From the
Wilson Head of House As the clock struck midnight and we all tried to say ‘Goodnight’ to 2020, I naively breathed a sigh of relief. 2020, the year of unprecedented times, was O.V.E.R. We cheered, laughed and twirled our sparklers when my cousin thought it would be funny to put two sparklers together. And just like that, a fire began. And just like that, 2021 lead us into lockdown. Masks, 5km radius and new variants, OH MY! In a year of continued Covid trials, students, teachers, parents and our Redeemer community, alongside the rest of the world, have had to persevere through continuous change and be ready to adapt and…adapt we have.
To start the year, we needed a clear direction and so the ‘Wilson Ways’ were born. Based on 1 Corinthians 13:4, the ‘Wilson Ways’ are mantras that we live by as a House. “Wilsonites” focus on being patient, kind, selfless and truthful. We know that at the end of the day, love is what matters and love is embedded in all of these ways. To reinforce these values, we have been lucky to have our House Captain, Max (who has done a great job!) as well as our Year 12 Wilson leaders who have given of their time, talent and treasure throughout the year. Forming our welcome committee, encouraging Home Group devotions, and writing a new Harry Styles-esque war cry. Additionally, we introduced two Assembly regulars: The Inspiration Stations and J.E.M sessions. The Inspiration Station is a segment where a student speaks to the House about something that has motivated them or made them feel inspired throughout the week. Our students drew inspiration from acts of kindness, notes of encouragement, famous quotes, personal experiences, to the wise words of world leaders. Our J.E.M sessions involved students presenting a ‘joke, excellent song or meme’ of the week. This segment, run by Taylor and Emma (Year 11), brought laughter and fun to our House Assemblies. Who would have thought that you could soothe a crying baby by throwing slices of cheese? Home Groups have been a flurry with regular devotions and activities, paired with inter-Home Group and House Challenges. Students have engaged in scavenger hunts, quizzes, minute-to-win-it games, photo challenges, upcycled-pet making and the infamous ‘name that tune’. The House Captains as a
58 HOUSES
REDEEMER REFLECTIONS 2021
group, across all Houses, have devoted themselves to building community and their initiative and legacy are deeply appreciated. Our Carnivals, both sporting and cultural have been a great adventure. The ‘Under the Sea’ theme for the Swimming Carnival underscored our mania for dance and allowed us to create spirit with our original choreo and of course, hype up the fun with the macarena. Later in the year, we had our first Cross Country at Stolz Oval which made the course even better than previous years. Athletics was rained out but we had a fabulous time on the field and almost every event was filled with energetic “Wilsonites”. For Wilson, our time to shine dawned at the ‘Pavement Art’ competition. The theme of ‘Untold History’ was beautifully and skilfully represented by our three student groups (Middle Years, mixed and Senior Years). We placed across all three categories and took the major win. Then, we cycled our way to the top for RecyKle, riding a whopping 42.7 km in 40 minutes. What a team! In the tail end of the year, we celebrated ‘R U OK’ day and of course, the annual World’s Greatest Shave and Sister Snips. So, the sparklers caught on fire at the advent of 2021, but, there’s nothing wrong with a little fire in the belly. In a year of continued change, we focused on pastorally caring for one another, staying connected, reaching out for help when needed and most importantly, being hopeful about our futures. Wilson indeed stayed ‘in this together’. MRS MELLISSA HUGHES WILSON HEAD OF HOUSE
