From the Principal: 10 Nov 2021

By Fiona Godfrey, Principal

It was a great joy welcoming all students back on to campus last week and with the resumption of community sport last weekend, things really do feel like they are returning to normal. However, with less than four weeks of schooling left for 2021, our attention is now clearly focussed on our end-of-year events and as expected some of these need to be modified or changed to comply with current and future COVID-19 regulations.

The list below gives a run-down of all the major end-of-year events. Further information about these events will be forthcoming in the coming weeks from the particular area of the school relevant to that event, so please look out for those pieces of communication, and action where required.

• Friday, 26 November – Year 12 Graduation. This will again be held in Llewellyn Hall, with a 5.30pm start and 7.30pm finish. Each student will be allowed three guests in the audience. Parents should have received their invitation last week with a link to Eventbrite for tickets. The graduation will be recorded and a link to view the recording will be circulated to all students and parents the following week.
• Monday, 29 November – Year 12 Formal. This year, the formal will be at the Hyatt Hotel and, given COVID restrictions, only Year 12 Radford students will be attending. Arrivals will start at 5.00pm (at the Flynn Drive entrance) and pre-dinner drinks and canapès will be served from 6.00pm. The event will finish at 10.00pm.
• Thursday, 2 December – End of Year 6 Chapel and Celebration. Parents are invited to the Chapel Service and Ceremony in TB Millar Hall. The Chapel Service will start at 5.30pm, while the Ceremony will start at 6.30pm and finish at 7.00pm. Students are then invited to the Year 6 Disco, which will start at 7.30pm in RA Young Hall and conclude at 8.30pm.
• Friday, 3 December – Year 10 Celebration. Only students can attend the Year 10 Celebration, given COVID restrictions. It will be held in the TB Millar Hall and livestreamed to parents. Timings: 5:30pm–5.45pm: Students arrive. Students sign-in with tutor in the Performing Arts Centre (or in the courtyard, depending on the weather). 6:00pm–7:15pm: Year 10 Celebration Ceremony. 7:30pm–9:00pm: Disco (Year 10 students and pastoral tutors only). 9:00pm: Students are collected from the Turning Circle.
• Sunday, 5 December – Carols. The carols service will be livestreamed on Sunday 5 December at 5pm. The link for the stream will be distributed in the Bulletin on Wednesday 1 December. A recording of the carols service will be available after the service using the same link.
• Tuesday, 7 December – Junior School Celebration: This will be pre-recorded and viewed by students at 9.00am. The Junior School Festival of Houses will follow directly afterwards. A link will be distributed to families on Tuesday 7 December
• Tuesday, 7 December – Secondary School Celebration 1:45pm, Years 7–9 watching at school in various venues, and parents will be able to watch live or later via a link.

Car parking and traffic flow

Unfortunately, work on both the new carpark and six external courts has suffered delays due to wet weather and a failure by an external supplier to complete necessary work within the program timeframe. This means that the carpark will not be opened until the end of the month and the courts will not be ready for use until late in February 2022.

This carpark delay means cars will have to continue to park on the side of the back road. Once the new carpark has been opened, cars will not be permitted to park along the road. Plans are currently underway to put in a pedestrian footpath, all the way along that back road, eventually joining up with the path that runs down the hill to the Junior School.

Parents should all be aware that the area outside the Morison building is a pick-up and drop-off area only. Parents should not be parking for periods of time while they wait for their child. If their child is late to the pick-up area, then they need to leave the pickup and drop area and re-join the parking line.

Update on the Sports Precinct

On Thursday, 21 October, tender documentation was released to the market for the main building contractor for the Multi-Purpose Hall, Cricket Centre and Wigg Gymnasium extension. An industry briefing and site visit was held on Friday, 29 October. The tender stage represents a significant milestone for the project and ensures the College will receive the best value for money possible.

The main building contractor will be appointed by mid-February with a view to starting work by the start of March. However, an early works package, which includes civil preparations and the demolition of the existing amenities and storage rooms in the Wigg Centre, will start as soon as the students begin their summer vacation.