw.edu.au

Foundation

What a wonderful response so far! We are delighted to host the Redlands Arts Luncheon celebrating the long history of Creative Arts education at Redlands, including Visual Arts, Drama, Music, Dance and Design & Technology. This event is suitable for both mums and dads!

Wednesday 26 May, 11.30am – 3.00pm
(main program will be finished by 2.30pm)
Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, Kirribilli

Join us for an unforgettable gourmet luncheon with fine wines, hear from an exciting panel of Alumni speakers and enjoy raffles and auctions. Proceeds from this event will be dedicated to the Belinda Oxley Scholarship Appeal. Belinda Oxley is remembered as a dedicated educator with a passion for art education who served Redlands for 23 years. 

Bookings
Tables of ten are available. Capacity is limited.

book here

Raffle Tickets and Advertising

Secure your raffle tickets and/or program advertising.

click here

Sponsorship, Raffle and Auction Donations

Donations of vouchers or products for inclusion in our raffle or silent auction are appreciated. Corporate sponsorship can also be considered to promote your company. Contact us directly at foundation@redlands.nsw.edu.au.

Belindas Oxley’s Legacy 

This is former Principal, Dr Peter Lennox’s introduction about Belinda when she received the Roseby Award in 2013:

Belinda Oxley has made many outstanding contributions to Early Childhood at Redlands as well as to the wider life of the school. She is a long standing, dedicated, passionate and innovative staff member. She has contributed to the development of the Redlands Learning Platform, the Yr 2 program (especially Yr 2 Camp), Prep Games Day and several ICT Strategic Plans to name but a few. Belinda’s passion for Early Childhood, her expertise and high standards have helped our programs go from strength to strength over the years. 

Not long after her Roseby Award in 2013, Belinda was promoted to the role of Dean of the Preparatory School, where she performed a special role in overseeing the work of the Preschool as well as assisting Mrs Harper in a range of other duties. Ill health overtook Belinda who passed away in October 2018. Her passing was greatly felt by staff and students, and a commemoration stone was laid in the garden on the Junior Campus in memory of her wonderful work both as a teacher and an administrator.

Photos: Vanessa Finlayson, Yr 2 teacher and close friend of Belinda’s with the commemoration stone.

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

RPFA

Redlands Arts Luncheon – Belinda Oxley Scholarship

Please help us support the new Belinda Oxley means-tested Scholarship. A fundraising Luncheon will be held on Wednesday 26 May from 11.30am-3.00pm at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. Buy tickets for the Luncheon (no need to book an entire table, you can request to join others in your Year Group(s) when booking), purchase some raffle tickets or donate items for the auction. Click here for more information or to book.

Prep and Junior School students have been asked to participate in a Design a Card competition to raise funds for the scholarship as well. Please encourage your child(ren) to participate – a good school holiday activity! Artwork must be received by Wednesday 21 April. Selected artworks will be featured in a pack of ten blank ‘All Occasion’ cards and will be available for purchase during the Luncheon and online. Click here for more information.

Parent Get Together Reminders

Thursday 29 April – Yr 4 Parents and Teachers Bowling Night – Neutral Bay Club from 6.30pm – Book here

Thurs 6 May – Yr 8 Parents’ Night Out – Chapel Bar at Greenwood from 7.00pm – Book here.

Second Hand Uniform Sale

Our second hand uniform sales have become increasingly popular, so we are going to do more of them! They provide great value for families and also give each of us an opportunity to contribute to the clear benefits of recycling. We sell 100’s of perfectly good clothes that may otherwise end up being wasted and thrown out, eventually into landfill. The second hand uniform sales is a great way to make the most of what the world has already produced, help your wallet and do an extra little bit for sustainability as well.

The RPFA will now offer an online uniform sale every term under the following structure:

• Week 2 and 3: Accept donations; please donate clean current uniform in excellent condition. Deliver them on a coat hangar (or hang them on the ones available) to the Uniform Shop during this two week period every term. Please note NO polo shirts, due to the new uniform designs being implemented.
• Week 5: Email sent on Monday to everyone to announce the online sale is open for business for five days and will close at 4.00pm Friday.
• Week 6: Collect sales from Uniform Shop during their office hours.
• As always, funds raised are contributed towards the means-tested Redlands Foundation Scholarship Fund. 

For Term 2, the dates are:

• Donations to Uniform Shop: Wednesday 28 April through Friday 7 May.
• Email to announce the sale is open: Monday 17 May.
• Collect sales from the Uniform Shop: Monday 24 May 9.00am to Friday 28 May 4.00pm (Uniform Shop hours apply).

Uniform Transition

We are currently looking into options to recycle the current sports uniforms. More information will be available after the school holidays.

Walks on Tracks

Please note that walks will continue through the holiday between terms.

The walk on 7 April will be around Narrabeen Lake – meet outside ProKayaks on the lake at 11 Narrabeen St, Narrabeen; and on 14 April will be from the Spit to Manly – meet at the Orso carpark at the bottom of Spit Hill, Mosman.  

For more information, please contact Ann Marie Kimber on 0406691533 or amkimber@gmail.com.

Book Club

The Book Club will be discussing What if This is Heaven?  by Anita Moorjani. Date to be confirmed during the first week of May. 

New members are very welcome. Please email Katherine Dixon for further information and to RSVP for this event.

Have a great term break!

2021 RPFA Committee

rpfa@redlands.nsw.edu.au

President: Michelle Tea
Vice President: JP Forrest
Secretary: Jo Lloyd 
Treasurer: Annette Swann
Committee: Maria Kinsela, Lilian Li, Anna Maidon, Karen Nicholson, Monique Scattini, Anna Maria Stillone, Sally Swan and Christine Walsh

Head of Secondary School

It’s been an enriching term – and a long one! I know the students (and staff) are looking forward to a well-deserved break from school. It’s great that the Easter weekend arrives as soon as we finish school because hopefully, students and staff can find some immediate release from the pressures of the term.

This afternoon we held two large assemblies; Yrs 7 to 9 followed by Yrs 10 to 12. Students from across all Year Groups actively engaged in these assemblies, showcasing not only their skills but also their courage and spirit.

Isobel Campbell recalled some of her experiences so far this year as a member of Yr 7. Camp was a highlight and while she had to endure the bull ants and the powdered milk, she also climbed to the top of Mt Kosciusko, and spent time laughing and having fun with her friends. Isobel also shared her feelings about surviving her first few days of Secondary School, navigating the campus and enjoying her spacious locker. She told us that she hopes to survive the year. I am pretty sure that Isobel will survive the year – clearly, she is a strong young woman. She got up, in front of 500 students, and she talked about her experiences – which is a pretty scary thing to do when you are in Yr 7, and you’re talking to students who are older than you. Getting up and speaking in front of a large group of people is actually a pretty scary thing to do – full stop. What if you trip up the stairs? What if you stumble over your words? Speak too fast? Forget your words? Start shaking uncontrollably? Burst out crying? Burst out laughing? These are often the fears which swirl around your head before you get up to speak, and so overcoming them does take strength. It takes courage and determination. Isobel demonstrated this today. She took her fears, she bundled them away, she believed in herself and she survived. The worst didn’t happen. And even if it had – even if she had made a mistake – even if she had stumbled over her words – who cares? We all make mistakes, we all stumble – it’s the stumbles, the trip-ups, the errors, which make us stronger. Isobel beautifully represented Yr 7 today – she represented their fears, their joys, their energy, and the strength they have demonstrated in their first term of Secondary School.

Our Yr 9 speakers today also reminded us of our capacity to achieve great things – to overcome barriers and to thrive, as a collective with a shared goal. They too demonstrated courage – the courage to stand up and speak up for what they believe in. To have a voice is such a privilege and they reminded us all today that it is our responsibility, as human beings, to use our voice to ensure that we treat each other with respect, and compassion, and dignity. Gendered language, gendered insults and gendered bias have sadly been part of the fabric of Australian society for far too long. But what Anhu, Annie, Charli and Sholto reminded us is that we do not have to accept this. We do not have to sustain this sexist way of thinking and being any longer. We can halt it in its tracks, right here at Redlands. Their sexism project highlighted how sexism exists on many levels. Sometimes, we engage in sexist behaviour in benign ways, without meaning to harm the other. But sometimes, sexism exists in very overt and harmful ways, when one individual or a group of individuals, purposefully sets out to exclude, minimise or trivialise another. They likened this to bullying – and I would have to agree. Using words, insults or stereotypes to unsettle someone, to make them feel small, or to lessen their personal power and agency is not acceptable and does indeed constitute bullying. In challenging us to be the best versions of ourselves, they highlighted the best versions of themselves.

During the Yrs 10-12 Assembly I spoke to the students about integrity. I used Brene Brown’s definition: Integrity is choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast and easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them.

Lara Stanbridge, Jack Murray and Callum Wardman-Browne (Yr 11) demonstrated integrity in their reflection at today’s assembly. They asked their peers to collectively work together to bring about change. They reiterated for us that meaningful change can come from anywhere.

In challenging us to be the best versions of ourselves, our student speakers today highlighted the best versions of themselves. What they said, how they said it – might have made some students feel a little uncomfortable, at times. That’s okay. Change doesn’t happen without a little discomfort. I know that, with me, you will appreciate the courage it takes to speak up and challenge others to be better.

One of the best aspects of today’s assemblies was that there were led by our students. Our Yrs 7-9 Assembly was led by Charlotte Humphreys and Angus McInnes. Our Yrs 10-12 Assembly was led by Sabrina Blasco and Oliver Talbot. All students were superb ambassadors for their Year Groups and the Redlands community. They were ably supported by Hugo Baird and Lucinda Bentley who led the community in Easter prayers, and Filip Feller and Rex Markman who led the Acknowledgement of Country. As always, our assemblies were punctuated by beautiful musical items. The standouts today were delivered by Ahnu Guan in Yr 9 and Bethany Richardson in Yr 12. Assembling together to celebrate our many achievements for the term was a wonderful way to dismiss the students. 

Wishing you and your family a wonderful Easter. I know you will value, with me, the time Easter provides to rest and renew.

Ms Gemma Van de Peer
Head of Secondary School
gvandepeer@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9870

Careers

Engineering and IT Work Experience Program

This five day program offered by UTS from 22-26 November is open to any interested Yr 10 or 11 students. You will participate in workshops and spend time with current students and academics. Applications close 31 May but best to be early. If you are successful, approval from the Head of Secondary School is necessary. To apply, click here.

Defence Forces Work Experience Program

Any student aged 15 years and over can participate in one of the many programs on offer. A fabulous opportunity to sample life in Defence and learn more about the wide range of jobs available. If you are successful, approval from the Head of Secondary School is necessary. Find out more here.

RMIT “What’s Next” Virtual Events

This series of events are open to any Secondary School students and parents to find out more about study options at RMIT in Melbourne as well as being a good way to understand more about particular areas of study in general. Sessions start late April and continue through to July, are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays and commence at 5.00pm. Everything from Fashion to Flight Training and Aviation. See the schedule and register here.

FEAST Camp at UQ

“Future Experiences in Agriculture, Science and Technology” (FEAST) is a four day residential program from 27-30 June open to Yrs 11 and 12 students interested in agriculture, animal, plant and food industries. It is held at the UQ Gatton campus. Applications are now open and close on 19 April. Cost is $495. Numbers are limited. Apply here.

Online Information Session: Nurses, Midwives and Paramedics

Caring for others gives more than it takes. A career in Nursing, Midwifery or Paramedicine means a career helping others. To be held on 20 April at 6.00pm and hosted by ACU. Register here.

Ms Simone Salier
Tertiary Education and Careers Advisor
ssalier@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9867

Chaplain

This has been a great week of celebration in the School, two focuses that perfectly harmonise. International Day when we appreciate the diversity and beauty of various communities across the world. While there is conflict and dissonance in some areas of the globe, this was a festival that recognises unity and diversity. What a splendid event to have in the midst of Holy Week as we lead up to Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday of Easter. For the passion of the Lord Jesus was for all peoples of the world. Christians can look quite different around the world as Christ does not eliminate culture but enriches it.

The death of Jesus, remembered on Good Friday, recognised the common brokenness of all humanity and the deep need we all have for salvation. The Good News on Good Friday is that the death of Jesus was the love of God showered on all humanity to bring us restoration and spiritual healing. We benefit from Jesus’ death. Truly is a good yet sad day.

The music of Resurrection Day is a tune for every human. A song of hope in death, light in the darkness, the paradox of weak is strong and triumphant symphony of the end of death and beginning of eternal life. This is a song offered to all. As our hearts warm to the message and vibrate with the joyous message of life overcoming death we too can sing the songs of angels that Christ is risen, risen indeed!

So International Day was a glimpse of the vision of heaven. A joyous gathering of people from every tribe, every tongue and every nation (Rev7:9). This week every Year Group across the school has celebrated Easter. Redlands House over the last three weeks have made story wheels of the three day story. K to Yr 2 had a story with Egg Faces showing the different witnesses in the Passion story. They have also made a cross with hearts so they know that Jesus loves and knows each of them. Yrs 3 to 6 have been marking a black cross with everybody’s name so that everyone can know that Jesus died for them. Yrs 7 to 12 had a Chapel focused on the empty tomb, the Risen Jesus and the day that changed the world.

Easter is a joyous celebration for the whole of humanity.

Perhaps this is the Easter you may like to re-engage with a church community. You are warmly invited to St Peters Anglican Church, Cremorne on Friday at 9.30am or Easter Sunday at 9.00am or 10.30am.

May your hearts be filled with Joy and Hope this Easter season.

God Bless

Ms Bronwyn Lihou
Senior Campus Chaplain
blihou@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9909 3133

Ms Fiona McKenzie
Junior Campus Chaplain
fmckenzie@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9953 6022

Languages

A fabulous International Day was held on the Senior Campus with students participating in international activities reflecting China, France, Japan, Ancient Rome, Aboriginal and Chinese incursions, and presentations by our parents from around the world. 

Mr John Holden
Coordinator of Languages
jholden@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9908 6415

Uniform Shop

Winter Uniform

A reminder that students will be required to wear full winter uniform from the beginning of Term 2. Parents are now welcome to visit the Uniform Shop to purchase winter items or place an online order through Flexischools.

Holiday Opening Hours

The Uniform Shop will be open on the following days during the holiday break: Wednesday 7 April, Thursday 15 April, Friday 16 April and Monday 19 April from 8.00am-4.00pm. Appointments can be made by clicking here.

Mrs Kathy Brown
Uniform Shop Manager
uniformorders@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9850

Year 12

Study Centre

Please encourage your son or daughter to attend the Study Centre sessions during the break. There are a number of teachers giving their time. Some sessions will be subject specific whilst others will be study hall type sessions. Students may wear regular clothing and not school uniform to the Study Centre. Students will be required to sign in and out on Level 2 of the Redlands Learning Hub.

Yesterday, during our Year Assembly I discussed the benefits of creating “study pods” small groups of three to five students to study on a particular topic or subject. Students could arrange to attend the Study Centre in their study pod groups. There are many benefits in working with colleagues. These can include increased confidence in incorporating content and concepts; support when dealing with challenging topics; and an increased understanding of the relevant marking criteria when peer marking each other’s practice papers. Please also be aware that when undertaking practice papers, students should do so under timed conditions to replicate the examination process. Spending three hours on a paper designed to be completed in half the time will not help. Instead, taking the paper under examination conditions will provide valuable information on where and what to review.

Student Achievements

Following Alexander Holtheuer and Alexander Verschoor’s outstanding performances at the Rowing Nationals last week, they have been approached by Sydney Uni who are putting a quad team together from NSW to trial for the Australian Junior National team in 2021. Although Australia is not committed to sending the team to the Junior World Championships at this stage due to the COVID 19 restrictions, they intend to select a team to honour the workload of athletes and allow them to compete at a World Cup simulation regatta in June in Penrith against the Australian Olympic, U23 and U21 teams. There is also talk of a potential trans-Tasman regatta with New Zealand, although this is yet to be confirmed. This is an exciting opportunity for Alex and Alex and we warmly congratulate the boys.

Over the weekend Redlands had two students compete at the Athletics NSW Junior Track and Field Championships – Emma Mahon (Yr 12) and Amber Kusano (Yr 7). They both ran exceptionally well in very competitive age groups. Emma Mahon placed 4th with a time of  9:56.58 in the 3000 metre event. 

Winter Uniform

In the first week of Term 2, students are expected to wear their winter uniform. Please ensure that hem and trouser lengths are reviewed and altered as necessary.

Unfortunately, some boys are arriving at school not clean shaven. At this stage in the journey, boys are well aware of the expectations to be clean shaven and have their haircut in a conservative style for school. Boys will be asked to leave school and have their hair cut or be required to shave before they can attend classes.

Holidays

Whilst this holiday break will be different for many Yr 12 students as they balance the demands of study, I would still hope that students and families do make time for a well deserved rest. Best wishes to all for an enjoyable Easter and School Holiday break.

Ms Sarah Matthews
Yr 12 Advisor
smatthews@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9908 6494

Year 11

Driving To and From School

As many of Yr 11 will be getting their P Plates in the coming months, it is important that once they receive their licence, they complete a Student Application to Drive to and from School form. This form enables those who wish to drive to and from school the ability to do so. Without having handed in this form, students are not permitted to drive themselves to school. This form must be signed by parents and have a copy of the student’s licence attached before being signed by either Ms Mountain or Ms Howard and Ms Van de Peer. Additionally, if a student wishes to be a passenger in a vehicle of another Redlands student, they must have completed a Student Application to be a Passenger in a Vehicle Driven by another Redlands Student form. 

Both these forms can be found on the Yr 11 Pastoral Page under Important Year 11 Information or students can pick one up from either Mrs Coutts or Mrs Littleford from the Secondary School Office.

City of Sydney’s Youth Innovation Challenge 2021

The City of Sydney Youth Innovation Challenge, delivered by Practera, is an innovation challenge program open to 1000 students across NSW. The aim of the program will see students delivering a high potential business, start-up or social good innovation idea which creates a positive impact for the City of Sydney. The program will run from 31 May across three phases, with the top teams proceeding to the Phase 3 final pitch event to judges from the City of Sydney in August. For IB students, there may be scope for your participation to be included in their CAS requirements. 

Cost: $50 (ex GST) now FREE

Expression of Interest due: 7 May via the link on the Yr 11 Pastoral page (Yrs 10-12). 

Delivery: Phases delivered online. Final pitch event in person (COVID-19 restrictions permitting). 

Holidays

As we draw to the end of Term 1, it has been so pleasing to see how much the Yr 11s have grown in maturity and continued to develop into respectful and hard-working young men and women. It has been a busy term packed full of academic studies and cocurricular activities and everyone now deserves a well-earned break. Jess Howard and I wish you all a safe and happy Easter and relaxing school holidays, with a break from the routine, and look forward to welcoming everyone back on Tuesday 20 April for the start of Term 2.

Have a great Easter!

Ms Rebecca Mountain
Yr 11 Advisor
rmountain@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9908 6462

Year 10

International Day

On Tuesday, Yr 10 student volunteers from each Tutor Group joined forces with Yr 8 to celebrate Australia’s Indigenous culture as part of International Day. 

Our Yr 10 student volunteers were able to implement their knowledge from last year’s culturally engaging Midawarr Camp to assist Yr 8 with comparing and contrasting Australian indigenous cultures, with each Yr 8 House Tutor Groups allocated a country or culture (Chinese, French, Japanese or Spanish).  

Thank you to the following Yr 10 students who volunteered to work with Yr 8 students to put together Wednesday’s International Day activities:

• Lilly Attard
• Phoebe Barnett
• Briar Carter
• Daniel Close
• Mark Danse 
• Livia Feller
• Aurora Golowenko 
• Jamison Houchell 
• Ophelia Jackson 
• Claudia Lalich 
• Jessica Marshall
• Zoe Naismith
• Alex Scotting 
• Isabella Treloar 
• Marina Viese Vivaldi 
• Finn Woodward

Photo Competition

Well done to Nicholas Jackson for his submission in the International Day Photo Competition which was a photo of an Auburn Mosque that to him illustrated multiculturalism, inclusivity and diversity in Sydney. 

IGNITE – Week 9 Activity: Deflating Stress

 In Week 9, the IGNITE team designed a stress-relief activity to help Yr 10 students visualise the common burdens that cause stress, anxiety and doubt for young people. Yr 10 were able to laugh, relate and find a connection with others while letting go of a balloon which was symbolic of deflating the stress we experience and manage from time to time. (Written by Helena Dracakis and Sabrina Blascoe)

City of Sydney Youth Innovation Challenge

The City of Sydney Youth Innovation Challenge, delivered by Practera, is open to 1000 students across NSW. The aim of the program will see students delivering a high potential business, start-up or social good innovation idea which creates a positive impact for the City of Sydney. The program will run from 31 May across three phases, with the top teams proceeding to the Phase 3 final pitch event to judges from the City of Sydney in August. There will be prizes for the most promising concept from Phase 1; and for the team that is selected to have the best concept at the final pitch event. Students aged 15 years and over can apply, with expressions of interest due by 7 May via the link on your Pastoral Care page. The cost is now free! Expressions of interest can be accessed here. 

Happy Easter

On behalf of the Yr 10 Tutors and Ms Martin, I would like to wish all of Yr 10 and their families a Happy Easter. Term 1 has been a busy yet productive term with the inauguration of IGNITE which has encouraged leadership, service, and compassion within the Year Group which is exemplary of our Redlands values. I am hoping our Yr 10 students take the holidays to refresh, relax, rewind and reactivate for Term 2. 

Mr Nicholas Walker
Acting Yr 10 Advisor
nwalker@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9909 3133

Year 9

Important Dates Coming Up

Yr 9 Naplan – Term 2 Week 4
Yr 9 Parent Teacher Evening – Wednesday 16 June
Yr 9 into Yr 10 Information Night Wednesday – 14 July

Yr 9 Camp

Our Yr 9 Camp this year will be to NE Arnhem Land in the NT to spend a week immersed in the Yolngu indigenous culture. We are working closely with our provider, Culture College, to be able to deliver this experience despite the ongoing COVID complications.

Having been in further consultation with the community in Arnhem Land, and given the vaccine rollout dates in the region, Culture College have made the decision to start programs in NE Arnhem Land from June. This impacts our planned Yr 9 Camp date of mid-May.

Given this update, we will move the Yr 9 Camp program to alternative dates of 7-12 November (Term 4, Week 6). This will give significant time for the vaccination to be rolled out within the Indigenous community as well as the wider Australian population. I spoke with the students earlier today to inform them of this change.

We are very excited to be able to move forward with this Camp, which represents an incredible opportunity for our students.

Battle of the Bands

Congratulations and a job well done to all students who participated in the Battle of the Bands on Monday evening. The work put in behind the scenes and in the lead-up to this event was evident. It was truly meaningful to see parents in the audience and incredible to offer to view by Zoom for many people to enjoy and support these talented musicians. 

Yr 9 Rock Band students:

William Algar, William Andrew, James Ashby, Noah Berbic, Olivia Everingham, Harry Fenton, Thomas Jackson, Halycon Hunt, Nico Laliberte, Alfie Leach, Gianmarco Pradel, Damian Roesink, Tommy Sigaloff, James Stuart, Emma Sullivan, Daisy Thomas and Lara Wilson.

Student Parent Discussions

Over term break, this might be the perfect opportunity to take some time to speak with your teens about peer pressure and moral courage. Yr 9 marks the beginning for many students of further pressure around negative risk-taking. In Yr 8, students learned about negative risks in PDHPE as well as through Pastoral sessions. This year, these topics become incorporated into how we work with others in various contexts. Research continues to support discussing topics with students prior to them asking questions about it. If they have found the courage to ask a question about a difficult topic, they have probably been thinking about it for quite some time. 

Paul Dillon speaks to our students in the Secondary School on multiple occasions in the later years. He has worked with several schools, families, students and internationally recognised organisations with his research around drugs and alcohol. Please take a moment to read the following two articles as a starting point for further discussion with your child.  

“Parents of Year 9: Prepare yourself for a bumpy year when it comes to sleepovers, parties and gatherings”

“What should parents say when their teen says ‘But it’s not smoking’ when they find out they’re vaping”

Wishing all students and families a well-deserved and restful break. Happy Easter!

Ms Alissa Ynson
Yr 9 Advisor
9968 9863
aynson@redlands.nsw.edu.au

Year 8

Key Date

Term 2 commences – Tuesday 20 April.

International Day

As part of International Day, Yr 8 celebrated Redlands diverse international community, further highlighted by the cultures of the languages that we teach. There was an internationally-themed Tutor Period for all students, and Yr 8 participated in a variety of activities during the day. In the afternoon session, students took part in an Aboriginal incursion led by the Koomurri Group. This comprised of two different sessions involving a range of activities including an introduction to the didgeridoo and storytelling, Aboriginal song and dance, traditional face painting and Aboriginal art. A huge thank you to the Languages Department who produced a wonderful program for Yr 8.

Wishing you sunshine, good times and a very safe and happy Easter. We look forward to a productive and exciting Term 2.

Ms Lisa Vale
Yr 8 Advisor
9968 9837
lvale@redlands.nsw.edu.au

Year 7

Student Illness – At School 

If a student is not feeling well during school hours, they should report to the school nurse or let their classroom teacher know. Students should not be contacting parents directly. This will ensure a formal line of communication and will allow the correct staff to be informed of any student illness.  

Academic Flags (Alerts)

At Redlands, we have a program developed to assist in tracking student academic task management. Teachers use the Academic Flag system to inform parents and students of when classroom work is falling behind or a certain task such as an Assessment has not been completed on time.

What are Academic Flags? 

• They allow students to keep up-to-date with all coursework. Teachers are able to issue alerts whenever they feel a Yr 7 student may be at risk of falling behind. 
• Our intention is to stimulate informed and supportive discussions during Tutor Time and at home to assist students to catch up and continue to productively manage their workload.

Disclaimers 

• Academic Flags are not a punishment. They are a form of support for everybody associated with the academic progress of Yr 7 students. 
• Academic Flags are by no means a supplement for student planning systems. They simply highlight areas that require immediate attention. 
• It is vital that students take responsibility for their academic journey and contact their subject teachers if they feel the information is inaccurate. 
• Academic Flags may still be given if students have completed the work after the allotted time – this way a record is kept and can be used to further support the student in the future.

Study Skills Session 

This week Dr Prue Salter from Enhanced Learning Educational Services ran a study skills session with Yr 7. The session focused on helping students identify changes and improvements they could make to their approach to their studies in order to maximise their results in their final years of school. The main areas covered with Yr 7 were working effectively in the evenings and dealing with distractions, managing time efficiently, planning for assessments, making brain-friendly study notes on a regular basis and using a wide variety of active study techniques to suit individual learning styles. Parents are encouraged to review the handout from the session with students and discuss the main areas identified where changes need to be made. Parents can also find extra study skills tips here. All secondary students and parents at our school also have access to a great study skills website to help students develop their skills – Username: redlands and the password: 68results. There are lots of useful handouts on the ‘Things to Print’ page and students can work through the units where they need additional help. 

International Day 

Big thank you to all our students who participated in International Day. It was so lovely to see the cohort learning about different cultures of the world. 

Student Acknowledgment

Audrey Nitschke is donating her hair to raise funds for the Cancer Council – Ponytail Project. She would like to get as much support from the students, teachers, parents etc. as possible. Please click here to help Audrey reach her fundraising goal.

Term 1 Holidays 

Yr 7 Tutors, Ms Willis and I wish all students and parents a happy holiday break. We have been so impressed with all the efforts of the cohort this term. They have successfully navigated the start of their senior schooling. The holidays should be a time for rest, relaxation and recharge. We look forward to welcoming the cohort back on 20 April. 

Mr Edward Atkins
Yr 7 Advisor 
eatkins@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9909 3133

Head of Junior School

JUNIOR SCHOOL UPCOMING EVENTS

Education Perfect 2021 Languages World Championships

As previously mentioned, our Junior School students competed in this year’s Education Perfect Languages Championships, which took place between 16-23 March. Once again, our students excelled in this global online competition and I am proud to announce that Redlands finished 1st in Spanish in Australia out of 704 schools and 4th in Spanish out of 1,205 schools worldwide! We recognise the efforts of each and every student involved and the hours of hard work from all students who participated.

Certificates for scoring over 500 points in the World Championships will be presented to students at the start of next term with the level of each certificate allocated according to the number of points scored: Emerald 5000+ points, Gold 3000+  points, Silver 2000+  points, Bronze 1000+ points and Credit 500+ points.

Churros con chocolate will be offered to the eight students in each Year Group with the highest points in Spanish and students who came first in their Year Group will also receive a $30 gift voucher and these students’ names are marked below with an asterisk*.

Congratulations to all participants who took part in this worldwide celebration of language learning and I also acknowledge the guidance and inspiring passion of our Junior School Spanish teacher, Señora Colagiuri.

Yr 6 Leadership Conference

Last Thursday, our Yr 6 student leaders attended this year’s National Young Leaders Day conference at the International Convention Centre in Darling Harbour, along with hundreds of other student leaders from NSW.

This year’s presenters included Lachlan Smart, the youngest pilot to fly around the world; Jimmy ‘Giggle’ Rees, known for the role of Jimmy Giggle on ABC Kids’ flagship program Giggle and Hoot; Anastasia Woolmer, public speaker and two-time Australian memory champion and entertainer, TV host and author, David Campbell OAM.

The students found each presenter’s story to be both fascinating and inspiring and some of their reflections and feedback included:

‘You’re never too young or small to make a difference in the world.’ Caroline

‘Setbacks are the foundation of success. This means that even if you get push back, you should keep trying because it could lead to success.’ Charlotte 

‘You always hear and see those videos saying that you’re never too young to do something, but seeing Lachlan talk about it in real life makes you actually believe in yourself and think that you can do something like that.’ Charlie

‘The power of persistence is really strong. Lachlan managed to fly an airplane around the world when he was 18 and this took a few years of planning. He almost gave up after the first year but he learned from his father that ‘there is always a little more in the tank’ and you are capable of doing more than you think.’ Sam

‘People look up to leaders, so you need to set a good example, even when you don’t think people are watching.’ Zara

‘Be who you are and don’t let other people tell you what you should be.’ James

‘David Campbell’s speech made me think of the quote, ‘Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.’’ Lilly

Yr 3 Heritage Walk Excursion

In beautiful sunshine, last Friday, I was delighted to join Yr 3 on an excursion exploring some of our local history on a heritage walk around the Balmoral foreshore. The walking tour enabled the students to gain a better understanding of how communities change over time, how significant people contribute to communities, how communities use the space they have and how that changes over time, and how we preserve elements of the past for future generations.

It was wonderful to have a small army of parent helpers too as the Year Group divided into small groups and I loved hearing the thoughts and questions of my group as we explored some provocative questions and ideas.

Thank you to Mr Latimer for his coordination of the walk and to the teachers and parents who assisted on the excursion.

Battle of the Bands

On Monday evening, I enjoyed being part of a fantastic live music event in the wonderful Edwards Auditorium on the Senior Campus as rock bands and musicians from Yrs 5-12 headlined an evening of entertainment for watching parents and staff. Kicking off the evening, which was also broadcast live to a wider audience of our community, were three Junior School rock bands who exuded great confidence and stage presence for such young musicians and more than a bit of talent to go with this on the stage! It set the scene for a fantastic night of live music and I look forward to watching the groups continue to develop.

International Day

On Tuesday, our School was awash with colourful vibrancy as students and staff took the opportunity to wear national costume or colours as we celebrated International Day, a day for our community of 51 different nationalities to join together to celebrate both our rich, cultural diversity and international awareness. As well as some internationally-minded learning experiences, we were thrilled again to be able to have nearly 30 parents volunteer to come in to share aspects of their own international backgrounds and experiences which students and staff loved to hear and engage in, not to mention the odd international culinary treat too! It was also wonderful to hear students present to their peers on their family background or on cultures and places that they had researched too.

Athletics Carnival

Many thanks to all who were involved in yesterday’s wonderful Junior School Athletics Carnival, another event that welcomed back parent spectators after last year’s hiatus. In bright sunshine and a brilliant, blue sky to match the blue running track at Sydney Olympic Park, it was inspiring to see the students engage and enjoy the range of athletic opportunities afforded and feel the tangible House spirit in the stands and on the track.

As I did at the conclusion of the event, I extend my gratitude to all staff involved in the varying jobs needed to allow an event of this magnitude to run as smoothly and as efficiently as it did and in particular, I thank Mr Dunne and Ms O’Sullivan in our Sports Department for their meticulous planning and preparation in the weeks leading up to the Carnival. 

Particular congratulations to Cowper House who won the overall trophy to sit alongside the Swimming Carnival trophy they won earlier this term. Let’s see if one of the other Houses can step up to stop Cowper completing a clean sweep at next term’s Cross Country Carnival!

Staffing News

At the end of this term , we bid farewell to one of our part-time Counsellors, Mrs Liz Foster, as she takes up a new role with the Cerebral Palsy Alliance working with young children. Mrs Foster has had an enormous impact on many of our students, families and staff in her time with us and she will be missed by our community. Looking forward, I am pleased to confirm that the School is currently seeking a full-time replacement who will not only take over Mrs Foster’s days but also work alongside our Secondary School Counsellors on the Senior Campus which will be particularly important as our students transition from Yr 6 to Yr 7 each year.

Red Factor

To finish the term this afternoon, we were treated to a wonderful array of talent in this year’s Red Factor show, a chance for students across all Year Groups to perform in front of the Junior School in a wide range of performing arts. Compered by our Junior School Arts captains, Lilly and Sam, the show provided us with such great entertainment to round off the term on a high. My thanks to all of the performers and to Mrs Richardson for her overall leadership of the event, ably supported by colleagues in the Music, AV and Facilities Departments.

Redlands Arts Luncheon

Next term, we are delighted to host the Redlands Arts Luncheon on Wednesday 26 May at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, Kirribilli in celebration of the long history of Creative Arts education at Redlands that includes Visual Arts, Drama, Music, Dance and Design & Technology. This Luncheon is open to all Redlands parents and the wider community and provides a lovely opportunity to once again gather face-to-face as a community in celebration of the Creative Arts at our School. 

With limited seating, this will be a popular event that sells out fast. Group bookings for tables of 10 are already a popular choice. For further information and to purchase tickets please click here.

End of Term

I have often commented that the hallmark of any good school is its busyness and no one could ever say that Redlands does not meet this measure. Therefore, it also even more important for students and staff to rest in the breaks and I encourage families to pause and step away from school and find things to do together that bring you happiness.

Term 1 has proved to be an important starting point for the students in a new school year and it has been heartening to see many challenges in learning, growth and progress amongst the students across a range of different areas of school life. Time for reflection is important and when the time is right, I encourage you to talk to your child about what it is they have felt most proud of this term or what has challenged them. If appropriate, do also provide this feedback to their teachers.

I wish everyone a restful and enjoyable Easter break and we look forward to welcoming the students back on Tuesday 20 April.

Please also note that students should be in Winter uniform for Terms 2 and 3, which includes blazers every day, except Wednesday when we have Sport.

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

Junior School Upcoming Events

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

Head of Preparatory School

PREP SCHOOL UPCOMING EVENTS

International Day

International Day provided us with a wonderful opportunity to connect with our Redlands families this week who came from over 51 different countries. We often talk about the diversity that exists in our community and it was so good to see it being displayed with colour, traditional dress, flags, language and music from the minute our students walked through the Reception. A big thank you to Bing Lin who organised a wonderful concert of music, singing, dance and poetry recital from our Chinese and Taiwanese families. Yr 2 participated in The Amazing Race with an international flavour and we warmly welcomed many parents across the Prep to come and share their culture with us. Days like this are so important to connect, learn from each other and to appreciate the diversity of our school community.

Staff News

Our OOSH Coordinator Ms Trinetta Newbond has resigned from her position and will be sadly leaving us at the end of this week. Trinetta has worked at Redlands since 2016 and has led the OOSH and Vacation Care teams and programs with enthusiasm and passion. Trinetta has decided to return to the classroom and teach again and we look forward to seeing her back here at Redlands on a casual basis both as an OOSH and classroom teacher casual role. Trishna Rai (current Late Room Coordinator) will be acting OOSH Coordinator for the Vacation Care program these holidays.

Our beloved school Counsellor Elizabeth Forster is leaving us this week to take up a position with Autism Australia. Liz is very sad to say goodbye to staff and families but will be working closer to home which will make life easier for her as her little ones head off to school. We thank her for her kind and compassionate way she has worked with many students and families throughout her time here at Redlands.

Julia Michaels will return to a casual teaching position as Fiona McKenzie returns from long service leave next term. We look forward to welcoming Fiona back. We thank Julia for her extraordinary Christian Studies work this term. She has stepped into many different roles this term to help out and be the ‘creative director’ of our Harmony Day and International Day videos and decorations. Her Prep Gathering Easter story will never be forgotten.

Kate Hurley (1 Red) will be on Long Service Leave for Weeks 1-4 Term 2 and will be covered by Rachel Haines. 

Term 2 Information

Next term, a single Welcome Letter will be sent from me on behalf of all of the Prep staff. This letter will arrive as an email at the end of the holidays and will provide you with any information that is needed as we move towards Term 2. There will not be any individual grade letters coming out next term. We will also be communicating updated information around our strategies to move forward with our car line safety and procedures. Thank you to all those families and parents who have provided feedback and suggestions.

Can I please ask that if you have questions during the holiday period around Prep sport, uniforms, term dates or general information regarding Prep that you head to the Prep Redlands Pulse page.

Kindergarten Information Sessions 

Early next term we have a number of Kindergarten Information Sessions for current Redlands House Seniors and Transition Gold families, and external families, to learn more about how Kindergarten at Redlands provides an exceptional foundation for our youngest learners:

• Wednesday 21 April, 9am: Kindergarten Information Session for Transition Gold parents
• Wednesday28 April, 9am:  Kindergarten Information Session for Redlands House Seniors parents
• Tuesday 4 May, 9.15am:     Kindergarten Information Session for external families

If you know of any families who would like to learn more about Kindergarten at Redlands, we would be delighted to welcome them on Tuesday 4 May. 

Please see the invitations below for more details regarding these events.

Happy Easter

I would like to wish all our families a very Happy Easter and an enjoyable break time. How lovely is it that we are able to travel just a little further these holidays. I would like to thank all our families for your continued support as we emerge from restrictions and embrace connection once again. Please stay safe over the holiday period and I look forward to seeing you all in Term 2.

Mrs Ainslie Breckenridge
Head of Preparatory School
abreckenridge@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9848

Prep/RH Upcoming Events

Mrs Ainslie Breckenridge
Head of Preparatory School
abreckenridge@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9848

Redlands House/Transition Gold

Winter Uniform for Term 2

A reminder to families that as we enter Term 2, it is time for the children to wear their winter uniform. For Redlands House children, this means a long sleeve shirt with tracksuit pants, fleece vest or fleece jumper. For girls opting to wear tights under their skort, please make sure they are navy blue.

Please also remember that the children will still require a hat each day.

International Day

What a wonderful celebration of diversity, nationality and culture. It was fantastic to see so many children and educators celebrating their family origins. Exciting days such as this assist children to acknowledge, embrace, and respect differences. It allows us to understand our personal, cultural, and ethnic identity while simultaneously encouraging and providing settings for students to come to terms with their own culture and ethnicity.

Kindergarten Information Sessions 

Early next term we are delighted to invite current Redlands House Seniors and Transition Gold families to Kindergarten Information Sessions, to learn more about how Kindergarten at Redlands provides an exceptional foundation for our youngest learners:

• Wednesday 21 April, 9am: Kindergarten Information Session for Transition Gold parents
• Wednesday28 April, 9am:  Kindergarten Information Session for Redlands House Seniors parents

The invitation below, which has already been sent to Redlands House Seniors and Transition Gold families, provides more details of these events.

Furthermore, iIf you know of any external families who would like to learn more about Kindergarten at Redlands, we would love to welcome them to the following event:

• Tuesday 4 May, 9.15am:     Kindergarten Information Session for external families

Thank You from Mrs Huon

A big thank you to all of our wonderful families at Redlands House for a fabulous first term for 2021! The staff highly value and greatly appreciate your ongoing support and contributions to our Preschool program. I encourage you to continue to provide us with your feedback regarding day-to-day Preschool life, events or activities. It is this feedback that contributes to our Quality Improvement Plan and helps us to navigate through change when necessary. My email contact is chuon@redlands.nsw.edu.au or please feel free to pop in for a chat at any time.

Wishing you all a restful holiday break and I look forward to seeing you all next term.

Mrs Chemane Huon
Redlands House and Transition Coordinator
chuon@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9904 1448

Mrs Ainslie Breckenridge
Head of Preparatory School
abreckenridge@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9848

Secondary Sport

Secondary Sport Redlands Pulse

Rowing

After some great success earlier this season, last week saw our Senior Boys 1st crew attend the Australian Rowing Championships at Lake Barrington in Tasmania.

The week started off with Alex Verschoor (Yr 12) and Alex Holtheuer (Yr 12) racing in the Men’s Under 19 Double Scull. Qualifying from their heat on Monday direct to the Semi Final on Wednesday where they won to set themselves up for a great final. After a solid start, the boys worked their way through the field for a storming finish to win the silver medal. This outstanding result to finish 2nd within Australia has since resulted in the boys having the opportunity to further their rowing experience with an invitation to attend selection trials for the Australian Under 19 Rowing team.

The boys then combined with two fellow Yr 12 students from Radford College in the ACT to race in the Men’s Under 19 Coxless Quad where they were at the front end of the field to comfortably win the Silver medal.

Finn Woodward (Yr 10), racing with his Rowing Club also racing in a composite boat with a number of other boys from different NSW-based schools, won gold in the Mens Under 17 Coxed Quad.

The rest of the crew consisting of Harley van der Pluijm (Yr 10) and the coxswain Charlotte Morrison (Yr 10) then joined the boys already in Tasmania to win another silver medal in the School Boy Coxed Quad Scull Sprint. The crew went on to race the School Boys Coxed Quad Scull where, after progressing through to the A Finals, they finished in a very respectable 5^th position.

Both the crew and their coaches were very appreciative of the support received from back home, with many stories of classrooms, boardrooms and houses cheered them on via the livestream. This support helped the boys bring home what is, without doubt, one of the more successful National Championships in the history of Redlands.

Rowing is unique where all of these students first started their Rowing experience at Redlands in either Yrs 7 or 8 with no prior experience in the sport before joining. It also proves that we are able to compete at the highest level and we look forward to our younger students developing to take on this challenge in future seasons.

On Tuesday night we held our Rowing Presentation Dinner for the Yrs 9-12 students and families with the Yr 8 students having a Presentation Breakfast on Thursday morning. At this function, we thanked the great support received by families and the school along with acknowledging the achievements of our students. Thomas Hartnell (Yr 12) put together the outstanding 2020-2021 Redlands Rowing Video. 

A full list of award recipients for season 2020-2021 are outlined below:

Seniors

Senior Oarsman – Alex Holtheuer (Yr 12)
Senior Oarswoman – Emily Barrelle (Yr 12)
Senior Coxswain – Charlotte Harman (Yr 11)
Senior Girls Spirit of the Shed – Gracie Connell (Yr 10)
Senior Boys Spirit of the Shed – Billy Thomas (Yr 11)

Juniors

Junior Oarsman – Angus McInnes (Yr 8)
Junior Oarswoman – Mikaela Sanger Larsson (Yr 9)
Junior Coxswain – Ruby Wood (Yr 8)
Junior Girls Spirit of the Shed – Daisy Thomas (Yr 9)
Junior Boys Spirit of the Shed – Hamish Campbell (Yr 9)

Tennis

On Saturday, the Summer Tennis 1sts played in the final of the Tennis Northern Beaches Premier League 2 Competition against Mona Vale 2. They started off strong, playing extremely well to take the opening doubles set 6-3. Mona Vale then regrouped and won the next two singles sets in very close games, with one set going to a tie-breaker. Redlands then took the next set 6-5 (7-6 in sudden death tiebreaker) to take the match to two sets all with one set to go. In a very exciting match, Mona Vale were able to edge out Redlands in a very close Grand Final match. Well done to the team, Tristan Wong, Isaac Swann and Matteo Stucci, on a great season.

Ms Alison Cox
Head of Secondary School Sport
sports@redlands.nsw.edu.au

All Sports contacts can be found on Redlands Pulse.​

Junior Sport

JUNIOR SPORT Redlands Pulse

Athletics Carnival

Our annual Junior School Athletics carnival took place at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre in beautiful conditions on Wednesday. In the second of our big three carnivals, there was much excitement leading up to the day from all students despite us having it very early in the sporting calendar. Credit to all students for their enthusiasm and participation both in the stands with war cries and cheering and on the track.

There was some great House spirit being demonstrated throughout the day. The House that stood out in this area was Roseby House led by Charlotte Algar and Charlie Reeves, who sang and cheered their way to some bonus House spirit points including winning the war cry competition judged by Mr Guha and Mr Corcoran just prior to competition.

With the entrant number system students used, in conjunction with the timing gates and photo finish, students were able to see their times and overall rankings on the giant screen after they finished their race. I was also impressed with how students knew their entrant number or had it on their arm as this meant we avoided any issues that would have resulted in races being re-run. This also allowed relay teams to be selected based on the times in the heats. The inclusion of the 50m sprint on the back straight allowed for greater participation and so many students opted in for the 400m event at the end of a long day’s meet. In pre-marshalling, we had our tug of war competition with Cowper winning quite a few of the Age Group competitions.

New Records

Congratulations to these new record holders. They will receive a certificate of commendation at our Sports Prizegiving Day next term.

Olivia Law, Girls 11 Years 800m with a time of 2.36.29 breaking the record set way back in 2003. Other records will be published once the times have been ratified.

Boys 11-12 year old 4x100m Relay – Cowper – 58.61

Establish records for 1500m:

• 2020 – Girls 8-10 year old 1500m – Lauren Rolfe – 6:27.58
• 2020 – Boys 8-10 year old 1500m – Mackenzie Willis – 5:59.16
• 2021 – Girls 11-12 year old 1500m – Olivia Law – 5:49.24
• 2021 – Boys 11-12 year old 1500m – Finn Gurney – 5:30.45

A big thank you the way all students looked on the day. With our Sports Uniform on point, students had the opportunity to dress it up with head bands, hair ribbons and capes that the House leaders have been making over the last week. Everyone got to wear the House race bibs this year when participating in track events. The ability to identify their peers representing their House from the grandstand really added to the carnival atmosphere. This was evident in our relays held prior to the presentation.

With Cowper winning the carnival for five years in a row, there was a huge reaction when the winning House were announced. Congratulations to Cowper House on their win for 2021 led by Daniel Benoliel and Zoe Potter.

Winning House

1st Place          Cowper  1630 points
2nd Place        Roseby  1612 points
3rd Place         Dumolo  1531 points
4^th Place          McDouall  1522 points

The breakdown of points and heats will be uploaded to Redlands Pulse but it is worth noting that this total included all participation points from the field event trials held over the last two weeks but also all the finals in our new events, along with Turbo Javelin and Discus. Ribbons for field events were distributed today at school through your child’s class teacher.

Age Champions

Congratulations to the following students who were named and presented Age Champion and Runner Up on the day. Individual points were tallied from 50m championship events only (excluding relays).

Professional Athletics Photos

We had photographers from Anthony Khoury Photography at the Carnival. The photos will be uploaded shortly and can only be viewed with a code which we will email out to families.

Video Highlights

Throughout the day I was able to get some footage on my phone of the various events on offer. Credit to those students in the Under 11 100m races who avoided kicking my phone down towards the finish line. Looking at the raw footage, there are some great shots and I will produce a highlights video in the coming days and email the link to families.

HICES Football

We were delighted to welcome 21 triallists during the week for the HICES Football trials from Blue Mountains Grammar School, Central Coast Grammar School, Kinross Wolaroi, Pittwater House, Redlands, Scots All Saints College and St Paul’s Grammar School.

The boys were all a credit to their respective schools and, even for the relatively short time here, made some new friendships which was great to see.

Congratulations to our two Redlands students, Sam Elworthy and Bryon Mills, who were part of the 12 boys selected to now go forward to represent HICES at the CIS Football Tournament on Friday 23 April at Valentine Park, Glenwood, Sydney.

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

Ms Kirsty O’Sullivan
Sports Administrator
juniorsport@redlands.nsw.edu.au  

Snowsports

Please note: All Snowsports events dates and venues are provisional and may change due to possible COVID restrictions and/or regulations and/or operational conditions.

Registration

If you are planning to participate in any Snowsports events with Redlands in 2021 please complete the race registration.

Important Dates

Race Week

Staying at High Country Campus

Due to a limited capacity at High Country Campus (HCC), students in Yrs 7-12 must be serious racers and be Level 6 or above skier or snowboarder. Students must register to compete in both the Redlands Cup and a minimum of two events at the Sydney Interschools Championships. Race registration must be complete before a spot at HCC will be considered.

Race Week Bookings

Accommodation at High Country Campus 

Own accommodation

Thredbo Season Passes

Thredbo will be offering discounted season passes to Redlands students this year. This price is yet to be advertised. Payment can be made when it is released. 

Secondhand Ski and Snowboard Sale

The Secondhand Ski and Snowboard sale is a great opportunity to buy and sell ski and snowboard clothing, equipment and Redlands branded and soft shell jackets which students have grown out of. Please note, there is a limited supply of the Redlands on-snow uniform available in the Uniform Shop due to the ongoing impacts of COVID.

Register a Table

Further details can be found on Redlands Pulse – Snowsports.

Bruce Campbell
Snowsports Administrator
0413 764 445
bcampbell@redlands.nsw.edu.au

or Ms Eliza Peirce
Snowsports Administrator
epeirce@redlands.nsw.edu.au

Ballet and Dance

Coppélia

Former student Lia Pipolo as Coppélia (2014)

This year’s End of Year Ballet will be Coppélia: The Girl with the Porcelain Eyes – created by French choreographer Arthur Saint-Léon and based on the story by E.T.A Hoffmann.

It marries ballet and storytelling to create one of the greatest comic ballets and best-loved classical works in the ballet repertory.

Set in Germany, it tells the story of Swanilda and her fiancée, a young man called Franz, who falls in love with Dr Coppélius’ clockwork doll called Coppélia. Swanilda disguises herself as the doll and fools Dr Coppélius into believing Coppélia has come alive.

Coppélia is remarkable for its perennial appeal, incorporating elements of both Romanticism and Classicism to create a production spectacle, embodying romance, magic and the celebration of life. 

Important Dates

From 8.30am
Friday 14 May
Mediterranean Paradise, Shop 4 / 202-212 Military Road, Neutral Bay

We look forward to seeing you – Sue (Chair), Kristina (Treasurer) and Tania (Secretary)

RAD Primary Ballerinas

RAD Grade 2 Students

Drama and Theatre

Musical Awards

Student awards for Yr 12 and outstanding commitment were presented last Friday afternoon in each Year Group. An overall winner was presented with the Stanislavski Award for outstanding achievement and commitment. Our Yr 12 student leaders thanked the many staff and parents involved in the production of Grease 2020 and 2021 and presented flowers to our Friends of Drama leaders, Sue Banfield, Lucy Gazzilli and Tracy Everingham, in appreciation for their amazing creative contributions to our Costume Design for Grease. The cast celebrated their achievements together and a special cake was specially created by Omar Rihani’s mother.  

Yr 7 Tessa Griffith
Yr 8 Betti Butcher
Yr 9: James Stuart
Yr 10: Angus Ryan
Yr 11: Callum Wardman-Browne
Yr 12: Toby Griffiths
The Stanislavski Award: Kyle Banfield

Gala Arts Auditions 

Gala Arts will be held at The Concourse in Chatswood on Friday 21 July at 6.30pm. This year, auditions will be via video upload to the Gala Arts page on iLearn. To be added to the iLearn page students should email drama@redlands.nsw.edu.au.

Students need to complete the Gala audition form available on iLearn or here. 

The audition form and video audition should then be uploaded to the various categories on iLearn by 10 May. Applications and auditions will close promptly at 3.20pm.

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

Music

SENIOR CAMPUS MUSIC INFORMATION

JUNIOR CAMPUS MUSIC INFORMATION

Music Events

Battle of the Bands

At the start of this week, the Redlands Music Department in association with the Friends of Music, presented the Battle of the Bands. Throughout the competition, the finalists presented a diverse range of repertoire from Music of the ’80s and all the student performances on stage were polished and electrifying.

Redlands Music students are so incredibly lucky to work in association with our Rock Music specialists and experts Mr Pete Atkins, Mr Diego Idarraga, Mr Nathaniel Smith and Mr David Wooltorton. This exceptional team of specialists underpins the strength and dynamism of our Contemporary Music Program and their dedication to Rock Music was evident through the students’ exceptional performances across the evening.

In overseeing this competition from the Edwards Auditorium, in conjunction with live streaming, we are so ever grateful for the expertise provided by Mr Ben Peate who coordinates Redlands AV. In managing the sound elements for this Rock event, and working in association with Ben, was our very own in-house Sound Engineer Mr Pete Atkins, and together they created such an incredible sound and lighting spectacle.

For behind the scenes logistics, we would like to acknowledge the collaborative efforts of Music Administration, our Facilities team led by Mr Zane Rault, and the Friends of Music Committee. Mrs Amy Richardson, Mrs Jacqueline McGlade and Ms Pip Tame have spent many hours preparing communications, programs and ticketing. Across the evening, we were grateful for the support of parent volunteers who welcomed our guests to this concert, seating all audience members safely and managing Front of House operations.

The Music Department would like to congratulate all students who performed in the Battle of the Bands and for the exceptional adjudication by Ms Katia Fuscaldo-Zoffoli and Mr Steve Lamante, who awarded the place-getters across the course of the competition.

Musicianship Lessons

Redlands students are able to participate in Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) Musicianship lessons on either the Junior or Senior Campus. Classes for Junior School students are on Tuesday (7.30-8.15am) and Secondary School students on Tuesday and Thursday (7.30-8.15am). We encourage all students interested in pursuing theoretical examinations to commence these lessons with our Music Theory tutors. Please contact juniormusic@redlands.nsw.edu.au if you are interested in joining these classes.

Senior Campus

Senior Music Festival

A Night at The Movies

Redlands is pleased to announce the annual Senior Music Festival A Night at the Movies, a concert showcasing the talents of selected soloists, instrumental and choral ensembles. As a thematic feature of the 2021 Senior Music Festival, students have been exploring a diverse range of music from films as part of their Music Ensemble learning experience this past term. From Shostakovich and Gershwin, to Williams and Bernstein, and a range of many other composers who made forays into film scores, this evening is set to take the audience on a journey in discovering how film music and movie soundtracks have become one of the most dominant genres of contemporary music.

As a well-loved conclusion to the Festival, students in the Music program will perform as part of the Yr 12 Finale in presenting a medley from the popular movie soundtrack Mamma Mia!, presented through song, movement and dance. This Finale will certainly be a spectacle in celebrating the incredible music achievements of our 2021 Music graduates.

As staff and students continue with their preparations for the Senior Music Festival, the initial information letter has been prepared in outlining the upcoming additional rehearsals early Term 2, noting that the actual event is a few weeks earlier than usual in the Redlands Performing Arts calendar. Please refer to the upcoming events schedule.

Senior Music Festival Auditions

Auditions are now open to Yrs 11 and 12 students who participate in both Academic Music classes and the Cocurricular Music Ensembles program. The Senior Music Festival will be presenting a diverse range of repertoire that spans across the decade. While students will have the opportunity to present repertoire from their Higher School Certificate or International Baccalaureate Performance Portfolio, there may also be the opportunity to be considered for various solo opportunities that feature within larger ensemble works. Audition forms can be downloaded from Redlands Pulse.

Redlands Composition Competition

The Music Department is pleased to announce the Music Composition Competition. This creative opportunity is designed for any aspiring young composer in Yrs 7-12 who is currently enrolled in either the Academic Music program, Cocurricular Music Ensembles program or Extra Subjects program. Students are encouraged to continue developing original works for submission at the end of Term 2. Application forms will be available from Music Reception in Week 1, Term 2.

Senior Campus Ensemble Attendance

Students are reminded about the importance of regular attendance to all Music Ensemble rehearsals and in meeting goals set at the start of the year in reaching a high standard of performance excellence. Morning rehearsals commence 7.15am and students should be moving to rehearsal rooms by 7.10am. Absence due to camp and/or illness will be the only accepted reason for non-attendance. It is essential that you contact seniormusic@redlands.nsw.edu.au if you are unable to attend any rehearsals. 

Junior Campus

Red Factor

The Music Department would like to congratulate all students who performed at Red Factor this afternoon. The standard of performance was incredible, capturing such style and creativity. Congratulations to the finalists who shared their talents with the Junior School to end Term 1.

Attendance at Ensembles

A reminder that punctual attendance at all ensembles is an expectation of all students enrolled in co-curricular ensembles. Prep Ensembles commence at 7.45am, with supervision from 7.35am and Junior School Ensembles commence at 7.15am with supervision from 7.05am. The exception to these times are Junior Voices, Guitar Ensemble and Jazz Band which all commence promptly at 7.30am. Attendance is integral as all ensembles have begun rehearsing for upcoming events.

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