Year 9

Moonbah Dispatch

Well, my days were a bit different than usual this week as I journey down to Jindabyne to catch up with our cohort down on the Moonbah program, and experience first hand the engaging learning happening on country. And what a fantastic week it has been down at Moonbah! 

I arrived at the tail end of the Moonbah Monday assembly and immediately felt I was entering a connected community. Students were confidently standing up the front sharing information with their peers, a couple even enthusiastically presenting details of a student initiative, Friday dinner fancy dress (well done Lily and Zoe!); table groups were laughing and sharing stories; and there was a palpable positivity in the space. After the assembly I was immediately escorted by Brodie, Elliot, Zac and Matteo to the frisbee golf course for a round of Frolf. I was able to navigate the course left-handed (due to a broken right thumb) with a good amount of motivation and friendly competition from the boys. Then it was dinner time. Food was tasty and plentiful, and the dining hall was abuzz with friendly chatter. And, at the end, the duty students worked efficiently to clean up the tables, pack away the crockery and utensils and get the space back into tip top shape, demonstrating their skills in cleaning up. A quick activity safety briefing and a bit of free time followed dinner and by then everyone was ready for bed. It was an energetic and welcoming start to my time here.

So, what does a full day at Moonbah look like? Let me take you through a typical Tuesday.

The morning wake-up call was followed by group fitness activities. Some people walked or jogged the frolf course, others completed a fitness circuit in the gym. Our dancers went to practice on the tarkett. Showers and changing followed, and then breakfast. Then I joined an Art class, learning how to use jelly plate prints to create layered artworks, using elements of the natural environment as inspiration for prints. For the second period of instruction, I followed the ‘Bush to Big Screen’ class where students, having created detailed story boards for short films, were commencing filming to bring their film narratives to life. The mixture of natural and manmade settings made for interesting scene locations. At lunch, an army of jaffle and toasty machines came out, and lots of melting cheese ensued. After lunch I joined the High Country helpers, and we went out to Lake Jindabyne to support the community by cleaning up the local area. Top finds around the water were a discarded chair, blanket, ski poles and a traffic pole. We then headed back for afternoon tea, recreation time (where I was challenged to many games of pool), and then dinner – followed by Tuesday Trivia!! Here students were divided into tables were the ‘old’ were against the ‘young’, creating a great way for everyone to meet new people. There was lots of laughter and some frustrated cries as students tried to identify the flags of the world, solve riddles and build houses of cards.

After trivia, students moved through their night routines, put their heads on pillows and closed their eyes, ready for the engaging learning, cohort bonding and fun that tomorrow continues to bring.

I won’t go through every experience there over the week but some other highlights included hiking to the highest point on the property to take soil samples, tabulate wildlife and identify and draw the flora (native and invasive!); teaching a poetry lesson inspired by indigenous work; and playing touch football in an oval overlooking Lake Jindabyne.

I must offer a HUGE thank you to all the staff at Moonbah – their enthusiasm, passion, skill and energy (!) are making the weeks amazing for our students.

International Women’s Day – March Forward Breakfast

A reminder that we are celebrating International Women’s Day with a breakfast event in conversation with Australia’s e Safety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant. The theme of International Women’s Day 2025 is ‘March Forward’, and Julie will be sharing her personal and professional journey advancing gender equity, empowerment and safety in an increasingly digital world.

This event be occurring on Monday 10 March, 7am-9am, in Redlands Hall. Proceeds from this event will be donated to Mary’s House Services providing essential accommodation for women and their children fleeing domestic and family violence or abuse. Please see below for further details.

You can purchase your tickets here.

The Redlands School Musical Begins Next Week

School musical season is almost upon us. The performances are held at the Chatswood Concourse Theatre on Wednesday March 5 at 6.30pm, Thursday March 6 at 6.30pm and Friday March 7 at 6:30pm. This year’s production of ‘High School Musical: on Stage’ promises to be exciting, entertaining and in essence, excellent! If you haven’t got your tickets yet, make sure to grab them through Pulse.

 

Term 1 Key Dates and Upcoming Events:

  • NAPLAN – Week 7: Wednesday 12 – Friday 14 March
  • Jazz in the Garden – Week 7: Friday 14 March
  • Year 9 Stay at School Information Evening – Week 9: Monday 24 March
  • Battle of the Bands – Week 11: Monday 7 April
  • Term 1 Ends – Week 11: Friday 11 April

Mr Jimmy Tod-Hill
Year 9 Advisor
jtodhill@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9908 6462