NAPLAN Online 2025: National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy

Commencing in a few weeks on Wednesday, 12 March and concluding on Monday, 17 March, the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) will be completed by all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 at Redfield.

Students will complete a series of four online assessments in Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language and Numeracy. The schedule of assessments for all of these year groups is as follows:

Note that students who are absent for any of the online assessments above will have opportunities to catch up on any day from Thursday, 13 March to Monday, 24 March.

The results of these tests will provide important information to Redfield about what each student can do and will be used to support the development and implementation of teaching and learning programs in the school. All parents will receive a report indicating their son's level of achievement. Each student's level of achievement will be reported against the National Minimum Standard.

Mark Munasinghe

Mr Mark Munasinghe has joined Redfield as a mentor to Primary and Secondary students. Mark is a Redfield Old Boy (Class of 2014) and is currently studying to become a teacher, as he has passion for helping and supporting the new generation of children. In his spare time, he enjoys going to the gym and playing football.

Milad Khalil

Mr Milad Khalil has joined Redfield College as the new Leader of Formational Programs and mentor, as well as teaching Religion in Secondary. He is an experienced educator, having worked 18 years in Catholic Education in a number of leadership roles in schools, in the Sydney Catholic Schools central office, as well as the leader of Youth Ministry for the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney. Milad is married with four children and loves spending time outdoors with his family.

Joshua Woolnough

Last Tuesday, a team of generous dads hosted a Father & Son Breakfast for over 100 people in the Atrium. A big thank you goes to Buddy Jilwan, Fayad Tohme and Joe El-Sabbagh for preparing manoush, coffee and other treats to foster friendship and community at Redfield! 

The Atrium was buzzing with activity, and it was great to see a number of mentors working the floor and meeting new dads. The team plans to run this event every term, so stay tuned. 

It is wonderful to see many dads dropping their sons off to school in the morning, and what better way than to include breakfast to get the day started? I was very impressed with a number of boys who helped to set up and pack up the room to make things easier for the dads. 

Chris Tanna, Director of Formation

The Canadian Catherine L'Ecuyer, a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Sciences and Psychology, is the author of The Wonder Approach: Rescuing Children's Innate Desire to Learn, which I highly recommend to every parent. The book is about how to awaken children's natural sense of wonder for learning, discovering the extraordinary in the ordinary. It is a very appropriate book to read in these times of overstimulation, when maintaining attention has become a greater challenge both at home and in schools.

Catherine L’Ecuyer recently shared a list of books she personally recommends for different ages, which I have found very helpful. Nowadays, with so many options available, it can be difficult to know if a book is truly appropriate for our children. I thought I would share this list with you to help your sons find some great books to read.

The criteria used to compile these lists include respect for children's innocence, their developmental stages and rhythms, the beauty of the illustrations and the message of a secure and healthy relationship between parents and children. It offers something beyond mere entertainment.

For children aged 7 to 10:

Monday, 3 March : Primary and Secondary HZSA Swimming Carnival

Wednesday, 5 March : Ash Wednesday - Whole-School Mass at 12:00pm

Saturday, 8 March to Sunday, 9 March - Year 3 - Father & Son Camp

Monday, 10 March - Class Parents Meeting

Wednesday, 12 March and Thursday, 13 March - Recollection

Thursday, 13 March to Monday, 24 March - NAPLAN

Saturday, 15 March to Sunday, 16 March - Year 2 Father & Son Camp

We have had a fantastic start to the year in Primary, with students settling in well and embracing their learning with enthusiasm. It has been particularly pleasing to welcome so many new boys to Redfield, and we are delighted to see them integrating so well into our school community.

One of the highlights of the term so far has been our successful Primary Swimming Carnival. Huge thanks go to Mr Corey Rawlingsand the Primary team for their excellent organisation, ensuring the event ran smoothly. It was wonderful to see so many boys competing, giving their best effort and earning valuable points for their House. I also thank the parents who attended and supported their sons -it made the day even more special.

We extend a big Redfield welcome to our newest Year 2 boys! 

The students have settled in beautifully and are already embracing all the exciting learning opportunities at their new school. Mr Hatcher and Mr Schweikert are incredibly proud of how quickly the boys have adapted to their new routines and are thriving in their new environment.

Each week, the boys attend Mass, where they are learning about the different parts of the celebration and growing in their understanding of the Faith. In the classroom, they have jumped into reading groups and even started using the school computers - a very exciting step in their learning journey! It's not all just reading and computers; our Year 2s are also learning Spanish (¡Hola!) and discovering their musical talents in Music. 

It’s been a fantastic start to the year, and we can’t wait to see how much more they achieve in the weeks ahead!

Keep up the great work, boys!

Jason Hatcher, Deputy Head of Primary 

Each week, a group of 20 enthusiastic young engineers gather after school for the Geek Academy Coding Club, where they dive into the exciting world of robotics and coding! Led by Robotics and Coding expert Miss Elaine alongside Mr Hatcher, the boys work in teams to design, build and program LEGO robots and race cars.

Using iPads and coding software, the boys learn valuable skills such as sequencing, problem solving and logical thinking. This week, our classroom transformed into a Grand Prix racetrack, with teams coding their LEGO race cars to speed across the finish line. The challenge required precision, teamwork and creative thinking, resulting in some epic races!

Geek Academy is not only about learning to code but also about collaboration, perseverance and having fun while tackling exciting challenges. Enrolments for next term will be announced in upcoming editions of The Red, so stay tuned if your son is keen to join the adventure!

Jason Hatcher, Deputy Head of Primary 

Year 8 students in Mr Tropiano’s Technology classes recently put their coding skills to the test as part of their Technology subject about learning how to program a micro:bit microcontroller to play the classic hand game Rock-Paper-Scissors.

As part of their digital technologies unit, students wrote their own code using the onboard accelerometer and the “on shake” gesture, downloaded it onto their micro:bit devices and then faced off in a fun, luck-based competition. The excitement built as students tested their programs and competed against each other, with each round determining who would move closer to victory.

In the end, only one lucky student emerged as the ultimate champion in each class, earning a congratulatory round of applause - and, of course, bragging rights. The activity was a hands-on way for students to develop their coding abilities while enjoying a friendly competition.

Salvatore Tropiano, Secondary Design & Technology Teacher

One of the most powerful tools that we have is the ability to use our will to form habits. What we are able to do with our life is largely the result of compounded daily efforts in a particular direction - and if the habits that we have don't align with the direction that God has called us in, we are left feeling unfulfilled and adrift.

So if you know where you should be going, here’s what I’d suggest: take control of your life by cultivating good habits. Make a conscious effort to cut out the habits that are holding you back from reaching your potential, as we were all made for greatness. However, that doesn't mean that we will all achieve everything we aspire to. Greatness requires grit, success requires sacrifice, and sanctity requires you to die to yourself, take up your cross and walk with Christ, getting up from your falls and facing your challenges head on.

Our first Live at Lunch concert for 2025 took place last Friday, 21 February. Huge congratulations go to all the students who performed for the staff and their peers. It was wonderful to see Primary and Secondary students alike sharing their gifts with each other.

Our next Live at Lunch will take place on Friday, 14 March (Week 6). Students who would like to perform are encouraged to see our student Music leadership team of Ben Chocron (Year 12) and Jackson Busch (Year 11).

Frank Romeo, Head of Music

Daniel Londos (Year 7) delivered a valiant performance at the CIS/All Schools Triathlon held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre. Competing against some of the state’s top young athletes, Daniel showcased his determination and endurance across the demanding swim, bike, and run course.

Beyond the competition, Daniel thoroughly enjoyed the experience, embracing the challenge and the camaraderie of racing alongside other talented athletes. His performance at this prestigious event highlights his passion for the sport and his continued growth as a triathlete.

Well done to Daniel on a fantastic effort!

Nick Georgiou, Head of Sport

Congratulations go to Marcus Alloggia (Year 11) for making the U18s HZSA Basketball team, which competed on Tuesday, 25 February at the AICES Championships. The team had a strong campaign, reaching the semi-finals but falling short in a tough match. Despite the disappointment, they fought hard in the third-place game, narrowly losing by just one point. With limited training and team familiarity, the players demonstrated impressive individual performances and teamwork. Competition was intense, and while squad selection was highly competitive this year, there is strong determination from Marcus to push for next year’s AICES team. 

In addition, Mr Nick Georgiou (Head of Sport) was involved in managing the U16s HZSA Basketball team, which competed on Monday. 24 February and secured HZSA’s first AICES Championship in over 15 years. In both the semi-final and final, the team found itself down by one point despite dominating large portions of the game. However, they showcased resilience and determination, winning both matches with thrilling buzzer-beaters. I encourage all Redfield students to keep pushing until the final whistle. Hopefully, we will see more boys selected for the HZSA team in the years to come!

On Wednesday, 19 February, Associate Professor Xavier Symons(Class of 2008) was installed as the Master of Warrane College, one of the residential colleges at the University of NSW. Xavier is the fifth Master since the College opened in 1971.

Xavier has taken on this role in addition to his vital work as the Director of the Plunkett Ethics Centre at the Australian Catholic University.

Redfield has a long association with Warrane because of the connections between Opus Dei and both educational institutions. The fathers of some of the earliest families at Redfield (amongst them, the James, McMahon, Holtom, Cox, Burfittand Perrottetfamilies lived at Warrane when they were studying at the University of NSW.

At the traditional Wednesday-night dinner at Warrane in the presence of the whole student body of Warrane, three former Masters and the Chancellor of UNSW, Mr David Gonski, Xavier was officially made the Master. Xavier's mother Julia and sister Anastasia were also present.