As Captain Readit always says, may the words be with you!

What a wonderful celebration of reading we had last week celebrating Book Week. Thank you to all in our community for your support of reading and for sending your children to school in their amazing costumes. Every student who participated through dressing up received a certificate acknowledging their enthusiasm for Book Week, with some selected costumes winning prizes from Captain Readit’s treasure chest. It was wonderful to be able to invite parents to this event with consideration to the latest COVID guidelines and our outdoor parade proved a huge hit; the feedback has been so overwhelmingly positive that the outdoor parade looks like it is here to stay going forward into the future. Thanks to Mrs Erskine and Mrs Grinter, our wonderful library team, for organising our Book Week events, and thank you to Captain Readit for allowing the Admin Team to swing by Planet Vocab to pick you up a day earlier than usual so that you could join the Book Week festivities. It was a wonderful day and Reading proved to be the real winner. Well done everyone!

COVID Update

The latest government guidelines have highlighted that masks will continue to be worn by school staff for at least another two weeks. I therefore ask all parents and adults on our school site who cannot social distance within the grounds and who enter buildings to also wear a mask unless exempt. All other existing procedures of the past two weeks will remain in place. Health experts continue to remind us that to reduce the risks of catching or transmitting the virus we need to do ‘the right thing’, including: 

• Practice good hygiene (wash your hands frequently; avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth).
• Get tested and seek medical care early if you have a fever, cough, experience breathing difficulties or display any COVID like symptoms. 
• Stay at home, or keep your children home, if you or they begin to feel unwell until fully recovered.

As always, I thank you for your ongoing support.

Pre-service Teachers

We have 46 pre-service student teachers from Griffith University beginning their pracs today. These students will visit for two weeks experiencing different classrooms and year levels along with providing great assistance to our Junior Sports Day. The pre-service teachers are here under an agreement between Griffith University and the Department of Education. We have a detailed COVID plan for the pre-service teachers and they must follow all the guidelines of our regular staff. In addition, each day they must sign a COVID declaration form amongst other stipulations. As with anyone on our school site, if at any time a pre-service teacher feels unwell or shows signs of sickness, they will be immediately sent home and not allowed to return without a doctor’s clearance. I am sure you will make these beginning teachers feel welcome.

Junior Sports Day

With an eye to the latest COVID guidelines, we have re-designed our Junior Sports Day which will be held this Thursday, 2 August for Years Prep, 1 and 2. The event will occur under some COVID restrictions but I am extremely pleased to invite parents to attend this event. To help keep our Sports Day ‘COVID Safe’ we do ask that you follow some simple protocols;

• Every person attending needs to complete a COVID declaration form which confirms that you are symptom free and have not been to a restricted area or been in contact with anyone who has. This declaration form also acts as our contact tracing information if necessary. Students will be competing in classes so please hand these COVID forms to your class teacher.
• If you are symptomatic, awaiting a test clearance or have been in contact with someone, please do not attend our school site.
• School age students may not attend our Sports Day; if they are sick and home from their school they need to remain off site and if they are well they should not be taking a day off their school to watch their siblings.
• Lines will be marked around all activities to ensure a safe space for our students and staff to perform their duties.
• Please adhere to social distancing rules when observing activities.
• Please follow the direction of any staff on the day to ensure a smooth and safe sports event.

I thank you sincerely for your support. By following some simple rules, we will continue to be able to invite parents and carers to school events throughout the year which we know is important to both students and their families.

The day will commence at 9:00am and students are invited to wear their house colours. Normal bell times and lunch routines will operate on this day. Students will return to classrooms by 12:30pm.

If you are signing your child out early at the end of the activities, please do so through the class teacher.

Student Led Conferences

Just a reminder to all parents to please go online and book your student led conferences which begin next Wednesday. Please refer to last week’s newsletter for instructions about how to book. If you have any difficulties, please email your teacher directly and they will be more than happy to assist you.  

Pupil Free Day this Friday

This week will be a short week due to the Pupil Free Day occurring this Friday 3 September. Our staff use the Pupil Free Days to undertake a range of professional development activities and training. Please note in your calendars that school will be closed to students this Friday and make alternative arrangements for your children.

Year 6 Exhibition

This Wednesday night is our Year 6 PYP Exhibition. As part of the International Baccalaureate Curriculum Framework we use at Rochedale, Year 6 students demonstrate their understanding of what they have been investigating in their Unit of Inquiry, through an Exhibition presented in pairs or threes. Each group plans, asks questions, researches, organises, evaluates and presents their work independently. The Exhibition is the students’ opportunity to demonstrate the engaged and competent learners they have become. Each group works with staff mentors and the entire team is looking forward to Wednesday night with nervous excitement. Thank you to our staff mentors and to our Year 6 Team for supporting our learners. I am sure Wednesday will be a wonderful night.

Teacher Aide Appreciation Week

This week (30 August – 3 September) is Teacher Aide Appreciation Week in Australia and an opportunity to acknowledge the important role of Teacher Aides, whose hard work and dedication make a difference to students, teachers and the entire school community. The Rochedale Teacher Aide Team are a fantastic group of professionals who support our school, providing assistance that gives that extra attention some students need to get the most out of a lesson, and supporting our teachers to organise engaging and relevant activities each day. On behalf of our school community I would like to acknowledge and say a big thank you to all of our Rochedale Teacher Aides who are extremely dedicated, hardworking and committed members of our school community. Through our wonderful Teacher Aides, we as a school are able to provide so much more to each and every student.

Father’s Day

The P&C will be operating a Father’s Day stall in RPAC this week; Tuesday 31 August and Wednesday 1 September. All classes are scheduled to visit the stall so that every student has an opportunity to buy a gift if they wish. As well as providing presents for dads on their special day the stall is also an annual fundraiser for our P&C. The funds that the P&C raise are continually put back into the school for the benefit of all children. Thank you to all in the RSS community for supporting our school through our P&C activities. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads and father figures within our school community, I hope you have a great weekend.

Learner Profile:  Attribute focus for the week – Balanced – Students should read a variety of authors and books to become balanced readers and share their week’s reading list with their teacher. Depending on age and reading ability of students this may be done as a whole class, small groups or individually. Check with your class teacher how it will be done in your particular room.

Keith Graham
Principal

Year Six Exhibition - We are here!

This week, we see the year six students celebrating what has been an enduring, personal learning journey within the topic of their own passion. The Year Six teaching team are all extremely proud of the students’ accomplishments and are looking forward to sharing this culminating experience with the invited guests and wider Rochedale State School students. Unfortunately, due to COVID number restrictions, this year’s exhibition will be a closed event and not open to the general community. The evening will be split into sessions, parents of year six students are reminded that they must only attend during their designated session times.  Fortunately, students in other year levels will have the opportunity to visit the Exhibition during a timetabled class spot. 

I would like to extend a huge thank you to the Year Six teaching team who have worked incredibly hard to support students as they have undertaken their Exhibition journey and also the whole staff teaching team who have acted as trusted mentors to their allocated groups. 

I can’t wait for the inevitable goosebumps and general optimism for the future I am filled with every year during this special event.   

Students are well into the rehearsal period for RPAK’s scheduled 2021 Dance Showcase, Thursday 16 September.  Final details for the show will be released closer to the time so we can respond to any current COVID restrictions, however with this year’s outdoor stage format we are confident that we should be able to accommodate larger audiences.  For your information, the plan is to present a free, non-ticketed event starting at around 5.30pm (To be confirmed.)   

The theme of our 2021 show is titled ‘A Night at the Movies’, and audiences will be treated to much loved and familiar songs carefully selected from our favourite flicks. 

This week, students are finalising their required costume pieces and Advanced Life Photography will be at school, on Thursday for cast photos.  Exciting times. 

Have a great week,

Kellie Maxton
Deputy Principal (5-6)

Student-led Conferences

Student-led conferences are a valuable process in the Primary Years Program, where students are encouraged to take responsibility and ownership for their learning. A student-led conference is a meeting with the student, a family member and the teacher. During the meeting students are in charge of leading the discussion, sharing their portfolio and discussing their progress. The teacher will then join in the last part of the conference to discuss the student’s progress with the parent and answer questions they may have.

Student’s Role: To lead discussions around-

• Their strengths
• What they are proud of
• Their goals
• What they still want to learn

Parent’s Role:

• Encourage and support their child
• Ask questions to build conversation
• Provide feedback
• Help set goals
• Discuss action plans to achieve goals

Students may be both excited and nervous by this process, so it is so important to have a supportive family member attend to boost their confidence and engagement. Please remember to book in with your child’s teacher to ensure a timeslot is available. The SOBS online booking system closes at 3:00pm Tuesday 7 September.

Natasha Floyd
Head of Department- Curriculum

Welcome to Week 8 of Term 3!

Book Week is done for another year!

Thanks to everyone who joined in on the Book Week celebrations last week. It was such a fun morning of celebrating books and reading with some fabulous costumes. Well done to all. 

Also our Premier's Reading Challenge is done for another year so well done to all those students that participated and completed their goals.

Captain Read It

Congratulations to our Captain Read It Winners from Week 7 of Term 3

Prep K          Isabella Z
1S                 Albert F
2D                 Faisal E
3B                 Umamah B
4M                Rena D
5M                Vivaan S
6A                 Jacob T

Have a great week!
Jackie and Lorraine

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.

ORDERS CLOSE FRIDAY 3 SEPTEMBER!

Please register online via scholastic.com.au/LOOP or download the LOOP app. When ordering online, please note that classes are listed without a space (e.g. '4K' not '4 K') and Prep classes are listed at the bottom (e.g. 'Prep H' not 'PrepH').  

Issue 6 can be found online here: https://www.scholastic.com.au/media/6421/bc621web.pdf  If you get stuck and need help ordering online, simply call the Scholastic customer service team on 1800 021 233 during business hours.

If you have any questions please feel free to email me at larapurdie@gmail.com

Happy reading!
Lara Purdie 
RSS Book Club Coordinator 

P&C NEWS: P&C (eq.edu.au)

Father's Day Stall is being held this week. Thank you to our core volunteers. Social Distancing measures will be in place. Class days and times are listed below. If you have any questions or concerns, please direct them to pandc@rochedalss.eq.edu.au

SNACK SHACK NEWS: Tuckshop (eq.edu.au)

We are trying to limit the receipt of cash over the counter, please consider our online options or eftpos when ordering.  At the last P&C meeting a new menu was approved. Qkr! has been updated. Any concerns or questions you may have please email fsmanager@rochedalesspandc.com.au or pandc@rochedalss.eq.edu.au

INTERSCHOOL SPORT NEWS:

Please note, that any orders for Interschool Sport must come through the Interschool Sport Menu on Qkr! This menu has been limited to items that will travel and no hot food will be provided for those attending Interschool Sport on Fridays due to the buses leaving early. Hot food should be ordered and consumed for 1st break.

UNIFORM SHOP NEWS: Uniform shop (eq.edu.au)

Uniform Shop is open once again. Online orders through Qkr are always processed on a Thursday. Please be patient while we work through them. If your order is not delivered to your child's classroom on the Thursday it will be delivered on the Friday after parade. Uniform delivery is subject to class times and if your child's class is not there this will cause a delay. Every effort is made though to make sure the orders are delivered directly to the teacher for distribution to your child. Any questions or concerns can be sent to uniform@rochedalesspandc.com.au

ROSHCA NEWS: ROSHCA (eq.edu.au)