Foundation

Scholarships

We are very proud to announce that the Peter Lennox Scholarship is open for applications for Yr 7 2021.

This Redlands Foundation Scholarship will be awarded to a student (currently not enrolled at Redlands) with a strong academic record and the ability to contribute to the life of the School in Sport, Music, Dance and Service. It is aimed at providing a Redlands education to a student who would otherwise be unable to attend the School.

The Peter Lennox Scholarship, named in honour of our former Principal who retired last year after 12 years of exemplary service, is strictly means-tested and has been possible by generous donations from parents, Alumni and friends within the Redlands community.

Thank you to all our donors, sponsors, prize donors and volunteers who have joined us on this journey. A full list of donors to the Scholarship Fund in 2019 will be released in the upcoming Annual Report and Foundation Newsletter.

We will continue to support this cause throughout this year with the objective to grant another scholarship in 2022. For further information and to view the video, please click here.

Stay Connected!

Stay connected with our community via social media. We regularly post information about achievements of our students, past students and community news.

Click on links below:

Redlands Facebook

Redlands LinkedIn

Redlands Alumni Facebook

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

Redlands House/Transition Gold

Storypark Online Learning

What a fabulous response we have had to our online learning for the Preschool children. Thank you for all of the messages of support. We do hope the children are following their ideas and continuing to engage in meaningful experiences using the ideas and tools we are providing through Storypark.

Friendships and connection play a pivotal role for young children. We hope the children can still connect and engage with each other at this difficult time. Please use the Storypark platform to assist the children to feel connected to their teachers and classmates. Please contact you class teacher should you have any issues, or need some extra support.

We are missing the children and thinking of all of our families at this difficult time.

Blue Class Seniors Exploring Persistence

Persistence is a lifelong skill. It is a learning disposition that allows children to keep trying until they can achieve something. Even the most capable children and adults will face challenges or find something that is difficult for them to do. To overcome such barriers, children need to be taught how to persist.

Persistence allows children to not give up and feel a sense of accomplishment. Preschool is a great place to experience challenge in a safe and supported environment. We want to support children’s persistence by explicitly teaching them about what it means and why it is important.

Blue Class Seniors were offered the opportunity to make connections and reflect on their ideas through character exploration in the story “The Most Magnificent Thing”, written by Ashley Spires. We invited children to share something that they can’t do right now but they would like to learn and are not going to quit? Something they are going to keep working at! Below are some of their responses:

Evie: “I’m going to keep going in book corner because I can’t read yet but I want to keep trying”.

Chloe: “I’m trying and trying at Preschool and trying at home and other places too. I can only read one book at home but I’m going to keep trying other books”.

Oscar: “I want to learn to write my name without any help. I’m trying and trying and trying all over again”.

Ashleigh: “I can’t do forehands in tennis. I am going to keep trying!”.

Tabitha: “I can’t pack my bag. I’m going to try super hard”.

Hattie: “I can’t build Lego. I will try and ask the teacher for help”.

Madi: “I’m trying and trying to read a story at home. I need to keep on trying and Mummy can help me”.

Chase: “Trying to draw Izzy, my sister. I’m going to try all over again”.

Cole: “At home I can’t get my toy aeroplane out of the shelf. I’m going to keep trying and trying”.

Avi: “I want to try do a hard puzzle. I’m going to practise with my Mummy”.

Tashi: “I can’t do a puzzle that has three puzzles to it. I can only do the easy four piece chicken one but I can’t do the sheep one and the cow one. I just put it in the basket and tomorrow I will try again”.

Lincoln: “I can’t do a really tricky puzzle at my home. Like I think it is the right piece but it’s not. I going to keep trying”.

Asher: “Sometimes I can’t sit still on the mat. I going to try to do it. Keep trying. Like crossing my legs and doing the 5Ls”.

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

Head of Junior School

Monday Assembly

This has definitely been a term of ‘firsts’ for students, staff and families and my thoughts and prayers continue to be with everyone in our community and your extended families across the world.

Monday was a very exciting day with our first virtual assembly beamed live into every Junior School classroom, allowing us to be together as a Junior School via the platform of Zoom, which I will talk more about later.

A lot of the routines of a normal Junior School assembly continued with Ms McKenzie leading us in prayer and an excited student response to the update of House points. We were also delighted to have our Principal and Deputy Principal, Mr Webber and Ms McGarry, join the assembly from their respective offices and Mr Webber spoke to the students about the current situation and the need to stay connected and to support each other.

As I shared with the students, other than ‘snow days’ growing up in the UK when overnight snow would close our school, this was new and unchartered territory for me and all of the other teachers and I was able to empathise with how students might be feeling. I explained that our remote and online learning day had given us really helpful guidance although we really missed the students on campus; and we still do.

I know for my own children and many other students I spoke with on Monday, they are also sad to have to learn from home but we know that this short-term measure is for the greater good, as hard as that might be to fathom as a Junior School student.

Please do stay connected with us and each other and I would love to be sent any photos or short videos of your home learning set ups too via email, which I may then share in next week’s Note Day.

Remote and Online Teaching and Learning

Thank you to the many parents who provided insightful and constructive feedback on last Friday’s remote and online learning day, which has helped our teaching staff refine their planning this week. The day was timely given our move to off-campus learning and equally of great importance was the students’ feedback.

I have been so proud of our teachers’ unwavering dedication and commitment to their students’ learning in this online teaching platform. Their growth mindset and willingness to adapt and change is noteworthy.  It is important that when we learn something new, or learn to do something in a different way, our ability to think critically increases, which is a positive outcome.

We have connected with schools across the globe regarding their experiences with remote teaching and learning and adapted these to what we feel is right for Redlands and our students at this point in time.

In discussing the student, parent and teacher feedback, in the coming fortnight until the end of term, our focus will be to enhance our connections with our students, both in terms of teaching and learning and student wellbeing. 

Some of our Junior School classes have been providing pre-recorded morning video messages or have other morning ‘check in’ processes, which the students are enjoying. 

Moving forward, from next Monday, our plan for the rest of the term for Junior School classes will see an introduction to Zoom for students to connect with their teachers and peers in a live conference learning space. 

Further information about this process will be emailed to families tomorrow. 

Thank you to all of the parents who have offered support and appreciation of our teachers’ efforts to support student learning. In our School’s aim to also look after staff and following consistent advice from the Government to encourage people to work from home if they can, we will now be supporting our teachers to work remotely from home too.

Student Wellbeing

As our young students become increasingly aware of the global situation and its impact on our day-to-day events, they may feel worried, anxious, uncertain or confused. We recognise that this is a challenging time for our students, staff and families and each class teacher spent time acknowledging this with their class before our campus closed on Monday. Students were encouraged to look after each other and stay connected and reminded that their friendships will remain even though there will be less actual face-to-face contact in the immediate future.

Our Dean of Students, Mrs Kourakis, has been working closely with class teachers to ensure that daily wellbeing practices are also built into the plans for each class, which will be reflected in their daily recommended schedules. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to any of our specialist Pastoral team, class teachers or me.

Staying Fit and Healthy at Home

In our virtual assembly, our Head of Junior School Sport, Mr Dunne, added comments of encouragement to the students to keep active as part of their everyday routine and with all of our teachers still in this week, the Sports Department have created some wonderful interactive videos and resources for students and families to help with a variety of activities under the newly-created Redlands HomeFit button located on Redlands Pulse. This page will be regularly updated with tips, hints, blogs, videos and routines and I encourage you to make some time to visit this page in the coming days and weeks to see if there is something that would suit you and your family.

Request to Borrow a School iPad for Yr 3 and Yr 4 students

Whilst we have a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program in Yrs 5 and 6, we understand that not all of our students in Yrs 3 and 4 may have regular access to a device at home.

In a further measure to assist any families who are experiencing issues with their own devices at home or have limited technology resources, Redlands is offering the option to borrow a school iPad to students in Yr 3 and Yr 4 during this period of remote and online learning.

If you would like to request an iPad from our IT department, please follow the steps below:

1. Please read the terms and conditions of borrowing a Redlands iPad as you will be asked to sign this when you pick up the device.
2. To request a school iPad, please fill in this form before picking up the iPad.
3. Collect the iPad from the Junior School Reception at the following times:
   Friday 27 March – 10.00am-12.00pm
   Monday 30 March – 10.00am-12.00pm

In accordance with our current increased health and safety practices, we ask that only one person comes in to the School to collect the device and that they line up outside Reception until called in as we will only assist one parent at a time. Please note that this time is not a time for IT assistance and the usual method of communication via email to our iSupport team will enable this. Of course, if you are unwell, you should not enter the Campus at all.

The Sydney Academy of Chess Online Classes

For members of our Chess Club and indeed any other interested students, the Sydney Academy of Chess is offering online chess lessons in place of Friday afternoons in the Library.

Weekly lessons will be pre-recorded and available to view on the Vimeo website. There will be a password protected folder, which will contain all of the class videos, which can be viewed at your leisure. After the students have watched their lesson, they will be encouraged to practice their skills on our online playing platform, Chess Squad.

Your child’s Chess Squad login and password would be emailed to you when you enrol for the classes. Sydney Academy of Chess have a live platform they are organising for Term 2. To enrol, please pay online here and enter the code G7QTSVXIS1.

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

Head of Preparatory School

Welcome

A warm welcome to Prep School families from me in this interim period between Mrs Fellowes’ departure and the arrival of Mrs Breckenridge for the start of next term. When Mr Webber asked me to take up this short-term role, I was delighted to have a brief window to get to know more of the Prep students and families.

Having been at Redlands for 14 years, I know the Prep School well and the staff. We have been meeting remotely via the platform of Zoom on a daily basis and I know them well enough to pick up exactly where Mrs Fellowes left off on Tuesday.

I know for my own children and many other students I spoke with on Monday, they are also sad to have to learn from home but we know that this short-term measure is for the greater good, as hard as that might be to fathom as a Prep School student.

Please do stay connected with us and each other and I would love to be sent any photos or short videos of your home learning set ups too via email, which I may then share in next week’s Note Day.

This has definitely been a term of ‘firsts’ for students, staff and families and my thoughts and prayers continue to be with everyone in our community and your extended families across the world.

Remote and Online Learning

Thank you to the many parents who provided insightful and constructive feedback on last Friday’s remote and online learning day, which has helped our Prep staff refine their planning this week. The day was timely given our move to off-campus learning and equally of great importance was the students’ feedback.

I have been so proud of the teachers’ unwavering dedication and commitment to their students’ learning in this online teaching platform. Their growth mindset and willingness to adapt and change is noteworthy. It is important that when we learn something new, or learn to do something in a different way, our ability to think critically increases, which is a positive outcome.

We have connected with schools across the globe regarding their experiences with remote teaching and learning and adapted these to what we feel is right for Redlands and our students at this point in time.

As Mrs Fellowes shared, Prep students will not be following the regular timetable that they would participate in at school. Instead, tasks will be set and these can be completed at a time convenient for your family and situation. While students may be missing some of the connectedness of the classroom, opportunities for teachable moments will arise through activities such as cooking, cleaning, gardening, sewing, craft, conversation and free play.

Please also don’t worry if your child is not able to complete every task that has been set; we appreciate that this will not always be possible and keeping students focused and on task is much harder at home than at school.

In discussing the student, parent and teacher feedback in the coming fortnight until the end of term, our focus will be to enhance our connections with our students, both in terms of teaching and learning and student wellbeing. 

We know the morning and afternoon videos have been well received and moving forward, the staff are now exploring the capacity of Seesaw to be a platform for ‘live’ morning welcomes or using Zoom. Please visit the Seesaw Help Centre for your assistance and reference.

Thank you to all of the parents who have offered support and appreciation of our teachers’ efforts to support student learning. In our School’s aim to also look after staff and following consistent advice from the Government to encourage people to work from home if they can, we will now be supporting our teachers to work remotely from home too.

Student Wellbeing

As our young students become increasingly aware of the global situation and its impact on our day-to-day events, they may feel worried, anxious, uncertain or confused. We recognise that this is a challenging time for our students, staff and families and each class teacher spent time acknowledging this with their class before our campus closed on Monday. Students were encouraged to look after each other and stay connected and reminded that their friendships will remain even though there will be less actual face-to-face contact in the immediate future.

Our Dean of Students, Mrs Kourakis, has been working closely with class teachers to ensure that daily wellbeing practices are also built into the plans for each class, which will be reflected in their daily recommended schedules. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to any of our specialist Pastoral team, class teachers or me.

Kindergarten Reptile Man Visit

On Friday 13 March, Kym the reptile man came to visit Kindergarten. Students learned about bush animals and especially how to stay safe around them.

The children took turns to look, hold and study each animal. Many questions were asked like, “why does the frog always face upwards in their trees?” and “what is the difference between a turtle and a tortoise?”.

Other children had a lot of knowledge to share such as the definitions of omnivore, herbivore and carnivore. The presentation was very entertaining with many of the children showing incredible bravery when interacting with the animals.

Staying Fit and Healthy at Home

Our Head of Junior School Sport, Mr Dunne, has provided some activities to keep active as part of their everyday routine and with all of our teachers still in this week, the Sports department have created some wonderful interactive videos and resources for students and families to help with a variety of activities under the newly-created Redlands HomeFit button located on Redlands Pulse. This page will be regularly updated with tips, hints, blogs, videos and routines and I encourage you to make some time to visit this page in the coming days and weeks to see if there is something that would suit you and your family.

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

Head of Secondary School

Remote Learning and Teaching

The impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak on our community continue to rapidly evolve and we are doing our utmost in the Secondary School to respond to this changing educational landscape in an agile, supportive and productive manner. Over the past few weeks our Subject Coordinators and teachers have been working tirelessly to transform our educational programs in order for them to be delivered remotely, and we are pleased with some of the early feedback we have seen in this space. Yesterday, the Senior Campus was eerily quiet, and I can speak for all teachers in saying we missed the buzz and energy of students in our classrooms, rehearsal spaces and the wider playground. (I have included some photos of teachers from the Remote Learning and Teaching Day last Friday. As you can see, yours truly did, however, enjoy having the basketball courts free of students at morning break!)

Please note that as of today, we have given teaching staff the option of working from home and an increasing number of staff will be working remotely. If you need to make contact with any individual staff members, it is best to email them directly instead of a phone call.

It has also been great to see the rich educational opportunities which have been created with our remote learning and teaching platforms, and we are proud to see that our high quality educational delivery has been able to continue – albeit in a far different environment. We have further reviewed some of our practices after our successful trial of remote learning and teaching last Friday and your feedback was valuable in this review. We have changed some aspects of the programs (such as designating longer breaks between classes) and will continue to do so as we evaluate these new systems. A reminder for parents to provide any feedback through feedback@redlands.nsw.edu.au and to also regularly check the School’s COVID-19 Redlands Pulse page for further updates regarding cancelled or postponed activities. We are aiming to maintain timely, open and transparent communication during this time, and your feedback, as we are regularly reviewing and updating our approaches, is appreciated.

Yesterday, parents and students would have received some specific tips to assist in a successful transition to remote learning. These tips were an additional resource to the Remote Learning and Teaching Protocols which have previously been disseminated. (These documents can be found on the Secondary School page of Redlands Pulse.) We have been reviewing and learning from a number of different school systems around the world who have moved to remote learning and teaching in recent months so that we can institute what we believe will be best practice for the education of our students in the Secondary School. I would like to just highlight a few important reminders for students and parents as we move to remote learning:

• It is important that students continue to follow as much of the “routine” of school as possible during this time. That is why we are following our regular timetable – with some additional breaks built in. That is also why we have asked students to wear their PE uniform for Zoom classes.
• Students should have an appropriate space for learning. This would ideally be an individual desk or table where they can remain organised and avoid distractions. They should not be lying on a bed or couch during a lesson.
• Students should ensure they are well prepared for the school day. While many are probably enjoying a little bit more of a sleep in, they should ensure they wake up in time to have a good breakfast and have all of their belongings organised before they start the school day.
• Students should minimise distractions in their home learning environment during this time. For example, we would expect students to follow the same school expectations around mobile phone use as they do at school and would encourage parents to ensure that students do not have their mobile phones with them during scheduled class time. It would also be good to check in on them to ensure they are not finding other potential distractions on their computers.
• We also remind all students that they are expected to follow our ICT Responsible User Guidelines when working remotely at home. We have been pleased thus far to see their responsibility and maturity while working remotely.
• It is important that students find ways to continue with their physical activity during this time, so they do not become sedentary. They should literally get up and have a stretch or a quick walk outside for some fresh air during the break times in the day; they should find time to take the dog for a walk before or after the school day (pets are a beneficiary of family self-isolation during this time); or they could join in one of the Sports Department fitness sessions before or after the school day via Zoom.

We realise that this current disruption can be challenging to students in terms of their mental health and wellbeing. That is why we are continuing with our regularly scheduled Pastoral Care and Wellbeing program, including Chapels, Year Group meetings and (hopefully coming soon) assemblies. Much of this time will be spent in Tutor Periods and the primary aim of these periods is for Tutors to have a check in with the students in their Tutor Group. If students are struggling, please encourage them to reach out to their Tutors, either during these Tutor Periods or via other channels. In addition, the Year Advisors are also available, and there are additional resources for support available on the individual Year Advisor Note Day pages. Finally, our Counsellors are continuing to provide support for students remotely and further information will be available for all students to access on the Counselling iLearn page which should be published to students early next week.

It has been exciting to see many Cocurricular activities transform into the remote space over the past week. I know Music lessons have been occurring via Zoom; many Music Ensembles have been rehearsing remotely; Dance classes have been trialled via video; and Sports trainings have been occurring remotely. We are reviewing all of our Cocurricular activities to see how they can best move to a remote environment and are hoping to run as close to a regular Cocurricular timetable as possible starting next week.

Once again, I want to thank the many of you who have taken the time to share words of support and appreciation for the efforts of the staff during this time. They have meant a lot. I talk a lot about the importance of a partnership between school and home and that partnership is now more important than ever as we navigate this quickly changing landscape.

International Day Mufti Day Tuesday March 31

While International Day has been postponed until later in the year, we will have a few International Day activities in Tutor Period on Tuesday 31 March. In addition, we will still have our International Day Mufti Day on Tuesday. Students can dress in clothes representing their heritage or their international connectedness. We would ask students to only wear clothes they currently own and not to go out to purchase any additional belongings. If students are not dressing in mufti for International Day, we would ask them to wear their PE uniform.

Cross Country Carnival

While the Secondary School Cross Country Carnival has been cancelled for next Thursday, we will be encouraging as many students as possible to take part in a remote cross country challenge during their sports time next Thursday afternoon. More information will be sent to students in the coming days or can be found on Redlands Pulse.

Yr 11 Parent Teacher Night Wednesday 1 April

Over the past week we have determined that we will still run our Yr 11 Parent Teacher Night on Wednesday 1 April as we believe having this check in with home is as important now as ever. However, we will now do so remotely via Zoom meetings between individual teachers, students and parents. We will also be moving forward the time for these parent teacher meetings and they will now run from 4.00pm – 7.00pm. More specific information has been sent to Yr 11 parents and carers.

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

From the Principal

In one of my early addresses to our students, I talked to them about the amazing Red Tingle trees in the south of Western Australia. Trees that grow up to 60 metres tall, strong, powerful, soaring and majestic. Trees that are hundreds of years old, that have lived through drought, flood and fire, many with their internal structure blackened through fire and hollowed out in the middle.

Standing inside these trees, dwarfed and enveloped by their size is a most memorable experience. There is a sense of deep peace, a real awareness of the strength of their root systems and a feeling of timelessness, the trees rock solid in their foundation and connection to the earth.

I used this metaphor with the students to encourage them to realise that in times of challenge and difficulty in our lives, we can be reminded by these trees, that we too have great strength and resilience and that we can draw on our roots and connections to support us; strong in the knowledge that our foundations will enable us to grow through the experience and strengthen our resolve.

As we work together through this challenging and uncertain period, I have once again reflected on this metaphor. As more of our families move to working and learning from home, without our usual social distractions and sporting programs to watch, how will we respond? This will no doubt be a time of significant change. During this period the metaphor of the Red Tingle tree can be a reminder that we all need to focus on our roots and foundations. The things that bind us and our families and friends together. We need to spend time nurturing the aspects of life that are most important and meaningful to us, even though some of this will need to be at a distance or online!

It has been inspiring to see how our school community has responded to this period of upheaval and I have greatly appreciated the constructive feedback and support from our parents and carers. Our staff have been completely committed to working creatively, often beyond the call of duty, to develop a purposeful and engaging remote learning program and we are continually looking to improve and refine the program. It has been fantastic to see staff looking to expand the number of ways that students can connect with them, in a myriad of activities, as this has been a strong positive aspect of the feedback.

On a personal note, I sincerely thank you for the many messages of support and encouragement which have been greatly appreciated. Messages thanking the staff for their dedication, professionalism and care have lifted spirits and reinforced the special connection to our wonderful school. 

In closing, I understand that for a number of families, changes in business operations and job security will be at the forefront of your minds. A letter from the Board of Directors will be distributed to the community today, outlining our strong commitment to work to support families at this time. It is in adversity that our strength of community will shine through.

Mr Stephen Webber

Photo caption: Remote online learning in full swing with students and staff engaging purposefully and creatively.

Careers

UAC Update for Yr 12 Students and Parents

All Yr 12 HSC students will be receiving their four digit UAC PIN via email on 1 April. The PIN is needed for applying to universities in NSW and ACT. IB students do not receive a PIN, they create their own. The Universities and Admissions Centre (UAC) will be open from Wednesday 1 April until end of September as the application portal for all universities in NSW and ACT. However it is strongly recommended not to apply until after August, as not all courses will be listed on the site prior to this!

Yr 12 will receive a presentation on how to apply closer to the August timeframe.

Register Your Interest With Universities and Colleges

For all Yrs 10-12 students, it is recommended to register your interest with universities and colleges that you may wish to apply to so you receive regular updates on online events and news.

Contacting the Careers Office

For student and parent meeting requests or queries, please contact via email in the first instance ssalier@redlands.nsw.edu.au, and we can work out the best way to connect.

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

Uniform Shop

The Uniform Shop will be closed to customers from Tuesday 24 March until further notice. Parents may continue to place orders online through flexischools.com.au or via email to uniformorders@redlands.nsw.edu.au.

Please note embroidery of blazers at the end of Term 1 has been suspended.

Further information can be found on Redlands Pulse or by calling the Uniform Shop on 9968 9850.

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

Year 12

Student Wellbeing

As educators, the wellbeing of our students underpins all that we do, and this is particularly evident during times like we are experiencing now. The resilience that students, staff and families have, and are, demonstrating is exceptional and it further reminds us of the importance of the ability to regulate our emotions, cope when dealing with difficult situations and adapt when necessary. We have certainly seen our students demonstrate these specific skills over the past few weeks, and we are incredibly proud of them for this, and many more reasons.

We understand this is a particularly uncertain time for our Yr 12 students, however, I would like to say how impressed I have been as all of the students have worked together to keep each others spirits up. On Monday, it was great to see students wear their Hawaiian themed shirts to celebrate their final day on campus of Term 1 before moving to the remote learning platform. It put a smile on many people’s faces and was an excellent demonstration of resilience and community spirit in action. I trust that the communication published in recent days around Yr 12 assessments and arrangements has alleviated some of your concerns, and please be assured that we will continue to communicate with you as further information and decisions are made.

Pastoral Support

We wanted to take this opportunity to remind parents that all of the usual support services are still available, although they may look a little different.  Tutors, Year Advisors, senior Counsellors, Dean of Students and the Chaplain are available as pastoral supports. Students can email these supports directly or through wellbeing@redlands.nsw.edu.au and staff will respond accordingly during school hours.

Our Counsellors are also currently developing a Pastoral Support iLearn page with a variety of different resources, which will be available next week. Parents are also welcome to email any of these supports if you are concerned about your son or daughter, or just need some advice abot how to support them.

Tutor Time

Tutor Time will also continue each day in order to provide students with the opportunity to connect with their Tutor Group, have some fun and ensure they are looking after themselves, and each other.

Chapel

As with other aspects of our school routine, Chapel will continue, albeit in a slightly different format. Each week our Chaplain will record a message for the students that they can access through the Chapel iLearn page. Students will be guided to this by their Tutor and are encouraged to participate in reflection activities after they have watched the video.

SchoolTV

The most recent Special Report from SchoolTV provides parents and caregivers with some guidelines on how best to navigate this time of transition with minimal disruption. Please click on this link to access information on resilience. 

Online Study Skills

Dr Salter has added a new section to the Study Skills Handbook: Tips for Remote Home Learning. Please click on this link for further information: Username: redlands; Password: 68results

Webinar

You are invited to participate in a fundraiser for Women’s Community Shelters. Domestic violence rates rise in times of challenge and the shelters can’t do their normal fundraising events. Four speakers have been asked to donate their time to a webinar parents can pay to access with all proceeds going to the Shelters.

Circles of Support Webinar – Parenting Through COVID-19

Tuesday 2 April at 8.00pm for the live webinar or sign up to watch the replay
Click here

Mr Edward Atkins
Yr 12 Advisor 
eatkins@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9909 3133

Year 11

Remote Learning

I have been thoroughly impressed with our Yr 11s engagement with Remote Learning practice. Students have been mature in their dealings with teachers and each other, seeking to gain as much as possible from their Zoom sessions. Teachers have been working hard to create rich learning opportunities in this online space and it has been so pleasing to see our Yr 11s thriving in this new environment. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Walker and the Yr 11 Tutors for their efforts at this time.

Parent Teacher Evening

We are currently discussing the Yr 11 Parent Teacher Evening scheduled for next Wednesday and how that could look in the online space. Further information to follow.

Student Wellbeing

As educators, the wellbeing of our students underpins all that we do, and this is particularly evident during times like we are experiencing now. The resilience that students, staff and families have, and are, demonstrating is exceptional and it further reminds us of the importance of the ability to regulate our emotions, cope when dealing with difficult situations and adapt when necessary. We have certainly seen our students demonstrate these specific skills over the past few weeks, and we are incredibly proud of them for this, and many more reasons.

Pastoral Support

We wanted to take this opportunity to remind parents that all of the usual support services are still available, although they may look a little different.  Tutors, Year Advisors, senior Counsellors, Dean of Students and the Chaplain are available as pastoral supports. Students can email these supports directly or through wellbeing@redlands.nsw.edu.au and staff will respond accordingly during school hours.

Our Counsellors are also currently developing a Pastoral Support iLearn page with a variety of different resources, which will be available next week. Parents are also welcome to email any of these supports if you are concerned about your son or daughter, or just need some advice abot how to support them.

Tutor Time

Tutor Time will also continue each day in order to provide students with the opportunity to connect with their Tutor Group, have some fun and ensure they are looking after themselves, and each other.

Chapel

As with other aspects of our school routine, Chapel will continue, albeit in a slightly different format. Each week our Chaplain will record a message for the students that they can access through the Chapel iLearn page. Students will be guided to this by their Tutor and are encouraged to participate in reflection activities after they have watched the video.

SchoolTV

The most recent Special Report from SchoolTV provides parents and caregivers with some guidelines on how best to navigate this time of transition with minimal disruption. Please click on this link to access information on resilience. 

Online Study Skills

Dr Salter has added a new section to the Study Skills Handbook: Tips for Remote Home Learning. Please click on this link for further information: Username: redlands; Password: 68results

Congratulations

Natalie and James Watson have been accepted into the Yale Young Global Scholars program with full financial aid. That means that all of our Redlands students who applied for the program were successful. Our other successful applicant was Kira Prado. This is a sensational result. The Yale Young Global Scholars program is highly selective: 6,500 applied last year with under 1000 selected. YYGS offers interdisciplinary, pre-collegiate sessions and they offer one of the most globally diverse programs in the world, with participants coming from over 125 countries. We are incredibly proud of Natalie, James and Kira and warmly congratulate them on this significant achievement. Of course at this unprecedented time, it may not be possible for this opportunity to go ahead, however, their acceptance remains a significant accolade. A special thanks too to Ms Salier for presenting and facilitating these opportunities for our students.

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

Year 10

Remote Learning

Remote learning has begun this week and I have been really impressed with Yr 10s organisational skills and mature approach to this new learning platform. Several teachers have commented about how engaged and hard-working the students are. Last Friday and this Wednesday Mr Dong and I held a whole Year Group Zoom meeting and it was wonderful to see everyone’s smiling faces on screen.

Student Wellbeing

As educators, the wellbeing of our students underpins all that we do, and this is particularly evident during times like we are experiencing now. The resilience that students, staff and families have, and are, demonstrating is exceptional and it further reminds us of the importance of the ability to regulate our emotions, cope when dealing with difficult situations and adapt when necessary. We have certainly seen our students demonstrate these specific skills over the past few weeks, and we are incredibly proud of them for this, and many more reasons.

Pastoral Support

We wanted to take this opportunity to remind parents that all of the usual support services are still available, although they may look a little different.  Tutors, Year Advisors, senior Counsellors, Dean of Students and the Chaplain are available as pastoral supports. Students can email these supports directly or through wellbeing@redlands.nsw.edu.au and staff will respond accordingly during school hours.

Our Counsellors are also currently developing a Pastoral Support iLearn page with a variety of different resources, which will be available next week. Parents are also welcome to email any of these supports if you are concerned about your son or daughter, or just need some advice abot how to support them.

Pastoral Program

We have informed the students that they need to check the Yr 10 Pastoral page every morning before their first lesson begins at 8.20am, as any important announcements will be communicated to the Year Group on this page.

The Yr 10 Pastoral team have been working hard to modify our Pastoral Care and Social Awareness programs and the format of the Tutor Group and Year Group meetings in light of the current situation. I would like to thank Mr Dong and all of the Tutors for their dedication and flexibility at this time, and the Yr 10 teachers who are working hard to change all their practices into remote online sessions. It has been a steep learning curve for all of us!

The Tutor sessions each day are a very important aspect of the student’s remote learning day, as it is a time to connect with their Tutor and members of their group during this time when they are socially isolated. The Pastoral program will be as follows:

Check-in Monday – Tutor Groups will have a Zoom meeting from their Tutor, during which they will have the opportunity to chat to each other and their Tutors. Tutors may also use this opportunity to have individual and/or small group sessions. This is an important time for Tutors to see how each student is managing with their new virtual world and also a chance for them to catch up as a group and have a casual chat.

Pastoral Tuesday – Tutor Groups will accept a Zoom meeting from their Tutor’s Pastoral page and the Tutor will run a Pastoral program similar to what we have currently been running, based on how young people can develop resilience, which is even more pertinent now.

Active Wednesday – The whole Year Group will have a Zoom meeting together and Mr Dong and I will run a Year Group meeting and also a physical activity session, showing them short video clips that they can also join in with.

Social Awareness Thursday – Tutor Groups will have a Zoom meeting with their Tutors and continue working on their Youth Homelessness projects.

Chapel Friday – Tutor Groups will have a meeting through Zoom with their Tutor and then be directed to a pre-recorded video message from the School Chaplain, Ms Lihou. This will also include some short activities to complete.

Chapel

As with other aspects of our school routine, Chapel will continue, albeit in a slightly different format. Each week our Chaplain will record a message for the students that they can access through the Chapel iLearn page. Students will be guided to this by their Tutor and are encouraged to participate in reflection activities after they have watched the video.

SchoolTV

The most recent Special Report from SchoolTV provides parents and caregivers with some guidelines on how best to navigate this time of transition with minimal disruption. Please click on this link to access information on resilience. 

Online Study Skills

Dr Salter has added a new section to the Study Skills Handbook: Tips for Remote Home Learning. Please click on this link for further information: Username: redlands; Password: 68results

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

Year 9

Remote Learning

Thank you all for your support and feedback this past week as we transition to remote learning. 

Our Yr 9 Pastoral Care program is continuing and will be an integral aspect of maintaining connections with the students. The final weeks of Term 1 will focus on:

• Refining remote learning skills
• Self-care when working remotely 
• Social connectedness through Tutor Group activities.

We kicked off our remote learning program on Friday 20 March. At the end of our Pastoral session, students provided a small insight into their life at home, sharing a photo of their favourite thing. This was a creative way for us to connect online. Images of dogs, cats, mice, siblings, books, plants, technology, sporting equipment and idols etc. were shared. 

Student Wellbeing

As educators, the wellbeing of our students underpins all that we do, and this is particularly evident during times like we are experiencing now. The resilience that students, staff and families have, and are, demonstrating is exceptional and it further reminds us of the importance of the ability to regulate our emotions, cope when dealing with difficult situations and adapt when necessary. We have certainly seen our students demonstrate these specific skills over the past few weeks, and we are incredibly proud of them for this, and many more reasons.

Pastoral Support

We wanted to take this opportunity to remind parents that all of the usual support services are still available, although they may look a little different.  Tutors, Year Advisors, senior Counsellors, Dean of Students and the Chaplain are available as pastoral supports. Students can email these supports directly or through wellbeing@redlands.nsw.edu.au and staff will respond accordingly during school hours.

Our Counsellors are also currently developing a Pastoral Support iLearn page with a variety of different resources, which will be available next week. Parents are also welcome to email any of these supports if you are concerned about your son or daughter, or just need some advice abot how to support them.

Tutor Time

Tutor Time will also continue each day in order to provide students with the opportunity to connect with their Tutor Group, have some fun and ensure they are looking after themselves, and each other.

Chapel

As with other aspects of our school routine, Chapel will continue, albeit in a slightly different format. Each week our Chaplain will record a message for the students that they can access through the Chapel iLearn page. Students will be guided to this by their Tutor and are encouraged to participate in reflection activities after they have watched the video.

SchoolTV

The most recent Special Report from SchoolTV provides parents and caregivers with some guidelines on how best to navigate this time of transition with minimal disruption. Please click on this link to access information on resilience. 

Online Study Skills

Dr Salter has added a new section to the Study Skills Handbook: Tips for Remote Home Learning. Please click on this link for further information: Username: redlands; Password: 68results.

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

Year 8

Remote Learning

Yr 8 are travelling well with their first two days of remote learning. Students are Zooming in and participating in lessons and Tutor, while teachers are creatively delivering content and activities for students to continue engaging in their learning and get a good stretch in between screen time. We will be trialling our first full year meeting this Friday and look forward to the Year Group coming together remotely.  

Please remind your children to keep a close eye on their emails. Many Sport and Cocurricular activities are posting optional ways for students to remain involved while remotely learning from home. These will be shared through iLearn with a notification sent to student emails.   

Student Wellbeing

As educators, the wellbeing of our students underpins all that we do, and this is particularly evident during times like we are experiencing now. The resilience that students, staff and families have, and are, demonstrating is exceptional and it further reminds us of the importance of the ability to regulate our emotions, cope when dealing with difficult situations and adapt when necessary. We have certainly seen our students demonstrate these specific skills over the past few weeks, and we are incredibly proud of them for this, and many more reasons.

Pastoral Support

We wanted to take this opportunity to remind parents that all of the usual support services are still available, although they may look a little different.  Tutors, Year Advisors, senior Counsellors, Dean of Students and the Chaplain are available as pastoral supports. Students can email these supports directly or through wellbeing@redlands.nsw.edu.au and staff will respond accordingly during school hours.

Our Counsellors are also currently developing a Pastoral Support iLearn page with a variety of different resources, which will be available next week. Parents are also welcome to email any of these supports if you are concerned about your son or daughter, or just need some advice abot how to support them.

Tutor Time

Tutor Time will also continue each day in order to provide students with the opportunity to connect with their Tutor Group, have some fun and ensure they are looking after themselves, and each other.

Chapel

As with other aspects of our school routine, Chapel will continue, albeit in a slightly different format. Each week our Chaplain will record a message for the students that they can access through the Chapel iLearn page. Students will be guided to this by their Tutor and are encouraged to participate in reflection activities after they have watched the video.

SchoolTV

The most recent Special Report from SchoolTV provides parents and caregivers with some guidelines on how best to navigate this time of transition with minimal disruption. Please click on this link to access information on resilience. 

Online Study Skills

Dr Salter has added a new section to the Study Skills Handbook: Tips for Remote Home Learning. Please click on this link for further information: Username: redlands; Password: 68results.

Webinar

You are invited to participate in a fundraiser for Women’s Community Shelters. Domestic violence rates rise in times of challenge and the shelters can’t do their normal fundraising events. Four speakers have been asked to donate their time to a webinar parents can pay to access with all proceeds going to the Shelters.

Circles of Support Webinar – Parenting Through COVID-19

Tuesday 2 April at 8.00pm for the live webinar or sign up to watch the replay
Click here

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

Year 7

Remote Learning

Vanessa and I have been so impressed at how well the Yr 7s have adjusted to remote learning. We appreciate that it is not an ideal situation, especially as they are just been establishing new friendships and settling into Secondary School life. Please be assured that we will continue to support students remotely and we have planned a number of activities to do during Tutor Time to ensure we continue to build on the connection’s students have made with each other during their first 10 weeks of Yr 7.

Top Tips for Remote Learning

We all know a typical response from a young person when you ask “what did you do today” can be “nothing” (which we know is not true!), so to hopefully help avoid this response, we have provided a few questions you might like to ask at the beginning and end of the day to help you get a more detailed response:

In the morning, you could ask:

• what are you learning today?
• what are your learning targets or goals?
• how will you be spending your time?
• what resources do you require?
• what support do you need?

In the afternoon, you could ask:

• what did you learn today?
• acknowledge one thing that was difficult. Either let it go or come up with a strategy to deal with the same problem if it comes up again.
• consider three things that went well today. Why were they good?
• are you ok? Do you need to ask your teacher for something? Do you need help with something to make tomorrow more successful?

Student Wellbeing

As educators, the wellbeing of our students underpins all that we do, and this is particularly evident during times like we are experiencing now. The resilience that students, staff and families have, and are, demonstrating is exceptional and it further reminds us of the importance of the ability to regulate our emotions, cope when dealing with difficult situations and adapt when necessary. We have certainly seen our students demonstrate these specific skills over the past few weeks, and we are incredibly proud of them for this, and many more reasons.

Pastoral Support

We wanted to take this opportunity to remind parents that all of the usual support services are still available, although they may look a little different.  Tutors, Year Advisors, senior Counsellors, Dean of Students and the Chaplain are available as pastoral supports. Students can email these supports directly or through wellbeing@redlands.nsw.edu.au and staff will respond accordingly during school hours.

Our Counsellors are also currently developing a Pastoral Support iLearn page with a variety of different resources, which will be available next week. Parents are also welcome to email any of these supports if you are concerned about your son or daughter, or just need some advice abot how to support them.

Tutor Time

Tutor Time will also continue each day in order to provide students with the opportunity to connect with their Tutor Group, have some fun and ensure they are looking after themselves, and each other.

Chapel

As with other aspects of our school routine, Chapel will continue, albeit in a slightly different format. Each week our Chaplain will record a message for the students that they can access through the Chapel iLearn page. Students will be guided to this by their Tutor and are encouraged to participate in reflection activities after they have watched the video.

SchoolTV

The most recent Special Report from SchoolTV provides parents and caregivers with some guidelines on how best to navigate this time of transition with minimal disruption. Please click on this link to access information on resilience. 

Online Study Skills

Dr Salter has added a new section to the Study Skills Handbook: Tips for Remote Home Learning. Please click on this link for further information: Username: redlands; Password: 68results.

Webinar

You are invited to participate in a fundraiser for Women’s Community Shelters. Domestic violence rates rise in times of challenge and the shelters can’t do their normal fundraising events. Four speakers have been asked to donate their time to a webinar parents can pay to access with all proceeds going to the Shelters.

Circles of Support Webinar – Parenting Through COVID-19

Tuesday 2 April at 8.00pm for the live webinar or sign up to watch the replay
Click here

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

Secondary Sport

Sport Online

As we transition our Sport programs to an online format, it is important our staff, students and parents maintain clarity around our purpose of Sport at Redlands. Whilst the situation and operational environment is changing rapidly, our purpose as a department and what we offer students remains constant.

“Our purpose is to inspire students to achieve life-readiness through the provision of sport based learning experiences and opportunities.”

Our Sports staff are committed to this purpose and have a laser-like focus on delivering opportunities to allow our students to continue to grow and develop. Over the coming days and weeks we will have a collection of sports videos, Zoom sessions and online learning tools for students to engage with.

Below is a timetable to available sessions that have or are being run this week and next week through Zoom. Any student or parent is welcome to join in on the session.

Further Sport Options

The following are a range of ideas our Sports Department are exploring for the coming weeks depending on how the situation evolves:

• Redlands Sport podcast of coaches, staff, ex-students associated with sport in our school community or beyond.
• 14 day challenge for students to achieve one thing per day over the holiday break. (eg. mindfulness activity every day, stretching for 30 mins).
• Sport Nutritionist Q&A via Zoom.
• Catalogue of online fitness exercise videos to highlight key teaching points and technique when at home (important consideration for managing our risk).
• Online Cross Country/Running competition through Strava.

I would like to thank the work of our Sports Department as they have all very quickly adapted to a change in roles and duties to ensure our students keep learning from the wonderful opportunities that sport can provide.

Cross Country

In lieu of the physical Cross Country Carnival originally scheduled for 2 April, we will hold a virtual Secondary School Cross Country Carnival next week. All students will be able to complete a run or walk (maintaining social distance guidelines) for house points. More information is available here.

Football

We had 16 students log into the first Football session on Wednesday, with all students working to improve their Football skills. For any students who missed out, these sessions will be available online under the Football page on iLearn for students to access at a later date.

A reminder to all Football players, these sessions will be available via the Zoom link on iLearn every Wednesday morning at 6.45am until the end of term. There are a number of various skills/drills available for players on the iLearn page that can be done from home.  

Rugby

This Friday morning Redlands Rugby will host the first online Rugby Fitness session.

The session will start at 6.45am with students logging in via Zoom by 6.40am. Please make sure to follow this link or access the Zoom Meeting via iLearn.

Parents and siblings are all encouraged to attend what will be a fast paced and fun session to start the day off on a great note. The session will only need a towel and a water bottle with later sessions bringing in the use of a Rugby ball.

Please note if any students need to borrow a Rugby ball for home, we are still handing them out from the Sports Department located in the Fitness Centre.

Students from any sport are welcome to attend and please feel free to contact me directly jgooding@redlands.nsw.edu.au for any questions.

“The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do” Kobe Bryant.

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

All Sports contacts can be found on Redlands Pulse.​

Snowsports

COVID-19 Update for Interschools

Snow Australia places the safety, health and wellbeing of its competitors, volunteers, parents and school communities as our prime focus. Together with our Resort partners, we are closely monitoring the daily directives from governments, and the recommendations and policies of school systems and health authorities with regard to Covid-19. In an environment of constant change, Snow Australia and the Resorts continue to make preparations for the 2020 winter season.

To assist school communities in particular, we will provide weekly updates through our Interschools e-News communiques. 

To assist Schools in their planning, Snow Australia is pleased to confirm that should any Interschools events not proceed, full refunds will be made on all event-related payments. Regarding accommodation bookings, we are confident that all Resorts and accommodation providers will be announcing generous and flexible refund policies. We thank you for your patience during these unprecedented times. Our capacity and collective endeavour to welcome guests safely to the mountains in winter this year remains the positive objective.

On Tuesday 21 April there will be a formal announcement of either the guaranteed hosting or the cancellation of the July school holiday Interschools events and Sydney Interschools event at Perisher. This is 66 days prior to Friday 26 June, the commencement date of the independent school holiday break.

Registration

Please continue to register your children for races so that preparations can continue. 

REGISTER HERE

Race Week

Race Week is from 9-18 July at Thredbo. Bookings are still open but it’s best not to pay anything until 21 April. Existing payments will be refunded if events are cancelled.

FOSS Events

Friends of Snowsports (FOSS) regrets that The Icebreaker event at the Balmoral Beach Club on Thursday 30 April was cancelled by the venue last week.

The Second Hand Ski and Snowboard Equipment Sale on the Senior Campus on Sunday 3 May has to be postponed until June or further notice.

More Snowsports details and dates are on Redlands Pulse. 

Mr Bruce Campbell
bcampbell@redlands.nsw.edu.au
Snowsports Administrator
0413764445

Drama and Theatre

The Shakespeare Festival

Our wonderful Shakespearean theatre performances, which were videoed individually, have been adjudicated by our guest Judge and Redlander, Tess Haubrich. Tess commented that across the board, everyone performed very well and there was a clear, mature sense of understanding of the language and characterisation which was wonderful to see. Overall, the projection, articulation and understanding of Shakespeare’s language and style was impressive. All the performers were passionate and prepared. The winners of this year’s Shakespeare Festival are listed below. Congratulations to all our performers

Best Performance – The Taming of the Shrew (George Dunne, Daniel Thomas and Julia Parker)

Overall Winner – Liam Dow (for his performance of Lago)

Honourable Mention – 

Macbeth Witches: Madison Bennett, Lucia Brown, Bridie Carmichael, Toby Griffiths.

Hamlet: Xavier Little and Lauren Weaver

Othello: Josh Green and Liam Dow

More information can be found on

Redlands Pulse

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

Music

Music, Technology and Learning

Throughout this week, it has been exciting to see the Academic Music program (P-12) delivered through various platforms across the school. This has included interactive learning platforms including SeeSaw, Google Classroom and iLearn.

On the Senior Campus this learning has been further facilitated through ZOOM technology, which has proven to demonstrate the ability to support student learning in composing, listening and performing contexts.

This use of technology displays the explosive growth of the use of video in the classroom and this is enhancing the way many teachers can teach lessons. This platform was used to deliver engaging lessons and rehearsals to Secondary School students in both Private Music tuition (individual lessons) and the Music Ensembles program.

Videoconferencing opens up the opportunity for teachers to have truly interactive conversations and lessons with their students by connecting their classroom with other students and other teachers.

This week we have experienced first-hand the power of this learning environment and below are some snapshots of what this looks like in the classroom.

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