Wet Weather

Australia is often at the mercy of Mother Nature and the many weather extremes she produces. Currently, the east coast is experiencing vast amounts of rain and flooding with NSW and Sydney receiving the worst of this intense system. The southeast corner of Queensland was not spared, with heavy rain being delivered in many areas. While our school experienced yesterday’s deluge, I am happy to report that we did not receive any damage or flooding. For us, it is business as usual today albeit with wet weather lunch breaks. As the rain continues, I hope everyone in our community remains safe and dry; I know you will join me in sending our best wishes to all of the people along the east coast who have been, and are continuing to be, impacted by this weather event. At Rochedale, the only impact the rain has had – and is continuing to have – is on the playground construction. Heavy equipment is required to remove the existing shade structure and erect a new one. The continuing wet weather has had a significant impact on the construction timeline and the opening may be delayed by a couple of weeks.

A goal without a plan is just a wish

Parent/teacher interviews begin this week. These interviews are a great opportunity to find out what your child is doing well and what they need to do to keep improving and moving forward this year. This week for our Learner Profile Attribute, we are asking children to use their knowledge of their achievement to date to set new learning goals and most importantly, plan for next term to continue their learning journey. A great way for you to share in their goal setting and future planning is through our interview process. I hope you are able to take advantage of these interviews to find out how your child has progressed this term and what they can do to keep extending their learning. If for any reason you are unable to make your agreed time, please phone the school to let the teacher know as soon as possible so that they are not waiting around for an interview which won’t happen and can re-allocate the time.

NAPLAN

Next term students in Years 3 and 5 will take part in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests. These tests are designed to give a point in time snapshot of a child’s progress and are an important tool for comparing this progress with peers within the school, across the State and also across Australia. If you have any concerns regarding these tests or wish to find out further information concerning your child and the implementation of NAPLAN, please contact the relevant Sector Deputy for an appointment.

Student Code of Conduct

Thank you everyone for your feedback around the new Student Code of Conduct. This draft has been circulated to staff and our community for a number of weeks and will be tabled at tomorrow night’s P&C meeting. The final document will then be uploaded onto our webpage replacing the current draft version.

School Photo Reminder

Tomorrow and Wednesday are our 2021 photo days – please see your class teacher for the exact day and time. All children should be correctly dressed in their formal school uniform for these photos. Shoes should be black and hair should be neat and tidy and tied back with blue ribbons if necessary. (Children can change in and out of their formal uniform for the photo if their preference is to wear another style of uniform each day). As always we thank you for your support with our school uniform and for helping us maintain our positive school look and image. The payment envelopes have been sent home; please ensure that your child brings the payment envelope with them on the day to hand directly to the photo staff – not the school. If you have paid for the photos online with your code (our preferred method), you are not required to bring the envelope on photo day.

Please note; our staff photo will be tomorrow morning at 8:00am meaning staff may be unavailable for meetings or chats at this time.

New Australian Flag

Thank you to our Federal Member Mr Ross Vasta for presenting our School Captains with a new Australian flag. Mr Vasta noted how worn our current flag looked while attending our School Leaders’ Induction parade recently and promised to organise a new one for us this year. On behalf of our school community, I would like to thank Ross Vasta for his ongoing support and commitment to our school and community and for our new Australian flag.

A splash of orange

Thank you to everyone who helped to turn our school orange last Friday. It was a wonderful way to support and recognise Harmony Week and the National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence. Together our efforts raised over $800.00 for World Vision. The challenge for us all is to maintain our ‘orange’ thinking for every day of the year to help make the world a better place for everyone.

Learner Profile: Behaviour focus for the week – Thinker – Students should reflect on their term’s work, think of any improvement needed and set a new learning goal for next term. Students should share their learning goals with their teacher or ask their teacher for assistance to set their new learning goal.

Kind regards
Keith Graham
Principal

This section of the newsletter is designed to give an insight into happenings within a particular sector of the school – today it is the junior sector’s turn…

Preps are currently engaged in a Unit of Inquiry highlighting the need to respect the traditions and cultures of each other by recognising the different ways we celebrate our traditions. If you walk into any of the Prep classrooms, you may be taken aback by the fact that Christmas Trees, candles from Diwali, Chinese New Year lanterns, Holi – festival of colour, Easter and so on, are on display. Children are bringing artefacts to school that have meaning to them and demonstrate ways individuals celebrate within their families. The following questions help unpack this unit:

What special occasions do my family celebrate? How does my family acknowledge special occasions? What occasion is the most important to me? What special occasions am I looking forward to? Why? How do I show respect for a special occasion? Does your family have traditions? How do you know?

The Prep children are developing their speaking skills by telling the class about celebrations and traditions that are important to them.

Meanwhile, in Year 1 the focus has changed from ‘Systems’ to ‘Life today is different from the past and may change in the future.’ To forefront this unit, the children and their teachers travelled to Beenleigh Historical Village last week and saw how people lived in the past. The excursion was exemplary in that they were greeted by people in historical dress and then provided with many hands on experiences…

• The children washed clothes on a washing board, after getting them out of the ‘copper’, rinsed them and then wrung them through the ‘Mangle’ by turning the wooden handle. Finally, they used dolly pegs to peg them up to dry on the single strand wire clotheslines supported by a wooden prop. They learnt that washing day was Monday, when it was agreed no-one would light fires and spoil the washing! Tuesday was ironing day – as it took all day to iron the massive loads of washing with a cast iron, iron, heated on the wooden stove. They lifted the iron to feel its incredible weight. This was a life when there was no electricity and everything had to be made by hand!
• They used a two-man cross cut saw to saw through logs and even brought the pieces of timber that they cut off, back to school!
• They watched how to set up print on a printing press and received their own special certificate commemorating the visit, to store in their portfolios.
• And they experienced life in an historical one teacher school – writing on slates with lead, being spoken to sternly by the teacher, shown the cane as part of discipline in the past and seeing photos of children riding to school six at a time, bareback on a horse, dressed in clothing from that era.

They then had time to explore the village – tractors, trains, houses, a lock-up complete with chains, general store, post office and museum held wonders from the past. It was a brilliant day! That experience will help deepen the conceptual understanding that times change and will continue to change in the future.

Our teachers do an amazing job of providing engaging experiences that deepen and strengthen their students’ understanding and conceptual knowledge of Maths, English, Science, HASS within our Units of Inquiry.

Denise Wardle
Deputy Principal (P-1)

Dear Parents/Caregivers,

At times, our children’s questions can drive us all a bit crazy.

These strings of questions can originate from:

• their readiness to learn about something new or different.
• something they find perplexing and are trying to understand.
• something which sparks their interest or catches their attention

It is a way they express their desire to explore and inquire further into an event or topic.

It is through their questions that children begin to open up the world around them and how they make sense of what is happening.

Helping them to find the answers to these questions is a key in helping them to remain inquisitive and to build the skills for being a life long learner.

At times, it can be easier to quickly answer a string of questions that come your way. However, may l encourage you to take the time to talk about their questions. Through your discussions, and your own questions, lead them to the answer, rather than just answer it for them.

Yes, it takes a bit longer, and can be burdensome, especially when you are preparing dinner or it’s bed time, but by doing this you support the development of their skills in thinking, analysing information and drawing upon prior learning.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HARMONY DAY

It was great to see so many students wearing a touch of orange on Friday in support of Harmony Day. As a school community, we raised $805.75. This money raised will go towards our World Vision Child sponsorship commitments.

A very big thank you from the 2021 Student Council for everyone’s generous support.

Have a great week
Paul Kelly
PYP Coordinator

Welcome to Week 9!

Captain Read It

Congratulations to our Captain Read It Winners from Week 8

Prep K - Eliana F
1S        - Dallas R
2D       -  Phoebe S
3W      -  Abel H
4F       - Josephine F
5A       - Fia B
6A       - Geanina C

Have a great week!
Jackie and Lorraine

SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHS WILL BE TAKEN ON:

Tuesday 23 March 2021 and Wednesday 24 March 2021

ORDER NOW go to www.advancedlife.com.au and enter the code Q99 DBV 7BR

Dear Parents,

School photographs are scheduled to be taken by Advancedlife. Envelope and flyer have now been distributed, if possible it is our preference that ordering be completed online to reduce administration and potential security issues related to the return of cash and envelopes on photo day.

Orders for photography packages can be placed securely online at www.advancedlife.com.au  using our school’s unique 9 digit advanced order code. Portrait and group package orders are due by photography day.

Should you have any queries concerning school photographs or online ordering, please contact us at www.advancedlife.com.au/contact

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

• School photos purchased online DO NOT require envelopes returned to school
• Late fees/additional charges will be applied for purchases after photo day
• Photos will be returned to your school for distribution approximately six weeks after photos are taken
• Past years’ photographs including sports, co-curricular and representative groups available at school’s advancedorder site (follow the link above) and your child’s advancedyou photo site
• Sibling photos are not available at Rochedale State School
• Legal names will be used in all photographs

ABSENCE LINE 3340 8388 or

text 0427 890 693 (24 hours)

*******IT IS NOW A REQUIREMENT THAT ALL STUDENT ABSENCES BE REPORTED ON THE DAY OF THE ABSENCE TO THE SCHOOL OFFICE*******

To report a student absence, please call the absence line on 3340 8388 or text our SMS line on 0427 890 693.  These lines are both open 24 hours a day.

When recording an absence on either our phone line or SMS line, please state the following:

1. Your name
2. Student's name
3. Student's class
4. Reason for absence

Please speak clearly and slowly and help us with spelling of names when calling the phone line.

ROSHCA VACATION CARE BOOKING INFORMATION

A reminder to all our families who utilise ROSHCA Vacation Care that bookings close Friday 26 March, at 10am. Bookings must be made through the My Family Lounge app. Spaces are still available, but you will need to be quick.

If you want your child/ren to attend any of the excursions please also complete the excursion permission forms that you will find on the school's website (see link below).  Return to Roshca directly before 10am this coming Friday March 26, 2021. Permission forms are a mandatory requirement for any ROSHCA excursions.

ROSHCA (eq.edu.au)

Hi Rochedale State School Families, 

We are OPEN!!! After nine months of being closed for over-the-counter sales, it is so exciting to be open again. Please be patient with our friendly staff and volunteers as we are a little out of practice. Our online ordering via the QKR App will continuing with all orders delivered to the classroom Thursday, if not Friday. Please remember these orders can be delivered to ROSHCA upon request. 

Just a friendly reminder our Business Hours are: 

Wednesday 2:15-3:15pm 

Thursday 8:15-9:15am & 2:15-3:15pm

ONLINE ORDERING - QKR! IS HERE - NO FORMS - NO QUEUES - items that are currently unavailable due to being sold out won't be available or are labelled backorder. Once these items have been re-stocked they will once again be available on the app. QKR is an app for your phone or tablet, which you can use to buy your uniforms and have them delivered either to your child's classroom or to ROSHCA. No need to fill out forms or produce credit card details. It is all done on the app. We receive a report each day for all orders placed before 8am on that day and we will endeavour to have your order packed and delivered Thursday each week. Please be patient, we have been experiencing a large number of QKR! orders, which we love, but if it doesn't get to your child on Thursday it will definitely get to them by Friday. Please remember hats are unable to be exchanged for hygiene reasons, please choose size carefully. 

2ND HAND UNIFORMS -  Please remember we don’t offer exchanges on second-hand items. What you see is what you get. We are not accepting anymore second-hand items for resale at this time. Our rack is completely full.

Back In Stock - 

School Bags
Swim Bags
Library Bags
Hats (all sizes and colours)
Sport Shorts (All Sizes)

Out of stock - A few items are currently out of stock, please be patient.

Formal Dress size 4
Formal Dress size 8
Formal Dress size 10
Sport Polo size 14
Sport Polo size 16
Knitted V-Neck Size 4
Formal Trousers size 4 

Thanks
Kate Abrahams
Uniform Shop 
Rochedale State School P&C
Ph: 07-3340-8314
E: uniform@rochedalesspandc.com.au