As a school community we acknowledged Anzac Day on Friday, it was lovely to see parents and community members join us. The student leaders did an outstanding job of leading the assembly. It was also my first opportunity to hear the band play, they were impressive.

Teaching and Learning

Each year, the school develops an Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) to document the teaching and learning focus for the year. The AIP aligns to the school Strategic Plan and to regional priorities.

School Improvement Agenda for 2022 will continue to focus on improving student outcomes:

• Reading
• Writing
• Differentiation

One of the school improvement priorities is to:

• Increase the percentage of students across the school achieving an A-B in English from 42.3% to 50%.
• Increase the percentage of students across the school achieving an A-C in English from 85.5% to 90%.

Actions:

• Continue to analyse data and identify areas to lift student A/B achievement in English.
• Review student folios of students achieving a D to verify the student hasn’t met the year level achievement standard.
• Continue to develop and implement rigorous assessment and moderation processes to quality assure A-E ratings across year levels.
• Monitor progress of marker students and track progress in reading and writing.
• Provide release time to year levels to work collaboratively and develop rigorous Units of Inquiry aligned to the Australian Curriculum.

Our work to meet the targets in English is well underway.  This week, we continue to release year level teams to work collaboratively and develop rigorous Units of Inquiry aligned to the Australian Curriculum. Teams are also being released to develop summative reading assessments.

Inclusion Principal / Parent Sessions

Thank you to the parents who met with me at the end of last term to give feedback on our inclusive practices. A follow up Principal/Parent feedback session will be held before the P and C meeting tonight 6.00pm in the staffroom. 

Parents as Learners – Inclusion and Disabilities
Girls with ASD by Sue Larkey www.suelarkey.com.au 
Girls with ASD are often undiagnosed, because original diagnostic criteria have a boy bias. The criteria were created by actually examining mainly boys, and the girls can be very different.

I think we all know ‘neuro-typical’ boys and girls are very different in their social, communication and behaviour. There are many characteristics that are very similar to boys with ASD but I thought I would list the main differences to girls with ASD.

10 Ways Girls with ASD differ to Boys with ASD
1.Their special interests are usually animals, music, art, literature.

2.They often have a very good imagination which includes imaginary friends, games, being animals or taking on persona of other girls.

3.They often see speech therapists for their speech and maybe diagnosed with specific language disorders however there is something different about this girl no one can quite put their finger on.

4.They often play with older children or much younger children. This play is sometimes unusual for example ‘Mums and Dads’ but she will want to play the same role and game every time. She usually wants to be the pet or baby, whereas most girls want to be the Mum or Dad.

5.They often have hyperlexia – the ability to read but comprehension does not always match their reading skills. They are often the class book worm or write stories but they write the same story over and over changing a few characters. Many have a special interest in literature.

6.They have unusual sensory processing, like the boys, however bigger fluctuations often going from one extreme to the other.

7.They get anxious like boys, however their anxiety is rarely physical or disruptive. In fact many have great coping mechanisms at school however the family see a very different child at home where the anxiety can explode.

8.Often their difficulties with social skills are called ‘shy’, ‘quiet’, ‘solitary’.

9.They often like to organise and arrange objects. I watched one little girl spend hours seemingly playing “My Little Ponies” however on closer examination she was just arranging and re-arranging the horses over and over.

10. The main difference is there are MANY more undiagnosed girls/ women than boys/men. Currently we only diagnose 1girl to 7 boys. In the future it is thought by many psychologists the ratio could be more like 5 to 7 as we become more aware of this group.

Recommendation for Girls
There are some wonderful books to explain how the condition presents differently in girls; how they can be diagnosed and helped, and how they can help themselves. The two books below are both wonderful reads and I would encourage anyone who knows a girl with ASD to consider reading these books. Many girls and women I know with ASD love reading – so by providing information to them in books it can empower them and help them understand they are not alone.

My favourite for professionals, parents and young people with ASD is Aspergirls by Rudy Simone. Here are my favourite excerpts, which give amazing insights and information.

I know many girls who do this one!

“Aspergirls do not thrive under scrutiny, if it has just the slightest bit of hostility in it. Whether from our peers or teachers, if we are looked at with an unfriendly, intimidating, or threatening eye, we fold. Alone we are talented, graceful, witty, and smart, but under such circumstances we curl up like hedgehogs.” (pg 31, Aspergirls)

"I always felt different from my family; they seemed unpredictable and frightening. I was known to be gifted intellectually but I was so profoundly affected by AS that as puberty kicked in, I went through bouts of mutism which could last hours or even a whole day." Rudy Simone oscillated from performing for attention to shutting down completely – a swing of moods which she says is typical for ''Aspergirls''.

Danuta Bulhak-Paterson has written a fabulous picture book for girls called I am an Aspie Girl. She wrote this book so girls could have a resource they could relate to. As parents and professionals wishing to support girls on the spectrum, Danuta feels it is important not only to have a thorough understanding of ASD but also to adopt a positive attitude about the condition. She believes a genuine appreciation of the wonderful gifts that come with a different way of thinking will help the girls value themselves.

The book aims to help girls understand themselves to discover their unique way of thinking and strengths. I love the way the book asks great questions:

• “Do you find playing in a group tricky?”
• “Do you sometimes find it hard to understand how you are feeling?”
• “Do you worry about making mistakes?”

Important information for Parents

NAPLAN Parent Information Session will be held for parents of students in years 3 and 5 on Friday 29 April, 10.00am-10.50am in the staffroom.

Thank you Michelle, Rob, Petta, Anna and Regina for covering the Tuckshop Convenor absence on Friday.  Parents, students and staff appreciate you keeping the tuckshop open.

Enjoy the long weekend.
Melissa

After a Term 1 review of the Engine Room operation, student needs, staff resourcing and supervision required in other areas of the school, the Engine Room will close before school from Tuesday, week 3.

Students have and will continue to transition to the Green Zone before school. Support staff will be deployed to this area to continue to assist students in the morning, consistent with their support needs and plans.

Stacey Lloyd
Deputy Year 4/ Head of Diverse Learning and Enrichment

At Rochedale State School, we have adopted an inquiry model called OSCAR. An inquiry is engaging with prior knowledge and either adding to it or using it in a new way. OSCAR is a strategy to support the children as they build their conceptual knowledge and understanding. OSCAR is an acronym for;

 O = ORIENTATING, S = SEARCHING, C = CONNECTING, A = ACTIONING and R = REDEFINING.

During the ORIENTATING phase, students focus upon re-engaging with prior knowledge. Through sets of tasks and learning experiences, their past experiences and curiosity are engaged. Students are encouraged to pose questions that will help drive and direct their learning. During this phase, students also record their current understanding of the concepts involved in the unit.  

In the SEARCHING phase, students engage in tasks which are designed to help them draw out knowledge from readings, experiments, collaborative talks and reflections. Students also seek out answers to questions they have asked at the beginning.

Through the CONNECTING phase, students make links between points of their knowledge and develop their understandings. These understandings and links are then brought together to form an enduring understanding.

The ACTIONING and REDEFINING phase are for the students to apply their knowledge to new or different situations, or to simply help make others aware of what they have discovered. We can ask the question: How does this new knowledge change how l act and think? During REDEFINING students revisit and redefine their definition of the unit’s concepts. We also ask the question: How has this new learning impacted upon my knowledge and understanding?

Inquiries are not always linear. The OSCAR model is designed for students to progress and revisit the stages where needed as they engage in their inquiries.

Have a great week
Natasha Floyd
Head of Department - Curriculum

This year our senior sports day will be on Thursday 23 June, week 10 term 2.  It is anticipated that our school team will be selected after the sports day and be ready for the Mt Gravatt District Athletics Carnival on 8 and 9 August, term 3. 

The interhouse competition is arranged in the following age groups:

  9 years ( born 2013),

10 years (born 2012)

11 years (born 2011)

12 years (born 2010).

All Year 3 (turning 8 this year) students will be participating in the senior sports day competing in sprints (100m & 80m) / ball games / relays / tug-o-war.

Beginning  week 3 at lunch time (2^nd break) all interhouse field events and middle-distance competitions will occur : high /long jumps – shot put/200m & 800m/400m.  All events are finals and all participants will receive points for their participation, and place getters will receive ribbons.

The 200m /400m (9yrs) & 800m finalists will be selected from time trials during the students' physical education lessons.

The timetable in the newsletter indicates the age group (the age turning this year), date and  day of competition - all these events (high hump / shot put / long jump / 200m / 800m) will be for competition for house points and ribbons for the top 3 place getters.   All top 3 place getters will have points allocated to the age championship medallion and the child who accumulates the most points will be awarded the age champion for 2022. 

Any child in the age category of 10yrs / 11yrs / 12yrs age and who are placed in the top 2 (field event finals) and also placed in the top 4 in the sprints and middle distances  will represent Rochedale SS at the Mt Gravatt District Athletics Carnival next term provided they make the qualifying times and distances.  Any child who is away on the day of the events will be given a chance to challenge for a position on our school team.

If there is inclement weather about and the lunch time competition is postponed for the day, the event will be transferred to the catch up week (wk9).

MOTHER’S DAY STALL TIMETABLE 2022

Please note class times for the Mother’s Day stall next week. Gifts range in price from $1.00 to $10.00 and children can purchase more than one gift.

Please put all money in a zip lock bag with the child’s name and class written clearly on the front.  Don’t forget to bring a bag for your gift.

There will also be a Mother’s Day raffle, tickets are 50c each (max 4), tickets will be available during the stall hours
and the raffle will be drawn at parade on Friday May 6.

The stall will be held in the RPAC Building.              

THE STALL WILL BE OPEN FROM 8.00 – 8.30AM WITH ANY RESIDUAL STOCK, ON FRIDAY MORNING May 6 IN RPAC

Any parents who are free to assist please contact Petta Traynor on 0434 149 834
(Unfortunately no younger children will be allowed to come along with parent helpers)

Office Hours

The school office is open each day from 8am to 4pm. 

Student State School Consent

It is the school’s usual practice to take photographs or record images of students and occasionally to publish limited personal information and student materials for the purpose of celebrating student achievement and promoting the school and more broadly celebrating Queensland education. Consent to use your child's name, photograph, voice/video recording or year level is requested at time of enrolment via the "State School Consent Form". If you wish to make changes to consent for your child please request a new State School Consent Form from the school office. 

Facility Hirers

Please find attached the current list of the community groups that hire our school facilities.

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.