Over the past week, students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 have completed National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests in the areas of Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language and Numeracy.

This year, the tests were scheduled two months earlier than in years past, and the process was, on the whole, very smooth, with all tests completed online with the exception of the Year 3 Writing test.

With the data from the test results due to be released mid-year, we will be able to identify the school's strengths and areas for growth and adjust our teaching and learning programs accordingly.

I would like to congratulate all boys on their efforts.

Andreas Engesser, Deputy Headmaster (Curriculum)

Secondary classes spent some time in the Chapel last week reflecting on St Joseph, whose feast we celebrated recently. St Matthew's Gospel describes St Joseph as a 'just man'. This phrase is rich with Old Testament overtones. Among the many dimensions that make up a just man, we discussed the following three:

1) A just man knows what he owes. Not only does he give to others what is due to them (paying debts, doing honest work, etc.), he also realises that he owes a lot to the society in which he lives, his friends, his family, and to God Himself. In other words, the just man is humble enough to recognise that he is not 'self-made'. The recognition of what he owes leads to a profound sense of gratitude.

• Joseph Badaoui- Music 1, Visual Arts
• Gabriel Burfitt- Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
• Aiden Cavestany- English Standard*
• Damien Doowage- English Advanced, English Extension 1, Modern History, Mathematics Advanced*
• Harry Elias- English Standard*
• Michael Fam- Biology, Physics, Mathematics Extension 1
• Johnathon Gaitau- Mathematics Standard*
• Samuel Sarks- Mathematics Standard*
• Luke Stevens- Chemistry, Design & Technology, Geography*
• Eamonn Tuttle- Ancient History, Business Studies, Economics
• Jonathan Yassa- Geography*, Mathematics Advanced*

On Wednesday, 22 March, the Year 12 Student Leadership Team held a charity event in support of Beyond Blue, a mental health foundation that provides assistance programs for individuals who suffer from depression, anxiety disorders and other related mental illnesses. 

The fundraising event involved a mufti day, with participating students being allowed to wear casual clothing in exchange for a gold coin donation. Thanks to the generous contributions made by both parents and students, the fundraiser generated over $870 for the essential work of Beyond Blue.

Furthermore, students from Years 7 to 12 had the opportunity to attend a presentation by a renowned motivational speaker Matt Caruana. During the session, Mr Caruana shared his journey with mental health, from his struggle with mental illness and attempted suicide to his recovery as a paraplegic who now has functioning legs.

Overall, the day proved to be a tremendous success for both Redfield and Beyond Blue, and the Year 12 Leadership Team remains optimistic about holding similar events in the near future to support the foundation further.  

Parents or students who are still interested in contributing to the cause can do so via this link.

Isaac Busch, College Vice-Captain

The following boys attended the NSWCIS Swimming Championships at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre (SOPAC) on Wednesday, 22 March:

• Aiden Abouhamad (Year 3)
• William Cox (Year 3)
• Ethan Sahyoun (Year 3)
• Sergio Mulkeen-Suarez (Year 5)
• Emerson Sebire (Year 5)
• Xavier Ting (Year 5)
• Jonah Rudolph (Year 6)
• Alexander Siau (Year 6)

It was a day full of physical challenges and emotions, especially when each competitor realised that he had made it to such a high level of swimming within the school carnival system. 

Our boys displayed great ambition, skill, attitude and effort, which enabled them to gain some wonderful personal achievements throughout the day. 

We are all very proud of each boy and greatly applaud their successful swimming season. Very well done, boys!

Justin Roberts, Head of Primary Sport

"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." - Jimmy Dean

This quote by Jimmy Dean, a 20th-century American celebrity, reminds us of how we can grow in the virtue of fortitude as young men. There will always be "winds" - elements of hardship - in our day-to-day lives, and this is where we must always remain focused on steering away from these distractions. I want to challenge you all to reflect over the next few weeks on the hardships you face and the manner in which you deal with them. 

Let’s briefly view the sport of boxing from a metaphorical perspective: the man who allows his opponent to throw a jab while remaining in full control of all his actions proves to be the most effective fighter. Rather than giving in to small “winds”, as Jimmy Dean puts it, we should always strive to control the things we can control as best as we can.

Amin Abboud, College Captain

Congratulations go to the students listed below for receiving a Lion Award in Week 7:

Congratulations to the students listed below for receiving a Lion Award nomination in Week 8.

Congratulations go to Christopher Fernandez (Year 9) who took out first place in the CSDA (Catholic Schools Debating Association) Public Speaking competition.

Competing against 130 students from some 80 schools and before a panel of several adjudicators, Chris's accomplishments are phenomenal. His mastery of the art of persuasion, eloquence and wordsmithery were all on display throughout the competition, and he is a most deserving winner. I would also like to commend all other participants from the College on their efforts. 

Chris has achieved a remarkable result and, no doubt, approaches the upcoming Debating season with even more enthusiasm. Well done, Chris!

Chris Cullen, Secondary Debating Coordinator

A fiercely contested lunchtime Basketball competition this year saw Castor victorious with a 19-14 win over Sirius in the Grand Final in Week 6, with particularly strong performances from Alexander Kos (Year 12) and Gabriel Choi (Year 11). 

Big thanks go to the Senior School boys who refereed each of the fixtures.

The Staff team, winners from the last two years, found themselves struggling to find their rhythm (and any decent players) and finished bottom of the league table, unable to qualify for the Semi-Finals. However, as a wise Mr Del Rosario once said, “Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself”. 

Stewart Hannan, House Competitions Coordinator

This week, Year 8 students have explored the Greenhouse Effect in Science.

Boys worked in small groups to monitor the effect on temperature when an area is enclosed by a transparent cover and exposed to the sun’s rays.

By placing a thermometer in the open air in the same area, a comparison of the effects on temperature is able to be made.

The students recorded changes in temperature on both thermometers over time, then recreated the experiment in the shade to compare rates of cooling in both situations.

Their analysis included graphing of the results to compare trends and describing their findings.

Stephen Dunn, Science Teacher

This month, the Years 11 and 12 Visual Arts students visited the Art Gallery of New South Wales to see the annual ARTEXPRESS exhibition.

ARTEXPRESS 2023 features artworks by 43 students chosen from over 8028 submissions for the 2022 HSC in Visual Arts in NSW and showcases the students' creativity and the social and political issues important to them.

Works drew from a range of media, and common themes across the exhibition included family and personal identity, ideas of home and place, and environmental concerns.

The visit gave the boys a further understanding of the requirements and standards of the HSC, which will assist them to facilitate the creation of their own body of work.

While at the gallery, our boys also had the opportunity to visit the new North Building, a large, multi-level space which contains a reclaimed underground fuel bunker known as The Tank on the lowest level. Built during World War 2 and previously inaccessible to the public, The Tank is now home to the first of a series of art projects.

Stewart Hannan, Head of Visual Arts

Last Wednesday 15 March, Redfield took a team of 19 representative swimmers to the annual ISA Swimming Carnival at the Olympic Swimming Centre. As always, the boys performed admirably and achieved some solid results. Mr Georgiou and Mr Morrison managed the team, and Mrs Ragell worked tirelessly at the recording desk.

Several school records were broken by Linus Kang(Year 9) and Moses Afiouni(Year 12). Our senior and intermediate relay teams both finished in fourth place in their freestyle relays and also in the medley relays - no mean feat considering the depth of the opposition.

Most of the schools we compete against have their own pools and swimming coaches, which was evident in the talent and skills brought to the pool. Despite that, we managed to finish third in the intermediate and fourth in the senior brackets, placing fifth overall.

Highlights
Junior(12s, 13s, 14s):

Click on the image below for more details.

Click on the image below to register your son(s) for Sport Camp.

Pared has officially launched its first Merch Store, starting with the Redfield collection! Show up to your next club game, camping trip or family day rocking some merch! It's not a uniform, so style it like any other piece in your closet!

This is not a regular merch store. Our items are professionally designed in various colours to suit everyone! They are made with high-quality materials and are sold at cost price to make them as affordable as possible, and any profits will be directed to the school's Chapel funds.

Represent your school and purchase an item here.

We are launching another competition for the Redfield community! Participate for the chance to win a $500 Midford Uniform Shop voucher! To be in the draw, purchase an item from the new Merch Store before Friday, 31 March.

Click here to view the full range of Pared merch items, and remember: purchasing merch is a great way to represent your school!

*Parents who have already purchased items from the Merch Store will be included in the running.

*The winner will be contacted via email.

*The voucher can only be redeemed at the Redfield Midford Uniform Shop.