There is no doubt that this term has been action packed, with a number of events rescheduled to the latter part of the year. As we look ahead to the many end of year celebrations next week, it has been wonderful to see students enjoying a variety of activities on campus.
My thanks to all staff involved in the STEAM Year 7 and 8 project days held earlier this week, during which Year 7 students investigated the topic ‘Powering A City Through Sustainable Energy’ and the Year 8 students tackled the theme ‘What Can We Do To Protect Our Coral Reefs?’ It was fantastic to note the involvement and leadership of the Year 11 students in the STEAM days and the collaboration of staff members across a range of academic disciplines involved.
We enjoyed welcoming Year 7 2021 students to the Senior Campus this week and it was great to hear the buzz of energy and anticipation as they embark on a new and exciting stage in their education. Year 10 students were involved in the day as Peer Support leaders and we look forward to the ongoing support that they will provide to the younger students next year. Staff were very positive about the feeling amongst the group, with strong messages on the day reinforcing School Values and the importance of inclusivity and valuing diversity.
There has been vociferous support and many laughs on campus as Year 10 students have run their Dodgeball competition as a fundraiser for Headspace, in support of promoting the importance of mental health and wellbeing. It has been clear that a few staff teams need to work on their technique and strategy!
My thanks to the RPFA Executive group for organising a thoughtful farewell afternoon tea for Deputy Principal, Sarah McGarry. Unfortunately, due to current circumstances, we had to keep the group small and gather off-campus; however, I know that Sarah greatly appreciated the RPFA farewell gesture and gift. We will farewell Sarah in style at our end of year events next week.
The official opening of the New Learning Hub tomorrow afternoon will provide a wonderful celebration of this most significant project and its positive impact on the learning environment of the Senior Campus. My thanks to all who have contributed to bringing this project to reality.
As we look ahead to Christmas and time with families and friends, I give thanks for our community’s support of Anglicare’s Toys ‘n’ Tucker program and the sale of Christmas cards designed by Preschool, Preparatory and Junior School students. Whilst in a very different format, it is also pleasing that we have been able to run year level Carols services on Thursday and Friday.
I look forward to celebrating what has been an extraordinary year at a number of year-end events next week and thank all members of the school community for your incredible support and encouragement during my first year as Principal at Redlands. It has been a memorable one!
Mr Stephen Webber
Photo caption: A beautiful scene from the Redlands Ballet & Dance Academy’s end of year production Dance on Film.
Foundation
Thank You for Your Ongoing Support
Thank you to all our Redlands families, Alumni and broader community who have so generously supported the School this year by giving up your time to participate in various initiatives and programs and by contributing to one of our tax deductible funds. This year, although very unusual, marks many important milestones – the highly anticipated opening of the New Learning Hub and awarding the Peter Lennox Scholarship.
Due to restrictions, many new initiatives were discovered and experienced:
Online Fun Family Trivia Night
Second hand uniforms via a newly designed website
Parent webinar via Zoom
Numerous videos
Speed Networking for Yrs 10-12
Special mentions and thanks to our groups of volunteers:
Foundation Advisory Committee members
RPFA Executive and Committee members, FOGs and Class / Year Parents
Redlanders Alumni Association Executive and Committee Members
Exams scribers
We are extremely grateful for your support, involvement and contributions. No matter how small or large, we appreciate every involvement!
Redlands Spirit of Christmas Cards – Closes Monday 30 November
Thank you very much to our families who have already purchased these wonderful Christmas Cards, showcasing students’ creativity, featuring artwork from our Junior and Preparatory School students. All proceeds will be donated to the Anglicare Toys ‘n’ Tucker Appeal. This cause can also be supported by gifts, please see the Chaplain section of this Note Day.
Cost: $25 for a pack of 10 or $40 for a pack of 20 and will are available for delivery now. Packages with cards and envelopes will be distributed via students or posted, once a postage option is selected.
International Chapter Meetings
In recent weeks, we have connected with Redlanders in the UK and Europe, and the USA and Canada at our inaugural Redlands Chapter Meetings via Zoom. Welcoming Alumni from all ages and life stages, these events were positive, fun and very well received, with Redlanders sharing and exchanging stories and hearing updates from their School. We look forward to hosting more of these events in the coming months, connecting with our international Alumni.
Wishing all our community a safe and enjoyable Christmas and Summer Holiday and we look forward to seeing you in 2021.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank a special group of people who work very hard on behalf of all of us to make things happen and facilitate communication in what has been a very challenging year. I am sure you have all benefited from that person who you can ring that always seems to know what is exactly going on or who can find out for you! Sometimes it is a tireless task and just seems to happen, but the role is a little bit like a duck paddling, lots going on down below! So thank you to all those parents and carers who put in a huge effort for all of us to just make things easier. On behalf of the RPFA, the Foundation and the School Executive, our heartfelt thanks.
Secondary School Year Reps 2021
This takes us to next year. We need to make sure that we have this group of people in place so we can get started in 2021. This opportunity is open to everyone – if you ever thought you would like to get involved in the school here is a great opportunity for you.
Just as a way of explanation for those who are unfamiliar, the key purpose of the Parent Contact Group (PCG) is to welcome parents into the Redlands community, assist with providing opportunities for parents to contribute to the school and help build a strong and positive Redlands community. We do this in a variety of ways such as organising social events for our relevant Year Groups, channelling parents’ concerns to the appropriate persons/bodies and facilitating communication between the RPFA and the parent body. The rep role is not onerous, for example, PCG meetings are held only once a term (hopefully in person again next year), and each Year Group should have four reps. We do like to have a mixture of experience, so previous year reps are welcome to volunteer again and new ones are very welcome – in this way, knowledge is passed on and new ideas sought.
So how do you put your hand up? All we ask is for you to click on this Trybooking link and nominate the year which you would like to represent.
If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me on RPFAPresident@redlands.nsw.edu.au or Emma Reid (the Coordinator for the Secondary School PCG) on 0411 693 545 or ejreid@me.com. The deadline for replying is 11 December.
Junior School and Prep School Class Reps 2021
We will be in contact with you at the beginning of next year once we know which classes each student is in.
Have a great break and I look forward to seeing you in the New Year.
Second Hand Book Sale
On Monday 30 November (Week 8), Secondary School students will be able to bring in their used textbooks for sale or donation and buy current edition textbooks for 2021 at the Gerard St entrance. Students currently in Yr 6 can also purchase second hand textbooks for next year by handing in their order forms at the Junior School Office in the morning, and collect their books the same afternoon from the Junior School Office.
Current edition textbooks will be sold to others within the Redlands community. Previous editions no longer used at Redlands will be donated to other communities who will welcome and use them. Transactions will be non-cash, with the net balance recorded on your school accounts next year.
Through this sale, the RPFA aims to reduce paper wastage for environmental benefit, keep the costs of textbooks down for families and donate disused texts to charitable organisations who distribute them to communities that will continue to benefit from them.
We have four more walks planned before the end of 2020.
Date
Walk
Meeting Point
Wednesday 2 December
Seaforth
Roundabout in Seaforth at the junction of Sydney Road and Frenchs Forest Road
Wednesday 9 December
Kirribilli to Barangaroo
Bottom of the stairs up to the pedestrian walk over the Harbour Bridge, Kirribilli side
Wednesday 16 December
Little Manly to North Head
Little Manly Beach
Wednesday 23 December
Christmas walk in Balmoral – wear Christmas gear!
Balmoral Boatshed
For more information, please contact Ann Marie Kimber on 0406691533 or amkimber@gmail.com.
Book Club
The next Redlands Book Club will be held on Friday 4 December to discuss Kate Grenville’s A Room Made of Leaves – a fictional account of our early colonial days featuring Elizabeth Macarthur. Please contact Lerida Grant for more details on lerida@bigpond.net.au.
Save the Date
We hope to continue our annual tradition of Twilight Cocktails to welcome the start of the new school year, to welcome new families and welcome back current ones. Please save 19 February 2021 in your diaries!
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
Head of Secondary School
Sprint Finish
I have remarked to a number of staff over the past week that I have been truly astounded and overjoyed to see all of the “good stuff” that has been happening in the Secondary School over the course of this term and especially over the past week. I am aware that in some schools at this time of the year, there is a “wind down” as students begin to coast into the summer holidays. However, that is certainly not the case at Redlands as over the past week alone we have seen the stirring conclusion of the Yr 9 Midawarr cultural immersion program; Yrs 7 and 8 STEAM project-based learning days; Yr 10 organised dodgeball fundraisers at lunch to raise money for Headspace and awareness for mental health issues; Ballet and Dance final performances filmed in Redlands Hall; our final Yr 11 student-led assembly for the term; the Yr 7 2021 Orientation for new students to the Secondary School next year; Yr 7 performances for the Bougainvillea Retirement Village; Rock in the Quad with bands performing at lunchtime; and tomorrow our Christmas services for each Year Group. While I think we will all enjoy a break after the busyness of Term 4, I know that our students are having many varied and fulfilling educational experiences to conclude what has been a challenging year.
Yr 9 Midawarr Program
Last Friday the Yr 9 Midawarr indigenous cultural immersion program came to a stirring and moving conclusion with a closing ceremony on Friday afternoon. Our students participated in a remote Bungul, led by members of the Yonglu community via Zoom in Arnhem Land and then “gave back” to the Yolngu community to thank them for the week with our own performances and reflections. I was struck by the personal reflections of our students where they shared how much of an impact the week had on them. The week finished with a crying song performed by one of the elders of the Yolngu community which allowed all of us one last opportunity to reflect on the powerful and profound experience we had all shared together.
Yrs 7 and 8 STEAM Projects
On Monday and Tuesday this week, Yrs 7 and 8 had two full days where they participated in this year’s STEAM Projects in their Tutor Groups. These STEAM days were cross-disciplinary, collaborative opportunities for students to engage in a solution fluency model where they worked through specific steps to develop possible solutions to real world problems. Yr 7 students used Minecraft to explore how they would create and power a city using sustainable energy sources. They were also assisted by Yr 11 students in their projects over the two days. Yr 8 students tackled the dilemma of what we can do to protect our coral reefs and developed video presentations to pitch their solutions. I was so impressed by the engagement, collaboration, problem solving and creative thinking skills on display from our students last week and would like to thank all of the teachers who worked to organise these projects, in particular Ms Duckworth, Mr Kuilenberg and Ms Nastase.
Ballet and Dance Concert
While disappointed we have not been able to hold our annual Ballet and Dance Concert at the Concourse in Chatswood this term, it was been wonderful to see our dancers performing throughout the week in a transformed Redlands Hall. Congratulations to all of our dancers for their perseverance throughout this year, and we look forward to seeing the final video of this concert when it is released shortly.
Gala Arts
Like many events, Gala Arts has been quite different this year, and while we were disappointed to not be able to have these performances at The Concourse in Term 2, we were thrilled to be able to film all of the finalists’ performances at the end of last term. We are pleased to now be able to release the final video of the Gala Arts performances here (Password: Gala), and the winners of each category, as well as the overall individual winner and House winner, will be announced on Speech Night.
Yr 7 2021 Orientation
Yesterday the Senior Campus was buzzing with excitement and energy as our incoming Yr 7 students for 2021 had their Orientation Day. Students were in their Tutor Groups for the day and enjoyed a variety of activities including pastoral games, sports opportunities, campus tours and demonstration lessons in a number of different academic disciplines. It was wonderful to see how next year’s Yr 11 student Peer Support leaders, as well as many of our new Yr 12 student leaders, so positively engaged and interacted with our incoming Yr 7 students.
Speech Night
Wednesday 2 December is a pupil free day at the Secondary School; however, Speech Night is compulsory for all Secondary School students in Yrs 7-11 that evening as we celebrate prize winners, enjoy the talents of our performers and come together as a school community of students and staff for the first time since March. Information has been sent home over the past few days so please read this carefully to confirm specific arrangements.
Second Hand Book Sale: Monday 30 November
On Monday 30 November, we will hold a second hand book sale in the Secondary School for students to sell their used current edition textbooks and to buy second hand books for next year. Students will also be able to donate recent textbooks no longer in circulation at Redlands. These will be distributed through Lifeline to NSW communities who will continue to derive value from them. This initiative was sparked by a growing interest among parents and students to reduce waste, consider the ways we can positively impact our community and offset financial expenditure for families. More details can be found here.
Tutor Meetings 2021: Wednesday 27 January
We will once again commence the new school year with Tutor meetings in 2021. Please note that the first day of school for returning students is Wednesday 27 January and all students are expected to have a meeting with their Tutor on that day. We would like parents to attend this meeting, as well, so that they can collaboratively reflect on the previous year, as well as develop goals and strategies for the year ahead. We are determining whether or not these meetings will be held in person as in previous years, online via Zoom meetings or a hybrid approach, and we will communicate further information about these meetings and the sign-up process for these early next year.
Blazers
The Uniform Shop will be open on Thursday 3 December from 9.00am to 3.00pm to take blazers for embroidery of pockets and half colours. Please ensure that all pockets are emptied, all badges removed and the blazer is clearly labelled with student’s name visible. All blazers dropped in will require the relevant certificate of the award. Students will require blazers for Speech Night on Wednesday 2 December. Blazers can be collected from the Uniform Shop from Monday 18 January 2021.
Staffing Updates
With the conclusion of the academic year fast approaching, I would like to update you on some staffing changes for next year in the Secondary School. As recently announced by Mr Webber, with Mr Tom Kindred moving to the Head of Sport and PDHPE role at Oxley College in the Southern Highlands next year, we are excited to welcome Ms Alison Cox from Barker College as our new Head of Secondary School Sport commencing in 2021.
Also, our current Subject Coordinator of Christian Studies, Mr James Clanfield, will be taking up a position leading Yr 9 academic and pastoral programs at the Scots College’s outdoor education facility at Glengarry. We are pleased to announce that Ms Rachel Wilson will be stepping into the role of Subject Coordinator of Christian Studies for 2021. Accordingly, Ms Jessica Howard will be taking on the Acting Assistant Yr 12 Year Advisor role for the first two terms of 2021.
In addition, we are pleased to announce that Ms Emma Rothwell will be joining the English Department next year to take Ms Wilson’s English classes. Ms Rothwell has recently been working as a casual teacher in the Secondary School and has vast experience teaching English at independent schools in Sydney.
Computing Teacher and Assistant Subject Coordinator of Innovative Design, Helena Niranjan, will be leaving Redlands at the end of this year to take on a leadership position at Trinity Grammar School. We are currently advertising to fill this role for next year.
Dr Amanda Michels will be returning to the Maths Department after her one year sabbatical at UNSW this year, and we thank Ms Brigida Nocera for her efforts this year in an acting Maths teacher position.
Ms Saralie Pincini recently finished up in her support role for the Learning Plus Department, and we thank her for her contributions across many areas of the school during her time at Redlands.
In addition, after almost ten years of providing tireless support for students, staff and parents in the Secondary School Office, Ms Vivienne Hoile will be resigning from this position at the end of this year. I know many of you join me in thanking Vivienne for her dedication to Redlands during her time at the school. We are currently advertising for both of these positions.
Furthermore, with Ms Amy Richardson continuing in her role as Head of Music on the Junior Campus next year, we are pleased to announce Mr David Linehan as the new Head of McDouall House.
Finally, I would like to personally thank Deputy Principal, Ms Sarah McGarry, for everything she has done for Redlands during her time at the school and especially for the support she has provided me. Our loss is Frensham’s gain and I know I have large shoes to fill following her in the Deputy Principal role. However, I am excited to welcome Ms Gemma Van de Peer as Head of Secondary School commencing in 2021 and look forward to working closely with her in this role.
Happy Holidays
As this is my last Note Day as Head of Secondary School before moving to the role of Deputy Principal next year, I would just like to express my gratitude and appreciation to you, the parent community, for all of your efforts and support during my four years in this role. Over these past four years, I have seen the partnership between the School and home grow stronger as we all remain committed to best nurturing the young people under our care. Despite all of the challenges that we have faced in 2020, this year I have seen that partnership truly come to the fore. I wish departing families all the best on the next stage of their schooling journeys and look forward to welcoming new families to Redlands next year. While this year’s Speech Night for parents on Wednesday 2 December will be virtual, and I will not be able to see you in person, I wish you a safe, relaxing, joyous and family-filled holiday season and hope to see you in person back on campus at various events next year.
Careers
Study in the UK Webinar and Student Panel Discussion
The University of St Andrews in Scotland and Imperial College London, two of the most prestigious universities in the UK, are holding two sessions for any students and their parents thinking of studying in the UK. The first is a student panel discussion and Q&A on Tuesday 1 December at 7.00pm Sydney time, followed by a Study in the UK presentation on Thursday 3 December at 7.00pm Sydney time. Links to register here and here.
Information Days at Universities in NSW
Most universities will be open to Yr 12 students on Saturday 19 December so that students can actually visit the campus, discuss any last minute questions with faculty before the change of preference closes. Friends and family are also welcome to campus. Go to the university website that you are interested in for more details.
TAFE NSW Infofest
Students can engage digitally and face-to-face (selected campuses) to discuss the hundreds of courses on offer, skills needed to launch careers and more. There are two options available, from 7-11 December and 18-22 January 2021. Register here.
Defence Work Experience Program
Students aged 15 years and over who have an interest in a defence career can gain valuable experience about job roles available in the Defence Force and public service. Programs are Australia-wide. For more information please email: nnsw.workexperienceprogram@defence.gov.au
Ms Simone Salier
Tertiary Education and Careers Advisor
ssalier@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9867
Chaplain
Jesus is for everyone. This concept has been echoed by a number of students who have prepared talks for the Christmas Services for Friday. They have picked up on the announcement of Jesus’ birth being given to the rustic, common shepherds and the elite, wealthy Magi. The angel announced Jesus’ birth saying, ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy for all people’. (Luke 2:10)
This news for everyone is important in our School and so in Christian Studies and Chapels, students are given insight into the good news and its impact on the world. We also have two groups, TGIF in the Junior School and CRU in the Secondary School, where students gather as a cocurricular club where students explore faith and the bible together. There are interesting activities, discussions, prayer times and opportunity for questions.
Last Friday was an exciting day as a group of Yr 12 (2021) who are part of CRU visited the Junior Campus to run the TGIF group. They explored the challenging text: ‘Jesus said, I am the way the truth and the life, no one come to the Father except through me.’ John 14:6
There was a puzzle, games, craft and discussion as students shared the questions and ideas that the text brought to mind.
This was the first combined time for these groups and it was met with such enthusiasm that the students have asked to do this next year on a termly basis.
This is a wonderful time to see students encourage students, have discussions about life, faith and trusting Jesus. It captures the vertical networking we encourage among students and fosters confidence and leadership as younger students look forward to when they can be the leaders.
Toys ‘n’ Tucker
This is a final reminder that donations for Toys ’n’ Tucker are welcomed and needed.
Yrs 7-9 are bringing in food stuffs.
Yr 10 can contribute as well but first need to support the specialised collections for youth experiencing homelessness.
Yr 11 are reminded that they can give money (details below) to support Matthew Talbot.
Account Name: SCECGS Redlands Limited
ABN: 96 001 336 269
BSB: 032197; Account: 810408
Bank: Westpac Banking Corporation
Branch: Military Road, Neutral Bay, NSW 2089
Swift Code: WPAC AU2S
IBAN: Not needed in Australia
Bank code/Sort code: Refer to BSB
Please ensure that “Matthew Talbot” is quoted in your transfer details.
May God bless you all this Christmas as you celebrate with family, may you know the joy of his birth offered to all people,
Congratulations to Yr 10 students Sophia Maxwell, Jack Murray and Dasha Sychova for organising the Headspace Dodgeball Competition this week. Staff and students have participated enthusiastically, once again displaying their generosity and strong sense of community.
Each year, Headspace helps thousands of young people access vital support through Headspace centres in 124 communities across Australia. From online and phone counselling services, vocational services, and presence in the school, Headspace can help young people with mental health, physical health alcohol and other drug services, to work and study support. A very worthy cause!
The finals will be held at Senior and Junior lunchtime this week. There might also be a guest appearance from some executive heavy hitters.
Students commencing at Redlands in 2021 will need to make an appointment for a uniform fitting before Monday 7 December. We highly recommend an appointment is made this term due to our current restrictions limiting the number of customers permitted in the Uniform Shop. Further dates for January will be released on 7 December.
Alternatively, if you know the sizes you require, orders may be placed online at www.flexischools.com.au and can be collected from the Uniform Shop.
A reminder for Yr 6 boys moving into Secondary School next year that white short sleeve shirts are required to be worn. With boys now having the option of wearing shorts in Secondary School, they may continue to wear their grey shorts from Junior school in Term 1 next year.
Blazer Embroidery
Students who need to have their pockets embroidered may drop their blazer to the Uniform Shop on Thursday 3 December between 8.00am-4.00pm following Speech Day on Wednesday.
As the year draws to a close, I would like to wish our Yr 11 students and families a very happy and relaxing summer holiday. Our students have had a marvellous year of many and varied achievements despite the COVID-19 climate. It has been a pleasure to read students’ academic reports and gauge their progress across many disciplines. It is hard to believe that very soon, in the new year, we will be welcoming students back as the new Redlands Yr 12 2021 cohort. I hope you all find time for well-deserved rest, rejuvenation and fun with family and friends.
To mark the end of the year, Yr 11 will enjoy a pizza lunch this Friday 27 November. This will be an opportunity for us to connect over lunch as a Year Group in the new rooftop garden of the Learning Hub.
Speech Night
Next Wednesday 2 December we will join together to recognise students’ achievements at the Redlands Secondary School Speech Night at the Big Top, Luna Park. This is a compulsory school event. Please can I ask for your support and request that you reiterate our expectations for behaviour at this important formal event. Students will be reminded at our Form Assembly of the importance of this occasion and the School’s expectations for dress and grooming. Students are advised to be attentive, to refrain from chatting and of course, not to use mobile phones during the event. Thank you for your support to ensure that students behave appropriately so that we can celebrate the achievements of our exceptional new Yr 12 cohort. Further details about Speech Night will be communicated by the Head of Secondary School, Mr Corcoran in a letter to parents.
Lauren Wong and Tom Huizenga
School Wide Leaders Assembly
Scarlett Keay performing at the School Wide Leaders Assembly
Year 7 2021 Orientation Day
Ms Sarah Matthews
Yr 11 Advisor
smatthews@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9908 6494
Year 10
We have arrived at the last Note Day of 2020 and what a year it has been! Yr 10 students have faced many ups and downs this year but have remained strong and are all maturing into amazing young adults. It has been a privilege to spend time getting to know them further this year, and I look forward to catching up with them all at the start of Yr 11. I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and hope that you get to spend some quality and relaxing time with your families.
Dodgeball Competition
This week Yr 10 students Sophia Maxwell, Jack Murray and Dasha Sychova organised a dodgeball event across all Year Groups, with representative teams also from various teaching departments. The participation fee of $5 per player has raised money for the organisation Headspace, which aims to help thousands of young people with mental health, physical health, alcohol and other drug services, and work and study support. Research shows that more than 75% of mental health issues develop before a person turns 25. Headspace focuses on early intervention, to help young people get back on track and strengthen their ability to manage their mental health in the future.
Jack, Sophia and Dasha have a passion for raising awareness of the mental wellbeing of young people and they have done an incredible job organising and running the dodgeball competition this week, closely supported by their friends and peers in Yr 10.
Camp Report by Charlotte Harman
Yr 10 camp this year took place in the beautiful Myall Lakes, where groups rode, walked and canoed from campsite to campsite. Camp is a unique experience because it’s the only context in which many of us would go camping and spend a week with people who may not be our closest friends. The camp groups were mainly organised by Tutor Groups, and I found some of the greatest memories I have from camp were from getting to know more about people who I’ve sat in a classroom for 30 minutes every day for four years now. Attending the Tutor “Emmy Awards” and standing around the wok trying to swallow down the rest of the food to reduce our rubbish were just some of the random experiences we all shared, which would never have happened had we just stayed in Sydney.
Camp was also a great way to reset after the stress of yearlies and to disconnect with technology. Nearly everyone in my group said they’d like to go on their phone less when we got back home, and even though I’m not sure everyone carried through with it, it served as a reminder for how many other things we can do without technology. Walking through the bush and sleeping in lake-side campsites was beautiful. In particular, the afternoons which spilled into dusk, swimming in the lake and sitting on sleeping mats by the water just watching the tranquillity around us. It was incredible to see so many different wildlife, such as the black swans, an eagle while canoeing and a lone dingo on the walking track.
The biggest challenges of camp were being pushed out of our comfort zones, hiking up to 20 kilometres a day with our packs, sleeping in tents and living without the comforts of home we take for granted. However, everyone managed to overcome the blisters and lack of sleep to finish the week, and the elation was palpable as we finally got on the bus back to school on Friday morning.
My advice to the younger years going into camp next year is to embrace the experience. Although it may be hard in the moment, the memories and bonds that form with others are so worth it. Also remember to bring blister band-aids and thick socks!
Lucienne Willis will sadly be leaving our Yr 9 Pastoral team to undertake an exciting new role as the Assistant Year Advisor for next year’s Yr 7 (Class of 2025). I would like to extend my gratitude on behalf of the Yr 9 Pastoral team and Yr 9 cohort to thank Lucienne for all her hard work and commitment to her 9MG Tutor Group. We wish Lucienne the best of luck with her new role.
Monday Pizza Lunch
Next Monday 30 December at lunchtime, Yr 9 students will be receiving a free pizza lunch to celebrate making it through such a chaotic and unpredictable year. The pizza lunch will also allow our Yr 9 students to come together as a Year Group and connect and reflect on the year that’s been.
Toys ‘N’ Tucker
Toys ‘n’ Tucker is an initiative run by Anglicare Sydney who provides non-perishable food and new children’s toys for those families who unfortunately go without at Christmas. It would be great to see all of Yr 9 bring in a non-perishable food item and/or new toys for children over the next week, before the conclusion of school.
Yr 9 Midawarr Camp
The Midawarr Camp exceeded all expectations and it was clear that students found a strong connection to Country.
On behalf of Yr 9, a big thank you to the following people who made the Midawarr camp such a success:
Janusz Hooker, Justin Porter, Emily Alexander and the Culture College team for taking the time to educate our Yr 9’s to truly feel connected to Country.
The Yolngu mentors who connected with our Yr 9 students via Zoom each day – Eunice, Troy, Ali, Japardy, Bernadette, Bruce, Nelita, Robyn, Ruth, Sharmane, Jalinda and Michael.
The Guwarra and Koomurri people for all their incredible, immersive activities which connected our Yr 9’s to Country.
Ms Marita Jansons for her support throughout the Camp and the creative direction given for this afternoons ‘give back’ performances.
All the Yr 9 Tutors who immersed themselves last week with their Yr 9 Tutor Groups.
Mr Darren Kuilenberg and Ms Katharine Boase for all their assistance with the Yr 9 ‘Give Back’ performances.
Ms Rachael Riley and Mr Jon Gray for all their tireless assistance with organising the Midawarr Camp and getting it off the ground.
Mr Stephen Webber and Mr Sean Corcoran for their endless support of the Midawarr Camp.
Ms Eleanor Martin for all her hard work and dedication behind the scenes to get last week underway, particularly with last Friday afternoon’s ‘Give Back’ performances.
Students ‘Give Back’ to the Yolngu people in North-Eastern Arnhem Land
On Friday afternoon, Yr 9 were involved with a ‘Give Back’ performance to the Yolngu people which was broadcasted directly to north-eastern Arnhem Land. The quality of the performances was exceptional and I would like to thank the following students for their involvement with these performances:
Phoebe Barnett, Ellyce Evans-Beard, Poppy Justice, Elena Parker and Jacob Rieser for their incredibly moving performance of the Redlands School song. The first verse was sung in Yolngu language which was technically very difficult to sing.
Sam Chubb, Jack Lazzarotto, Mitch Turner and Oscar Whatmough for their performance Doxy composed by Sonny Rollins.
Koko Sawa who did a moving performance on the Merimbula performing the Cricket Sang and Set the Sun, composed by Blake Tyson.
Bronte Backhouse and Avalon Thomas for their entertaining and engaging dance to Seize the Day from Newsies: The Broadway Musical.
Sabrina Blascoe for her engaging performance on the violin of Concerto in C Major, composed by Joseph Schubert.
Dan Close, Lucy Horton, Sarah Kumpulainen and Finn Woodward for their genuine Midawarr reflections, which were read between each of the ‘Give Back’ performances. Their reflections can be read below.
Sarah Kumpelainen
Wow. I don’t think that words can describe how much of a blessing this experience has been to the Yr 9 cohort. I’m sure that many of us feel incredibly privileged to have gained so much more insight into Indigenous culture, identity and knowledge.
Personally, I have really enjoyed learning about how Indigenous people view Country in such an interconnected way. A way in which everything links together and supports each other to create harmony or this notion of perfect balance. I originally thought Country was just a word that means ‘place’ but now I understand that it is far more than that. We’ve learnt that Country is all about relationships – profound spiritual connections with the land, our ancestors, family, community and livelihoods that Indigenous people have had since time began. I’m inspired by the level of respect Indigenous people have for all these aspects of life and the way that they continue to love Country.
This experience has encouraged me to believe that genuine reconciliation can happen in Australia if we establish a firm foundation of understanding others, exchanging valuable knowledge with each other and making sure Indigenous voices continue to be heard.
Thank you to the Yolngu people for welcoming us into your Country and your lives. Thank you for providing us with a glimpse into just how rich and beautiful Indigenous culture is and being so willing to answer all of our questions. In particular, I would like to thank Eunice for her warmth and kindness to McDouall Green (the Miyapunu group) and the wisdom she shared with us. Thank you to the Indigenous people who joined us on campus, your stories have opened and strengthened our hearts and minds. Thank you to the leaders from Culture College for making this process of engaging with an unfamiliar yet precious culture much easier to comprehend and to remember. And last but not least…thank you to all the teachers for your consistent effort in organising everything behind the scenes so that each student could get the most out of these last four days.
Lucy Horton – Baḏarratjun
For the topic of my spoken word, I needed something universal. Something so broadly felt; unbounded by language nor lineage – If you will, a traversal Straight through this culture of divide we’ve made: “us vs them”, “left vs right”, “balanda vs Yolngu” I needed something that affects us all, be it in different degrees and different ways.
Baḏarratjun
This is a word from a small place with an ancient history. But it’s a feeling we’ve all felt before; a twinge of pain in an injured spot. It’s this twinge we feel when someone asks: “What’s wrong?” Within ourselves, within our community, within the systems of the world. Some say it’s a mere mechanism of the brain: Pain receptors and parietal lobes, but By that, you would refrain From saying it’s a visceral kind of strain. Something that exposes, something that constrains. But maybe something that unifies.
I can not begin to understand the pain of your past – and of your present. With humility and respect, I say that I Am a stranger to this conversation A conversation that lasts longer than a single generation One that spans further than our nation A conversation that’s taller than our CBD spires, And broader than the desert of middle Australia.
I’ve heard so many people ask what’s the answer to pain? I think the problem lies in our tendency to contain So how do we satisfy this yearning, how do we soothe that graze? We learn, we listen, we yarn, we reconnect that fission That twinge of pain can’t be solved, but it can be shared. And that’s our mission.
Finn Woodward
Coming into this week I was very aware of the dark history that our two cultures shared. I was scared that because I am of European descent, I would insult or be rude to the Yolngu people by trying to learn their way of life and I was definitely not expecting the welcoming attitude that the Yolngu people showed us.
From a white person’s perspective, I have always assumed that Indigenous people would harbour a lot of resentment towards white Australians due to the horrific actions that we committed in the past, but this experience has taught me how entirely wrong I was.
During this week, the Yolngu people have embraced my peers and me, and have taught us all that Australians who were born on this land immediately have a sacred connection to it. I have learnt that we are all a part of one culture, and regardless of the colour of one’s skin, we all share the same mother, Mother Earth. This week has been extremely helpful in revealing this concept to me and has challenged me, and I am sure my peers, to think more critically about how we as a people in Australia interact with one another and this country, and how our generation can listen, learn, and understand, allowing us to truly achieve the meaning of reconciliation.
I would like to acknowledge the Yolngu People’s generosity in giving us this time and for sharing their wisdom. It will stay with me.
Dan Close
Ngarra yaku Dan. I am a dhuwa in the Miyapunu group. I write this reflection moved and deeply changed by this week’s activities and learning. It all started in the undercroft in what seems like 1000 years ago: Tuesday. After arriving at school, we all argued about which colour t-shirt was the best. Words like ‘yours are so much better than mine’, ‘bull’s eye’ and ‘I swear this is a medium!’ floated around, all of us blissfully ignorant about the valuable, fun and immersive experience we were about to have. Us then are completely different people to us now. Gurruthu is kinship in Yolngu Matha. This family-like connection that indigenous people have with each other and Country stuck out to me above everything else. In Western culture, we have a tendency to forget about our fellow man and woman and prioritise ourselves above other human beings. The message that the Yolngu people, shout out to Eunice, gave us was that all people are actually human beings and we should treat each other like family. My group, Miyapunu, talked about this in-depth. We were asked, ‘what does family mean to you?’. As we went around the circle, we all came to realise the importance of a mutual, unconditional love for each other that transcends our own differences. This was extremely impactful to all of us, and we all became closer as a result of this knowledge. Kinship and love is an extremely valuable message, especially in a year like 2020. So thank you to our Yolngu wawa and yapa, brothers and sisters for letting us into your Country and sharing your invaluable knowledge. ‘I know everything’, says Eunice. We have barely scratched the surface, however, we are still deeply changed. Thank you for this mangmak adventure. Thank you for sharing your culture. Thank you.
For blazer embroidery, please ensure you check the Uniform page for details prior to term break.
All Yr 8 Electives remain the same into Yr 9. Please check the Yr 8 and Yr 9 Curriculum Handbooks for further details on the Redlands Pulse Year Group pages.
Yr 8 students engaged in a two day STEAM initiative where they ultimately needed to follow the Solution Fluency Model engaging in Discovery, Design and Delivery around a specific aspect of saving the coral reefs: climate change, human impact or over-fishing. The presentations evidenced further development of their videography skills, insightful use of data, scientific research and graphs as well as referencing sources and most importantly, creativity.
Yr 8 Science Symposium
Every year our Yrs 8 and 10 students do a Student Research Project (SRP.) This is done in groups in Yr 8 and individually in Yr 10. The weeks of work culminate in a Science Symposium which is held in Redlands Hall with the whole Year Group present. The poster summaries of the SRPs are displayed in the hall. On the day, we hear from a guest speaker/presenter and the best projects are judged by a panel, and prizes awarded.
This year, the Yr 8 Science Symposium took place last Thursday. The projects were absolutely incredible this year and the judges had a very hard time determining a winner. The winners shown below were marked on best communication/presentation, most impressive scientific methodology, most original idea and overall winner.
We especially thank Simone Bryant, Sarah Harrison and the entire Science Department for their efforts in this event.
Congratulations to: Sierra Allen, Ahnu Guan, Thomas Jackson, Andrew Kinghorn, Emilie Leroux, Sholto Mirrlees-Black, Jack Petering, Olivia Salmond, Mia Travers, Johnny Wang, Jocelyn Wang and Charli Waterland.
Friday Pizza Lunch Celebration
As a way to celebrate the end of the year, each Year Group is organising a pizza lunch for the entire cohort. For Yr 8, this lunch is on Friday. A variety of pizza will be ordered for students. Students will not need to bring their own lunch on Friday if they would like to participate in the pizza luncheon. If students would prefer to bring their own lunch, we still would like everyone to meet together at this time to join in the celebration, listen to music and relax with their peers.
Yr 8 Service Initiative with Salvation Army Clothing Collection
Every other week throughout Terms 3 and 4, a group of students have voluntarily given their time to plan service and leadership initiatives for the cohort. This group has organised a clothing drive with the Salvation Army, an international Christian movement aiming to give hope where it is needed by providing clothing to those in need. Salvation Army Australia also recognises the Aboriginal people as the traditional owners and custodians of our land and aims to engage in a positive and unified relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their communities.
Our Yr 8 cohort are asking for your help in cleaning out and collecting all sizes and styles of gently worn clothing, except for underwear and stockings. Yr 8 students will be collecting these in the first few weeks back to school after summer holidays. Further information will come out in early Term 1 for collection.
Thank you especially to Jocelyn Wang, Yumi Konetzny and Daisy Thomas for their efforts in helping to organise this event along with several other Yr 8 Service students.
Anglicare Toys ‘n’ Tucker
All Year Groups are participating in sharing the joy for the holidays with Toys ‘n’ Tucker collection hampers. Students are encouraged to bring in as many items from the suggested shopping list, including Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, tinned ham or salmon, tea or coffee, Milo, dried pasta, pasta sauce, long-life milk or custard, tinned fruit or vegetables, jam or biscuits. Gift cards, sporting equipment and toiletry items may also be donated for teenagers.
Students are asked to bring these items into their Tutor teachers these last two weeks of school. For more information, please see this video.
Thank you to Marcus Cooper-Hor, Conor Petersen, Olivia Salmond, Noah Berbic, Johnny Wang, Kabir Yohannon, Annie Zhang, Ahnu Guan and several other Yr 8 students for their time and effort in supporting this cause across the cohort.
Wishing all families a restful time together with loved ones this holiday season.
The STEAM Project, titled Mindful Worlds, required Yr 7 students to create eco-friendly islands in Minecraft. The IT department decided to use Minecraft as the tool to develop and build the island since it enhances creativity, problem-solving, self-direction, collaboration and other life skills. Tutors who were involved with the students for the two days were amazed to see how engaged the students were with the activity.
Each Tutor Group was assigned their own island which was created by Tylor Wessels, Yr 12 IB Computer Science student, and was hosted on a server at school. The different islands fell under the following topics:
Resources and Agriculture
Energy and Utilities
Transportation and Infrastructure
Urban Planning and Developments
Entertainment and Leisure
The creation of student work through Minecraft was amazing. Yr 12 IB students led this STEAM activity as part of their CAS project and I would like to thank them for their extraordinary efforts. As well, we thank the staff and Tutors who made this project happen.
Please scan the QR code below or use this link to view the video of their presentation.
Canteen Update – Reminder
As you have been made aware, we have commenced online ordering in the Senior Campus Canteen this year and we are strongly encouraging students to use this system for purchasing food in the Canteen for the remainder of this term.
From the beginning of Term 1 2021 we will be moving to a more complete pre-order system in the Secondary School. This will mean that if students want to purchase a hot or pre-prepared meal for Recess or Lunch, they will have to use the online purchasing system, Flexischools. While there will still be some snacks available for students to purchase in person at Recess and Lunch, the majority of meals will only be available for students to pre-order via Flexischools.
This arrangement will allow for:
a more extensive menu for students to choose from
certainty for students that meals will be available for them to pick up in the Canteen
less wastage of food in the Canteen
Many parents would be currently using this arrangement in the Junior School which has had positive feedback.
Parents and carers can create a Flexischools account for their family and link a credit card and student number to the account. Students can submit orders up until 8.30am to ensure they are available for them to pick up at Recess or Lunch. We would encourage all students and parents to create an account and start using Flexischools this term to ensure they are fully prepared for this change next year. More details regarding online Canteen ordering are available on Redlands Pulse.
Student Achievement – Hannah Scott
It is estimated that, on average, around 750 children aged between 0-14 are diagnosed with cancer each year in Australia and through the different forms of treatment, over 75% of these children undergoing chemotherapy suffer hair loss. The wonderful Hannah Scott decided to donate over 30 cm of her hair to this cause. Hannah says, “I know that if I were to have cancer and lose my hair, I would give anything to have hair donated to me and to have something that gave me a sense of belonging. Although we take our hair for granted every day, it could mean the world to a child with cancer”. We applaud Hannah on her involvement in this wonderful cause to assist sick children.
Thank You
I would like to thank the wonderful members of our Yr 7 Pastoral team (Ms Vanessa Wang, Ms Jessica Carroll, Ms Kate Moore, Ms Rachael Riley, Ms Brigida Nocera, Ms Charlotte Putman, Ms Liz Williamson, Ms Martina Blasco and Ms Chloe Vandervord). Throughout the year, they have collaborated to inspire, support and encourage our students through their first year of Secondary School. The creation of opportunities provided for each individual to be the best version of themselves has been wonderful to watch and they have endeavoured to instil in Yr 7, the courage and motivation to make an effort, and character to seek and endure challenging tasks.
We recognise and applaud just how hard the students have worked, and the outstanding effort they have consistently applied. We celebrate their achievements whether they be great or small, and share with pride the progress they have made with their learning.
Lastly, may your holidays sparkle with joy and laughter, and your summer break be full of peace and happiness. We look forward to welcoming you back in 2021 as our students begin their Yr 8 studies.
In this final Note Day of 2020, I start by expressing my deep gratitude to all in our community: students, staff and parents for the collective way in which we have navigated and also thrived in this unique year. Of course, at times, it has been challenging but as I have often said to the students, it is exactly at these times of challenge and unpredictability that we are provided with the opportunities and experience for the greatest growth and I am so proud of how we have grown individually and collectively.
In some ways, the time spent remote learning seems like a lifetime ago but as shared previously, this shift also enabled us to think differently on a number of levels and will continue to be visible in 2021 when we hope to return to normality in all aspects of school life.
Whilst I am grateful to have had the regular contact with our students and staff, I have missed having incidental conversations with many of you, our parent group, and I know that the restrictions for parents have been tough for many of you, particularly given the strong sense of community that has always been part of the School’s DNA.
I hope that the upcoming Christmas break is one that allows you to enjoy some restful, reflective and restorative time with family and friends and wish all in our community a wonderful Christmas and all the very best for 2021.
Staffing News
Before information about our Junior School staffing updates for 2021, I wanted to acknowledge the support and influence our departing Deputy Principal, Ms Sarah McGarry, has had on both me and our Junior School in her seven years at Redlands. On behalf of staff and students, we wish Ms McGarry all the very best as she takes up the headship of Frensham Schools in the Southern Highlands, where I know she will also make a positive impact on their community.
As we approach the end of the school year, we say farewell to Ms Wynne, Mr Morrison, Mr Hemopo and Mr Sawa and thank them for their service to our School community.
I also make mention of the departure of Mrs Sharp in Yr 2 after twelve years of service as she moves to Knox. Mrs Sharp was a Junior School teacher and Year Coordinator for seven years before moving to Yr 2 and has taught many of our current Junior School students.
Simultaneously, we look forward to welcoming back Mrs Stacey Clarkson, Mrs Kristie Coman and Ms Jacqui Longworth who have all been on maternity leave in 2020 and also welcoming new Junior School teacher, Ms Hannah Patton, and our 2021 Gap Year student, Ms Lucy Wrigglesworth, a graduate from the Redlands Class of 2020 and a former Junior School student too.
For Term 1, 2021, our Junior Campus Chaplain, Ms McKenzie takes some much-deserved Long Service Leave and we welcome the very familiar face of Ms Julia Michaels to take on her Christian Studies teaching and our Senior Campus Chaplain, Ms Bronwyn Lihou, is looking forward to leading our Junior Campus Chapel services in Ms McKenzie’s absence.
Speech Day
All parents will have received the detailed letter explaining the logistics for this year’s Junior School Speech Day which takes place at 11.00am next Wednesday 2 December at The Big Top, Luna Park. All students are expected to attend this final formal occasion of the year and the letter can also be found here.
As outlined in the body of the email and in the letter, a reminder that under the current COVID-Safe guidelines for the venue and our School, regrettably only two guests per prize winner are permitted to attend but these attendees MUST register via the link in the letter before 3.00pm this Friday to allow us to provide Luna Park with all of the contact tracing information they require.
Please note that all students should be in full school uniform including blazers for this formal occasion with girls’ hair neatly tied back, boys’ hair appropriate in length and all shoes polished.
For students who use our Redlands Pittwater, Inner West and Eastern Suburbs bus services, please note that as the last day of operation for these services for 2020 is Tuesday 1 December, they will not be operating next Wednesday. Families are asked to make other transport arrangements to and from school that day.
Uniform
A reminder for Yr 6 boys moving into Secondary School next year that white short sleeve shirts are required to be worn. With boys now having the option of wearing shorts in Secondary School, they may continue to wear their grey shorts from Junior school in Term 1 next year.
Melanoma Awareness Day
Appropriately, the campus was a sea of sunshine and colour last Thursday as we came together during Sun Safety Week to host Melanoma Awareness Day, a most timely reminder ahead of the summer.
It was a joy to don the sombrero and join students and staff in embracing Crazy Hat Day as part of the day and there were some stunning home-made creations on view!
As if often the case, the day was student-led and driven, primarily by Yr 3 students, Charlie Benfield and Henry Hitchens, ably supported by a number of our older students. I also thank Ms Moore-Patel, Ms McKenzie and Ms Karpin for their gentle guidance in the background as the day raised $2,000 for the Melanoma Institute.
This sun safety video that Prep School teacher, Ms Angus, shared with me is another helpful resource that you might watch with your child over the break.
Yr 5 and Yr 6 – Time to Save Student Learning on iPads
As the year draws to a close, we would like to remind families about assisting their children with managing content and files on their iPads. During the term break, Redlands ICT will recall all iOS apps that are either deployed or managed by the School. While every effort is made to keep data from Apple apps such as Pages, Keynote, iMovie etc, from time to time, this may be deleted and not retrievable. Our strong recommendation is to back up and save any work students have done during the year to ensure no data is lost.
How can students save their work?
The safest way to protect any work on the iPad is to perform regular backups of your child’s device. Any work that is saved in the cloud will be safe when an app is removed. To mitigate the risk of losing any important work, Redlands ICT recommends performing a backup of your child’s devices and that any particular special work is saved in a secondary location.
Full instructions on how to complete a backup or share any important documents can be found on this link here.
Student Representative Council
Semester 2 saw the successful completion of two major initiatives by our Student Representative Council (SRC). Our young student leaders were the driving force behind the Lost Property Challenge and our Class Donation Boxes for Anglicare.
Earlier this week, the SRC students culminated their service by finalising the Lost Property Challenge winners and delivering donation boxes to the Senior Campus. We had anticipated walking our donations across the Military Road bridge and joining them with the Secondary School donations. However, there were so many items to deliver, a bus was required! The food and personal items donated by the SRC will be collected by Anglicare and will help those in need during the upcoming holiday season. The astounding volume of donations is a testament to the generosity and compassion of our Redlands students and families. Thank you for your involvement with this project.
Our goal of tackling the insurmountable obstacle of lost property was a lofty one, and though we did not solve it in its entirety, students made good progress in delivering items that were named. In continuing to develop students’ sense of personal responsibility, please remember to name all items that come to school. SRC representatives were excited to gather for our final meeting of the year, where they found out the results of our lost property challenge. The following classes were awarded for their efforts.
1st Place: 3 Yellow
2nd Place: 3 White and 5 White
3rd Place: 5 Green
I joined the SRC group as they enjoyed a celebratory lunch together at their final meeting of the year and in thanking them for their leadership and stewardship of these two major projects, I also thank and acknowledge Ms Cosolito, who has led this group over the year with great skill and dedication. Indeed, the dedication and direction of them all has had a positive impact on both our school and local community and we are proud of all they’ve accomplished.
Reflecting on Redlands Prep in 2020, resilience, pride, challenging and fun learning, happy students, dedicated staff and supportive parent body all come to mind. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for supporting and encouraging the Prep School throughout such an unusual year.
I would like to formally thank Mrs Bree Stephens for all her hard work this year as Coordinator of the Prep School Parent Group Association. Bree has not only been an incredible support to me as a new Head of Prep School but has done an immeasurable job of keeping the School and the community connected this year. All our parent representatives have worked tirelessly and my heartfelt thanks go to all of you. Thank you, Bree and team. We welcome Mrs Jen Mast to this position in 2021. I look forward to working closely with her and the new class parent representatives as we welcome in a new year and new families.
I wish all our Prep families a very Merry Christmas and an enjoyable break. I look forward to seeing you all in the new year. Please be assured that any changing COVID guidelines will be communicated to all families before the commencement of Term 1.
Presentation Day
Please click on this link to find the Preparatory School Presentation Day invitation to the live stream event. As you will notice, the program is shared digitally but if you would like a paper copy to keep, please let Claire or Wendy know and they will send a copy home with your child.
We are very excited about sharing grade items with you next Tuesday. As previously mentioned in Note Day, students will stay at school for the duration of the day this year BUT if you have a child is in Transition or 3-6 who has a half day, you are welcome to come and pick them up at the duration of Presentation Day from outside Prep Reception. Please let either Claire Hunt or your class teacher know that you will be picking up your child. OOSH will be available as normal at the conclusion of the school day on Tuesday.
2021 Start Dates
Please note the 2021 dates below for future planning. There will be further information sent out to all families during the break time. This communication will outline details of times, car line pick up times and other logistics. For our Kindergarten families, communication will come to you next week outlining final details for your start to school.
2021 Term Dates
Term 1
Wednesday 27 January – New students
Thursday 28 January – All students commence
Thursday 1 April – End of Term 1
Term 2
Tuesday 20 April – Friday 18 June
Term 3
Tuesday 13 July – Friday 17 September
Term 4
Tuesday 5 October – Wednesday 1 December
Staffing and Classes 2021
Next week we say goodbye to two of our highly valued and dedicated staff members. Ms Jacqui Lofgren has been a much-loved member of the Redlands staff for six years. She has accepted a position at The McDonalds College, Strathfield. McDonald’s College is an independent, coeducational school and is the only one of its kind that provides specialists training in the Performing Arts. We wish Jacqui well as she starts up the newly created Kindergarten class there.
We also farewell Mrs Nicola Sharp next week. After 13 years at Redlands as a highly professional classroom teacher and Coordinator, Nicola has accepted the Year 6 Team Leader position at Knox Grammar Preparatory School where she will teach within and lead seven classes. We wish her all the best as she continues on her journey.
We also say goodbye to Mrs Rachel Haines. Over the last 12 months, Rachel has stepped into the Kindergarten Yellow role with ease and has engaged, challenged, guided and supported all her students with a high standard of teaching. Rachel will be a missed in the Kindergarten rooms but we will see her around the Junior Campus as she continues to teach on a casual basis with us.
As we approach the end of the school year, we say farewell to Mr Hemopo, thank you for your service to our School community.
For Term 1, 2021, our Junior Campus Chaplain, Ms McKenzie takes some much-deserved Long Service Leave and we welcome the very familiar face of Ms Julia Michaels to take on her Christian Studies teaching and our Senior Campus Chaplain, Ms Bronwyn Lihou, is looking forward to leading our Junior Campus Chapel services in Ms McKenzie’s absence.
Important Seesaw Information
We hope that you have enjoyed seeing your child’s work on Seesaw while they have been in the Preparatory School. From 1 January 2021, we will be archiving the student work in Seesaw for all Yr 2 students progressing to Yr 3 and for any student who is leaving the Preparatory School at the end of this year. This means that parents of current Yr 2 students will no longer be able to view their child’s content on Seesaw in 2021.
If your child is currently in Yr 2 or leaving the Preparatory School at the end of this year, follow the instructions below on how to download your child’s work from Seesaw and save it on a personal computer. Link to instructions here
If your child is currently in Kindergarten or Yr 1 and continuing at Redlands next year, you do not need to take any further action. You will be able to continue to access your child’s work on Seesaw.
Well, an amazing but somewhat different year at Redlands House is coming to an end. We would like to thank everyone for their ongoing support, kind words and gifts. They are all very much appreciated by the teams, who have done a fantastic job educating our children and supporting our families. The staff at Redlands House are dedicated and caring and most importantly, they love working with children and aim to make every day at Redlands a great day. We would like to thank all the parents for their hard work and dedication to all that happens in the Preschool.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Stay safe and we look forward to working with you in 2021.
Last Day Arrangements
The last day of the year for Redlands House students is Tuesday 1 December. Redlands House will close at 12.00pm. Please note there is no Late Room on this day. The last day for Late Room is Monday 30 November.
Crazy Hat Day
What a fun and exciting day! Thank you all for your kind and generous donations, we raised over $100 for the Melanoma Institue Australia, which will be greatly appreciated. It was great to see so many crazy and creative hats. The children very much enjoyed the day and loved to wear their hats and showing them to friends and educators.
I love sport. I love what it gives, what it reveals, what it encourages, what it draws from an individual, a group, a team and a place in a given moment. I love its process, its reward, its demands. I love that sport is emotional, intellectual, physical, social and in many ways spiritual. I love that it is filled with precision, accuracy and success yet equally laden with error, ambiguity and failure. I love that sport connects and engages people with place, regardless of background or creed. I love that sport continues to evolve and breakdown barriers associated with gender, disability, race and social injustice. I love that sport builds friendships, camaraderie and hope. I love that sport holds a special place in education where a school community can build culture and embrace learning in a less structured form. I love its intent to challenge, to inspire and grow young people for better.
Despite differences of opinion towards its benefits or its commitments, sport is something for all and is an opportunity that we should not take for granted. No matter what level, ability, age, type or intention, sport has its place. Education is valued to both community and the individual through schools and into the hearts and minds of young people. We do not do sport because we have to, we do sport because we want to, because we know its risks and challenges are outweighed by its rewards, its moral value and its purpose to our futures. The benefits will not be measured by league tables and placings but by more intangible measures of attitude, determination and character. I love that sport is an opportunity, a privilege and a joy.
Being grateful for whatever benefit we can yield from sport has been the greatest lesson I have learnt this year. As my time at Redlands as the Head of Sport comes to a close, I am grateful for the wonderful team of people I have worked with and all the students whose education I have been a part of, as well as the culture of sport at Redlands. Any success we have achieved in the Sports Department over the last three years has been in no small measure by the commitment of the sports team and their passion for what they do and the role that sport plays at Redlands. Every team member is unique and brings their own value to the area, and I am thankful to each of them for their commitment to their work. I hope a love and joy of sport within this school community continues to flourish into the future no matter the activity, or opportunity you choose to engage with.
Whether as a daughter, son, sister, brother, mother, father, friend, supporter, coach, teacher or teammate, pursue sport with passion, determination and a will to make yourself and the people around you better. If we can all do this…success in however you perceive it will surely follow.
On behalf of the sports team, we wish you a safe, healthy and happy holiday. Best wishes, thank you and goodbye!
Basketball
Saturday was the last regular season round of Redlands Basketball. There were some great results in both the girls and boys programs and some promising signs for the future of Redlands Basketball. There were a few games with exhilarating finishes.
Boys
The 14Ds had a great game, and were down by one point at the final siren to St Augustine’s, however, a foul on the buzzer saw Redlands awarded with two free throws after the siren for a chance to tie the game or win the game if both free throws were successful. With the game on the line, some sharp shooting saw two successful free throws and a one point win to Redlands.
Similarly, in the 14E game against St Patrick’s, the game was tied 20-20 at the final siren and the game was sent into two minutes of overtime. With 10 seconds left in the overtime period, the score was still tied at 20-20 and Redlands was sent to the line for two free throws. The first rolled out but even under the immense pressure, the second shot was successful, resulting in a Redlands win and some great team celebrations.
The 14Bs game was a nail biter against St Augustine’s, with both teams trading baskets throughout the game. With ten seconds left on the clock, it was Redlands ball, hoping to get a final two points before the buzzer. Redlands managed to get up a clean shot but couldn’t convert on the shot, following up with a rebound which again couldn’t be converted into points on the scoreboard. Unfortunately, due to the COVID restrictions at the venue, the game did not go into overtime, but it was a valiant effort from the 14Bs.
The 14As were playing against one of the top teams in the competition, St Augustine’s, and were fighting it out for 2nd place on the ladder ahead of the final this week. Redlands were playing some great team basketball and were off to an early lead, however, St Augustine’s managed to work their way back into the game which made for a very exciting finish. It was a tied game with less than a minute to play and, with less than 20 seconds left, it was Redlands possession and despite getting a good look at the rim we were unable to convert. St Augustine’s came up with the rebound and took off quickly in transition draining a mid-range pull-up jump shot with two seconds to go to end the game. A disappointing end for the Redlands team, but a sure sign that this team can compete with the top teams in ISA Division 1 Boys Basketball.
The Redlands Open Blue vs Redlands Open Gold game was another thrilling match up. With the Blues taking an early lead in the first half, the game was all but over until some sharp shooting from the Open Golds in the second half saw them edge their way back into the game. An exciting final few minutes saw a tied game at the final siren and the game was headed into overtime. After the first overtime period, the game was still tied and we were headed into the second period of overtime. Foul trouble caused some issues for the Golds, which saw the Blue team running away with the game in the second overtime.
Girls
This program continues to dominate with wins in 6 of the 8 games in Round 5, resulting in 5 out of the 8 girls teams playing off for 1st place in the competition this Saturday.
Good luck to all teams in their final game of Term 4 this Saturday and congratulations to the following teams who are playing off for 1st vs 2nd in their respective divisions: 2nd Boys, 17B Boys, 17C Boys, 14B Boys, 1st Girls, 2nd Girls, Redlands 3 Girls, Junior A Girls, Junior C Girls.
We will be commencing a new competition in Term 1, further details for the Term 1 competition will be made available on Redlands Pulse in the coming weeks.
Thank you to the Basketball community for your commitment and support throughout Term 4.
Rowing
Reindeer Regatta
On Saturday 5 December, students have the opportunity to participate in the optional Reindeer Regatta held out at Penrith. At this regatta, we have the ability to offer a wide variety of racing opportunities where students can race in single and double sculls alongside crew boat combinations that they wouldn’t typically get to do at other regattas.
The information has already been communicated to families about this regatta, with students needing to sign up via this Google form.
Optional Holiday Training
During the upcoming school holidays, our Rowing students will have the opportunity to continue their Rowing training with a goal to maintain their hard-earned gains so far this season along with helping prevent injury due to a reduction of workload during holidays. The training sessions will also give the students an opportunity to better prepare for the crew selections that happen in the first days of the January Rowing Camps.
Along with our water sessions, we will also put on a number of gym sessions held on campus in the Fitness Centre where students will complete a combination of a small ergo workload along with strength and core training in the gym.
Water (6.30-9.00am): 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16 and 18 December; 4, 6, 8, 9 and 11 January 2021
Gym (9.00-10.30am): 8, 10, 15 and 17 December; 5, 7 and 12 January 2021
Junior Dates
Water (Tue/Thurs: 6.30-9.00am, Sat 8.30-11.00am): 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 15 and 17 December; 5, 7, 9 and 12 January 2021
Gym (9.00-10.30am): 7, 9, 14 and 16 December; 4, 6, 11, 13, 15, 18 and 20 January 2021
January Rowing Camps
Planning is well underway for our January Rowing camps and final details will be sent home to families shortly.
Friends of Rowing AGM
The Friends of Rowing AGM will be held via Zoom from 6.00pm on Tuesday 1 December. All are welcome and encouraged to join.
Friends of Rowing operate to support the Rowing program with a number of key events such as catering at certain regattas, arranging the Boat Naming Ceremony, hosting the annual Rowing Presentation Dinner and coordinating the Parent Rowing Regatta (Great Autumn Regatta) in Term 2.
In Term 1 2021, Redlands will once again be offering a Swimming Squad program through the Manly Andrew Boy Charlton Aquatic Centre Swim School for all interested Secondary School students. The program will run for six weeks on Friday afternoons commencing on 29 January from 4.00-5.00pm. Ideally, students will attend all six sessions and they will be held at the Manly Andrew Boy Charlton Aquatic Centre, Kenneth Rd, North Manly.
The program is for all students who would like to improve their swimming and build more confidence when it comes to competing at the Redlands Swimming Carnival.
Students will be transported by bus to and from the venue. The bus will leave the Senior Campus, Military Rd (school side) at 3.30pm and will return at approximately 5.30pm. Students may be collected from the pool at 5.00pm. Students must be collected by the time the bus departs at 5.10pm or they will be required to catch the bus back to school.
Last Saturday was the NSTA finals and playoffs. Redlands had seven teams play in the final, four played extremely well to take home the gold medal. Congratulations to Redlands 1, 3, 8 and 25 on winning their final and to Redlands 7, 23, and 28 for coming a close runner up. Well done to all students for their continued positive attitude and effort displayed at training and matches this term.
As we near the end of the year, students are encouraged to continue their tennis over the holidays either socially or competitively. Grand Slam Tennis will be running a holiday camp in December and January. Groups 1 and 2 should register for the High Performance Camps and Groups 3 and 4 should register for the Development Camps. For students looking to enter tournaments, there are plenty of UTR tennis tournaments running over the summer.
Training recommences Thursday 28 January, the first day of school.
Redlands 25 - Winner
Redlands 8 - Winners
Redlands 7 - Runner up; Redlands 3 - Winners
Redlands 23 - Runner Up
Redlands 28 - Runner Up
Touch Football
Saturday saw a number of teams have some close matches, which have set teams up for some strong final chances this weekend. Our Senior 1st team bounced back after losing early in the season to St Andrew’s to come out strong with a 4-3 victory, this team has come in leaps and bounds in previous weeks and are looking forward to the challenge of taking on Barker College this weekend. Our Senior 2nds had a dominating win over the Senior 3rds and will look to extend their winning steak this weekend against Barker College 2, walking away on top of this division with a victory. Our Senior 3s are looking to claim victory this weekend against Barker College 3. Our Senior 4 team had a cracking first win with a dominant 4-1 victory over Barker College 4. This has sky rocketed them into the 3v4 play off this weekend and they take on Barker College 5.
Our Junior As had a strong victory over St Pauls Grammar School, however, unfortunately, were knocked down into the 3v4 playoff with a 3 way tie at the top of the table. This is unfortunate however the girls will look to dominate this competition in Term 1. Our Junior Bs had a tough day with back-to-back games against the top two teams in this division. The girls kept hanging in despite the tough games. Our Junior C, D and E teams had some great games on the weekend and should all be congratulated on their effort and involvement. There were a number of players who had to leave due to Dance commitments, and we asked a number of girls to play up teams and out of positions. These girls handled themselves extremely well and did not take a backward step.
Thank you again to all those girls who played multiple games over the weekend.
“There’s winning and there’s losing and in life both will happen. What is never acceptable is quitting“. Earvin “Magic” Johnson
On behalf of the Junior School Sports Department thank you to all the students and families for their efforts this term and this year in what has certainly been a different year for Sport. Enjoy the break and time with your families.
With Summer Sport officially over, except for Girls Basketball who play their final game this weekend, take time over the coming days to address some housekeeping points. Every day I walk past the lost property section and there still is a large number of items in there from the expected items (lunch boxes, drink bottles) to the unexpected (shoes, fleeces and the occasional blazer). Please ask your child to come and have a look.
Regarding the return of Basketball singlets and Touch singlets (that were hired or loaned for the last few years or even the last few months), there are a large number of these to be returned. We have extended the return date to Monday 30 November, anything not received after that date will result in the cost of that item being billed to your school account. Please check with your child if they have returned their jersey.
Here are the results from Round 12:
Sport
Round 12
Girls Basketball
Girls Senior 5/6A
WIN 22-7
Girls Senior 5/6B
LOSS 37-16
Girls Junior 3&4A
WIN 21-8
Basketball (Mixed)
Senior 5/6 A
WIN 49-28
Senior 5/6 B
LOSS 28-11
Senior 5/6 C
DRAW 28-28
Senior 5/6 D
WIN 31-12
Senior 5/6 E
LOSS 58-16
Senior 5/6 F
LOSS 50-22
Junior 3&4 A
WIN
Junior 3&4 B
WIN
Junior 3&4 C
LOSS 9-2
Junior 3&4 D
LOSS 8-7
Touch Football (Mixed)
Senior 5/6 A
WIN 7-3
Senior 5/6 B
BYE
Senior 5/6 C
LOSS
Tennis
Senior 5/6A
LOSS
Senior 5/6B
LOSS 63-5
Senior 5/6C
LOSS 62-2
Notable Mentions
Round 12
Girls Basketball
Girls Senior 5/6A
Zoe Noakes
Girls Senior 5/6B
Lila Soste
Girls Junior 3&4A
Catherine Andrews
Basketball (Mixed)
Senior 5/6 A
Brady Sullivan
Senior 5/6 B
Tobias Edmonds-Wilson
Senior 5/6 C
Charlie Voyce
Senior 5/6 D
Joel Daily & Isobel Campbell
Senior 5/6 E
Zachary Griffin
Senior 5/6 F
Jay Roger
Junior 3&4 A
Whole Team
Junior 3&4 B
Whole Team
Junior 3&4 C
James Emmett
Junior 3&4 D
Zackary Yeh
Touch Football (Mixed)
Senior 5/6 A
Digby Scott
Senior 5/6 B
BYE
Senior 5/6 C
N/A
Tennis
Senior 5/6A
Keith Liu
Senior 5/6B
James Foley
Senior 5/6C
William Raymond
Sport Photos
Thank you to those families who have viewed our sport photos from last term. The feedback has been very positive. If you have not viewed these photos and wish to please see the link and instructions below.
Please note, if you order your photos by 20 November, select “pickup” and Melba will deliver the photos to school for you. Be sure to write your child’s name and class in comments. There is no delivery fee.
If you choose to have these sent to your home address, folder photos are capped at no more than $5, mounted at $10 and framed via courier at $15.
If you order more than three photos for the same child (eg. summer, winter and cocurricular/music), Melba will apply a 10% discount when processing payment.
Congratulations to all the cocurricular Dance students from Prep, Junior and Secondary schools, who have been involved in an extraordinary week of performing during the production of this year’s, Dance on Film. Over five days, 240 students from 80 weekly classes, had the opportunity to film their end of year work including, the 19th century classical ballet, The Sleeping Beauty, Latino style senior jazz, high energy Junior Jazz and Tap works, together with an intriguing array of soulful contemporary works. It has been a remarkable and unique experience and a wonderful end of year celebration of the achievement for all our students.
We would like to thank the parents and carers for their support this week as we managed the logistics of this new experience, together with the Friends of Ballet and Dance, led by Sue Bandfield.
We would particularly like to thank the support and operations staff who have helped to make this happen: Ben Peate, Leanne Kells, Zane Rault and the Facilities team and Yr 12 student, Tom Wightwick, who did an amazing job with the theatrical lighting for the whole project.
We also acknowledge the Academy’s team of highly skilled and dedicated Ballet and Dance teachers, whose expertise in the training and development of our young dancers should be celebrated: Kim Traynor, Yulia Furnas, Deborah Patience, Maria Dos Santos, Kate Larter, Samantha Simpson, Julie-Anne Kerr, Brianna Law, Amanda Sommerville, Susie Sturgis, Natasha Sturgis, Marcia Kuzmanoski, Jennifer Psaroulis, Amanda Whittaker, class assistant Zoe Krueger. We also thank our wardrobe extraordinaire, Cassandra Woodhams.
We look forward to sharing this experience, Dance on Film, with our community as soon as possible.
Auditions | Senior Performance Groups
Auditions are scheduled for Friday 5 February and Saturday 6 February 2021 for the following:
Senior Jazz Performance Group
Senior Contemporary Performance Group
Senior Ballet Performance Group
Please see Auditions on Redlands Pulse for further details and our important Audition Criteria.
FOBD | EOY Concert | Washing Volunteers
To all our wonderful FOBD, an email has been sent asking for washing volunteers. If you are able to assist, could you please collect one load of washing from Parkes Hall office as follows:
collect Friday 27 November 9.00-11.00am
return Monday 30 November 9.00-11.00am
2021 Enrolment
2021 class enrolments are now closed for current students. Any changes or questions, please email dance@redlands.nsw.edu.au. If you are a new student, please see Enrolments on Redlands Pulse.
Lost Property
As we head towards the end of term could we kindly remind students that may have lost anything, to check our Lost Property cupboard located outside the Ballet studio. We have lots of items waiting to be claimed.
Please note that unclaimed items will be removed and taken to the Junior Campus Lost Property.
Can’t Come to Class?
Please do not forget to let us know if sickness, injury or change of circumstance has occurred. Kindly email us at dance@redlands.nsw.edu.au
Congratulations to all students who filmed all of the Curriculum works for the Concert yesterday. The students danced beautifully and should be proud of all they have achieved this year.
Like many things, Gala Arts has been a little different this year. Filmed on campus, with lighting design by our talented Yr 12 student Tom Wightwick and sound design by our wonderful AV Technician Ben Peate, our performers nervously waited in the wings for their special moment on a rather different stage to our usual experience. Our innovative performers adapted their work to meet with current health guidelines. The event was compered by our Arts Captains Leilani Heath and Flynn Henry, Captain of Choirs Toby Page, Captain of Small Ensembles Emily Colvin, Captain of Bands Luke Brown, Captain of Strings Cara Eccleston, Captain of Production Tom Wightwick, Captain of Drama Noah Pincini, Captain of Theatre Faith Oosthiuzen and Captain of Dance Lara Dempsey.
Our judges, Greta Argyropoulos (2017), Bradley Kent (2013), Max Mamo (2015), Ailsa Mitchell (2013) met last week via Zoom from Copenhagen, London, Melbourne and Sydney to decide on the winners of Gala Arts. They were joined by our Special Guest and Dance judge Jessica Lyall who attended Redlands with a Dance scholarship from Yrs 7-10 (2002-2005). In 2007 Jessica moved to London to finish her training, graduating in 2010 with a First Class Bachelor of Arts Degree.
In September 2010 she joined the National Dance Company of Spain and was promoted to Soloist in 2013 aged 23. After six years in Spain, she accepted a contract with the Danish Dance Theatre based in Copenhagen. Now ten years into her career, she is particularly interested in the relevance, role and potential of art in today’s society and is involved in projects aiming to improve working conditions and opportunities for artists.
Winners in each category, including our new Multidisciplinary category, the Gala Arts Winner for 2020 and the Winning House will be announced at Speech Day. Please join our Captains and performers as the show goes online!
The video of the performances is available here for viewing. (Password: Gala)
Musical 2021
The full cast for 2021 will be announced here on Friday 27 November. Opportunities to join the Make Up, Set and Props team will be available at the start of Term 1 2021.
Drama Awards
The Awards for Excellence have now been announced for our Curriculum Drama and Extra Curricular students and will be presented throughout the end of the term. While this would normally have been presented at the Drama Celebration Night before a packed audience in Redlands Hall, I would like to congratulate all our students for their commitment to Drama and Theatre and thank our many teachers who have supported them in their creative activities this year. Involvement in the Arts has never been more significant in supporting and nurturing our students’ wellbeing. Our adaptable staff have created activities and performance opportunities online and on-site, which has allowed our resilient students to connect and create in new and very meaningful ways.
2021 Enrolments
Enrolments for 2021 are still open. Students currently enrolled for 2020 will automatically roll over to 2021. For variations or new enrolments, please contact the Drama and Theatre Office on 99688960 or drama@redlands.nsw.edu.au.
End of Year Soirees
Our End of Year Soirees continue to be filmed and will be made available to our families via our online learning platforms in the Secondary, Junior and Preparatory programs shortly.
Young Wharfies
Applications close at 5.00pm on Monday 30 November.
Young Wharfies is an engaging and free learning program for Yr 11 Drama students (in 2021) who are inspired by the power and creativity of theatre.
How to apply
To apply, complete the online application form below and create a short video. Your video should be short, simple and straight-to-the-point: tell us who you are and why you would like to be a Young Wharfie!
Let us take a moment to reflect, look back and review what has been achieved this year. Although our plans and goals at the start of this year had a completely different trajectory, there have been many important aspects across the scope of our learning journey altogether that need to be acknowledged, celebrated and shared with our Music community.
Earlier in the year, we quoted Richard Branson, who has said, “…that every success story is a tale of constant adaption, revision and change…”, a statement that is certainly applicable to our experiences across 2020.
In reflecting on the positive outcomes contained within this year, the Music Department would like to recognise the commitment of all Music students, who have continued to demonstrate such resilience during these changing times. In Music classrooms, private tuition studios and ensemble rehearsal spaces, each individual across the school, has adapted to new learning experiences and has shown incredible determination.
While our usual interaction with the Music community was unlike any other year, we would also like to acknowledge our parents for their ongoing support and encouragement. While we were unable to greet you in person at our Music calendar events, we hope that the live streaming of various concerts and showcases allowed you to connect with us at Redlands and together celebrate in the students’ musical achievements. For links to these performances please visit Redlands Pulse.
As a department we have ventured through a myriad of technology supported learning environments, modified our delivery of lessons and incorporated a range of innovative and creative approaches to support student learning. We would like to recognise all the extra efforts and dedication of our Music teachers, tutors and support staff who have worked above and beyond to support these transformations. In supporting our students’ learning journey and our staff, we would also like to acknowledge the Redlands ICT Department for collaboratively working with the department, to prepare, facilitate and support virtual learning environments for all our learners.
End of Year Presentations
While this will take a very different form for Redlands musicians this year, the team has been working tirelessly to prepare a diverse range of video performances that capture the musical achievements of students across the Preparatory, Junior and Secondary Schools. Ranging from Music learning experiences in the classroom to Music Ensemble video and audio recordings out of Dunnet Hall and Redlands Hall, it is our hope and wishes as a department that these music performances will give you much delight as part of our contributions to End of Year Presentations.
Staffing Announcements 2021
Head of Junior Campus Music (P-6)
In leading our Junior Campus Music team into 2021 already throughout this past term, the department is pleased to announce the promotion of Mrs Amy Richardson to the role of Head of Junior Campus Music (P-6). Amy is an outstanding Music educator and is passionate about inspiring a love of music-making for her students. Having taught across Stages 1-6, designed and developed innovative curriculum, and directed choirs and bands, Amy will be an exceptional leader of our highly skilled team of specialists to facilitate music-learning programs for Early Childhood, Preparatory and Junior Schools. In 2018, Amy completed the Harvard Project Zero Visible Thinking course and later was honoured to feature as a ‘Picture of Practice’ in the Mark Church and Ron Ritchhart publication The Power of Making Thinking Visible, aligning with her research interests in Self-Determination Theory, that focuses on student engagement and intrinsic motivation. By way of other professional learning, Amy is working towards full accreditation in both Orff and Kodály Music pedagogies and works voluntarily as a Committee member of Kodály NSW.
Music Teacher (7-12) and Head of Bands (3-12)
With Amy stepping into a new role on the Junior Campus, the department is thrilled to announce the appointment of Mr Joseph Montz as Secondary Music teacher (7-12) and Heads of Bands (3-12). Joseph is an exceptional Music educator and brings a wealth of experience having recently spent the last 16 years working at St Augustine’s College as the Performing Arts Coordinator and Music teacher. During his time at St Augustine’s, Joseph directed and managed a board range of musical ensembles and has successfully managed the School’s Music and Drama programs. As a second generation Redlander, Joseph is very familiar with and passionate about Redlands and is looking forward to returning as a classroom Music teacher and leader of the various Bands programs across the School.
It is with regret to inform the Music community of the resignations of Ms Emma Cooperthwaite (Vocal Specialist) and Mr Cameron Harker (Ensemble Conductor). Both Emma and Cameron have contributed immensely to our Performing Arts and Music programs and have played key roles in developing and growing Choral, Concert Band and Jazz learning experiences for our students. We thank them for their significant contributions to the School and we wish them well in their new endeavours.
Music Department Launch Event 2020
Jazz In The Garden – Saturday 13 March (6.00pm)
We are pleased to announce that the Music Department launch event will be held next year on Saturday 13 March at 6.00pm. In working in association with the Friends of Music, the Department will host performances from ensembles in the Jazz program, in bringing together musicians from both the Junior and Senior Campuses. Please place the Music Department launch event into your diaries. We are certainly looking forward to an exciting ‘outdoor music experience’.
Examination Results
Congratulations to the many students who have undertaken external examinations this year as they have pursued the learning of an instrument or explored their singing voices. The results listed below are students who achieved outstanding results with the various listed Music examination bodies.
Australian Music Administration Board (AMEB)
Jiayi (Ina) Guan – Theory of Music Grade 2 – Honours
Alexandra To – Musicianship Grade 2 – Honours
Charlotte Humphreys – Musicianship Grade 3 – Honours
Charlotte Humphreys – Clarinet Video Repertoire Grade 3 – A Honours
Derek Hu – Clarinet Video Repertoire Grade 3 – A+ Honours
Francesca Richardson – Clarinet Video Repertoire Grade 3 – A Honours
Tara Ward – Piano Video Repertoire Grade 1 – A Honours
Callum Wardman-Browne – Piano for Leisure Video Grade 7 – A+ Honours
Hadley Wintle – Saxophone Video Grade 7 – A+ Honours
Zheng You (Yolanda) Bai – Piano Video Repertoire Grade 1- A Honours
Rabiah Singh – Piano Leisure Video Grade 1 – A Honours
Jessica Jiayi Lee – Saxophone Video Grade 2 – A Honours
Amelie Heard – Online Musicianship Grade 3 – High Distinction
Rock in the Garden was held in the forecourt outside the John Roberts Centre across recess and lunches today. We would like to congratulate all students who performed in various Rock Bands and Guitar Ensembles who performed for their peers. Special thanks to Mr Mathew Owen, Ms Katherine Moses and Music tutors, Mr Peter Atkins, Mr Diego Idarraga, Mr Nathaniel Smith and Mr David Wooltorton for all their efforts in facilitating both the Junior and Secondary events this past fortnight.
Friends of Music AGM
The Music Department would like to thank all parents and staff who attended the Friends of Music Annual General Meeting via Zoom on Wednesday. The meeting commenced with an exceptional performance by percussionist and educator Ms Sandy Sin. Her award-winning performance career has seen her acclaimed for her work in Australia, Singapore, Japan and Korea. Not just a skilled performer, Sandy is an inspiring teacher and we at Redlands are fortunate to have her amongst our talented Music team. In performing a spectacular solo work for Marimba, Sandy was accompanied by Academic Music teacher, Mr Mathew Owen.
As an important component of this meeting, annual reports were presented by the committee’s President and Treasurer, with a focal point concentrating on the collaborative efforts of volunteers who have continued to support the development of music databases for Music Ensemble scores remotely across the course of this year.
The Music Department would like to thank all volunteers who have contributed to this 5 year project, and we are pleased to announce that the finalised Optimo Management System will be released in January 2021.
Congratulations are extended to the 2021 Friends of Music Office Bearers:
