Contact Us

Phone: 4625 4404

Email: thomasredd-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Website: www.thomasredd-h.schools.nsw.edu.au

Address: Cnr Woodhouse Drive and Jaggers Place

Ambarvale, NSW 2560

Mrs J Fuller

The end is almost upon us for our Year 12 students. They have not long finished their important Trial HSC exams and those doing practical subjects are in the midst of their formal HSC examinations. Now is the critical time where students should be reflecting on the feedback from their teachers and immersing themselves in study, revision and practise. In a few short months, the HSC will be over but it is essential that all student devote the coming weeks to ensuring they are as prepared as possible. We all wish them the best of luck and look forward to celebrating at their Graduation at the end of the term.

I would like to take this opportunity to advise of some staffing changes. Mrs Calvert officially began her Maternity Leave this week and Mr McLaren will be taking over her classes and role as Sports Organiser. Whilst he has big shoes to fill, we all know that Mr McLaren will do an outstanding job during Mrs Calvert’s leave. We look forward to hearing her exciting news soon. Ms Chandler will be taking over as Year 7 Year Adviser and we know that she will do an equally impressive job. I would also like to thank Mr Noel Plunkett who has done an exceptional job relieving in the role of Librarian throughout the last two terms. Mrs Boot returns towards the end of term but I would just like to acknowledge Mr Plunkett’s contribution not only to the Library but also to many of the whole school events that he attended and supported.

With the introduction of the HSC minimum standards, we have been running literacy and numeracy withdrawal groups for students who have not yet met these important benchmarks. Early successes have seen a number of students achieve these standards with support from Ms Kaur and Mrs Albrecht. If your child brings home a note about these groups, I strongly encourage their attendance as students only get so many opportunities and they need to be the best prepared they can be.

A big thank you to the parents and carers that have already finalised their fees. Fees pay for materials and equipment for your child to use across all subject areas. They do accumulate so please make sure you pay them off each year or there may be a rather large bill by the end of Year 12! We keep our fees as low as possible, so we do appreciate parents and carers supporting their child’s learning with payment. Please remember all Year 12 fees have to be paid before the end of Week 9. There will be no Picnic Day or Formal unless all fees are paid in full. Similarly, Year 11 students need to have all of their fees paid prior to ordering a school jacket. If you are experiencing financial hardship please do not hesitate to come and see me and we can see what we can do to support you.

We have had a few big weeks of late, Education Week was a huge success and I sincerely thank Mrs Callaway for her efforts in organising this, on own T-Rex even made an appearance! The Science Fair, well organised by Ms Osborne and Mr Chand, was another outstanding success and showcase of our talented students. The HSC Showcase was also well attended, our Year 12 students in Dance, Drama and Music are extremely talented! Congratulations to everyone involved!.

Just a reminder that supervision before school is from 8am. Please ensure your child is not on school grounds prior to this as there is no supervision, it is far safer for your child to arrive from 8am and head to the amphitheatre or basketball courts as this is where the staff are based. Thank you for your support!

Below is a snippet from the Macarthur Chronicle

Mrs J Bullock

We recognised Reconciliation Week with an assembly that introduced a rendition of our National Anthem that includes both the English and Dharawal languages. This will be an ongoing tradition for our school. There were a number of students who made this event successful by delivering the Acknowledgment of Country, speaking to the theme of Reconciliation, and performing a Dance piece learned with the assistance of Campbelltown Art Gallery. A special thank you to Ms Collison for going above and beyond to set up a sound system to make this event a very professional production and to Mr Humphry and the Junior AECG team for leading the way.

On a similar note, in the first week of Term 3, we celebrated NAIDOC week with a series of events including a special assembly, face painting, Kangaroo tasting, selfie frames, weaving lessons, art making and dance lessons. These events would not have been possible without the help and support of our Junior AECG members and our staff, particularly Mr Humphry, Ms Potter and Mr Plunkett. A special note to the HSIE faculty for their involvement in every activity during the week, and to the English faculty who helped to write a number of nominations for the regional Aboriginal Student Excellence Awards, which will be held later this term.

Mrs J Bullock

Term Two has been an incredible one. I have thoroughly enjoyed the warm welcome extended to me by our friendly community of students, staff, parents, carers and partners. The time has gone so quickly. I already feel as though I have been at Thomas Reddall for a number of years when it has only really been a few months, but it is a few months that have been completely enjoyable and fulfilling. I look forward to a long future in our wonderful school.

There were many exciting events during Term 2. Our two carnivals, Athletics and Cross Country, were both a great showcase of the sporting talents of our students and the excellent organisation of our PDHPE staff. A lot of fun was had by all.

We had a fantastic day with visiting Stage 3 students who took part in a transition to High School day, experiencing lessons across the school and having an opportunity to meet with their future teacher and potential friends before the big change to High School life comes. All of our staff and students were impressed by our future students and we look forward to more visits and events later in the year. Thank you to Mrs Kumar for her leadership of this day.

Another very exciting day was held for the regional Science and Engineering Challenge, with a number of High Schools visiting to compete for the title of regional winner, including some from my previous school, James Meehan. It was lovely to see my former students; however, my loyalties were certainly placed with team T-Red, who took out the day as overall winners! This was an amazing achievement that made us all very proud. Well done to all of the team and their leader, Mr Pillay. We are all wishing you the very best of luck in the next stage of the competition in Newcastle in Term 3.

Subject Selection is always an exciting time for students and their families. Our recent event was a showcase of the courses on offer for our 2020 Stage 5 and 6 students. The support of families was very much evident in the number of families joining the event. We are now in the process of analysing the selections made by students to determine the final arrangement of subjects on offer, based on student demand. The process is a lengthy one, particularly for incoming Stage 6 students, who are receiving additional support to ensure that their selections are appropriate to their skills, abilities and future interests. Year 10 should be commended for the maturity shown in every interview that has been held. They have certainly taken this seriously. However, I do need to remind Year 10 that they will need to complete all tasks, including any that have not submitted on time, to ensure that they complete the required outcomes for Year 10 and secure a position in Year 11. All students have been provided with a list of any tasks that they need to catch up on.

Our end of term assembly showcased the commitment of student to their learning. The number of awards received was testament to the hard work and commitment shown to learning and to our T-Red values. Student hosts from ever year group showed exceptional poise and professionalism in performing their duties as presenters. The commitment of students and the work of the organising team behind it all was second to none, skilfully led by Ms Callaway whose work is always very appreciated.

Finally, a special note of thanks to our SASS staff. Every one of the events discussed has relied on the support of our fabulous GA, Mr Lidbetter who always manages to have everything set up and ready to go, Ms Milburn who coordinated all of the online booking for parent teacher evening and developed all of the materials for students and families for subject selection evening and Ms Lane and Ms Cantwell who lead all of our office staff in bringing all of the events together by coordinating permission notes, payments, advertising, catering and providing information to the community. We could not run our events without their wonderful support.

With so many fantastic times in Term 2, I can be nothing other than excited to see what the rest of Term 3 will bring.

Our Year 9 girls sporting our awesome new school jackets. These can be purchased from Lowes.

To start off Education Week we had a surprise visit from our very own T-REX who was handing out TRHS wrist bands. #EdWeek19

During this term, HSIE has switched between subjects. Students who were learning about History have now swapped to Geography and vice versa. They seem to be enjoying the change…so far!

Geography this term is focusing on human factors including why people live in certain places and how they affect the environment. While history is looking in Ancient Egypt and the movement of people including slavery and settlers. Elective History is looking into the history of forensics with a focus on particularly crime cases.

We have seen some amazing creativity coming from our classes. Year 7 wowed us with some bias newspaper articles to show how sources can be manipulated while Year 8 have created their own maps using BOLTS and built their own dream islands to live on.

We look forward to a fantastic term ahead filled with practical, hands on experiences that our students will be sure to enjoy!

Ms K O'Loughlan

Teacher

There are a number of things that are happening in the Mathematics faculty.

Year 12 have completed their trial examinations and HSC revision is underway in classes.

Year 11 students are preparing for their yearly examinations which will occur at the end of this term. In term 4, the Mathematics Standard course will be changed into Standard 1 and 2 courses. More information will be given out to Year 11 later this term. Mrs Kaur has been working with our Year 11 students to reach their HSC minimum standards for numeracy.

Year 8 students continue to have numeracy periods once a fortnight and we have been working on times tables, a numeracy focus and solving worded problems using CUBES. Year 7 to 10 classes will have an assignment later this term. They will be given class time to work on their assignments but are encouraged to get extra help from their teachers or attend the Homework Centre every Wednesday after school in the library.

Every Thursday at break 2, there will be a Math teacher in A15 to tutor students. Bring your lunch and Math problems!

Mrs A Latu
Head Teacher Mathematics

Support students have been working on a number of different Visual Arts units last semester. Panthers class studied a unit on Sculpture and made 'Ugly Jugs' faces using papier mache, empty juice bottles and other materials. Leopards, Tigers and Panthers classes created geometric designs and then filled in the different shapes by selecting and gluing a variety of different coloured seeds, grains and pulses. Leopards and Tigers also worked on creating Polynesian inspired motifs in Term 1.

The Pumas designed and created their own wind-powered cars for our Climate Clever unit. We raced our cars against each other, and a big congratulations goes to Riley Hunter who won took out first prize.

We had some fantastic and very creative designs, and even had a spectator grandstand complete with lego figurines to cheer us on. Well done, Pumas!

Ms A McKee
Head Teacher Support

Students in TAS have been engaged in a variety of learning experiences recently.

Our Stage 5 Textile class learnt about the functional properties of sportswear last term. Students developed their fashion sketching techniques and produced a pair of active wear pants. The class also had an excursion to Spotlight to investigate the material needed for this terms unit on sleepwear.

During the last two weeks of Term 2, Year 11 Hospitality completed their first block of work placement. They had a great time experiencing what life as a chef is like and learnt some great new skills.

A group of construction students from Thomas Reddall High School visited Campbelltown Hospital redevelopment team and were taken on a site visit to see first hand the progress of works. Construction of the new hospital will not only provide advanced healthcare for the Macarthur region but also local jobs for local people. It was an amazing opportunity for our students studying construction.

Thank you Campbelltown Hospital for the invite and experience. We value your continued support. Construction students have begun their work placement this term.

Panthers class have recently finished their solar cars and had a race. Students were very engaged and excited about the project. Check out their race on the video link below

TAS staff have recently received their Cert IV Certificates. Staff upgraded their skills to keep current in training and assessment for VET subjects.

Mrs C Edwards

Head Teacher TAS

“From the 24th to the 28th of June, I completed my work placement at the Country Club - Camden Valley. I really enjoyed my time there. Everyone I got to work with was so nice and they each had different skills they could teach me. Meeting people who work in the hospitality industry was a great experience and I got to learn what it would be like to work full time in this industry.”

Jordan Paul

Year 11 Student

Open Girls Volleyball Knockout Game

On Wednesday the 12th of June 2019 the Thomas Reddall Open Girls’ Volleyball Team played Cabramatta High School at home. The team consisted of Folau Vaki, Susana Maposua, Glory Peo, Pamela Militiadous, Kyra Puia and Hanna Hendry. The girls played well as a team and tried their best against a full strength Cabramatta High School. The girls played fairly and consistently throughout the match but went down in the first set 25-12, in the second 25-14 and in the third 25-15. The girls demonstrated great sportsmanship throughout the match and should be commended on how they represented Thomas Reddall High School. A special mention needs to be made to match officials Roserita Muavae (Line Umpire), Susana Maposua (Line Umpire) and Tavalu Petelo (Line Umpire & Referee).

Sydney South West Open Netball Knockout

On the 25th of June, our Open Girls Netball Team competed at a central venue carnival, held at Endeavour Park, Fairfield. The competition was tough with our girls coming up against schools such as East Hills, Cecil Hills, Bass & St. Johns Park. Unfortunately they did not progress through to the finals, due to some narrow losses. Well done to the following girls for representing T-Red with pride:

Claudia Brown, Hanna Hendry, Miriama Mangi, Susana Maposua, Kalaia Mathew, Shylove Tanga, Hosanna Tepania, La-Tisha Teuhema, Folau Vaki & Sofaia Vaki.

Special thanks to Faye Fa’alavaau for umpiring on the day.

Mrs K McCarthy

Open Girls Netball Coach

Zone Cross Country

Well done to the following students who represented T-Red at the Zone Cross Country Carnival on Thursday 30th of May.

Special congratulations to Mollie Pearson 1st, Michaela Dalrymple 3rd, Jhett Brewin 5th and Lucas Chown 6th, who all finished in the top 8 for their respective age groups and competed at the Regional Carnival. Mollie & Michaela progressed even further, making it through to State. Congratulations girls!

Mrs K McCarthy

Team Manager

Macarthur Zone Athletics

On the 2nd & 3rd of July our T-Red Athletics team competed in the Macarthur Zone Athletics carnival held at Campbelltown Stadium. Well done to the following students for their efforts:

Year 7 - Brahamjeet Bhachu, Blake Durrant, Jerome Gargoles, Christina Heapy, Nehemiah Vaki

Year 8 – Kaiden Bantin, Fa’animo Fa’alavaau, Branson Greening, Tara Greening, Scarlett Hill, Jaymin Poland, Cooper Thompson, Gena Yashmanov

Year 9 – Joshua Brown, Dylan Cassidy, Connor Davis, Donovan Enriquez, Roserita Muavae, Brodie Paul, Kaitlyn Russell, William Cornthwaite

Year 10 – Michaela Dalrymple, Kristin Glumac, Mieka Gregory, Dhyey Patel, Nyzhaac Tanjung

Year 11 – Jhett Brewin, Lachlan Greening, David Stone, Braiden Yann

Thank you to the students who assisted at the carnival as time keepers. Congratulations to Lachlan G who made it to the 17+ boys 100m final. Special congratulations to Michaela D who progressed through to the Sydney South West Carnival, placing 5th in the 1500m & 7th in the 3000m at regional level & Nehemiah V, who placed 1st in Shot Put & 3rd in Discus at regional level. Nehemiah will now compete at State, which is an awesome achievement for a Year 7 student. We wish him all the best.

Mrs K McCarthy

Team Manager

Selected Thomas Reddall Year 7 and year 8 students are competing in the Australasian Problem Solving Mathematical Olympiads for 2019. This is an annual contest which has been operating since 1987. Every year, schools from all over Australia, New Zealand and other neighbouring countries take part. Approximately 64,000 students participated in 2018.

The Olympiads consist of five separate contests held approximately one month apart between May and September. The overall aim is to encourage students to develop important mathematical problem solving skills in an enjoyable environment.​ Students have a period where they practice their problem solving skills together, before attempting the competition questions. Although the questions are difficult and require creative answers, students are flourishing with the challenge.

In 2018, Thomas Reddall placed in the top 25%, with six of our students placing in the top 10%. This year we are aiming to improve our marks, and are well on our way!

Mrs S Mesba
Year 8 Advisor 2019

Thomas Reddall High School students building Community Links with our local Campbelltown Hospital. Some Year 10 & 11 students toured the different sections of the hospital. Looking at permanent employment, work - placement, and volunteer program pathway opportunities for our students.

Mrs R Singh

Teacher

School-Link strengthens the early identification of mental health issues for children and young people, provision of evidence-informed early intervention programs in schools and TAFEs, early access to specialist mental health services and support for the recovery journey.

We are pleased to attach the School Link Magazine – Issue 3 2019.