Community Update

We trust you remain safe and well. 

It was a pleasure to attend the Junior and Secondary School Parent Contact Group (PCG) Meetings through Zoom this week. Our PCGs continue to explore ways to keep our community connected, included and supported within the many and varied aspects of school life at this challenging time.  If you are looking to connect with our community for support then please reach out to the passionate and diverse experience of our class and year group parents, the RPFA and Friends of Groups that support Redlands families.

Thank you for your continued support of Remote Learning at this challenging time. The results from our parent and carer survey demonstrate an extremely positive response to our Remote Learning program.  This feedback is important and is considered within the continual review and enhancement of our Remote Learning planning.

With the Tokyo Olympic Games in full swing, showcasing the Olympic motto of ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together’, we invite you to join in the fun of the Redlands Family Trivia Night to held via Zoom from 5.30pm on Sunday 15 August. Register HERE to Go for Gold!

This fun-filled family occasion was a big hit with our Redlands community last year and, with lots of terrific prizes up for grabs again this year, we expect another hotly contested event.  With our community unable to meet in person, we are delighted to be able to connect with families through this terrific event.

It is always a pleasure to hear what our Alumni community have been up to and I was delighted to  read the theatrical journeys of Alumni Andie Pettersen (2016) and Patrick Friedlander (2019) since leaving (and in Andie’s case, returning to) Redlands. Those journeys, along with an update from the Foundation team, can be enjoyed here.

A reminder that all COVID-19 related communications to parents and other relevant information is posted on the COVID-19 Page of Redlands Pulse. Our ICT team are also available to provide remote technical support to assist students (and parents) and can be contact at isupport@redlands.nsw.edu.au.

I remain grateful for the continued guidance and support our community provides and, as ever, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Community Engagement team should you have any feedback, suggestions or questions.

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

Head of Junior School

JUNIOR SCHOOL UPCOMING EVENTS

Community Connections

Despite the lockdown period we are currently in, it has been wonderful to still feel a strong sense of school community and in this past week, I have enjoyed a number of such experiences.

After an entertaining and competitive staff Zoom quiz last Friday evening which brought much laughter, my family’s Saturday evening entertainment was to enjoy the outstanding online version of the Secondary School musical, Grease. It was a wonderful onscreen version of the production and it was lovely to see many former Junior School students involved including some from Yr 7; maybe something out current Yr 6 students might be thinking of for 2022! Congratulations to all of the students and staff for creating a wonderful show.

On Tuesday morning, it was great to connect with our Junior School class parent reps via Zoom to check in and provide some updates as well as take questions. We were also joined by our Principal, Mr Webber, and our Head of Community Engagement, Mr Birse, and the conversation was an important one for us all and allowed us to get some feedback and also connect with some of our parent group more closely.

Parents will have also received information about the upcoming Redlands Family Trivia Night. Details are below and this fun-filled family occasion was a big hit with our Redlands community last year and with lots of terrific prizes up for grabs again this year. we expect another hotly contested event.

Redlands Family Trivia Night
Sunday 15 August
5.30pm
via Zoom
Register HERE to Go for Gold!

Redlands recognises and celebrates our diverse and blended international community and in the spirit of Olympic competition we invite you to dress for this event in your national team’s colours. With our community unable to meet in person, we are delighted to be able to connect with families through this terrific event. 

Remote Learning Parent Feedback Survey

We were immensely grateful to the 178 Junior Campus families who were able to send feedback through the parent survey sent last week. The School and Junior School leadership teams have been reviewing the overwhelmingly positive responses across the range of questions and also exploring how we may consider and incorporate aspects of the feedback moving forward, which I will communicate in due course.

Just as important, our students will take part in a similar short, anonymous survey next week as we also aim to capture how they are feeling about, and progressing in, Remote Learning.

Remote Learning Updates Letter

A letter with both information and updates for the next two weeks of Remote Learning will be sent to all Junior School families on Friday. As in all previous weeks, year group weekly timetables will also be uploaded to Redlands Pulse for families on Friday ahead of next week.

Week 5 Request for On-Campus Learning for Children of Essential Workers

Parents who are essential workers can lodge a request for on campus learning support for the week of 9-13 August.

Booking requests close again at 8pm on Friday 6 August to allow sufficient time for staffing to be organised based on the numbers.

Please click for Week 5 request: Junior Campus booking 

Olympics Challenge Day!

It was wonderful to see a sea of colour on our Zoom screens on Wednesday morning and the Junior Campus got ready for a day of Olympic challenges and judging by the range of photos, videos and feedback, the day provided some great enjoyment for many as well as both active and creative challenges for families.

Thank you to Mrs Smith for coordinating the day for our students to join in the Olympic spirit, excitement and energy currently supporting so many of us during lockdown.

As you can see below, Redlands has had a number of previous Olympians and who’s to say we might not have one or two more in our midst with one eye on a home Olympic Games in Brisbane 2032 for some, judging by some of the videos!

Mackenzie Little Javelin Throw

Just a week after she spoke so eloquently to Yr 3 ahead of her Olympic debut, it was wonderful to see Mackenzie Little achieve a personal best throw of 62.37m in qualifying for the Women’s Javelin final which takes place this Friday evening at 9.50pm.

Many of the Yr 3 students were keenly following her qualifying round and we wish Mackenzie all the best in the final too!

Musical Olympics

Our Music staff have also been embracing some musical Olympics challenge and they have loved the range and quality of the students’ musical submissions. I have enjoyed seeing and listening to many and congratulate all of our students for their efforts and skill.

Help to Welcome Home our Olympians

As mentioned last week, many of our Australian Olympians are currently in quarantine here in Sydney after competing in Tokyo, including bronze medal winning rower, Cameron Girdlestone, who is Mr Brakell’s brother-in-law. In normal times, the athletes would stay on in Tokyo to cheer on other Australian athletes and be part of the closing ceremony before returning to a parade but instead, they head straight into quarantine for two weeks.

So how can we make their return a little more memorable? Our students have been invited to write a message of support to a particular athlete that may have captured their attention or maybe just a ‘well done’ card or message to all of our Olympians.

Cards and messages of support can either be posted directly to Mantra Sydney Central, 438 Sussex Street, Haymarket NSW 2000 or they can be scanned/ photographed and emailed directly to the hotel here where they will be printed out.

Students have also been given this information and opportunity by their class teacher.

Uniform Shop open Thursdays, 10am-6pm, Click & Collect only

Due to the extended lockdown period, the Uniform Shop will be open every Thursday between 10am – 6pm to allow parents to order any uniform items they need. Here are the arrangements for Click & Collect:

• Collection of orders only: Thursdays 10am – 6pm
• Orders must be placed via Flexischools 
• Students may also collect their blazers that were sent for embroidery
• Everyone collecting orders must sign in with the QR Code, wear a facemask and not enter the shop

Jeans for Genes Day – Friday 6 August

This Friday, sees us don the denim again as a school in our annual support Jeans for Genes Day. We look forward to seeing our students embrace this day in denim and any donations are warmly welcome via the link within the poster.

We would love any photos of students in their jeans which can be sent directly to me via email.

Listen to the inspiring message from Ari Abe-Apostolou (Yr 5) in the following short video, encourage your children to wear their jeans tomorow and donate via the link in the poster above. 

ICAS Update

With the continuing lockdown, Redlands students enrolled in the optional CAS assessments will not be sitting theses on the scheduled dates in Term 3. ICAS has opened an additional sitting window from 5-29 October and we are currently reviewing the Term 4 School calendar to determine possible new sitting dates for these assessments. As the cut-off date for enrolling students has long passed and all student data has been processed, no new enrolments will be received.  We will inform parents of the new Term 4 dates as soon as possible.

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

From The Principal

My heartfelt congratulations to all staff, students and parent volunteers who were involved in the musical production of Grease, which was streamed online through three ticketed performances last weekend. The quality of the production was exceptional and it was inspiring to see our students perform at such a high level and with so much enjoyment. The outtake interviews at the conclusion gave a wonderful insight into how creative and adaptive the cast, crew, musicians and staff needed to be to make this ambitious project possible. I know that many families gathered around their screens together to celebrate on the weekend, with yet another younger generation being exposed to the uplifting music of a different era.

During this period, I have appreciated the opportunity to join a range of Zoom meetings across the breadth of the School. In a recent Junior School meeting with parents I was so impressed to note the thread of the discussion, with the focus on how parents could partner with the School to support all members of our community, especially those new to Redlands. The gratitude expressed for the efforts of our staff was greatly appreciated and it is powerful to share this with colleagues.

The RPFA continue their exceptional efforts to connect the Redlands community at this time and invite all families to the Redlands Online Family Trivia Night on Sunday 15 August at 5.30pm. This Olympic themed Zoom event will provide fun for the whole family and parents can book via the invitation below. 

Thank you to all parents and carers for continuing to support your children in Remote Learning. Our Remote Learning Surveys indicate a very strong level of satisfaction with Remote Learning throughout the School. Parents and carers have recognised the exceptional efforts of our teachers and have provided valuable feedback in terms of the level of Zoom-free time, break times and home learning, in addition to a range of other areas, which will help us to continue to refine our Remote Learning programs. I thank all of the parents and carers who participated in the Remote Learning surveys.

There continues to be media speculation regarding the planned return of Year 12 students for their trial examinations from 16 August. We held Zoom meetings with all Year 12 students this week to enable them to raise any concerns and pose queries and will hold a further session next week with parents. In a changing landscape we continually remind our students to focus on what they can control and to reinforce that the School will always make decisions and put in place plans with the safety and wellbeing of the community at the forefront. It was yet another opportunity to hear directly from our students and once again, I was struck by their maturity, insight, resilience and care for each other.

At a time when it can seem that there is little progress being made it is important to maintain hope and a sense of gratitude for the things we may take for granted at other times. In the words of Jesse Jackson:

“At the end of the day, we must go forward with hope and not backward by fear and division.”

Mr Stephen Webber

Photo Caption: Congratulations to the 100+ students who showcased their talents on screen and behind the scenes with Grease the Musical the Movie last weekend. An amazing and fun-filled performance!

Head of Secondary School

Remote Learning Experiences          

There is an emerging discourse around the experience of Remote Learning, especially for parents, who are managing their children’s days as well as their own. Over the past week, I have enjoyed reading a few articles published in The Conversation, namely an article on the importance of supporting young people to adapt their brain to the context of remote learning, what to prioritise and what we can learn from schooling in lockdown. Drawing on the experiences of our Victorian neighbours, and the many international experiences of schooling in lockdown, can support an evidence-based approach and also be hugely affirming. I hope you enjoy reading these articles and encourage you to share any readings you might find useful, with me.

Feedback and Adjustment

I want to thank the parents and carers who took the time to respond to the Remote Learning Survey made available last Friday. Overwhelmingly your feedback was positive and strongly supportive of the Remote Learning program and processes in place to support students through this challenging time. In particular, you praised the hard work and dedication of the Secondary School teachers. This was well received by teachers, who like all people, appreciate being affirmed and recognised. The survey also reflected parental satisfaction with the quality of support provided by our ICT department via isupport@redlands.nsw.edu.au. Further the Zoom-Free time and our alternating of whole days with two-half days was also well received. Providing students with the opportunity to develop and extend their self-management skills is one opportunity that arises from this Remote Learning experience, and while challenging at times, it does enable many students an experience of personal success.

I had the pleasure of an hour via Zoom with the Secondary School Parent Contact Group (SSPCG) this week and was able to provide some feedback on our programs and further opportunities and plans for Term 3 and 4. At this meeting we discussed providing two-weekly Timetables for students (and parents) and it was my intention to publish Week 5 and Week 6 today. I have held off on this, however, because we are currently making plans for a Connection Experience in Week 6 and we’d like to more fully explore this, before publication. As you can imagine, any shift to the Timetable requires consultation with staff, students and parents. I appreciate your understanding in this respect. You can find the Week 5 Timetable here.

Communication

This week we have been focused on providing communication opportunities. These exist for staff and students. Yesterday a group of staff spent time with Yr 12 HSC students and Yr 12 IB students via Zoom. The purpose of these meetings was to touch base, show support and identify areas of concern. As expected, our Yr 12 students were able to simultaneously express both the challenges and opportunities posed by the pandemic and this period of Remote Learning. We are very proud of their resilience and capacity to keep things in perspective in a period of great noise about the Trial Examinations. Mr Webber reminded them ‘focus on what you can do and try not to worry’. We are confident that whatever the future holds, our Yr 12 cohort will respond remarkably.

We also met with Yr 11 yesterday to explore some upcoming events in their calendar. A significant milestone on their schooling journey is the process of Leadership, which they have now entered into. Ms Jansons, our Deans of Students, unpacked for Yr 11 the Leadership process, making available key resources and opportunities for them to consider. We look forward to receiving applications for Captains roles in the coming week and the great potential this cohort have to offer.

Next week we look forward to hearing from students across Yr 7-12 about their experiences of Remote Learning, in a conversational format, designed to enable student voice and provide direct feedback to teachers.

Assessment Modification Yr 7-10

Given our status in Remote Learning, we have modified the Term 3 assessments. Yr 7 has now been published and Yr 8-10 will be made available early next week. Whilst it is important to maintain normalcy as much as possible in lockdown, we are aware that students are experiencing Zoom fatigue and spending hours on preparing for an assessment is not ideal. Therefore, assessments are being modified in a variety of ways to support student wellbeing.

Australian Mathematics Competition

On Wednesday our Yr 7-11 Extension Mathematics students competed in the Australian Mathematics Competition against top mathematics students across the country.  They engaged with 30 real-world scenarios that demonstrated the importance and relevance of Mathematics in students’ everyday lives. We congratulate each student for their online participation and thank Mr Baker for remotely coordinating this enrichment opportunity.

Jeans for Genes Day – Friday 6 August

Tomorrow, across both campuses, we are celebrating Jeans for Genes Day. 

1 in 20 children face a birth defect or genetic disease, like cancer, cystic fibrosis, and
life-threatening metabolic disorders. That’s 12 children born every minute worldwide.

Listen to the inspiring message from Ari Abe-Apostolou (Yr 5) in the following short video, encourage your children to wear their jeans tomorow and donate via the link in the poster above. 

Redlands Online Trivia Night

Redlands Family Trivia Night
Sunday 15 August
5.30pm
via Zoom
Register HERE to Go for Gold!

The RPFA warmly invite all families to the Redlands Online Trivia Night. This fun-filled family occasion was a big hit with our Redlands community last year and with lots of terrific prizes up for grabs again this year. is sure to be another hotly contested event.

Week 5 Registration to Attend School

If you are sending your child to school next week, then please complete the Week 5 Registration to Attend School (essential worker) Survey.

Ms Gemma Van de Peer
Head of Secondary School
gvandepeer@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9811

Foundation

Legacy Gift of Class of 2021

Thank you to members of our community who have supported our students. The Class of 2021 proudly continues the Legacy of previous Yr 12 cohorts, and  through their efforts have been supporting the Belinda Oxley Scholarship Appeal and sustainability initiatives of the School.

Their final fundraising initiative for this year is a memorable Yr 12 Tea Towel and Tote Bag, featuring students’ and selected staff hand-drawn faces. To pre-order these wonderful gifts and memorabilia, please visit HERE.

Congratulations to our Yr 12 students for continuing this tradition and BIG thank you to Ms Sarah Matthews, Dr Meta Regis and other Redlands staff for supporting this wonderful initiative.

Our Alumni Share their Memories

It was wonderful to watch the Grease the Musical the Movie over the weekend and I am sure it has brought much joy and happiness for many members of our community. This is certainly another masterpiece to add to the collection of incredible musical productions at Redlands. I have asked two of our graduates about their experiences behind the scenes.

Andie Pettersen, Class of 2016

Andie is a Drama tutor at Redlands, working in the Performing Arts program and teaching the Film Production course that started it all – full circle! Filming behind the scenes is still her annual highlight, and seeing new generations of students take on that love for the stage, capturing the energy of their experiences, remains a privilege.  

“I was involved with nearly every Redlands production during my time as a student – from 2012’s Curtains to 42^nd Street, Footloose, Wizard of Oz, and Oliver!  in 2016. I was on stage for Curtains, but in the Film Production crew for the rest, and we worked on Behind the Scenes videos for every show; it was a really unique way to be involved with the shows. As someone who loves stage productions but prefers not being on the stage, it was a role I cherished and the highlight of my year.  

Though I had great experiences every year, my favourite show was definitely Oliver! It was my Year 12 production, so I was heavily involved in the process, and close with a lot of the cast. I think everyone involved had an absolute blast with the accents, costumes and songs. I’m fairly sure I still know the words to every song from all our shows, though luckily I’ve never (yet) been asked to give a rendition of “Let’s Hear It For The Boy”. 

My time spent working alongside the staff, cast and crew every year helped me discover a love for theatre that I hadn’t anticipated. I finished my bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Film last year at the University of Notre Dame, one of the best experiences of my life, and it’s a little cliché but I really have the Redlands performing arts family to thank for opening that path up for me. The energy of stage work is completely unique; being able to fall in love with it during high school, and to carry it with me into my professional work now, is an amazing gift.”

Oliver!, 2016, The Concourse

Patrick Friedlander, Class of 2019

“2020, the year following my graduation from Redlands, was an incredible year. After a gruelling audition process, I moved across the country to Perth to complete a Diploma of Musical Theatre at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). Of course, COVID-19 did have a very large impact on the course (and the whole country for that matter), resulting in me having to spend most of the first semester back in Sydney in lockdown, doing the course via Zoom. As I’m sure you can imagine, trying to learn through digital means for a performing arts course was rather difficult. At the end of last year, I went through yet another round of auditions for all the major Arts Schools around Australia in the hopes of getting a position in a Bachelor of Music Theatre course, which I was successful in doing so at WAAPA, meaning that I have the next 3 years here in Perth! I do miss Sydney and my family and friends but visiting is difficult as COVID has meant that I have just completed 14 days quarantine for the third time in 12 months!

There are so many amazing memories I have about the musical productions at Redlands; the week at The Concourse, the incredible costumes and many more. However, the thing I loved most about the musical was the inter-year group mingling. Being able to create such close friendships in the musical with people in other Year Groups who I may not have had the chance to meet otherwise is such an incredible experience. These friendships lasted all throughout the remainder of my time at Redlands and even beyond that (I still talk to them now despite living on the other side of the country!).

One of the best examples of this that I can remember so vividly is when I was in Year 9 rehearsing at the Concourse for Oliver!, the first Redlands musical I was a part of. Somehow throughout the rehearsal period I had befriended Bella Dougall, a Year 12 student and the Arts Captain at the time. I found myself sitting there, a year 9 student eating my lunch with a Year 12 student, discussing topics ranging from what we wanted to do after school all the way to people in our Year Groups that we thought were cute. I still look back at that and think about how cool it is that the divide between Year Groups that is often present in school was so beyond obsolete in that environment.”

Trivia Night for Redlands Community

A very popular Trivia Night is here again this year for our families to enjoy on Sunday 15 August, 5.30pm via Zoom. For bookings and further information, please visit the RPFA page.

RPFA

Redlands Parents and Friends

Suffering from the lockdown blues? Wish you could have some fun with your Redlands friends and family? Join us for our second socially distant community Trivia Night on Sun 15 August from 5.30pm! It’s an Olympics themed event! Let’s see who will earn the gold, silver and bronze this year.

Book Club

Redlands Book Club had a really good zoom meeting last week discussing The Pull of the Stars by Amma Donoghue. Our next meeting will be on Thursday evening 9 September to discuss Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo, winner of the 2019 Booker Prize. 

All new members are welcome. Please email Katherine Dixon at 0432619890 or dixon.katherine@gmail.com for further information.

We understand this is a difficult time for all. Please don’t hesitate to contact anyone on the Committee and/or your class and year reps if you need any help during this time.

2021 RPFA Committee rpfa@redlands.nsw.edu.au

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

Chaplain

Choose Faith not Fear

One of the amazing things about being a teacher or a Chaplain is the delight we get when a student really teaches us. Their insight or the way they phrase their understanding makes us stop and think more deeply. This was my experience when Year 1 submitted videos of Jesus calming the storm. (Mark4:35-41) They were a delight to watch and hear their interpretations. One student used the harbour as a backdrop and beautifully told the story: the drama of the storm coming suddenly upon the boat; the fear of the disciples as they thought they were about to drown; the irony of Jesus sleeping in the tossing waves; the impact of the storm silencing at his command.

Yet the golden moment was at the end with the conclusion that the disciples had chosen fear over faith. This, the student observed, is the same choice we have today.

When faced with uncertainty of COVID, lockdown or more personal challenges, we too can choose faith and trust in the care and presence of God or choose fear instead. Yet it is worth thinking what does choosing faith look like? It certainly does not mean we are exempted from the lockdown restrictions or from being vaccinated. It certainly does not mean everything will be easy with ready solutions. The same disciples later chose faith and most were executed because of that faith. However, I think there is a profound connection between trusting God in the midst of difficulty, and developing resilience. Faith says that God is ultimately sovereign and will bring his plans to fruition. Though I may not understand the process I can trust him in the destination. Faith says God is a good Father and so I can be sure that he will bring good and maturity in the situation as I trust him. Faith says, ‘How can I grow in my love and trust of God in this situation?’

The alternative is to ignore God, instead facing the changes and chances of this world with no assurance of eternal purpose. This leads to fear as all I can rely on is myself. Every twist and turn of life are unchartered and uncertain in their destination. Fear can overcome: fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of death, fear of life.

As I reflect on this another verse comes to mind “There is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18) and so we return to the heart of the good news about Jesus. God loves us and, in that truth, we find joy, peace and salvation.

Whatever you may be facing at this moment can I encourage you to seek the God, who loves you, so that you can choose faith not fear.

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

Uniform Shop

Uniform Shop open Thursdays, 10am-6pm, Click & Collect only

Due to this extended lockdown period, the Uniform Shop will now open every Thursday 10am – 6pm to allow parents to order any top up uniform items they need. Here are the arrangements for Click & Collect:

• Collection of orders only: Thursdays 10am – 6pm
• Orders must be placed via Flexischools
• Students may also collect their blazers that were sent for embroidery
• Everyone collecting orders must sign in with the QR Code, wear a facemask and not enter the shop

If you have any urgent queries, please email us at uniformorders@redlands.nsw.edu.au

Year 12

Completion of HSC Major Works

In meeting with the Yr 12 cohort on Monday morning, our Head of Secondary School Ms Gemma Van de Peer iterated that Weeks 4 and 5 provide the best opportunity for students to complete their Major Works across the range of practical courses offered at Redlands. Staff have made themselves available over this period to allow the Yr 12’s to come in and work in a COVID-safe way with their peers and ensure the development and refinement of their projects. As always, Redlands is flexible and responsive to the evolving needs of its students. Please encourage your child to contact the relevant staff of the subject areas if more time is required at school throughout Week 5.  Please be advised that IB Visual Arts continues until Week 9 of this term. 

Zoom-Free Sessions and the School Timetable

Some students have experienced confusion regarding protocol with respect to zoom-free morning and afternoon sessions on the timetable. Please refer to the weekly timetable made available on the main page of iLearn for the scheduled morning and afternoon zoom-free sessions as they occur. During normal lesson time, individual teachers may organise independent tasks but it is the expectation that in this situation, students will arrive on zoom at the start of class to have their names marked on the roll. Roll taking in the Remote Learning environment is essential in that it demonstrates course hours fulfilled as per NESA and IB requirements.

Locked-down Learning, Senior Students and Senior Members of the Family

Macquarie University’s Fran Molloy recently published a review of researched-backed assistance for stressed senior students in the current climate. Amongst the usual assortment of advice, such as the cortisol benefits of exercise (Tip 6); keeping up with friends (Tip 1), and find the positives (Tip 7), there are two standouts: avoid music with lyrics (Tip 5) and take a tip from Grandma (Tip 8). Apparently, music with lyrics significantly reduces the capacity to retain information accessed later. In addition, senior members of families – having no doubt been through trials of their own – are more optimistic about things working out and can help students learn how to reflect and cope with stressors.

The full article is available here.

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

Year 11

Grease, the School Musical

Wow, what a bunch of talented students we have in Yr 11! I hope you were all able to watch the magnificent musical over last weekend and see our students act, sing, dance, play in the band, as well as be involved in the costumes, hair and make-up, lighting and stage production. It was awesome!

Congratulations to our amazing Yr 11 Cast:

Including the Rydell Teachers – Emma Canton, Katina Casimaty, Isabella Kendrigan and Maya Koppers.

And our wonderful supporting crew: Bass guitar – Izaac Nisbet; Hair and Make-up – Elizabeth Holtheuer, Vincas Lapinskas, Edwina Magnus, Emma Phillip, Oliver Rose, Julia Saunders, Olivia Vigneault, Katie Wightwick.

Remote Learning Motivation

As we are now all aware, Remote Learning will continue at until the end of August. The challenge for Yr 11 will be maintaining motivation levels and taking care of their mental health.

10 key strategies to remind your child over the next 4 weeks include: 

• Keep in touch with friends
• Balance study and life
• Keep to a routine
• Prepare yourself (and your brain) for learning
• There’s no such thing as multi-tasking – so switch off the music
• Exercise your stress cortisol away
• Find the positives
• Take a tip from Grandma
• Ask for help – communicate through email/ask questions on zoom. 
• Remember the situation will pass

To support conversations at home, key tips and study skills strategies can be found HERE (UN: Redlands | PW: 68results)

I hope you all have a great week.

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

Year 10

Remote Learning Motivation

As mentioned by Ms Van de Peer in last week’s Note Day, Remote Learning will continue until the end of August. The challenge for Yr 10 will be maintaining motivation levels, particularly when balancing their assessments remotely this term. This week during remote Tutor Time, Yr 10 students explored strategies to increase levels of motivation while remote learning and undertaking assessments.

10 key strategies to remind your child over the next 4 weeks include: 

• Keep in touch with friends
• Balance study and life
• Keep to a routine
• Prepare yourself (and your brain) for learning
• There’s no such thing as multi-tasking – so switch off the music
• Exercise your stress cortisol away
• Find the positives
• Take a tip from Grandma
• Ask for help – communicate through email/ask questions on zoom
• Remember the situation will pass

To support conversations at home regarding the upcoming assessment tasks, key tips and study skills strategies can be found HERE (UN: redlands | PW: 68results)

Grease The Musical Spectacular!

Congratulations to all of the Yr 10 students who were involved with the musical production of Grease. From the incredible acting, singing and dancing to the costumes, lighting and stage production, Grease was a success and couldn’t have been featured at a better time during the lockdown. Congratulations to the following Yr 10 students who were part of the cast and crew:

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

Year 9

Yr 9 Term 3 Modified Assessment Calendar

This will be shared directly with parents as soon as it is finalised.  For students, it will be posted in iLearn Yr 9 Pastoral Page. 

Weekly Remote Learning Schedule

This is shared via Ms Gemma Van de Peer to parents each week and published for students in iLearn Yr 9 Pastoral Page as well as in iLearn announcements. Students are expected to check this schedule each week to ensure they are aware of the Zoom-free periods.

Zoom Expectations

Zoom expectations were reinforced with students this week.  It is the expectation that each student have their camera on each lesson, have their full head and shoulders in the camera screen, be wearing appropriate PE uniform and have their name properly printed as their blank screen image.  Meeting these basic expectations each day will ensure students and teachers can focus on academic and pastoral care appropriately. 

Please continue to send any reasons for missing classes or full days to SSAbsence@redlands.nsw.edu.au.  In addition to the daily attendance automated notifications, year advisors are also following up with unexcused absences or patterns of absence for students.  The communication from parents regarding attendance is extremely helpful and appreciated. 

How To Stay Positive About Your Schoolwork – a message from Dr Prue Salter

It can be difficult to stay positive at all times about your schoolwork, particularly if you have challenges whether they be personal or whether you are grappling with something like online learning. When we allow pressure and stress to build we can get into bad habits and let go of good habits. As a result students can feel even more drained and exhausted.

The key to being positive and managing negative emotions such as anxiety and feeling down and depressed in any pressure situation including schoolwork and exams is to “fuel up”. “Fuelling Up” is about boosting wellbeing factors in your life. You need to boost the wellbeing factors in your BODY, MIND and EMOTIONS.

BODY: Here are some things you can do to boost the energy in your BODY 

Get Better Sleep

Feeling good all starts with getting the right amount and type of sleep. Start with a good night-time routine. Stop anything that stimulates you such as caffeine or TV or computer, iPad or phone screens etc. Try a warm drink such as chamomile tea and use essential oils such as lavender oil. Having a soothing bath or shower can also help along with gentle stretching of tight or tense muscles. If you still feel you are not getting a “good” sleep be sure to see your doctor.

Eat in Moderation

Never skip a meal, especially breakfast. Breakfast replenishes your body and helps you start your day full of energy. Eat three main meals, and two to three snack meals a day. Eating five to six times in a day keeps your blood sugar levels balanced, giving you an overall sense of well-being needed for focusing on your tasks and responsibilities.

Exercise Regularly

Regular exercise, at least three times per week for a minimum of 30 minute sessions, can virtually “soak up” stress chemicals in your body and help you to relax and even sleep better. Brisk walking, aerobic classes, swimming, bike riding, or jogging are great exercises to release stress buildup and relax your body and mind to either start or end your day right.

MIND: Here are some things you can do to THINK more positive

Change your Thinking and Perceptions

Write down your top 5 fears and worries. What’s the worst thing that can happen? Then ask yourself, “IS THAT TRUE”? Usually fears and worries are not based on reality but on imagined scenarios that have little to no evidence. If it’s something that can’t be changed bring acceptance to it. It is what it is for now!

Change your Focus

Have you noticed that what we worry about we make bigger and keep closer to us by the way we think and focus. Try this…make your fears and worries SMALL in size (5 cm in height) DARK in brightness and as far away as possible in DISTANCE. When we change the size, brightness and distance of the things that upset us in our minds it reduces the intensity of the emotion.

EMOTIONS: Here are some things you can do to FEEL more positive

Acts of Kindness

Make a list of 5 acts of kindness you can do every day. Make them simple acts of kindness that are easy to do such as saying thank you etc. Do these 5 acts of kindness every day for 6 weeks. The research shows that people that do this and think of 3 good things in their life (as above) have a dramatic positive boost in their mood.

3 Good Things Exercise

Every day at the start and end of your day think of 3 good things that happened. Write them down. Then think about either WHY those good things happened or how it MADE YOU FEEL when those good things happened.

Start Ticking Things Off Your List

Pick something small and achievable to start with that you need to do for school and get it done. You will feel much more positive when you start doing things. Do a few more easy things to get your confidence up then tackle a more challenging task.

 Some of the units you may find particularly useful are:

• Managing Stress (studyskillshandbook.com.au)
• Lifestyle and Balance (studyskillshandbook.com.au)
• Developing Motivation (studyskillshandbook.com.au)
• Overcoming Procrastination (studyskillshandbook.com.au)
• Dealing with Distractions (studyskillshandbook.com.au)
• Home Study Environment (studyskillshandbook.com.au)
• Asking for Help (studyskillshandbook.com.au)
• Live Your Best Life (studyskillshandbook.com.au)
• Guide to Remote Home Learning (studyskillshandbook.com.au)

Study Tips by Prue Salter, BA, BMath, DipE., MAcc, MEd, PhD

Enhanced Learning Educational Services.

Learn more at www.studyskillshandbook.com.au.

Our school’s subscription details are –

Username: redlands
Password: 68results

Ms Alissa Ynson
Yr 9 Advisor
aynson@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9865

Year 8

Pastoral Care

Now that students are familiar with Remote Learning requirements, Tutor Time has moved from the ‘formal’ based activities to a program which has allowed students time to interact and promote social connection. On the other hand, our Zoom-free Tutor Time is dedicated to self-care, and students have been provided with suggestions of activities which have been included on the Yr 8 iLearn Pastoral Page.

Resource – Need for maintaining health routines whilst in lockdown: 

https://au.reachout.com/articles/10-ways-to-take-care-of-yourself-during-coronavirus  

The Redlands 2021 Musical

A huge congratulations to the wonderful cast, crew and staff who made the screening of Grease exceptional. What a treat it was to watch the production despite being in lockdown, highlighting the exceptional talent of our Redlands students.

The Yr 8 Students involved:

Study Skills – How To Stay Positive About Your Schoolwork

It can be difficult to stay positive at all times about your schoolwork, particularly if you have challenges whether they be personal or whether you are grappling with something like online learning. When we allow pressure and stress to build we can get into bad habits and let go of good habits. As a result students can feel even more drained and exhausted.

The key to being positive and managing negative emotions such as anxiety and feeling down and depressed in any pressure situation including schoolwork and exams is to “fuel up”. “Fuelling Up” is about boosting wellbeing factors in your life. You need to boost the wellbeing factors in your BODY, MIND and EMOTIONS.

BODY: Here are some things you can do to boost the energy in your BODY

Get Better Sleep

Feeling good all starts with getting the right amount and type of sleep. Start with a good night-time routine. Stop anything that stimulates you such as caffeine or TV or computer, iPad or phone screens etc. Try a warm drink such as chamomile tea and use essential oils such as lavender oil. Having a soothing bath or shower can also help along with gentle stretching of tight or tense muscles. If you still feel you are not getting a “good” sleep be sure to see your doctor.

Eat in Moderation

Never skip a meal, especially breakfast. Breakfast replenishes your body and helps you start your day full of energy. Eat three main meals, and two to three snack meals a day. Eating five to six times in a day keeps your blood sugar levels balanced, giving you an overall sense of well-being needed for focusing on your tasks and responsibilities.

Exercise Regularly

Regular exercise, at least three times per week for a minimum of 30 minute sessions, can virtually “soak up” stress chemicals in your body and help you to relax and even sleep better. Brisk walking, aerobic classes, swimming, bike riding, or jogging are great exercises to release stress buildup and relax your body and mind to either start or end your day right.

MIND: Here are some things you can do to THINK more positive

Change your Thinking and Perceptions

Write down your top 5 fears and worries. What’s the worst thing that can happen? Then ask yourself, “IS THAT TRUE”? Usually fears and worries are not based on reality but on imagined scenarios that have little to no evidence. If it’s something that can’t be changed bring acceptance to it. It is what it is for now!

Change your Focus

Have you noticed that what we worry about we make bigger and keep closer to us by the way we think and focus. Try this…make your fears and worries SMALL in size (5 cm in height) DARK in brightness and as far away as possible in DISTANCE. When we change the size, brightness and distance of the things that upset us in our minds it reduces the intensity of the emotion.

EMOTIONS: Here are some things you can do to FEEL more positive

Acts of Kindness

Make a list of 5 acts of kindness you can do every day. Make them simple acts of kindness that are easy to do such as saying thank you etc. Do these 5 acts of kindness every day for 6 weeks. The research shows that people that do this and think of 3 good things in their life (as above) have a dramatic positive boost in their mood.

The 3 Good Things Exercise

Every day at the start and end of your day think of 3 good things that happened. Write them down. Then think about either WHY those good things happened or how it MADE YOU FEEL when those good things happened.

Start Ticking Things Off Your List

Pick something small and achievable to start with that you need to do for school and get it done. You will feel much more positive when you start doing things. Do a few more easy things to get your confidence up then tackle a more challenging task. 

You will find lots of resources to support you on the Study Skills Handbook site (www.studyskillshandbook.com.au) 

Our school’s login details are:

Username: 
Password: 

Some of the units you may find particularly useful are:

• Managing Stress (studyskillshandbook.com.au)
• Lifestyle and Balance (studyskillshandbook.com.au)
• Developing Motivation (studyskillshandbook.com.au)
• Overcoming Procrastination (studyskillshandbook.com.au)
• Dealing with Distractions (studyskillshandbook.com.au)
• Home Study Environment (studyskillshandbook.com.au)
• Asking for Help (studyskillshandbook.com.au)
• Live Your Best Life (studyskillshandbook.com.au)
• Guide to Remote Home Learning (studyskillshandbook.com.au)

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

Year 7

Musical – Grease 

What an absolutely magnificent performance by all those involved in Grease! It was something special to see the amazing singing, dancing and acting done by all members of the cast and also the support given by those behind the scenes. Wow – truely awesome and so many Yr 7 students involved in the musical was lovely to see. 

Well done Katharine Budden and William Raymond for their hard work in the Production Crew. 

Congratulations to the Rydell School Kids – Kira Delaney, Tessa Griffiths, Alexandra Jones, Maria Smith and Sofia Whatmough.

Dr Prue Salter – Study Skills 

How To Stay Positive About Your Schoolwork?

It can be difficult to stay positive at all times about your schoolwork, particularly if you have challenges whether they be personal or whether you are grappling with something like online learning. When we allow pressure and stress to build, we can get into bad habits and let go of good habits. As a result, students can feel even more drained and exhausted.

The key to being positive and managing negative emotions such as anxiety and feeling down and depressed in any pressure situation including schoolwork and exams is to “fuel up”. “Fueling Up” is about boosting wellbeing factors in your life. You need to boost the wellbeing factors in your BODY, MIND and EMOTIONS.

BODY: Here are some things you can do to boost the energy in your BODY

Get Better Sleep

Feeling good all starts with getting the right amount and type of sleep. Start with a good night-time routine. Stop anything that stimulates you such as caffeine or TV or computer, iPad or phone screens etc. Try a warm drink such as chamomile tea and use essential oils such as lavender oil. Having a soothing bath or shower can also help along with gentle stretching of tight or tense muscles. If you still feel you are not getting a “good” sleep, be sure to see your doctor.

Eat in Moderation

Never skip a meal, especially breakfast. Breakfast replenishes your body and helps you start your day full of energy. Eat three main meals, and two to three snack meals a day. Eating five to six times in a day keeps your blood sugar levels balanced, giving you an overall sense of well-being needed for focusing on your tasks and responsibilities.

Exercise Regularly

Regular exercise, at least three times per week for a minimum of 30-minute sessions, can virtually “soak up” stress chemicals in your body and help you to relax and even sleep better. Brisk walking, aerobic classes, swimming, bike riding, or jogging are great exercises to release stress buildup and relax your body and mind to either start or end your day right.

MIND: Here are some things you can do to THINK more positive

Change your Thinking and Perceptions

Write down your top 5 fears and worries. What’s the worst thing that can happen? Then ask yourself, “IS THAT TRUE”? Usually fears and worries are not based on reality but on imagined scenarios that have little to no evidence. If it’s something that can’t be changed bring acceptance to it. It is what it is for now!

Change your Focus

Have you noticed that what we worry about we make bigger and keep closer to us by the way we think and focus? Try this…make your fears and worries SMALLin size (5 cm in height) DARKin brightness and as far away as possible in DISTANCE. When we change the size, brightness and distance of the things that upset us in our minds it reduces the intensity of the emotion.

EMOTIONS: Here are some things you can do to FEEL more positive

Acts of Kindness

Make a list of 5 acts of kindness you can do every day. Make them simple acts of kindness that are easy to do such as saying thank you etc. Do these 5 acts of kindness every day for 6 weeks. The research shows that people that do this and think of 3 good things in their life (as above) have a dramatic positive boost in their mood.

The 3 Good Things Exercise

Every day at the start and end of your day think of 3 good things that happened. Write them down. Then think about either WHY those good things happened or how it MADE YOU FEEL when those good things happened.

Start Ticking Things Off Your List

Pick something small and achievable to start with that you need to do for school and get it done. You will feel much more positive when you start doing things. Do a few more easy things to get your confidence up then tackle a more challenging task. 

You will find lots of resources to support you on the Study Skills Handbook site (www.studyskillshandbook.com.au) 

Our school’s login details are:

Username: redlands
Password: 68results

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

Junior School Upcoming Events

Head of Preparatory School

PREP SCHOOL UPCOMING EVENTS

Olympics Fun Day

A sea of colour greeted us both online and on campus yesterday for the 2021 Junior Campus Olympic Day. Thanks to all our enthusiastic Prep students and staff who dressed up in a vast array of country colours and really embraced the spirit of the day. The unique cauldrons, torches, obstacle courses and videos showcased our future engineers, designers, and athletes at Redlands! Even though we were separated, the Redlands spirit demonstrated yesterday brought us together.

Parent Remote Learning Update Session

Thank you to all the families who attended the Parent Webinar on Tuesday evening. It was a positive session where we were able to connect and reassure you that Remote Learning for your child is progressing well and were able to re-set and update you all on clear zooming guidelines and expectations. The slides from the evening can be found on the Prep Pulse page here.

Remote Learning Parent Feedback Survey

We were immensely grateful to the 178 Junior Campus families who were able to send feedback through the parent survey sent last week. We have been reviewing the overwhelmingly positive responses across the range of questions and also exploring how we incorporate aspects of the feedback. 

Jeans for Genes Day Friday 6 August

This Friday the Junior campus will be participating in the annual Jeans for Genes Day. Jeans for Genes Day is a nationwide fundraising initiative held in Australia each year. The charity’s mission is to support families and children with birth defects or incurable genetic diseases.

We encourage everyone to wear their favourite pair of jeans to school and if you would like to contribute to the Children’s Medical Research Institute, please click on the link found in the flyer.

Week 5 Request for On-Campus Learning for Children of Essential Workers

Parents who are essential workers can lodge a request for on campus learning support for the week of 9-13 August. Booking requests close again at 8pm on Friday 6 August at 8pm to allow sufficient time for staffing to be organised based on the numbers.

Please click here to lodge your request.

Resource Packs

It was lovely to see some friendly faces yesterday as Kindergarten and Year 1 families drove up Allister Street to collect resource packs for the next two weeks of learning. Any resource packs that were not collected can be found on the table out the front of the Junior School Reception.

Redlands Online Trivia Night

Parents will have also received information about the upcoming Redlands Family Trivia Night. Details are below and this fun-filled family occasion was a big hit with our Redlands community last year and with lots of terrific prizes up for grabs again this year. we expect another hotly contested event.

Redlands Family Trivia Night
Sunday 15 August
5.30pm
via Zoom
Register HERE to Go for Gold!

Lucy Hill Library Update

A message from Librarian, Mrs Victoria Roberts

During this extended time at home, reading to a child, or together as a family, has never been more critical to strengthen those family bonds and to help your children feel loved and secure. Spending time together with a book can be that safe escape that your children might need now, even if it’s just for a few minutes. You know your child best and you’ll know the best times for your child to read and what to read with them. Please remember also that reading at home should first and foremost be pleasurable, not a chore. You want your child to love reading and being read to and to come back to school still enthused to keep reading. Provide books that relate to their interests, books that you love and can enthuse about and books that spark joy.

It is ironic though, that at the time that we most need books, they may be hard to find, as the school library is not open, and the public libraries may have reduced their services. It is worth checking whether your local public library is offering deliveries, Borrowbox or click and collect. It might also be the time to invest in some favourite series, some audiobooks, or a family serial from an online bookshop. Failing this, revisit some old favourites in your children’s bookshelves. Rereading favourites allows your child to avoid suspense or surprises and it is like visiting old friends.

The Premier’s Reading Challenge has been extended for an extra two weeks and will finish 3 September. If you would like to finish and you are having trouble locating books, there are some things you could do! Go online to the PRC booklists at online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/booklist/home.html and then as you look at the lists you will notice books you have at home, but maybe haven’t read for a while. I have sent a message via Seesaw to families listing books that are on Story Box Library that you could add to your reading log.

You might be interested to know that research by Literacy Trust in the UK has found some interesting reading outcomes because of the COVID-19 lockdowns. View the research here.

• Children are reading and enjoying reading more during lockdown.
• Children have turned to adventure, comedy, fantasy, and real-life stories during lockdown and have found joy in discovering books they’d never read before.
• Reading has also provided refuge in this difficult time, supporting children’s mental wellbeing, and enabling them to dream about the future.
• While the gender gap in children’s reading has widened during lockdown, audiobooks may provide a route into reading for boys.

Parent Tips for Remote Learning: Checking in with Your Child

 With your child engaged in remote school learning, they are likely to need your support and check-ins now more than ever, and often. Some simple ideas for parents to conduct check-ins during this time:

GOLDEN check-ins (an idea shared by Dr Arne Rubinstein) can work well for dinner timetable discussions. Make it part of your mealtime routine where each family member around the table shares their ‘GOLDEN’ thoughts, one at a time. Each person talks, and the rest just listen as we don’t correct our child or rescue them. 

You can use a talking object (spoon, or kitchen item) where only the person holding the object can speak. This helps to create a safe space to allow children to share what’s going on for them. (At the same time, don’t forget that we want to keep a sense of normalcy and set aside ‘no-COVID talk time’ at the dinner table!) Chat about other things. 

Discuss the ‘pits and peaks’ of your day. Acknowledge that we all have pits (low, challenging moments) and have peaks (highlights, achievements from the day). Share examples at mealtime. Learn from the pits and reflect on how you can turn them into a peak. A simple gratitude exercise for the whole family to participate in! 

Dr Arne Rubinstein, medical doctor, and adolescent wellbeing expert described us as caterpillars who have entered a ‘cocoon’. Of course, the ending to the story is that we will emerge as strong butterflies. How we live in the cocoon will impact on this transformation. Accept and make the most of your time in this situation, and you may emerge as a beautiful butterfly. As parents, it’s what you help create for your child that will make a difference to how they progress during this time.

Alessandro Digiacomo, one of or Junior Campus counsellors has put together a helpful short video for our Prep students and families to help you discuss moving Zoom Gloom to Zoom Bloom!

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

Prep/RH Upcoming Events

Redlands House and Transition Gold

We do hope all of the children and families are doing well during this time.

Thank you for all the lovely messages of support and positive feedback. The team are working hard to provide content and activities that engage and extend the children’s learning.  We know the children are missing seeing their teachers and friends, we certainly miss them too. Please let us know if we can assist you in any way, or if you have any special request for Storypark posts.

Transition Gold will begin using the Seesaw Platform for Remote Learning from Monday 9 August 2021.  Teachers will use the Seesaw Platform to post a daily timetable, lessons and activities and to give feedback to students. We are excited at the opportunities this creates during Remote Learning for students to take part in and share their learning. Students will be able to use the tools in the Seesaw Platform, for example the voice recording function, to communicate their questions, ideas and thinking with their teacher. We look forward to sharing more information about Seesaw with you at our parent TG Seesaw information session on Thursday 5 August at 5pm. 

Please do reach out to me or any of our counsellors if you or your children are feeling uneasy or finding the current situation difficult to cope with emotionally. Sometimes a chat and few strategies can help in getting back on track.

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

ISA Winter Sport 

Unfortunately due current COVID Lockdown and restrictions in place, the ISA Board of Directors have decided to cancel the rest of the 2021 ISA Winter Season. While this is a disappointing way to finish for our Yr 12 students, we understand the complexities surrounding completing the season in the current light. 

The Sports Department will shift their focus to more general challenges in the lead up to the Summer Season that will be uploaded to the iLearn Secondary School Sport – Assignment page (student access only) on Monday of each week (Starting Monday 9 August).

Students and parents are encouraged to enter the challenge as many times as they like remembering to follow the NSW Health Guidelines when completing any activity.

Upload your best attempts! There will be prizes for each challenge! 

Redlands Olympic Challenge

It is coming down to the wire! Dumolo have been leading the whole race, but slowly Roseby had been chipping away at them and on the final stretch that have taken the lead! Who will win the race? Have you done enough for your house! 

1. Roseby – 7006km (89.5% of the way) 
2. Dumolo – 6810km (87% of the way)
3. McDouall – 5825km (74% of the way)
4. Cowper – 3761km (48% of the way) 
5. Staff – 3041km (39% of the way)

Athletics 

We will be presenting the Age Champions, Runners Up as well as the Divisional Champions from the Athletics Carnival in the coming weeks! Stay tuned! In the meantime have a look through the wide range of photographs taken by Anthony Khoury Photography from the day 

Fitness

Zoom fitness sessions are great way to start your day and are on every morning. Students are encouraged to attend as many sessions as they wish, and we encourage all members of the same household to join in the sessions.

A reminder that students need to be:

• Online and ready to go prior to the zoom starting (please be online ready to go at 6:55am/3.25pm)
• If students are more than 10 minutes late they will not be admitted into the Zoom Session
• Zooms set to mute with cameras on (students who remain with their cameras off will not have the session counted towards their commitment)
• Have a water bottle 
• Have a gym towel 
• Please wear appropriate fitness attire (in line with mufti day attire ie: no singlets, appropriate length shorts)

ONLINE FITNESS TIMETABLE

‘Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always’

Robin Williams

Junior Sport

Junior School Sport

With the extended lockdown and more Term 3 sporting events in our IPSHA, HICES and CIS Calendar being cancelled or postponed, there is light at the end of the tunnel for sport. Last week via a Zoom meeting, the return of sport was discussed between all the Junior School Heads of Sport from over 40 schools. The discussion focused on the what a return to sport will look like and how can we make up for the lost opportunities that a ‘normal’ Term 3 would have provided us.

As we watch the Olympic Games on our televisions, there is discussion at the moment that focuses on how can the Olympic Committee evolve the Olympic Games with the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane. Having being involved in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games I am excited that our Junior School students will have the opportunity to experience a ‘real Olympics’ if they attend as a spectator, or even as a competitor. 

To provide further opportunites for phsical activity during this period of Remote Learning, Junior School Sport have found some great 30 day challenges and workouts for you to print off and put on your fridge to complete over the next few weeks – DEVICE FREE!

To view these please click here.

Redlands Homefit Workout Booklet – Updated 2 August

We have created a complete booklet for all our previous and upcoming workouts, which will be updated as we create more. You can save this document or print it off so you can tick each workout once you give it a go. Enjoy! To view this booklet please click here.

Olympic Wellbeing Bingo

The Junior School Sport department has also created and put together a series of activities that not only has some sporting elements to it but also includes crafts, challenges, family activities and much more. We invite you to complete as many of these as possible. To view these please select here

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

Snowsports

Snowsports Events

With the cancellation of all Interschool Snowsport Events, Thredbo and Perisher are still able to run competitions for individuals. Over the coming weeks there will be a number of events and competitions on offer to those residing in the Snowy Mountains.

On Monday 2 August, a number of students had the opportunity to enter the Thredbo Snow Series Ridercross event at Thredbo. We had a number of excellent results. Congratulations to:

Sienna Wessels – 4 – Female Junior Snowboard

Daisy Thomas – 5 – Female Junior Ski

Tylor Wessels – 9 – Male Junior Snowboard

Ava Keller – 14 – Female Grom Ski

Aidan Schlederer  – Male Grom Snowboard

Hamish Hopkins – Male Grom Ski

Important Dates

2022 Interschools Scholarships for APSI Level 1 Instructor Courses

The Australian Professional Snowsport Instructors Inc (APSI) offers Interschools Scholarships in recognition of the rising potential for Snowsport instructors within our schools.

The Interschools Scholarships recipients will receive one Level 1 course and exam package to attend an APSI Level 1 Instructors Course in 2022.

The Level 1 course and exam is the entry point to the Australian Instructor training pathway. No teaching experience is required, just good people skills, patience and a friendly personality. You will need to be competent in your chosen discipline (intermediate) – but not a star.

The Interschools Scholarship is offered to Australian students over 16 who has previously competed in the Interschools Championships.

Scholarships will be offered based on the applicant’s location. Applications close 31 August.

For more information and to apply, visit the APSI website.

Thredbo Race Club and Mountain Academy 

Thredbo Ski Racing Club and Thredbo Mountain Academy are taking expression of Interest for 2022. Please contact each club directly for more information.

Interschools

Interschools is a great place to find further information regarding all Snowsports events including the latest news and announcements on changes to events.

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

Remote Learning

Congratulations to all our wonderful Ballet and Dance students who are achieving so much during our time on Remote Learning.  Well done to everyone.

Introducing Class of the Week

As hard as this will be, each week we will choose a class that demonstrates a collective drive to learn and excel in practice while remote learning.

Congratulations to our first class:

RAD Advanced Foundation Tuesday 6- 7pm with Ms Kate

Contact Us

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us at dance@redlands.nsw.edu.au should you have any questions or concerns.

We also ask that you check our Ballet and Dance page on Redlands Pulse for updates. Please Click here to view page.

Thank you again for your continued support and understanding. 

Stay safe and keep well.

Ms. K Martin
Head of Redlands Ballet and Dance Academy
kmartin@redlands.nsw.edu.au

Drama and Theatre

Grease the Musical the Movie

“Well done producing and directing such a wonderful musical, and well done to all the staff and volunteers who made it happen so professionally. It was heart-warming to hear the students interviewed at the end and feel their camaraderie and joy.”

2021 Drama Competition

Due to COVID-19, The 2021 Drama Competition will be conducted entirely online. 

The Details

• You must email drama@redlands.nsw.edu.au or ssparke@redlands.nsw.edu.au to be added to the Drama Competition iLearn page. This is where you will find all relevant information, and submit your performance/s and application form.
• Performances can be either a solo, duologue or ensemble piece.
• If you choose to submit a duologue or ensemble piece you must film online using zoom gallery or another appropriate platform.
• Performances must be no more than 4 minutes in length.
• There will be no auditions. Instead, a selection of ‘finalist performances’ will be chosen. 
• Each submission must comprise of a video performance (mp4 format) and an Application Form. Both must be submitted via ‘Assignments’ on iLearn.
• All content/and or material must be appropriate and suited to the age of performers. If unsure, speak to a Drama teacher.
• House points will be awarded for each submission. 
• Prior to filming your piece, please watch the Filming your entry video located on iLearn under Modules as it provides tips for filming your performance. 
• The winners from each category will be awarded a medal and $50 theatre voucher 
• When filming your performance, you must film in landscape, not portrait.

Important Dates

• Submissions are open from Monday 26 July. 
• Submissions close on Friday 20 August, Week 6. 
• Judging will take place during Weeks 7 and 8 and the winners will be announced in Week 9. 

Judging

• A winner will be announced for the solo category and the group category (two or more performers). 
• Each performance will be judged on the following criteria:

Criteria 1 – Skills: Performance skills appropriate to the style or form
Criteria 2 – Interpretation: Stylistic interpretation of the chosen repertoire
Criteria 3 – Techniques: Demonstration of a solo and/or ensemble techniques
Criteria 4 – Presentation: The care taken with suitable dress/costume and appearance appropriate to the performance style

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

Music

Even in lockdown, Music remains a source of joy for many in our community! This week, our delightful Prep students sent us videos to show their industrious music-making while at home!

In curricular Prep Music classes, students embraced technology to simulate their usual Orff Schulwerk classroom percussion instruments! Congratulations to students, parents and teachers for managing these creative solutions to ensure the continuity of rich learning experiences through these weeks at home!

Learning Music from Home

As we are all now established and in our rhythm for the term, our Music Lessons, Classes and Ensembles will continue in the same pattern for the remainder of August. With varied community reactions to early morning Zoom sessions, we would like to remind all that the default for our weekly rehearsal provisions at this time remains through the upload of resources and video activities to the respective learning platforms (Seesaw, Google Classroom and iLearn) – released each week in time for the regularly timetabled session. Students are encouraged to maintain this rehearsal rhythm each week, and conductors will communicate directly with ensembles should they wish to schedule a Zoom session in support of the weekly resource upload. 

AMEB Examinations

In light of the current situation, Redlands is working with the Australian Music Examinations Board to make arrangements for our many students currently enrolled in the September / October examination sessions. The decision has been made to pivot all planned Face to Face examinations to the Video Upload format, though you will understand that the current situation is still providing variables for us as we seek to confirm our exact filming days. Please know we are advocating for our students to this end, and we will be in contact directly as soon as we receive advice from the Examinations Board.

As always, our belief in the value of examinations is in the structure and sequence they afford our students towards their broader learning and development goals as young players. At this time, parents are encouraged to direct their child’s focus towards learning and growth itself, helping your child keep the greater goals and aspirations in view, as they continue to work with their tutors via zoom to maximise their learning opportunities.

In spite of the challenges that 2020 threw our way, Redlands was honoured as one of the AMEB’s highest ranking (Top 10) performing Schools in NSW. We remain committed to securing these learning opportunities for our students again in 2021, and will be in touch with the relevant families in the near future.

Please reach out to juniormusic@redlands.nsw.edu.au if there anything further we can assist you with.

Senior Instrumental Competition

The Music Department extends its congratulations to the following students who auditioned, and were selected as finalists to perform in our Senior Instrumental Competition for 2021.

Division One

Etta Buggy-Axton (7)
Jet Gwilliam (8)
Audrey Nitschke (7)
Liam Petersen (8)
Chanel Wang (8)
Kevin Wang (7)

Division Two

Sabrina Blasco (10)
Jack Keogh (9)
Yumi Konetzny (9)
Hadley Wintle (10)

Division Three

Piper Allen (12)
Beatrix Blasco (12)
Eden Borrie (12)
Alex Kim (12)
Sophia Maxwell (11)
Zac Nisbet (11)

Redlands Composition Competition

A reminder that the Redlands Composition Competition is accepting submissions to the Music Department Auditions iLearn page until next Friday 13 August 2021.

The Teachers Guild of NSW

The Redlands Music Department celebrates the achievements of our Senior Campus Music Teacher, Mr Mathew Owen, who has been acknowledged as a finalist in the Teaching Excellence Awards for 2021.  This fitting accolade recognises Mathew’s evident passion and skill as a Music pedagogue, and exemplifies his determined pursuit of best practice, to the ultimate benefit of all his Redlands Music students.

Other Date Changes

Please keep your eye on the Music Events dates on Pulse in case of adjustments in the term ahead in light of our rapidly changing context.

Contact Us

As always, our administrative team remain ready to help you with any queries you have. Please don’t hesitate to reach out via seniormusic@redlands.nsw.edu.au or juniormusic@redlands.nsw.edu.au.

Kindest regards,

Amy Richardson
Director of Music P-12 (Acting)
seniormusic@redlands.nsw.edu.au 
9968 9820