Year 11
Congratulations to the Class of 2023!
A warm congratulations to the Class of 2023 for their induction into Yr 12 this week. Camp was the perfect opportunity for our Yr 11 students to bond together and undertake activities, which explored servant leadership through problem-solving, teamwork and mateship – key skills to have as a Yr 12 senior student. On the final night of camp, a special Yr 12 Induction Dinner took place, for students to celebrate their transition from Yr 11 into Yr 12. Students received their Yr 12 Jersey and used the dinner as an opportunity to reflect on their camp experience. It was incredibly pleasing to see Yr 12 embrace the camp experience and each other’s company throughout the week; particularly after three years of COVID-19 restrictions. Yr 12 also really valued their parents’ Words of Wisdom letter which all the students received on the final night of camp. Students felt motivated, inspired, determined and ready to tackle Yr 12 after reading their letter. A big thank you to all the Class of 2023 parents for taking the time to write these letters.
Monday’s Yr 12 Leadership Induction Assembly, formally inducted Yr 11 into Yr 12 with every student receiving their prefect tie and badges, a visual symbol of Yr 12 leadership. The assembly also formally inducted the 2023 Leadership team which included our induction of School Captains, House Captains and Captains of Activities.
Also this week, our Senior Leadership Team and Captains of Activities, participated in a Leadership Day with BurnBright which allowed our leaders to explore the characteristics of a leader, the different ways of leading others, and how each leader on the leadership team can use their strengths to further strengthen the school’s visions in 2023.
An exciting start to Yr 12 for our Class of 2023!
Below is a poem Dare to Be by Motivational Speaker and Author, Steve Maroboli which was read to students at the Yr 12 Induction Camp Dinner.
When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully.
When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light.
When there is injustice, dare to be the first to condemn it.
When something seems difficult, dare to do it anyway.
When life seems to beat you down, dare to fight back.
When there seems to be no hope, dare to find some.
When you’re feeling tired, dare to keep going.
When times are tough, dare to be tougher.
When love hurts you, dare to love again.
When someone is hurting, dare to help them heal.
When another is lost, dare to help them find the way.
When a friend falls, dare to be the first to extend a hand.
When you cross paths with another, dare to make them smile.
When you feel great, dare to help someone else feel great too.
When the day has ended, dare to feel as you’ve done your best.
Dare to be the best you can –
At all times, Dare to be.
Yr 11 Camp Reflections
Yr 11 had the most memorable and adventurous week last week at Yr 11 Camp. A big thank you to all the OEG staff who lead the students each day in their activities along with the following teachers: Ms Ellie Dalton, Mr Matthew Owen, Mr Alex Thomas, Mr Nathan Booth, Mr Chris Allen, Mr Yuji Okawa, Ms Alyssha Clarke, Mr Fabian Byrnes, Mr Jimmy Tod Hill, Mr Bevan De Vries, Ms Victoria Mukherjee, Ms Gen Comino and Ms Kirsten Phillips. Also a big thank you to Mr Eddy Atkins Ms El Martin and for all their organisation and assistance with Yr 11 Camp and to all the OEG Leaders who kept our students safe and well-equipped throughout the camp.
Below are student reflections from Yr 11 Camp:
From the moment my group met our horses, we knew that it would be an unforgettable experience. The horses were (mostly) amazing to be around and combined with the majestic views and the singing of certain group members, our two days with the horses were an easy highlight of the week. Our hike was (thankfully) very short, and was made even more so by the incredible speed with which we walked, resulting in us reaching our destination in a quarter of the expected time! This was easily my most memorable camp, which seems fitting as it was our final camp experience with Redlands. Our week was further improved by the fantastic guidance of Ms Comino, whose plethora of horse knowledge astounded us, and our wonderful OEG leader, Lala, who helped us to discover our own capacity for leadership. This week was such an incredible way for us to begin our final year of schooling, and I have nothing but gratitude for the teachers who helped to make it possible.
(Lily Hobbs – Horse Riding )
Pack Pedal Paddle Group 2 experienced an unforgettable adventure consisting of cold nights sleeping in tents, hiking up steep snowy mountains, waiting for one another when biking down mountains and trying our absolute hardest not to capsize the canoes during rafting. But through these exhausting yet delightful activities, our group was able to become closer as friends and strengthen our leadership skills such as teamwork, determination and diligence. A significant memory was the first night when we prepared dinner and laughed through terrible jokes, whilst also getting to know one another. Another highlight was on the last night when we played a game called Squeaky Clean which consisted of playing loud music and cleaning cooking utensils in a circle whilst also sharing some marshmallows. It was moments like these that taught us the importance of working together and trusting one another through times of need and growth. A huge thank you goes to Ms Mukherjee who had to put up with our loud discussions in tents at night. Ms Mukherjee was a very patient and outgoing camp teacher who helped us gain trust in ourselves through motivation. Another thank you goes to our camp leaders Leo and Vickie who were both so lovely and kind enough to put up with our shenanigans for five days. Yr 11 camp was an experience we will cherish forever and will remind us when entering Yr 12 of the value of leadership and sticking together.
(Maya Little Group 10 Pack, Paddle, Pedal)
A key highlight for me was that first night when as a group, we had to band together to fight off the possums. My strategy of screaming was not particularly effective, however, stomping our feet and chasing them off was. It was those early moments where, as a group, we had to help each other out setting up camp and cooking a surprisingly good butter chicken that is forever embedded in my memory. Another moment that stood out to me was when canoeing got cancelled, and we had to spend a few hours on the side of Lake Jindabyne waiting for a pick-up back to the High Country Campus. To pass the time, we did the Nutbush, Gangnam Style and held Wheelbarrow Races. Up until this point, our camp had been full of hiking, setting up and taking down tents, cooking and cleaning, so it was nice to spend some time as a group just having fun. Our camp would not have been as enjoyable without the help of Mr Byrne and his horror stories of previous camps, camping knowledge and life lessons. We learned a lot just by listening to him in the afternoons around camp. I’d also like to thank our camp leader Al, a true camping fanatic, who made approaching unfamiliar and sometimes scary obstacles, much less daunting. His humour and kindness really stood out. Overall, this camp was strange in that seemingly nothing went to plan, however, we still all had a great time enjoying each other’s company, fighting off possums, and dancing.
(Taylor Riddell – Horse riding)
Yr 11 camp was honestly one of the most memorable trips I have ever been on. Whilst being in Ski Group 2 was physically tiring, cresting the top of a snowy mountain and sinking into the snow surrounded by friends generated the most rewarding feeling. Yes, it was hard, but it was also worth it. The trip started at the bottom of Snowgum ski lift with a handful of students who rarely spoke to each other and ended with tired legs running to a café, grateful smiles sipping on hot chocolate and laughter about our shared experiences. I believe the most memorable part of being on the mountain with my group was the combined effort in building our huts and kitchens as they got knocked over by the fierce wind, and enjoying each other’s raw personality as we both struggled and helped each other make it across the snow with aching feet and heavy packs. The camp also wouldn’t have been possible or enjoyable without our wonderful camp leaders Ms Dalton, Halley and Michael! My deepest gratitude goes out to all of them! And to Ski Group 2, see you around!
(Elke Muller – Ski Group )
On the first Monday of term PPP 3, consisting of 7 boys lead by Mr De Vries embarked on a camp that won’t be forgotten easily. A key highlight included one of our group members seeing snow for the first time!! The excitement built as we hiked further up the mountain reaching a peak when he finally feels it, picks it up, throws it and the first words that come out of his mouth were “It’s just like the ice from the freezer”. Another highlight would be when we canoed back to base camp with all our bags and for a bit of fun, we decided to link canoes and create a large one which we traveled in for the rest of the canoe ride back. Finally, I wanted to thank Mr De Vries, Amanda and Nicole (Our OEG leaders) for putting up with us for the week and making sure no one got hurt, and I would also like to thank OEG itself, Mr Walker, Ms Martin and Mr Atkins for putting on a very memorable camp.
(Corey Twining – Pack, Paddle, Pedal)
Over the course of Week 1, my year group and I ventured to Jindabyne to participate in our final Secondary School camp. I was allocated to Group 12, where we were fortunate enough to take part in activities such as Bush Walking and Horse Riding. Funnily enough, however, my two most memorable moments from camp were oriented around the company and dynamic of my group, as opposed to the aforementioned activities themselves. My first highlight was from one of the final nights of camp, where everyone was huddled in a circle around our camp fire; marshmallows were being toasted on sticks, people’s damp shoes from the day were being dumped to dry next to the fire (which we soon came to realise was melting the soles of everyone’s shoes), memories were being exchanged and resonated with – and quickly disrupted by random games of ‘Snaps’ that would immediately derail the conversation – and we were all enjoying one another’s presence. My second highlight took place on the second day of camp during our bush walk; after stopping to make lunch – wraps – we sat down by a stream in the forest and ate as a group, taking in the environment around us, and laughing at the ingenuity of our group leader as she crushed up Jatz and put them into her wrap. The reason I enjoyed those two memories the most, was because I was able to relish in the bliss and company of others – that of my friends, my new friends, and my teacher and group leader (though they too, became our friends) – and the diverse, fun, and constantly high-spirited dynamic we had created for ourselves. So, on that note, I’d like to thank our Group Leader Liv and our Teacher Ms Philips, because without their enthusiasm and high morale, and their continued ability to grace us with their patience – even when we may not have deserved it – none of the memories made during our camp experience would have been possible.
(Claudia Lalich – Horse Riding)
In Group 3 our activity was Mountain Biking. On Monday we rode trails in Canberra and spent the night there and then rode more trails in Canberra on Tuesday. My personal highlight was riding down the Luge trail at Stromlo and watching everyone follow each other down the trail. From there we traveled to HCC in the afternoon and spent the rest of the week at HCC. Each day was highly challenging and made me learn a lot. The challenges of riding up the hill to go back down taught me that every time I put hard work in there is a reward for my efforts. Another key takeaway was that when we all worked together and cheered each other on without complaining, we started to move much quicker and covered more distance with less effort. Overall Yr 12 camp was such a fun experience and the connections I built with my friends in my camp group made it an extremely memorable experience. I am extremely thankful for Mr Booth, Mitch and Angus who made sure we weren’t completely lost during the week.
(Sam Chubb – Mountain Biking)
IB Geography Field Trip in the Thredbo River
IB Geography students had the opportunity to extend their stay at High Country Campus as part of their Field Trip which involved undertaking many experiments at Thredbo River. The photos below sum up their amazing weekend. Thank you to Mr Darren Taylor, Mr Richard Millham and Ms El Martin for all their assistance guiding and looking after the Geography students throughout the weekend field trip.
A Warm Welcome Back to Mr Warrell!
A warm welcome back to Mr Mike Warrell who will be taking 11 Dumolo Red for the remainder of Yr 12. His pastoral knowledge, care and compassion will be advantageous to his role as the Dumolo Red Tutor.
Yr 12 Privileges
It was made clear to all Yr 12 students at their Year Assembly on Wednesday that they are not to leave school at lunchtime until privileges are granted to all students. A Privilegesn Permissions document will go home in the coming weeks that will need to be signed by parents which will grant permission for their child to leave the school during lunchtime.
For HSC students who have dropped a subject, carefully planned study sessions have been provided to these students. Therefore, students who have dropped an HSC subject will not be able to arrive at school late or leave school early at any given point throughout Term 4. `With planned study sessions in place this term, this should improve the structure of students’ study time while they are at school and allow students to maximise their time wisely to complete revision and assessment tasks.
Competitive Debating Trials for 2023 – Deadline Approaching
Well done to the 80 students who have already signed up to trial for competitive Debating in 2023! They have appreciated the opportunity to have coaching and a flexible approach to trial dates.
Just a reminder, that all students in Years 7-11 who wish to be considered for competitive Debating at any time in 2023 need to trial this term. Trials at the start of next term will be for new students only.
The Cut off for Signing up is Wednesday 26 October
Students should let the Debating staff know, with as much notice as possible, if they are not able to attend a trial date for which they have signed up.
Further information about 2023 Debating Trials can be found here.
The sign-up form for Debating trials 2023 is here.
Please contact Mrs Rachel Beggs, Debating Coordinator and Aria McCarthy-Lochner, Head Coach Debating, with any queries.
Mr Nicholas Walker
Yr 11 Year Advisor
nwalker@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9909 3133
