Head of Senior School

FROM THE HEAD OF

SENIOR SCHOOL

GOD CREATED US TO LIVE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS. THE CONNECTIONS WE MAKE EACH DAY BECOME PART OF OUR STORY AND THE REDEEMER STORY. THE COLLEGE PROVIDES A FAMILY-LIKE ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR STUDENTS, STAFF AND PARENTS, WHERE POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS ECHO THROUGH GENERATIONS AND SPAN A LIFETIME.

Friendships formed at school are some of the strongest through our life. The peers who are there to celebrate our vulnerable teenage years are often the friends we invite to special celebrations like weddings, or in the case of some Alumni, the friends we marry! So many special memories are made in the school yard. I think about the thousands of students that have been through the gates at Redeemer and how many friendships and connections have been made over the years.

I have watched many teachers inspire students in my time at Redeemer. The impact a teacher makes is life changing and is often remembered many years thereafter. In fact, it’s only upon reflection many years after graduation that students can really articulate the difference a teacher made. At Redeemer, our teachers have a great impact. I enjoy seeing students come back to Redeemer after they have graduated to share their stories and to celebrate their achievements with the staff that mentored them in the journey from Prep to Year 12. It is also exciting when our students graduate as teachers and come back to tell the story of the teacher that inspired them. Whilst teachers leave a lasting memory with students, so too do the students on teachers.

As teachers and staff, we farewell a cohort of students each year. This is such a bittersweet experience. We have seen them grow from little Preppies to mature young men and women that have grown in confidence as well as stature. I’ve always been proud of our Redeemer graduates, humble servants with big hearts and good character. It is so wonderful to see the children of students I have taught coming through the gates each year, continuing the Redeemer tradition. Our Alumni reflect on their positive experience at Redeemer as they choose Redeemer for their children. They want their children to experience the warmth, faith and love that Redeemer is so well known for.

As we farewell the Class of 2022, I hope that our paths cross again so that we can reminisce about the good ol’ days at 745 Rochedale Road – Our Redeemer!

MRS ANASTASIA STRONG

HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

MY MUM’S VALUES WERE INFLUENCED BY HER CHRISTIAN (LUTHERAN) UPBRINGING. THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN COMMON BECAUSE THEY OCCURRED IN THE SAME PHYSICAL PLACES. IT’S A LITTLE BIT LIKE TIME-TRAVELLING. THAT’S WHY I ATTEND THE SCHOOL THAT I DO. MUM SAYS IT’S “TRADITION”. FOR EXAMPLE – WE ATTENDED THE SAME KINDERGARTEN. THIS IS BECAUSE THE KINDERGARTEN WAS ATTACHED TO THE CHURCH THAT MY MUM ATTENDED WITH HER FAMILY. THIS ALSO LED ME TO ATTEND THE SAME HIGH SCHOOL. MY POP WAS AN INAUGURAL MEMBER OF THE REDEEMER COLLEGE COUNCIL, AND MY MUM IS A FOUNDATION STUDENT. SHE GRADUATED IN 1987, THE FOURTH COHORT TO DO SO. I WILL GRADUATE IN 2023, THE FORTIETH COHORT TO DO SO. THERE HAVE BEEN TEACHERS, FRIENDS, AND ALUMNI THAT HAVE LEFT FOOTPRINTS ALONG THE WAY, ALL CONTRIBUTING TO MEMORIES AND EXPERIENCES THAT CONNECT ME TO MY MUM. IT HAS GIVEN ME A CONNECTION THAT NOT MANY OF MY FRIENDS CAN SAY THEY SHARE WITH THEIR PARENTS. NOT EVERYTHING IS THE SAME; SOME BUILDINGS ARE GONE OR HAVE BEEN MODIFIED. LEARNING ITSELF HAS EVOLVED. THERE’S AN INVISIBLE STRING CONNECTING MEMORIES. WHEN I MOVED ACROSS TO THE SENIOR SCHOOL CAMPUS, THE YEAR 7 BUILDING WAS WHAT MUM CALLED “D BLOCK”. THE SPIRIT OF CLASS 8B 1983 INSTANTLY SUPERIMPOSED WITH THE SPIRIT OF CLASS 7.1 OF 2018. LEARNING NEVER STOPS WITH MY MUM. “LEARNING NEVER STOPS” IS A QUOTE THAT SHE REMEMBERS FROM ONE OF HER TEACHERS AT REDEEMER. SHE HAS ALWAYS UPHELD THIS CONCEPT.

CHARLOTTE TAYLOR (YEAR 11, 2022)