From the Principal's Desk
Published by Rochedale State SchoolRestrictions easing
While the COVID situation around different parts of Australia continues to change and escalate quite quickly, it was wonderful for us in the south east corner of Queensland to hear the news that our restrictions are easing. Thanks to the efforts of people in the affected Local Government Areas (LGAs) and the efforts of those who adhered to home quarantine requirements, the Premier announced an easing of restrictions from 4:00pm last Friday. For schools across the 11 South East Queensland LGAs, the easing of restrictions means that we will once again welcome parents/carers, visitors and external providers back onto our school sites, and we can also reactivate incursions, excursions, camps and school sport. For the information of Year 5 and 6 families, our school is currently working with the other schools within our District to start up a delayed interschool sport season in Week 9.
For parents, I am extremely pleased to advise that from today we will revert to our pre-lockdown guidelines which I outlined in a newsflash on Friday. When visiting our school, please:
- adhere to all QLD Health directive regarding the wearing of masks;
- maintain physical distancing at all times, especially at drop-off and pick-up time, in the car park, in the Green Zone and at the school gate,
- sign in at the administration office when visiting beyond drop-off and pick-up,
- minimise your time on school grounds and leave as soon as possible,
- practise good hygiene routines including regular hand washing,
- do not visit the school if you or a family member are sick. Anyone who is showing signs of illness or feeling unwell must stay at home, contact their doctor or call 13HEALTH (13 43 25 84) and get tested.
We can all do our part to ensure that people in our school and community are safe by following the above guidelines.
Every child, every night reads!!!
So says our school mantra about reading. Reading is such an important skill and something which underpins so much of our learning across all curriculum areas. Reading is something children need to do every night if they are going to reach their potential. This week is Book Week and what an appropriate week to continue our enthusiasm for reading. Our Book Week parade will be held on Thursday morning and we are asking the entire school to participate and celebrate reading. The theme for 2021 is Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds and I am looking forward to seeing all the wonderful costumes from students and staff and most importantly, highlight the importance of regular reading. I am delighted to invite parents to attend this event in a revised capacity.
We have arranged an outdoor parade which will be held from 8:50am as classes make their way to the hall. The parade will be across the soccer oval behind the Admin Block and parents are invited to stand behind the lines to watch the students and staff pass by. Unfortunately we are unable to cater for parents in the hall and the indoor activities will have to be spectator free. At the conclusion of the assembly at approximately 9:30am, classes will again parade across the oval to return to class and we invite parents to once again be our audience on the oval. I do ask that parents do not follow the classes back to their rooms as we wish to restrict the number of visitors around our rooms at all times. May I take this opportunity to remind parents to ensure student costumes are made in a way that students can take them off independently if needed and also to provide a school uniform for the rest of the day if the costume is impractical for students to remain in all day.
While the costumes and parades are all part of the Book Week fun, the ultimate message we are trying to spread is the importance of students reading every day. Whether alone or with someone else, reading should form part of a student’s daily routines as the proven benefits in later life are enormous. So on Book Week and every other day, I ask; what will your child be reading today?
Student led conferences
Student led conferences will be held over Weeks 9 and 10. I hope most families are able to take advantage of these interviews to find out about your child(ren)’s progress this term. As a part of this process, students will lead the first part of the discussion about their learning, sharing their portfolio before the teacher joins in to discuss their progress with you and answer any questions you may have. Interviews can be booked online from this Wednesday and information about how to book appears in another section of this newsletter. Interview times will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Written reports for each child will go home at the end of Term 4.
Prep enrolments
Prep enrolments continue to roll in and our 2022 classes are filling up fast. As of this morning we have 124 Prep students enrolled for next year. To help us with classes and numbers for next year we ask that any Prep in-catchment students, or siblings of current students who will be continuing in 2022, to register and return your completed paper work, including birth certificate, to the office ASAP to secure your place. Even if you are an existing family you must still complete the enrolment process for your Prep child for next year. Enrolling early not only allows us to plan our staffing and classes as accurately as possible, it also provides the opportunity for your 2022 Prep child to participate in our transition program which is so valuable in assisting with the transition into school.
Learner Profile: Attribute focus for the week – Inquirer - This week students should construct a question of inquiry which interests them and find the answer to it. It may be done as part of the whole class Unit of Inquiry and related to the class program or may be something of independent interest to the student. Students should discuss and they share their actions with their teacher.
Kind regards
Keith Graham
Principal
record sheets.
Captain Read It